As discussed, before His crucifixion Christ left treasures for His children – one treasure was authorizing His son Peter to act as our adopted Holy Father. Christ the King left a treasure kingdom or palace with sacred teaching, a mother Church, consecrated officers, workers, springs of eternal life, fields of wheat and vineyards. One criticism of non-Catholics is that we need only Christ as our head and we have no need for an earthly one Father Pope. Suppose all the children did was print the sacred teaching and bring laborers and hand them the sacred teaching as manuals for the Father's kingdom – that is basically what most non-Catholics insist is Christ's Design. The trouble would be that workers would interpret the sacred teaching variably and would come up with opposing ideas on how to care for the kingdom. Moreover, outsiders that desire to ruin the kingdom and poison the fields, could read the sacred teaching manuals and begin to wage war against the weakest and newest laborers with opposing interpretations. Some outside gangsters may wage a physical war to take over the palace and destroy the fields. Children who claim no need for any leader (except the risen Heavenly King) have no one to organize the battle to defend the palace, the weak, the injured, or to fight the fires and the diseases that infected the fields. Then there are the issue of the babies and the illiterate who need a mother to care for and nurse them. Therefore, there has to be one earthly father leader if the palace is to act as one family with one faith purpose, one desire, and with united strength. Wisdom tells us, “they may all be one,” (John 17:21) and Christ warns us that, “the world hated them” (John 17:14). Therefore, to protect the entrusted treasures, the kingdom must act as one bonded family under one earthly Father and one Mother Church.
Christ asked the children to preach and bring the kingdom laborers. Laborers that desire to follow Christ come from all walks of life and at different ages. Some workers are babies and have never worked in such capacities, while others maybe expert in various life experiences. Christ needs everyone at all ages, but with some order. Everyone who joins the one family is encouraged to begin right away sharing their excitement with others. For example, Andrew encouraged his brother Simon, “He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” (John 1:41). But note, Andrew did not indulge in interpreting the Scripture, but shared what his teacher, John the Baptizer, taught, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” (John 1:29-30). There is an order to things; first the prophet John the Baptizer taught and testified of what he eye-witnessed; then Andrew believed and shared.
Those who are children or new to the Scripture are humbler in accepting the teaching of the one Church before they begin teaching. However, non-Catholics who have been personally interpreting the Scripture are convinced of their claim that, “Any fifth grader can read and understand an uncomplicated clear Scripture.” That often creates conflicts and hurdles in grasping the Catholic explanation because they are convinced that no one can correct what they assumed to be the correct interpretation.
Note, the master who gave his talents to his three servants did not give them to outsiders, but to those servants who had closely observed him over many years. Therefore, the master was angered by the third servant who knew all the master’s actions, but was ungenerous in adding his strength and talents to the talents and teaching the master gifted him. Suppose one of the new workers is a top soldier who spent years winning many wars. Although such a soldier appears fit to begin right away defending the palace, he must first have proper explanation of the thoughts and desires of the master. Once the soldier humbles himself to be trained in the courage to suffer and even accept death from weaker enemies if the need arises, then perhaps the soldier can be fit to be in charge of defending the palace and the treasure heroically and sacrificially.
Another new worker may be like Saul – he may have strong education in the Scripture and great zeal for the LORD. Yet the right thing is to humble himself as Paul was accompanied by Barnabas, “he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year,” (Acts 11:26) before he became the Prince Apostle. Another new laborer maybe an expert in building, but the more appropriate thing when coming to the one family is not to build buildings and bridges right away, but “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). Although the worker is a great builder who desires to use his/or her talents right away, first and more importantly, he must humble himself to allow the one family builders to inspire him to build not buildings but Holy Temples telling the story of our one bonded family. The new worker maybe an expert worldly artist. But when he is first humbled to learn the thought and heart of our master and heroic Saints, then he could sculpt not just the external appearances, but the deepest feelings and thoughts that only intimate family members know and understand. A new worker may be a professional singer, but he must first to learn the genealogical family relationships so that the worker not only sings beautifully, but praises passionately. Most newcomers with zeal may assist in gathering grapes and wheat, but even expert bakers and vineyard keepers may need to learn traditional preferred family flavoring in making bread and wine.
Wisdom tells us there is time to learn and time to teach, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Christ our teacher in His humanity taught us how to become the faithful child of the one family first. Christ, the master builder of the universe, humbled Himself to learn carpentry from his adopted father Joseph. Before teaching, Christ learned from the old one family authorized teachers, “sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46). Most astonishingly, yet expected, Christ our judge taught us to do same. He first humbled himself to His earthly parents who are our adopted father the Pope and our Mother the Catholic Church, “was obedient to them” (Luke 2:51).
Another criticism by non-Catholics is that the Catholic Church is unfaithful and added too much to the Sacred Scripture when the sacred Scripture is all that is needed. That made Her unfaithful which is why they left the Church. Christ explained in the parable of the Talents that a man gave his treasure to three servants working in his kingdom, “To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one” (Matthew 25: 15) until he returned – which is what Christ has done. Two of the servants multiplied the treasures, but one servant received one talent and returned it intact. The treasure talents that the first two servants gained are not inferior to the talents received by their master. However, the earthly treasures that the prodigal son chased and the thirty-silver coins Judas gained are inferior and distinct from the treasure that Christ gives. Not so with the new treasures the children gain working in the Father's Kingdom and being taught by the earthly authorized Father and nurtured by the One Mother Church, because such added treasures are of the same quality as the treasures given by Christ.
The claim that all we need is only Sacred Scripture is like taking the stand of the servant with one talent and keeping it as one talent to hand back to Christ – Christ called that servant, “useless servant” (Matthew 25:30). Therefore, to understand the Creator's design, we must think as “children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Therefore, there is no distinction between the treasures that Christ gives and the treasure that we gain in His absence, “everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine.” (John 17:10). This is basic to the Catholic understanding and celebration of the Saints who all become one union and they themselves become an inseparable treasure in the treasure Christ. We are one genealogically linked Family that understands the love we have for one another and Christ and that understands that we become inseparably one union. Thus we celebrate especially our exemplary brothers and sisters we call Saints.
The Holy one Catholic family Mother Church would be a “useless servant” if She handed the new zealous workers the Holy Scripture and left them to understand it as they can. Christ commanded his eyewitnesses the authorized Apostles to make disciples and, “baptizing them.” (Matthew 28:19). Although John the Baptizer and Christ Baptized others, they needed one another to be Baptized. That means that personal interpretation of Scripture does not fulfill all requirements, because we ought to be Baptized, be taught, and be nurtured first by the one family before we understand what we can or cannot do.
Perhaps all the inhabitants of the master's palace would like to paint the walls anew, but new paint on the walls does not make it beautiful. First, we ought to agree on the color that represents us as a one bonded Family rather than each one painting a portion the color of his or her choice. Thus we have to have an earthly Father to help us pick the one color and then we will all help paint. The one bonded family encourages us to read the Scripture daily and meditate on its words because these are our Abba's thoughts. Likewise, the one bonded family Catholic Church encourages us to contribute to Her treasures with our talents after we learn the treasure we already have, so we ourselves become part of the Church's treasures.
I concluded in my reflections, The Two Wedding Feasts of Adam that, “Adam was not deceived but made the correct choice in sacrificing his life choosing death rather than breaking the Creator's design.” I also wrote a Rosary Mystery meditation named The Mystery of the Body. However, if the one bonded family Catholic Church rules that my conclusion about Adam's choice or The Mystery of the Body is a heresy, then I will rejoice to accept the Church's decision that I erred and would abandon it at once. Likewise, I urge anyone that may find his reflection and interpretation of Scripture different from the Holy one family Church to discuss it with the Church, not in order to convince Her or throw a tantrum and leave, but to ask Her to help him to understand and to willingly comply with the authorized eyewitnesses of the eyewitnesses of Christ. Now, suppose that the one bonded family Catholic Church declares at some future time that what I concluded about Adam is true or suppose that The Mystery of the Body becomes a rosary prayer. I am more concerned that now and at every moment I am in agreement in thoughts, desire, and strength with the one bonded Church family.
Holding on to controversies that the authorized one bonded family Church declared heresy is not being a faithful servant to Christ, but is being an UNFAITHFUL servant, even if the controversy is declared correct at a future time. Many times a child may disagree with the father, but it is better for the child to agree to submit than to oppose his father. We are discussing an authorized sacred one family father who always wants the salvation of his children. As Christ taught, “What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?” (Luke 11:11). We must trust our Heavenly Father and unceasingly pray that He will show our Adopted Father and the one Holy Catholic Church the fullness of truth. Thus, remaining faithful to Her is remaining faithful to Christ.
The Pharisees and the Jewish old one family Covenant erred in their interpretation much earlier in history than when Christ confronted them in His human persona. Yet, Christ did not choose to abandon them and be born of a mother who abandoned that one family which erred, but came from that one family Covenant and obeyed all Her laws. If we insist on our own personal interpretation that opposes the one bonded Catholic Church and elect to leave the one Family Church rather than abandon our conflicts, we are not honorable. It would be more honorable to us if at a future time, the one family declares we were right and yet we had humbly submitted as expressed to the advice Christ gave us,
Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. (Luke 14:10).
Christ harshly criticized those who have ideas of honor and who demand obedience or who threaten to leave the one Church to establish their honorary seats.
When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.(Luke 14:8-9).
Likewise, we ought to imitate Christ and remain in our one bonded Family Church, faithful and obedient to Her teaching, mission, and desires. Judas, who was an eye witness and who was taught by Christ, made an error in his interpretation and rather than consulting with Peter the authorized Father, Judas acted independently and ended up becoming a stumbling block to those who listened to his teaching and he eventually destroyed himself. Rather, let's choose the Prodigal son’s action – he returned to his father and eventually was celebrated as a treasure. The one family Catholic Church teaches us the Seven Sacraments that are treasures given to us. Perhaps the eighth talent or treasure or Sacrament is that each receiver of some of the talents who faithfully multiplies them, truly becomes the eighth Talent and Treasure himself/or herself in union with Christ.
LORD, it is not thoughts I desire, but thoughts of You.
LORD, it is not love I desire, but love of You.
LORD, it is not peace I desire, but your lasting Peace.
LORD, it is not hope I desire, but hope in You.
LORD, it is not joy I desire, but the joy in You.
LORD, it is not food I desire, but to feed on You.
LORD, it is not drink I desire, but the holy drink in You.
LORD, it is not a brother I desire, but the brotherhood in You.
LORD, it is not a mother I desire, but the mother in You.
LORD, it is not a father I desire, but the father in You.
LORD, it is not life I desire, but the life in You.
LORD, it is not wealth I desire, but the wealth in You.
LORD, it is not sight I desire, but sight to gaze at You.
LORD, it is not a heart I desire, but a heart to love You.
LORD it is not rest I desire, but rest in You.
LORD all I seek is You.