When Did Jesus Become Catholic?

Bulletin Q &A Article, published 4-30-23:

When did Jesus become a Catholic? Or would he never have said he was Catholic? When would the Apostles stop considering themselves Jewish?

Jesus was born a Jew by nationality and brought up in Judaism, the religion of the Jews. He followed the Jewish laws, but often confronted the Pharisees for hypocritically following the letter of the law and not its intent. He challenged them for worrying about ritual practices of cleaning hands and cups and about burdening the people with laws but not giving them assistance to follow them. And of course, in defiance, Jesus often performed healings on the Sabbath. Jesus is the head of the Catholic Church, but I don’t think He would have considered Himself a Catholic. Catholics, and all Christians, worship Christ as their redeemer. Jesus wouldn’t have worshipped Himself, and definitely didn’t need a redeemer.

Like the Apostles, the first followers of Christ were Jews. For them, Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah that had been promised to them. This was not the end of their Jewish faith, it was the fulfillment. We can see in the Acts of the Apostles how the early Jewish Christians still followed Jewish practices, celebrated Jewish feasts, and attended the synagogue on the Sabbath, the 7th day of the week. We see Peter and the Apostles in Jerusalem celebrating the Jewish feast of Pentecost (50 days after Passover) when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. The difference was that, although they continued to follow Jewish practices, they knew that obedience to these practices was not the key to their salvation. They now believed that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. They probably always thought of themselves as Jews, but also disciples of Jesus who they had come to know as the Messiah who set them free.

In Chapter 11 of the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the believers referred to as Christians for the first time, probably about 42 AD. Before that they were considered disciples. The Christian name appears, at that time, to apply to both Jewish and Gentile followers of Christ. They became known as Catholics later in the first century to distinguish themselves from heretical splinter groups that also called themselves Christians. The first written reference to the name Catholic was in 107 AD in a letter from Ignatius of Antioch.

The Apostles preached in the synagogues on Saturdays, because that’s where their audience was. They wanted to proclaim the Good News to their fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah that had been patiently awaited. To be welcomed into the synagogue, they would have to be faithfully observing Jewish practices. But did they also celebrate the Lord’s Day on Sunday, the first day of the week? The first reference I can find to Sunday worship is in Chapter 20 of Acts, probably about in 57 AD. Luke writes: “On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread.”

Christianity builds upon Judaism. Our founder, Jesus Christ, was Jewish in his human nature. We have a continuity that leads back through Him and our Jewish ancestry to Abraham, our father in faith. We pray that all Jews will recognize Jesus as the Messiah. On Good Friday we offer this solemn intercession: “Let us pray also for the Jewish people, to whom the Lord our God spoke first, that He may grant them to advance in love of His name and in faithfulness to His covenant. Almighty ever-living God, who bestowed your promises on Abraham and his descendants, graciously hear the prayers of your Church, that the people you first made your own may attain the fullness of redemption. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

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