All the children of God form one single family.  This great family is called the Church.  Founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, it is the great sheepfold where the voice of the Good Shepherd still resounds.

On the shore of the Lake of Tiberias

Dawn was breaking, casting a golden glow over the Lake of Galilee.  The apostle Peter and six companions had spent the night fishing without catching anything.  In the morning, a stranger on the shore called out to them to cast the net on the right side of the boat.  They obeyed, and at once the net was filled with fish, almost to the point of breaking.

John was the first to understand:
“It is the Lord,” he whispered.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Peter threw himself into the water to reach Jesus more quickly on the shore.  There, upon the sand, he saw a charcoal fire, with bread and fish ready to eat.  This meal prepared by the Master revealed the exquisite tenderness of His love.  Peter’s heart was moved.  This fire perhaps reminded him of that other fire… in the courtyard of the high priest, on the night he denied his Master three times.

As soon as the other disciples came ashore, they sat down around Jesus and shared the meal with Him.  The waves lapped gently against the stones, and the breeze brushed their faces.  Above all, the presence of their Master filled them with a joy beyond imagining.  After the meal, while the others remained silent, Jesus turned to Simon Peter.

“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”

No doubt Peter felt rising within him the memory of his bold promises, his fall, his tears.  But Jesus had assured him of His forgiveness.

“Lord, replied the Apostle, You know that I love You.”

Jesus said to him:

“Feed My lambs,” that is, be the shepherd of My lambs.

A second time, Christ asked him:

“Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

– Yes, Lord, replied the Apostle, You know that I love You.

– Feed My lambs,” repeated the Master.

A third time, Christ asked:

“Peter, do you love Me?”

This third question stirred Peter to the depths of his being.  It recalled his threefold denial, but at the same time offered him the opportunity for a threefold confession of love.  Deeply saddened by the insistence of his beloved Master, Peter cried out with fervor:

“Lord, You who know all things, You know well that I love You!

– Feed My sheep,” concluded the Savior.

These lambs and sheep, whom He had redeemed with His Blood, Jesus entrusted only to the one who loved Him most and who would watch over His beloved flock with constant zeal.  Saint Peter had come face to face with his own weakness.  His denial had carved within him a depth of humility and love that made him fit to be chosen first to govern the Church of Jesus Christ.

The other Apostles, his brothers, received the power to teach, to baptize, and to absolve souls from sin.  But to Peter alone was given the charge to govern, to be the foundational Rock, the very voice of Christ Himself to guide and sanctify us.

The Church is the great assembly of souls who profess the faith of Jesus Christ and live under the guidance of His Vicar on earth.  Like a vast spiritual city, it shelters within its walls two groups: the laity, called the faithful, and the clergy, composed of priests, pastors watching over their parishes, bishops guiding their dioceses, and the Pope, the keystone of the whole structure, to whom the governance of the entire Church has been entrusted.

The true Church, the one that Christ built upon Peter, is recognized by four marks:

1º It is one, because everywhere on earth it professes a single doctrine.
2º It is holy, since its mission is to sanctify souls and lead them to God.
3º It is catholic, that is, universal, extending its arms to the ends of the world.
4º It is apostolic, for it is still governed today by the successors of the first Apostles.

As children of this Church, we must love her as one loves a mother, respect her as one respects a queen, and obey her voice as that of a father.  And when her enemies slander or wound her, it is our duty to defend her honor, as a loyal son defends the dignity of the one who gave him life.

This visible Church, born of faith and struggle, is called the Church militant.  It gathers all Christians who are still striving on earth to attain salvation.

There is also the Church suffering: the souls who complete the purification of their faults in Purgatory before entering the eternal happiness of Heaven.

Finally, there is the Church triumphant, formed by all the Saints in Paradise who, during their brief time on earth, have won the eternal crown.  They are our forerunners, our models, and they intercede for us. 

These three – militant, suffering, and triumphant – are united by an exchange of prayers, good works, sufferings, and merits.  This living bond is called the Communion of Saints – the holy fellowship of all those who, united in the same Mystical Body, share the same hope.

At the summit of this earthly Jerusalem stands the Pope, the lieutenant of Christ and successor of Saint Peter.  As the visible head of the Church, he is charged with preserving Christian doctrine and the deposit of faith in all its integrity and with watching over the salvation and sanctification of the faithful entrusted to his care.  He is infallible – that is, he cannot err – when, in his capacity as shepherd and teacher of the universal Church, he defines a doctrine concerning faith and morals.