By Deacon Frederick Bartels
26 March 2017
Our Protestant brothers and sisters often ask Catholics if they have a personal relationship with Jesus, implying that perhaps Catholics are not Christian. This misunderstanding is not uncommon among Protestants. Of course, Catholics are Christian; Catholics are THE Christians because the Church dates back in continuity to the apostles and to Christ. Therefore the Church bears deed and title to the true Christian religion, as Rev. O’Brien wrote in his book, The Faith of Millions. It’s a matter of history that Christ instituted the Catholic or universal Church on the authority of St. Peter, who became the first pope (See Mt 16:17-19), and promised to be with his Church all days (Mt 28:20), making the Church the Spirit-guided institution of saving truth, the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1 Tim 3:15).
But the question of whether we have a personal relationship with Jesus is a valid and important question, not just for Catholics but for every person on the face of the earth. How do we develop this essential relationship with the incarnate Son of God? What are some of the marks of such a relationship? This podcast takes a look at this question in reference to the gospel proclaimed on the 4th Sunday of Lent, taken from John Chapter 9.
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