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 who through  their  preaching  would  be  brought  into  the  Church. “That holy night  passed  by  our  Lord  in  prayer  and  watching  is  the  Vigil  of the  Founding  of  the  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church. On that  mysterious night the  soul  of  our  Saviour  must  have  been  full  of  the  deepest  contemplation of  His  unfathomable  work  of  love,  of  its  results  and  destiny, as well  as  of  thanksgiving  to  His  Eternal  Father  for  this  great  and beautiful new  creation. He spent  the  night  in  prayer,  wrestling  with God for  its  welfare  and  final  victory”  (Reischl).

The common  office  of  the  Apostles.  Picture  to  yourselves  the  little company of  the  twelve  apostles — twelve  plain,  unlearned  men! Let us see  for  what  object  our  Lord  singled  them  out. He intended  that, when He  Himself  had  ascended  into  heaven,  they  should  go  forth  into the world  to  preach  the  Gospel. They were  to  conquer  the  world  for Him, and  carry  on  His  work  of  Redemption  by  delivering  His  truth and grace  to  mankind. What a gigantic  task! Therefore, to  make them more  fit  for  this  great  office,  our  Lord  chose  them  Himself,  kept them constantly  with  Him,  prayed  for  them,  and  made  them  His  chief care. The whole  Church  is  founded  on  the  apostles,  and  is  therefore called the  Apostolic  Church.

The miraculous  preservation  and  extension  of  the  Church.  The question is,  why  did  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  choose  for  this  stupendous office twelve  ignorant  men,  of  a low  station  in  life,  and  of  no  importance in  the  eyes  of  the  world? It was  to  show  to  the  whole  world that  the  maintenance  and  spread  of  the  Church  and  her  doctrine  were not due  to  human  wisdom  and  learning,  but  solely  to  His  grace  and protection. “The foolish  things  of  the  world  hath  God  chosen  that He may  confound  the  wise;  and  the  weak  things  of  the  world  hath God chosen  that  He  may  confound  the  strong;  and  the  base  things  of the  world,  and  the  things  that  are  contemptible,  hath  God  chosen; and things that  are  not,  that  He  might  bring  to  nought  things  that  are: that no flesh  should  glory  in  His  sight”  (i  Cor.  i,  27.  28.  29).

The Primacy  of  Peter. A list  of  the  apostles  is  given  four  times, viz. in the  Gospels  of  St. Matthew, St. Mark and  St.  Luke,  and  in  the Acts of  the  Apostles. In each,  St.  Peter’s  name  is  put  first;  and St. Matthew expressly  calls  him  “the  first”  (Matth.  10,  2). In what way was  St. Peter the  first  of  the  apostles? He was  the  third,  not  the first, to  be  called  (chapter  XIII),  but  all  the  same  he  was  the  first  in rank,  being  ordained  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  chief  of  the apostles. We have  already  come  across  several  passages  in  the  New Testament which  point  to  his  primacy. When our  Lord  first  called him, He  gave  him  the  name  of  Peter. His mother-in-law  was  the  first of many  sick  whom  Jesus  healed. It was  Peter’s  boat  from  which  He chose  to  preach;  and  it  was  to  Peter  especially  that  the  miraculous draught of  fishes  was  given,  as  also  the  promise  that  henceforth  he should  be  a fisher  of  men.