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20 ARCHBISHOP'S CATHOLIC APPEAL | SPECIAL EDITION Is there one of the 12 Apostles who you admire, AND why? St. John the Apostle is one of the 12 Apostles that I greatly admire. He was the apostle who heard the heart beat of Christ at the Last Supper and walked with Christ to Mount Calvary. Especially as priests, we're called to unite our heartbeat to the beat of the Sacred Heart of Christ. St. John gives us the example of how to do this by following Our Lord to the cross. We are called to take up our cross and follow Our Lord. As priests, we're called to bring the Blessed Virgin Mary into our home just as St. John did. Like St. John, we are sons of the Blessed Mother. So I admire St. John because he shows us how to live the priestly life. Which Apostle do you think you know the least about or who would you like to know better? I know the least about St. Bar- tholomew. Not much is said about him in Scripture. Why do you think it's important for us to understand the 12 Apostles better? To understand the Apostles is to understand the foundation of the Church. As Catholics we profess that we believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Christ insti- tuted the Church through the Apos- tles who handed down the teachings to our bishops. We encounter the Tra- dition of the Church when we under- stand the Apostles better. What is one apostolic charac- teristic that you hope to bring to your ministry as a priest? One apostolic characteristic that I hope to bring to my ministry as a priest is the proclamation of the Gospel which the Apostles did so fearlessly. I hope to bring Christ to others just as the Apostles did. DEACON MIGUEL MENDOZA Which Apostle do you think you know the least about or who would you like to know better? The apostle Jude is a mystery to me. The only thing that I know about him is the brief letter he wrote in the new testament, which I have not read very much myself. I also know he is the patron saint of impossible causes. I would love to learn more about him and get to know him if the Lord offers an opportunity for me to get to know him better. Why do you think it's important for us to understand the 12 Apostles better? The 12 apostles are the foundation upon which the church was built. They were the ones who received per- fect knowledge of what was revealed to them by Jesus. They were the ones to whom Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations." It is to them that all of the sacraments were entrusted, the keys to the kingdom. They were the first chosen instruments through which the life of grace was to flow out into the world. One of the marks of the Catholic church is that it is apostolic. If we don't understand who the 12 apostles are and their role in salvation history, then we miss one of the foundational aspects of how we understand the church as the body of Christ and a living breathing organism. What is one apostolic charac- teristic that you hope to bring to your ministry as a priest? The primary mark of the apos- tle was one who witnessed to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:22) John Paul II embodied this so well, being a successor of the apostles and the successor of Peter. His most extensive biography is titled "A Wit- ness to Hope", because he knew and had experienced the resurrection in his own life and the lives of others. Right now, I have seen despair grip- ping the hearts of so many. Despair that the Christian life is not possible. Despair that a good God could never exist in the face of so much evil. Hope is the antidote. In my life as a priest, I want to live with this type of hope. a hope full of faith that expects and lives with the freedom to allow Jesus to do the amazing things he wants to do. A hope that shines light in the darkness. A hope that has radiated in the eyes of saints throughout history. A hope that eventually bears the fruit of supernatural charity. (Continued from page 19)