GROW IN FAITH: YOUTH – Why the Church?

Not Just Personal Belief

Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You did not leave us alone.
You founded Your Church.
Help me understand why it exists
and what it means to belong to it.
Amen.

Part One

What the Church Claims

The Catholic Church does not claim to be:

A voluntary club.

A social community.

A spiritual support network.

She claims to be founded by Christ Himself.

Jesus did not simply teach individuals and disappear.

He chose apostles.
He gave them authority.
He sent them to teach and baptise.
He promised to remain with them.

He said to Peter:

“Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”

He did not say,
“I will inspire scattered believers.”

He founded something visible.

The Church teaches that she is:

One

Holy

Catholic

Apostolic

If Christ rose from the dead,
then what He founded matters.

Pause and Reflect

Do I see the Church as optional?

Do I treat belonging as cultural rather than essential?

If Christ founded the Church, what does that mean for me?

Part Two

Why Not “Just Me and Jesus”?

Many today say:

“I believe in Jesus, but not in organised religion.”

This sounds reasonable at first.

But consider:

Who decided which books belong in the New Testament?

Who preserved the Gospel accounts?

Who clarified doctrine when disputes arose?

Who defined the Trinity?

Who defended the divinity of Christ?

The Church did.

Without the Church:

There would be no agreed canon of Scripture.

No clarity on essential doctrine.

No sacramental life.

If Christ is Lord,
and if He entrusted authority to the apostles,
then rejecting the Church means rejecting the structure He established.

Faith was never meant to be purely private.

It is personal — but not isolated.

Think Carefully

Can truth be preserved without authority?

If every individual interprets Scripture independently,
what prevents contradiction?

Did Christ intend a visible body or scattered opinions?

Part Three

Authority and Continuity

The apostles did not merely preach.

They appointed successors.

From the earliest centuries, bishops traced their authority back to the apostles.

This is called apostolic succession.

The Catholic Church claims an unbroken line of teaching authority
from the apostles to the present.

This does not mean every Christian in history was perfect.

It means the Church’s teaching office
does not depend on personal brilliance or cultural approval.

It depends on Christ’s promise:

“I am with you always.”

If Christ rose and promised to remain with His Church,
then her authority is not self-created.

It is received.

Reflect

If Christ gave authority to the apostles,
does that authority end when they died?

Would Christ leave His followers without guidance?

Part Four

The Church and Human Weakness

A common objection is:

“The Church has made mistakes.”

Yes — members of the Church have sinned.

Priests, bishops, and lay people are not perfect.

But the Church does not claim that her members are sinless.

She claims that Christ preserves her teaching from error
in matters of faith and morals.

There is a difference between:

Human failure
and
Doctrinal falsity.

If the Church were only human,
she would have collapsed long ago.

Instead, she has endured persecution, scandal, division,
and yet continues to proclaim the same central truths.

This endurance itself requires explanation.

Consider

Do human failures invalidate truth?

If a scientist behaves badly, does science become false?

Can weakness and divine guidance coexist?

Part Five

What This Means

If Jesus rose from the dead
and founded a Church,
then belonging is not optional.

The Church is not one spiritual option among many.

She is the body through which Christ continues to act.

Through her:

The sacraments are administered.

The Eucharist is celebrated.

Doctrine is preserved.

Moral truth is taught.

To belong to Christ
is to belong to His Church.

Not because the Church is flawless.

But because Christ is faithful.

Quiet Reflection

Sit quietly for a moment.

Ask yourself:

Do I see the Church as Christ’s body
or merely an institution?

If Christ entrusted authority to the Church,
am I willing to receive it?

Remain in silence.

This Week

Choose one:

• Read Matthew 16:13–19 carefully.
• Learn about apostolic succession.
• Reflect on why unity requires authority.
• Pray simply: “Lord, help me understand Your Church.”

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You founded Your Church for our salvation.
Help me see it not as human invention
but as Your work in history.
Strengthen my faith in Your promise
to remain with us always.
Amen.