June 27, 2024
|
by Joshua Charles

#45 | St. Augustine: Apostolic Succession Prophesied in the Psalms (Exposition of Psalm 45)

Read on desktop or tablet to use our interactive Table of Contents feature

Here is a wonderful sample from St. Augustine of how the Church Fathers seamlessly read Old and New Testaments together, and in such a way as to confirm the Catholic Faith.

In this example, St. Augustine provides commentary on Psalm 45:16 in support of Apostolic Succession (see Becoming Catholic Quote Archiveโ€”Apostolic Succession for more quotes on this subject from the Church Fathers).

He affirms that the Church was not โ€œleft desolateโ€ of leadership after the death of the last Apostle, but enjoys it through their successors, the bishops. As with all the Psalms, St. Augustine reads it as pointing forward to the New Covenant and the Catholic Church.

Note that he says the bishops sit on the โ€œthronesโ€ of the Apostles. These are the โ€œthronesโ€ of the kingdom Jesus promised to the Apostles, and by extension their successors.

Weโ€™ve touched on this topic in Becoming Catholic #39 and elsewhere. You can find New Testament references to these Apostolic thrones in Matt. 19:28, Luke 22:28-30, and Apoc. 20:4.

St. Augustine concludes, as he often did, with a call to all who have separated from the Catholic Church to come Home.

St. Augustine, Exposition of Psalm 45

Here are the words of St. Augustine from Exposition of Psalm 45 (ยง29):

โ€œInstead of your fathers, children are born to youโ€ (v. 16).

Nothing can be more manifest. Now consider the โ€œTemple of the Kingโ€ itself, for it is on its behalf he speaks, on account of the unity of the body that is spread throughout all the world: for those very persons who have chosen to be virgins, cannot find favor with the King unless they be led into the Temple of the King.

โ€œInstead of your fathers, are your children born to you.โ€

It was the Apostles [who] begat you: they were โ€œsentโ€; they were the preachers; they are โ€œthe fathers.โ€ But was it possible for them to be with us in the body forever? Although one of them said, โ€œI desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better; to abide in the flesh is necessary for your sakesโ€ (Phil. 1:23-24). It is true he said this, but how long was it possible for him to remain here? Could it be until this present time, could it be to all futurity? Is the Church then left desolate by their departure? God forbid.

โ€œInstead of your fathers, children have been born to you.โ€

What is that? The Apostles were sent to you as โ€œfathersโ€; instead of the Apostles, sons have been born to you; there have been appointed Bishops. For in the present day, from where do the Bishops throughout all the world derive their origin? The Church itself calls them fathers; the Church itself brought them forth, and placed them on the thrones of โ€œthe fathers.โ€ Think not yourself abandoned then, because you see not Peter, nor see Paul; [that you] see not those through whom you were born. Out of your own offspring has a body of โ€œfathersโ€ been raised up to you.

โ€œInstead of your fathers, have children been born to you.โ€

Observe how widely diffused is the โ€œTemple of the King,โ€ that โ€œthe virgins that are not led to the Temple of the King,โ€ may know that they have nothing to do with that marriage.

โ€œYou shall make them princes over all the earthโ€ (v. 16).

This is the Catholic Church: her children have been made โ€œprinces over all the earthโ€; her children have been appointed instead of the โ€œfathers.โ€ Let those who are cut off own the truth of this, let them come to the One Body; let them be led into the Temple of the King. God has established His Temple everywhere; has laid everywhere โ€œthe foundations of the Prophets and Apostlesโ€ (Eph. 2:20). The Church has brought โ€œforth sons;โ€ has made them โ€œinstead of her fathersโ€ to be โ€œprinces over all the earth.โ€

Close the CTA
Share to...