Jesus of Nazareth lived in the first half of the 1st Century A.D.  Jesus was an itinerate rabbi in Israel who had a small group of followers known as disciples. His teachings led him into conflict with the Jewish religious and political leaders of the time. Eventually, the Jewish leaders handed Jesus over to the Roman authorities for crucifixion.
 
        This would be the end of the story —except a core group of Jesus’ disciples, known as the “apostles,” were dedicated to sharing their personal experiences of Jesus with the world. The apostles taught that Jesus had performed miracles, revealed divine truths, and most importantly, rose from the dead. The apostles claimed that Jesus was the Messiah or Christ. They believed Jesus saved humanity from their sins by His death and would come again as the Judge of the living and the dead. The apostles believed Jesus was uniquely revealed as the only co-eternal and co-equal Son of the one true God, who Jesus called the “Father.”  The central collection of teachings about Christ came to be known as the “Gospel” or the “Good News.”
 
         The apostles claimed that Jesus physically appeared to them after his death and bestowed His spirit on them, which gave them divine authority to teach, baptize, and forgive sins. The apostles also believed that Christ was still physically and spiritually present with them, especially in a ritual known as the “Breaking of the Bread.” The community of Believers, led by the apostles and later their successors, became known as the “Church.”
 
         The early followers of Christ worshipped him as God, they prayed to Him and entrusted their lives to Him. They understood that the reward for belonging to the Church and conforming one’s life to the Gospel was eternal life.
 
          Today, Jesus is still the heart of each believer’s life. Catholics still worship Christ, pray to Him, and follow His will. Catholics try to conform their lives to the Gospel with the hope that Jesus will bestow eternal life on them. Jesus is still encountered in many ways, but first and foremost, is in the weekly celebration of Mass.
 
          For Catholics, Sunday Mass is the high point of each week. The reception of Holy Communion represents the pinnacle of union with Jesus Christ. 
 
         In addition to Holy Communion, the believer encounters Jesus Christ in reflection on Sacred Scripture, in communal and personal prayer, in good works, and in fellowship with other Christians. Jesus Christ sanctifies the believer in and through His Church, promising eternal life to all who believe.