A bold claim sits at the center of this talk from Dr. Karlo Broussard: the beauty of the Catholic faith is that it’s anchored in truth and life—and Christ made that anchoring visible and dependable. We start where every good story does, with a loss. Original holiness and justice once gave humanity clear minds and hearts at peace with God. Sin fractured both. From that wound flows confusion about truth and distance from grace. Scripture then becomes a rescue map: covenants, prophets, and promises that point toward a full restoration.

Enter Jesus not merely as teacher, but as Truth and Life in person. He forms the apostles, promises the Spirit, and sends them to teach all nations. Then he does something startlingly concrete: he names Simon “Rock,” promises to build his Church on that rock, hands him the keys, and links heaven to his binding and loosing. This isn’t wordplay; it’s architecture. A wise builder puts a house on rock so storms can’t topple it. By locating Peter at the foundation, Jesus signals how doctrine and grace remain secure when winds of error hit. Paul’s line that the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth deepens the logic—what the Church holds up cannot be steadier than the foundation beneath it. And if the Church will not be overcome by the “gates of Hades,” neither will its foundation.

But what about now? If an essential feature of the Church must endure as long as the Church exists, Peter’s ministry must endure through successors. The early witness to Peter’s martyrdom in Rome and the continuity of the Roman bishopric reveal how the Petrine office carries forward: the papacy serves the unity and stability Christ promised. Luke 22 adds a pastoral charge: while Satan sifts all, Jesus prays specifically for Peter so he can strengthen his brothers. The implication for us is practical and hopeful—stay close to Peter to stay steady in truth and alive in grace.

************

Karlo Broussard, DPhil., a native of Southern Louisiana, left a promising musical career to devote himself full-time to the work of Catholic apologetics. As a staff apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers, and a member of the chancery evangelization team at the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, he travels the country and the diocese giving talks on apologetics, biblical studies, theology, and philosophy. Karlo is a regular guest on Catholic Answers Live and frequent contributor to Catholic Answers Magazine Online.

Karlo holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical University St. Patrick’s in Maynooth, Ireland, as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology from Catholic Distance University and the Augustine Institute, and a master’s in philosophy from Holy Apostles College and Seminary.

A dynamic and gifted Catholic speaker and author, Karlo is known for communicating with precision of thought, a genuine love for God, and an enthusiasm that inspires.

************

Learn more about the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City online at archokc.org, and follow us on social media by searching "Archdiocese of Oklahoma City."