Why are you Catholic?
Dispelling the Misconceptions about the Catholic Faith
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Intro
1. The Need to be informed
2. Love, First and Foremost
3. Our Protestant Brethren
II. Catholics and Protestants
4. Catholics and Protestants
5. Who were the First Christians?
6. The Roots of the Catholic Church
7. Writings of the Early Church Fathers
8. The Roots of the Protestant Church
III. Bible and Tradition
9. Where did the Bible come from?
10. Where did Tradition come from?
11. Bible alone vs. Bible and Tradition
12. The Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible
13. Personal Interpretation vs. Church Authority
IV. Jesus and Mary
14. Who do Catholics believe Jesus Christ is?
15. Why honor Mary?
16. Isnt praying to Mary like worshipping her?
17. Why cant I just pray directly to God?
V. Salvation
18. General Overview
19. Are you saved?
20. Once saved, always saved?
21. Faith alone vs. Faith and works
22. Is there salvation outside the Catholic Church?
VI. Purgatory and Hell
23. The nature of purgatory
24. The nature of hell
VII. The Seven Sacraments
25. Why do Catholics believe in seven while Protestants only believe in two?
26. Baptism
27. Confirmation
28. Holy Communion (The Eucharist)
29. Confession
30. Holy Matrimony
31. Holy Orders
32. Anointing of the Sick
IX. Mass
33. The Mass
X. The Pope
34. Who is the pope and where did he come from?
35. is the pope really infallible?
36. Organized religion, yuk!
XI. Seeking a Deeper Faith
37. Our basic duties as a Catholic
38. What if I dont understand everything the Church teaches?
39. The power of the rosary, not vain repetition
40. The Nature of Suffering
41. Seeking God or an emotional high?
42. Celibacy vs. Marriage
43. The saints; models of Christian living
XII. Sources of More Information
44. Catholic Websites
45. Discerning a vocation
46. Recommended Spiritual Reading
I. Intro
1. The Need to Be Informed
There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church. [Archbishop Fulton Sheen]
This statement helps paint the picture of what our society as a whole knows about Catholicism; which is almost next to nothing. This lack of knowledge not only fosters supression of the truth, but it allows the truth to be consistently distorted by the secular world and propagated in its corrupted form. Even many self-proclaimed Christians think of the Catholic Church as the mother of abominations of the earth and the most evil cult in the world [Alamo Christian Ministries Newsletter, Vol. 05600]. Among some of these misconceptions, they think we worship Mary and statues. They think we are cannibals and ritualistic pagans. They think we cause scandals and they despise the Church based on the actions of a few priests. These are the kinds of misconceptions that we as Catholics have to face in todays society, and these are the kinds of misconceptions that we should be equipped to address if the opportunity presents itself.
The purpose of this pamphelet, therfore, is to dispell the major myths and misconceptions about the Catholic faith and help bring the truth to light. For the sake of brevity, I purposely left out potentially confusing terminology and the clutter of minor details in order to clearly convey the grander perspetive of the Catholic faith. I want to make clear though, that I am not claiming to know all there is about Gods Church on earth. I, like most of us, am merely a spiritual child seeking the face of God. I only pray that some may benefit from the words written on these pages and use their knowledge to help save souls and unite the Body of Christ.
2. Love, First and Foremost
Before we even begin to explore the truth with our minds, let us first keep the core of Gods teaching in our hearts. No matter what Church someone may belong to, we all can agree that the essence of God and His purpose for us is the embodiment of profound love; love of God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ, and love our brothers and sisters. If we cannot center ourselves around the simplest of instructions, then learning the more complex extensions of them will all be in vain. So before we even begin delving into the Catholic Faith, I implore you to first prayerfully find a place of peace with God so you can receive and discern what truth you may find here.
3. Our Protestant Brethren
I would also like to make one last thing clear before getting into the meat of this pamphlet. When seeking to understand what the Catholic Church is, it is also necessary to know what the Catholic Church is not. By first weeding through all the misinformation, we can come to know more fully the truth of Gods Church. Unfortunately, much of this misinformation has spurred from the Protestant reformation. And as such, it is necessary for me to draw comparisons between the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations on a number of key issues, only to help underline the truth of our faith. I should strongly remind the reader, however, that I do not intend to convey a sense of superiority to our Protestant brethren. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, first and foremost. So let us not put our knowledge to wicked use and further cement the walls of division between us, but instead, use our knowledge only for that which God has willed for us. And this, always begins with love.
II. CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS:
4. Catholics and Protestants
Most Christians generally divide themselves into one of two categories; Catholic or Protestant. Basically, if you are not one, then you are the other. Within the Protestant faith, there are many denominations, including; Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Calvinists, Methodists, Fundamentalists, Charismatics, Episcopalians, etc. Even the Non-Denominational church is a Protestant denomination by nature, just with an exclusionary title. There are in fact, thousands of various Protestant denominations. But this is not so with the Catholic Church. Catholicism is not considered a denomination because it never broke away from anything; it never de-nominated itself. This is because the Catholic Church was the first Christian Church in existence, upon which the Protestant denominations have broken off through time.
5. Who were the first Christians?
The first Christian Church established after the death of Christ was the Catholic Church. In fact, from the time of Christ and throughout most of Christian history, the Catholic Church was all of Christianity and all of Christianity was the Catholic Church. From 33 A.D. to 1517 A.D., the Catholic Church was the only Christian church in existence[1]; for 1,500 years, she was the only Church that believed Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior. She was the only church that believed He was sent from God the Father to die on a cross for the sins of man. And she was the only church that proclaimed to the world to repent and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ.
In 1517 A.D however, a great rift began to form with the Protestant reformation. This movement eventually built up walls against the Catholic Church and has been in conflict with the Church ever since. But prior to this, every Christian believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Every Christian believed in Confession. Every Christian believed in the sinlessness of Mary and her virginity. Every Christian believed in the truth of Apostolic Tradition and the necessity of Apostolic Succession. Every Christian believed and accepted these tenets of faith from the authority of the one Church that has persevered since the beginning.
6. The Roots of the Catholic Church
PETER, THE FIRST POPE (33 A.D.):The Catholic Church is the only Church that traces her roots back to Christ Himself. Just before His death, Jesus spoke to Peter and foretold the establishment of His Church, speaking briefly on Peters role within it; you are Peter [the rock], and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail over it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [Matt. 16:18]. After Jesus death in 33 A.D., Peter then eventually moved to Rome under his newly appointed position as the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), beginning the succession of Popes (for more information on the pope, see section 34 and 35). This heritage is proven fact, as the Catholic Church can trace its lineage of Papal successors directly back to Peter (for a complete list of the popes throughout history, visit the Catholic Encyclopedia online at; www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm)
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (33~47 A.D.)
uring this time after the death of Christ, Peter, John, Paul, and the rest of the Apostles devoted themselves to preaching the gospel to all nations. As we can read in the book of Acts, they faced heavy persecution, often threatened by death in every city they preached. Yet even in the presence of great opposition, they still devoted themselves to the traditions Christ taught them. They gathered in the temple for Holy Communion regularly [Acts 2:46]. They carried on Apostolic Succession by appointing Mathias in the seat of Judas [Acts 1:15]. And they worked many miracles with Peter as their leader [Acts 3:7, 9:32, 2:14]. In fact, Peter worked so many miracles, that many people carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. [Acts 5:15] And as we will see in the next section, the central location for early Christianity, during its fledgling state, soon became Rome (Acts 23:11).THE EARLY CHURCH (47~325 A.D.):The Apostles saw a great need to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the one great empire that dominated most of the ancient world. It was during these early years (roughly 47~64 A.D.) that Rome became the focal point of Christian development. Peter, Paul, and some of the other Apostles made great efforts to convert the pagan Roman Empire, and as a result, many new Christian communities developed and grew significantly within the Roman walls. The secular government, however, found Christianity to be a great threat to Rome, and thus sought to destroy the Church completely, marking the beginning of a great era of persecution against Christianity. Listed below are just a handful of the thousands of Christians martyred during this time
--Peter and Paul, martyred under Emperor Nero of 64 A.D.
-- John the Evangelist and Pope Clement I, martyred under Emperor Domitian of 95 A.D.
-- St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Polycarp, martyred under Emperor Trajan of 112 A.D.
-- St Cecila and St. Justin, martyred under Emperor Marcus Aurelius of 161 A.D.
-- St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, martyred under Emperor Septimius Severus of 202 A.D
-- Pope Pontian and Pope Antherus, martyred under Emperor Maximin of 235 A.D
-- Pope Fabian, martyred under Emperor Valerian of 250 A.D.
-- The Bishop of Jerusalem, Bishop of Antioch, and St. Agatha of Sicily, also martyred.
-- St. Cyprian, martyred. St. Lawrence, martyred. St. Agner, and Pope Sixtus II, all martyred.
Time after time, every proceeding emperor fiercely sought to destroy Christianity. Yet even in the face of great opposition and brutality, the Catholic Church miraculously survived. And not only did it survive, but it shocked the world with the profound fervor of its followers. On his way to be fed to the lions, St. Ignatius wrote a letter to all the Churchs in Rome to stand firm in their faith and not take arms to rescue him. He rejoiced that he would suffer martyrdom for the name of Christ; I am the wheat of God, and will be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God. Similarly, just before his death, St. Polycarp was brought before the Roman proconsul and was given a chance to spare his life if he only renounced his faith in Christ. He responded; "Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior? He was then burned alive, all the while rejoicing that he would finally see God face to face.
The actions of these martyrs shocked the pagan Roman population. Never before had they seen such devotion, and never before had they really questioned their way of life. What could possibly be so great to willingly die for? What could cause these men to devote their lives to selfless acts of charity? Even so, the Emperors continued to persecute Christians for hundreds of years. It wasnt until 313 A.D., when Emperor Constantine became the first emperor to convert to Christianity. He did so after receiving a vision from God, and immediately declared the right of religious freedom to all. He declared to the Christians and to all human beings .free power to follow whatever religion each person chooses.
Constantine also fought against the anti-Christian heresies that began developing within the Roman Empire, and in 325 A.D., convoked the first general council of the history of the Church; the Council of Nicea. This council cleared much of the confusion over what Christianity was and was not, thus bringing to light the many heresies. It also led to the development of the Nicene Creed (which is a complete expression of the Christian faith, said at every Sunday Mass), and the doctrine explaining the relationship between Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Eventually, more than half of the Roman population converted to Christianity, and despite the many anti-Christian heresies that sprang up, the Catholic Church continued to grow and expose many anti-Christian heresies, among which were Arianism (which denied the divinity of Christ), Nestorianism (declared that Jesus was two distinct persons; human and Divine), and Monophysitism (believed in only one nature of Christ, after the incarnation).
While Rome became the heart of early Christianity, it was around this time that the Church began to flourish in other parts of the world, including Egypt, Asia Minor, Scotland, and Ireland. And despite the persistent onset of heresies and secular manipulation, the Catholic Church continued to grow on a solid foundation as it began on its journey in bringing the world to Christ.
When seeking to understand Christianity as it was originally intended to be, it is also essential to understand the beliefs of the very first Christians. During the early years of Christianity, however, only a small fraction of people could read or write, and as a result, very few writings have been left preserved. Yet of the documents that are still in tact, a vast wealth of insight is contained within them, and most importantly, about the beliefs that the very first Christians held to. If you examine these writings, one of the first trends you will see is an amazing consistency and unquestionable similarity to the Catholic Church as we know it today: They saw the bread and wine as the actual body and blood of Christ. They had a profound love for Mary and veneration (honor) for her. They went to church to confess their sins. They recognized the role of Peter and his successors. And they valued their Traditions and sought to preserve them.
These writings provide further evidence that the early Christiansmany appointed by the Apostles themselveswere indeed the first members of the Catholic Church. Given below are some short exerts from a few of these writings (for more writings of the Church Fathers, visit; www.Catholic.com).
CONFESSION: "Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lords Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure" (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).
THE REAL PRESENCE: "I have no taste for corruptible food or for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible" (Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Romans 7:3 [A.D. 110]).
ORDINATION & APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION: "Through countryside and city [the apostles] preached, and they appointed their earliest converts, testing them by the Spirit, to be the bishops and deacons of future believers.. . .Our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry" (Pope Clement I, Letter to the Corinthians 42:45, 44:13 [A.D. 80]).
PRIMACY OF PETER: On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were that also which Peter was [i.e., apostles], but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. (Cyprian of Carthage, The Unity of the Catholic Church 4; 1st edition [A.D. 251]).
CATHOLIC CHURCH:Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. [St Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 110 A.D.] [2]
8. The Roots of the Protestant Church
The Protestant reformation unintentionally began by a man named Martin Luther in 1517 A.D., and it eventually gained momentum as more and more people followed his example. Initially, Luther saw error in certain actions being performed by Church leaders. Some of his concerns were justified, and the Church later responded by correcting these errors. But many of Luthers theological ideas were outright heretical, and the Church saw this. Among the most radical was his desire to remove Revelation and James from the Bible, as well as modifying other aspects of the Bible to conform to his personal theology (for example, he added the word alone to Pauls words to make it read faith alone; supporting his theology of Sola Fide, meaning; from faith alone).
Although some of his concerns were justifiable, the result should have been a mending of the problem and not division from the Catholic Church. As a Catholic, Luther realized what the outcome of Sola Scriptura would be. He knew full well that instead of having one pope, every man would see themselves as their own pope. Even so, his actions triggered a snow-ball effect which, over time, eventually built walls division from the Catholic Church. Since Luther, there have been thousands of Protestant denominations that have splintered off from each other, each with there own unique theologies.
Although considered a dark time in Christian history, the reformation seemed to have also been a mechanism to help correct some of the corruption within the Church. Although we believe that the Catholic Church is infallible and free from teaching error, she is still comprised of fallible people who may abuse their position within the Church. And just before the reformation, these abuses seemed to have been growing significantly. However, it is very unfortunate that it cascaded how it did. It seems many on both sides of the fence allowed themselves to be led more by emotion, and less by humility and love. Both Catholics and Protestants lashed out in violence against one another, and even many deaths resulted. In the end, after the dust settled and the smoke cleared, a new and independent entity emerged, void of the most fundamental truths that had been embraced since the beginning of Christian history. Yet at the very same time, the Catholic Church was also renewed with a clearer vision of what She once had.
III. BIBLE AND TRADITION
9. Where did Tradition come from?
In the very beginning of Christianity after the death of Christ, the Biblenamely, the New Testamentsimply did not exist; it had not been written yet. For many years after Christs death, all that people really had as a basis for their faith was what had been passed down through word or action. Since most people could not even read or write anyway, Christianity was practically sustained through the tradition of handing down what they have learned from the Apostles and elders that preceded them. It was these traditions which were handed down from the Apostles that preserved Christianity in the very beginning, and this is in a nutshell, what the Church termed; Apostolic Tradition.
Many people today discount Tradition on the basis that the Bible alone should be the authority of God. While it is true that the Bible forms a basic framework of the nature of God and salvation, it is clear that there was still a vast array of valuable instruction that went unwritten. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reminds them of this; So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thess. 2:15). In his letter to the Corinthians; I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. [1 Cor 11:2]
There is no doubt that Apostolic Tradition is both Biblical and historical, and as detailed in the next section, it was through Apostolic Tradition that the Church was able to discern which books to include in the New Testament [see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 120].
10. Where did the Bible come from?
After a few hundred years following the death of Christ, the Catholic Church saw the need to put together a unified compilation of documents to set as a standard written authority. At the Council of Rome in 382 A.D., the Church met under the authority of Pope Damasus I and gathered all writings she had discerned to be God breathed, while discarding all other heretical documents. It was at this council that the Church--through the knowledge of what the Apostles taught and the grace of the Holy Spirit--finally decided on the twenty-seven books that now make up the New Testament. This list (canon) was reaffirmed at subsequent councils (Hippo in 393 A.D. and Carthage in 397 A.D.), and was officially recognized as the infallible word of God. Both Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition then became the centerpiece of authority for the Catholic Church (together, both make up our Deposit of Faith), as both were officially acknowledged as divinely inspired and infallible, meaning; they cannot be added to, subtracted from, or changed in any way. And as such, the Catholic Church has sought to preserve Scripture and Tradition in their entirety throughout history.
11. Bible Alone vs. Bible and Tradition
For thousands of years, the Catholic Church has held the Bible and Tradition as her final authority of God, as both work in conjunction with and expound upon one another, and nowhere do they contradict each other. It wasnt until the reformation in the 16th century when the reformers did away with Tradition altogether, mistakenly calling it the traditions of man. It is for this reason that Protestants today generally view the Bible alone as their final authority; a belief also known as; Sola Scriptura, or; from Scripture alone. This doctrine was created during the reformation, and is interesting enough, an unbiblical concept. Nowhere in Scripture is it written that Scripture is the sole authority of Gods word.
Another problematic area is one of irony; Protestants easily accept the New Testament as Gods infallible word, and yet reject the authority of the Catholic Church which provided it. One question that immediately arises is; why would God give the Catholic Church the Holy Spirit to create the New Testament cannon, but not give the Catholic Church the same Holy Spirit to be able to discern and interpret what it says? It is a trap to fall into this new way of thinking that Scripture is the end-all of everything. We must always keep in mind that the Bible was created for the Church, not the other way around.
"Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal." Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own always, to the close of the age. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 80]
12. The Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible
As you may already be aware, Catholic Bibles contain seven Old Testament books that Protestant Bibles do not have. This is because Protestants use the Jewish Old Testament canon, while Catholics use the Greek Old Testament canon. These seven Old Testament books are known as the Deuterocanonicals (often incorrectly labeled in Protestant circles as the Apocrypha), and with the exception of these books, both Catholic and Protestant Bibles are the same.
So where did this difference come from? Why is there this discrepancy? Put simply, the Greek canon is the canon that was widely accepted by the Apostles and the early church. It wasnt until roughly 90 A.D.[3] when the Jewish cannon was created for the Jewish people (who, lets not forget, denied the divinity of Jesus Christ), and it is this canon which the Protestant reformers chose to adopt into their Bibles in the 16th century. But prior to the reformation, every Bible contained the seven books found in the original Greek canon, and it is this same canon that the Catholic Church has used, and continues to use today.
13. Personal Interpretation vs. Church Authority
As we have previously discussed, the reformation effectively set the stage for people to interpret the Bible in any way they saw fit, and we have proof of this with the thousands of Protestant denominations in existence today. But how does this pertain to the individual? One may say to this; The Holy Spirit living within me will guide me, just as He will for everyone else who belongs to Christ. But how can we completely trust ourselves in all things? We have to keep in mind that Satan is the greatest of all deceivers. Luther probably thought he was being lead by the Holy Spirit when he paved the way to the first great schism from the Catholic Church in 1517 A.D. Then Henry VIII came along who probably thought the Holy Spirit lead him to the true interpretation of the Bible, which formed the Anglican denomination in 1534 A.D. Then John Calvin disagreed with the first two denominations, and thus formed his own theology in 1555 A.D. Then John Knox appeared on the scene, who probably thought that he at last had the true interpretation of the Bible, and thus began the Presbyterian denomination in 1560 A.D. Then the Congregationalists, the Episcopalians, the Baptists, the Methodists, and so on and so forth.
All of these Churches were founded by men, each drawing their own unique personal interpretations (which even the Bible warns against; 2 Peter 1:20, Acts 8:30). But it is only the Catholic Church that has preserved with the same interpretation for nearly two-thousand years. And so, as a Catholic, we must put our faith in Gods ability to direct and preserve His Church on earth, even though we may not yet fully understand everything She teaches. Understanding will come in time, but the truth of Christ is right before us. Let us not become another person that forms our own easier, more comprehendableor rather, more humantheology. Being Catholic is not picking and choosing what we believe, but accepting and embracing all of the Churchs infalliable teachings as truth. What we do not understand, we should seek to. And as we continue to live in obedience to the Church, we will begin to see the fruits of our labor, and our minds will slowly be conformed and molded to the mind of Christ.
IV. JESUS AND MARY
14. Who do Catholics believe Jesus Christ is?
Like Protestants,Catholics believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, both fully man and fully God. He is the second person of the Holy Trinity and our only means of salvation. It is thus His teachings are at the heart of our faith. As Christ said; I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. [John 4:16] And so, it is the focus of every believer to surrender their lives to Christ and seek to live according to the example He set. This is our common bond with Protestants, one that should never be underestimated. Through Christ, both Catholics and Protestants share in the truth of Christ, and both should seek to work together for the greater good of spreading the gospel to the world.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16]
God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; that is, of Christ Jesus. Christ must be proclaimed to all nations and individuals, so that this revelation may reach to the ends of the earth [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 74]
Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation. Since "without faith it is impossible to please God and to attain to the fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life 'But he who endures to the end.' [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 161]
15. Why honor Mary?
Sacred Scripture tells us that Mary was distinctly set apart from all women; Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. [Luke 1:28], most blessed are you among women, and blessed in the fruit of your womb. [Luke 1:42]. These words alone are a powerful testimony to the degree of holiness Mary had. To be full of Gods grace is to be living completely in the spirit and not of the flesh; it is to be living without the tarnish of sin. The Church also affirms that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life; Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin The angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" [Luke 1:34].
Not only does Scripture confirm Marys sinlessness and virginity, but it also forshadows the wonderous graces God bestowed upon her when He spoke to the serpent, saying; I will put enmities between thee and the woman and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. [Gen 3:15] And further; "And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" [ Rev 12:1] Mary said; From now on all generations will call me blessed. [Luke 1:48]
It only makes sense that God would choose and bless such a person to bear His Son. She gave birth to the second person of the Holy Trinity in His fullness; God the Son. Thus, since we know that Jesus is God, we rightly call Mary, Mother of God. It is in this way that Catholics venerate (honor) Mary, but in no way do we worship her, and in no way do we elevate her to a fourth person of the Holy Trinity. She is not divine by nature like Christ is, yet she is Gods most perfect created creature; she is queen of heaven and spouse of the Holy Spirit through the grace of God.
It is through the continual revelation of Christs Church that we know God has given Mary special graces which she pours out to others through her prayers for us. Since Mary is most blessed above of all people, her petitions carry more weight than all the angels and saints in heaven. She has brought billions of people to know Christ more profoundly, and she will continue doing so as only the mother of God could. It is in this way, that as our love of Christ grows, so too should our devotion to Mary. Even the original Protestant reformers were all in agreement on this point.
"Is Christ only to be adored? Or is the holy Mother of God rather not to be honored? This is the woman who crushed the Serpent's head. Hear us. For your Son denies you nothing." [Martin Luther, last sermon in 1546]
"The more the honor and love of Christ increases among men, so much the esteem and honor given to Mary should grow." [Ulrich Zwingli]
"It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of his Son, granted her the highest honor." [John Calvin]
No. Let me first clarify that, as a Catholic, we understand pray to merely mean communicate. Now, let us first look at what we say to Mary when we pray to her. In the beginning and throughout most of the Hail Mary prayer, all we do is repeat what is already directly stated in the Bible at the Annunciation (Luke 1:28, 42). The only request we make to Mary is in the final words of the prayer; pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
So you see, when we pray to Mary, all we are doing is asking her to pray for us. We know that through her motherly love, she will undoubtedly petition to God on our behalf. This is all the Hail Mary prayer is; a request for Marys prayers. It is really no different than asking our friends and family to pray for us, except unlike people on earth, Mary is now in heaven. And unlike those in heaven, Mary is the one person blessed beyond all other created beings; blessed with the highest honor of bringing our savior into the world.
Mary hardly appeared at all in the first coming of Jesus Christ, in order that men, as yet but little instructed and enlightened on the Person of her Son, should not remove themselves from Him in attaching themselves to strongly and too grossly to her. This would have apparently taken place if she had been known, because of the admirable charms which the Most High had bestowed, even upon her exterior. This is so true that St. Denis the Areopagite tells us in his writings that when he saw our Blessed Lady he would have taken her for a divinity, because of her secret charms and incomparable beauty, had not the faith in which he was well established taught him contrary. But in the second coming of Christ, Mary has to be made known and revealed by the Holy Ghost in order that, through her, Jesus Christ may be known, loved and served. [St. Louis De Montfort, True Devotion to Mary]
17. Why cant I just pray directly to God?
We do pray directly to God: When we pray to Mary we are really praying through her, to God. One may ask why this is beneficial as compared to praying to God alone. To answer this, one must truly understand the profound power prayer in order to understand why we ask for the petitions from others. We must remember that we are all part of the body of Christ, and so by praying for the good of others, we are essentially praying for the good of the entire Body of Christ. It is so natural and so essential to the spiritual well being of us all. And if we find such value the prayers of other people on earth, imagine the value in the prayers of the one person in heaven who is such a perfect channel of Gods graces that she brought His Son into the world! What powerful and profound spiritual family to have, is it not?
By her complete adherence to the Father's will, to his Son's redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church's model of faith and charity. Thus she is a preeminent and wholly unique member of the Church; indeed, she is the exemplary realization of the Church .Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. "In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 968]
"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 969]
V. SALVATION
18. General Overview
Salvation is essentially a grace from God which is made available to mankind through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a gift; the greatest gift we can ever hope to receive. Our very existence is ordered towards this grace; towards our response to Gods desire to draw us in union with Him. And in His profound love for us, He bestowed upon us the capacity to accept this gift or reject it. Receiving this gift, therefore, is made manifest through our response to God; through love of Him and our neighbors. It is thus that the truest indicator to which we can know how much we love God and have responded to Him, is in our obedience to His teachings in our daily lives. If we consistently and sincerely seek to live a virtuous life of love and obedience to God, we effectively say yes to Him, and will be on the path destined for eternal glory. If we consistently fall to sin with no remorse and are indifferent to God, we say no to Him, and will be separated from Him for eternity. In the end, God left the choice up to us, yet He never ceases to move our hearts to choose rightly.
The invisible God, from the fullness of His love, addresses men as his friends, and moves among them, in order to invite and receive them into His own company [Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Vatican II]
If you love me, you will keep my commandments [John 14:!5]
Their end will be according to their deeds. [2 Cor 11:15]
19. Are you saved?
When speaking with a Protestant, often times one may hear the question; When were you saved? To a Catholic, this may not make much sense, since we do not trace our salvation to a single event in history. But rather, the Catholic Church teaches that salvation is a life long process; it is not merely accepting Jesus at one point in our distant past, but accepting Him each and every day we live. As Paul reminded the Philippians; So my dear brethren .continue to work out your salvation in fear and trembling [Phil 2:12]. In reality, salvation is by its nature, timeless; it is a past, present, and future event.
WE WERE SAVED: for in hope you were saved, Rom 8:24 (see also; Eph 2:5-8, 2 Tim 1:9, *** 3:5)
WE ARE BEING SAVED: for we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved, 2 Cor 2:15 (see also; 1 Pet 1:9, 1 Cor 1:18, Phil 2:12)
IN HOPE WE WILL BE SAVED: He who endures to the end will be saved, Matt 10:22 (see also; Matt 24:13, Rom 13:11, Mark 8:35, Acts 15:11, Heb 9:28).
Although it is possible to have a certain level of assurance of our eternal destiny, we should never fall into the trap of justifying ourselves based upon what we presume we have already earned, for not everyone saying Lord Lord will inherit the kingdom [Matt 7:21] God warns us against falling into this kind of pride; Let him who thinks he is standing on solid ground, take heed not to fall [1 Cor 10:12]. Often times in my discussions with non-Catholics, I am often then presented with the comment; You must live in constant fear, not knowing if you are saved or not. Yet, in the end, if we are truly led by the love of God, then we will not need to be assured of our salvation, for it is not the ultimate prize of salvation that we really need to be concerned about. Rather, our only focus should be simply loving God and responding to His call. It is through our love for God that we gain the reward of salvation, not the other way around.
Secondly, it is not enough to say we have a relationship with Jesus (I can have a relationship with my next door neighbor, but that does not mean I am going to bow down at his feet to worship him). What really matters is that which transcends all emotion and reaches a point of true love; sacrificial love; love that is willing to give up all consolations if it is required; love that is tested and proven through obedience. No one is perfect, and God does not expect us to be either. But He does expect us to continually strive for righteousness. It is not so much the outcome so much as it is the effort we put forth.
20. Once saved, always saved?
The once saved always saved (O.S.A.S.) doctrine is the idea that once we step into Gods saving grace, we can never willfully step out of it. The Church rejects this doctrine on the basis that it is unbiblical, counter-Traditional, and contrary to the nature of free will.
SCRIPTURE: There is no passage in the Bible which suggests that salvation cannot be lost. Quite the contrary, "See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but Gods kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22) ."I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit (John 15:1) For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy of punishment, the one who has trampled the Son of God, and who has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified ....Now, "the Just shall live by faith. But if he draws back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him." [Heb 10:26-39]
FATHERS: The writings of the early Christians do not support the idea that salvation cannot be lost; But if any one relapse into strife, he will be cast out of the tower, and will lose his life. Life is the possession of all who keep the commandments of the Lord" [Hermas, The Shepherd, 80 A.D.] . "Eternal fire was prepared for him who voluntarily departed from God and for all who, without repentance, persevere in apostasy" [Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 156 A.D.]
NATURAL LAW: Following the balance of natural law, it is reasonable to conclude that free-will is likewise balanced and ordered; that is; just we have the capacity to embrace God, we also have an equal and opposite capacity to reject Him. This capacity was revealed at the creation of the universe, with Adam and Eve. They lived in the garden in a most profound way; they were in the constant presence of our Lord and had everything they could possibly need. Yet even living in perfection in the direct presence of the Almighty, they freely chose to deny Him.
It also follows logical sense that we must contain this ability in order to fully realize our complete dependence on God. If it were not this way; if we could never lose our salvation (this is first pressuming salvation is granted at a single instant in time), then it could be easy to rationalize away sinfull behavior. A Christian could simply say; If I am already saved, what need is there to do anything else? This is ultimately the mindset that someone who believes O.S.A.S. can fall into, and Satan would like nothing more than to trick us into complaceny and indifference; for this is one offense that hurts God the most. Jesus Himself stated how deeply indifference offends Him; I know your deeds, that you are neither cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth! [Rev 3:16]
21. Faith and Works Vs. Faith Alone
While Protestants generally believe that faith alone (Sola Fide) is necessary for salvation, Catholics believe that both faith and works are necessary. Both Churchs are correct at the core; that we are saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, but a faithful heart will also naturally seek to act on its faith. Faith and works operate in unity; one cannot have faith without producing good works, and one cannot produce good works without having faith. And as such, both are reflective of a faithful heart. The Bible makes this plainly clear. Time and time again we hear Jesus letting us know of our accountability to apply our faith before facing Gods judgment; who will render to each person according to his deeds.(Rom 2:6) Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to Me."(Matt 25:40). Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.(Matt 7:1).
Thus, the erroneous idea that Catholics think they can work their way into heaven based on merit alone is clearly false. Further, it is through making this assertion against Catholics that also diminishes the value of works to virtual meaninglessness. Although it is true that nothing we do on our own (without God) can merit any reward, that is not issue. The issue is what we do for God and with God. Our first step is to say as Mary said to the angel; Let it be done to me according to your will [Luke 1:38]. With every step thereafter, the responsibility is upon us to work and serve God, just as Mary spent the rest of her life raising the Christ child. She not only said yes to the Lord in accepting her lifes vocation, but she also said I will to living it.
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. [James 1:22]
THEME PARK ANALOGY: Think of salvation as a ride at a theme park, one that takes us from earth to heaven. Now, it is Christ who hands us a free ticket to get on this ride, but now what? Now we must take the ticket and walk over to the ride and get in. There are two parts here; receiving, and doing (faith and works). One action cannot be successful without the other; we cannot get on the ride (heaven) without the ticket (Jesus) and we cannot benefit from the ticket without getting on the ride. And the critical lesson of this analogy is two-fold: Yes, we play a role in this process. And yes, Jesus Christ is still the source of this whole series of events. This is the unified nature of faith and works, in a nutshell.
22. Is there salvation outside the Catholic Church?
The Church does not teach that salvation is exclusive only to Catholics, nor does she teach that everyone who calls themselves a Catholic is guaranteed eternal glory by default. In reality, she teaches that anyone who responds to God through a sincere desire to follow Christ, are consequently part of the Body of Christ, and are therefore part of the universal Catholic Church (the word catholic is actually synonymous to the word universal; the Church for all believers). In this sense, Protestants can be considered part of the Catholic Church, even though they are not in full communion with her.
"One cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers .... All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 818]
TREE ANALOGY: Most religions today can be linked together to form the image of a tree. The roots of this tree, is of course Jesus Christ Himself, who supplys the world with the water and nutrients it needs for life. Now, the Catholic Church is the oldest part of the tree; the trunk. And the branches are the various Churchs that have deviated from the Catholic Church through time. The biggest branches are the closest to the trunk, and as we go farther from the tree, the branches get smaller and deviate more and more (and consequently, salvation becomes increasingly more difficult to attain). But the one thing they all have in common, is they all bare a resemblance to the trunk in some form or another. Whether its a big branch or a smaller branch, they all are formed out of the same basic substance that the trunk is composed of; they all are built from the same theme (all Christians, for example, believe in the same fundamental doctrines that the Catholic Church first developed in the beginning of Christianity; the Holy Trinity, the relationship between Christ and the Church, Christ the God-man, etc.).
VI. Purgatory and Hell
23. The Nature of Purgatory
All Christians can agree that sin does not exist in heaven; nothing impure shall enter into heaven [Red 21:27], but as we stand now, we live in a fallen nature. Even after we have surrendered our lives to Christ and are washed clean by Baptism, we still sin. Even though our salvation may have already been granted if we died right now, we still continue to falter. So long as we live on this earth, we always will live in a fallen nature. Therefore, in order to enter heaven, our purified spirit must be separated from our fallen nature, and this is exactly what purgatory is. It is not a second chance, but rather, a place of final purification for those who are already bound to enter eternal glory.
"All who die in Gods grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned" [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030].
Some may argue that purgatory somehow takes away from the sacrifice Jesus made, but this is another false assertion. Jesus is purely the source of our salvation. Purgatory is simply the means by which Christs plan of salvation is, in part, carried out. I can help explain this by going back to the theme park analogy (see section 21). Now, it is on this ride (from earth to heaven) where purgatory comes in. So once again, Christ is the source of this whole series of events in the analogy; He is our ticket. If we never got the free ticket, we would have never gotten on the ride, and we would have never have been purified in purgatory on our way to heaven.
Even though the word purgatory is never mentioned in the Bible, neither is the word trinity, yet all Christians accept the Trinitarian doctrine as truth because together with Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, the reality of the trinity can be inferred, and likewise, so can the existence of purgatory. For example, on a number of occasions, we are encouraged to pray for the dead (2 Macc 12:44, 2 Tim 1:16, 1 Cor 15:29), but souls in hell or heaven cannot benefit from our prayers. So we are forced to conclude that these souls are in some place other than heaven or hell. Secondly, the idea that we go directly to heaven or hell when we die is, in fact, a recent man-made tradition, one that spurred from the reformation, and when we examine Scripture, we do not find a single passage that confirms that this is true. What we do find, however, is consistent evidence for the existence of a purgative state after death.
" the work of each will come to light, for the day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one's work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." [1 cor 3:11]
"By one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy." [Hebrews 10:14].
Make every effort to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord [Heb 12:14]
Scripture is clear. Although we are made perfect in Christ, we still need to be made holy. Why? Again, nothing unclean shall enter into heaven. So we absolutely must be made holy by God before we can enter heaven. And what has not been finished in this life will be finished in purgatory. So you see, purgatory is in itself a profound grace. Without it, we would all have to be perfect and righteous saints in order to enter heaven. In fact, to deny the existence of purgatory implies a poor idea of God and a flattering idea of self; it is a delusion to think we are worthy enough to enter into heaven as we now stand. This again goes back to the premise of natural law; God is not illogical; He is logical and perfectly balanced. He is perfectly merciful and perfectly just. So although Gods perfect mercy allows us entrance into heaven by the blood of Jesus Christ, His perfect justice requires this purgative state for the souls upon entrance; you will not be released until the last penny has been paid [Matt 5:26] As in the vision of purgatory, Jesus appeared to Saint Faustina and said; My mercy does not want this, but my justice demands it.
Time and time again, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that hell is a very real place, a place we most definitely do not want to end up in; Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt 10:28) The bible also makes clear many end up there; Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.(Matt 7:13) As the Catechism states; Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs. (CCC. 1057)
A natural first reaction would be to question why such a place exists. Why would an all-loving and merciful God doom someone to eternal punishment? To answer this question, it is essential to understand the fact that God gave us the free will to make this choice on our own. He does not doom us to hell, but rather, we doom ourselves by rejecting Him while continuing in our vices and sins. God is perfectly just, and He wants desperately for us to be united with Him in heaven, but He is not going to force us, otherwise our love for Him would be meaningless. In this sense God is merely granting us the desires of our heart. If we choose to ignore God in this life, we will be granted eternity without Him in the next.
We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves . To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called hell. [ Catechism of the Catholic Church]
VII. The Seven Sacraments
Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1210]
25. Why do Catholics believe in seven while Protestants believe in two?
Catholics believe in the seven sacraments because Christ instituted seven, the Apostles and Church Fathers believed in seven, the second Ecumenical Council of Lyons defined seven, and the Ecumenical Council of Trent confirmed seven. The reason why Protestants have since rejected five of the seven scaraments (accepting both Baptism and Holy Matrimony) goes back to the primary driving force behnd the reformation; the rejection of Tradition on the basis of Sola Scriptura.
26. Baptism
The sacrament of Baptism is a spiritual rebirth through which we are made children of God and heirs of Heaven. Baptism is such a profound sacrament that Christ said it is necessary for our salvation.
Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'' (John 3:5. Also see Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:2-6).
20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge[1] of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, [1 Peter 3:20]
The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments. [Catechism of the Catholic Church]
It is critical to understand that Baptism, like all the sacraments, brings about the graces of God through its very nature. This is in contrary to the common Protestant belief that Baptism is merely an outward symbol of a inward conversion; a relatively new and dangerous belief. If one waits till conversion of heart before receiving this sacrament, they are missing out of the very graces that helps bring this inward conversion in the first place. Baptism is also commonly done at infancy because that is what the Apostles and the early Church practiced. This tradition was carried over from circumcision; Baptism is the circumsion without hands (Col 2:11).
Some may argue that it is useless to Baptize infants since they do not understand what is taking place nor have had a conversion of heart. Yet it is common in Scripture for Baptism to occur before receiving the Holy Spirit. Further, we find places in the Bible where the faith of the parents was enough to bring graces to their children. For example, in Matt 15:2, the daughter was healed because of the Canaanite mothers faith (See also; Matt 8:5). I thank God that I was baptised as an infant because although I did not understand what was taking place, I did not need to. My parents faith was enough to bring me the graces of Baptism just as the Cananite womans faith was enough to heal her daughter. So to limit Gods ability to distribute graces based on our intellectual ability to comprehend them, is quite clearly a destructive philosophy. If this were true, then, for example, the mentally disabled would be in a far worse situation than we may realize. Yet we see time and time again that these people have more faith and joy than most of the rest of the world. They are what Christ commands us to become; like little children (Mark 10:14).
He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)
27. Confirmation
Confirmation is the seal of the Baptismal sacrament, and in this sense, a renewal of our Baptismal promises. Like Baptism, Confirmation imprints a permanent spiritual mark on the soul, and for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once in life. This sacrament calls down the Holy Spirit to make His dwelling place in the soul, and thus is considered to have first taken place on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles.
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1316]
You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the first installment of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. [Eph 1:13]
28. Holy Communion (The Eucharist)
The sacraments are of the Church in the double sense that they are by her and for her. They are by the Church, for she is the sacrament of Christ's action at work in her through the mission of the Holy Spirit. They are for the Church in the sense that the sacraments make the Church, since they manifest and communicate to men, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communion with the God who is love, One in three persons. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1118]
There are few things more important to a Catholic than to receive the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ as the Eucharist, and there are few things that can be so profoundly nourishing to the soul. Two-thousand years of history all point to the profound power of this sacrament, but it is only within the last 500 years that many Christians have all but done away with it, considering it a mere symbol, yet there is no evidence to arrive at such a conclusion. In fact, all evidence points in the opposite direction; that Jesus was in fact speaking literally. For some, I know this may be very difficult to accept, but even when we look to Sacred Scripture alone (let alone what the Apostles and Early Fathers wrote), we find consistent evidence of this truth.
Amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you. [John 6:56]
Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood [Matt 26:26]
The people in Corinth also had great difficulties believing this, so Paul made it a point to repeatedly come back to this point and challenge their faith; "the cup of blessing and the bread of which we partake, is it not an actual participation in Christ's body and blood? (1 Cor 10:16). He is basically saying; Come on guys! This is actually Christ! He again repeats Jesus words at the Last Supper and goes on to say; whoever eats of the bread and drinks of the cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor 11:27). He goes on further; A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Cor 11:28) Think about these words. If it were only a symbol, then how could one eat and drink in an unworthy manner and bring judgment upon themselves?[4]
In fact, Jesus was speaking so literally that many of His very disciples left Him over this single issue! They simply could not accept it; This saying is hard; who can accept this? as a result of this, many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with Him (John 6:66). He then immediately turned to the twelve and sternly asked; Do you also want to leave? Peter then replied; Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Even though Peter didnt understand Jesus words, he still accepted them as truth because he knew Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Likewise, even though today we still do not understand how the bread and wine become Christs flesh and blood, we accept it because we know His words are truth.
They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ (St. Ignatius, Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 110 A.D.).
29. Confession (Reconciliation)
Like Communion, Confession is an ongoing sacrament that is profoundly essential in nurturing and sustaining our spiritual unity with God. It is an absolute neccessity that we as Catholics go to confession on a regular basis. This is the sacrament that Christ instituted when He instructed His disciples to fogives sins in His name [John 20:21-23], and this is the sacrament through which the Lords forgivesness restores the soul to grace.
Like the other sacraments, Confession has been accepted and embraced since the beginning of Christian history. It wasnt up until the 16th century when the Protestant reformation tended to do away with confession, adopting the mindset that one can confess their sins directly to God without having to go through a priest. This is only true to an extent. Yes, of course we can confess our sins at any time when we are alone. And if we are truly repentant, I am sure we can receive grace and consolation from God. But it is only through the sacrament of Confession that we can know with absolute certainty the full absolution and resotration of our soul to grace, so long as we are contrite and fullfill our penance.
Confession may also be phychologically founded as well. Confessing to a priest is, in a way, like a spiritual therapy sesssion. Just the fact that you take the time to get up, go to Church, and confess your sins to another person provides much closure and encouragement to change from your old ways. God wants us to help each other, and places much value on communal life and fellowship, which may be in part why Jesus set up this system up in such a way.
30. Holy Matrimony
This is the sacrament which unites a man and woman in a holy and indissoluble bond: For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. (Matt. 19:5-6. Also see Mark 10:7-9, Eph. 5:22-32).
Marriage is a profound reflection of the nature of the relationship between Christ and the Church, and a pre-cursory to this union. The husband and wife do not live for themsevles anymore but for each other; their single most important role for the rest of their lives is to help elevate their spouse and children to sainthood, and by this they are called to make great sacrifices. Through their faith and devotion, they contribute to the future of the Church in a unique way; through the gift of life, creating the next leaders of the world.
It should be noted that marriage as we know it today has two components; a spiritual compnent and a civil (legal) component. The sacrament of Holy Matrimony is, of course, the spiritual component, and it is life-long; it can never be broken. The civil component of marriage however, is essentially a government contract, one that can be terminated through the process of divorce. It is important to note that a divorce dissolves only the civil component of marriage and has no bearing over the spiritual component. Annulments on the other hand, deal with soley the spiritual component of marriage; it is a process that determines if the marriage was in fact valid in the eyes of God rather than in the eyes of the state. Put another way, where a divorce terminates the marriage, the annulment process investigates if the marriage ever truly existed in the first place. If the Church finds that the sacrament was valid (meaning, it was performed according to the precepts of the Church and both paties entered faithfully, freely, and totally), it is considered binding in the eyes of God and they would not be allowed to re-marry. If, on the other hand, the Church finds that one or both parties did not enter into the marriage freely, faithfully or totally, or the sacrament was not properly performed, then it can be rightly concluded that the sacrament never truly took place, and thus they would be allowed to marry another. In these rare cases, the Church will grant an annulment. But never will she ever condone divorce.
Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death. Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign. Contracting a new union, even if it is recognized by civil law, adds to the gravity of the rupture: the remarried spouse is then in a situation of public and permanent adultery .In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ - "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery the Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was ..If civil divorce remains the only possible way of ensuring certain legal rights, the care of the children, or the protection of inheritance, it can be tolerated and does not constitute a moral offense. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2384]
31. Holy Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament of ordination to various offices within the Church, namely; Priests, Deacons, and Bishops. Each office entails different primary functions. Bishops are overseers in a sense; they attend the needs of multiple congregations and ordain priests and deacons. Priests have the responsibility of teaching, guiding, and providing sacraments in a given congregation. And deacons assist both priests and bishops, and attend to other Church tasks.
The origins of the Holy Orders date back to Christ Himself, and both Scripture and early writings verify this. As Scripture notes, the Holy Spirit appoints overseers to attend to the Church (Acts 20:28) and it is the duty of these men to devote themselves wholly to God by helping to shepard His flock. They do this is in various ways depending on which office one is ordained to. When Jesus first instituted the priesthood, for example, He authorized them to hear confessions and empowered them to forgive sins in His name; As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.... Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.'' (John 20:21-23). ``Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.'' (Matt. 18:18). Furthermore, in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that he became our father in Christ Jesus (1 cor 4:15), as did Peter when he called Mark his son (1 Peter 5:13). John calls the elders of the Church fathers (1 John 2:1,13,14), and the members of the Church his children (1 John 2:1,18,28; 3:18; 5:21; 3 John 4).
Like any vocation, the calling to the priesthood must be discerned. It is not a road many are willing to take however, and unfortunately millions of people live out their lives ignoring this calling. But to the few who truly give up all---even their desire for human love--in pursuit of God, they can potentially reach a very profound union with God in this life. This is not to say that married men and women cannot reach a similar maturity, but it cannot be denied that society affects our lives in profound ways. And the deeper we are immersed in it, the easier it gets to be affected by it. This is why Paul recommends that we remain unmarried (see section 42 and Corinthians Chpt 7), so that we may serve the Lord without distraction. Not everyone is willing or able, but to those whom much is given, much is expected.
32. Anointing of the Sick
Of all the sacraments, the Anointing of the Sick is the only one that is especially intended to strengthen those who are suffering or gravely ill. This sacrament is particularly important for those who may soon pass away into the next life, and is generally complimented by Confession and Holy Communion.
Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration, whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons The sacrament is given to those who are seriously ill by anointing them on the forehead and hands with duly blessed oil. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1515]
"Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders [presbyters] of the Church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [James 5:14]
VIII. The Mass
33. The Mass
The Mass is the most central act of the Catholic Faith and its importance, therefore, can never be underestimated. When the members of the body of Christ unite under one roof, we partake in a truly profound celebration, one that contains far more depth than what can be seen on the surface. The Mass not only embodies the sacrament of Holy Communion, but it is carefully structured for the sole purpose of uniting us with God in profound ways. In the beginning there is the Introductory Rites, in which we first recognize the fact that we are sinners in need of Gods grace (this prepares our hearts for entering the celebration with God). With a penitential heart, we humbly ask the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy (Kyrie). Next, we then move from repentance into thankfulness (Gloria), as we turn our gaze to Gods magnificence in praise (we come to give, rather than to receive). Next is the Liturgy of the Word, in which we immerse ourselves into the Scripture readings for the day, hear the homily, and reaffirm our faith as we publicly profess the Nicene Creed. We then take our focus off of ourselves as we extend our prayers to the world, praying for salvation of the world, the leaders of nations, the Church, and our local communities. We then move into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where we approach the most solemn part of the Mass; the consecration. Up until this point the food and drink on the altar is merely bread and wine, but from the moment the priest pronounces the words of consecration, what is on the altar then becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ. We then receive Christ through this sacrament of Holy Communion, reaching the pinnacle of our our union with Christ at the Mass. We then reflect and meditate on Christs Passion, death, and ressurection, while the Holy Trinity is strengthened within us. And finally, we end in glory with the Concluding Rite, praising the almighty name of the Lord with joy as we go back out into the world to live to live as Jesus taught.
So you see, during the Mass we experience many sides to the heart of Jesus Christ, in a fullness that is not found anywhere else; repentance as we humbly ask for mercy, thankfulness as we turn to God for strength, praise as we glorify His name, and charity as we pray for the world. And all this revolves around our profound union with Christ through the Eucharist, in a single communal act. We in essence, relive the Last Supper all over again; the Priest stands in the seat of Christ as we stand in the seat of His disciples. In fact, we literally can picture the Mass as an intimate dinner with our Lord, one that is profoundly unitive and tremendously essential to our spiritual growth; we are there, with Christ, both at the Lords Supper, and kneeling before the foot of the cross.
It should also be noted that virtually every word spoken at the Mass is drawn from Scripture, as are many liturgical traditions (see below). The Mass also conforms to the pattern of the early Church in Acts, who worshipped in the temple and broke bread together (Acts 2:46).
Rev. 5:8, 8:3-4 --There is incense in heaven which has always been part of the liturgy of the Holy Mass on earth.
Rev. 1:12, 2:5 --There are lampstands or Menorahs in heaven, which have always been used in the Holy Mass.
Rev. 1:13, 4:4, 6:11, 7:9, 15:6, 19:13-14 --Priests wear special vestments in heaven, as our priests also wear special vestments in celebrating the Holy Mass on earth
Rev. 14:4 --There are consecrated celibates in heaven, as there are with our Catholic priests and religious on earth
Rev. 15:5 --There is a tent or tabernacle in heaven. Tabernacles are used to store the Eucharist at the Holy Mass on earth.
IX. THE POPE
34. Who is the pope and where did he come from?
The Pope--loosely known as the Bishop of Rome--exists because Christ instituted this position beginning with the disciple Peter. Christ told Peter that He will build His Church upon him [the rock], entrusted Peter with the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and gave Peter the power to loose and bind (Matt 16:18-19). After Christs death, Peter spent most of his final years teaching in Rome with Paul, where he eventually trained and appointed Saint Linus as his successor in 67 A.D., passing on the keys to the kingdom. Saint Linus then became the second Pope in Church history, and this succession has continued throughout time to our present day Pope John Paul II.
Not only did Peter appoint successors, but all twelve disciples did so as well. This is what is known as Apostolic Succession. We even find evidence of this practice in the Bible, when the Apostles appointed Mathias to take the seat of Judas (Acts 1:25). To this very day, there exists a successor (Bishop) for each of the disciples, but it is the successor of Peter who was given primacy over all the disciples. It was Peter alone who Christ empowered as head of His Church on earth, and this primacy is demonstrated countless times throughout the Bible. Peter was the first disciple to perform a miracle (Acts 3:6) and he worked the most miracles. In fact, he worked so many miracles that the sick would lay out in the street in hopes that his mere shadow would pass over them. [Acts 5:15] He also received the first converts (Acts 2:41), inflicted the first punishment (Acts 5:1-11), and excommunicated the first heretic (Acts 8:21). Furthermore, Peter made the decisions for the Church, including the decision to start preaching to the gentiles (Acts 15:19), and he at times taught and admonished the other Apostles (Acts 15:6-12). His name always heads the list of the Apostles (Matt 10:1-4, Mark 3:16-19), Luke 6:14-16, Acts 1:13 Peter and his companions, Luke 9:32, Mark, 16:7) and he spoke for the Apostles on a number of occasions (Matt 18:21, Mark 8:29, Luke 8:45, 12:41, John 6:69). And lastly, Peters name occurs 195 times in Scripture, more than all the rest of the Disciples combined. It is clear that when Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom, he appointed Peter to a distinct role in the Church, and it is thus that Peter and his successors are considered the visible head (Vicar) of Christs Church on earth.
"Be it known to you, my lord, that Simon [Peter], who was set apart to be the foundation of the Church, and for this end was by Jesus himself, with his truthful mouth, named Peter, the first fruits of our Lord, the first of the apostles; to whom first the Father revealed the Son (Matt 16:17); whom the Christ, with good reason, blessed; the called, and elect" (Clement, Letter to James, 221 A.D.).
35. Is the pope really infallible?
Yes and no. The Church teaches that the pope is only infallible when he is speaking Ex Cathedra (to the Church), on the matter of faith and morals. It is generally accepted that this has only happened twice in the history of the Christianity; once when defining the Immaculate Conception and once when defining the Assumption. At all other times, the Pope is subject to err just like any other man. But it is when he is speaking Ex Cathedra that we as Catholics trust God to speak infallibly through him just as we trust God spoke infallibly through the authors of the Bible. And even when not speaking Ex Cathedra, we realize that God uses the Pope in his role as successor to Peter, namely as a teacher and leader to help guide Christs Church. We thus hold immense love and respect for our Holy Father and his appointed position, and trust in God to use him as His vessel.
"It is incumbent to obey those who, as I have shown, possess the succession from the apostles; those who, together with the succession of the episcopate, have received the infallible charism of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father [St. Irenaeus, ibid., 4:26:2, 189 A.D.]
36. Organized Religion, Yuk!
Despite being mocked by the modern world for its hierarchal structure and strict institutional values, the Catholic Church is in fact the oldest living institution that has sustained a consistent teaching on all its tenets of faith. While other denominations of the Christian Church capitulate and change their teachings to conform to the times (birth control for instance), the Catholic Church has not once retracted its stance on any doctrine; living the Biblical message of not conforming to the world (Rom 12:2).
I realize that it is difficult for some to understand why Christ set up His Church in such a way. It is easy to equate the Papacy to that of a dictatorship, which may make it difficult to submit to the authority of Christs Church. But upon close inspection, it becomes clear that the Popes position is nothing like the dictatorships as we see today. Everything he says on official matters is generally a direct reflection of unified support in the Churchs body of leaders, so he is not alone calling all the shots. In fact, his primary purpose is servitude; he is called to be a humble servant to Christ and to the Church; merely carrying out the role that Christ bestowed upon Him in the chair of Peter.
X. SEEKING A DEEPER FAITH
As we are all well aware, love of God and our neighbor is the central focus of Gods purpose for us. But as Catholics, how can we go about applying this to our lives? What can we do to help Gods will manifest itself? In my opinion, the three most critical things to remember are prayer, love, and the sacraments.
SACRAMENTS: As a Catholic, the first thing we must be sure of is that we are fulfilling our most basic duties, namely; receiving the sacraments that Christ instituted. This includes going to mass regularly to receive Holy Communion and going to Confession regularly as well. Let us not make excuses for this. If we cannot but lift a finger for God, how then can we expect God to lift a finger for us? Indeed, it is through the sacraments that God bestows many graces upon us, and so to willfully avoid partaking in them is to avoid God Himself.
LOVE: Although receiving the sacraments will bring us the sacramental graces to help mature our faith, they do not guarantee our salvation. We must not simply go through the motions, but rather, our actions should be led with complete humility and compassion. If we truly desire to follow Christ, there must take place an inner conversion of love in our hearts; love of our Lord and His son Jesus Christ, and from that, love of our brothers and sisters. Without love, of course, nothing we do will ever amount to anything.
PRAYER: Prayer is our means of communication with God, and without that, we are lost. And so keeping a regular practice of prayer will put us in better touch with God so that we can discern His will in our lives. And let us always remember that what we think is best for us, may not always be what is truly best for us. Only God knows the most perfect plan for our lives. And so, we should always focus our prayers around fulfilling Gods purpose in our lives, ending them with; Thy will be done.
I would also highly urge the reader to pray the Rosary on a regular basis. I cannot even begin to describe what a profound and powerful devotion the rosary is (see below). I also highly recommend submersing oneself in Sacred Scripture, reading about the lives of the Saints, and going to Adoration. It is also greatly beneficial to keep in regular contact with a trusted priest or a good spiritual director.
The rosary is the most powerful Catholic devotion in existence. It was given to the Church through Saint Dominic, who, in a vision, had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a powerful means of converting the world.
So when you give a sermon, urge people to say my Rosary, and in this way your words will bear much fruit for souls. [Vision to Saint Dominic, De Dignitate Psalterii]
Many people who misunderstand the rosary, mistakenly think it emphasizes Mary to much, while emphasizing Jesus too little. This is a clear distortion of the truth. First, at its center, the prayer is really a meditation on the life and passion of Jesus Christ; each meditation (Mystery) is a different Biblical event in Our Saviors life. Secondly, it is the sole desire of Mary to bring us closer to her Son, and by praying to her, we are obtaining the powerful graces of her petitions, especially when we pray the rosary.
There has never been anything in the whole history of the world more moving than the wonderful story of the life, death, and glory of Our Savior, which is contained in the Holy Rosary [St. Louis De Montfort, Secret of the Rosary]
Virtually all of the most prominent saints were devoted to Our Lady, and likewise, to the rosary. Padre Pio called the rosary the Atomic Bomb of prayers, and would carry it with him wherever he went. It is truly unlike any other prayer. It was not only given to us by Mary herself, but it is also the only devotion that is multi-dimensional in that it is both vocal and meditative. The surface contains repetitions of two divine prayers (one of which was given to us by Christ himself), and below the surface, meditations on various events in the life of Jesus Christ. It is such a powerful prayer that, in all the countless documented apparitions of Mary, she would often make it a point to let us know how powerful this prayer is. In one instance, for example, there was a certain pious lady who thought she was living a holy life, and when advised during confession to start saying the rosary, she refused, making the excuse that she had no time for it. That night she fell into ecstasy and Mary appeared to her. Holding a scale before her, Mary placed all the good works and penances the woman had done on one balance of the scale, while placing all her sins and imperfections on the other side. The tray of her good works was greatly outweighed by that of her sins and imperfections. Mary then took the single rosary the woman had once said and dropped it on the tray of her good works. The rosary was so heavy that it outweighed all her sins as well as all her good works. Mary then reproved the woman for refusing to say the rosary. From that day forward, the woman said the rosary devotedly and eventually rose to Christian perfection.
Being the most powerful devotion, the rosary is quite fittingly the most difficult to say well. Our minds will inevitably wonder at times, and by keeping focused on the mysteries at hand, we not only experience the best graces from the rosary, it will also strengthen our will.
Those who misunderstand it try to use the Bible against it, calling it a vain repetition (Matt 6:7). But this is a clear case of Scriptural distortion (it is no surprise that the things most cherished by God are often the most profaned and misunderstood by the world). The Lords Prayer and the Hail Mary (the two prayers that form the Rosary) are love prayers that are deeply unitive. Each time we say them we give God a rose in praise and adoration, and we give Mary a rose in gratitude for her intercessions. So considering a prayer is a single act of love, why then, would we want to say it just once? If we truly love God, we would want to let Him know with every breath we take. The Bible commands us to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17) and keeping a practice of regular prayer is an essential means of conforming our hearts to Gods as we seek His face.
And so, I urge the reader to start saying the rosary on a regular basis, if not daily, then at least weekly. Mary wants nothing more than to bring us closer to her Son, and it is by meditating on her Sons life that we can reach this deeper union.
39. What if I dont understand/agree with everything the Church teaches?
Do not distress. This is quite normal. We cannot expect to understand all that the Church teaches overnight, just as we cannot expect to fully understand God in His entirety either. As we stand now, there may be a few things we still are having difficulty understanding. This happens. But we should never forget that this is the Church Jesus Christ instituted, and as such, we should surrender ourselves to the authority of the Church even though we may not fully comprehend her teachings. But does this mean we should be mindless drones and blindly accept everything the Church teaches? Of course not. Although initially, as a young Catholic, we may have to surrender some of our intellect to the authority of the Church, as we continue to grow in deeper union with Christ and adhere to the "Law" of the Church, we will slowly be conformed to the mind of Christ, and instead of following out of mere obedience, we will obey because we will have grown to understand and embrace them. So ultimately, we will not have to surrender our intellect at all.
A second point I would like to make is, although the Church may be free from doctrinal error, this does not exempt the people who compose the Church from personal error. As such, it is our duty as the laity to be aware of diocesan policies and local practices, and if we see anything that we think is deviant from the spirit of the Church, we as Catholics should help to correct these potential abuses. This could be something as simple having a Eucharistic Minister when one is not needed (Vatican II stated that Eucharistic Ministers should only be used if there is dire need for them), to something more serious like disposing leftover hosts in the trash after they have been consecrated.
40. The nature of suffering
In order to understand why suffering exists, it is important to see this two-way call to unity as I have previously described. Although God loves us unconditionally and continually seeks to draw us closer to Him, He chose not to force His love upon us. God gave mankind the ability to respond to God or not; the choice to either accept Him or reject Him. And it was through the first fall of Adam and Eve when mankind made his first choice, setting the stage for the generations to come. God did not bring suffering into the world. We did. And our decision has changed the nature of the world tremendously. If we did not have the capacity to hate, how could our capacity to love have any significance? Likewise, if we didnt have the ability to reject God, our choice to embrace Him would have no value or merit as well.
It us thus through our free will that we are called to respond to God as He did to us when He sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins. And just as Christ embraced His cross unto death, so too are we called to embrace ours. It is in this way that suffering becomes a necessary aspect of our spiritual journey, for it is a true test of our faith and a mechanism to help purify and humble us.
..we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [Romans 8:17]
Those who can best suffer will enjoy the most peace, for such persons are masters of themselves [Imitation of Christ, Thomas A. Kempis]
God wants you to learn to suffer tribulation without comfort and, submitting yourself entirely to Him, to grow in humility through tribulation. No one so deeply feels what Christ endured as the one who has suffered as He did. [Imitation of Christ]
41. Seeking God or an emotional high?
It is easy to fall into the habit of seeking the consolations of God, rather than the God of consolations. We need to take heed and be very careful not to get stuck on this plane of thinking. When we seek consolation, we are only seeking emotional comfort, but God wants our love for Him to trancend humanity, beyond mere feelings and emotions. He wants our love for Him to grow to a point where even if He removed His consolations, we would still keep our focus on Him and be obedient to His word. This is true love; obedience through a pure heart, giving ourselves wholly to God while expecting nothing in return.
Why do you seek rest when you are born to work? Dispose yourself to patience rather than to comfort and to carry the cross rather than to enjoyment [Imitation of Christ, Thomas A. Kempis]
We must be careful in our steps, fully aware that Satan is the master of deception. If he can prevent us from getting to the meat by distracting us with the milk, that would be a great triumph for him. He would prefer keeping us at a level to that of a spiritual baby, who is only satisfied with the good taste of candy but neglects the essential nutrition it needs. This is how Satan can distort the good things our Father gives us, and this is why our Father must sometimes refrain from giving us the sweetness of His consolations so that we do not become totally dependent on them. We must therefore be cautious by nature, just as the Saints were, especially when it comes to emotions.
"The heart is more deceitful than all else [Jer 17:9]
When God poured out His graces upon the Saints, they would embrace the tears of love with open hearts, but in full awareness that those feelings are fleeting. Through our own weakness, those consolations will inevitably fade, leaving us to our own devices. It is during these times that we must trust in Gods will in virtue and devotion to prayer, knowing that our greatest victory will be on the Day of Judgment; a victory that will far outweigh all the struggles weve experienced in this life.
42. Celibacy vs. Marriage
It should first be noted that these two vocations are not really at odds with one another other, yet it is clear that in todays society, one is widely accepted as the natural next step in life, where the other is hardly ever considered. It is thus that the celibate life should be emphasized, for it is truly a shining road less traveled by most, and a great sacrifice for many. Yet this is not the only reason to speak of it. Celibacy is unique in that it reflects a vow to imitate Christ in all respects, who neither gave Himself to marriage nor the pleasures of this world. Celibacy is also reflective of heaven, where marriage does not exist (Matt 22:30). Those who walk this life, in this sense, are beacons of light forshadowing life in heaven.
Not only is celibacy an option, but it is the prefered vocation; one that can potentially help elevate the soul to a very profound union with the Lord. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul recommends the celibate life over marriage;
Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage . . . I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of this world; how he may please his wife, and he is divided." (1 cor 7:27-32) "..so then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better (1 cor 7:38)
In Vita Consectrata,Pope John Paul II said the concecrated life is objectively the higher calling, and the Coucil of Trent stated that it should be first considered before marriage. This is not to say that celibacy is the better vocation than marriage however. Although it is objectively the higher calling, Pope John Paul II subsequently states that the subjective higher calling is whatever God is calling one to, be it in marriage or the celibate life. Although we are encouraged by God to opt for celibacy over marriage, not everyone is necessarily called to live a celibate life. But to the few who truly give up all in pursuit of Godfamily, friends, money, posessions, husband or wifethey are walking a journey with God that few will experience in this life; a journey that can profoundly unite their souls with the Lords.
And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.- [Matt. 19:29]
So what are the options for celibates? Apart from the Priesthood, one also has the option to dedicate their lives wholly to God as a brother or sister. Unlike a priest, religious brothers and sisters cannot perform the sacraments or say the homily. But both preists and religious are united in their focus to serve the Lord totally and without distraction. Generally speaking, priests are more submersed in the world than, say, cloistered nuns are. They are often in constant contact with society, where cloistered nuns live in total seclusion. There are likewise various orders of brothers and sisters who are equally submersed in the world, and conversely, there are various orders of brothers and sisters who have absolutely no contact with the world. Trappist monks, for example, are isolated from society like cloisted nuns, and spend virutally all their time in continual prayer for the salvation of the world. Franciscan friars, on the other hand, are generally more active in helping the community through acts of self-giving like helping the poor and preaching. The Dominicans life is similar, but more focussed on teaching. As can be seen, the gifts of each person is unique, and consequently, so is the calling.
So this now begs the question; how many people has God called to the celibate life? To put it into perspective, about ½% of all Catholics are currently consecrated to the celibate life as either brother, sister, or clergy. This means that one out of every two-hundred Catholics have responded to Gods call to the celibate life. It is important to point out that this number is not necessarily the number of people God has called to this vocation. There are many people who have not responded to this calling, and end up get married instead. In fact, it is estimated that the percentage of those called is actually a stagerringly high number. Saint Bernard, for example, estimated the number to be close to 30%! There is no doubt that a large percentage of Catholics are called to the celibate life, far more than those who have responded to the call.
43. The Saints; models of Christian living
Scripture tells us that we are all called to be saints (Rom 1:7), and in our path to holiness, we have been blessed by the testimonies of men and women who have previously attained this call to Christian perfection. They are not only an inspiration for us in living the call to holiness, but they are also a profound testimony to the Church. We are encouraged to follow by their example as true models of Christian living, for they more than anyone else, modeled their lives after Christs. And it is thus that the Church can say with absolute certainty, their sharing in eternal glory, to which we are all called to.
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. [Col 1:12]
When we read about their lives, we find wonderful insight and wisdom that is not found anywhere else, and most remarkably, the highest levels of love; love that is proven through obedience. It is with this love that we yearn to please God, and fear to offend Him. It is with this love that we ask; Lord what can I do for you instead of; Lord what can you do for me. And it is with this love that humbles our hearts so we can truly bow down at the foot of the cross. This is the heart of the Church; complete obedience to, and reliance upon God and nothing else.
We hear people preach this, but when we examine the lives of the saints, we see how they lived it. In their profound humility, they thought themselves as the least of all; the lowliest of sinners. They embraced rejection from the world, and united their sufferings with Christ. Through their unwavering love for God, they simply gave Him all glory and honor in all that they did, while expecting nothing in return. They did not seek rest in this life, but rather worked towards Gods will in simple obedience. They did not seek peace, but only sought to serve God. And in doing so, they found more peace than most of the world will ever know.
Yet even in their path to holiness, we become aware that they, like us, are only human, and have stumbled along the way. But it was through their persistence and shear will that they devotes themselves completely to God like so few have, and thus were truly able to respond to God, and in the end, conquer the world.
XI. SOURCES OF MORE INFORMATION
44. Catholic Websites
www.Catholic.com
Early Fathers, Church History, Pillar of Fire Pillar of Truth tract.
www.ScriptureCatholic.com
Sciptural support of Catholic doctrine.
http://www.vaticanii.org/search/
Various search engines, including a Catechism search engine and NAB bible search engine.
http://bible.gospelcom.net/
Robust Bible search engine with many translations in their database
45. Discerning a vocation
When God asks for an Undivided Heart, by Fr. Andre Apostoli
http://www.religiouslife.com/free_tape.phtml
Myths and Misconceptions about the Priesthood (avaliable in streaming audio or free tape)
46. Recommended Spiritual Reading
Imitation of Christ, Thomas A. Kempis
True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis De Montfort
Abandonment to Divine Providence, Jean-Pierre De Caussade
The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi
Interior Castle, St. Thersa of Avila
Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina
Spiritual Execises of Saint Ignatius
The Confessions of Saint Augustine
[1] This includes the Orthodox and Eastern-Rites as well.
[2] Although this is the first documented use of the word Catholic, it was most likely a common term even before this time.
[3] The exact date is uncertain, but it is generally accepted to be between 90 A.D. and 110 A.D.
[4] This is also why the Church does not allow non-Catholics or Catholics in mortal sin to receive Communion; for their protection.
