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God the Father, the Almighty, the Creator (Part I)
Pillar Focus Apostles' Creed "I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth"
The first article of the Creed is packed full of theology. First, we profess our belief in God. Let's stop right there! Do we really believe that God exists? Why do you personally believe that God is an absolute reality? ...reflect on this...
Belief in God is the foundation of all other religious beliefs. It is a gift from God, something we do not earn. But does that mean that human reason cannot play a role? If that were the case, then the great St. Thomas Aquinas, considered by many to be one of the top theologians of the Church, was wasting his time in his development of the "Five Proofs." Our gift of reason can and should be used to strengthen our gift of faith.
At the bottom of this entry are two articles that present arguments in support of God's existence. They are short in length, but may require a little patience to understand. Not all arguments may "hit home," but all are worth deeply considering.
Now back to what this first article of the Creed professes: God is one, there are no other gods but him alone. Yet this one God reveals himself in three divine persons. One of these persons is a Father (which has multiple meanings, including the fact he is our Father). We believe that he is all powerful, yet allows us freedom (which could help explain the existence of evil). Also, he is the creator of all things seen and unseen. The Catechism goes on to teach the specifics of God's creation (heaven and earth, angels, and humans). Then it teaches about the fall in this creation, about the fall of man.
Since all this is a lot to take in, this week's entry will be part 1 of 2. Part 2 will be sent out next week.
From the Compendium:
36. Why does the Profession of Faith begin with the words, “I believe in God”?
The Profession of Faith begins with these words because the affirmation “I believe in God” is the most important, the source of all the other truths about man and about the world, and about the entire life of everyone who believes in God.
37. Why does one profess belief that there is only one God?
Belief in the one God is professed because he has revealed himself to the people of Israel as the only One when he said, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) and “there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). Jesus himself confirmed that God is “the one Lord” (Mark 12:29). To confess that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God and Lord does not introduce any division into the one God.
42. In what way does God reveal that he is love?
God revealed himself to Israel as the One who has a stronger love than that of parents for their children or of husbands and wives for their spouses. God in himself “is love” (1 John4: 8.16), who gives himself completely and gratuitously, who “so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). By sending his Son and the Holy Spirit, God reveals that he himself is an eternal exchange of love.
44. What is the central mystery of Christian faith and life?
The central mystery of Christian faith and life is the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity. Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
48. How does the Church express her trinitarian faith?
The Church expresses her trinitarian faith by professing a belief in the oneness of God in whom there are three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three divine Persons are only one God because each of them equally possesses the fullness of the one and indivisible divine nature. They are really distinct from each other by reason of the relations which place them in correspondence to each other. The Father generates the Son; the Son is generated by the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.
50. What does it mean to say that God is almighty?
God reveals himself as “the strong One, the mighty One” (Psalm 24:8), as the One “to whom nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37). His omnipotence is universal, mysterious and shows itself in the creation of the world out of nothing and humanity out of love; but above all it shows itself in the Incarnation and the Resurrection of his Son, in the gift of filial adoption and in the forgiveness of sins. For this reason, the Church directs her prayers to the “almighty and eternal God” (“Omnipotens sempiterne Deus...”).
55. What is divine providence?
Divine Providence consists in the dispositions with which God leads his creatures toward their ultimate end. God is the sovereign Master of his own plan. To carry it out, however, he also makes use of the cooperation of his creatures. For God grants his creatures the dignity of acting on their own and of being causes for each other.
56. How do we collaborate with divine Providence?
While respecting our freedom, God asks us to cooperate with him and gives us the ability to do so through actions, prayers and sufferings, thus awakening in us the desire “to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
57. If God is omnipotent and provident, why then does evil exist?
To this question, as painful and mysterious as it is, only the whole of Christian faith can constitute a response. God is not in any way - directly or indirectly - the cause of evil. He illuminates the mystery of evil in his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose in order to vanquish that great moral evil, human sin, which is at the root of all other evils.
58. Why does God permit evil?
Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil. This was realized in a wondrous way by God in the death and resurrection of Christ. In fact, from the greatest of all moral evils (the murder of his Son) he has brought forth the greatest of all goods (the glorification of Christ and our redemption).
The first article of the Creed is packed full of theology. First, we profess our belief in God. Let's stop right there! Do we really believe that God exists? Why do you personally believe that God is an absolute reality? ...reflect on this...
Belief in God is the foundation of all other religious beliefs. It is a gift from God, something we do not earn. But does that mean that human reason cannot play a role? If that were the case, then the great St. Thomas Aquinas, considered by many to be one of the top theologians of the Church, was wasting his time in his development of the "Five Proofs." Our gift of reason can and should be used to strengthen our gift of faith.
At the bottom of this entry are two articles that present arguments in support of God's existence. They are short in length, but may require a little patience to understand. Not all arguments may "hit home," but all are worth deeply considering.
Now back to what this first article of the Creed professes: God is one, there are no other gods but him alone. Yet this one God reveals himself in three divine persons. One of these persons is a Father (which has multiple meanings, including the fact he is our Father). We believe that he is all powerful, yet allows us freedom (which could help explain the existence of evil). Also, he is the creator of all things seen and unseen. The Catechism goes on to teach the specifics of God's creation (heaven and earth, angels, and humans). Then it teaches about the fall in this creation, about the fall of man.
Since all this is a lot to take in, this week's entry will be part 1 of 2. Part 2 will be sent out next week.
From the Compendium:
36. Why does the Profession of Faith begin with the words, “I believe in God”?
The Profession of Faith begins with these words because the affirmation “I believe in God” is the most important, the source of all the other truths about man and about the world, and about the entire life of everyone who believes in God.
37. Why does one profess belief that there is only one God?
Belief in the one God is professed because he has revealed himself to the people of Israel as the only One when he said, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) and “there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). Jesus himself confirmed that God is “the one Lord” (Mark 12:29). To confess that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God and Lord does not introduce any division into the one God.
42. In what way does God reveal that he is love?
God revealed himself to Israel as the One who has a stronger love than that of parents for their children or of husbands and wives for their spouses. God in himself “is love” (1 John4: 8.16), who gives himself completely and gratuitously, who “so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). By sending his Son and the Holy Spirit, God reveals that he himself is an eternal exchange of love.
44. What is the central mystery of Christian faith and life?
The central mystery of Christian faith and life is the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity. Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
48. How does the Church express her trinitarian faith?
The Church expresses her trinitarian faith by professing a belief in the oneness of God in whom there are three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three divine Persons are only one God because each of them equally possesses the fullness of the one and indivisible divine nature. They are really distinct from each other by reason of the relations which place them in correspondence to each other. The Father generates the Son; the Son is generated by the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.
50. What does it mean to say that God is almighty?
God reveals himself as “the strong One, the mighty One” (Psalm 24:8), as the One “to whom nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37). His omnipotence is universal, mysterious and shows itself in the creation of the world out of nothing and humanity out of love; but above all it shows itself in the Incarnation and the Resurrection of his Son, in the gift of filial adoption and in the forgiveness of sins. For this reason, the Church directs her prayers to the “almighty and eternal God” (“Omnipotens sempiterne Deus...”).
55. What is divine providence?
Divine Providence consists in the dispositions with which God leads his creatures toward their ultimate end. God is the sovereign Master of his own plan. To carry it out, however, he also makes use of the cooperation of his creatures. For God grants his creatures the dignity of acting on their own and of being causes for each other.
56. How do we collaborate with divine Providence?
While respecting our freedom, God asks us to cooperate with him and gives us the ability to do so through actions, prayers and sufferings, thus awakening in us the desire “to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
57. If God is omnipotent and provident, why then does evil exist?
To this question, as painful and mysterious as it is, only the whole of Christian faith can constitute a response. God is not in any way - directly or indirectly - the cause of evil. He illuminates the mystery of evil in his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose in order to vanquish that great moral evil, human sin, which is at the root of all other evils.
58. Why does God permit evil?
Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil. This was realized in a wondrous way by God in the death and resurrection of Christ. In fact, from the greatest of all moral evils (the murder of his Son) he has brought forth the greatest of all goods (the glorification of Christ and our redemption).
God, the Father Almighty, the Creator (Part II)
Pillar Focus Apostles' Creed "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth"
See:
Original Sin
Who was born without original sin?
Study the Catechism
Original Sin
Who was born without original sin?
Study the Catechism
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#59-78
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| part 1, section 2, chapter 1 English, Español, Português |
Born of the Virgin Mary
Pillar Focus Apostles Creed "He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary"
From the Compendium:
95. “...Born of the Virgin Mary”: Why is Mary truly the Mother of God?
Mary is truly the Mother of God because she is the Mother of Jesus (John 2:1, John19:25). The One who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and became truly her Son is actually the eternal Son of God the Father. He is God himself.
96. What does the “Immaculate Conception” mean?
God freely chose Mary from all eternity to be the Mother of his Son. In order to carry out her mission she herself was conceived immaculate. This means that, thanks to the grace of God and in anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary was preserved from original sin from the first instant of her conception.
97. How does Mary cooperate in the divine plan of salvation?
By the grace of God Mary was kept free from every personal sin her whole life long. She is the one who is “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), “the all holy”. When the angel announced to her that she would give birth to “the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32), she freely gave her consent with “the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). Mary thus gave herself entirely to the person and work of her Son Jesus, espousing wholeheartedly the divine will regarding salvation.
98. What does the virginal conception of Jesus mean?
The virginal conception of Jesus means that Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin solely by the power of the Holy Spirit without the intervention of a man. He is the Son of the heavenly Father according to his divine nature and the Son of Mary according to his human nature. He is, however, truly the Son of God in both natures since there is in him only one Person who is divine.
99. In what sense is Mary “ever Virgin”?
Mary is ever virgin in the sense that she “remained a virgin in conceiving her Son, a virgin in giving birth to him, a virgin in carrying him, a virgin in nursing him at her breast, always a virgin” (Saint Augustine). Therefore, when the Gospels speak of the “brothers and sisters of Jesus”, they are talking about the close relations of Jesus, according to the way of speaking used in Sacred Scripture.
100. In what way is the spiritual motherhood of Mary universal?
Mary had only one Son, Jesus, but in him her spiritual motherhood extends to all whom he came to save. Obediently standing at the side of the new Adam, Jesus Christ, the Virgin is the new Eve, the true mother of all the living, who with a mother's love cooperates in their birth and their formation in the order of grace. Virgin and Mother, Mary is the figure of the Church, its most perfect realization.
Study the Catechism
From the Compendium:
95. “...Born of the Virgin Mary”: Why is Mary truly the Mother of God?
Mary is truly the Mother of God because she is the Mother of Jesus (John 2:1, John19:25). The One who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and became truly her Son is actually the eternal Son of God the Father. He is God himself.
96. What does the “Immaculate Conception” mean?
God freely chose Mary from all eternity to be the Mother of his Son. In order to carry out her mission she herself was conceived immaculate. This means that, thanks to the grace of God and in anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary was preserved from original sin from the first instant of her conception.
97. How does Mary cooperate in the divine plan of salvation?
By the grace of God Mary was kept free from every personal sin her whole life long. She is the one who is “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), “the all holy”. When the angel announced to her that she would give birth to “the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32), she freely gave her consent with “the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). Mary thus gave herself entirely to the person and work of her Son Jesus, espousing wholeheartedly the divine will regarding salvation.
98. What does the virginal conception of Jesus mean?
The virginal conception of Jesus means that Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin solely by the power of the Holy Spirit without the intervention of a man. He is the Son of the heavenly Father according to his divine nature and the Son of Mary according to his human nature. He is, however, truly the Son of God in both natures since there is in him only one Person who is divine.
99. In what sense is Mary “ever Virgin”?
Mary is ever virgin in the sense that she “remained a virgin in conceiving her Son, a virgin in giving birth to him, a virgin in carrying him, a virgin in nursing him at her breast, always a virgin” (Saint Augustine). Therefore, when the Gospels speak of the “brothers and sisters of Jesus”, they are talking about the close relations of Jesus, according to the way of speaking used in Sacred Scripture.
100. In what way is the spiritual motherhood of Mary universal?
Mary had only one Son, Jesus, but in him her spiritual motherhood extends to all whom he came to save. Obediently standing at the side of the new Adam, Jesus Christ, the Virgin is the new Eve, the true mother of all the living, who with a mother's love cooperates in their birth and their formation in the order of grace. Virgin and Mother, Mary is the figure of the Church, its most perfect realization.
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#85-111
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| part 1, section 2, chapter 2, article 3 English, Español, Português |
Divine Redemption
Pillar Focus Apostles Creed: He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried
What were the accusations by which Jesus was condemned to death? Some of the leaders of Israel accused Jesus of acting against the law, the temple in Jerusalem, and in particular against faith in the one God because he proclaimed himself to be the Son of God. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate so that he might condemn him to death (CCCC 113).
The greatest of these accusations against Jesus (then and now) was his claim to divinity. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently acted and spoke in the very person of God. Consider the following points from Peter Kreeft's book: Handbook of Catholic Apologetics: Reasoned Answers to Questions of Faith.
Jesus' "passion" was a horrific experience. He was beaten beyond recognition, publicly mocked, and made to suffer three hours of intense agony nailed to a cross. If the imagination fails to do this scene justice, take some time to watch Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ. It is the most historically accurate portrayal of these events to date. Be prepared though, this movie contains scenes which are very intense, bloody, and violent.
Study the Catechism
What were the accusations by which Jesus was condemned to death? Some of the leaders of Israel accused Jesus of acting against the law, the temple in Jerusalem, and in particular against faith in the one God because he proclaimed himself to be the Son of God. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate so that he might condemn him to death (CCCC 113).
The greatest of these accusations against Jesus (then and now) was his claim to divinity. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently acted and spoke in the very person of God. Consider the following points from Peter Kreeft's book: Handbook of Catholic Apologetics: Reasoned Answers to Questions of Faith.
- Jesus claimed to be of the same nature of God. "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30). "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:19)
- He forgave sins, something only God alone could do (see: Mk 2:1-7). Keep in mind that we can all forgive people who sin against us, but we cannot forgive someone of their sins towards others. The Jewish authorities of Jesus' day understood this point clearly.
- Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter (our 1st pope). For a Jew, changing people's names was something only God could do, for your name was not just a human, arbitrary label, but your real identity, which was given to you by God alone. In the Old Testament, only God changed names.
- Jesus kept pointing to himself, saying "Come unto me." Other religious founders point followers to something outside of themselves. For example, Buddha said, "Look not to me; look to my dharma (doctrine)." Buddha also said, "Be ye lamps unto yourselves." Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."
- The most shocking way Jesus referred to himself was when he stated, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM." (Jn 8:58). He spoke and claimed the sacred name that God revealed to Moses, the name God used to name himself (Ex 3:14). If he was not God, no one in history ever said anything more blasphemous than this; by Jewish law, no one ever deserved to be crucified more than Jesus.
Who is responsible for the death of Jesus?The passion and death of Jesus cannot be imputed indiscriminately either to all the Jews that were living at that time or to their descendants. Every single sinner, that is, every human being is really the cause and the instrument of the sufferings of the Redeemer; and the greater blame in this respect falls on those above all who are Christians and who the more often fall into sin or delight in their vices (CCCC 117). Also see (CCC 598) for St. Francis of Assisi's take on this.
Why was the death of Jesus part of God's plan?To reconcile to himself all who were destined to die because of sin God took the loving initiative of sending his Son that he might give himself up for sinners. Proclaimed in the Old Testament, especially as the sacrifice of the Suffering Servant, the death of Jesus came about “in accordance with the Scriptures”(CCCC 118).
In what way did Christ offer himself to the Father?The entire life of Christ was a free offering to the Father to carry out his plan of salvation. He gave “his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45) and in this way he reconciled all of humanity with God. His suffering and death showed how his humanity was the free and perfect instrument of that divine love which desires the salvation of all people (CCCC 119).The crucifixion was and continues to be an integral part of what saves us. This "sacrifice" is the only way man is reconciled with God. In other words, we can't enter heaven without it.
Study the Catechism
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#112-124
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| part 1, section 2, chapter 2, article 4 English, Español, Português |
The Crowning Truth of Our Faith
Pillar Focus The Apostles Creed: "He descended into hell, on the third day he rose again"
The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross (638). Peter and the Apostles are the primary "witnesses to his Resurrection," but they are not the only ones. Paul speaks clearly of more than five hundred persons to whom Jesus appeared on a single occasion (642).
Jesus' resurrection had a profound impact on the early Church. Just look at the incredible transformation that occurred among the Apostles who preached this truth to their martyrdom! Some were crucified, others were killed in other horrific ways.
What would lead a man to preach something so profound as "Christ is Risen," in the face of certain death, if he were not completely convinced of what he was preaching?! Nothing, that's what! The Apostles witnessed Christ risen in the realest sense. They saw the resurrected Lord, spoke with him, ate with him, and were able to physically touch him (St.Thomas touched his wounds). They did not give their lives for the sake of a "good man," a "good teacher," or someone who just "spiritually" rose from the dead. They gave their life for the Resurrected Messiah! Hundreds of thousands of Christians would later do the same.
Study the Catechism
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| Three Marys at the Tomb, William Bouguereau |
Jesus' resurrection had a profound impact on the early Church. Just look at the incredible transformation that occurred among the Apostles who preached this truth to their martyrdom! Some were crucified, others were killed in other horrific ways.
What would lead a man to preach something so profound as "Christ is Risen," in the face of certain death, if he were not completely convinced of what he was preaching?! Nothing, that's what! The Apostles witnessed Christ risen in the realest sense. They saw the resurrected Lord, spoke with him, ate with him, and were able to physically touch him (St.Thomas touched his wounds). They did not give their lives for the sake of a "good man," a "good teacher," or someone who just "spiritually" rose from the dead. They gave their life for the Resurrected Messiah! Hundreds of thousands of Christians would later do the same.
Study the Catechism
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#125-131
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| part 1, section 2, chapater 2, article 5 English, Español, Português |
Come, Holy Spirit
Pillar Focus Apostles' Creed: I believe in the Holy Spirit
What does the Church mean when she confesses: “I believe in the Holy Spirit”?
To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess faith in the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Son and “is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son”. The Spirit is “sent into our hearts” (Galatians 4:6) so that we might receive new life as sons of God (Compendium 136).
Study the Catechism
What does the Church mean when she confesses: “I believe in the Holy Spirit”?
To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess faith in the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Son and “is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son”. The Spirit is “sent into our hearts” (Galatians 4:6) so that we might receive new life as sons of God (Compendium 136).
What are the names of the Holy Spirit?
“The Holy Spirit” is the proper name of the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus also called him the Paraclete (Consoler or Advocate) and the Spirit of Truth. The New Testament also refers to him as the Spirit of Christ, of the Lord, of God - the Spirit of Glory and the Spirit of the Promise (Compendium 138).
“The Holy Spirit” is the proper name of the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus also called him the Paraclete (Consoler or Advocate) and the Spirit of Truth. The New Testament also refers to him as the Spirit of Christ, of the Lord, of God - the Spirit of Glory and the Spirit of the Promise (Compendium 138).
What does the Spirit do in the Church?
The Spirit builds, animates and sanctifies the Church. As the Spirit of Love, he restores to the baptized the divine likeness that was lost through sin and causes them to live in Christ the very life of the Holy Trinity. He sends them forth to bear witness to the Truth of Christ and he organizes them in their respective functions so that all might bear “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) (Compendium 145).
The Spirit builds, animates and sanctifies the Church. As the Spirit of Love, he restores to the baptized the divine likeness that was lost through sin and causes them to live in Christ the very life of the Holy Trinity. He sends them forth to bear witness to the Truth of Christ and he organizes them in their respective functions so that all might bear “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) (Compendium 145).
Study the Catechism
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#136-146
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| part 1, section 2, chapter 3 English, Español, Português |
The Catholic Church
Pillars Focus The Apostles Creed: "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church"
Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God to man. You will find no other person in all of history to be a more perfect revelation. Who more than him should we trust and follow?! He is "the way, the truth, and the life..." Jesus was God come down from heaven!
So here's the problem, we don't live in the time period where we could see him, listen to him, ask him questions... The historical Jesus ascended into heaven almost two thousand years ago! So is that it?! We waited tens of thousands of years for this full revelation of God and then (poof!) he's gone, leaving us again to derive truth in fragments?! No. He left us with our Catholic Church, his mystical body here on earth, of which "the gates of hell would not prevail against." This church was built on his apostle Peter (the first in the line of popes) and is with us today and until the end of the age. For more on this, click here.
Here's a video from Fr. Robert Barron's acclaimed Catholicism Series. The first 9 minutes offers a sampling of all 10 episodes. The remainder is the complete 6th episode titled: The Church, Christ's Mystical Body. Be sure to watch this video in full screen!
Here's a video (more like a meditation) on the Four Marks of the Church. We are One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.
Study the Catechism
Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God to man. You will find no other person in all of history to be a more perfect revelation. Who more than him should we trust and follow?! He is "the way, the truth, and the life..." Jesus was God come down from heaven!
So here's the problem, we don't live in the time period where we could see him, listen to him, ask him questions... The historical Jesus ascended into heaven almost two thousand years ago! So is that it?! We waited tens of thousands of years for this full revelation of God and then (poof!) he's gone, leaving us again to derive truth in fragments?! No. He left us with our Catholic Church, his mystical body here on earth, of which "the gates of hell would not prevail against." This church was built on his apostle Peter (the first in the line of popes) and is with us today and until the end of the age. For more on this, click here.
Here's a video from Fr. Robert Barron's acclaimed Catholicism Series. The first 9 minutes offers a sampling of all 10 episodes. The remainder is the complete 6th episode titled: The Church, Christ's Mystical Body. Be sure to watch this video in full screen!
Here's a video (more like a meditation) on the Four Marks of the Church. We are One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.
Study the Catechism
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#147-199
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| part 1, section 2, chapter 3, article 9 English, Español, Português |
The Church Offers Forgiveness
Pillar Focus Apostles Creed: "I believe in the forgiveness of sins"
We receive total forgiveness by Christ in Baptism. However, Baptism does not abolish the weakness of human nature towards sin. We continue in our sin. Since sin separates us from God, and therefor from perfect love, we need to continually seek forgiveness. We need to enter into a perpetual state of conversion, of repentance. "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" (Mt 3:2)
On our journey of conversion it is important to know how to receive God's total forgiveness in a sure way. This is primarily done through the Sacrament of Confession. Many Catholics do not participate in this incredible grace, nor do they they understand it (see Cara Study 2008). What a loss!! Consider the following verses of Scripture:
Study the Catechism
We receive total forgiveness by Christ in Baptism. However, Baptism does not abolish the weakness of human nature towards sin. We continue in our sin. Since sin separates us from God, and therefor from perfect love, we need to continually seek forgiveness. We need to enter into a perpetual state of conversion, of repentance. "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" (Mt 3:2)
On our journey of conversion it is important to know how to receive God's total forgiveness in a sure way. This is primarily done through the Sacrament of Confession. Many Catholics do not participate in this incredible grace, nor do they they understand it (see Cara Study 2008). What a loss!! Consider the following verses of Scripture:
Jesus said to his apostles, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Jn 20:21-23)Speaking to Peter, the first pope, Scripture has Jesus saying the following:
"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mt 16:18-19)
Has it been awhile since your last confession? A Guide to Confession
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#200-201
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| part 1, section 2, chapter 3, article 10 English, Español, Português |
The Resurrection of the Body
Pillar Focus Apostles Creed: I believe in the resurrection of the body
One of the most challenging beliefs that we hold as Catholics is on the resurrection of the body. Most people who believe in God would agree that after one dies, his or her soul will continue to exist. If a worthy life was lived, that soul will go to heaven to live with God forever. This is also what Catholics believe. The disagreement may occur when we discuss what happens to the body, which the soul leaves behind. Won't it eventually corrupt, and become dry bones? Obviously, the answer in most cases is yes. However, according to Catholic belief, when Jesus makes his final return, the body will again rise and be reunited with the soul in a glorified state. Then, the body and soul of those whom Christ deems worthy will enter into heaven to live with God for all eternity. How this will occur is beyond our understanding, but this is what we believe as Catholics, and what we profess in the Apostles Creed.
One of the most challenging beliefs that we hold as Catholics is on the resurrection of the body. Most people who believe in God would agree that after one dies, his or her soul will continue to exist. If a worthy life was lived, that soul will go to heaven to live with God forever. This is also what Catholics believe. The disagreement may occur when we discuss what happens to the body, which the soul leaves behind. Won't it eventually corrupt, and become dry bones? Obviously, the answer in most cases is yes. However, according to Catholic belief, when Jesus makes his final return, the body will again rise and be reunited with the soul in a glorified state. Then, the body and soul of those whom Christ deems worthy will enter into heaven to live with God for all eternity. How this will occur is beyond our understanding, but this is what we believe as Catholics, and what we profess in the Apostles Creed.
Life Everlasting
Pillar Focus The Apostles Creed "I believe in life everlasting"
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Mt 7: 13-14)
It is very important for us as Christians to never lose site of the fact that our lives are eternal. Living forever with God in heaven is our ultimate goal, our greatest hope. We understand that everything we see before us, money, fame, material things, will pass away. We realize that when we die (or before this, if Christ returns during our lifetimes) we will be judged for our faith and our works. Once this judgement is made, our eternity will be set.
What is heaven?
Heaven is the endless moment of love. Nothing more seprates us from God, whom our soul loves and has sought our whole life long. Together with all the angels and saints we will be able to rejoice forever in and with God.
What is purgatory?
Purgatory, often imagined as a place, is actually a condition. Someone who dies in God's grace (and therefore at peace with God and men) but who still needs purificatin before he can see God face to face is in purgatory.
Can we help the departed who are in the condition of purgatory?
Yes, since all those who are baptized into Christ form one communion and are united with one another, the living can also help the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory.
What is hell?
Hell is the condition of everlasting separation from God, the absolute absence of love.
But if God is love, how can there be a hell?
God does not damn men. Man himself is the one who refuses God's merciful love and voluntarily deprives himself of (eternal) life by excluding himself from communion with God.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Mt 7: 13-14)
It is very important for us as Christians to never lose site of the fact that our lives are eternal. Living forever with God in heaven is our ultimate goal, our greatest hope. We understand that everything we see before us, money, fame, material things, will pass away. We realize that when we die (or before this, if Christ returns during our lifetimes) we will be judged for our faith and our works. Once this judgement is made, our eternity will be set.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Mt 25: 31-46)We all want to be the sheep here, not the goats!! We place Jesus Christ, the only one who can save us, at the forefront of our lives. We accept the sacrifice on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins, and cooperate, over the course of our entire lives, with the grace we received in baptism. We live a sacramental life, centered on the Eucharist, so that we may stay close to the covenant love of God. Within this covenant, we strive to live the "Great Commandment," which is to love God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We especially put our trust in the Lord, that he will be faithful to those who stand humbly before him.
From the YOUCAT (Youth Catechism) #158-161:
What is heaven?
Heaven is the endless moment of love. Nothing more seprates us from God, whom our soul loves and has sought our whole life long. Together with all the angels and saints we will be able to rejoice forever in and with God.
What is purgatory?
Purgatory, often imagined as a place, is actually a condition. Someone who dies in God's grace (and therefore at peace with God and men) but who still needs purificatin before he can see God face to face is in purgatory.
Can we help the departed who are in the condition of purgatory?
Yes, since all those who are baptized into Christ form one communion and are united with one another, the living can also help the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory.
What is hell?
Hell is the condition of everlasting separation from God, the absolute absence of love.
But if God is love, how can there be a hell?
God does not damn men. Man himself is the one who refuses God's merciful love and voluntarily deprives himself of (eternal) life by excluding himself from communion with God.
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