Some Common Questions About Catholic Beliefs and Practices
This picture taken from inside our church.
Perhaps you wonder about one of these topics:
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An Overview of Catholic Beliefs and Practices
What is the “Core” message of Christianity?
How to Deal with Life’s Difficult Questions
Opening the Door to Jesus Our Savior
What does it Mean to Know and Follow Jesus?
Baptism (Is it Necessary?)
How Can I become Catholic?
What is the Catholic Church?
Catholic Life
Prayer
Meditating on God’s Word
What are Sacraments?
What are Sacramentals?
Why Confirmation?
What is the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit”?
Understanding The Mass
Eucharistic Adoration
Confession: Also called The Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance.
1) Why go to Confession?
2) Returning to Confession
3) An Examination of Conscience and “How to go to Confession” Guide
4)What are Indulgences?
I’ve been away from the Church… How do I return?
Can our Suffering be Redemptive?
Anointing of the Sick
Marriage Questions
Holy Orders
Are There Fewer Priests Today?
Why Must Priests be Celibate?
Can Women be Ordained?
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An Overview of Catholic Beliefs and Practices
This picture is taken from the interior of our church.
This section is intended to merely offer an overview of some of those areas of Catholic Belief and Practice where people often have questions.
In this limited amount of space however, it is impossible to cover everything. Please also refer to the Catholic Library in the left column of our main parish page or to the Knights of Columbus’ Luke E. Hart or Veritas Online Series, Catholic Pages or to Catholic Answers for more information and Biblical Evidence for Catholics.
Of course, for an official and more comprehensive and in depth review of Catholic beliefs and practice, go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church . This Catechism is ” a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine, enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life .” (Pope John Paul II) “How does our life find its proper course? What gives us and the world as a whole a future worth living?
… The Catechism deals with these questions, it reaches beyond … theology or the Church to touch everyone.”
“The Catechism’s essential answer to these questions is also very simple. In union with the Bible and the faith of the Church, the Catechism affirms that man’s happiness is love… The essence of true love has been manifested visibly in the Person of Jesus Christ.” ~Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), Gospel Catechesis Catechism , pp. 13 & 16.
What is the “Core” message of Christianity?
This picture is taken from a stained glass window in St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption , which serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, Kentucky.
The “core” message of Christianity is a message of love and redemption, salvation and hope. It is the message of the person of Jesus Christ, who walked this earth 2000 years ago. To know and understand the Christian faith one must know Jesus, in his person, words and deeds. Knowing Jesus, however is more than just knowing “about” him. A Christian is a follower of Christ. This means believing in Jesus, entrusting your whole life to him, and following him in every area of your life.
“The essence of Christianity is not an idea, not a system of thought, not a plan of action. The essence of Christianity is a Person: Jesus Christ Himself. That which is essential the the One Who is essential. To become truly real means to come to know Jesus Christ and to learn from Him what it means to be human.” ~ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)
The Christian message is called the “gospel” of Jesus Christ. “Gospel” literally means “good news.” To understand this “good news,” we must first recognize the needy condition of mankind.
Our world has gotten off-course. It is not hard to see that something has gone terribly wrong – that we do not live as God originally intended when he created the world as an expression of his love. We also discover that we cannot save ourselves no matter how hard we may try to eradicate poverty or disease or protect ourselves from war. We simply cannot save oursleves and we need divine intervention to have God’s loving purpose for this world restored. We need a savior.
Without God’s help, we will all die in our sinful condition and remain separated from God forever. The good news of Christianity is that God has sent his Son Jesus to save us from this condition of alienation from God and his loving plan for our lives. When we believe in and accept Jesus, our Savior, and follow God’s loving plan for our lives, not only are we promised eternal life in heaven after we die, but God actually provides us with his grace (supernatural help) to restore and transform our lives so that we can live the way we were meant to live – in loving communion with our God and our fellow man. In order to better understand the Christian message, we need to know more about who Jesus is, what he has done for us and how he has called us to follow after him.
Christians believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of long awaited prophecies of the Jewish religion. Central to this believe is the claim that Jesus was both God and man, and that he was, and is still today, the Savior of the world. Christians believe that accepting or rejecting Jesus, and his message of love and redemption, can affect our eternal destiny. These are bold claims. Are they true? What could it mean for our lives if they are?
Historical evidence supports the idea that Jesus is in fact a real historical person. It also supports the fact that he claimed to be not only a man, but God as well. It is hard to ignore someone who claims to be God – the same God who created the universe! This is the type of claim which prompts a response. People today who claim to be God, are usually labeled as being insane. The people of Jesus’ time responded to Jesus’ claim to be God by hanging him on a cross to die as a criminal!
If in fact Jesus made this claim, logic would suggest only three possibilities:
- Liar: If he was not God, and he knew it, this would make him a liar.
- Lunatic: If he was not God, but he thought he was, then he was crazy.
- Lord: If Jesus was God as he claimed, then his rightful place is as our Lord.
This simple logic compels us to make a decision to either accept or reject the person of Jesus Christ and his gospel (message of good news). Once one understands the bold claims made by Jesus, it is difficult to maintain that Jesus was merely a good person or a good prophet; but not what he claimed to be. Jesus claimed to be both God and man. He claimed to be the savior of the world. Either what he claimed is true or it isn’t. If we believe that his claims are true, then we would be foolish not to follow him!
“In the end, Christian faith is simply faith in God. Everything else is an unfolding of that. Our faith is not a theory but an event, an encounter with the living God who is our Father, who in his Son Jesus Christ has assumed human nature, who unites us in the Holy Spirit and who, in all this remains the one and only God.” ~Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), Gospel Catechesis Catechism , p. 18.
One of the evidences for the validity of the message of Jesus Christ is that he did something no one has ever done before or since. He rose from the dead! Never before in the history of mankind have there been such signs and wonders are were done by Jesus Christ in a public manner for all to see. The blind, deaf and lame were healed and the dead raised to life!
The gospel message (or “good news”), which Jesus Christ gave to his followers, is also referred to as the “deposit of faith.” For if this message came from Jesus, who was God, and is so important that it can affect our eternal destiny, it must be safeguarded for future generations. This is why it is called the “deposit of faith.” St. Paul told Timothy to “guard” the true faith that had been entrusted to him so that people might not be lead astray (see 1Tim 6:20-21).
This picture is taken from a stained glass window in St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
But how did Jesus give this message to his followers and how has it been handed down to us 2000 years later? What he did in fact, was to commission his closest followers (called Apostles) to spread this message to all mankind. He gave them his divine authority and power and established them as the leaders of his church. He gave them a divine promise to be with them and to protect his church. They acted in his name in leading his church and they worked miracles just as he had.
In order to fufill the command of Christ to carefully preserve his message and spread it to everyone, the Apostles established other men in the authority of Christ (which had been given to them) to lead his church. These were called bishops and are the successors of the Apostles.
The the followers of Christ became know as Christians and after a short period of time this church began to be referred to as the “catholic” (which means “universal”) Church. All Christians belonged to what has now became known as the Catholic Church.
Catholics believe that the Catholic Church, which has an unbroken line of succession back to the first Apostles of Christ, most fully represents and preserves not only this “deposit of faith” (the teachings of Christ), but also the authority of Christ which he passed on to his Apostles. The Catholic Church also believes however, that all Christians who follow the teachings of Christ and who have been baptized according to the command of Christ, are part of this same Church in a mystical way even if they do not consider themselves to be Catholic. We refer to non Catholic Christians thus as our “separated brothers and sisters.”
Jesus established his Church when he gave his authority to his Apostles and instructed them to pass on his Gospel message of good news (the deposit of faith) to all mankind. After a few centuries however, the leaders of this Church decided that some of the early writings of the followers of Christ should be collected and given special reverence as a sure standard of this deposit of faith. They could only presume to do this because they were the successors of the Apostles and had thus been given the authority to act in the name and authority of Christ. We call this collection of writings the New Testament of the Bible.
For a brief look at this “core” message of Christianity (the faith of those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ), click on Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions . For a brief explanation of the Catholic Church, click on Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth . For a more comprehensive explanation of Christian beliefs in an organized format, refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church . To read the inspired Word of God which remains the solid norm for all Christians, turn to the Holy Bible . To read the story of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible, read the Gospel according to Matthew , Mark , Luke , or John .
How to Deal with Life’s Difficult Questions
This picture is taken from the interior of our church. It shows Mother Teresa and one of her sisters caring for a dying man in Calcuta, India.
Irregardless of our religious beliefs or the degree of our faith, when faced with difficulties and disappointments in life, we can find ourselves asking questions like:
What is wrong with this world?!
What does God want from me anyway?!
Life can be difficult at times. For a message of hope, in the light of the basic Gospel message of the Christian faith, click on “Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions” below.
We were not meant to face the difficulties of life alone. We need the help of God and of one another.
We need to turn to God in our need and cooperate with the grace he gives to help and strengthen us. If we are living our lives opposed to God’s Fatherly love for us, we only make our situation worse.
In addition to an openness to God, we also need each other. We are called to love and live at peace with our neighbor and to support one another in practical ways. The answers to the problems of every day life are both spiritual and practical.
For some practical resources click on ” Help in Crisis Situations . ” For ways that you can offer help to you neighbor in need, click on ” Catholic Charitable Giving .”
“The happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth.” Pope Benedict XVI speaking at World Youth day in Cologne
For spiritual answers click on:
Opening the Door to Jesus Our Savior
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”
“Open wide your hearts to God! Let yourselves be surprised by Christ! … Open the doors of your freedom to his merciful love! Share your joys and pains with Christ, and let him enlighten your minds with his light and touch your hearts with his grace.” Pope Benedict XVI speaking at World Youth day in Cologne
No matter what our situation, Jesus wants to come into our hearts in a deeper way. He wants to share with us his love and forgiveness. He wants to heal us and make us whole – to give us new hope.
“If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation” Pope Benedict XVI, Homily at the Mass of Inauguration, April 2005. “O my soul, created to enjoy such exquisite gifts, what are you doing, where is your life going? How wretched is the blindness of Adam’s children, if indeed we are blind to such a brilliant light and deaf to so insistent a voice.” From a Spiritual Canticle by Saint John of the Cross Let us respond to Jesus who knows our every need, who loves us, and who knocks at the door of our heart.
(Please take a moment to quiet your mind and heart and to pray this prayer.)
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for loving me, even as I am.
Please come now and make me whole.
I haven’t always lived as I should.
I’ve offended You and hurt others, and am truly sorry for this.
Forgive me Jesus of my sins .
Heal me.
I place all my trust in You,
my Savior, my Lord and my God.
Fill my heart with Your love,
so that I might love You as I ought,
and love others unselfishly.
I entrust my whole life now to you.
I will no longer run from your love.
I promise to always say “Yes” to the grace of Your Spirit,
so that I might live each day in faith, hope & love,
under the Shepherds that you have appointed for me.
Thank You Father for sending Your Son Jesus,
so that I might return to You,
and live in Your love forever!
Amen
Jesus I Trust in You!
What does it Mean to Know and Follow Jesus?
Picture is taken from the interior of our church.
Many people today consider themselves to be Christian, or “A Good Catholic,” even though they have never committed their whole lives to Christ. By this they mean that they believe in God, are basically good people, are considerate of others and would never intentionally hurt anyone. They may even go to Church every Sunday and generally try to live by what they consider to be “Christian Principles.” They have perhaps committed parts of their lives to following Christ, but have never come to the point of giving their whole lives to Christ . Christ has a place in their lives, perhaps an important place; but not the central place.
Pope John Paul II however speaks of a “total adherence to Jesus Christ” where we commit our “whole lives to Jesus” as the initial phase of conversion to the Christian Life. He admits that for many Catholics, this “initial evangelization has often not taken place”. Pope John Paul II explains:
“A certain number of children baptized in infancy come for catechesis in the parish without receiving any other initiation into the faith and still without any explicit personal attachment to Jesus Christ; they only have the capacity to believe placed within them by baptism and the presence of the Holy Spirit; and opposition is quickly created by the prejudices of their non-Christian family background or of the positivist spirit of their education.
“Again, many … who have been baptized and been given a systematic catechesis and the sacraments still remain hesitant for a long time about committing their whole lives to Jesus Christ , even though they do not actually try to avoid religious instruction… [A]dults are not safe from temptations to doubt or to abandon their faith, especially as a result of their unbelieving surroundings.” -Catechesi Tradendae, On Catechesis in Our Time, Pope John Paul II, par. 19
Are you still perhaps on the “Threshold of Faith”
Pope John Paul II explains that: ” being a Christian means saying “yes” to Jesus Christ “. “[T]his “yes” has two levels: it consists in surrendering to the word of God and relying on it, but it also means, at a later stage, endeavoring to know better and better the profound meaning of this word.” (Catechesi Tradendae par. 20)
This picture is of the front exterior of our church.
Jesus told the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is (speaking to you) … you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
Being a follower of Jesus Christ means:
1) “(accepting) by faith the person of Jesus Christ as the one Lord and… (giving) him complete adherence by sincere conversion of heart” (Ibid)
2) “(endeavoring) to know better this Jesus to whom one has entrusted himself: (and) to know his “mystery” (Ibid)
The problem is that many of us have never explicitly taken this first step! We want to follow Jesus without giving ourselves completely to him! We want to call him Lord of the Universe, but not Lord of every area of our lives. In order to experience the true fruit of Christian life, we must commit and entrust our entire life to Christ. We must surrender to the Word of God!
Faith also brings us into the family of Faith – God’s family here on earth. “No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother” (St. Cyprian, quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 181).
If we find that our faith has no great meaning in our lives, then perhaps we should examine if we have committed our whole life to Christ. This is the beginning or the “threshold” of faith. When Catholics renew their baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil, it is meant to be a heartfelt renewal of this total commitment to Christ. It is however, easy to fall away from this commitment.
If you have fallen away from your commitment to Christ, or if perhaps you have never really committed your whole life to Christ in the way that the Pope describes, why not take a moment right now to open the door of your heart more fully to Jesus? Tell him that you love him and place him first in you life. You will not be disappointed!
The celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the ideal way that Christ has established for us to experience spiritual healing, forgiveness and strengthening grace for your soul! It is the best way to celebrate a renewed commitement to Christ!
Scroll down for information about becoming Catholic or returning home to your Catholic Faith .
Baptism (Is it Necessary?) Baptism opens for us a life of grace.
See what else the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church say about Baptism: Do I Need to be Baptized?
Unbaptized adults who seek Baptism in the Catholic Church should inquire about the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA).
Picture is of a stained glass window in our church.
How Can I become Catholic?
(What is RCIA?)
RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the normal means today by which adults can become Catholic.
- Those never baptized as Christians.
- Non-Catholics, baptized in another Christian tradition, who wish to become Catholic.
- Baptized Catholics who have not received further Catholic training, nor made their first Holy Communion.
Practically speaking, at All Sants Church we have the following guideline regarding Sacraments of Initiation:
Unbaptized children above the age of 7 who wish to be baptized will be required to enroll either in St.Joseph Academy, or in the Sunday Morning Religious Education Program, or (in the case of home-schooled children) to demonstrate sufficient understanding of the sacrament.
Unbaptized teenagers (15 and above) and Adults who are interested in being baptized are required to go through the parish RCIA Program, whether they have been home-schooled, gone to a Catholic school, or attended CCD classes.
Here is a general article on RCIA and How to Become Catholic
Click here information about the RCIA program at All Saints Parish.
What is the Catholic Church? Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church so that all might know his saving grace: “the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1Tim 3:15). He sent His apostles into the world with His own authority, even as God the Father had sent Him (see Jn 20:21; Mat 28:18). He sent them to make “make disciples of all nations” (Mat 28:19).
This picture is of the inside St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption , which serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, Kentucky.
If we are sincere in our desire to follow Jesus, we must follow him in the way he has set up for us. We must observe all that he has commanded and allow ourselves to be taught by the apostles he has sent to teach us (see Mt 28:20). We find the authoritative voice of the apostles of Jesus in the Catholic Church.
The Church is “the place where God’s merciful love reaches out to all people. In the Church and through the Church you will meet Christ, who is waiting for you.” ( Pope Benedict XVI speaking at World Youth day in Cologne)
“The Church, a communion living in the faith of the apostles which she transmits, is the place where we know the Holy Spirit:
- in the Scriptures he inspired; – in the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses; – in the Church’s Magisterium, which he assists; – in the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, in which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ; – in prayer, wherein he intercedes for us; – in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up; – in the signs of apostolic and missionary life; – in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation.” (From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 688)
Read Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth for an explanation of the Roman Catholic Church.
(Picture taken from interior of church.)
The Rural Life Prayerbook
(Including prayers for planting, rain, and thanksgiving at harvest.)
St. Francis de Sales said that everyone should spend at least a half hour in prayer each day – except when one is really busy. Then one needs to spend an hour!
“Prayer is nothing else but union with God. When one has a heart that is pure and united with God, he is given a kind of serenity and sweetness… In this intimate union, God and the soul are fused together like two bits of wax… This union of God with a tiny creature is a lovely thing. It is a happiness beyond understanding.” From the catechetical instruction by St. John Mary Vianney
St. Terese of Avila describes mental prayer this way:
“Mental prayer, in my opinion, is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends. It means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
Prayer cannot be reduced to the spontaneous outpouring of interior impulse: in order to pray, one must have the will to pray. Nor is it enough to know what the Scriptures reveal about prayer: one must also learn how to pray. Through a living transmission (Sacred Tradition) within “the believing and praying Church,” the Holy Spirit teaches the children of God how to pray. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 2650 )
Prayer is at times a stuggle and we must ask God for the grace to ba able to pray as we ought. Jesus not only gave us an example but taught his disciples how to pray (the Our Father ).
This picture from our church shows St. Mark the Evangelist, who according to tradition, wrote the Gospel According to St. Mark. Statures of the four Evangelists are carved into the pulpit of our church where we read the Sacred Scriptures at Mass.
In Jesus Christ, God’s Word was made flesh and became a man. Jesus taught his Apostles and sent them to teach and make disciples. This was the beginning of the Catholic Church. In the early centuries of the Church, some of these teachings were written down and preserved for us as the New Testament of the Bible. It is by the authority of the Catholic Church, established by Christ, that we have the New Testament of the Bible. St. Augustine (354-430 AD) said:
“I would not believe in the Gospels were it not for the authority of the Catholic Church.”
The four Gopsel accounts form the heart of the New Testament. They are the accounts of the life of Jesus, passed down to us by his followers.
We have received the Old Testament from the Hebrew people. This was the “Bible” of Jesus’ time that he and his apostles used for prayer and meditation.
So the Sacred Word of God comes to us first in the Person of Jesus Christ (the Incarnate Word of God), second in the living oral tradition of the Church through the authority of Christ given to his Apostles, and third in the written sacred scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The Bible stands on the authority of Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word of God, which he invested in his Church.
The sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament (the Bible) hold a special place of reverence in our faith.
St. Jerome said “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”
We mediate on the words of Scripture as the Words of God. We pray them at Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is based on the Scriptures.
Any Christian who is able to read should make Scripture reading and meditation an integral part of their daily life. The readings at daily Mass offer a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and meditate on God’s Word.
In the Mass, as in life in general, communication leads to communion. We begin with the Word of God in order to Commun with him when we receive him in the Eucharist. We read, study and meditate on the sacred words of Scripture because it leads us to know, love and serve Christ.
What are Sacraments? “All the visible realities of our Redeemer have passed over into the sacraments.” - Pope St. Leo the Great
This picture is of the Tabernacle in our church where the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist) is kept.
The 7 Sacraments are grouped in the following way:
The Sacraments of Initiation
The Healing Sacraments
The Sacraments of Vocation
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church :
“…All the sacraments are sacred links uniting the faithful with one another and binding them to Jesus Christ…” Paragraph 950
“The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.” Paragraph 1131
Learn more about the Sacraments by clicking on one of these links:
A Brief Explanation of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church
What the Bible says about the 7 Sacraments
Biblical Evidence for Catholics
Quotes From the Early Fathers of the Church on the Sacraments
What are Sacramentals? A sacramental could be something as simple as blessing yourself with holy water, making the sign of the cross before grace or praying with a blessed rosary. Through the use of sacramentals we unite our lives more fully to the prayer of the Church. They serve as a means to consecrate the ordinary experiences of our lives to God.
Sacramentals are different than Sacraments but relate to the Sacraments:
“Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.” Catechism of the Catholic Church par. 1667
For more about Sacramentals and Blessed Objects (including how to dispose of blessed objects), click on the article below:
Why Confirmation? This picture is from the interior of our church (over the altar).
“…[T]he reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For ‘by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.’” From the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1285
In the case of those coming into Full Communion with the Catholic Church, the sacrament is celebrated at the time of Reception.
In the case of children, the age for reception of the Sacrament is determined by the local bishop.
Catholics are required to be confirmed before their marriage.
“…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses … to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Confirmation opens us in a more complete and perfect way to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live the Christian life.
- What is the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit”?
If we receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism, and are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit in Confirmation (which completes our baptism), what do Charismatics and Pentecostals mean when they speak of being “Baptized in the Holy Spirit”?
The following is an explanation of this experience and how it relates to the grace we receive in the sacraments:
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Understanding The Mass and the Eucharist
Teens ask their parents,” Why do I have to go to Mass? “. Even many Catholic Adults view Sunday Mass as optional to their Catholic Faith. Perhaps this is because they don’t really understand what the Eucharist and the Mass is all about. The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith.
This picture shows Most Reverend Roger J. Foys, D. D., Bishop of Covington, Kentucky celebrating Mass in our church.
Pope Pius X asserted, “Holy Communion is the shortest and surest way to heaven.”
The Christians of the first and second centuries would rather be martyred than miss their Sunday celebration of the Eucharist (Mass). And many of them did.
“There were two college students talking — one was Catholic, the other was non-Catholic. The young Catholic girl was trying to explain to her friend what she believed regarding the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. After listening for a while, the non-Catholic friend asked, ‘Are you trying to tell me that you actually believe that wafer of bread is the real body of Jesus Christ?’ The other girl responded, ‘Yes, that’s what we believe.’ Her friend then said, ‘If I truly believed that, I would crawl to your church on my hands and knees to receive Him!’” (From Why Go to Mass? by Grace Mackinnon)
Does this sound too strong? Let us look at what Jesus said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life within you” (Jn 6:53).
Taking a Moment for Prayer After Holy Communion
This picture is taken from a stained glass window in St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption , which serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, Kentucky.
Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
“The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament … stimulates the faithful to an awareness of the marvelous presence of Christ and is an invitation to spiritual communion with Him.” ( Eucharisticum Mysterium , par. 60)
An Excerpt from Pillar of Fire Pillar of Truth on the Eucharist:
(CCC 1322–1419) Once we become members of Christ’s family, he does not let us go hungry, but feeds us with his own body and blood through the Eucharist. In the Old Testament, as they prepared for their journey in the wilderness, God commanded his people to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood on their doorposts, so the Angel of Death would pass by their homes. Then they ate the lamb to seal their covenant with God.
This lamb prefigured Jesus. He is the real “Lamb of God,” who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Through Jesus we enter into a New Covenant with God (Luke 22:20), who protects us from eternal death. God’s Old Testament people ate the Passover lamb. Now we must eat the Lamb that is the Eucharist. Jesus said, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life within you” (John 6:53).
At the Last Supper he took bread and wine and said, “Take and eat. This is my body . . . This is my blood which will be shed for you” (Mark 14:22–24). In this way Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist, the sacrificial meal Catholics consume at each Mass.
The Catholic Church teaches that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross occurred “once for all”; it cannot be repeated (Heb. 9:28). Christ does not “die again” during Mass, but the very same sacrifice that occurred on Calvary is made present on the altar. That’s why the Mass is not “another” sacrifice, but a participation in the same, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Paul reminds us that the bread and the wine really become, by a miracle of God’s grace, the actual body and blood of Jesus: “Anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor. 11:27–29).
After the consecration of the bread and wine, no bread or wine remains on the altar. Only Jesus himself, under the appearance of bread and wine, remains.
How (and why) to Return to The Mass
Confession: Also called The Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance.
“Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion.” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church )
“While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But … if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession.” (St. Augustine, 354-430 A.D, as quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church )
“The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are: - reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
- reconciliation with the Church;
- remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;
- remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
- peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
- an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church )
Confession is Good for the Soul
How (and why) to Return to Confession
Confession Times at All Saints Church
3) An Examination of Conscience and “How to go to Confession” Guide
A Confession Guide for Children
Indulgences, Treasures of the Catholic Church
I’ve been away from the Church… How do I return?
Can our Suffering be Redemptive?
The Mystery of Redemptive Suffering
Anointing of the Sick Picture of a stained glass window in the sacristy of our church.
The Sacrament of The Anointing of the Sick, formerly called Extreme Unction, is celebrated by a priest whenever a person is seriously ill.
Great care and concern should be taken to see that those of the faithful whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age receive this sacrament.
A person need not be in immediate danger of death to receive this Sacrament. Whenever a sick person feels that he/she needs this Sacrament, please contact a priest.
The sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after being anointed and then falls ill or if the illness persists over time or the person’s condition becomes more serious. A sick person may be anointed before surgery whenever a serious illness is the reason for the surgery. Elderly people may be anointed if they become notably weakened even though no serious illness is present.
When should someone receive the Anointing of the Sick?
Marriage Questions Why Not “Live Together” Before Marriage?
A brief Explanation of the Sacrament of Matrimony
Couple images God’s life and love in marriage
“The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. . . . God himself is the author of marriage.” The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. ‘The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.’” Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1603
The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is so to speak the nuptial bath, which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist. Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant.. The love of the spouses requires, of its very nature, the unity and indissolubility of the spouses’ community of persons, which embraces their entire life: “so they are no longer two, but one flesh. “They “are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving.”… (Catechism, par.s 1617 & 1644)
The Annulment Process
The first step is normally to consult with one’s parish priest or the person designated by him who is trained to handle annulments.
The Catholic Teaching on Annulment
Holy Orders Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the Roman Catholic Church ordains men in three different degrees to the episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate (as bishop, priest and deacon).
“Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 1536)
“In the Church and on behalf of the Church, priests are a sacramental representation of Jesus Christ, the Head and Shepherd, authoritatively proclaiming his Word, repeating his acts of forgiveness and his offer of salvation, particularly in Baptism, Penance and the Eucharist, showing his loving concern to the point of a total gift of self for the flock, which they gather into unity and lead to the Father through Christ and in the Spirit. In a word, priests exist and act in order to proclaim the Gospel to the world and to build up the Church in the name and person of Christ the Head and Shepherd.” (Pope John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis, 15)
(An 18 min. online streamed video about the Priesthood.)
Diocese of Covington Vocations Office
Click for a further explanation of: Bishop, Priest and Deacon
Why do Priests dress differently (What is the Obligation of Clerical Attire)?
Why Priests Wear Black (the History of Clerical Attire)
Are There Fewer Priests Today?
One Bishop’s veiwpoint on the “Crisis in Vocations”
Pope John Paul II’s Address on
The Main Reasons Behind Vocations to the Priesthood
Pope JP II on Vocations Shortage
Quotes from Pope Paul VI
It is important to recognize that there are two very different questions here:
1) Why can’t married men become priests? and,
2) Why can’t existing priests marry?
While the Church has sometimes allowed married men to become priests, it has never allowed priests to marry (and continue practicing their priesthood). Even the Eastern Orthodox churches who allow married priests have never allowed them to marry after they were ordained a priest.
Our current diaconate program has two forms: permanent deacons (who may be married) and transitional deacons (who make a promise of celibacy). The Church allows married men to become permanent deacons. But if they are unmarried or if their spouse dies, they are not permitted to marry after they have been ordained a permanent deacon. Transitional deacons are called transitional because they are studying for the priesthood and their diaconate is only a temporary (transitional) stage on their way to being ordained a priest. Since the Roman Catholic Church normally selects her priests from those commited to lifelong celibacy, those who seek the priesthood make a promise of celibacy when they enter the transitional diaconate.
While the Church might (and on rare occaission does) allow married men to become priests, some say that it is unlikely that the Church would ever allow existing priests to marry and then still continue functioning as a priest (retain their priestly faculties).
In any case, it may help to look at why the Catholic Church has retained the discipline of celibacy for the priesthood.
Here is a link that has more resources which explain why the Church maintains the discipline of celibacy for the priesthood:
The following short article may also offer some insights:
Celebacy of Priests
Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy
Can Women be Ordained?
This is a picture of a stained glass window in our church that shows Mary being crowned Queen of heaven.
No other human creature has been greater honored than the Blessed Virgin Mary. If Christ had wanted to ordain women, surely she would have been the first. And yet it seems this was not his plan.
The Roman Catholic Church has declared that it does not have the power to ordain women. The Church has told us that this is not a teaching that can change, but rather a recognition of a reality which the Church has received from Christ.
1) A reveiw of this topic by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk
2) A review of Catholic teaching on this topic
3) Priestesses in the Church
by C.S. Lewis
“There were prophetesses even in Old Testament times. Prophetesses, not priestesses. At this point the commonsensible reformer is apt to ask why, if women can preach, they cannot do all the rest of a priest’s work…”
Read why C.S.Lewis feels that it would not make sense to have Priestesses in the Christian religion:
4) A short explanation why the Church teaches that women can not be ordained
Why Can’t Women be Priests? by Dale O’Leary
Why Reserved to Men?
5) An official response from the Vatican and the Pope as to whether or not this teaching is infallible