A Catholic eager to discuss the truth about Catholic Christianity.
I came across this video here. The CCC is such an important document, that all Catholics should own one. This comprehensive video gives you the reasons why it’s a good idea and is explicit in its content with regard to why and how it was put together.
The Catholic Faith is explained in detail in the CCC, and warrants further discussion within a parish group context.
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on April 23, 2013
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2013/04/23/an-introduction-to-the-catechism-of-the-catholic-churchdo-you-know-why-there-is-a-catechism/
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
First of all, it seems important to me that the Church does not regard becoming a Christian as the result of a course of instruction or even of a training process. She regards it as a sacrament. This means that no one becomes a Christian by his own unaided power. No one can make himself a Christian. It is not man’s business or within his competence to upgrade himself, as it were, into a great-souled person and finally into a Christian. On the contrary, the process of becoming a Christian begins only when a person sloughs off any illusion of autonomy and self-sufficiency; when he acknowledges that man does not create himself and cannot bring himself to fulfillment but must open himself and allow himself to be led to his true self.To be a Christian, then, means first and foremost that we acknowledge our own insufficiency and allow him—the Other who is God—to act upon us.—Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
(As posted on Ignatius press facebook)
From his book “Dogma and Preaching”, available on our site here:www.ignatius.com/Products/DP2-H/dogma-and-preaching-2nd-ed.aspx?src=ipfb
Image: St. Francis Xavier baptizing. Photograph by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. See more of his images at www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on February 15, 2013
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2013/02/15/becoming-a-christian-begins-only-when-a-person-sloughs-off-any-illusion-of-autonomy-and-self-sufficiency/
Image @http://www.swordofpeter.blogspot.co.uk/
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on October 28, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/10/28/a-cartoon-that-gets-the-juices-flowing/
‘I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.’ C.S. LEWIS
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on September 22, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/09/22/i-believe-in-christianity/
A modern picture of Our Lady
Mary was born to be the mother of the Saviour of the world, the spiritual mother of all men, and the holiest of God’s creatures. Because of her Son’s infinite merits, she was conceived and born immaculate and full of grace. Through her, Queen of heaven and of earth, all grace is given to men. Through her, by the will of the Trinity, the unbelieving receive the gift of faith; the afflicted are tendered the works of mercy; and the members of Christ grow in likeness of their Head. In Mary all human nature is exalted. We rejoice in her birthday, as the Church has done from the earliest times. This is one of the three birthdays in the Church Calendar — the Birth of Jesus (December 25), the Birth of John the Baptist (June 24) and the Birthday of Mary. All three were born without original sin, although Mary and Jesus were conceived without sin, and St. John was cleansed of original sin while in the womb at the Visitation of Mary. (Catholic Culture)
The girl, Mary.
Mary is born.
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on September 8, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/09/08/our-ladys-birthday/
Casual Catholicism cannot be precisely defined, but it certainly has its trademark aspects. I’ll list a few hallmark elements of what could be said to define a casual Catholic:
1. A casual Catholic treats the Eucharist as a light snack, as a symbol and nothing else, as merely a “wafer” and some wine. Holy Communion is just something one “takes” at Mass out of custom, not because they are in a state to do so, or are desirous of receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. No, it’s just the thing that one does.
2. A casual Catholic really knows about as much about their faith as one might know about the fine print on a box of Lucky Charms cereal by heart. Ask them who St. Augustine was, and they’ll shrug. Ask them about the Council of Nicaea and they’ll probably give you the most quizzical look of all time.
3. A casual Catholic only goes to Mass when they have to – Sundays at best, Christmas and Easter at worst. Casual Catholics never go out of their way to do anything extra.
Those are just a few observations I have made – of course, not everyone has time to engage in copious study of their faith, nor are they able to go to Mass when they aren’t required to. People are simply busy sometimes.
Nonetheless, casual Catholicism (one might also all it “nominal Catholicism”) as a phenomena is one of the worst ills plaguing the Church. The world begins to assume that Catholics don’t really care about what they believe in. Protestants begin to view Catholics as never picking up a Bible, and simply as being duped by “smells and bells” or as merely being born into something they don’t really believe in. In effect, casual Catholicism can be summed up as being one giant spiritual shrug.
So how do we cure the haphazard, shrugging nature of casual Catholicism, whose only great manifesto are the words “I guess…yeah…sort of…whatever”? I’ve come up with some ideas – by your leave:
1. Go to Confession for venial sins, and not just mortal sins.
From what I’ve gathered from the lives of the saints, they went to confession on a continual and constant basis for even the smallest of faults. Of course, I’m not encouraging over-scrupulosity; no, I’m encouraging spiritual growth. If we never approach the sacrament of God’s Mercy, how can we know it in that way? How can we overcome the scars and little wounds of daily spiritual struggle if we only go to the Healer when a limb has been lopped off? As St. Francis de Sales writes, “Our Savior gave us the sacrament of penance and confession to His Church so that we may be cleansed from all iniquities no matter how often and how greatly we have been defiled by them.”1
Much of the problems in the Church today, I think, stems from the fact that many view sin in a casual manner, that hell is just a symbol or non-existent, or that God will just forgive us anyway therefore don’t worry about it. Yes, God will always forgive us – but if we presume upon God’s Mercy, then we become little more than antinomians and sloths. As Seneca once wrote, “You are living as if destined to live for ever; your own frailty never occurs to you; you don’t notice how much time has already passed, but squander it as though you had a full and overflowing supply – though all the while that very day which you are devoting to somebody or something may be your last.”2
Therefore, cultivate a healthy awareness of sin in your life – we all do it, we are all sinners. It is recognizing it, repenting of it, and running to God everytime we do sin, that makes all the difference.
2. Adopt a devotion.
There is nothing quite like the Catholic prayer life – and yet so many seem to make no use of all its splendorous avenues to the Heart of God. If one’s prayer life is dry, if lukewarmness is filling one’s soul to the brim with stagnant, muddy water, then it’s time to adopt a particular devotion.
Saints abound – which one speaks to you? Have you studied their life or their spirituality in order to compliment your reading of the Scriptures? Choose a patron saint – if you’re lucky, one might voluntarily choose you!
Plus, there is much more to the world of Catholic prayer than simply the Rosary, though the Rosary is arguably the greatest prayer in the Christian West. Understand too that it is a most beautiful, most wonderfully all-encompassing prayer I think in the Western Christian tradition. But there is so much more – the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Rosary of the Seven Dolors, the Rosary of the Most Admirable Heart of Mary as prescribed by St. John Eudes, the prayers of the Divine Office, the Angelus, and the sweetest prayer of the Christian East – the Jesus Prayer.
I would also add that a great way to invigorate and give extra meaning to your prayer life is to pray for others in some way. Pray daily for the souls in Purgatory, pray daily for those suffering in other parts of the world, pray Acts of Reparation to the Sacred Heart, pray for whatever group or persons speak to your own compassionate heart the most.
3. Listen to sacred music.
I am sure this suggestion probably comes off a little out of left-field, but nonetheless, for me, music is a particularly excellent way to be edified and contemplate the things of God and holiness. Ignore the vacuous modern praise and worship pop songs, and explore instead the beautiful world of Christian music as it existed for hundreds of years beforehand.
Also worth checking out are Jocelyn Montgomery’s angelic renditions of the music of St. Hildegard of Bingen, as well as the Georgian Orthodox Choir led by Nana Peradze. If your heart is not moved by such music…
4. Study your faith.
“It is very profitable to occupy oneself with reading the word of God in solitude, and to read the whole Bible intelligently…One should likewise nourish the soul also with knowledge of the Church.”3
I am firmly convinced that if more people took even a little time to really know their faith, even on a basic level, the Church would be strengthened by leaps and bounds. Put away the pop theology books and Christianity-section “bestsellers”. Read something of substance – if one is nervous to dive in too deep, always begin with the greats like C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton.
Frankly, aside from finding the time in a busy life and schedule, it is inexplicable to me why a Catholic would not want to explore their faith and soak it all in. Bask in the history and tradition and lives of its members, sponge up all the theology and spiritual writings you can! Ours is a fascinating faith – enjoy it and learn about it.
5. Ask Yourself – “Who is Jesus to me?”
By asking this question of yourself, you will find out where your spiritual life is at pretty quickly. More importantly, however, it will cause the gears to turn in your mind and soul. St. Bernard of Clairvaux used to ask himself daily in the monastery, “Why am I here?” – so should we all ask ourselves why we are Catholic, why we believe, and what we hold Jesus to be. Who do you say that He is?
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on August 29, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/08/29/what-is-casual-catholicism-its-defining-symptoms-and-five-cures/
Great Saint Dominic,
you laboured for the
salvation of others by
preaching the Word of God
in dangerous times
even among the heretics.
Inspire me to be like you.
Let me be strong in my faith.
Help me to provide for the needs
of the children of this world.
Lead me to spend my days
as a reflection of Christ’s love
throughout my life.
Give me the right words
to always speak the truth
with a zeal for saving souls.
Amen.
Memorial: 8 August
Born
1170 at Calaruega, Burgos, Old Castile
Died
4 August 1221 at Bologna Canonized
13 July 1234 by Pope Gregory IX at Rieti, Italy
Saint Dominic is the patron saint of astronomy and science, a reflection of his lifelong love of learning and teaching. He was a well educated man who believed that a strong intellectual base would allow a man to preach more convincingly, and therefore convert more people to the faith.
To that end, he established the Dominican Order, and chose the motto “to praise, to bless, to preach”. A central tenet of the Order was to incorporate intellectual pursuits with the needs of everyday people. Where heretics were normally punished or terrorized for not believing (this was around the time of the Inquisition), St. Dominic believed that by preaching from an intelligent base, one could peacefully convert people to the faith.
When Dominic was baptized as a baby, his mother reportedly saw a star shining from his chest. In portraits he is often depicted with a star shining on or above his head. And although there is no evidence that St. Dominic ever studied astronomy himself, this aspect of scientific learning was well known when St. Dominic attended university, and it’s certainly possible that he was exposed to the mysteries of the heavens.
St. Dominic is also the patron saint of falsely accused people. There are stories of Dominic himself being falsely accused as a boy, mostly as a result of boyish pranks played by schoolmates. This may be one reason why he is so closely associated with this group.
St. Dominic is the patron saint of the Dominican Republic as well. Much of St. Dominic’s life was spent in Spain, his homeland, and the Dominican Republic was originally a Spanish colony. Choosing St. Dominic as the patron saint was a natural for a country where he had done so much good work.
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on August 8, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/08/08/a-prayer-to-st-dominic/
I found a website a few years ago and unearthed it in order to straighten out questions in my mind about Grace. This website (www.fisheaters.com) is invaluable, as it details both Protestant and Catholic understanding of the Faith.The book that was the catalyst for my investigation about Grace was written by a Protestant Christian, and I had difficulty reconciling what I ‘d read in the book with what I know as a Catholic Christian, so this website provided the balance I needed to iron out questions I had about the author’s perspective on Grace.
The bottom line: all salvation comes from the grace of Christ’s Sacrifice and only from the grace of His Sacrifice. Salvation is a free gift — a gift that is not “owed” to us, that God didn’t have to offer us, and that we could never “earn” on our own — that we accept by faith and works. Christ doesn’t have to give us this gift of salvation; we don’t “deserve” this gift, we can’t “earn” it; but He, in His endless Love for us, offers it nonetheless. We have to believe this gift exists (have faith) and then open our hands to receive it (obey, inspired by the grace given to us).
I really like this comparison:
An analogy: there is a train called “Grace” that is the one and only route to Heaven and which is fueled by Christ’s Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension alone. Some Protestants seem to believe that all one has to do is believe the train exists and all will be well. They accuse Catholics of thinking that belief in the train is unnecessary, that we can give out free soup in the train station and, thereby, bypass the train altogether. But what Catholics actually believe is that the train — Grace — is the only way to Heaven, that it is the only means by which we are saved, that we can’t take another route and can do nothing about getting to Heaven without that train. But we also teach that we have to believe in the train’s existence and board it through repentance and obedience to what Christ teaches. God is the Conductor of the train, completely Sovereign, and can go off the tracks if need be to pick up those who are truly and invincibly ignorant of the train’s existence but who are of good will, obey the natural law, and whom He deigns to save. If, when, and how He might do such a thing is completely up to Him and not for us to bicker about. It is to us to do what He has taught us: to believe, repent, love God and neighbor, and preach the Gospel.
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on August 3, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/08/03/shoots-of-understanding/
On Thursday evening I met Deacon John at church for my first experience of a Prayer Walk. It was the last day of a two-week Ecumenical prayer effort.
Each church in the area was given a designated route to walk, so that by the end of the two-week period the whole of our suburb will have been covered in prayer. Before we started walking, Deacon John shared prayer themes that can be prayed as we walk up and down the roads passing houses. This would include any pedestrians that we may come across. I thought this was a great idea. How many times have I been in need of prayer,and just maybe I was prayed for by a passing Prayer Walker?
The advice at the top of the list suggested, ‘Attempt to keep every prayer pertinent to the specific community you pass through. As you do, you will find prayers naturally progress to the nation and the world.’ We then read:-
English Standard Version (ESV)
2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
These are three categories of prayer I chose to prayer on the walk:
The Lord’s Prayer
I enjoyed passing houses and wondering who may be inside. Looking at the gardens I made up an image of who the gardener may be, this depended on the type of flowers in the garden as well as and the state of the garden. It got me thinking about the importance of prayer in general and how I struggle to keep up with all who do need prayer. (I’ve begun to stick with the Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month as well as the parish list that is shared at the beginning of each month, and then I make a list of those closest me who need intercession. This is pretty comprehensive). Every time I walk down the street now, I will say a little prayer for one person who passes me by, or perhaps I’ll say a general prayer for pedestrians before I set off?
Yes, I will be part of the Prayer Walk again next year. It was a special time of prayer that unites all Christian churches in Christ, connecting myself and other Christians who live in close proximity with a golden thread called Prayer.
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on July 14, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/07/14/prayer-walk/
The earliest Christian symbol: @1catholicsalmon
All my life have I been steeped in Catholic Tradition but I ‘ve taken it for granted, merrily assimilating them as part of the Catholic me. I have always known the shepherd is symbolic of Christ. I can’t even remember when I acquired this knowledge. I never questioned why or where it originated. Well, on my trip to Rome I realised just how much Tradition is part of the Catholic Faith. It rests on it firmly and unequivocally, as far back as the times the time of our ancestors in the Old Testament!
I attended part of a course on Catechises (that of passing on of the Faith) at Maryvale College, in which the above symbol was presented as a matter of course during discussion. It was pointed out as being the symbol present on the cover of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This changed my perception of the symbol: a simple picture of a shepherd with his sheep, used to grace the cover of the document outlining the Tradition of the Church? It must be of much significance then!
Well, it is.
On the inside cover of the CCC is this explanation for the use of the symbol:
‘The design of the logo on the cover is taken from a Christian tombstone in the catacombs of Domitilla, in Rome, which dates from the end of the third century A.D. This pastoral image, of pagan origin, was used by Christians to symbolize the rest and the happiness of that the soul of the departed finds in eternal life
This image also suggests certain characteristics aspects of the Catechism: Christ, the Good Shepherd who leads and protects his faithful (the lamb) by his authority (the Staff), draws them by the melodious symphony of the truth (the panpipes and makes them lie down in the shade of the ‘tree of life’, his redeeming Cross which opens paradise.’
Image@http://www.vatican.va
On this trip to Rome, I didn’t get to the catacombs of Domitilla, but did visit the catacombs of St Calistus. The photograph above, is of this wonderful symbol used by the Christians of ancient Rome to communicate their affinity with Christ and with one another. As it was used as pagan symbol the adoption of it by the Christian communities in Rome ensured that they would meet safely to participate in the Eucharist without fear of reprisal or capture.
The objective of this post? To point out that the links to Catholic Connection Tradition runs deep and wide. It is far reaching and extensive. I experienced it in the garden and catacombs of fellow Christians who have gone before me.
Take a little time to unearth them and see for yourself.
I give thanks and pray about this as written by St Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1:3:
‘We are indebted to give thanks to God for you always, my brethren, as it is necessary, because your faith grows all the more and the love of each and every one of you increases toward his neighbour.’
Posted by 1catholicsalmon on June 30, 2012
http://1catholicsalmon.com/2012/06/30/the-catholic-connection-part-3/
