FOUR MARKS OF THE CHURCH; HOLY

I'm going to start with the paragraph from the catechism detailing the Four Marks of The Church:

• CCC 811: "This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic."These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other, indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realize each of these qualities."
  This post is going to focus on the second Mark of The Church; holines

CONFESSION: A SOURCE OF CLARIFICATION

Confession is one of the duties that practicing Catholics are required to take part in. The ritual of hanging our heads before the priest and confessing our sins is something that thousands, if not millions, of Catholics dread. However, it is in confession where many individuals see themselves more clearly.
We walk into the confessional with a list of sins and walk out with a new soul. The restoring of the relationship between us and God is quite beautiful. In the examination of conscience, one reflects on his or her past actions that have been immoral. If one is truly repentant, this is a moment of realization of what ca

Eight Questions Non-Catholics (and many cradle Catholics) Almost Always Ask When They Attend Mass

Whether it’s non-Catholics who attend Mass with their Catholic significant other or folks who are inquiring about the faith; if you weren’t brought up with Mass, your first (and second and third…) time can be very confusing—making people feel like they’re, “around a secret that I’m not in on.” Here are some answers to some of the really excellent, frequently asked questions that newbie’s bring with them.

1. What’s with all of the sitting, standing and kneeling?

We call it “Catholic Aerobics.” It’s how we stay fit. Just kidding! Each posture during Mass has function and meaning. When we sit, we are engaged in active listening, giving our attention to the readings, the homily and some of the prayers. We stand for a couple of reasons—to listen to the Gospel (we sit for the other Bible readings) to acknowledge that we are in the presence of Christ. The Gospel is the Word of God speaking to us in the prese

JOKE OF THE DAY

Two brothers who were eight and ten years old, were always getting into trouble and their parents knew if any kind of mischief happened in their town their sons were probably involved.
When the boys’ mother hear that a monsignor in town was good at disciplining unruly children, she asked him to speak to her two sons.  The monsignor agreed to talk to them, so the mother sent her eight year old son in first to talk to him.
The monsignor was a giant of a man with a loud voice.  He sat the youngest boy down and asked him sternly, “Where is God?”
The boy’s mouth dropped open, but he didn’t say a word.  He just sat there with his mouth open and big wide eyes.  So the monsignor asked him again, a little stronger this time, “Where is God?”  There was no response from the boy.
The monsignor was not happy with him and his voice became a lot louder.  He shook his finger in the boy’s face and yelled, “Where’s God?”
The little boy screamed and ran out the door, straight to his home and dove in his closet, slamming the door behind him.
His older brother heard him so he went to his room and asked, “what happened?”
The younger brother, still struggling to catch his breath said, “we are in BIG trouble this time.  God is missing – and they think WE did it!”

GOD and the problem of evil

What do a terrorist attack, cancer, prejudice, and a wheat field have in common?  According to today’s Gospel, the common denominator is the problem of evil.  Being able to understand and explain the problem of evil is a very important skill for anyone who is a disciple or who works to build the Kingdom.  If God is all knowing, all powerful, all loving, and all good, how can it be that his followers are not protected from evil? How can it be that evil exists at all?  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do bad things happen?
These questions come up often at threshold moments of faith in people’s lives.  The doctor identifies the presence of a cancer.  The effects of news of terrorist attacks across the world begins to permeate awareness.  We encounter prejudice or persecution because of our faith, our ethnic background, our family’s history, or the dislike of a co-worker.  “Why, God, why?” we cry out.  Then, “God, do something!  Fix it!!”