.
And in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord....
a. Christ - means “Anointed One”
b. Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of God into the world.
c. When we call Jesus “Our Lord”, it means that we believe in God.
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary .....
"Jesus is God and Man'
a. Jesus has always existed and the Son of God.
b. Jesus was present when God created heaven and earth, as was the Holy Spirit.
c. Jesus took on a human body and soul, yet remained divine as God.
d. His Mother is a human person.
e. His Father is God.
f. Jesus is God and Man - divine and human.
Jesus reveals God’s love and brings salvation to all people.
(1) “Mary is the Mother of Jesus.”
a. She was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph.
b. God chose Mary to be the Mother of his son Jesus.
c. Mary was protected by God from Original Sin.
d. Mary love of God allowed her do God’s will. Mary said YES to God.
e. Mary is the mother of Jesus who is God.
f. So, Mary is truly the mother of God.
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.....
a. Because God loves us, he sent his only Son to save us from sin and death.
b. Jesus , Son of God, became man and freely gave his life to save us and died on the cross.
c. He was laid out in a tomb and the entrance was sealed with a large stone.
d. Jesus died for all people and every one of us.
He descended into hell....
a. The first People God created became our parents.
b. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and committed the first sin. Original Sin.
c. Every person after that (except Jesus and Mary) was born with Original Sin.
d. Because Adam and Eve sinned, all people lost their friendship with God.
e. When seemed hopeless, God promised to send a savior.
f. Jesus fulfilled God’s promise.
g. After Jesus died, he went to the place of the dead. There he freed all for the good people who had been waiting since the beginning of time.
h. It was like God unlocked the gates of heaven.
On the third day he rose again form the dead...
a. Early in the morning on the third day after he died, his followers went to the garden where Jesus was buried.
b. They found the tomb empty.
c. Jesus had rose and was alive. He appeared to the apostles he spoke to them and had meals with them.
d. After this happened the apostles and his followers went out and told everyone.
e. Proof of Christ resurrection was witnessed by many people and documented for years afterward.
He Ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty....
Forty days after he rose from the dead, Jesus returned to his Father in heaven and assumed his place of honor.
From there He will come again to judge the living and the dead..
As promised in scripture, Jesus will return one day in the future. Maybe even tomorrow, who knows. So, we must be ready at all times. He will judge the living and the dead. Those here on earth and those in purgatory. Those who are truly sorry will be forgiven have eternal happiness in the presence of God, while those who are not will suffer for all eternity and be separated from God.
I believe in the Holy Spirit...
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. Jesus promised before he ascended into heaven that the Holy Spirit would be with us until he returned. The Holy Spirit gave the Apostles the strength and courage to follow Jesus’ example. The Holy Spirit is continues today to guide the church and to strengthen us to do God’s will.
The Holy Catholic Church.
Because Jesus died for the Church and the Holy Spirit give it life, the Church is Holy. The Church is all of the people who belong to the Catholic community. We gather together to form the people of God. The Church continues the work of Jesus through the grace of the Holy Spirit working through us. The Church exists all over the world and it is open to all people. God’s plan is for all people to be saved by Christ through the Church.
The communion of saints.
We are all called to be saints. As a matter of fact, we have a feast day that is specifically dedicated for this purpose; All Saints Day! Saints like those in the bible; St. Mark, St. Luke, St. Matthew, St. John and numerous others who are in heaven praying for us constantly. They are cheering us on every day as we try to do well and be holy. At every Mass the Church prays to those who have died and in faith, we ask the saint in Heaven to help us.
The forgiveness if sins.
At Baptism you were joined to Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. The saving grace of God removes Original Sin. Jesus also gave the Church the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation so we can be forgive our sins and celebrate God’s love and mercy.
The resurrection of the body.
Even though our bodies die at the end of our time on
earth,they will be reunited with our soul a Second Coming
of Jesus Christ. When Jesus returns all things will be
made new,
even our bodies.
And life everlasting.
Those who loved and served God will have an eternal
live of happiness with God in Heaven. Those who did
not will have an eternal life separated from God - Hell.
Amen.
Means; I believe this, This is so or That is Correct, We
say this after Holy Communion and at the end of most
prayers.
"The All Knowinf Ever Present God"
A David Psalm 139
1 LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
2you know when I sit and stand;*a
you understand my thoughts from afar.
3You sift through my travels and my rest;
with all my ways you are familiar.
4Even before a word is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it all.
5Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.b
7Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?
8If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.c
9If I take the wings of dawn*
and dwell beyond the sea,*
10Even there your hand guides me,
your right hand holds me fast.
11If I say, "Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light"*—
12Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.d
II
13You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.e
14I praise you, because I am wonderfully
made; wonderful are your works!
My very self you know. 15My bones are
not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned in the depths of the earth.*
* Womb )16Your eyes saw me unformed;
in your book all are written down;f
my days were shaped, before one
came to be.
III
17How precious to me are your designs,
O God; how vast the sum of them!
18Were I to count them, they would
outnumber the sands;
when I complete them, still you are with me.
19When you would destroy the wicked, O
God, the bloodthirsty depart from me!h
20Your foes who conspire a plot against you
are exalted in vain.
IV
21Do I not hate, LORD, those who hate you?
Those who rise against you, do I not loathe?i
22With fierce hatred I hate them,
enemies I count as my own.
23Probe me, God, know my heart;
try me, know my thoughts.j
24See if there is a wicked path in me;
lead me along an ancient path.*
* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. 18 express
wonder. There is only one place hostile to
God’s rule—wicked people.
* [139:2] When I sit and stand: in all my
physical movement.
* [139:9] Take the wings of dawn: go to th
e extremities of the east. Beyond the sea:
uttermost bounds of the west; the sea is the Mediterranean. * [139:11] Night shall be my
light: night to me is what day is to others.
* [139:15] The depths of the earth: figurative
language for the womb, stressing the hidden
and mysterious operations that occur there.
* [139:24] Lead me along an ancient path: the
manner of living of our ancestors, who were
faithful to God’s will
Symbols of 7 Sacraments
.
MARRIAGE
A Natural Institution:
Marriage is a practice common to all cultures in all ages. It is, therefore, a natural institution, something common to all mankind. At its most basic level, marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation and mutual support, or love. Each spouse in a marriage gives up some rights over his or her life in exchange for rights over the life of the other spouse.
While divorce has existed throughout history, it has been rare until recent centuries, which indicates that, even in its natural form, marriage is meant to be a lifelong, union
It is a union of opposite sexes.
It is a lifelong union, ending only with the death of one spouse.
It excludes a union with any other person so long as the marriage exists.
Its lifelong nature and exclusiveness are guaranteed by contract.
So, even at a natural level, divorce, adultery, and "homosexual marriage" are not compatible with marriage, and a lack of commitment means that no marriage has taken place.
A Supernatural Institution:
In the Catholic Church, however, marriage is more than a natural institution; it was elevated by Christ Himself, in His participation in the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), to be one of the seven sacraments. A marriage between two Christians, therefore, has a supernatural element as well as a natural one. While few Christians outside of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches regard marriage as a sacrament, the Catholic Church insists that marriage between any two baptized Christians, as long as it is entered into with the intention to contract a true marriage, is a sacrament.
The Ministers of the Sacrament:
How can a marriage between two non-Catholic but baptized Christians be a sacrament, if a Catholic priest does not perform the marriage? Most people, including most Roman Catholics, do not realize that the ministers of the sacrament are the spouses themselves. While the Church strongly encourages Catholics to marry in the presence of a priest (and to have a wedding Mass, if both prospective spouses are Catholic), strictly speaking, a priest is not needed.
The Mark and Effect of the Sacrament:
The spouses are the ministers of the sacrament of marriage because the mark—the external sign—of the sacrament is not the wedding Mass or anything the priest might do but the marriage contract itself. This does not mean the wedding license that the couple receives from the state, but the vows that each spouse makes to the other. As long as each spouse intends to contract a true marriage, the sacrament is performed.
The effect of the sacrament is an increase in sanctifying grace for the spouses, a participation in the divine life of God Himself.
The Union of Christ and His Church:
This sanctifying grace helps each spouse to help the other advance in holiness, and it helps them together to cooperate in God's plan of redemption by raising up children in the Faith.
In this way, sacramental marriage is more than a union of a man and a woman; it is, in fact, a type and symbol of the divine union between Christ, the Bridegroom, and His Church, the Bride. As married Christians, open to the creation of new life and committed to our mutual salvation, we participate not only in God's creative act but in the redemptive act of Christ.
HOLY ORDERS
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Christ's priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles; thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Sacrament of Holy Orders as "the sacrament of apostolic ministry."
"Ordination" comes from the Latin word ordinatio, which means to incorporate someone into an order. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ, at one of three levels: the episcopate, the priesthood, or the diaconate.
The priesthood was established by God among the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. God chose the tribe of Levi as priests for the nation. Their primary duties were the offering of sacrifice and prayer for the people.
Christ, in offering Himself up for the sins of all mankind, fulfilled the duties of the Old Testament priesthood once and for all. But just as the Eucharist makes that sacrifice present to us today, so the New Testament priesthood is a sharing in the eternal priesthood of Christ. While all believers are, in some sense, priests, some are set aside to serve the Church as Christ Himself
Jesus Christ is "Lord"
Sacraments and Creeds
Sacraments of Initiation
SOURCE - YOUCAT (Youth Catechism)
(Questions and Answers)
# 228 - Who can forgive sin?
Jesus can because he is the Son of God. forgive sin because Christ has given them that authority.
# 229 - What prepares a person for penance?
When we see the contradiction between God’s love and our sin. Personal guilt produces a longing to better one’s self, this is called contrition. With genuine full sorrow for sin; we resolve to change our life and place all our hope in God’s help.
# 230 - What is Penance?
Basically it is making restitution for a wrong that has been committed. Penance does not just take place in our minds. Penance is expressed in acts of charity, by praying, fasting and support the poor both spiritually and materially. Too, often we feel we are finished after we do the penance the priest gives after in confession. Penance is a new start.
# 231 - What are the two basic elements required for the forgiveness for a Christian’s sins to occur in the sacrament of Penance?
Person must undergo conversion and the Priest who in God’s name give him absolution from his sins.
# 232 - What must I bring to confession?
Examination of Conscience Contrition
Firm Purpose of Amendment Confession
Penance
# 233 - What sins must be confessed?
After making a a through examination of conscience all serious sins must be confessed.
# 234 - When is a Catholic obliged to confess his serious sins?
How often should one go to confession? Upon reaching the age of reason and the Church urges at least once a year.
Baptism: Baptism is an incredible gift from God. In this Sacrament we receive the grace of the forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, and we become the adopted sons and daughters of God and members of his family, the church. Through
Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are ncorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission. A child should be baptized within the first few weeks after birth.
Reconciliation: The sacrament encompasses four parts: contrition, confession, satisfaction or penance, and absolution. Contrition means that we are sorry for our sins, and we intend to try to do better. Confession is the act of stating our sins to a priest. This is always required with mortal or serious sins, but is also a good and
pious practice with venial or less serious sins. Satisfaction or penance consists of prayers or particular actions the priest assigns to us to show our sorrow, and to make some amends for our actions. And finally absolution - the words Jesus Christ speaks to us, through the priest - freeing us from our sins.
First Communion: Like Baptism, Confirmation can only be received once since it imprints on our soul an indelible spiritual mark. At Confirmation, we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. In the Diocese of Biloxi, confirmation is conferred in the 8th grade. Preparation begins in the 7th grade. Classes focus on the sacrament itself and on Church teachings so that students are fully prepared to be members of the Catholic faith. The
candidates choose a patron saint and a sponsor. The patron saint is chosen based on attributes he or she exhibited in life that the candidate wishes to emulate, or for some other similar reason.
A man or woman, faithfully living out the Catholic faith, is chosen as a sponsor -to be a support and a role model of Christian living. It is appropriate to choose one's baptismal godparent as one's sponsor, with the connection that Confirmation and Baptism truly have.
Confirmation
Confirmation is the Perfection of Baptism:
Although, in the West, Confirmation is usually received as a teenager, several years after making First Communion, the Catholic Church considers it the second of the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism being the first and Communion the third). Confirmation is regarded as the perfection of Baptism, because, as the introduction to the Rite of Confirmation states: 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.
The Form of the Sacrament of Confirmation:
Many people think of the laying on of hands, which signifies the descent of the Holy Spirit, as the central act in the Sacrament of Confirmation. The essential element, however, is the anointing of the confirmand (the person being confirmed) with chrism (an aromatic oil that has been consecrated by a bishop), accompanied by the words "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit" (or, in the Eastern Catholic Churches, "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit"). This seal is a consecration, representing the safeguarding by the Holy Spirit of the graces conferred on the Christian at Baptism.
The Minister of the
Sacrament of Confirmation:
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church points out, "The original minister of Confirmation is the bishop." Each bishop is a successor to the apostles, upon whom the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost—the first Confirmation. The Acts of the Apostles mentions the apostles imparting the Holy Spirit to believers by the laying on of hands (see, for example, Acts 8:15-17 and 19:6).
The Church has always stressed this connection of confirmation, through the bishop, to the ministry of the apostles, but She has developed two different ways of doing so.
The Anointing of the Sick:
Comfort and Healing
The Anointing of the Sick is a remarkable sign of God's great love for us. In his merciful efforts to bring us safely to himself in heaven, God seems to have gone to the very limit.
Jesus has given us the sacrament of Baptism, in which original sin and all pre-Baptismal sins are cleansed from the soul. Allowing for mankind's spiritual weakness, Jesus also gave us the sacrament of Penance, by which post-Baptismal sins could be forgiven. As though he were impatient lest a soul be delayed a single instant from its entry into heaven, Jesus gave to his Church the power to remit the temporal punishment due to sin, a power which the Church exercises in the granting of indulgences.
Finally, as though to make doubly sure that no one, except through his own deliberate fault, would lose heaven or even spend time in purgatory, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. A special sacrament for the sick & suffering.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church's section on the Anointing of the Sick defines the purpose of the sacrament as "the conferral of a special grace on the Christian experiencing the difficulties inherent in the condition of grave illness or old age." (Catechism, 1527)
In his Gospel St. Mark (6:12-13) gives us an indication of this sacrament of the sick when he tells us that the apostles, going forth, "preached that men should repent, and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many sick people, and healed them."
However, the classical description which the Bible gives of the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is found in the Epistle of St. James:
Is any one among you sick? Let him bring in the presbyters [priests] of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.
(James 5:14-15)
The Oil of the Sick
The oil used in administering the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is called Oil of the Sick. It is one of the three Holy oils blessed by the bishop of the diocese at his cathedral on Holy Thursday morning, the other two Holy Oils being Holy Chrism and the Oil of Catechumens, which is used in Baptism.
Oil of the Sick is pure olive oil—nothing being added except the blessing of the bishop. Its appropriateness as part of the outward sign of Anointing of the Sick is evident from the healing and strengthening effects which are characteristic of olive oil.
The essence of the sacrament lies in the actual anointing and the short prayer which accompanies the anointing.
In giving the sacrament, the priest anoints the sick person on the forehead and hands. During this anointing, the priest says: "Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up."
Counteracting undue fear
When faced with the danger of death, a person normally will experience a feeling of great anxiety.
This is to be expected. God has planted in human nature a strong attachment to life which we commonly call the instinct for self-preservation. He has done so precisely in order to assure that we take due care of our physical well-being and do not expose ourselves to unnecessary danger to our life.
We need not feel ashamed, therefore, nor convicted of lack of faith if we find ourselves apprehensive when the shadow of death looms over us.
To counteract this fear of death when it needs to be counteracted, and to remove all cause for fear, God has given us the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
Graces of the sacrament
In common with all the sacraments, Anointing of the Sick confers sanctifying grace.
It is an increase in sanctifying grace that Anointing of the Sick gives, since it presupposes that the recipient already is free from mortal sin. Thus there is intensified in the soul that supernatural life, that oneness with God, which is the source of all spiritual strength as it is also the measure of our capacity for the happiness of heaven.
Besides this increase in sanctifying grace, Anointing of the Sick gives its own special sacramental grace.
The primary purpose of the special grace of Anointing of the Sick is to comfort and to strengthen the soul of the sick person.
This is the grace that quiets anxiety and dissipates fear.
It is the grace which enables the sick person to embrace God's will and to face the possibility of death without apprehension.
Gifts of the
Holy Spirit
1. Wisdom
Wisdom is the first and highest gift of the Holy Spirit, becaus it is the perfection of the theological virtue of faith. Through wisdom, we come to value properly those things which we
believe through faith. The truths Christian belief are more important than the things of this world, and wisdom helps us to order our relationship to the created world properly, loving Creation for the sake of God, rather than for its own sake.
2. Understanding
Understanding is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, and people sometimes have a hard time understanding (no pun intended) how it differs from wisdom. While wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God, understand ing allows us grasp, at least in a limited way, the very essence of the truths of the Catholic Faith. Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith.
3. Counsel
Counsel, the third gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. Prudence can be practiced by a nyone, but counsel is supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to judge how best to act almost by intuition. Because of the gift of counsel, Christians need not fear to stand up for the truths of the Faith, because the Holy
Spirit will guide us in defending those truths.
4. Fortitude
While counsel is the perfection of a cardinal virtue, fortitude is both a gift of the Holy Spirit and a cardinal virtue. Fortitude is ranked as the fourth gift of the Holy Spirit because it gives us
the strength to follow through on the actions suggested by the gift of counsel. While rtitude is sometimes called courage, it goes beyond what we normally think of as courage. fortitude is the virtue of the martyrs that allows them to suffer death rather than to renounce the Christian Faith.
5. Knowledge
The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit, knowledge,
is often confused with both wisdom and understanding. Like wisdom, knowledge is the perfection of faith, but whereas wisdom gives us the desire to judge all things according to the truths of the Catholic Faith, knowledge is the actual ability to do so. Like counsel, it is aimed at our actions in this life. In a limited way, knowledge allows us to see the rcumstances of our life the way that God sees them. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can determine God's purpose for our lives and live them accordingly.
6. Piety
Piety, the sixth gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the virtue of religion. While we tend to think of religion today as the external elements of our faith, it really means the willingness to worship and to serve God. Piety takes that willingness beyond a sense of duty, so that we desire to worship God and to serve Him out of love, the way that we desire to honor our parents and do what they wish.
7. Fear of God
The seventh and final gift of the Holy Spirit is the fear of the Lord, and perhaps no other gift of the Holy Spirit is so misunderstood. We think of fear and hope as opposites, but the fear of the Lord confirms the theological virtue of hope. This gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire not to offend God,
as well as the certainty that God will supply us the grace that we need in order to keep from offending Him. Our desire not to offend God is more than simply a sense of duty; like piety, the fear of the Lord arises out of love.
The Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism has six primary effects, which are all supernatural graces:
1. The removal of the guilt of both Original Sin (the sin imparted to all mankind by the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) and personal sin (the sins that we have committed ourselves).
2. The remission of all punishment that we owe because of sin, both temporal (in this world and in Purgatory) and eternal (the punishment that we would suffer in hell).
3. The infusion of grace in the form of sanctifying grace (the life of God within us); the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, Fear of the Lord) ; and the three theological virtues. (Faith, Hope Charity)
4. Becoming a part of Christ.
5. Becoming a part of the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ on earth.
6. Enabling participation in the sacraments, the priesthood of all believers, and the growth in grace.
The Necessity of Baptism
Christ Himself ordered His disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations and to baptize those who accept the message of the Gospel. In His encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), Christ made it clear that baptism was necessary for salvation: "Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the very mark of a Christian, because it brings us into new life in Christ.
.
The Form" of the Sacrament of Baptism
While the Church has an extended rite of Baptism which is normally celebrated, which includes roles for both parents and godparents, the essentials of that rite are two: the pouring of water over the head of the person to be baptized (or the immersion of the person in water); and the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Adult Baptism
Adult converts to Catholicism also receive the sacrament, unless they have already received a Christian baptism. (If there is any doubt about whether an adult has already been baptized, the priest will perform a conditional baptism.) A person can only be baptized once as a Christian—if, say, he was baptized as a Lutheran, he cannot be rebaptized when he converts to Catholicism.
While an adult can be baptized after proper instruction in the Faith, adult baptism normally occurs today as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and is immediately followed by Confirmation and Communion.
The Anointing of the Sick: Continued -
It is the grace which gives the soul the strength to face and conquer whatever temptations to doubt, despondency, or even despair may mark Satan's last effort to seize this soul for himself.
Doubtless some who read this have already received Anointing of the Sick, perhaps even several times. If so, they know by experience, as does the writer, what peace of mind and confidence in God this sacrament bestows.
Secondary effects
This spiritual tranquility and strength is further increased by the second effect of Anointing of the Sick. This is the preparation of the soul for entrance into heaven by the forgiveness of venial sins and the cleansing of the soul from the remains of sin.
If we are so blessed as to receive the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick in our last illness, we may have every confidence that we shall enter into the happiness of heaven immediately after death. We hope that our friends still will continue to pray for us after death, since we never can be sure of the adequacy of our own dispositions in receiving this sacrament; and if we do not need the prayers, someone else will profit by them.
Yet we should have a high degree of confidence, once we have received Anointing of the Sick, that we shall look upon the face of God moments after our soul leaves our body. The soul has been cleansed from all that might hold it back from God, from venial sins and from the temporal punishment due to sin.
The "remains of sin" from which Anointing of the Sick cleanses the soul include that moral weakness of soul which is the result of sin, both of original sin and our own sins. This weakness—even to the point of spiritual indifference—is likely to afflict that person especially who has been a habitual sinner.
Here again, the soul of the sick person is tempered and prepared against the possibility of any last-moment conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil..
The Anointing of the Sick
Complements Confession
Since Penance (Confession) is the sacrament by which God intends our mortal sins to be forgiven, a sick person who has mortal sins to confess must receive the sacrament of Penance before he receives the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
However, it is a comfort to know that Anointing of the Sick does forgive mortal sin also if the critically ill person is unable to receive the sacrament of Penance. This could happen, for example, if Anointing of the Sick were administered to an unconscious person who had made an act of imperfect contrition for his mortal sins before losing consciousness.
Healing the sick
It is plain that the principal purpose of the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is a spiritual one: to prepare the soul for death, if death is to eventuate.
However, there is a secondary and conditional effect of Anointing of the Sick: the recovery of bodily health by the sick or injured person. The condition under which this secondary effect can be expected to operate is stated by the Council of Trent: "When it is expedient for the soul's salvation."
In other words, if it will be spiritually good for the sick person to recover, then his recovery can with certainty be expected.
The recovery, however, will not be a sudden miraculous recovery.
God does not multiply marvels unnecessarily. Whenever possible he works through natural causes. In this instance, recovery will be the result of the powers of nature, stimulated by the graces of the sacrament.
By eliminating anxiety, abolishing fear, inspiring confidence in God with resignation to his will, Anointing of the Sick reacts upon the bodily processes for the physical betterment of the patient. It is evident that we have no right to expect this physical result from Anointing of the Sick if the priest is not called until the body is hopelessly ravaged by disease.
But perhaps "hopelessly" is not a good word. Every priest who has had much experience in caring for the sick can recall some remarkable and unexpected recoveries that have followed after Anointing of the Sick.
You can return to the main article on the Catholic Sacraments, or go to our home page to see the other articles about the Catholic faith.
This article contains material adapted and abridged from Father Leo Trese's classic book, The Faith Explained. That work is Nihil Obstat: Louis J. Putz, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame. Imprimatur: Leo A. Pursley, D.D., Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
"I Believe"
”YOUCAT# 24 - What does my faith have to do with the Church?(166-169 181)
Faith is the most personal, yet not a private matter. Anyone who wants to believe must be able to say “I” and “We”. The Church emphasizes I and We of faith by using two professions of faint in the liturgies: the Apostles Creed start with “I Believe” and the Great Creed the Nicaea-Constantinople, which in the original form starts with the words “We Believe“. However, beginning with the start of Advent, the Nicene Creed will change to “I Believe
# 26 - What are Creeds? (185-188)
(192-197)Creeds are brief formulas of faith that make it possible for all believers to make a common profession. The Apostles Creed has a special dignity, because it t is thought to be a summary of the faith of the apostles. The Nicene Creed is highly esteemed because it resulted from the great councils for the Church when she was still undivided and is to this day the common basis for the Christian in the East and the West.
# 27 - How did the Creeds come about? (181-191)
The Creeds go back to Jesus, who commanded his disciples to baptize. In doing so, they were to require of the people seeing Baptism the profession of a definite faith, namely, faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Trinity)What does believe mean?
a. Have faith
b. Trust!
c. God gives us graces and love to help us to have faith in Him.
d. The apostles had faint in Jesus teachings and believed in his promises.
The Apostles Creed:
I believe in God..........
a. God wants us to know him.
b. God reveals himself to us as “Father”, “Son”, and “Holy Spirit”.
c. The Trinity means; three in one.
d. Only one God, but three persons.
e. No person totally understands God.
f. This is the greatest mystery of our Faith!
The Father.......
a. Jesus tells his followers about his Father.
b. He prayed to his Father in heaven many times.
c. He was obedient to his Father.d. Jesus showed us his Father’s love, mercy and goodness!
Almighty......
a. God is all mighty, powerful, all knowing, seeing and loving.
b. God is All in All!.. .....
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father:
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
At the words that follow, up to and including and all bow became man, all bow.
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Nicene Creed
Creator of heaven and earth.........
a. When you think of the most beautiful thing in the world; God created that.
b. Heaven and earth means everything. God created everything that is good and beautiful. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord a. To know God is to know Jesus b. John 14:7 - If you know me, you know the Father also.
c. Jesus - means “God Saves”
d. Jesus teaches us through his words and actions. By his parables (stories) and miracles.