Comments are wanted! Do you like my blog or do you hate it? Do I represent good Catholic teachings? Please begin commenting on my blog, positive or negative. Comments are posted immediately. I have changed the theme to make posting comments more user friendly. It doesn’t matter if you are Catholic, please feel free to make any comments you choose as long as they are not rude or judgemental. If you feel inspired by any of my posts, please don’t be shy and comment how the post or the tradition I explained effects you. This blog is for simple Catholic answers and I need to know how I am doing in order to make the site better. Please feel free to email me if you do not want to post directly on the site. God bless you!

Stan Cunningham

Catholic News | Saints’ Relics Give Catholics Connection to Church’s Heroes | American Catholic

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by Stan Cunningham, Catholics View

Points to know before reading this essay; 1. The Anglican Church is commonly called the Church of England. This schism of Catholic faith began in the sixteenth century when King Henry VIII was not granted a divorce in the Catholic Church and he declared that the Catholic Church in England be separated from Papal Authority. This resulted in English Catholics being known as Anglicans. 2. Catholics have always recognized the sacraments performed by the Anglican Church as being valid. 3. Given the current practice of ordaining women into the Priesthood and the openly gay bishops within the Anglican Church, Anglican’s have been fleeing to the Catholic church, Priests (even married ones) included.

Recently, the Catholic Church announced an invitation to Anglicans across the world to come into full union with the Catholic Church on a more grander scale than ever before. I have read the press release from the Vatican announcing this and the joint statement ny the Archbishop of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury which are included in this essay near the bottom. I will try to explain in the most simplest and informative way possible what this means for Catholics and Anglicans alike. The press release from the Vatican states, ‘In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father (Pope Benedict XVI) has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony.’

Does this statement from the Vatican propose a different path than what has already been in practice?

The answer to this question is yes and no. For years now, Anglican Priests (even those who are married) have been welcomed into the Catholic Church with open arms-as long as recognized the Papal Authority and follow all of the liturgical and spiritual practices established by the Catholic Church. Now, not only is the Catholic Church welcoming these Priests and the lay into the Catholic Church, she is also telling entire Parish communities that may want to convert, ‘And bring some of your traditions, including liturgical ones with you!’  Another bone that has been sent to the Anglican church is the “Personal Ordinariates” appointed by the Catholic church to help the convert with the transition, which will most likely be a former Anglican themselves.  This development of the continued dialogue between both Churches will not change the Liturgy in the already established Catholic Parishes. This decision will not change the Catholic stance when it comes to women being allowed into the Priesthood either. One change that I am praying for is that a married man may enter the seminary. I realize that this will probably not happen for a very long time, but I do believe that concessions have to be made one way or another in order to fill the many vacancies that have gone on way too long and hoping to have enough Anglican Priests to fill these vacancies is just wishful thinking. The Anglican Church members who choose to convert to Catholicism are the ones converting, not the other way around. This being said, I would not be surprised to see some of the Anglican spiritual practices being adopted by individual Catholics or the lay ministry such as new songs for the choir.

In my opinion this is an excellent move for the Catholic church in it’s continuing effort to reunite Christians into the one true, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I trust that the Holy Father  has made the correct decision in being more open to Anglican converts by letting them keep some of their traditions as long as they do not contradict the teachings of the Church. I am certain that this will be monitored as closely as possible for any liturgical abuses (changing the format of the Mass and Sacraments) especially when an entire parish goes Catholic. This may have an additional benefit to Catholic Parishes where liturgical abuses have gone uncorrected or have not been dealt with promptly. The established Catholic Parishes will now be forced to lead by example and for this to work out, they must be held more accountable to that leadership role. Maybe this will be just enough of a push for Bishops to start making corrections to those parishes that have drifted off the path a bit.

For the complete Vatican press release click here.

For the joint statement of the Bishops, click here.

© 2009 Catholics View Apologetics

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A boy throws a ball through his neighbor’s window. He feels very badly and cries to his dad, who takes him to the neighbor to apologize. The neighbor sees the sorrow on the boy’s face and forgives him. However, the window still needs to be paid for and replaced. This is an analogy for our sins: when we know sorrow for them and repent in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, they are forgiven, but there still may be effects or consequences resulting at the time of our death.

The word purgatory, derived from Latin, means cleansing or purification. In our Catholic understanding, Purgatory is a transitional state of purification between death and heaven, whereby any remaining sinfulness or effects of sin committed during our lifetime are cleansed. This purification completes our process of sanctification, allowing us then to enter into total union with God (Cathechism of the Catholic
Church, #1030). It is important to note that Purgatory is not an opportunity to reverse the course of one’s earthly life. Conversion is not possible if it did not take place in life before death. At the same time, Purgatory is not a state of punishment, only cleansing (CCC # 1031).

This doctrine of Purgatory upholds an unbroken liturgical practice in the Church, from our earliest times, and referring back to 2 Maccabees 12:46, of making intercessory prayers for the dead (CCC #1032). The Church has the practice of offering Masses for the deceased in the firm conviction that as all humans alive and dead are members of the Communion of Saints, we who remain living may “assist” those who have died by our prayers. On All Souls Day, the Church prays specifically for all the souls in Purgatory, and since this is the patronal name of our parish, we have the privilege of including their names in our parish prayers each day.

Miracles, Relics and Saints: Anachronisms in the 2000s

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I am in the process of writing an article explaining the canonization process in the Catholic church. This is an exciting and confusing subject to the lay Catholic. The article will cover answers to at least these questions;

1. Why does the Catholic church have saints?

2. When does someone actually become a saint?

3. What are the qualifications to be a saint?

4. Who decides when someone is a saint in the Catholic church?

5. How long does it take after you die to be recognized as a saint in the Catholic church?

These are just a few of the common questions that a lot of people think about as Catholics but may have been afraid to ask. This article will be posted very soon, so keep an eye out for it to be posted by this Friday. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter – username – catholicsview.

God bless and have a great week!

Catholics View

This is a question that came to mind when I was looking at some of the search terms people used to reach my blog. The search term was “non catholic wearing saint medal”.

Christians that are not catholic probably find themselves on more than one occasion, acting Catholic. Maybe it is praying that a relative has made it to heaven when they passed away, placing a crucifix in their home, or maybe buying a rosary. Does the catholic church look down upon people acting catholic when they aren’t? Certainly the church would if someone were to take Holy Communion, but that is not the kind of ‘acting catholic’ I am addressing here. In a lot of cases if a non-catholic isn’t acting protestant then they are probably acting catholic! It is our job as Catholics to see this when it happens and to evangelize. We also need to evangelize to those that were practicing Catholics that hold onto some of their catholic traditions but are now attending church elsewhere.

As Catholics we are going to be confronted every so often by noticing someone we know acting catholic. To get a better understanding of how to approach this, let us assume the person that entered the search term , “non catholic wearing saint medal” is a friend of yours and you catch them wearing a St. Christopher medal. I would not ask him or her if they had it blessed. This could be viewed as sarcasm most certainly. Take the time to evangelize, but very slowly. Start off by asking them why they have chosen to wear a medal of a saint. Let them know that Catholics who wear them often have them blessed by a priest with holy water and why. If you need help, see my article ‘Why do Catholics wear medals of Saints’. The bottom line is don’t say or do anything to discourage them from wearing it. The Holy Spirit may move them eventually to ask more by constantly wearing it, or it may move you to evangelize more if you see them wearing it.

Another example that I have experienced is seeing a family member that isn’t catholic with a crucifix in her home. Actually, she has A LOT of crucifixes! I asked her why she has so MANY crucifixes! She said that she always liked them, and that was all she said. I told her the reason why my family has a crucifix in every room of our home, that it is a Catholic tradition. I then explained this tradition simply by telling her I wake with the Lord near me and I go to sleep with the Lord protecting me. I also said that in my home I like to be reminded of His love and to show that love to whoever is in my home. I have been moved to have other discussions with her about Catholic traditions, I even told her why our family has Holy Water in our home!

It isn’t difficult to explain the traditions of the catholic faith. The will to do it comes with having the wisdom to recognize an opportunity and to be in touch with your own beliefs of what role the Catholic traditions have in your own life. For instance, does a medal make you feel that you are protected from evil? or does a crucifix in your home make you feel that God is watching you and helping you at all times? Are any of these feelings wrong? No these feelings that you have are not wrong, but explaining them to someone else may give the wrong message. Instead of saying you feel protected when you wear a medal, simply say that the medal reminds you that God protects you from evil. Explain that you have a Crucifix in your home to remind you of His love.

Finally, it is very important to make sure that your comments do not seem idolatrous in any way. This is one of the main misconceptions of our faith so take the time to choose your words carefully. May God be with you and bless you with the ability to see these Catholic traditions our friends in Christ practice, and may you have the will to evangelize to them about the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

© 2009 Catholics View Catholic Apologetics

If you are catholic, you may or may not have heard of this sacramental that you wear around your neck. I read an article from http://www.fisheaters.com/scapulars.html#green that explains the scapular very well indeed and here is the text from that article below.

• From Fisheaters.com;A scapular is a sacramental that looks like two small pieces of wool cloth connected by string that is worn over the neck, either under or over ones clothing (typically under the clothing), such that one piece of cloth hangs over the chest, and the second piece of cloth hangs over the back (see picture below). They derive from the scapulars which make up part of monastic’s’ religious habits — that ankle-length (front and back), shoulder-wide, apron-like part of the habit that basically consists of a long rectangular piece of material with a hole for the head (some of them have hoods and some had ties under the arms). Monastic scapulars came, over time, to be called jugum Christi (the yoke of Christ), and receiving the scapular (becoming “invested”) took on solemn meaning. Abbreviated forms of the full monastic scapulars were to be worn even at night.In addition to regular monastic’s of the First Order (i.e., friars) and Second Order (cloistered nuns), laity attached themselves to various religious orders, too, in what are called “Third Orders.” Somelay members of Third orders — “tertiaries” — are “Third Order Religious” who live in a monastic community and generally take vows; most others are “Third Order Secular” who live in the world and generally make solemn promises. In the beginning, many of these lay people were invested with the full habit; later, they came to wear only the very small scapulars, as seen at left, under their clothing.In addition to these Third Orders, Confraternities of lay-people (married or single — just “regular Catholics“) developed whose members were invested with Scapulars of Religious Orders to which they were attached. It is these scapulars for lay people belonging to a Confraternity or a Third Order that one generally thinks of when one hears the word “scapular.”

  Some scapulars have privileges and indulgences attached to wearing them, but like any sacramental (holy water, blessed candles, etc.), scapulars are not magic; their efficacy depends on the proper intentions and faith of the wearer. Only by following through on the promises one makes when becoming invested can the benefits associated with them be had. They are best thought of as signs of a commitment to do certain things and of one’s being a part of a religious community. They act as reminders, too, of these things they signify and of the Saints who are parts of the religious community in question. They are reminders to behave with holiness.

  How to Get and Use Them

  The first thing you need to do is to find out if enrollment in a particular Confraternity is necessary before wearing one with the rightful expectation of spiritual benefit. This varies with the type of scapular, but most scapulars do not require any sort of enrollment that your parish priest can’t handle for you.

  You can buy scapulars from Catholic Gift Shops, Catholic mail order catalogues, etc. They’re very inexpensive, and you can also often find free ones from various places, such as the religious Order with which the desired scapular is associated or from charitable organizations and souls who make them available. Just do a Google Search for “Free Scapulars.” Know, though, that free scapulars are often poorly made, are not made of wool, and are not of traditional design. It is best if you can find a traditional source for your scapulars, especially the Brown Scapular.

  After you get your scapular, you must have it blessed by a priest. After it’s been blessed, you then become “invested” when the priest recites certain prayers (different scapulars have different prayers for investment). Many scapulars do not require investment at all, but simply need to be blessed — as do all scapulars — and then used properly per the directions below.

  You only need to have your first scapular blessed; it it wears out and you need to replace it, the blessing “transfers” to replacements. (The proper way to get rid of worn out scapulars — or any sacramental — is to either burn it or bury it.) 

  Scapulars (excepting those which are proper to the Third Orders) can also later be replaced by a religious medal called the “Scapular Medal” (see picture at right), but if this is done, the new medal must be blessed. This medal must “show the image of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Jesus Christ, showing His Sacred Heart, and the obverse that of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary,” according to a decree of Pope St. Pius X. ¹

  Comment: My research indicated that a catholic can wear a scapular medal in place of the original scapular, but must have a real (wool) scapular blessed first. It is stressed that the original scapular should be the one that is worn if at all possible.

  The brown scapular is the most popular scapular that a priest can bless for lay parishioners. The following article is the text from the same source as cited above.

  Brown Scapular

  Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel(Carmelites) “The Brown Scapular of our Lady of Mount Carmel,” associated with the Carmelite Order, is the most well-known. In A.D. 16 July 1251, Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock in Cambridge, England after he prayed for help for his Order. She appeared to him with the scapular and said, “Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant.”

  A.D. 1251

   

  Whether this happened exactly in this way or not (St. Simon’s original descriptions of the vision are not extant and the wording may not be exact), the Scapular was given to St. Simon Stock, and the devotion spread and was well-known by the 16th c. What can be safely believed because of papal decree is the promise known as the “Sabbatine Privilege.” The Sabbatine Privilege is the promise that Our Lady will intercede and pray for those in Purgatory who, in earthly life:

• wore the Scapular in good faith;
• were chaste according to their state in life;
• daily recited the Divine Office or, with the permission of one’s Confessor, the Little Office of Our Lady [a shorter form of the Divine Office in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, used by certain religious orders and laity. It is similar to the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Roman Breviary] or the Rosary; and
• departed earthly life in charity.You can be enrolled in the Confraternity of our Lady of Mount Carmel by any priest. Just obtain a scapular, take it to him to have it blessed, and express your desire for enrollment.Warning: Some falsely believe that wearing the Brown Scapular offers some sort of guarantee of salvation because of the legendary words attributed to Our Lady. This is against Church teaching, is superstitious and a grave error. Sacramental’s are not magical ways to manipulate God; they are Church-instituted rituals/objects that remind us of what we are supposed to be doing/thinking of, that depend on the faith, hope and love of the user, and which help prepare us to receive God’s saving grace. One must do more than “wear the scapular”; one must wear it worthily.You can get well-made, wool, traditionally-designed Brown Scapulars from this traditional Carmelite Order of nuns. I don’t know the cost:

Rev. Mother Superior

Carmel of the Holy Trinity

S. 4027 Wilbur Road

Spokane, WA 99206

Tel: 509-928-0114

All credit for this article should go to http://www.fisheaters.com. Scapular history, their use and meanings could not have been written any better by myself. Please visit the above web-site in the future for more information about this topic or any other catholic topic you want to research.

http://brendakaren.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/a-question-about-the-green-scapular/ has posted an experience with Scapular’s.

 

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An often misunderstood practice of Catholic faithful is praying to the saints in particular, Mary the mother of Jesus. The basic definition of praying is to ask for. In this article I am going to point to an example of prayer within God’s Kingdom and I hope that it makes this practice more clear to skeptics.

Just two weeks ago, I came to work and my heart sunk. My mom was in ICU at McKenzie Willamette and I realized that I was down playing how serious it was. I just got done telling my supervisor about it. “She’s going to be OK, they’re just keeping her their to monitor her better”, I said. I started to think though, “should I be at work? Shouldn’t I be at the hospital?” I began to pray the rosary, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to pray every minute of the day like I wanted to. So I quietly finished a Hail Mary and told my co-workers about it and asked them if they pray and if so to please pray for my mom today. A couple of them said they would and I knew then all would be ok with my mom and I would carry on through the day. God’s communion on earth, our fellow Christians, is enormous. We can share in each others difficulties and triumphs and most of all, we can pray for each other. Does this community that we have with each other dissolve when one is dead? As catholics we believe it certainly does not. Just as we pray or ask a person to pray for us, this communion that we have with each other continues on when we are dead. This communion is what we refer to as ‘the communion of saints‘ as stated in the Apostles Creed. The Saints of heaven hearing our prayers that we say is a gift from God. He allows it to happen. Mary or any of the other saints acting in the place of God is not what we believe in the slightest by praying to them. God doesn’t take a vacation, so he doesn’t need an assistant. We certainly do not believe that Mary forgives our sins when we say “…pray for us sinners…” near the end of a ‘Hail Mary’ prayer. It means exactly what it says, we are asking Mary to pray for us, just as you may ask someone to pray for you or for a loved one as I did here on earth, Mary and all of the Saints are there to pray for you even though they are not here in the flesh.

© 2009 Catholics View Catholic Apologetics

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I was confirmed in the catholic church on April 20th, 2008 after being gone for seventeen years. This was the day that I began to be in full communion with the catholic church. My journey back to the church started with the sacrament of reconciliation (confession). Confessing your sins is a wonderful place to begin. I was scared to death of going to reconciliation for at least a year. When I stepped toward the church and saw all of the others waiting for the doors to open, that fear was completely gone. I already started to feel the communion of saints and the holy spirit. An elderly man behind me in line clutching his rosary greeted me. He must have seen my apprehension because he began to ask me some questions that eventually lead to me telling him, “I went to catholic school my entire life and haven’t been back since the last day of school.” He replied, “You are going to make the Father’s day! Tell him that!” Judging by the reaction of the priest opposite of me while I was confessing this, I believe I did.

The most important thing to do when returning to the church is to prepare yourself for it. There may have been a lot of customs, traditions, and history of the church. Find a Parish that you like or one that was recommended and ask them when they are offering either confirmation classes or classes for returning Catholics. I was able to attend confirmation classes with my wife as her sponsor. This enabled me to learn things I had never known and also help her with the customs I did remember. The following year after her baptism and confirmation, I was confirmed. In my opinion whether I was confirmed already or not, I needed to have the knowledge and commitment to come back. By not going to Mass for 17 years and attending protestant church services, I made a commitment to turn away from the one true, holy, and apostolic church. I needed to make a stronger commitment than that when I decided to come back.

If you were confirmed years ago it isn’t required that you attend classes or anything of the like, but don’t discount what you can gain by attending them. If as a child you received the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist you can begin attending Mass and taking Eucharist even if you are taking a course for returning Catholics as long as you go to confession (Not going to Mass= mortal sin, remember?).

This post only summarizes how to come back to the Catholic Church. For more information please see the links below. Most of all, as a Catholic I welcome you back.

Any stories of returning to the church? Please post them on Catholics View discussion board by clicking on “Catholics View discussion board” on the left side of the page.

© 2009 Catholics View Catholic Apologetics

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A common practice by Catholics including myself, is to wear a medal or a crucifix. A medal is of a saint, the most common one being that of St. Christopher.

A crucifix is a cross that bears the likeness of Jesus Christ on it. Most Catholics that wear a crucifix or medal have them ‘blessed’ by the Parish Priest. The items are dedicated and made sacred by using Holy Water and prayers. So why do Catholics feel the need to have these items ‘blessed’?

I have worn a medal of St. Michael for the last 11 years. St. Michael is the Patron Saint for Law Enforcement, which is my profession. By wearing the medal everyday I am constantly reminded to be prayerful throughout my day and to treat everyone with kindness and respect. Since this item was dedicated, I know the Priest who had done the blessing prayed for it’s wearer to be protected and to be mindful of Christ and his grace.

Does a medal REALLY protect you? There has been instances that a medal appeared to have protected someone. There are stories of bullets being deflected along with other stories that could or could not be true. I would argue that in those instances of truth, God did perform a miracle, and He may have used the medal to give testament to that.

About 3 years ago I was involved in a very serious car accident. When I got home I examined my bruises and one mark stood out. Across the right side of my chest I could see a long mark from the chain that I wore, the same one that has my Catholic medals attached to it. The mark was so distinctive that I could actually see the links imprinted on my chest! Could these medals have saved me?  I don’t believe that by simply wearing the medal I was protected but, I do believe that by wearing it I am professing my faith in His grace, healing powers, and protection. God knows what is in your heart at all times, and He certainly knows your faith in Him. Some critics would say it was merely caused by the seat-belt rubbing against the chain during the accident. I believe that God may have performed a miracle that day not because I was wearing a medal, but it was the blessing of those medals and the prayers that were said while they were blessed that could have saved my family and I from harm. How it came about is for Him to only know and if He decided to prove His saving power by leaving a mark for me to see, I’m okay with that.

Is wearing a medal idolatry? Wearing a medal is as much idolatry as carrying a stone in your pocket with the word “love” written on it. Although I have never carried a stone such as this, I believe it’s bearer keeps it as a reminder of someones love for them or to remind the bearer to love. Is wearing a medal that has been blessed any different? To me it’s different in the sense that a medal is obviously more precious as it has been blessed by the Holy Spirit, and prayers were said to protect the wearer from harm. Obviously the stone probably was not. Neither stone nor medal is worshipped, so is there any harm by keeping either? I would argue that both the stone and the medal bring us closer to Christ not because of any magical powers, but because the actions of those who keep them are following the teachings of Christ. Is it wrong if an object reminds you to follow the way of Christ? I would challenge anyone to find that to be true.

© 2009 Catholics View Catholic Apologetics

Most people understand that holy water is used for Baptisms, but some may not understand why there is holy water in little bowls at the entrances of the Church and why Catholic’s ‘bless’ themselves when they enter, leave, or both.

Every year at the Easter Vigil Mass (Saturday night prior to Easter day) the Parish Priest prays for the Lord to bless the holy water that will be used for the Baptisms that take place on Easter vigil and throughout the year until the next Easter comes. This same water many Catholics take home with them to use periodically.

As you enter a Catholic church you will see people dipping their fingers into small dishes to obtain a drop of water and then they will make a sign of the cross, commonly called ‘blessing themselves’ with the holy water. Of course we believe that the Lord is the one blessing us and by using the holy water as a tangible sign for us of that blessing. The reason why you see Catholic’s doing this is to remind themselves of their own Baptism, their unity with the Lord, and lastly to be forgiven of any venial sin that the Catholic may have committed. I have a sense of being centered and ready to participate in the Mass after using the holy water when I enter. A prayer that I have learned while using the holy water is “By this holy water and your precious blood please wash away my sins O’ Lord, Amen”.
As I said earlier, many Catholics use holy water in their homes as well. I use holy water most often while praying. When reciting prayer out loud I can hear my voice, I see my lids closed, my thoughts are on Christ, and what I am offering up to God. Holy water again helps me focus on God just as in the Mass. I also feel the wetness of the holy water. I am committing more of my senses to the prayer I am offering. It reminds me to carry through my day as the Lord would like me to be.

Holy water is used in other ways and instances that I am not going to detail here, but I hope that by this writing it clarifies why Catholics use holy water.

If you are Catholic please post why you or your family uses holy water or how it helps you to be a better Christian.

If you have questions, please post them! Your question about holy water is probably more common than you think.

© 2009 Catholics View Catholic Apologetics

How should you share your faith with someone you know without running into some of the negative stigma’s or perceptions about the Catholic church?

Sharing the faith is a responsibility of every Catholic. This should always be done in a positive manner that doesn’t attack anyone elses faith. Debating ones faith with another Christian is difficult, but if you love your faith, don’t be afraid to show it. I was once afraid and didn’t comment on anything I heard that was said that attacked my faith. I felt very guilty later on that I just stood there and didn’t defend the Church. I felt that I let God down. Once you start defending your faith with the people you know, you will find that there are some doctrines or traditions that are consistently attacked by others that don’t know the faith. You may not be as educated as you need to be in order to be able to defend it effectively.  

If you don’t know the answer first say, “I don’t know the answer to that question.” or “This is what it means to me… but I don’t know if that is correct.” Then learn what the answer is and share it with them the next time you see them or send it in an email. You may have to buy a book or search for the answer on a blog, like this one.

Anti-Catholics are a tough crowd. Get spiritually smart, then book smart. One of the hardest things to explain is the Sacraments and what a Priest role is in them. Examine yourself spiritually first. What does this sacrament mean to me? How does it make me feel? Did God touch me in a personal way? If someone asks you why you pray to the saints and you don’t have a good answer, check out my page “Praying to the Saints“. Then you can examine it in a book smart way by getting a hold of a Catechism and start diving in. Another good book to have is a textbook that school age kids use for their Sacrament preparation classes. These books describe the faith in simple terms to a child, but to an adult they are even simpler. Be careful though, you may find yourself wanting to explore even further and before you know it, you will have bought a book on the fathers and doctors of the Church!

Look for any open opportunity to say things about your faith. Simple things like, “I had such a great weekend, and it all ended with a great Mass!” or “I learned something new yesterday (describe the readings you heard).” When an email is sent to you about God, faith, or prayer reply to the sender and share your ideas about what was said or better yet hit REPLY ALL and deliver to people you may not even know.

Live your faith. Show compassion to others, be kind and charitable. Set a good example for everyone to follow. You are the best example of a good Catholic, let it show!

If you run into any roadblocks, please email me at catholicsview@gmail.comand I will try and help. I have many friends and family from denominations that can be very difficult, even the LDS, so I know I can give you some great ideas! I will be addressing specific arguments against the faith soon, please bookmark my site for future apologetics.

God bless.

Catholics View

The Sanctuary in every Catholic Church holds 3 items: the Altar, the Ambo (Pulpit) & the Presider’s Chair. Other items are present as well, but these 3 are constant. In our sanctuary, the Presider’s Chair fits in the space which used to hold the previous Altar, directly behind the present Altar. So, while it appears that people are bowing to the Presider, they are actually bowing to the Altar. Why? “At the Altar, the sacrifice of the cross is made present under sacramental signs. It is also the table of the Lord, and the people of God are called together to share in it. The Altar is, as well, the center of the thanksgiving that the Eucharist accomplishes” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, #296). Because of the action which takes place upon the Altar, it has centrality of place in the Sanctuary, and deserves our reverence. Hence, during the Eucharistic liturgy, the Altar take primacy over the Tabernacle. Not that the reposition of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the tabernacle is not important and worthy of veneration; it is. But our offering and our action of this liturgy takes place on this Altar and so for the duration of the Mass, requires our reverence to it.

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy states, “At the proper time(s) all should observe a reverent silence” (#30). Silence should not be unending, but it should be long enough so we can understand it as an action of the whole community or Assembly, allowing it to draw us together in the liturgical action. Silence is also our response to God’s call, as well as allowing us to be more open to God speaking to us. Proper times for silence are: before the Mass begins, after the First and Second Readings, after the Homily, and anytime the Presider calls us to prayer with, “Let us pray.” Also, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal calls us to observe a “sacred silence” after all have communicated (received Communion), allowing
us to reflect on God’s great gift in thanksgiving (#88).

There is an old Catholic custom of choosing a patron saint for the year.  The idea is this saint, a member of the Church Triumphant, would be your advocate, intercessor, example, support and companion on this year long journey.

A few parishes in the area are bringing back this custom.  (Well, two that I know of.)  Sunday after Mass, I prayed for guidance before heading up to pick a name from the basket.  The saint I drew was Blessed Mary of the Incarnation.  (You can read about her here.)

As you know from my Patron Saint page, there are several with whom I have a strong connection.  Still, I am excited to have the opportunity to get to know another member of the Communion of Saints.  I know there is much I can learn from Bl. Mary, especially from a daily, practical aspect.

I love so many Catholic customs and traditions.  I am pleased to see a couple of parishes partaking of the vast richness the Church has to offer.