Roman Catholic Universe

REALITY OF SIN The very concept of sin presupposes seven other ideas that  are historically derived from God’s revelation to Abraham and  the three religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that stem  from that; seven ideas are denied by alternative religions  and philosophies. 1) Atheism (“no-God”) denies that there is a God to sin  against. 2) Polytheism (“many-gods”) denies that there is only one  God, who is all-good and deserves to be obeyed. 3) Pantheism (“everything is God”) denies that God has a  will that discriminates between good and evil. 4) Deism (a God, but an absent God) denies that God has  intervened in history to make his will known by  establishing a covenant and giving commandments 5) Skepticism denies that we can know God’s law, God’s will,  or God’s character. 6) Determinism denies that we have free will and are  therefore personally responsible for our good or evil choices . 7) And naive optimism denies tha...

  SACRAMENTS In the Gospel according to John, Jesus teaches at length about the greatest of the sacraments, the Eucharist (see 6:22-59) . In this discourage, he lays out what we might call the "sacramental principle" that lies at the heart of the Christian faith: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven: whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world"  "The World became flesh / and made his dwelling among us" (Jn 1:14 . In Jesus Christ, God -who is spirit (see Jn 4:24)  -came down from heaven and entered into his own creation this physical universe. He joined to his own divine nature a human nature of soul and body; he took up into himself the matter and energy of this world In this "Incarnation" (literally, "becoming flesh"), as Christians call it, God made it possible for the everyday elements of our lives to convey the transforming power of his grace. This is t...

  WHY BISHOPS? St. Timothy in Ephesus and St. Titus in Crete each received instructions from the apostle Paul about the qualifications for a bishop (see 1 Tim 3:1-7)   (1 Tim 1:7-9) . This "noble" officer was to "teach" and to"manage" the affairs of the Church in each locale. (The Greek word for bishop, episkopos, literally means "overseer"). How did the office of bishop come about? Our Lord appointed the apostles to teach and govern the Church (see Mt 28:16-20) . Since the place of Judas had been vacated by the traitor's suicide, a successor was appointed by the other apostles to fill his "office" (see Acts 1:20)  -literally his "episcopacy" or "bishopric" (Greek,  episkopen). The first apostles, then, were bishops, as were their appointed successors In referring to ordained Church leaders, biblical writers do not always distinguish clearly between bishops/overseers and presbyters/ elders/priests. St. Luke, for ...

 JESUS SACRIFICED AGAIN AND AGAIN The dazzling vision of St. John in the Book of Revelation is perhaps best known for its depictions of horrific worldwide catastrophic. Yet at the heart of this stands a poignant figure full of mercy, hope, and glory: the "Lamb" who was slain for our sins, Jesus Christ (see 5:6) . Biblical scholars have pointed out that at one level, in presenting us a vision of heaven, Revelation also provides us a glimpse of the Mass, our foretaste on earth of heaven's "wedding feast of the Lamb" (Rev 19:9) Catholics agree with other Christians that the divine sacrifice made "once for all" described in Hebrews 7:27  is a unique historical event: the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But Jesus' sacrifice, though occurring in the past to us, is nevertheless always present to God, because God himself does not exist in time as we do. John's vision depicts this eternal reality; the presentation of Jesus as "Lamb" to the...

  SAINTS The first of the Ten Commandments makes it clear that worship is due to god alone. In Deuteronomy, that the Lord tells his people through Moses: You shall not bow down before them or worship them"  (5:7-9) Catholics affirm this truth. Only the all-mighty Creator of the universe, the one in whom "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28) , is worthy of our worship -of the adoration that involves giving ourselves completely to him. No saint or even angel should even be adorated in that sense At the same time, however, we obey the biblical instruction to "pay to all their dues,... an honor to whom honor is due" (Rom 13:7) . Though we don't worship the saints and angels in heaven, we do in fact honor (or venerate) them, because they are worthy of great honor. This is a biblical distinction Why do they deserve such honor? Because they now stand before him in heaven face-to-face, and they have become like him. They have become, by God's gra...

  SINNERS When Ezra the priest led his people in a confession of the sins as a nation, the resulting list of wrongdoing was extensive: idolatry, rebellion, disobedience, pride, ingratitude, stubbornness, murder, injustice, and more. Again and again, God extended them mercy; again and again, they slid back into sin. If God hadn't been longsuffering, the people would have perished many times over (see Neh 9:1-37)   Today, God's people receive bountiful graces through our Lord Jesus Christ that weren't available in Ezra's time. Most importantly, we have the sacraments of the Church to make us holy. Yet even though such sacraments as Baptism and Reconciliation cleanse us of sin, so that the road to holiness is a continual struggle (see also "What is original sin?" ) Consequently, Scripture confirms that the Church is composed of saints in the making and sinners. We see this reality most indisputably in certain parables of Jesus about the kingdom of heaven (the Chu...

  CATHOLICS GENUFLECT Solomon was the most glorious and powerful king in the nation of Israel ever knew. Not only his subjects but foreign visitors as well would have knelt whenever they came into his presence. In the ancient world, that was the universally recognized posture of reverence and submission. According to 2 Chronicles, however, when Solomon entered the temple he had built, this great king himself knelt down before God's altar (see 6:12-13) . He recognized that he was in the presence of the king of kings, the all-powerful, all-glorious ruler of the universe. Today our culture tends to scoff at the notion that anyone should ever kneel. To many, the gesture is a quaint leftover from medieval times, an act that is somehow beneath our modern dignity. But Catholics recognize that God is still God, and that "every knee should bend, / of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confesses that / Jesus Christ is Lord" (see Phil 2:10-11) . So Ca...

HOLY RITUALS Leviticus and other biblical books show that God himself prescribed numerous religious rituals for the ancient Israelites. Sacrifices and offerings, ordination ceremonies and priestly behavior, holidays and festivals -all had their designated rituals (see Lv 1:1-10) . In addition, devour customs grew up among the people, such as those for mourning the dead and anointing kings (see 1 Sm 10:1) Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the apostles were all faithful Jews, practicing the religious rituals of their people. Mary and Joseph "fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord" (Lk 2:39)  concerning circumcision, purification, and presentation after Jesus'  birth (see Lk 2:21-39) . The family took part in the temple rituals of the great holy days (see Lk 2:41-43) , just as Jesus later did with his apostles Our Lord also followed the weekly synagogue rituals (see Lk 4:16-20) . At meals -including the Last Supper -he prayed the ritual blessings customary among the J...

THE MESSENGER OF GOD The Book of Judges repeatedly speaks of angels being sent by God to his people (see, for example, 2:1-5) . Are we to understand these and similar biblical accounts as references to real supernatural beings, or similar biblical accounts as references to real supernatural beings, or simply as accounts of visions? Both Scripture and Tradition repeatedly affirm that God has in fact created non -human, angelic beings to be his agents, warriors, and messengers. They are personal and immortal; they have a rational intellect and free will, yet they are pure spirits, without bodies like ours. (see the scriptural references below.) They surpass in perfection all visible creatures, as is evident from their splendor (see Ps 103:20-21) . Nevertheless, redeemed human beings will one day be perfected in such a way that the angels will be subjected to them (see 1Cor 6:3) Angels have been present since creation, and they have played critical roles in salvation history, from the fal...

 HOLY BIBLE The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and some part of it was written in Greek. New Testament was written in Greek and Aramaic because by the time Hebrew was not a ‘spoken language’ among the people and the Greek Translation of the Old Testament was in use mainly because of the influence of the Greek rule and culture prevailed for two or three centuries before the coming of Jesus Christ. The Hebrew Language was not very rich with words. Some words were used with different meanings in different situations. Somebody reading them in those days could easily understand the original meaning in the light of the situation and usage. But it is a challenge for someone translating from Hebrew today. Understanding the cultural background is essential to understand the language and its usages in those days. Our languages are evolving very fast today. The meaning of some of the words does attain new meaning and...

  CATHOLIC PRIESTS IN INDIA If you are not a Catholic, join Catholic Church. Only members of Catholic Church can become a Catholic Priest. You can apply in a Seminary for admission. Usually it need a recommendation letter from the Parish Priest. The Seminary may reject or take you. If got rejected you are still continue applying in another Seminary. Applying simultaneously in different seminaries also allowed. You need to stay in a Seminary during the whole training period except a few days holidays you will get in a year. The Seminaries are usually equipped with good library, play grounds, and other basic facilities for you to improve your knowledge and personality. If you completed +2 after a year of preparatory course you can proceed to study Philosophy. It will take three years. Even if you are already a graduate in other subjects still you need to do Philosophy! If you only finished High School (10th) it will take 3 years to get admitted to Philosophy. After Philosophy you nee...

HOLY PRIESTHOOD In Leviticus, chapter 9, we read that God commands Moses, as part of the old covenant, to ordain a specialized, professional priesthood to offer sacrifices for the people. Late, as part of "the new covenant in (his) blood"  (Lk 22:20) , Jesus establishes a newly ordained priesthood for the church and gives its members the authority and power to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Lk 22:14-20) All Christians share in a common "Holy priesthood" offering "spiritual sacrifices" (1 Pt 2:5) such as prayer, almsgiving (see Heb 13:15-16) , and faith in Jesus  (see Phil 2:17) . But the special mission that Christ gave his apostles, their successors, and the priests they were to ordain -which includes, among other functions, presiding at the Eucharist and administering the sacrament of Reconciliation -was not to be shared by all of his followers. "For...all the parts (of Christ's body) do not have the same function" (Rom 12:4) The New...

 MORTAL SIN VS VENIAL SIN To avoid being judgmental, some Christians insist that all sins are alike in God's eyes that no particular sin is worse than another, But the bible clearly teaches otherwise Many of God's laws for the ancient Israelites, along with the punishments prescribed for breaking those laws, are found in Leviticus. The sanctions various sins they punished. For example, if someone tried to defraud another person, the punishment was the restitution of what had been stolen or unjustly held, plus a portion of the object's value (see 5:20-24). But if someone committed a grave sin such as incest, adultery, or idolatry the death penalty was prescribed  No doubt Christians are not subject to all of the old Testament laws. Nevertheless, these and other biblical passages demonstrate that the degree of guilt incurred through sin can vary -that some sins are indeed more serious than others. Of course, our modern legal system and even common sense assume the same realit...

 HOLY TRINITY In Deuteronomy, we find the great declaration of the Jewish faith that there is one God, and this is affirmation is echoed in Christian teaching (see Jas 2:19) . Yet at the same time, Scripture calls three Persons "God" (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) and describes all three in ways that pertain to God alone, not to creatures. Nor are these three names simply various ways of speaking about the same Person: At Jesus baptism, for example, as he (God the Son) emerges from the water, a voice (God the Father)speaks from heaven, and dove (a form taken by God the Holy Spirit) alights on him (see Lk 3:21-22) The Church teaches that these two realities of God's "oneness" and "threeness" are not contradictory. Rather, God is one being in three Persons; within his very essence, he is one community of love This Trinity in Unity is no doubt a mystery; after all, as human beings with limited intellects, we can't hope to comprehend fully ...

 ORIGINAL SIN Much of the language in Genesis opening chapters is figurative. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church affirms that we find there a reference to a real event in the time that took place at the very beginning of the human race -a tragedy unequaled in history, known as the Fall. We know few details, but the basic realities surrounding that fateful development are clear from the teaching of Scripture and Tradition: God created our first human parents in a state of holiness, an original justice (righteousness), without sin, and thus without shame (see Gn 2:25) . They enjoyed a right and harmonious relationship with God, themselves, each other, and the world around them  Through their own free choice, however, they disobeyed God, breaking fellowship with him (see Sir 15:14) Their disobedience -a turning away from the source of all life and order necessarily brought death and disorder into the world, and above all within themselves. So they 'fell ' from their previous condi...

CHRIST MOST PERFECTLY REVEALS GOD THE FATHER In the generation, after our first parents disobeyed God, breaking their descendant's knowledge of their Creator seems to have become faded and even distorted. We find in the book of Genesis, however, that God chooses to reveal himself to a series of individuals and their families, to begin the restoration of his relationship with humanity. His revelation to Abraham begins a series of events that leads to the formation of the Jewish people and eventually to the birth of Christ to a Jewish woman As "the word ( Who) became flesh" (see Jn 1:14) , christ most perfectly reveals God the Father; the entire divine revelation is perfectly summed up in him. He is not only the Son of God but also God the Son: equal in essence and glory with his Father in heaven. The Holy Spirit -the Spirit sent by the Father and breathed on the apostles by the son -is also a divine Person, and fully God (see Jn 14:9-11) Catholics believe that this revelat...

EVOLUTION Are the opening chapters of Genesis a literal, scientific description of the world's creation? Or is their language more figurative, whose essential meaning points to fundamental truths about God and the world? Christians have debated the matter since ancient times Perhaps the sharpest controversy over these passages has to do with human origins, usually focusing on the scientific theory of evolution. Some believe that Genesis, rightly understood, denies any possibility that human beings have descended in some sense from other species. Others, however, claim that such evolution is a proven scientific fact Catholic tradition provides a different perspective. Following the insights of St. Augustine and others, it allows that Genesis employs figurative language, so it cannot be cited as a scientific text that rules out human evolution altogether. At the same time, however, the "proven facts of science" accepted by one generation may be rejected by later generations...

  WORK ON SUNDAYS Nehemiah was a Jewish layman who was devoted to God and longed to see God's law kept by his people. Through Moses, the Lord had commanded the ancient Israelites "to keep holy the sabbath day" -that is, to set aside worship and rest ( see Ex 20:8-11 ) . So Nehemiah rebuked the residents of Jerusalem for treating this sacred day like any other by working  at their normal business ( see Neh 13:15-22 ) Scripture suggests that a regular day of rest is actually part of the "rhythm" of creation. In the poetic language of Genesis, God himself is pictured as "resting" on the seventh day  Image to view after creating the world, an example we are to imitate ( see Gn 2:1-3 ) . Just as importantly, the Lord insists that we should give the same privilege of rest to family members, employees, guests, and even laboring animals ( see Ex 20:10 )   ( see Ex 23:12 ) Today the Church continues to call us to a weekly Sabbath. But in honor of Jesus resurrec...

END TIME  The startling visions of the prophet Daniel, whose apocalyptic language is echoed in Revelation, have provided grist for many a mill of "end times"  speculation. Though a number of the book's passages seem to refer to events now in the past, others clearly point toward "the end of days" ( Dn 12:13 ) Nevertheless, given the cryptic and often symbolic nature of these and related biblical texts, the countless interpretations of them often contradict one another. so the catholic church warns believers to avoid futile speculation on the matter. What, then, can we know for certain about the end of the world? Here's a summary of the essentials of church teaching from the Catechism : Jesus will return to earth in glory ( see Mt 24:27 ) First, however, the Antichrist will appear to deceive the world and persecute the church  ( see 2 Thes 2:3-12 ) The Church will suffer the great tribulation prophesied by her lord ( see Mt 24:3-14 ) The final victory of Chri...

 SPEAKING IN TONGUES Image to view "Speaking in tongues" is a special grace given by the holy spirit that allows a believer to speak in a language not learned by natural means. Jesus speaks of this gift as one of the "signs" that "will accompany those who believe". On the day of Pentecost, the apostles speak in tongues, as do other new believers on several occasions. St. Paul lists "varieties of tongues" among the "manifestation of the spirit," along with the "interpretation of tongues"                                                                          Image to view Other scriptural passages may also refer to tongues, though the connection is uncertain. For example, Romans tells how, when "we do not know how to pray as we ought,... the spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groaning" St.P...

APOLOGETICS   " In the beginning... God." The first words of the bible  ( see Gen 1:1 )  affirm essential teaching of the Christian faith: Before all else, God is . It's a reality that seems obvious to most Christians, yet many people doubt or deny it Challenges are often issued to other articles of the Christian faith, such as the resurrection of Jesus Christ and specifically the pope. For the reason, Christians -and Catholic Christians in particular -often find themselves defending their beliefs in conversations with non-believers The Greek word for "defense" is APOLOGIA . Our English word "apology" is derived from it. In its classical definition, "apology" did not mean an admission of wrong, as the modern English word suggests. Rather, an apology was a defense or justification of a belief. for example, an account of Socrates defense of his teaching In the present context, "apologetics" refers to the reasonable defense of the Chr...