Based on history, what is the most important event that has ever happened in the world, which has had the greatest impact on other events and has influenced the lives of the greatest number of people? God’s Existence and Perfection. St. Thomas Aquinas, building on Aristotle’s writings, demonstrated God’s existence by using reason. The Catechism states, “Man’s [intellectual] faculties make him capable of coming to a knowledge of the existence of a personal God”. St. Paul echoes this in Romans 1:19-20. Aquinas’ Five Proofs and other arguments provide solid explanations for God’s existence. Additionally, God is all-powerful and all-knowing, and He is eternal by way of His essential perfection – perfect knowledge, perfect power, and perfection of all His other attributes (inherent qualities). The Summa Theologiae, Questions 1-21, provides a more detailed explanation of God’s attributes. "God is a supreme Spirit, who alone exists of Himself, and is infinite in all perfections.” It means God is the highest and greatest spirit. He alone was never created; He has always existed and it is His very nature to exist. God was made known to the people of Israel through Moses that God was a self-existent being, that He owed His existence to no one or nothing else. All else in the universe is contingent (dependent) being - at one time it did not exist; therefore it did not have to exist. Everything else in the universe is therefore totally dependent on God for its existence. God is existence itself; His name is I AM. His perfections are absolutely without limit of any sort; He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-holy, all-merciful, all-just and so on. God is called Almighty because He can do all things. “With God all things are possible” (Matt. Xix.26) But God cannot do what is against reason e.g. make a square circle. Nor can he commit sin; to sin would be against His very nature since He is by nature all-holy. He is divine, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, He is Omnipotent - God is all-powerful - everything consistent with God's nature is possible; is Omniscience - God is all-knowing, of past, present and future; is Omnibenevolence (unlimited goodness) - God is all-good/all-loving; and Omnipresence - God is present everywhere. When God made man, Adam and Eve, they were made perfect and pure without sin, not only their bodies but their souls too. Due to Original Sin (the sin of Adam and Eve), it left in all our souls a stain; with this stain our souls cannot enter heaven. It is because God is pure spirit therefore heaven where He dwells is also pure and nothing impure can enter it. Jesus commanded, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Adam and Eve were driven out of Paradise after they have sinned and Paradise was closed to man - the gates of heaven were closed to man. The soul is the animating principle that makes us what we are. We are finite beings who will live forever because of our souls. The soul is the form that guarantees the continuity between this life and the next. Otherwise, when we “lose” our lives, we just lose them. Nothing more is to be said. The whole drama of what our being really is no longer has any grounding. God made man out of love for us. It is out of this love, knowing that after Original Sin, man will not be able to enter heaven therefore in His mercy, he sent Jesus His only Son to be sacrificed on the cross in order that His precious blood is shed to atone for the sins of man. God is infinite and Jesus being also God is infinite therefore His sacrifice was made sufficient to redeem man (finite creature of God) from their sins. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. We were ransomed by the price of His precious blood; thus making the cross one of the defining symbols of Christianity. Jesus’ sacrificial death is the ultimate expression of God’s love. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his only son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Humans Are Designed for Truth. Why was there blood sacrifices to God in ancient times? The sacrifices involving blood in the Old Testament, the blood symbolically represented life. It is the life (blood) of the victim that is the source of the atonement, which, of course, brings the hope of the sinner's union with holy God. Humanity aware of its sinfulness needed to appease God and begged for mercy. Since the time of Cain and Abel were sacrifices made. The Israelites needed a system that could turn them away from sin, pay their sin “debt,” cleanse and purify the community and the temple from sin, and allow them to stay in God's presence. That brings us to the practice of animal sacrifice introduced in Leviticus. The whole of the Old Testament, every book, points toward the Great Sacrifice that was to come—that of Jesus’ sacrificial giving of His own life on our behalf. Leviticus 17:11 is the Old Testament’s central statement about the significance of blood in the sacrificial system. God, speaking to Moses, declares: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” A “sacrifice” is defined as the offering up of something precious for a cause or a reason. Making atonement is satisfying someone or something for an offense committed. The Leviticus verse can be read more clearly now: God said, “I have given it to you (the creature’s life, which is in its blood) to make atonement for yourselves (covering the offense you have committed against Me).” In other words, those who are covered by the blood sacrifice are set free from the consequences of sin. All these blood sacrifices were a precursor of Jesus Bloody sacrifice on the Cross for us. Hebrews 9:11-18 confirms the symbolism of blood as life and applies Leviticus 17:11 to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 12 states clearly that the Old Testament blood sacrifices were temporary and only atoned for sin partially and for a short time, hence the need to repeat the sacrifices yearly. But when Christ entered the Most Holy Place, He did so to offer His own blood once for all time, making future sacrifices unnecessary. This is what Jesus meant by His dying words on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Never again would the blood of bulls and goats cleanse men from their sin. Only by accepting Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross for the remission of sins, can we stand before God covered in the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Purpose of Religion - Oxford Scholarship Online. How very much God loves us: Scripture tells us in 1 John 3:1: How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are! Romans 8 says that nothing, not death, life, nor circumstances, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. 1 John 4:16 God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. What is love? 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a (ESV) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. God has great love for man. This love which is so real, made God send his son to redeem man after the fall of man into sin. Why does God love us so much? God loves you, not because of who you are or what you've done. God loves you because of who he is. God's very being is love. When we doubt God's love for us, it's inevitably because we're taking our eyes off him and focusing on ourselves — our insecurities, shortcomings, sins and insignificance. When filled with God's love, we can do and see and understand things that we could not otherwise do or see or understand. Filled with His love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others in ways surprising even to us. 1 Peter 4:8: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Ephesians 5:21: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 1 John 4:8: Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Corinthians 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. What God teaches us about love? Jesus himself said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. ' ” (Matthew 22:37-39, ESV) To “love the Lord thy God with all thy mind” is done when our thoughts dwell on Him; and His holiness, and goodness, and love, and mercy, and beauty… Then we reply to His perfection with prayer, praise, perhaps a song, and worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). No matter what you do and no matter what happens to you, God loves you. He proved it by sending his son to pay for our sins. If we accept God's gift of Jesus Christ, nothing is too much for us to overcome. A good priest once told me that God loves us so much that even if you were the only one on earth, He would still send His only son, Jesus, to die the horrible and ignominious death on the cross for you. John 15:13: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Ecclesiam nulla salus. The Latin phrase extra Ecclesiam nulla salus (meaning "outside the Church [there is] no salvation" or "no salvation outside the Church") is a phrase referring to a Christian doctrine about who is to receive salvation. The original phrase, "Salus extra ecclesiam non est" ("there is no salvation out of the Church"), comes from Letter LXXII of St. Cyprian of Carthage (died 258). Saint Cyprian says: "He who has not the Church for his mother cannot have God for his Father." And with him the Fathers of the Church in general say that, "as all those who were not in the ark of Noah perished in the waters of the deluge, so shall perish all who are out of the true Church." The expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a Christian bishop of the 3rd century. The phrase is an axiom often used as shorthand for the doctrine that the Church is necessary for salvation. It is a dogma in the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, in reference to their own communions. For others, the theological basis for this doctrine is founded on the beliefs that Jesus Christ personally established the one Church, and that the Church serves as the means by which the graces won by Christ are communicated to believers. The 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church explained this as "all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is His Body." The Catholic Church also teaches that the doctrine does not mean that everyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned in case of inculpable ignorance. Only God is the final judge on who is saved and in His mercy, if there are souls who are saved, it is because of the Catholic Church. One of the most misconstrued teachings of the Church, and the cause for many discussions, is this phrase “outside the Church there is no salvation.” In other words, all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body. While true, it is important to note that this is “not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church.” Indeed, if these people seek God with a sincere heart, and try, in their actions to do his will as they know it, they may also attain heaven. Only God is the final judge on who is saved and in His mercy, if there are souls who are saved, it is because of the Catholic Church. The doctrine is based largely on Mark 16:15-16: He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned." Justin Martyr: “Those who act pleasing to God, while not "being" Christian are yet in some sense "in" Christ the Logos. ...Each one, ... shall be saved by his own righteousness, ... those who regulated their lives by the law of Moses would in like manner be saved. ...Since those who did that which is universally, naturally, and eternally good are pleasing to God, they shall be saved through this Christ in the resurrection equally with those righteous men who were before them, namely Noah, and Enoch, and Jacob, and whoever else there be, along with those who have known this Christ.” St. Jerome wrote: "This is the ark of Noah, and he who is not found in it shall perish when the flood prevails." Bede continues this theme: "And according to this sense the ark is manifestly the Church, Noah the Lord who builds the Church." All those who wish to be saved, must die united to the Catholic Church. For out of her there is no salvation, because only she teaches what Jesus Christ requires of everyone to be saved, and because only to her did Christ leave the means to obtain all the graces necessary for salvation. Hence Jesus said to His Apostles and to all their lawful successors: "Go and teach all nations: teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. He that believeth not all these things shall be condemned." Our Divine Savior says: "No one can come to the Father, except through Me."If we then wish to enter heaven, we must be united to Christ - to His [Mystical] Body, which is the Church, as Saint Paul says. Therefore outside the Church there is no salvation. Again, Jesus Christ says: "Who-ever will not hear the Church, look upon him as a heathen and a publican," a great sinner. Therefore outside the Church there is no salvation. Holy Scripture says: "The Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47.) Therefore the Apostles believed and the Holy Scriptures teach that there is no salvation out of the Church. What did Saint Augustine and the other Bishops of Africa, at the Council of Zirta, in 412, say about the salvation of those who die outside the Roman Catholic Church? "Whosoever," they said, is separated from the Catholic Church, however commendable in his own opinion his life may be, he shall for the very reason that he is separated from the union of Christ not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36.).. Many people these days think that after they die they are buried and that’s it. To them it’s about making the best of their lives when they are still alive. As it has been shown that we were made with souls in our bodies, and a soul is a spirit; we can't say that when we die, our body gets buried and that's it. Then where does the soul go to? It cannot be that the soul just roams aimlessly after death, it doesn't make sense as God creates things for a purpose. Why did God create us in the first place? Out of love, God created us for himself, for nothing less than to know, love, serve and enjoy Him — now and forever in heaven. Through sin, however, we’ve rebelled against God and rejected His friendship. As a result, His likeness in us (our souls) has been marred (stain of sin), and we’ve separated ourselves from Him. Since He’s the Source of all that’s good, such separation can lead only to misery in both this life and the next. Because God loved us so much, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from such a terrible fate. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus offer us, through the forgiveness of our sins, escape from eternal punishment. But that’s not all. He also reconciles us to God, opening the door to a full restoration of our friendship with Him in heaven. Baptism – Is it a Necessity for Salvation? Baptism of Water. All who who have heard the Gospel, and who have had the possibility of asking for baptism, need to be baptized in order to attain salvation. Jesus affirms the necessity of this sacrament saying, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5). However, our God is a merciful and loving God. While he has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, God is not bound by his sacraments. Baptism of Blood. The Church has always taught that those who die for the sake of the faith, before they have received the sacrament of Baptism, are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament. Thus, salvation may be attained. Baptism of Desire. Similarly to a Baptism of blood, the desire for baptism, while not a sacrament, also brings about the fruits of Baptism. An individual who were to die before being baptized, but had expressed a clear desire to receive this sacrament, and repented for his/her sins, would be assured salvation. God’s Mercy and Our Mission We must always remember the great mercy of God. Jesus died for every single person, salvation is meant for everyone. The Holy Spirit offers every person, in a way known only to God, the possibility of being made partakers of the Paschal mystery (Lumen Gentium, 16). “Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved”. Many people these days think that after they die they are buried and that’s it. To them it’s about making the best of their lives when they are still alive. As it has been shown that we were made with souls in our bodies, and a soul is a spirit; we can't say that when we die, our body gets buried and that's it. Then where does the soul go to? It cannot be that the soul just roams aimlessly after death, it doesn't make sense as God creates things for a purpose; and the purpose of giving you a soul is to be able to be with Him in heaven. Jesus’ death on the cross is to make it possible for souls to merit heaven; through His Church and Sacraments. May you be docile and accept this special grace from God who wants you to be His child and believe. May we live a life filled with the hope of heaven! May God bless you and keep you. Glossary: * What is Trinitarian life?
The three Persons of the Trinity are relational to one another in two internal divine processions: The Father eternally generates the Son, and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. (CCC 254) The one Godhead is an inter-relational Being of three Persons. In short, God is a family. What are Papal encyclicals? A papal encyclical is a pastoral letter from the pope usually addressed to the whole Catholic Church, her clergy and the laity, and for all the benefit of humanity. Encyclical letters generally address matters of faith or morals, encourage a particular commemoration or pious devotion, or deal with matters of Church discipline which are to be universally observed. Encyclicals started as letters of the Pope to be “circulated” within a specific group within the church to address issues of concern, point out dangers that might affect the Church or the world, exhort for action or constancy, and prescribe remedies. The encyclicals are considered a significant teaching of the authority of the Church through the Pope. Encyclicals therefore are intended to command the attention and respect of the faithful, and to help everyone better understand how to apply the teachings of Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition. For example, Pope Leo XIII, towards the end of his pontificate, wrote many short Encyclical letters (some of them less than one page long) addressed to specific bishops regarding current issues of concern in their region, such as the introduction of civil marriage in Ecuador, the weakening of the faith in Bohemia and Moravia, and the establishment of seminaries in Greece, to name a few. They resemble the loving pen of a concerned father for his children, urging them to persevere in the values that rule the Christian family. This is align with Catholic tradition following the example of St. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, Romans and Ephesians. Encyclicals carry a lot of teaching weight. It is the highest form of papal document that can be released by the pope alone. Although the pope can issue an infallible statement, encyclicals are not infallible but certainly deserve the highest assent that can be given. And while the teachings contained therein may sometimes prove burdensome and difficult for some to accept and to follow, Catholics of good will everywhere are obliged to acknowledge their apostolic authority and strive to humbly assent to their teaching. How blessed the Church has been to receive the teaching of the Lord and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that is contained in the encyclical letters of the popes down through the ages! “But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself.” Pope Leo XIII For any Catholic wishing to know their faith more deeply and to evade those who warp their beliefs, these encyclicals are invaluable and articulate resources for deepening one’s understanding and love for the Church. By reading older documents, like these, is a concrete way to gain an appreciation for the continuity of the Faith. They are meant to be read by all of the faithful and to be aware of the concerns of the popes throughout Church history, especially encyclicals against modern errors. Why read these particular encyclicals against modern errors? It’s because since the French Revolution in 1789 which saw a host of religious, political and social errors launched which spread throughout the world. Errors based on the ideologies of Liberalism and Naturalism. From the beginning of these errors, the Popes, for more than 160 years have spoken out, as with one voice, wrote and legislated against these errors. The Syllabus of Errors is one such document issued on 8 December 1864, as an appendix to the Quanta Cura encyclical, by the Holy See under Pope Pius IX. It condemns a total of 80 errors or heresies, articulating Catholic Church teaching on a number of philosophical and political questions. Sadly, most of these errors have spread and today have filtered down to the common man… with the result that the majority of people now take for granted many fundamental assumptions that are positively false! How can Encyclicals be read and understood in an easy way? Keeping an open mind is key to understanding Encyclicals, because they challenge the popular perception of the problem in many ways. The following encyclicals are especially recommended for reading : Quanta Cura (Latin for "Condemning Current Errors") was a papal encyclical issued by Pope Pius IX on 8 December 1864. In it, he decried what he considered significant errors afflicting the modern age. These he listed in an attachment called the Syllabus of Errors, which condemned secularism and religious indifferentism. Quanta cura condemns propositions, such as, notably:
These propositions were aimed at anticlerical governments in various European countries, which were secularizing education (sometimes by taking over Catholic schools rather than starting their own competing public schools) and suppressing religious orders, and confiscating their property. Humanum Genus (On Freemasonry) by Leo XIII: Catholics no longer talk about Freemasonry, even though it is the topic upon which more encyclicals were written than about any other. Leo XIII wrote many of these, this one is the best. Leo states: ‘It may seem to some that Freemasons demand nothing that is openly contrary to religion and morality; but, as the whole principle and object of the sect lies in what is vicious and criminal, to join with these men or in any way to help them cannot be lawful’. Rerum Novarum by Leo XIII : If you only read one text we recommend this one, which deals with the twin evils of Capitalism and Socialism in reducing man to an economic unit. ‘The great mistake made in regard to the matter now under consideration is to take up with the notion that class is naturally hostile to class, and that the wealthy and the working men are intended by nature to live in mutual conflict. So irrational and so false is this view that the direct contrary is the truth. Just as the symmetry of the human frame is the result of the suitable arrangement of the different parts of the body, so in a State is it ordained by nature that these two classes should dwell in harmony and agreement, so as to maintain the balance of the body politic. Each needs the other: capital cannot do without labor, nor labor without capital. Mutual agreement results in the beauty of good order, while perpetual conflict necessarily produces confusion and savage barbarity. Now, in preventing such strife as this, and in uprooting it, the efficacy of Christian institutions is marvellous and manifold. First of all, there is no intermediary more powerful than religion (whereof the Church is the interpreter and guardian) in drawing the rich and the working class together, by reminding each of its duties to the other, and especially of the obligations of justice’ Pascendi Dominici Gregis by Pope Pius X : This document was subtitled ‘On the Doctrine of the Modernists’. It detailed the many ways with which Modernists were hoping to infiltrate the church with false teachings and to water down the Catholic faith. If only people had listened. We allude, Venerable Brethren, to many who belong to the Catholic laity, and, what is much more sad, to the ranks of the priesthood itself, who, animated by a false zeal for the Church, lacking the solid safeguards of philosophy and theology, nay more, thoroughly imbued with the poisonous doctrines taught by the enemies of the Church, and lost to all sense of modesty, put themselves forward as reformers of the Church; and, forming more boldly into line of attack, assail all that is most sacred in the work of Christ, not sparing even the Person of the Divine Redeemer, whom, with sacrilegious audacity, they degrade to the condition of a simple and ordinary man. ‘Although they express their astonishment that We should number them amongst the enemies of the Church, no one will be reasonably surprised that We should do so, if, leaving out of account the internal disposition of the soul, of which God alone is the Judge, he considers their tenets, their manner of speech, and their action. Nor indeed would he be wrong in regarding them as the most pernicious of all the adversaries of the Church. For, as We have said, they put into operation their designs for her undoing, not from without but from within. Hence, the danger is present almost in the very veins and heart of the Church, whose injury is the more certain from the very fact that their knowledge of her is more intimate’. Quas Primas by Pope Pius XI: As Europe showed no lessons from the madness of World War I, Benedict tried to bring them back to their senses by reminding them that Christ was the true King. ‘When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony. Our Lord’s regal office invests the human authority of princes and rulers with a religious significance; it ennobles the citizen’s duty of obedience. It is for this reason that St. Paul, while bidding wives revere Christ in their husbands, and slaves respect Christ in their masters, warns them to give obedience to them not as men, but as the vicegerents of Christ; for it is not meet that men redeemed by Christ should serve their fellow-men. “You are bought with a price; be not made the bond-slaves of men.”[32] If princes and magistrates duly elected are filled with the persuasion that they rule, not by their own right, but by the mandate and in the place of the Divine King, they will exercise their authority piously and wisely, and they will make laws and administer them, having in view the common good and also the human dignity of their subjects. The result will be a stable peace and tranquility, for there will be no longer any cause of discontent. Men will see in their king or in their rulers men like themselves, perhaps unworthy or open to criticism, but they will not on that account refuse obedience if they see reflected in them the authority of Christ God and Man. Peace and harmony, too, will result; for with the spread and the universal extent of the kingdom of Christ men will become more and more conscious of the link that binds them together, and thus many conflicts will be either prevented entirely or at least their bitterness will be diminished’. PAPAL ENCYCLICALS OF GREAT POPES Through their encyclicals, the popes were acting as defenders of the faith and of civil order. For this reason the Roman Pontiffs are to be regarded as having greatly served the public good, for they have ever endeavoured to break the turbulent and restless spirit of innovators (in their destructive plans for the Church and society), and have often warned men of the danger they are to civil society. But the faithful, having knowledge of these Papal encyclicals, in support of the the Pontiffs, have to employ every industry and effort which God have graced us, to avert the dangers and evils to human society.
Strive with all possible care to make men understand and show forth in their lives what the Catholic Church teaches on government and the duty of obedience. Let us fly from forbidden sects, to abhor all conspiracy, to have nothing to do with sedition and render obedience to God and His Commandments. It is to Him that we must pray, beseeching Him to incline all minds to uprightness and truth, to calm angry passions, to restore the long awaited tranquility of peace to the world. Let us pray with greater hope, to our intercessors and protectors of our welfare Our Lady the Great Mother of God, St. Joseph, the Great Patron of the Church, and the great Saints Peter and Paul, the guardians and protectors of the Church. Dear brethren in Christ, this October 30th, is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Feast of the Kingship of Christ was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in his encyclical Quas Primas; to respond to a world that has rejected Christ and has been dominated by secularism and increasingly evil. Let us enkindle in our hearts the desire to want Christ to reign in the entire world, in our country, in all human activities, in our homes, and in the hearts and lives of countless souls. Everyone is encouraged to prepare for this great solemnity by praying this novena prayer to Christ the King; and all traditional Catholic priest, are kindly encouraged to have Benediction after Mass from 21 st to 30th October. During this period, if it is possible let us attend Mass but let us sanctify our souls before at confession. For those who are unable to attend Mass, let us kneel in front of the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to pray the Rosary, make a spiritual communion and prayer to our guardian angel to attend Mass in our stead. Novena to Christ the King Meditation JESUS began his public life by announcing His Kingdom. "The Kingdom of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the Gospel!" [Mk 1:14]. The Kingdom of God is primarily spiritual. Its final realization consists in the union of all the blessed in the possession of God in Heaven. Entrance into this Kingdom comes through the acceptance of the Gospel message by faith and the receiving of Baptism. Christ's Kingdom is not a worldly kingdom. The name by which the Kingdom of God is most commonly called is the Catholic Church. It is at once Divine and human; on earth and in Heaven. Small as a mustard seed in its beginning, it was destined to become Catholic, that is, to embrace all the earth or to be universal. This concept of the Catholic Church as the one universal Kingdom of God makes it evident that there can be only one true Church, just as there can be only one true Kingdom of God. The Church is Jesus Christ, living on and acting in the world through His duly authorized ministers, until the end of time. He gave to His Church a form, an organization which would enable it to carry on His work on earth -----to teach, to rule, and to administer to the souls of men. Membership in the Kingdom of God is the most precious thing that a person can possess. We must regard it as a pearl beyond price and gratefully sacrifice for this gift. Jesus Christ is our King -----all things have been created in Him, through Him, and for Him and as the Son, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, He is the perfect image of God. It is of faith that Jesus Christ, as Man, has the fullest spiritual power, leading to salvation, establishing the Church and her Sacraments, and disposing of all graces in the supernatural order. In virtue of the union of His human nature with the Divine, He possesses still greater power, which is the foundation of His Kingship. We, as individuals, must strive to be subject to Christ the King most perfectly, in mind, will, and heart, because we were purchased at the price of His Own Precious Blood. Christ must be King of the home and all human society. Novena Prayer
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.. O Lord JESUS, Thou didst declare that Thy Kingdom is upon the earth, but not of the earth; it is a spiritual, supernatural Kingdom, the Kingdom of truth. It fights with the power of conviction, and conquers by this means the hearts that by right belong to it. Thou Thyself art witness to this truth, and Thou Thyself art the Truth. Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly a King because Thou hast come into the world to institute among people the rule of God; every person who is of the truth, who believes in God and recognizes His authority in human affairs, owes Thee a loyal and undivided allegiance and "hears Thy voice." As a Catholic I am a member of Thy Kingdom, and Thou art my King. To Thee I owe loyalty, obedience, and love. Help me to carry out these most sacred duties toward Thee. I wish to be "of the truth " that is "a child of God" and gladly to hear Thy voice and follow Thee in all things. I accept Thee as my King and submit to Thy authority. Reign supremely in my heart and in my life. Thy reign is heavenly peace; Thy law is love. Help me to pray and work that Thy Kingdom may come into every soul, every family, every nation. May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth. Lord Jesus Christ, my King, I adore Thee as the Son of God, and through the prayers of Thy most loving Mother I beg of Thee, send me from out of the abundance of Thy loving Heart the grace of the Holy Spirit in order that He may enlighten my ignorance, purify and sanctify my sinful heart, and confirm me in Thy holy love. This I request through the love of the Father and the Holy Spirit, through Thine infinite mercy, and through the merits of all Thy Saints. Amen. Consecration CHRIST, Jesus, I acknowledge Thee as King of the universe. All that has been made has been created for Thee. Make full use of Thy rights over me. I renew the promises I made in Baptism when I renounced Satan and all his pomps and works. I promise to live a good Christian life. Especially, I undertake to help, to the extent of my means, to secure the triumph of the rights of God and of Thy Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee my poor efforts so that all hearts may acknowledge Thy sacred Royalty and the Kingdom of Thy peace may be established throughout the entire universe. Amen. Christus Vincit! Christus Regnat! Christus Imperat!
When I was younger I wasn’t an ardent reader, I only read or studied when necessary. It was until I embraced traditional Catholicism, and met some good traditional priests who inspired my family to read and recommended us good Catholic books. I was already in my mid-thirties then.
The first book that got me inspired to read more was a novel about St. Francis Xavier : Set all on Fire by Louis de Wohl. The book was a fascinating story which takes us into the mind and heart of this great saint and missionary who was sent by order of St. Ignatius of Loyola to set all afire in the Orient. Following Xavier's life from student days in Paris, through his meeting with St. Ignatius, his reluctant conversion, and his travels as one of the first Jesuits from Europe to Goa, India, Malaysia, Japan, and finally, to an island off the coast of China, where he was exiled and died alone. It also captured the dramatic struggles and inspiring zeal of this remarkable saint. Gradually, I read more and realized how beautiful and vast is the knowledge of the Catholic Church and her history, and landed up with a small library of Catholic books.
Eventually, I read more spiritual books written by the saints like St. Francis de Sales, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Thomas Aquinas, the Popes and so on. As my knowledge grew as I got older, I realize what a great grace to be in the Catholic faith, learning to truly live a Catholic life, loving and serving God according to His will.
Reading, as I found out is good for you because it improves brain connectivity, increases your vocabulary and comprehension, empowers you to empathize with other people, aids in sleep readiness, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, fights depression symptoms, and prevents cognitive decline as you age.
So should we begin reading more and read good Catholic books? I certainly encourage it. Well, it really depends on each individual on what one wants to achieve. Whatever it is reading will certainly gain you more knowledge. By reading recommended Catholic books, we will be able to learn how to increase our love for God and to know His Holy will. How to love Our Lady, the Holy Family and the Saints. It is only through knowledge of someone that we learn to love that someone and to be able to do new things. Where else can we learn what it means to do God’s Holy Will? The Saints are in heaven so how do we learn to imitate the Saints, to be holy like them, if not from books? Of course we can attend conferences or listen to good sermons but books are more easily accessible. Of course nowadays we could easily access the information online (but we need to ensure that they are from recommended reliable sources since misinformation is also easily available online). Since what was written by the great thinkers, and great saints are often available only in books, the mind-expanding benefits are enormous. Imagine the wealth of information that could be accumulated by reading instead of the 30-40 hours weekly, an average adult spends in front of the TV or on their mobile devices. Build up your reading capacity from a page a day or a chapter a day and you will be finishing a book in a month in no time. Reading is obviously low-cost affordability and can even be a free stress-reliever. When deeply reading one can be in a tranquil oasis where one escapes the stresses of life. Difficulty falling asleep at night, read a few pages and you’ll be yawning in no time.
And why should Catholics read books on our religion? There is the well known saying: “knowledge is power.” Knowledge sharpens our skills like reasoning and problem-solving. A strong base of knowledge helps brains function more smoothly and effectively. We become smarter with the power of knowledge and solve problems more easily.
Similarly, the spirituality from books written by the Saints or of them are the food for our souls. It is the “power” for our souls, the fervour for our faith. The fervour that will enable us to serve God better and help merit us heaven. It is all about getting to where we want to be. If we are to really benefit from our faith, we must not only know the Catholic beliefs thoroughly, and not just the minimal outlines we learned from catechism classes, but much more. We can understand the Catholic faith easily in its simplest form, but knowing all that it contains in its incredible richness and beauty and her history, can be discovered only by reading about it. Reading also teaches us how to think and not to just blindly accept what others say about our faith. Especially to be able to defend our faith against the increasing persecution that Christians face today. For those intimidated by intellectual, academic, and often difficult to understand writing on religion, there are many books that are very readable presentations of the fullness of the Catholic faith. There are books, both solid and orthodox, that clearly explain the basic teachings of the Church, especially by showing the scriptural and logical basis for those teachings. Recommended books to read - resources for your souls.
By reading we discover what others, by their perception and investigation of the faith, find that is deep, precise and illuminating. We discover things about ourselves in the personalities and habits of the great Saints who have gone before us. We can learn from the experiences of others sometimes more easily than we can from our own experiences. We can relate to our own situation in the lives of others. We are encouraged in our own faith journey, knowing how human the saints really were.
There are many contentious issues in the Church today that relate to morality. Catholicism is under attack on an international scale, as is morality. To understand why there are such attacks and where they are coming from? Without the right knowledge, can we defend these attacks? Are we well enough informed? Are we sufficiently knowledgeable to withstand the contemporary attacks on conscience, natural law, and other foundations of morality? If we don’t read, to gain the necessary knowledge, how can we be critical thinkers? Without the right knowledge we can’t be analytical. If we do not have the Catholic knowledge that holds true to Catholic Tradition, how are we to fend off the increasing modernists and liberal ideology that have infested the Church, our schools and libraries, in fact the world, since the late ‘60s? How can we protect our families? How can we help our neighbours to convert to the true faith if we lack the necessary knowledge to answer questions about our faith, about the way of life we live? Isn’t it good to be better prepared for such opportunities?
But more than all this, we need to read because we discover, in the grandest way possible, why we are what we are; how well we know Christ; what our relationship with him is. And most of all, how truly and deeply we can love him and serve Him, to do His holy will in all things; to feed our souls enabling us fervently thriving for heaven, our true home. Our sole responsibility is to save our own souls, is it not then our duty to read?
Recommended books to read - resources for your souls.
Prayers for your intentions.
St. Thomas Aquinas’s prayer for wisdom: Give me, Lord God, a watchful heart that no stray thought might distract me from you. Give me a noble heart that no unworthy affection might pull me down. Give me a just heart that will not be divided by any dark intention. Give me a strong heart that will not be broken by any tribulation. Give me a free heart that will not follow any violent desire. Give me, Lord God, a mind to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a life to please you, perseverance to wait faithfully for you and the trust that will finally embrace you…Amen. Saint George is renowned worldwide as a legendary figure who offers valuable lessons on religious integrity and commitment to faith against all opposition. St. George is most notably the patron saint of reading and books, lepers, and leprosy. He is also the patron saint of knights, armorers, equestrians, Crusaders, shepherds, soldiers, and archers. Prayer for St. George’s intercession: Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of Saint George and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy divine Son. Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saving, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen. St. Francis de Sales St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of writers and journalists. St. Francis’s vocation was confirmed when, after falling from a horse three different times, his sword and its scabbard fell into the shape of a cross. Francis became a priest and the head of the Diocese of Geneva. Francis went on to convert 60,000 Calvinists to Catholicism. To further spread Catholicism, he wrote of the religion on papers and slid them underneath doors of homes. “May the Lord guide me and all those who write. Through your prayers, St. Frances de Sales, I ask for your intercession as I attempt to bring the written word to the world. Let us pray that God takes me in the palm of His hand and inspires my creativity and inspires my success. St. Francis de Sales, you understand the dedication required. Pray for God to inspire and allow ideas to flow. In His name, let my words reflect my faith for others to read. Amen.” Other sources for recommended Catholic books and information: T A N publications Christianbook.com Sunrise Marian Distribution ABEBOOKS Fisheaters.com Free Traditional Catholic Books |
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AuthorAn artist, entrepreneur, a loving family man, 30 years a Catholic traditionalist upholding traditions for the love of God. Shop for Catholic giftsArchives
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