The 800-page Warren Commission (more than a thousand with appendixes) Report says it was a conspiracy, we believe the same to be true. However, this report although already overdue in being made public for some good reasons (i.e. some of those implicated may still be alive or are still in power) has already given a great clue: a conspiracy, indeed.
“It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and the Blood of Christ, but He who was crucified for us, Christ Himself. The priest is in the role of Christ pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God’s. This is my Body, he says, the word transforms the things offered.” – St John Chrysostom
It has been written that receiving the Eucharist by the hand is one of the signs that the church is on its way to apostasy. Catholic dogma teaches the Real Presence of Christ in the Bread that is consecrated during mass and the soul of the devout is given countless blessings whenever he receives the Eucharist.
The infallibility of the church is in the doctrine and not on any person. Popes are only instruments, as they are just vicars of the Immutable God. Church dogma or doctrine does not change following the whims of someone leading or those following. Pastoral leadership must depend on God’s teaching because He is The Way. A militant Catholic must not only be militant but also vigilant because God works in mysterious ways and comes like a Thief in the night.
There is an apostasy growing into a monstrous size day by day. On the third secret of Fatima, Silvio Cardinal Oddi said “It has nothing to do with Gorbachev (any contemporary leader). The Blessed Virgin Mother was alerting us against apostasy in the Church.” And on the same subject, the Dominican Mario Luigi Cardinal Ciappi has this to say, “In the Third Secret it is foretold, among other things, that the great apostasy in the church will begin at the top.”
Beginning this Yuletide season, Sanhedrin will bring you a new format which will tackle controversial issues regarding things that could affect the faith and fate of mankind. Borrowing from the Philippine cultural tradition of duplohan, balagtasan, and the like; Sanhedrin would like to be the site where opposing and similar ideas may be ventilated and rendered as: Scribe, Pharisee, Saducee and Zealot.
The world is full of challenges. Men always strive for perfection. It is in his nature to be good as he was created from the image of God. Yet he bears the sin of man which makes him weak and vulnerable of his own free will, like warriors facing daily struggles and battles. The Holy Catholic church have given us great warriors, both young and old. Their life and struggles are inspiration for any age in battle.
The whole month of November is traditionally celebrated by Catholics remembering their departed loved ones. November 2 to be exact is All Soul’s day and everyone is expected to offer a Mass and prayer for the holy souls in purgatory. All of us surely knows a family, relative, a dear friend or love one who passed away. We have cherished memories and enjoyed life with them. But how much do we love them, does it end with their life? Time may heal our pain of losing them, but will the pain of the departed fade in the afterlife as well?
After Vatican II, we are now experiencing the changes in our church. May be some of us doesn’t notice, including the Millenials and the Gen-Z, that our Holy Mass is now similar to the protestants as Pope Paul VI initiates the Novus Ordo Mass where the priest is now facing the people, the language is now vernacular and the Gregorian Chant has been replaced by modern music. Liturgical dances and applause during are now present in the Holy Mass, some parishes have their own version of the Mass, which this was fixed by Pope St. Pius V when he promulgates the Tridentine Mass to unite the Church. The Church is now open to other religions where the Pope and Cardinals is now visiting different religions, joining their rituals and pray to their gods which violates God’s first commandment.
After the reformation of Pope St. Pius V in 1570 which is focused on Sacred Tradition, including the Holy Mass, the truth and strengthening the faith of the Catholics, there are no reforms in the following centuries. When modernism slowly enters the church that made some changes, including the Holy Mass, Pope St. Pius X fought the evil of modernism and restore everything for Christ. When St. Pius X died, the modernist in the Catholic Church took the opportunity to raise their ideals to the Church, but failed to do so because the following Popes also denied modernism. Then in 1962, Pope John XXIII called the Vatican II Council, which focuses on Modernism, the Liturgical Movement and Ecumenism - a reunion with other Christian Denominations like the Protestants.
Over the past centuries, the Catholic Church has remained faithful to Sacred Scripture and Holy Tradition. When the Protestanism rose, the Council of Trent made a counter-reformation. It was strengthened by St.Pope Pius V by making the church more disciplined and uniting it by promulgating the Tridentine Mass. Then, over the course of the twentieth century, many things changed and the modern day came. That is where modernism comes into being.
After the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon our Lady and the Apostles, the Church has faced numerous challenges, including persecutions from the Jews, the Roman Empire and other pagan nations. The demon used it to destroy the Church from the outside. Yet he also attempted to destroy the Church from within. There have been prior attempts to wreak havoc on the Church. Including critiques of corruption by a Catholic priest named John Wycliffe. But it was until 1517, when Martin Luther, an Augustinian Friar who wrote his ninety-five theses protesting against the sale of indulgences, became the wick of the Protestant Reformation.
In 2020, a virus called the Coronavirus 2019 or Covid19 has spread to the whole world and caused the sickness and death of many. The world has previously experienced similar pandemics in the past, such as the Bubonic Plague or the Black Death (1346-1353) and the Influenza A/H1N1 or the Spanish Flu (1918-1920). When the Covid-19 virus spread, businesses, schools and establishments closed down due to fear of getting this virus, including our own Catholic Church. Many faithful wanted to attend the Holy Mass or pray in the Church to seek and beg for help from God. But because the churches were closed, some tried to pray outside.
Every November, the Catholic Church is celebrating the feast of the All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2. However, in this generation, many are confused about the two events and sadly, most people celebrate it by wearing scary costumes instead of celebrating it in the proper and holy way.
In the Catholic Church, we worship only one God. But we also give importance to the angels and saints in Heaven including the Blessed Virgin Mary by celebrating their feast day and pray for them. The protestants think that we Catholics are worshipping the Saints, which is not true. We only venerate the Saints in Heaven and veneration is not tantamount to worshipping.
We Christians believe that we will go to heaven someday to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven is a place where there is no sorrow or suffering. But in today’s generation, everyone is missing out two places where we might go instead of going straight to heaven after death -- Purgatory and Hell.
In the coming feast of All Saints, we, as Catholics, should honor all the Saints instead of participating in evil costume parties like wearing nightmarish creatures. These Saints are holy men and women who are already in Heaven with the Lord. However, most of us do not know that there are Saints that was removed from liturgical calendar and the media called them downgraded saints. Some of these saints are very popular in the Church in many centuries, including St. Christopher, St. Ursula, St. Nicholas (popularly known as Santa Claus), St. George and St. Philomena.
When we are sick, including the sickness that lead us to death or old age and was unable to make a Sacramaent of Penance, our Lord instituted a Sacrament for this kind of case. It is called, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. It is also known today as the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
The Sacrament of the Holy Orders is one of the Seven Sacraments that our Lord Jesus Christ instituted that plays important role to the Catholic Church, the priesthood. The priests are the ones who initiate the other six sacraments: baptism, confirmation of the faithful, a confessor to those who needs absolution, anointing the sick ones, give matrimony to couples and give the Body and Blood of our Lord to the faithful in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. In the previous centuries, many men wanted to become priests. But in our current generation, most men have no desire to become a priest anymore and being a lay minister is what most aim to serve our Lord because they can hold and give communion to the faithful, which, most people don’t know, is invalid.
God is a God of Love. As love is very important including couples who truly love each other, He united man and woman as one under the Sacrament of Matrimony.
When a person has been baptized, he or she can now receive the other Sacraments. One of those Sacraments is the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the most known sacrament in the Catholic Church, which every catholic adore and receive in the Holy Mass. It is not only a sacrament, but also a Holy Sacrifice.
As a Catholic and true Christian, it is important to take the sacraments of the church. These sacraments are an outward sign that was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the sacraments, we obtain the grace of God which nourish our souls. Our Lord Jesus instituted seven sacraments in the Catholic Church: The Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders and Matrimony. In this article, we will talk about the first sacrament, the Sacrament of the Baptism.
We humans, including Christians, are made vulnerable when we sin. Most of our sins are venial that must be cleansed not only in our mind also in our soul. That is why our Lord instituted the sacrament of penance so we can receive absolution.
The Major Rogation was celebrated in April 25, during the Third Century Pope St. Gregory the Great instituted the Major Rogation after the Great Plague. The Minor Plague was intituted by St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne around 470 A.D. until it was officially adopted into the Roman Rite during the Reign of Pope St. Leo III.
In the previous centuries, before the Vatican II, the Catholic Church officially use the Latin language especially in the Holy Mass. But there are two particular languages that was used in the Holy Mass that is not a latin, the Hebrew and Greek language. Hebrew is the original language of the Jews while the Greek is the first official language of the Catholic Church especially in the Holy Mass until it was changed into Latin and in 1570, become the language of the Holy Mass. But, two prayers remain in their original language, one of them is the Kyrie Eleison or “Lord Have Mercy”.
The Holy Eucharist is very important sacrament to receive because this is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the form of bread and wine. This Sacrament was first instituted in the Last Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ where the twelve apostles are the first receiver of this sacrament in the world. Then the apostles followed the commandment of our Lord to do the Holy Mass in every nation under the church that our Lord Jesus Christ built, the Catholic Church. In the previous centuries, the Holy Eucharist must be taken with respect. It must be taken by tongue with the altar server holding a big plate under the receiver’s chin to avoid the Eucharist fall on the floor. But what if the Eucharist accidentally fall on the floor when we take it, what shall we do? Here are two steps on what to do when the Holy Eucharist fall on the floor.
On November 1, 1950, at Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Pius XII declared the Munificentissimus Deus. The Munificentissimus Deus stated that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, was taken up both body and soul into Heaven when she completed her mortal life. That is what the Pope declared at that time. How come that the Assumption of the Virgin Mary occurred? The Bible does not state anything about the Assumption, so how come the Catholics have a dogma about it? Remember that Catholic Church’s teachings come from three sources: Tradition, Sacred Scriptures, and the Magisterium. The Assumption is not in the Sacred Scriptures.
The world is full of colors. Colors are hues created by God that can be seen in nature. When God created the world, the brilliance of colors can be seen in His creations. From the changing of seasons, natures largest and smallest creations, there are multitudes of combinations of colors to love.
The pursuit for world peace and happiness is constant. People lean on religion and faith in asking a higher power for guidance, especially Catholics who have Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. Jesus Christ established the church with His disciples more than 2000 years ago are rich in history and mysteries. Learning the faith can be overwhelming for the complacent ones. But the Holy Spirit has the power to make dogmas and catechisms easier to understand.
While we are currently living under the threat of Covid19, most of us cannot attend the Holy Mass. Some of us attend the online Mass that the church provides for us and we make a spiritual communion during the Holy Communion part of the Mass. But what if you are sick or you have no internet connection and you are unable to attend the Holy Mass. And some of us are have no knowledge of the Spiritual Communion prayers. There is also another solution if we have a problem in attending the Holy Mass, by sending our Guardian to the Church on our behalf.
When Martin Luther left the church and started the protestant movement, a number of heretics created their own churches, in the belief that they built the true church of God. They left the one, true, apostolic and Catholic Church that our Lord Jesus Christ has founded. Some of them even copied the rites and doctrines of the Catholic Church. As years passed, the Church entered modern world and “modernism”, as Pope Pius X said, brought evil to the faith. Protestants fully embraced Modernism. The use of ballad and rock music can now be used in praying and in worship. Sharing of life experiences is very common within the group and you will be asked "Have you accept Christ as your personal savior yet?" This is the Born-Again Movement, also called Born Again Christians and Evangelical Protestantism.
The Holy Rosary is one of the important devotions in the Catholic Church, second to the Holy Mass. The Holy Rosary was given and taught by the Blessed Virgin Mary when she appeared to St. Dominic de Guzman who was fighting the Albigensian Heresy that time. The Holy Rosary was only prayed by the Dominicans before Pope St. Pius V instituted the official devotion to the Holy Rosary on 1569.
When you attend the Holy Mass, have you encountered a Priest on his sermon that he wishes or telling the young men to become a priest? Why did this priest say that? Because the Catholic Church is now experiencing a Priest Shortage.
During Vatican II, many changes occurred in the Catholic Church. These changes cause problem and affects the spiritual faith of the people. If we remember protestant reformation, these protestant wants to reform the Church and ignore the sacred tradition that was obtained from the previous Christian teachings including the teachings of the Apostles and the church fathers. The church called for the Council of Trent to solve this problem until the solution came under the reign of Pope St. Pius V. Return to the tradition and organize everything. These results the Tridentine Mass and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The solution of the Council of Trent remains until the modernist called for reform, which is similar to what the Protestants wants. And it happened during the Second Vatican Council.
When we attend the Holy Mass, the priest, altar servers/lay ministers and the faithful have specific postures and gestures. These actions are very important in the Holy Mass because they have profound meaning. These postures and gestures are not optional, but it’s a must do during the Holy Mass (except for those who are too old or sick that cannot perform this action).
When men become priests, they will have many sacrifices to be made. Leaving their family, they will be assigned to different places eventhough they don’t like it and lastly, they will be unable to marry. The Catholic Church restrict men to marry, this is called the Clerical Celibacy.
In the Sacred Scriptures (Holy Bible), there are many prophecies about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Second Coming, which is the Judgment Day. But there’s also a prophecy that the faithful must be aware of especially in this generation - the coming of the Antichrist.
The Catholic Church has a deep devotion to the Mother of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the sister Lucia, one of the three seers of Fatima, the Blessed Virgin Mary told her that God gives two last remedies to the world, the Holy Rosary and the Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as she also said “In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph”. The Blessed Virgin Mary already had victories in the past centuries with her Most Holy Rosary. Let us take a look at some of them.
The month of June is believed to be an auspicious time for marriage. An exciting season particularly for ladies who yearn for a new life in union with the man of her dreams. Many do not know that the month was from an old superstitious belief to be blessed from the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. How unfortunate we all might have been unknowing a tradition to receive happiness from a false god.
During the previous century and before Vatican II, the protestant become popular to people because of their modern approach, as the Catholic Church remains faithful to Traditions. When Vatican II Council started, many changes occurred to the church including the Holy Mass which becomes similar to the Protestants. Because this is the solution of the Vatican II Popes when modernism spread to the whole world. Even though a reform happened to the Church, the protestants still have their way to attract more people to join their false religion. This is when the Born-Again Christians was born. More popular music genre in their worship such as ballad and rock, Bible Studies and no more sacrifice such as kneeling when worshipping God, you can just raise your hand and sing along with the music. Some modernist priest tried to bring this method to the church such a Mass in TV where there is dancing and clapping, but some wants to remain its solemnity. But some faithful including lay ministers saw the methods of the Born-Again, they build an organization or movement for Catholics with protestant approach. They were called Catholic Charismatic Movement or Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
When the false teachings of Martin Luther spread all over Europe, many faithful left the Catholic Church and started building their own church or joined some protestant churches according to their liking. This event led to Counter-Reformation by starting the Council of Trent.
Our Lord Jesus Christ built His church upon St. Peter, the first pope of the Church. When our Lord ascended into heaven after His death and resurrection, He chose St. Peter to lead the apostles in spreading the Good News to all nation with the help of the Holy Spirit, one of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity. But in the next centuries until, many denominations claimed that they are the true church or true Christians and some of them spread that the Church that our Lord built was already dead. It all started because of the Protestant Reformation
The Holy Eucharist is the most important sacrament in the Catholic Church. It is the Body and Blood Christ in the form of the Bread and Wine. But some people do not believe that the consecrated bread and wine is not the Body and Blood of Christ. As the protestants taught that it is only a symbol that must not be adored or worshipped. Sadly, this teaching has entered the Catholic faith when the Vatican II started. This is why some Catholics treat the Holy Eucharist as a symbol only, which disrespects Our Lord by using the communion in the hand and by not kneeling before the Holy Eucharist.
It is because of His immense love for humanity that Our Lord Jesus Christ offered His life at Calvary in order to gain our salvation. And withHis resurrection, He gave us eternal hope that we can also reach the kingdom of our Father in Heaven. The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the most important aspects of our Catholic faith. With this event, Our Lord had clearly shown His holiness, power and divinity.
The Lord in His journey on this earth chose various pulpits of sharing the Good News. He taught of abandoning the worldly riches in the caves of Bethlehem. He demonstrated the importance of living decently when he became a carpenter in Nazareth. He also preached in the temples and showed his mercy by healing the sick and the lame. All this the Lord performed as he traveled in the holy land. But the real message that Our Lord wants to convey is love. Love that includes benevolence and forgiveness. At the age of 33, Our Lord Jesus died on the cross – a fulfillment of God's promise to man. In conjunction with the death of Our Lord, we as Catholics remember the Seven Last Words of Christ on Mount Calvary. These last seven words reveal beautiful meanings for the faith of His followers.
The Holy Week is the last part of the Lenten Season, which starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Black Saturday. It is called Holy Week because it focuses on the life, passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The last tree days of the Holy Week is called Sacred Tridum. During Sacred Tridum, there are traditions that Catholics do as an act of penance.
Lent or Quadregisima is a 40-Day season of prayer and act of penance such as fasting and abstinence. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. In this season, the church will start to use the purple color including the vestments in the Holy Mass and cover the images with purple veil or cloth. Quadregisima is from a Latin word means “forty” while lent from the old English word “lencten” which means “spring”
The Holy Mass is the most important Sacrament that God gave to us. It is a sacrifice on the Calvary of our Lord Jesus Christ which re-presented to us every time the Holy Mass is celebrated. This is not only our Lord’s sacrifice, it is also a sacrifice for the Priest and for us, the Faithful.
The most important part of the Holy Mass is the consecration where the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is also where the faithful genuflect because this where we see our Lord Jesus Christ in the form of the bread and wine. But, how can be a bread and wine become the Body and Blood of our Lord? The taste of the host does not change when we receive it from the priest (though its taste is very different from most bread). The change by which the bread and wine in the Eucharist becomes Christ's real presence—that is, his body and blood, is called Transubstantiation.
Altar servers are one of the most important roles in the Holy Mass because they are the ones who assist the priest. But after Vatican II, some churches dropped the Altar Servers and replaced them with lay ministers. The Altar Servers or altar boys always have a role in the Holy Mass in the previous centuries and one of the known altar servers in third century is Saint Tarcisius (he is also known as a deacon), the patron saint of the altar servers. But why do some churches, orders or societies keep using Altar Servers like those who celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass? Let’s answer some few questions about them.
During the early centuries of Christianity, a number of false beliefs and ideas surfaced and attacked the Truth taught by Our Lord Jesus Christ and spread by the Apostles. An example of these false beliefs is the question on Christ's Divinity, where some bishops and priests taught that Jesus is only man and not God. These teaching bore another heresy against the Marian Dogma of Theotokus or Mother of God, where they contested that the Blessed Virgin Mary is only the Mother of Christ and not the Mother of God. These myths and false doctrines poisoned the wells of Christian faith and deceived a number of faithful throughout the centuries. Even in today's modern world, these false teachings are rehashed and continued to lead the flock astray from the Truth. We call these poisonous doctrines as Heresy.
We always hear the 40 days as Lent season approaches. Most probably because Lent covers 40 days when it starts from Ash Wednesday until Holy week. It’s the season of reflection for all of us being sinners as we do acts of contrition and meditation. During these 40 days, we are expected to prepare and meditate on the Passion of Christ. Preparations such as fasting and abstinence, prayer and sacrifices. To prove our commitment, we must perform our duties as Christians. Following the practices and traditions of our Holy Mother Church of performing works of charity as members of the faith. Just like Pope St. Gregory the great said: "The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist."
On November 1, 1950, at Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Pius XII declared the Munificentissimus Deus. The Munificentissimus Deus stated that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, was taken up both body and soul into Heaven when she completed her mortal life. That is what the Pope declared at that time. How come that the Assumption of the Virgin Mary occurred? The Bible does not state anything about the Assumption, so how come the Catholics have a dogma about it? Remember that Catholic Church’s teachings come from three sources: Tradition, Sacred Scriptures, and the Magisterium. The Assumption is not in the Sacred Scriptures.
In our generation, most of us attend the New Mass or the Novus Ordo Mass that was codified by Pope Paul VI in 1969 under the Vatican II Council. Some priests teach the faithful that the Holy Mass is a Holy Meal or Sacred Banquet because it has a table, bread and wine. And some meal or banquet has dancing because a mass is a celebration. It also reenacts the Last Supper of our Lord together with His Apostles which our Lord said “Do this for a commemoration of me.” But why was the first mass before the Novus Ordo Mass, the Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Mass did not have any table and did not look like a Meal? Even the Mass before the codification of the Tridentine Mass also had no table. Let’s answer these frequently asked questions one by one.
In Christianity especially the Catholic Church, the Doxology is the typical hymn that is sung by the faithful. It is an expression of praise sung to the Holy Trinity. The word Doxology is from the Greek word Doxologia; “Doxa” means “glory” and “logia” means “saying”. Doxologies in the Catholic Church is often said or sung during Holy Mass, the Liturgy Hours and in Catholic Devotions such as the Holy Rosary and Novena. There are two types of Doxologies, The Greater Doxology and the Lesser Doxology.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is well-known for her apparitions in different places of the world. Some of her apparitions were accompanied by the praying of the Holy Rosary. One of her popular apparitions is in Lourdes France, where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette of Soubirous.
“The sign of the cross is the most terrible weapon against the devil. Thus the Church wishes not only, that we have it continually in front of our minds, to recall to us just what our souls are worth and what they cost Jesus Christ but also that we should make it at every juncture ourselves: when we go to bed, when we awaken during the night, when we get up, when we begin any action, and, above all, when we are tempted.” -St John Vianney (1786-1859)
In today's generation, attending the Holy Mass on Sunday (or Weekday Mass if your job falls on a Sunday) is not a priority anymore. The Holy Mass becomes an optional event in our lives. The main question for those who don’t attend the Holy Mass is why do we need to? And many people have different answers for this.
“I shall spend every moment loving. One who loves does not notice her trials; or perhaps more accurately, she is able to love them. I shall do everything for Heaven, my true home. There I shall find my Mother in all the splendor of her glory. I shall delight with her in the joy of Jesus himself in perfect safety.”
As faithful Catholics, we always attend the Holy Mass every Sunday. Most of us, especially the elders, attend the morning Mass. But did you know, that we must fast before we receive the Sacrament of the Holy Communion?
As Christianity spread all over the world, many Christians instituted their own church such as the Protestants who are known popularly as the Born Again. They spread the word of God through the Bible but using their own interpretation that led to error to those who listened to them. The Protestants followed “Sola Scriptura”, a Latin word which means “Scriptures Only”. It means that every Christian must follow the scriptures ONLY and not any other church teachings or dogmas. The Catholic Church (also the Orthodox) follows the Scriptures but also follows oral traditions which the Protestants ignored. These oral traditions are also known as Sacred Traditions.
Many saints provide big help to the Catholic Church especially to its doctrines. One of them is Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest, a philosopher and one of the Doctors of the Church. Saint Thomas Aquinas was born from a noble family. When he was young, he was transferred from Monte Cassino to Naples to study. During his stay in Naples, he was influenced in philosophy including Aristotle. He also met John of St. Julian, a Dominican priest who influenced him to join the Dominicans.
In the Catholic Liturgical Calendar, we will see the dates of the feast of a saint and important seasons such as Lent and Advent. The feast date of a Saint is the date when he or she departed from this world and entered the Kingdom of God in Heaven. But some feast dates are not the dates of their deaths, such as the feast date of the married couple Saint Zelie and Saint Louis Martin. Saint Therese of Lisieux’ feast day was put on October 3 even though she died on September 30, because the date was already the feast day of Saint Jerome, until it was moved to December 1 on 1970. But there are three unique occasions or feasts that are celebrated in the Catholic Church, these are the nativity or birthday of three persons, the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.
In Jerusalem, three wise men have arrived from the east and were inquiring where the King of the Jews was born for they had seen His star in the East and they wanted to worship Him. When Herodes heard about this, he was instantly felt afraid and at once planned to kill the child. He instructed the three kings to search relentlessly for the child and when they find Him, let him know at oncee so he can also worship the child (Mt 2:18).
"Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God is with us'." (Matthew 1:23)
During Christmas, the Holy Catholic Church celebrates Three Masses for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It goes back at least to the 6th Century when the Church started celebrating three masses to emphasize the different parts of the Nativity - the Angel's Mass, the Shepherd's Mass and the King's Mass.
Christmas is all about the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. A season of traditional gift giving in many parts of the christian world. This custom is a symbolic reminder of the Three Kings who gave their gifts of offering to the newly born Messiah. Many christians always see a manger scene of the Three Kings paying tribute to the Holy Infant. They have in their hands special gifts that bears spiritual meaning.
Christmas is celebrated early by devout Catholic countries. Christmas music and decorations start to pop up as early as September in every homes and cities. One of these décor that is extremely common in a country like the Philippines is the display of the christmas parol. The parol from the Spanish word farol or lantern, is a traditional christmas décor from the Spansh colonial period in the Philippines. The most common shape now is a star to represent the star of Bethlehem. Thou different materials are used today with flickering lights on display, simple bamboo and japanese paper were originally used before to produce parols. In the Philippines these were carried in a procession called Panunuluyan (Lodging). A tradition of the reenactment of Joseph and Mary searching for a place to stay in Bethlehem.
Every Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we start decorating our house with Christmas lights and Christmas trees, playing Christmas songs and buying gifts for our loved ones. In European and Western countries including America, there is another popular tradition during Christmas, and that is placing a sock near the chimneys. Why do they place a sock near the chimney? Because the kids are hoping that they will get special gifts from Santa Claus. But who is Santa Claus? Is he real? Does he go into the chimney and place a gift on every sock? How can he fit in the chimney if he is fat? The last question is just a joke. Anyway, this popular character was based from a real-life person, a saint. His name is Saint Nicholas of Myra.
As with her lifetime virginity, this is also a special grace and privilege -the Immaculate Conception - just like her Divine Motherhood. Again the Mother of God cannot be under Satan's power. Therefore she was conceived without the stain of original sin on her soul. That is why we see the Blessed Mother and our Lord in their immaculate perfection as the new Adam and New Eve. Pope Pius IX announced his Ineffabilis Deus about the Dogma on the 8th of December, 1854. He stated: we declare, pronounce, and define the doctrine that proclaims the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first period of her conception, through the single grace and privilege given by God and the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind, is preserved free from all stains of the original sin.
Saint Bernadette was a daughter of a former miller. Saint Bernadette’s Family was so poor and forced to live in a former prison in Lourdes, France. Compared to her siblings and children with the same age, she was unhealthy. When she was an infant, she was infected by Cholera and she also had an asthma. Her unhealthy body hindered her to attend school that resulted to her lack of education. She also had a little knowledge about the Catholic Faith.
The Advent is the time of preparation which last for four weeks before Christmas. The Advent came from the Latin word “Adventus”, which means “For arrival” which refers to the arrival of our Lord. It is unknown when the exact year the Advent started but it was celebrated in 480 A.D.
The Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Christ, it gives nurture to our body and to our soul. In the previous centuries, the Holy Eucharist was always given respect and adoration. But sadly, our generation today never give importance to the body and blood of our Lord in the Eucharist. Let us tell you a short story about a person who fell in love to the Holy Eucharist. Her name is Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
During the Holy Mass, you will notice that the priest's and the sacred vessels' color changes during an important feast like the Holy Week and Christmas. The Catholic church has liturgical colors that has been used during the Holy Mass. These are not just colors; they also have meanings and symbolisms. It is very important for the Church to use these colors on important feasts, which serves as a reminder for the faithful about the current season.
When you attend the Traditional Latin Mass and owned a Missal Book as guide, you will notice that Latin is not the only language used in the Holy Mass. These languages are called the Three Sacred Languages or simply Sacred Languages. What are these sacred languages and why are they important to the Catholic Church including the Holy Mass? Let’s start by introducing these three languages.
During the Holy Mass, the Priest wear different clothes than their usual clothes when they not celebrating the Holy Mass. These vestments must be worn by the Priest when they celebrated a mass event its in inside and outside of the church, and in another place. What we don’t know is that these vestments have its only symbol and also has its own prayer while they wearing these vestments. The vestments also have its own cross which the priest kissed before they wear it.
The Holy Bible is one of the most important books written by holy men inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is also written in many languages for more people to read and understand. Despite God's wonderful plan to proclaim His Gospel, the bible faced challenges as the church confronts oppositions. The Holy Catholic church fought to preserve the sacred gospel. However, the bible we read depends on what version we read may have not been the same as it was originally written.
When we have our loved ones departed from this world, we Catholics pray for them or offer a mass for them so that their souls will be with our Lord. This praying for the dead is a tradition in the Catholic Church and is not accepted by other Christian denomination like the Protestants. In this article, we will answer the frequently asked questions about our tradition of praying for the dead.
October 31 and November 1, are the days where many people in the world celebrate Halloween by wearing costumes like Frankenstein, vampire, a ghost and wearing a devil horn headband or watch horror movies. But the main question is, what is Halloween and is it really for a horror celebration? As a Catholic and member of Christian Community, we must know these important details about the Halloween.
Many people will choose to have a title or position or become a member of the Royal family. But in the 16th century, one man chose to serve our Lord Jesus Christ than titles, positions and even his loyal name. This man was Saint Francis Borgia. Saint Francis Borgia was the son of the Third Duke of Gandia and great grandson of Pope Alexander XVI. When he was young, he wanted to become a priest, but when he was 18 years old, he was sent to the Imperial Court by his parents under the Emperor of Rome and King of Spain, King Charles V.
During the Holy Mass, you will notice the items used by the Altar Servers, the Master of Ceremony and the Priest. These items are often called the Sacred Vessels. The Sacred Vessels are very important items to the Holy Mass, this Holds the Holy Eucharist like the paten and the chalice. These items has been used many centuries ago, including the items used in the first mass, the Last Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until it was used by the apostles and the next generation of priest. Here are the following items used during the Holy mass.
As Catholics, we often encounter the word "Saints" - in the church, in a Catholic website, from priests, nuns, people who serve the church or from religious people. In our generation, we often hear about some well-known saints like the Blessed Virgin May, Saint Joseph, Saint John, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Rose, Saint Therese and Saint Padre Pio. But what are "saints" really? Who are they? Let’s talk about them and how does one become a Saint.
Last time, we talked about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist in the Traditional Latin Mass (Tridentine Mass, Extraordinary Form of the Mass) and the point of view of the Modernist Catholics about it. Now, we are talking about the Real Presence of Christ in the Novus Ordo Mass.
The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the most important part of the Holy Mass. It is an obligation for the Catholics to take this Sacrament because it is the Body and Blood of Christ. The bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ in the Consecration part where the Priest lift up and Bread then the Wine. Then the bread and wine will transform into his Body and Blood, but the form or look, the shape, the color and the taste will remain as Bread and Wine, this is called Transfiguration.
The name of St. Michael the Archangel evokes goodness and power over evil. He is known in the world of angels as protector of heaven and victor of the Evil One. He is like an icon, a God-sent angel, who will stop the enemies of darkness. In stories in various cultures, literature and films, when sun sets and darkness looms, evil spirits and elements are believed to be more powerful. The enemies of God are more active and in force. Though God created day and night as part of nature, darkness serves as an advantage to the wandering demons and spirits. They are more aggressive in the absence of light to ruin the human body and souls.
Since we are experiencing a global pandemic, the majority of sick people lack such an act. Even basic prayers like the Hail Mary and Our Father could make a difference in you and your physical and spiritual life. Do not just use your devices to look for solutions with lifelong effects for your everyday needs. Ask for help from God and His servants above without hesitation! If you are afraid to communicate to God directly through prayers, ask angels and saints to bring your prayers to God. They will also shower you with grace and blessing upon calling them. One saint that you may call during times like this is Saint Raphael the Archangel.
When the heart relic of Padre Pio was brought to the Philippines in October 2018m, a fitting celebration was held for the 50th anniversary feast day of Saint Padre Pio who died September 23, 1968. The heart relic of the saint was brought to the different parts of the archipelago and a great number of devotees flock to the incorruptible heart of the saint. Traffic jam was experienced when it was brought to the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Batangas. Everyone headed to the south of Manila. Pilgrims even had to park their cars distant kilometers away from the shrine, and many people walked in order to reach the place. A great number of people flock to the shrine day and night to show their reverence, faithm, respect and love to him. But who is Padre Pio? Why is so much love and reverence are given to him by his devotees?
St. Andrew Kim Taegon is the first Korean-born Catholic priest and also the patron saint of Korea. He came from Catholic parents who were martyred for practicing Christianity, which was prohibited during Joson Dynasty. Andrew Kim studied at a seminary in Macau. He went to Philippines to study at Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan, where the Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was built in his honor. After being ordained as a priest in 1844 he returned to Korea to preach and evangelize.
When we attend the Holy Mass, we see the priest, altar servers and lay ministers on the altar. And some of them have different roles. There is somebody who is reading the gospel, the epistles or incensing the people. When you encounter the Traditional Mass, you will see the difference of every role in the altar compare to the Novus Ordo Mass.
As a Marian devotee, we’ve seen images of Mary with seven daggers pierced to her Immaculate Heart. The Mater Dolorosa as we call her reminds us of the sorrowful journey of the Mother of God. Mary more than anyone in the world truly understood God’s plan to send Jesus, His son for the salvation of mankind. When she received from Archangel St. Gabriel the message of God, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you." The Blessed Virgin was filled with divine wisdom and grace to comprehend and brave the path they both have to cross. A prophecy mentioned by Prophet Simeon when baby jesus was presented at the temple: And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed (Luke 2:34-35 Douay-Rheims Bible).
The Holy Mass is where we are united with Christ by the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. This is where we give more adoration, make sacrifices to God and where we strengthen our faith and worship to God. We attend the Holy Mass usually on a Sunday morning. If you miss the morning mass, you can attend in the afternoon. Some people cannot attend the Sunday mass so they attend the weekday or Saturday mass. When you try to attend the mass on a Sunday afternoon or on weekdays, you will notice that there are some differences as compared to the Sunday morning mass. It is because the Mass has different levels of celebration. Here we will share the different levels of the Celebration of the Holy Mass in the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo Mass.
The pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, the Vicar of Christ, the successor Saint Peter, our spiritual father. In previous centuries, the Catholic Church has faced many difficult challenges - from bloody persecution to protestant reformation. But the recent challenge that the Catholic Church is now facing is "Modernism". Modernism offers good things that make our lives easy and comfortable. But there is "evil" in Modernism when it is applied to faith. Many faithful including some priests embrace modernism without analyzing the errors it brings. One of the errors of modernism is the belief that Holy Eucharist is not the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is a heresy. Some popes in the previous years became silent or had no solution to this problem. But there’s one pope, who faced the evil of modernism. That pope is Saint Pius X.
Have you ever wondered why some priests have different clothes from the other priests? For example, when you are walking pass the church, you saw a priest wearing black cassock, then you saw another wearing a white cassock. Then you saw the photo of Saint Francis or Saint Padre Pio wearing a brown cassock which is different than the photo of Saint Dominic. Or you saw a group of priests or nuns having different actions in every day life than the others that you usually see. The reason is that the Catholic Church has different religious orders. What is a religious order? Is it a different religion?
Confession is one of the seven Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church that is very vital before taking the Holy Communion during the Holy Mass. Why is it important for us Catholics to confess and receive absolution before we take the Blessed Sacrament? Because we must be in “state of grace” when we received our Lord. “State of Grace” means we are absolved from our sins that we’ve done and our soul is cleansed during the Sacrament of Penance.
During the time of Our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth, He knew that He will suffer and die on the cross. So He ordained His Apostles as His successors to pass on His teachings. As He built His Church upon Saint Peter, He also ordained him as the First Pope to lead the other apostles and disciples before He ascended into Heaven. Saint Peter and the Apostles began their ministry after the descent of the Holy Spirit when the Blessed Virgin Mary gather them in the Cenacle. The Apostles traveled to different places to spread the Gospel and baptized the believers. The Apostles were succeeded by their own disciples and this was the beginning of what we know today as The Apostolic Succession.
The Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Mass is a Mass that was used and celebrated by the Church before Pope Paul VI introduced the Novus Ordo Mass in 1969. Currently, the Traditional Latin Mass is only used by traditional Catholic society or by the priest who prefer to celebrate it. Traditional Latin Mass is no longer common to the Catholic faithful. Even our priests today don’t know how to celebrate it or even speak Latin - the language of the Church. Most of the faithful do not even know that this kind of mass still exists. But for those who are curious or want to experience it, here are the basic steps of how to attend the Traditional Latin Mass:
The Catholic Church faced a great problem when the heresy of Martin Luther spread all over the world and branched out to many Protestant churches like the so-called Born Again Christians. This wasn't the first time that the the church was challenged by false doctrines. Let recall the story of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria.
As we are living with threat of Coronavirus, we are praying to the Saints, like Saint Roch, Saint Rosalie, Saint Raphael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin Mary, to protect our families and friends against this pandemic. Similarly, back in the mid-1300s, there was also a disease that spread throughout Europe and Asia where 200 million people died, it is called the “Black Plague” or the “Black Death”.
Not far from St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Australia is the museum of Holocaust and Steiner Education Center. It reminds us of the horrors of World War 2 and the persecution of Jewish people. While the images of concentration camp and human suffering brings horror and anguish, let us not forget that the same era produced many martyrs, blessed and saints.
In 2020, the Novel Coronavirus or mostly known as Covid-19 from China has spread all over the world and forced every country to lockdown. This resulted to the prohibition of mass gatherings which includes the attendance to the Holy Mass. It is very important to us Catholics to attend the Holy Mass and take the Holy Communion but the pandemic has prevented many of the faithful to go the church because of the government’s policy. It is a sin if we don't attend the Holy Mass, however, the Catholic Church has solution for its members who cannot do so. This solution is always part of the Catholic Tradition and has been used in previous generations. This is called “The Spiritual Communion”.
We have read many lives of saints in books, internet or in their life story in a movie or television series. There are saints that are smart, academic and known for their writings, and there are some saints that are calm and easily loved by the people. But some saints don’t have these qualities, just like the priest from Cupertino, Italy. His name Saint Joseph of Cupertino, mostly known as the Flying Saint.
And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. - John 6: 35 When Jesus saw the need to feed about five thousand people he sought a way with his apostles. Andrew did see a boy with 5 barley loaves and two fish. From here Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed and also of the fishes shared to the multitudes. A miracle witnessed by many.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Queen and also our mother. She is the most popular woman in the whole world and also a controversial person for the other people like the Protestants. Our Blessed Mother has many titles and we often encounter it when we pray her Litany. One of those title is the “Ark of the Covenant”, which gave confusion to other people especially the Protestants. For years, a number of archaeologists and historians were looking for the Ark of the Covenant and some people even claimed that they have the Ark of the Covenant. Here we will discuss why the Blessed Virgin Mary is called the “Ark of the Covenant”.
In our generation today, wearing clothes that we like is part of our daily lives. Some of us wear what is most compatible to us and some of us follow the fashion trends. When we go to work, some companies have dress codes or uniforms which are mandatory just like in school. When it comes to going to the mass, what should we wear? Do we have to wear what we usually wear inside our house? Clothes that we wear when we go to the mall or any places? If companies have uniforms, the Catholic Church also have dress codes whenever we enter the church or we attend the Holy Mass.
Learning today has slowly expanded through the years. Back in the old days, not all people can read, write and learn academics. In order to teach the young believers, the Catholic Church started building schools. In our generation, we do not only learn from schools but also from the internet. Nowadays we no longer encounter the teachings of the Catholic Faith in schools as it was slowly removed because of "respect" to other religions such as the Protestants and Muslims. The protestants, on the other hand, are more active on teaching their false doctrines to schools. As a Catholic, we must learn more about our faith and the doctrines of the Church in order to defend our faith. Where we can learn about our faith and doctrine? We can learn it from the Church’s Catechism.
The Holy Eucharist is the center of the Holy Mass. Our Lord Jesus Christ chose the bread and wine to be his Body and Blood for us to take and unite with Him. For many centuries, the Holy Communion is the most important sacrament for the Catholics, including the apostles and saints. But today, there are two ways on taking the Holy Communion, the “Communion in the tongue while kneeling” and the “communion in the hand while standing”. But which of these two are the proper and right way?
“If you say the Holy Rosary faithfully until death,I assure you that in spite of the gravity of your sins,you shall receive a never-ending crown of glory. Even if you are on the brink of damnation, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul, if and mark well what I say – if you say the Holy Rosary devoutly everyday until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon of your sins” -- St. Louis de Monfort
In the Catholic Church, every special event or feast day always have a mass to celebrate. Even the faithful can request a special mass to intended for a family or friend who departed from this world. But some of us are unaware that there are different kinds of Holy Mass. Here is the list of different kinds of Holy Mass.
One of the main things a Christian parent teaches his young child is having a guardian angel, other than the Trinity of God, our Mother in heaven with the Blessed Virgin Mary, making the sign of the cross and going to Holy Mass on Sundays, we are taught pray to our guardian angel.
Every 3rd of February, there is a tradition of blessing of the throat in the Holy mass of the Catholic church. A day after candlemass, priests would make a simple rite of crossing two candles on the throat with a short prayer, especially asking for grace from a miraculous bishop from the 4th century named St Blaise.
The Holy Eucharist is one of the important sacraments in the Catholic Church that we must take especially during the Mass. It is the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the Catholic Church is not the only religion that has this Blessed Sacrament, but other Christian religions or sects has their own Eucharist. So, what is the difference of the Catholic Church’s Eucharist to other Christian religions? Is their Eucharist become the real body and blood of Christ?
Why is it important that the Mass must be celebrated in a solemn way and not an ordinary celebration like a party or a concert-type just like we witness in some Novus Ordo Masses? Most people today like the mass that is very entertaining, but some people prefer solemn traditional rites. Is the Sacrifice of the Mass instituted for the flock's amusement? Is it really vital for the Church to empathize if people are entertained or not? In our generation, most people think that way. This is a result of the lack of Catholic education after the Vatican II Council.
The Holy Mass is a very important to the Catholic Faith, it is a sin if we don’t attend the mass every Sunday. That is why traditionally, Catholics must attend the Holy Mass. We are currently living in the 21st Century, where the mass that most people currently attend is the Mass of Pope Paul VI during the Vatican II Council, which is now commonly known as Novus Ordo Mass or the Ordinary Form of the Mass. But this Mass is not what usually used by the Catholic Church in the past.
From the beginning of time God has been watching His creations. He knows our weakness due to sin. Because of this, he had ways communicating with mankind. His great love is evident with His messages, sent in various ways to make sure we all get a chance to His kingdom in heaven.
The "Doctor of the Church" is a very special title and officially conferred by the Pope on a Saint who makes a significant contribution to the understanding and interpretation of the doctrines of the Church. The writings and sermons of this saint have been of great help and value to Christian believers.
The second dogma about the Blessed Virgin is her Perpetual Virginity. What does this dogma say? According to the Lateran Council of 649 AD, Pope Martin I pronounced the Blessed Ever-Virgin and chaste Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit's help and did not lose her integrity. She gave birth to Christ, and after giving birth to Christ remained a Virgin. The Perpetual Virgin is called Aeiphartenos. This dogma says that the Blessed Virgin is a virgin before, during, and after the birth of the Lord.
Catholics call her Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin, the Cause of Our Joy, Mother Most Powerful, Mother of Our Savior and many others. We know for certain that she is the woman clothed with the sun mentioned in the book of revelation. We all have this special attachment as Christians to her for our faith and God’s spirit guides us that Mary is our Mother and queen.
From the beginning, the Blessed Virgin was called Theotokos or the Bearer of God or Mother of God. The word Theotokos comes from the Greek word, which means God-Bearer. Christians valued the term in the early years of the Church. Throughout the Eastern Church, people widely used the term Theotokos.
It is human nature to recognize a beautiful melody or song. By singing we convey our feelings, the utter joy or in times of sorrow. Even going to holy mass is a pleasant memory on parts when parishioners sing in unison. Sometimes the singing of the community is louder than the choir but the beautiful melody and lyrics of the songs are praises of joy and faith.
The Catholic Church is one of the oldest Christian Religion in the world. But the main question is who built the Catholic Church? Many protestants argue with this because it is not written in the bible. The Catholic Church was built by our Lord Jesus Christ upon the first Pope, Saint Peter the Apostle in 33 A.D (Matthew 16:18). After the resurrection and ascension of our Lord, the first ministry of Saint Peter and the other apostles has started (Acts 2:1-31).
The corona virus pandemic that has already killed hundred of thousands of people worldwide is the reason why, all of a sudden, people are aware of a Christian martyr believed to have been tortured to death by the Romans about 1,800 years ago. Her name Corona, which means "crown" in Latin. Let's discover St. Corona's story, whose feast day is May 14.
Flores De Mayo is a Festival held in the Philippines in the month of May. Flores De Mayo comes from the Spanish word for “Flowers of May”. It also called “Flores De Maria” (Flowers of Mary), because the Month of May is a special month to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The famous Wizard movie “Harry Potter” is using the Latin language in their spells. The recent Marvel TV Series “WandaVision”, a witch is using the Latin language in her magic. Some holywood movies and series used this language by witches or any people who used magic. We know that witches using dark magic or spells to harm people, and their power is not from God but from the devil. So since they used the Latin Language, does it mean that it is the language of the devil? Many people think that this language is a dead language, and the reason why it is dead is because it is the evil language. But NO, the language is not evil nor it is the devil’s language.
The cross has been a symbol of the church from the early years of Catholicism to the present. No catholic church will not carry a cross, either on its tower, the door and especially the altar. The crucifix is a cross with the image of the Savior Lord Jesus Christ nailed to it. This sacrament can be seen in various forms and sizes, and is highly revered by devout Catholics. In praying before the cross or crucifix we Catholics remember the suffering and sacrifice of the life of Christ.
After the Summorum Pontificum of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2007 which declared the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Mass (now called the Extraordinary form of the Mass), many people become aware and become curious of this form of the Mass which is relatively unknown to this generation. Unfortunately, a lot of priests do not know how to celebrate this mass and some people are no longer interested because they found out that the language used is Latin.
According to the story, she died on a Friday at three in the afternoon. Two anchors, three arrows, a palm symbol of martyrdom, and a flower were found on the tiles in her tomb, as symbols of her martyrdom. St. Philomena is the patron saint of infants, babies, and youth.
Many churches ascribe themselves to be Christians, but are they really Christians? Or is it correct to consider them as Christian churches? Today, the World recognize the three faces of Christianity: The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and the Protestants. These three are the major Christianity in the world today. We hear of many Christian churches, then why do we include only three? Let us know there three major Christian churches first.
When we go to the mass and see the Blessed Sacrament during the consecration and the Holy Communion as a Catholic, what should we do? When we saw the procession of the Blessed Sacrament everytime it passes by in the streets, what gesture should we use? A very simple answer – we must kneel before the Blessed Sacrament!
Maria Faustina Kowalska also known as Helena Kowalska was born on August 25, 1905 at Glogowiec, the third child of Marianna and Stanislaw Kowalska. At an early age expressed her desire of entering a convent to her parent, to which they refused firmly. Helena went to Warsaw and worked as a household helper. Later on she was allowed to enter the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.
He is renowned as “The Messenger of God” since he always brings good news from the Lord every time he appears through visions to fortunate human-beings here on earth.
Every catholic is taught to pray to God, Mary, the angels and saints in times of great need. To make that plea and help to God’s special saints when nature strikes is an instinct for any devout catholic who knows his’ saints.
It was about five centuries ago when a sign of contradiction was transplanted in the islands. It was akin to the Byzantine sword brandished by Constantine the Great, whose cruel character as an emperor was transformed into a child Principe Constantino, to escort the representation of Santa Elena. At the same time if one holds the blade (kapit sa patalim), it was the cross of a faith that will triumph in the end.
The great Doctor of the Church St. Thomas Aquinas once said that “Some saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy, in certain needs, but not in others, but our holy patron St. Joseph, has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.“
This year from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021, in honor of the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis in his decree has proclaimed this year 2021 as the Year of St. Joseph. The pope has timely declared this honor as St. Joseph also has been part of giving great care to Our Lord Jesus Christ and Mary, Mother of God during his life.
The parables of the Lord Jesus form a crucial part of the Bible. Jesus had the knowledge to simplify a profound truth in order to share with mankind a kind of story that ordinary believers could easily understand. A parable is a simple story, referring to something that gives deep, important and instructive lessons. It also uses an entire story to convey a spiritual lesson. It is easier for the listeners to remember a lesson from a story than for a long narrative that the listeners can easily forget.
Saint Michael the Archangel is the head of all the angels of God. He leads God’s celestial army, helps individuals at the hour of their death, and most especially, protects God’s people against the evil forces and acts of Satan. With these, alongside other significant reasons, the Catholic church created and dedicated a special prayer to honor him, “The Prayer to Saint Michael”. But why did the Catholic church make this prayer and what is its message? How is this relevant to what is happening in our world at present?
St. Thomas’ best-known work is The Summa Theologica (Summary of Theology), a collection of all of the main theological teachings of the Catholic Church, intended to be an instructional guide for theology students. Quinque viæ, translated as Five Ways or Five Proofs, are five logical arguments regarding the existence of God can be found in this book.
Prayer is mankind's means of reaching out to God Almighty. It is by acknowledging our trust, weakness and humility that our Creator will see our faith on how we worship Him and plea in times of need. Prayer can be done in many forms e.g. silent or spoken words, in sacred music or songs, and even in action
The Latin phrase extra Ecclesiam nulla salus means "outside the Church there is no salvation". It is a Catholic Dogma adapted from the writings of San Cypriano of Carthage, bishop of the third century. This doctrine is very vital to human salvation and is based largely on the Gospel of 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."
Seventy five years after the Miracle of the Rosary at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, history will repeat itself in the East at the battle of La Naval de Manila in October 1646. Thanks to the Virgin of the Rosary, Manila and the rest of the Philippines were spared from these foreign invaders.
The feast of February 2 has different names in the Church. It has been called the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, more familiarly, Candlemas or Candelaria. Each name highlights a different aspect of the feast that the Church celebrates, although is refers to the events that happened during the baby Jesus' fortieth day.
The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Usus Antiquior, is the Roman Rite Mass of the Catholic Church. The Traditional Mass was codified in year 1570 by Saint Pope Pius V after the Council of Trent, under the name of "Tridentine Mass". This mass was the only version celebrated in the whole world until 1969.
Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, the Samurai of Christ
Does the bread and wine really become the Body and Blood of Christ? The Protestants deny it and proclaim it is as only a representation of Christ, and the atheists never believed it because of the absence of scientific explanation. The answer to that question is YES, the bread and wine truly becomes the Body and Blood of Christ during the Holy Eucharist.
The first Mass was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ himself at the Last Supper on the first Holy Thursday. The unbloody sacrifice of the Last Supper is a memorial of Christ's bloody sacrifice on the cross. Thus, the mass is a unifying event of the Last Supper and Christ's sacrifice on Calvary. Together with the mass, Christ also instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is the bread and wine became His Body and Blood.
The feast of Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th. It commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men (or Kings) to the Baby Jesus. Epiphany is mainly celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
January 1st is celebrated as the liturgical feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is the Octave of Christmas, an eight day extension of the feast. The honoring of Mary as the Mother of God can be traced back to the Council of Ephesus in 431. By the 7th century, January 1st was observed as a celebration of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the 13th century, the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ had come to replace the feast honoring Mary.
One of the most contested doctrines of the Catholic Church is Mary’s perpetual virginity. That Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus, a perpetual virgin, is a Marian dogma. In Luke, “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph” (Lk 1:27).
Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a series of five Marian apparitions. In an early morning of dawn in December 9, 1531, the Virgin Mother of God appeared to a native convert Saint Juan Diego
The 8th of December is a Catholic feast celebrating The Blessed Virgin Mary’s conception without sin. Even though this feast day occurs in the liturgical season of Advent, which prepares for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother, St. Anne.
About this website
The Sanhedrin was the forum for the pharisees, who believed in the resurrection and in angels, and the saducees, who are akin to new theories and philosophies. All beliefs and philosophies concerning God and His creation are allowed to be expressed here.
The Sanhedrin was the forum for the pharisees, who believed in the resurrection and in angels, and the saducees, who are akin to new theories and philosophies. All beliefs and philosophies concerning God and His creation are allowed to be expressed here.
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