If you are trying to learn more about the Catholic Faith, it is very important to pray frequently. One of the dangers that we can encounter by studying our faith is an increased sense of pride. We can easily feel that we are better than others or that we are solely responsible for our increased knowledge. We can also begin to ignore Our Lord?s promise that the Holy Spirit would guide the Church and question certain infallible teachings, saying things like ?That?s what God gave me intelligence for?. Unfortunately, that line of reasoning totally disregards the inspired words of the Holy Spirit in Sacred Scripture:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts (Is 55:8-9)

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):

“No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” Now God’s Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who “has spoken through the prophets” makes us hear the Father’s Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who “unveils” Christ to us “will not speak on his own.” Such properly divine self-effacement explains why “the world cannot receive [him], because it neither sees him nor knows him,” while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them (CCC 687)

In other words, we must trust the Holy Spirit, whose gifts were first given to us in Baptism and completed in Confirmation, to help us interpret the ?thoughts of God?. This desire to follow God?s plan will ultimately lead us to closer communion with Him. One of the best ways to increase the gifts of the Holy Sprit is to pray. As we strive to learn about our Faith, we should pray for the guidance to follow the right path and to choose the correct material. We should also pray for an increase in the virtue of charity so that we don?t begin to look down at others who may be less knowledgeable about the Catholic religion.

What does the Catechism have to say about prayer?

It is always possible to pray. (CCC 2743)
Prayer is a vital necessity. (CCC 2744)
Prayer and Christian life are inseparable. (CCC 2745)

Sounds pretty important, doesn?t it? Furthermore, St. Paul instructs us to
?Pray without ceasing? (1 Thes 5:17).

While that sounds impossible, a simple prayer called the Morning Offering can make it a reality. The Catechism goes into a lot more detail about prayer and I highly recommend that you read it, but for now the words of the Morning Offering are a good place to begin. Get into the habit of praying it daily and you will find yourself getting closer to Christ, the founder of the Faith that you are studying.

O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular
for the intentions of the Holy Father.
Amen.

The Sacrament of Confession may very well be the most underutilized and misunderstood gift given to us by Jesus through His Catholic Church. Continuing with our series of steps designed to help you learn more about the Catholic Faith, we?ll discuss the importance of sacramental confession. Once you make a decision to learn more about your faith, we strongly recommend receiving the sacrament of Confession on a regular basis. As was discussed in yesterday?s blog regarding the Mass, our suggestions for learning the Catholic Faith involve more than just text book facts. We also integrate the Sacraments into our process, to ensure that your quest for knowledge will also bring you closer to Jesus.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) has a thorough explanation of the Sacrament of Confession (also known as Penance or Reconciliation). I urge you to read it here, but let?s discuss a few of the highlights. First of all, what is the point of the Sacrament of Confession?

Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion. (CCC 1422)

Only God forgives sins. Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and exercises this divine power: “Your sins are forgiven.” Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name. Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry which he charged with the “ministry of reconciliation.” The apostle is sent out “on behalf of Christ” with “God making his appeal” through him and pleading: “Be reconciled to God.” (CCC 1441-1442)

The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible. (CCC 1455)

Second, why do we need it?

The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are: reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace; reconciliation with the Church; remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins; remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin; peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation; an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle. (CCC 1496)

Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church. (CCC 1497)

After reading what the Church teaches about this powerful sacrament, it should become clear why Confession is so important in your journey closer to Christ. It provides us with grace and unites us more closely with the Catholic Church. That close union will allow us to be more receptive to Church teaching and facilitate our learning process. The grace received will also help us to avoid sin and grow closer to the Lord. Try going to confession at least monthly and see what happens.

I think you?ll be pleased with the results!

Our approach to learning more about the Catholic Faith begins with attending Mass as frequently as possible. How can going to Mass help one to learn more about their faith?

One of the things we point out on our website is that the ultimate goal of ?learning more about the Catholic Faith? is to grow closer to Christ. That?s why we developed our approach to teaching the Faith. If all we did was point you to textbooks and facts, there is a chance that your studying would cause you to feel ?better than others?, give you an inflated sense of self-accomplishment and you may even grow further from The Lord. Instead, we infuse Catholic teaching with the Sacraments, prayer, the Bible, and the intercession of the Blessed Mother. This ?holistic? approach allows you to remain grounded and completely immerses you in the holiness of the Catholic Church.

I strongly recommend reading what the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says about the Mass (The Sacrament of the Eucharist) because it is outstanding, but for now I?ll present a few excerpts:

The Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith (CCC 1327).

The mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as “the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend.” In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained. This presence is called ?real’?by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ?real’ too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present. (CCC 1374)

Words cannot adequately explain the value of the Mass, but try to remember this: When you attend Mass, you?re not only standing at the foot of the cross on Calvary, but you?re actually hanging on the cross with Jesus offering yourself to the Father for the salvation of mankind. If that isn?t remarkable enough, in a foretaste of life in Heaven, you are united with The Lord in the most intimate way possible by receiving His Body in Holy Communion.

The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ’s sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering. (CCC 1368)

The celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us. (CCC 1382)

As for the benefits of receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion, the Catechism states:

1. Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus.

4. The Eucharist makes the Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. (CCC 1391 ? 1397)

If we are more closely united with Christ, it follows logically that we will be more inclined to willingly submit to the teaching of the Church and exhibit charity toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. Most parishes have at least one daily Mass. As part of your plan to learn more about the Catholic Faith, why not try attending one extra Mass each week and see what happens? I predict that you will be pleased!

One of the best things that you can do during the Advent season is to become closer to Christ. A critical step in achieving that goal is learning more about His Catholic Church. Over at the Catholic Truth website, we present a 10-step plan that will allow you to learn more about the Catholic Faith and get closer to its founder, Jesus Christ. Over the next few days, I?ll go into more detail about the various steps. For today?s blog, however, I?ll just list them and invite you to at least consider trying them out:

1. Attend Mass at least every Sunday (or daily, if possible)
2. Receive the Sacrament of Confession on a regular basis
3. Pray
4. Read the Bible
5. Ask the Blessed Mother To Lead You To Jesus
6. Visit Catholic Internet Sites
7. Read Catholic Books and Magazines
8. Make use of Catholic Media
9. Participate in Parish Bible Studies and Adult Education Classes.
10. Email us your questions

As mentioned on our website, these steps are part of a ?holistic? approach to learning the Catholic Faith. The benefit to this approach is that, in addition to learning more about the teachings of the Catholic Church, you will also end up closer to Jesus. As I mentioned, I?ll be explaining these steps in greater detail in the next few days. In the meantime, why not make a pledge in the remaining few days of the Advent season to try a few of these steps and see what happens.

P.s. If you can?t wait to get started, visit the ?Where to Begin? page on our website for more information about our plan!

? and made His dwelling among us. (John 1:14)

As we continue to prepare for the celebration of The Lord?s birth, I invite you to stop and think about what it was like for Jesus to become man. He was born to die for our sins in a humiliating and excruciatingly painful manner. His willingness to endure the necessary agony and suffering provide just a small glimpse of His love for us. There is nothing that we could ever do the adequately repay Him for this gift.

One of the best reflections that I?ve seen on the subject comes from Archbishop Fulton Sheen is his book, Life is Worth Living. He writes, “Suppose you were saddened by the way dogs were treated, beaten by strangers, starved, and driven from the company of men. To teach mankind to love dogs, further suppose that you divested your body and put your soul into the body of a dog. That would mean that inside the organism of a dog was an intellect capable of knowing God and a will capable of loving Him. Suppose that when you took on the form and habit of a dog, you resolved never to transcend the limitations of that animal organism. Though you had a mind that could scan the finite, you would never speak, you would not utter a word but would limit yourself to a bark. Though you were an artist, you would not use a brush to create. Second, suppose you resolved to subject yourself only to the companionship of other dogs, sharing their lives just in an effort to try and help them in virtue of your superior mind. That would indeed be an act of humility and a humiliation, particularly if you died defending the animals whose nature you embraced in order to save.”

The only thing I can add to that is, ?Thank you, Jesus?.

I?ve mentioned a few times that Advent is a great time to heed the warning of both John the Baptist (Mt 3:2) and Jesus (Mt 4:17) when they said, ?Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand?. One of the best ways to prepare for the coming of the Lord is to receive the sacrament of Confession (see our website at www.thecatholictruth.info for more details about the sacrament). In order to make a sincere confession, it is important for us to perform a thorough examination of conscience. In other words, we need to recall the sins that we committed.

There are several different examinations of conscience that I have seen. Some are more detailed than others. I have chosen one from Blessed Fr. James Alberione, S.S.P., the founder of the Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul. It isn?t too complicated, but it is does make you think about your shortcomings. Before receiving the sacrament of Confession, take some time to review the following questions:

[1] I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
Do I give God time every day in prayer?
Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
Do I seek to surrender myself to God’s Word as taught by the Church?
Have I ever received Communion in a state of mortal sin?
Have I ever deliberately told a lie in confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in confession?

[2] You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Have I used God’s name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
Have I been angry with God?
Have I wished evil upon another person?
Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?

[3] Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest?
Do I do needless work on Sunday?

[4] Honor your Father and your Mother.
Do I honor and obey my parents?
Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
Have I given my family good religious example?
Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?

[5] You shall not kill.
Have I had an abortion or encouraged anyone to have an abortion?
Have I physically harmed anyone?
Have I abused alcohol or drugs?
Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading them into sin?
Have I been angry or resentful?
Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
Have I encouraged or condoned sterilization?

[6] You shall not commit adultery.
Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thought and action?
Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage?
Have I used any method of contraception or artificial birth control in my marriage?
Has each sexual act in my marriage been open to the transmission of new life?
Have I been guilty of masturbation?
Have I sought to control my thoughts?
Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as objects?
Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?
Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words and actions?
Am I careful to dress modestly?

[7] You shall not steal.
Have I stolen what is not mine?
Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen?
Do I waste time at work, school or at home?
Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
Do I pay my debts promptly?
Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?

[8] You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Have I lied?
Have I gossiped?
Have I spoken behind someone else’s back?
Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?
Do I keep secret what should be kept confidential?

[9] You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife.
Have I consented to impure thoughts?
Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, conversations or curiosity?
Do I seek to control my imagination?
Do I pray at once to banish impure thoughts and temptations?

[10] You shall not desire your neighbor’s goods.
Am I jealous of what other people have?
Do I envy the families or possessions of others?
Am I greedy or selfish?
Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
Do I trust that God will care for all of my material and spiritual needs?

If, after reflecting on these questions, you aren’t feeling good about yourself?Don?t despair. Instead, take advantage of the tremendous outpouring of The Lord?s mercy in the sacrament of Confession. When Jesus Christ, working through the priest, pronounces the words of absolution you can rest assured that your sins are forgiven and the peace that you’ll feel will be beyond compare.

Today the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Advent. ?Gaudete? is the Latin word for ?rejoice? and appears in the introit for today?s Mass, ?Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice?The Lord is at hand? (Phil 4:4-5). At this point in the season of Advent, we look forward with joyful anticipation to the coming of The Lord.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to meet Jesus face to face? What would He say and how it will feel to be in His presence? What a wonderful experience it would be to listen as He speaks directly to us. Before this meeting, we would certainly do everything possible to get ready for Him. We?d make sure that we?re dressed in our finest clothes and we?d be on our best behavior. Receiving the sacrament of Confession to obtain forgiveness for our sins would be a must. A meeting with Our Lord and God isn?t something we would take lightly!

Advent is a time of preparation for this meeting that will certainly take place one day. We are all aware that we will meet the Lord at the time of our death or when He comes again in glory, whichever comes first. It would be foolish and disrespectful to go into that meeting unprepared. I would urge everyone to take advantage of the sacrament of Confession, a wonderful outpouring of God?s mercy. Let?s all be ready when we meet Jesus.

By the way, there?s one more thing?Hopefully, everyone went to Mass today.

While you were there, you?

?Listened to the Jesus speak directly to you in the readings. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “All Sacred Scripture is but one book, and this one book is Christ.” (paragraph 134)

?Observed the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Lord Jesus right before your very eyes in The Eucharist. According to the Catechism, ?In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” (paragraph 1374). Furthermore, you had the ability to unite yourself with Our Savior in the most intimate way possible; by receiving Him in Holy Communion.

Were you prepared when you met Jesus face to face today?

In today?s gospel reading (Mt 17:9-13), Jesus once again mentions John the Baptist. He compares John to Elijah the prophet and reminds His disciples that many people chose to ignore John?s message. Since prophets act as messengers for God, ignoring them is equivalent to ignoring God. Still, disregarding the words of the prophets was a common practice throughout the ages.

A few days ago, we discussed the concept of, ?What would John the Baptist do?? In that discussion, I challenged us all to follow the example of John the Baptist, even when we met opposition. Today, I?d like to turn things around and pose the question, ?How do we react when we encounter a modern day John the Baptist?? ?A person who, like Elijah or John the Baptist, brings the message of The Lord to us.

For example, how do we act when we hear a homily where a priest tells us that premarital sex, artificial contraception or missing Mass on a Sunday are all grave sins? How about if we are told that illegally copying software or cheating on our income taxes is wrong? Do we obey, acknowledging that Jesus Christ still speaks through His Catholic Church or do we resist saying that the Church has no right to interfere in our personal lives?

Most of us have no problem with following the teaching of the Church, but consider this scenario: There is a message on the answering machine from someone that I find difficult to talk to. Maybe I don?t feel like playing with my kids and would rather relax because I?ve had a tough day at work. My wife, playing the role of the modern day prophet, reminds me that maybe I should be doing these ?unpleasant? things instead of doing what I want. How do I react? I?d like to say that I promptly thank her for reminding me that I should place the needs of others before my own needs. Unfortunately, I can?t say that. Quite often, I react angrily trying to justify why I?m not being selfish. The anger generally comes from the embarrassment of having to be reminded to do the right thing. I suspect that I?m not alone in this struggle.

Advent is a great time to take a look at our willingness to obey God?s law. Do we react humbly when we encounter the modern day ?John the Baptists? or do we grow angry as we let our pride take over? If you?re struggling with this, turn to Mary for help. She always sought to please God in all of her deeds and will assist you on your journey.

In today?s gospel, we find the second time this Advent that John the Baptist is discussed. In the days to come we will see him mentioned several more times in the readings. What I find interesting in today?s gospel (Mt 11:11-15) is that while Jesus speaks of the greatness of John?s role, John the Baptist is sitting in prison (see Mt 11:2)! John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod the tetrarch because he spoke out against the ruler?s illicit relationship with his brother?s wife. According to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, Herod was married to the daughter of an Arabian king, but also lived in an adulterous relationship with his brother?s wife, Herodius. When John spoke out against this relationship, he was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded.

John?s basic message to the people was ?reform your lives?. As with all of the prophets, there were many who didn?t want to hear that message. Anyone preaching the true word of God will inevitably offend some people. Most often, the individuals who are offended are the ones that most need to hear the message. Today we live in challenging times, but how much different are they than the biblical era? In days past, people worshipped many false gods and today the pursuit of the ?false gods? of wealth, comfort, relaxation, sexual permissiveness and pleasure-seeking abound. As in biblical times, when one speaks out for The Lord today they are often met with ridicule and various forms of persecution. We see this in frequently in the pro-life movement and when one tries to protect the traditional family by speaking out against gay ?marriage?.

We often hear the phrase ?What would Jesus do?? which is an excellent standard by which to judge one?s actions. I?d like to offer a variation in this Advent season and ask, ?What would John the Baptist do??. Would John do nothing when he read an article advocating abortion on demand or would he write a letter to the editor exposing the myth of “choice” as nothing more than cold blooded murder? Would John remain silent when a co-worker mocked the Catholic stance on artificial birth control or in-vitro fertilization or would he charitably explain why the Catholic Church teaches that those actions are a violation against the sanctity of the marriage act? Would John have refrained from uttering his famous call to ?reform your lives? for fear of being called judgmental? Or would he have instead preached the truth even if it was unpopular?

I think that we all know what John would have done, but the more difficult question is ?what do we do? when faced with these situations? Is it difficult to always stand up for what?s right? You bet?That?s why we are blessed with the Holy Spirit?s gift of fortitude. It helps us to speak the truth even when it?s difficult. As we continue to prepare for the birth of the Lord in this Advent season, let us ask the Holy Spirit to increase the gift of fortitude in us. Then, like John the Baptist, we can truly help people prepare for the coming of the Kingdom!