I was baptized in the Catholic church at the age of 10 but my Mother kinda left the church and attended a non denominational church and I have no problem with that because I like this church. But we have been away from the Catholic Church for 7 years and I still hold on the Catholic beliefs, I try to pray the rosary every night and I have patron saints..ect. But I have a year before I move out on my own and at that time I want to rejoin the Catholic Church. But the question is how do I rejoin it if I wanted to?
Sincere answers only please? :-) Thank you.
God BlessCatholics! I have been baptized but I need advice?
Find a church you think you want to attend, then go talk to the priest, lay minister, etc. about joining that parish.
It's usually as simple as just starting to go there. If you're baptized, but haven't made your first communion, confirmation, or first confession, they'll need to get you started on that.Catholics! I have been baptized but I need advice?
When you are ready to rejoin the Catholic Chruch, call the church that you would like to attend, and ask about the RICA classes. It will bring you up to speed on the beliefs, doctrines, practices of the church. The person in charge of the classes will be glad to talk to you.
Simply go to a Catholic parrish church %26amp; talk to the priest... he'll tell you everything you want to know. Perhaps it will help to get your baptism certificate from the parrish where you were baptized before you do; they keep records of this %26amp; it will save you some running around time.
Simply register in the parish office--and you will need written proof of your baptism, which the office will probably find for you.
Remember: go to confession before receiving the Eucharist.
Congratulations!
Edit: Thanks, Jon, for adding what I had forgotten.
Before you do, pray to your heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ (not to any statue or any saint who is your brethren) and ask Him to guide you.
Ask and you will receive. Wait and watch for an answer which may come in an unexpected way and if this is for you to rejoin the Catholic Church then do not hesitate. The way will be made clear to you. But pray about it first.
Have you taken your catechism? Confirmation? If you have you are still a member of the church. Just get in contact with a priest and he will guide you properly back into being an active member.
My first bit of advice is to go to EWTN's web site and go to there question and answers page for a accurate answer on line. But being as you were Baptized Catholic and once the Church is able to verify it i believe in order to began receiving the eucharist you need to only make your confession and not to worry about it as the Priest are usually very kind and gentle in helping you through it. They more than likely will ask you to attend RCIA classes then you will be confirmed.So glad the Holy Spirit has saved you for his Church..
If you want to get closer to Jesus, then get rid of idols, graven images, and false gods, false beliefs. That's what catholics teaches. I know. I was one ions ago. I gave my life to Jesus Christ 10yrs. ago and it is the best decision of my life. It is also the most awesome and beautiful experience I have had and will have in my life as well. I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus is my life. You pray the rosary; why? Why would you use what man makes to use to pray? Why would you want to pray to false gods (Mary, Joseph, Christopher, etc.)? According to God's word, if man prays to any other one other than the Lord Himself, then man is praying to a false god. I pray the Holy Spirit lets you see the wrong in these by convicting you in ways you have never known. I pray the Lord Jesus will open your heart, eyes and hears to the absolute truth; which is Jesus and His word. Don't read the Catholic Bible, for it has scriptures that was added on and some were taken out, and that is ever so wrong according to the word of God (Revelation 22:18 %26amp; 19). Please read the KJV or NKJV Bible for these come closes to the original version of 1611. May the Lord guide you and lead you in the path to Him all the days of your life. 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all things will be added to you.'
In my opinion, the catholic church does not make it easy to join their faith. If you are not born into it, they usually do not recognize you. My sister married a catholic person and converted. She had to do a lot of things. Unfortunately, I do not remember what she had to do, in detail. You may have to convert back like you never was a catholic to begin with and start over.
You don't have to do anything to join, just show up and drink the blood of your god and give them money and they'll welcome you with open arms.
Or you could just discard all that superstitious nonsense.
there is not God the church is a lie and ur a fool!! =D
Thursday, December 31, 2009
I have religious beliefs that differ so I'd like advice from Unitarians, humanists, Chistians, catholics.?
I was raised Catholic. I believe in the holy trinity and have faith in God, humanity, etc. i never got y we celebrate Mary's bday dec. 12 if supposedly it isnt worship though. maybe im just wrong. I lean more to simple christianity no?
I believe in humanity. humanism. I believe to use our brain to think and reason and act, our hearts to love for when we luv we know god cuz god is luv. i dont like how some religious ppl tell or rather condemn u to hell for ';lacking faith'; or not their religion when i believe THEY have no right. its up to god to have mercy upon us and only him. am i more of a christian humanist?
also, i sumtimes think that we really cannot know the mysteries of god. i believe what i see and seek out the truth not just settle for hearsay. agnosticism? however, thats when its all faith.
i believe in abortion, gay marriage, etc, because ppl have the right to do wats best for themselves. help.
wtf is a deist and theist?
explain thoroughly christian denominations 2I have religious beliefs that differ so I'd like advice from Unitarians, humanists, Chistians, catholics.?
You sound like a very liberal Christian. You would be welcomed in any Unitarian church.
Okay! Theist - A person who believes in god(s). This covers monotheism (Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and polytheism (Paganism, Hinduism, and many forms of tribal worship).
Deist - A person who believes there is a god, but it does not function like an Abrahamic god. It usually does not intervene in the daily life of humans and many times deists view god and nature as one and the same. The belief varies from deist to deist. Unitarians and Confucianists could be considered deists...
The denominations of Christianity is a large subject. There is Catholocism, and Protestant, and Orthodox... all I can do is send you here to research: http://www.religioustolerance.org/christ…
I am a Unitarian Universalist and could be considered a Protestant Christian by being a UU. However, I am first and foremost an atheist, and the Unitarians at my church love me all the same. We are a diverse and welcoming group. I'd say 1/4 of our congregation (at least in my city) is gay/lesbian, we have a Pastafarian, Christians, Hindus, and Atheists. I urge you to check out Unitarian Universalism.
http://uua.org/I have religious beliefs that differ so I'd like advice from Unitarians, humanists, Chistians, catholics.?
To denominate means to take one’s name from another. For
instance, the Lutherans are denominated from their founder, Martin Luther;
the Calvinists are from their founder, John Calvin. Sometimes the name is
denominated from its most prominent quality, hence:
Charismatics, and Congregationalists. The name Catholic is
Latin for “universal.” You might say the technical name of
the Catholic Church is the Universal Christian Church.
From the beginning, the Catholic Church was called
Christian, denominating from the name of Christ, but
today, Catholic is used to differentiate from the sects who
call themselves Christian.
%26gt;%26gt;i believe in abortion...because ppl have the right to do wats best for themselves.%26lt;%26lt;
If it was best for me to kill my (hypothetical) toddler, would you believe in that? She's really annoying sometimes, and I don't want to put her up for adoption because she might be in foster care for a long time or be abused, etc.
People can't condemn you to hell; you condemn yourself by rejecting God..
There is no trinity. The Father is who God is; Holy Spirit is what he is. Jesus is God in man; John 1:1-14, John 14:8-11, Colossians 2:9-11. Read Acts chapter 2 to find out what the first church believed and practiced. There are a few churches today that still believe and practice what the first Christians did.
Deist
a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en%26amp;q=def…
Theist
a believer in a personal God
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en%26amp;safe=…
People do have the right to do what's best for themselves ... or not.
That's why there's a heaven, and that's why there's a hell.
That's also why there's the authentic Church ... the Catholic Church ... and all the rest.
That's why there's Catholics who follow the teachings of Christ and the apostles, and therefore the Church ... and then there's people like yourself.
Make up your mind already.
The Catholic Church long ago explained all that's explainable about the Christian faith, and only a few insoluble mysteries remain.
Study authentic Catholic theology, and you can't miss.
Try to reason things out in your own head, and you play right into the hands of the devil.
http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/
Hmmm, more than just one question. Believe as your heart and mind tell you. It's all good.
Most of the saint's days are their birthdays. I think it's great, more reasons to celebrate :-) I think these were a way to relieve the drudgery of everyday life in the middle ages and keep the people looking to the church constantly.
Use Wikipedia or Merriam Webster to find out the difference between a theist and a deist (not much) and check out www.religioustolerance.org to find out more about specific denominations or religions.
I'd say you're more of a Christian Humanist, yes. It's not like Humanism is a religion, really . . . more of an outlook or philosophy. So it can be coupled with any religion, I'd think.
And a ';theist'; is simply any person that believes in a God or gods. Theism - belief in god. A-theism - without belief in god.
A deist is a person who believes there was a being or god that created the universe, but that they do not watch over it. Sort of like, God created the universe and just left us to it. He doesn't intervene in our daily lives or anything like that.
And I can't really explain the Christian denominations, let alone thoroughly. ;) Sorry.
I believe in humanity. humanism. I believe to use our brain to think and reason and act, our hearts to love for when we luv we know god cuz god is luv. i dont like how some religious ppl tell or rather condemn u to hell for ';lacking faith'; or not their religion when i believe THEY have no right. its up to god to have mercy upon us and only him. am i more of a christian humanist?
also, i sumtimes think that we really cannot know the mysteries of god. i believe what i see and seek out the truth not just settle for hearsay. agnosticism? however, thats when its all faith.
i believe in abortion, gay marriage, etc, because ppl have the right to do wats best for themselves. help.
wtf is a deist and theist?
explain thoroughly christian denominations 2I have religious beliefs that differ so I'd like advice from Unitarians, humanists, Chistians, catholics.?
You sound like a very liberal Christian. You would be welcomed in any Unitarian church.
Okay! Theist - A person who believes in god(s). This covers monotheism (Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and polytheism (Paganism, Hinduism, and many forms of tribal worship).
Deist - A person who believes there is a god, but it does not function like an Abrahamic god. It usually does not intervene in the daily life of humans and many times deists view god and nature as one and the same. The belief varies from deist to deist. Unitarians and Confucianists could be considered deists...
The denominations of Christianity is a large subject. There is Catholocism, and Protestant, and Orthodox... all I can do is send you here to research: http://www.religioustolerance.org/christ…
I am a Unitarian Universalist and could be considered a Protestant Christian by being a UU. However, I am first and foremost an atheist, and the Unitarians at my church love me all the same. We are a diverse and welcoming group. I'd say 1/4 of our congregation (at least in my city) is gay/lesbian, we have a Pastafarian, Christians, Hindus, and Atheists. I urge you to check out Unitarian Universalism.
http://uua.org/I have religious beliefs that differ so I'd like advice from Unitarians, humanists, Chistians, catholics.?
To denominate means to take one’s name from another. For
instance, the Lutherans are denominated from their founder, Martin Luther;
the Calvinists are from their founder, John Calvin. Sometimes the name is
denominated from its most prominent quality, hence:
Charismatics, and Congregationalists. The name Catholic is
Latin for “universal.” You might say the technical name of
the Catholic Church is the Universal Christian Church.
From the beginning, the Catholic Church was called
Christian, denominating from the name of Christ, but
today, Catholic is used to differentiate from the sects who
call themselves Christian.
%26gt;%26gt;i believe in abortion...because ppl have the right to do wats best for themselves.%26lt;%26lt;
If it was best for me to kill my (hypothetical) toddler, would you believe in that? She's really annoying sometimes, and I don't want to put her up for adoption because she might be in foster care for a long time or be abused, etc.
People can't condemn you to hell; you condemn yourself by rejecting God..
There is no trinity. The Father is who God is; Holy Spirit is what he is. Jesus is God in man; John 1:1-14, John 14:8-11, Colossians 2:9-11. Read Acts chapter 2 to find out what the first church believed and practiced. There are a few churches today that still believe and practice what the first Christians did.
Deist
a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en%26amp;q=def…
Theist
a believer in a personal God
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en%26amp;safe=…
People do have the right to do what's best for themselves ... or not.
That's why there's a heaven, and that's why there's a hell.
That's also why there's the authentic Church ... the Catholic Church ... and all the rest.
That's why there's Catholics who follow the teachings of Christ and the apostles, and therefore the Church ... and then there's people like yourself.
Make up your mind already.
The Catholic Church long ago explained all that's explainable about the Christian faith, and only a few insoluble mysteries remain.
Study authentic Catholic theology, and you can't miss.
Try to reason things out in your own head, and you play right into the hands of the devil.
http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/
Hmmm, more than just one question. Believe as your heart and mind tell you. It's all good.
Most of the saint's days are their birthdays. I think it's great, more reasons to celebrate :-) I think these were a way to relieve the drudgery of everyday life in the middle ages and keep the people looking to the church constantly.
Use Wikipedia or Merriam Webster to find out the difference between a theist and a deist (not much) and check out www.religioustolerance.org to find out more about specific denominations or religions.
I'd say you're more of a Christian Humanist, yes. It's not like Humanism is a religion, really . . . more of an outlook or philosophy. So it can be coupled with any religion, I'd think.
And a ';theist'; is simply any person that believes in a God or gods. Theism - belief in god. A-theism - without belief in god.
A deist is a person who believes there was a being or god that created the universe, but that they do not watch over it. Sort of like, God created the universe and just left us to it. He doesn't intervene in our daily lives or anything like that.
And I can't really explain the Christian denominations, let alone thoroughly. ;) Sorry.
Is serving in a jury a sin for catholic people? i mean we aren't supposed to judge people. i need advices?
It's a different kind of ';judgment';. You are given specific rules and specific evidence and you are asked to determine guilt or liability, along with other jurors, based on either a ';preponderance of evidence'; or ';beyond reasonable doubt'; depending on the type of trial. You are not judging anyone's soul, only the presented facts of a case. If you object to capital punishment, the lawyers in a capital case will have you excused. Catholics are supposed to be good citizens anyway.Is serving in a jury a sin for catholic people? i mean we aren't supposed to judge people. i need advices?
%26lt;%26lt;is serving in a jury a sin for catholic people?%26gt;%26gt;
No. Serving on a jury, provided one does it honstly, is not a sin for Catholic people.
%26lt;%26lt;i mean we aren't supposed to judge people. i need advices?%26gt;%26gt;
We are ';not supposed to judge'; individuals as being worthy of salvation or worthy of condemnation.
When it comes to personal behavior, of course we can judge. We're supposed to judge! How can we ';instruct the ignorant'; or ';admonish the sinner'; without making judgment calls. So, clearly, we are allowed to make judgments.Is serving in a jury a sin for catholic people? i mean we aren't supposed to judge people. i need advices?
It can depend on what you are serving on a jury for.
We do not (JWs)....for one, we cannot be responsible for causing someone to be put to death. Some jury trials will be capital ones and you will be asked to vote to kill someone after the vote of guilty.
People of many religions refuse to serve on juries where they will be asked to tell the government to kill someone or that they give their permission to kill.
Debbie
It is not a sin.
That's not the kind of ';judging'; Jesus was talking about when He told us not to judge.
As long as you don't presume that you can say who is going to hell and who isn't, then you're safe. As far as I know, our courts of law haven't starting damning people to hell ... yet. ;)
We make judgments all day: who is a good baby sitter, who is a bad role model, who is the best cook in your family, etc. These are natural and mostly harmless judgments.
Those aren't the ones Jesus told us not to make.
Hello,
No, in jury duty you are technically saying yeah or nay as to whether or not the person is guilty. This is not judging.
The magistrate sitting on the bench looks after that department.
Cheers,
Michael Kelly
This is a temporal matter, not a spiritual one. Feel free to serve for is it not written, ';render unto Cesar that which is Cesar's and unto God that which is God's.
Jesus once said, render unto Caesar, the things that are Caesers and to God the things that are Gods. Also we are supposed to separate the church from the state! I don't believe serving on the jury is a sin.
In part yes, but the death penalty is definitely not right. No one has the right to take someone else's life. Even if he was a very dangerous man.
It might be for protestants, that take the Bible literally, sometimes. Some other times, they twist it like a maze to make say whatever they want
We are not judging their souls, we can judge if they broke a human law or not.
Have served on two jury's Foreman of one.
Peace be with you.
The judge does the judging. You only say which lawyer you agree with. It's like evaluating a debate.
We cannot judge mens souls but we can certainly judge men's actions.
Nope, I did my jury duty and didn't have a problem with it.
No it is good to do your civic duty. I did last month but was never called as a juror. I was wondering the same thing.
You are not judging the person, you are judging their actions. it is ok.lip care beauty consultant
%26lt;%26lt;is serving in a jury a sin for catholic people?%26gt;%26gt;
No. Serving on a jury, provided one does it honstly, is not a sin for Catholic people.
%26lt;%26lt;i mean we aren't supposed to judge people. i need advices?%26gt;%26gt;
We are ';not supposed to judge'; individuals as being worthy of salvation or worthy of condemnation.
When it comes to personal behavior, of course we can judge. We're supposed to judge! How can we ';instruct the ignorant'; or ';admonish the sinner'; without making judgment calls. So, clearly, we are allowed to make judgments.Is serving in a jury a sin for catholic people? i mean we aren't supposed to judge people. i need advices?
It can depend on what you are serving on a jury for.
We do not (JWs)....for one, we cannot be responsible for causing someone to be put to death. Some jury trials will be capital ones and you will be asked to vote to kill someone after the vote of guilty.
People of many religions refuse to serve on juries where they will be asked to tell the government to kill someone or that they give their permission to kill.
Debbie
It is not a sin.
That's not the kind of ';judging'; Jesus was talking about when He told us not to judge.
As long as you don't presume that you can say who is going to hell and who isn't, then you're safe. As far as I know, our courts of law haven't starting damning people to hell ... yet. ;)
We make judgments all day: who is a good baby sitter, who is a bad role model, who is the best cook in your family, etc. These are natural and mostly harmless judgments.
Those aren't the ones Jesus told us not to make.
Hello,
No, in jury duty you are technically saying yeah or nay as to whether or not the person is guilty. This is not judging.
The magistrate sitting on the bench looks after that department.
Cheers,
Michael Kelly
This is a temporal matter, not a spiritual one. Feel free to serve for is it not written, ';render unto Cesar that which is Cesar's and unto God that which is God's.
Jesus once said, render unto Caesar, the things that are Caesers and to God the things that are Gods. Also we are supposed to separate the church from the state! I don't believe serving on the jury is a sin.
In part yes, but the death penalty is definitely not right. No one has the right to take someone else's life. Even if he was a very dangerous man.
It might be for protestants, that take the Bible literally, sometimes. Some other times, they twist it like a maze to make say whatever they want
We are not judging their souls, we can judge if they broke a human law or not.
Have served on two jury's Foreman of one.
Peace be with you.
The judge does the judging. You only say which lawyer you agree with. It's like evaluating a debate.
We cannot judge mens souls but we can certainly judge men's actions.
Nope, I did my jury duty and didn't have a problem with it.
No it is good to do your civic duty. I did last month but was never called as a juror. I was wondering the same thing.
You are not judging the person, you are judging their actions. it is ok.
Catholics! I could use a little advice =)?
Latenight/earlymorning catholics-As a pagan, I'm doing a report on the methods and beliefs of the catholic religion. I'm former roman catholic myself, so my knowledge is.. fairly decent. I'd really like your perspectives, though. What would you cover? What do you suggest I research? Websites are excellent. Long answers are loved. Thanks so much.Catholics! I could use a little advice =)?
This branch of Christianity goes back a long way. How far back? To the time Peter and Jesus are standing up on a mountain. Jesus says, ';Peter, I'm going to build my church on you buddy. Here's the keys, let's get to work.'; This is a paraphrase. Want the real words? Check out Matthew 16:19. And from there, the first sermon preached by a disciple was by Peter, check Acts 2. People came to know the Lord, and the church was born. From this point, a lot of Catholic beliefs are about Peter and his authority. Peter was the first pope, and he ruled and organized the first church. When he died, the authority of the pope was passed on to another man, a guy named Linus, and then to another guy, and then another. In all there were four popes in the Catholic church before before the end of the first century A.D. This formed something called an Apostolic Succession. While the pope today isn't Peter himself, he's like Peter because he's a direct descendant, via Apostolic Succession, of Peter. Since the very beginning, the Catholic church has been highly accepted and has remained part of the fabric of many cultures. It's hugely influential in the lives of its members. Often, people will say ';I'm Catholic before they'll say, ';I'm Christian.'; Kinda shows you the force that the Catholic church is in the world today.
Catholics believe the basic Christian things, like Jesus was God's son and he was God. He came to save us from our sins. God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit: Catholics in the same God, Son, and the Holy Spirit that other Christian churches do. The next three beliefs are found only in Catholic church: Catholics pray to God, but they also request that Saints pray for them too. Sometimes people see the way the revere saints and think Catholics actually worship the saints. That's not true. But, they believe that Saints are in the presence of God and pray for people on earth. Jesus' mom gets a place of reverence and devotion. She's just a little lower than Jesus and just a little higher than the saints. Immaculate conception: It's the belief that Jesus' mother was sinless at her conception, because Jesus couldn't be born from a sinful women. How do you become a Catholic? You convert. It's a lot like becoming a member in any church. There are membership classes at attend and all that. Sacred text: The Bible, New American Version. About one billion worldwide and sixty-two million in the United Sates of America are Catholic. How to practice? There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church. Baptism: Catholics baptize infants before they experience a spiritual conversion. Infants are welcomed into the church community through baptism. Confirmation: Once a person has been baptized, they go through confirmation as an adult. The purpose is to offer the adult believer a chance to make a personal choice for the Christian faith. The Bishop prays that the person will receive the Holy Ghost, then makes the sign of the cross on their foreheads with Chrism, a mixture of olive oil and balsam, and asks that the peace of God be with them. Then, then person is blessed. Holy Eucharist, or Communion: The Eucharist has distinct effects in the life of the Catholic. It signifies union with Christ. When we take the Eucharist, we're becoming a part of Christ and the church, there's both a spiritual and mystical union that happens. Penance: After confessing your sins to the priest, you are told to do a penance. This is how you are forgiven of your sins. The sacrament of anointing the sick: This is the sacrament in the Catholic church that used to be called Extreme Unction. It's dedicating a sick or dying person to God. Catholics do it, but they're not the only ones. Many Christians do this. Holy orders: This is when someone dedicates their life to the ministry of the church as a deacon, priest, or bishop. Matrimony: Marriage. Two baptized people becoming partners for life.Catholics! I could use a little advice =)?
Okay two links with lots of information for your research, the Vatican's website http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm and the Catholic encyclopedia http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ The Catholic catechism would be a good start, I have also starred this for you for fellow Catholics.
Christianity…the belief that some cosmic Jewish zombie will grant you immortality, if you ‘symbolically’ eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can rid an evil imbedded in mans soul because some rib woman was tricked into eating a magic apple by a talking snake…yeah makes perfect sense
Church traditions - www.catholicanswers.com
Faith and Reason - written by Pope John Paul II
church traditions before and after the 2nd council - google it
the 7 Blessed Sacraments - www.catholicanswers.com, www.newadvent.com
Buy a copy of the Catechism.
Want some advice? Come back to the Church.
This branch of Christianity goes back a long way. How far back? To the time Peter and Jesus are standing up on a mountain. Jesus says, ';Peter, I'm going to build my church on you buddy. Here's the keys, let's get to work.'; This is a paraphrase. Want the real words? Check out Matthew 16:19. And from there, the first sermon preached by a disciple was by Peter, check Acts 2. People came to know the Lord, and the church was born. From this point, a lot of Catholic beliefs are about Peter and his authority. Peter was the first pope, and he ruled and organized the first church. When he died, the authority of the pope was passed on to another man, a guy named Linus, and then to another guy, and then another. In all there were four popes in the Catholic church before before the end of the first century A.D. This formed something called an Apostolic Succession. While the pope today isn't Peter himself, he's like Peter because he's a direct descendant, via Apostolic Succession, of Peter. Since the very beginning, the Catholic church has been highly accepted and has remained part of the fabric of many cultures. It's hugely influential in the lives of its members. Often, people will say ';I'm Catholic before they'll say, ';I'm Christian.'; Kinda shows you the force that the Catholic church is in the world today.
Catholics believe the basic Christian things, like Jesus was God's son and he was God. He came to save us from our sins. God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit: Catholics in the same God, Son, and the Holy Spirit that other Christian churches do. The next three beliefs are found only in Catholic church: Catholics pray to God, but they also request that Saints pray for them too. Sometimes people see the way the revere saints and think Catholics actually worship the saints. That's not true. But, they believe that Saints are in the presence of God and pray for people on earth. Jesus' mom gets a place of reverence and devotion. She's just a little lower than Jesus and just a little higher than the saints. Immaculate conception: It's the belief that Jesus' mother was sinless at her conception, because Jesus couldn't be born from a sinful women. How do you become a Catholic? You convert. It's a lot like becoming a member in any church. There are membership classes at attend and all that. Sacred text: The Bible, New American Version. About one billion worldwide and sixty-two million in the United Sates of America are Catholic. How to practice? There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church. Baptism: Catholics baptize infants before they experience a spiritual conversion. Infants are welcomed into the church community through baptism. Confirmation: Once a person has been baptized, they go through confirmation as an adult. The purpose is to offer the adult believer a chance to make a personal choice for the Christian faith. The Bishop prays that the person will receive the Holy Ghost, then makes the sign of the cross on their foreheads with Chrism, a mixture of olive oil and balsam, and asks that the peace of God be with them. Then, then person is blessed. Holy Eucharist, or Communion: The Eucharist has distinct effects in the life of the Catholic. It signifies union with Christ. When we take the Eucharist, we're becoming a part of Christ and the church, there's both a spiritual and mystical union that happens. Penance: After confessing your sins to the priest, you are told to do a penance. This is how you are forgiven of your sins. The sacrament of anointing the sick: This is the sacrament in the Catholic church that used to be called Extreme Unction. It's dedicating a sick or dying person to God. Catholics do it, but they're not the only ones. Many Christians do this. Holy orders: This is when someone dedicates their life to the ministry of the church as a deacon, priest, or bishop. Matrimony: Marriage. Two baptized people becoming partners for life.Catholics! I could use a little advice =)?
Okay two links with lots of information for your research, the Vatican's website http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm and the Catholic encyclopedia http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ The Catholic catechism would be a good start, I have also starred this for you for fellow Catholics.
Christianity…the belief that some cosmic Jewish zombie will grant you immortality, if you ‘symbolically’ eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can rid an evil imbedded in mans soul because some rib woman was tricked into eating a magic apple by a talking snake…yeah makes perfect sense
Church traditions - www.catholicanswers.com
Faith and Reason - written by Pope John Paul II
church traditions before and after the 2nd council - google it
the 7 Blessed Sacraments - www.catholicanswers.com, www.newadvent.com
Buy a copy of the Catechism.
Want some advice? Come back to the Church.
Catholics, please give me some advice!
I am almost 17, I am in grade 12 at a Catholic High School and it is my final year and I want to make the most of it. I want to do something that will make a difference to the school and improve it for future years. The way in which I plan to do that is to somehow reach out to students and help them realize that we are a Catholic school and we should be proud. However, the students at my school have little respect during mass, they talk during communion and they refuse to go to confession. Can you help me with ideas to fulfill this goal of mine for my final year of high school? Thank you so much.Catholics, please give me some advice!
I sympathize.
I'm a teacher at a Catholic School and I see many students being disrespectful. The only thing I can do is teach them and show them the proper way to be a Christian.
Maybe you could convince the staff to give the graduating students Rosaries for graduation. Or, our seniors run a Christmas Basket project where they participate in community service, to help families who won't otherwise have a Christmas. Maybe setting up some type of tradition like that.Catholics, please give me some advice!
Write fliers with dialog of your thoughts, and hand these out to as many students as possible.
Let them know what they are experiencing as a Catholic. Convince them that the church, and God, is not something to be taken for granted. Allow them to realize the real presence in the Holy Eucharist. Show how the faith can be utilized in everyday life.
Ask a priest or one of the catechists for their help with such an assignment. Good luck, and God bless.
You're going to be a senior.
Lead by example.
And don't stop once you graduate.
http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/
maybe they don't lap up the religion as readily as you do.
If there are any other like-minded seniors, recrute them to help you out.
I would opt for doing something specifically with and for the freshmen.
When I was in my parish's CYO, the activity I remember the most vividly was the one that, at the time, sent the chills of death down my spine.
We called them ';rap sessions';. You will probably need, for liability purposes, permission from the school to do this, on school property. If the school has a problem with this, you know what - find a place off campus and do this anyway.
What we did at rap sessions was talk about stuff (it didn't necessarily have to do directly with religion) but we talked about stuff that most kids would find it difficult if not impossible to talk with family members about.
There was this, ';What's said here, stays here.'; Everything said, by ';advisors'; such as yourself, or the members, was confidentional. NOBODY, was told anything outside the rap. This is why I'm thinking the school might have a problem with it.
And I'm not talking about the garden variety ';sex, drugs, and peer pressure'; talks. We did those too but I'm talking more about teaching basic Christian morality.
In this age of secularism, materialism, and moral relativism, teaching moral theology is where it's at. The students will probaby ';dig it'; for the simple reason that you are giving them a practical application for applying Catholic theology to their everyday life. They're going to realize how useful, relevant - and fascinating - Catholic Dogma is.
For example, you can start a discussion about, say, moral dilemmas. Take abortion for example. Come up with a number of possible scenarios in which a TEEN is apt to get an abortion. Everyone MUST contribute when asked whether or not each person who approve abortion under whatever circumstances.
Then get into the teaching aspect of abortion; the moral theology behind why the Church teaches what it teaches.
Another way of doing it would be to watch a video, some religious or non-religous drama that entails fundamental questions about morality, and discuss the film afterwards in a rap-session format.
Basically, the possibilities of rap sessions are limited only by your imagination, and/or the imagination of anyone involved.
After awhile, when every regular participant is socially comfortable and trusting of one another's confidentiality and friendship, start inviting them to attend Masses and other school functions as a group. The more things you guys do together, the better.
The is one rule that MUST be kept if this is going to work. What's said at the rap session stays at the rap sessions. One blabber-mouth can ruin it for everyone. If someone with a big mouth does blab, they must be kicked out, never to be let back in.
I would definitively consider doing this. You might find yourself coming back next year and taking on the group again. If you do this, and the idea really takes off, you might want to look into getting some junior's involved, so that the torch can be passed to them next year when they become seniors.
Chances are, you may find yourself coming back and being a part of these rap sessions years after you've graduated.
You will teach a lot of Catholic youths many valuable lessons - that they're not going to forget.
well my sweet little sister =) what can I tell you to help you out today?
just as much as the Catholic Church is the oneand Only Chruch of God, established by Jesus Christ himself. through him, with him in him in unity with the Holy Spirit.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.
it is up to each person to enbrace Jesus. as long as you hold true to your faith, the Gospels you will endure the test of time as the church has. as for the others all you candoid hope they get a clue.
hanging out rosary’s is not a good idea for they would just end up around someone neck as a necklace in which they are not or tossed aside as these that disrupt Mass surely will not pray the rosary too.
as sad as that may sound your concern is genuine and makes my happy to have you on myside. =)
';I am almost 17, I am in grade 12 '; what are you like super smart, got kicked up a couple grades ahead of time?
I hope you have one great graduation!
maybe you can find a good channel to talk to Jesus
peace and love to you my little sister =)
I sympathize.
I'm a teacher at a Catholic School and I see many students being disrespectful. The only thing I can do is teach them and show them the proper way to be a Christian.
Maybe you could convince the staff to give the graduating students Rosaries for graduation. Or, our seniors run a Christmas Basket project where they participate in community service, to help families who won't otherwise have a Christmas. Maybe setting up some type of tradition like that.Catholics, please give me some advice!
Write fliers with dialog of your thoughts, and hand these out to as many students as possible.
Let them know what they are experiencing as a Catholic. Convince them that the church, and God, is not something to be taken for granted. Allow them to realize the real presence in the Holy Eucharist. Show how the faith can be utilized in everyday life.
Ask a priest or one of the catechists for their help with such an assignment. Good luck, and God bless.
You're going to be a senior.
Lead by example.
And don't stop once you graduate.
http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/
maybe they don't lap up the religion as readily as you do.
If there are any other like-minded seniors, recrute them to help you out.
I would opt for doing something specifically with and for the freshmen.
When I was in my parish's CYO, the activity I remember the most vividly was the one that, at the time, sent the chills of death down my spine.
We called them ';rap sessions';. You will probably need, for liability purposes, permission from the school to do this, on school property. If the school has a problem with this, you know what - find a place off campus and do this anyway.
What we did at rap sessions was talk about stuff (it didn't necessarily have to do directly with religion) but we talked about stuff that most kids would find it difficult if not impossible to talk with family members about.
There was this, ';What's said here, stays here.'; Everything said, by ';advisors'; such as yourself, or the members, was confidentional. NOBODY, was told anything outside the rap. This is why I'm thinking the school might have a problem with it.
And I'm not talking about the garden variety ';sex, drugs, and peer pressure'; talks. We did those too but I'm talking more about teaching basic Christian morality.
In this age of secularism, materialism, and moral relativism, teaching moral theology is where it's at. The students will probaby ';dig it'; for the simple reason that you are giving them a practical application for applying Catholic theology to their everyday life. They're going to realize how useful, relevant - and fascinating - Catholic Dogma is.
For example, you can start a discussion about, say, moral dilemmas. Take abortion for example. Come up with a number of possible scenarios in which a TEEN is apt to get an abortion. Everyone MUST contribute when asked whether or not each person who approve abortion under whatever circumstances.
Then get into the teaching aspect of abortion; the moral theology behind why the Church teaches what it teaches.
Another way of doing it would be to watch a video, some religious or non-religous drama that entails fundamental questions about morality, and discuss the film afterwards in a rap-session format.
Basically, the possibilities of rap sessions are limited only by your imagination, and/or the imagination of anyone involved.
After awhile, when every regular participant is socially comfortable and trusting of one another's confidentiality and friendship, start inviting them to attend Masses and other school functions as a group. The more things you guys do together, the better.
The is one rule that MUST be kept if this is going to work. What's said at the rap session stays at the rap sessions. One blabber-mouth can ruin it for everyone. If someone with a big mouth does blab, they must be kicked out, never to be let back in.
I would definitively consider doing this. You might find yourself coming back next year and taking on the group again. If you do this, and the idea really takes off, you might want to look into getting some junior's involved, so that the torch can be passed to them next year when they become seniors.
Chances are, you may find yourself coming back and being a part of these rap sessions years after you've graduated.
You will teach a lot of Catholic youths many valuable lessons - that they're not going to forget.
well my sweet little sister =) what can I tell you to help you out today?
just as much as the Catholic Church is the oneand Only Chruch of God, established by Jesus Christ himself. through him, with him in him in unity with the Holy Spirit.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.
it is up to each person to enbrace Jesus. as long as you hold true to your faith, the Gospels you will endure the test of time as the church has. as for the others all you candoid hope they get a clue.
hanging out rosary’s is not a good idea for they would just end up around someone neck as a necklace in which they are not or tossed aside as these that disrupt Mass surely will not pray the rosary too.
as sad as that may sound your concern is genuine and makes my happy to have you on myside. =)
';I am almost 17, I am in grade 12 '; what are you like super smart, got kicked up a couple grades ahead of time?
I hope you have one great graduation!
maybe you can find a good channel to talk to Jesus
peace and love to you my little sister =)
Catholics, please I need your advice?
I want to be a nun but I don't have all certificate received for my communion and when I was baptism. How can I prove that I am a catholic?
I live in England and I was born in Afica.Catholics, please I need your advice?
Hi! I haven't seen you in a while, I honestly don't know what you would do next. I will google it and let you know.
You know what, talk to your Parish Priest or the Convent you are looking to go into. I will pray for your vocation, with love in Christ your sister, Kate.Catholics, please I need your advice?
Do you know the name of the church you were baptized in, or does you parents of any family member that can tell you. Do you remember the name of the church you made you communion in they would have a record of both. And if that fails speak to your parish priest or like Kate says, ask the convent in which you want to enter. God Bless you and I'll pray for you too.
I would speak to the Novitiate you are thinking about entering. Were you confirmed as a Catholic? If you were confirmed and you have proof of that, it would work. If not I'm sure that something can be worked out, I doubt they'll turn you away! Good luck with your journey!
maybe you can obtain the documentation from the Church where you were baptized and recieved first Holy Communion from . Try calling them and asking them if they can give you your records and they can mail them to you! Good luck and God bless!
Since you already did it and you really want to be a Nun what would be the problem with just doing it over again? If this is what you really want to do the only way to do it is to redo it
Go to a Catholic church and make an appointment with the pastor, he will guide you properly.
Call your former Church, or send them an e-mail.
Or you can talk with your Priest, I am sure he will give you some Direction.
Good Luck and may God Bless you!
Write or call your former church and get it done. The worse thing that they will make you do is do it over again.
Call the Pope?
I live in England and I was born in Afica.Catholics, please I need your advice?
Hi! I haven't seen you in a while, I honestly don't know what you would do next. I will google it and let you know.
You know what, talk to your Parish Priest or the Convent you are looking to go into. I will pray for your vocation, with love in Christ your sister, Kate.Catholics, please I need your advice?
Do you know the name of the church you were baptized in, or does you parents of any family member that can tell you. Do you remember the name of the church you made you communion in they would have a record of both. And if that fails speak to your parish priest or like Kate says, ask the convent in which you want to enter. God Bless you and I'll pray for you too.
I would speak to the Novitiate you are thinking about entering. Were you confirmed as a Catholic? If you were confirmed and you have proof of that, it would work. If not I'm sure that something can be worked out, I doubt they'll turn you away! Good luck with your journey!
maybe you can obtain the documentation from the Church where you were baptized and recieved first Holy Communion from . Try calling them and asking them if they can give you your records and they can mail them to you! Good luck and God bless!
Since you already did it and you really want to be a Nun what would be the problem with just doing it over again? If this is what you really want to do the only way to do it is to redo it
Go to a Catholic church and make an appointment with the pastor, he will guide you properly.
Call your former Church, or send them an e-mail.
Or you can talk with your Priest, I am sure he will give you some Direction.
Good Luck and may God Bless you!
Write or call your former church and get it done. The worse thing that they will make you do is do it over again.
Call the Pope?
The Virgin Mary is not recorded as having given any advice, so why do Catholics make such a fuss about her?
NO where in the bible does it say to pray to Mary,it is through Jesus,he is the way,to the Father(John 14:6-14)The Virgin Mary is not recorded as having given any advice, so why do Catholics make such a fuss about her?
';Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!'; (Ps. 103:20-21).
The Virgin Mary is not recorded as having given any advice, so why do Catholics make such a fuss about her?
';Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!'; (Ps. 148:1-2)
';the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints'; (Rev. 5:8). Thus the saints in heaven offer to God the prayers of the saints on earth.
';See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.'; (Matt. 18:10).
Jesus is the only Mediator between man and God (1 Tim. 2:5), but this in no way means we cannot or should not ask our fellow Christians to pray with us and for us (1 Tim. 2:1-4), including those Christians in heaven, who have already had their sanctification completed.
';[t]he prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects'; (Jas. 5:16).
I believe the Truth; part of which I have presented to you. What you do with that Truth is up to you.
Examine your conscience; you will see that it is not the Truth you seek; you merely want affirmation for you own beliefs.
Worship the God that Is, not the god you want Him to be.
Because she was chosen to be the one that gave birth to the Son of God. And she did this knowing what would happen to Jesus.
(to an earlier poster - Mary is a perpetual Virgin, before, during and AFTER the birth of Jesus)
thou shalt have no other gods before me. no graven images,she was a virgin before she conceived but afterwards she had james and it wasnt the holy ghost then
Well according to Christians she was chosen of all women to give birth to god, so that would make her sort of special would it not? I must say I like the ';Queen of Heaven'; title, now that's cool. Silly Catholics just won't admit she's a goddess. What are they afraid of, the opinions of Protestants? Go Catholics.
The Blessed Virgin Mary serves as a mediator to Christ like what happened in the Wedding at Cana (sp?) not an adviser.
That's why we Catholics ask her to pray for us.
She told the servants at the wedding at Cana, ';Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you'; (John 2). Is this not advice? Isn't it the best advice ever given by a human being: to do whatever Christ wills?
Maybe coz she Jesus's Mother. Not sure though.
Because Catholics knew something that others don't. Catholics don't pray to Mary but adore her for accepting the difficult and dangerous task God gave her especially during their time with no question whatsoever and most importantly, by bearing us a saviour and took all the pain that a mother would feel for a son who died for the redemption of our sins.
If this is not important to you, you don't have to give a fuzz about her.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is a wonderful example for us to follow.
She unhesitatingly said YES to God and put her life in mortal jeopardy. Her fiance Joseph could have had her stoned to death for adultery.
Can any of us hope to live up to that example?
With love in Christ.
I think it is because of the all the healing wells and times she has appeared like at Medjugorje, but the Catholic Church always takes the position first to ban people from these areas! They actually chased the poor children around town.
It is ironic that the pope dedicates his whatever it is called to Mary and ignores all compassionate teachings, doing exactly the opposite, judging humanity. Matthew Fox embodies what I see as a truer expression of compassion with a doctrine that includes reincarnation.
I don't believe her true messages are relayed because people's ears are plugged with doctrine. I suppose it is difficult to translate a ';heart'; and thus people who experience this make up Hallmark Cards of it mimicking what the church taught them. Perhaps partly so that they will be believed. After all if they told the church something about something like reincarnation they would be called a fraud. Little doubt.
Many Catholic minds seem to be built like the cathedrals out of stone.
PERFECT EXAMPLE ABOVE, bible blah blah blah
The Uniqueness of Mary as the Mother of God
Gen. 3:15 - we see from the very beginning that God gives Mary a unique role in salvation history. God says ';I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.'; This refers to Jesus (the ';emnity';) and Mary (the ';woman';). The phrase ';her seed'; (spermatos) is not seen elsewhere in Scripture.
Gen 3:15 / Rev. 12:1 - the Scriptures begin and end with the woman battling satan. This points to the power of the woman with the seed and teaches us that Jesus and Mary are the new Adam and the new Eve.
John 2:4, 19:26 - Jesus calls Mary ';woman'; as she is called in Gen. 3:15. Just as Eve was the mother of the old creation, Mary is the mother of the new creation. This woman's seed will crush the serpent's skull.
Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23 - a virgin (the Greek word used is ';parthenos';) will bear a Son named Emmanuel, which means ';God is with us.'; John 1:14 - God in flesh dwelt among us. Mary is the Virgin Mother of God.
Matt. 2:11 - Luke emphasizes Jesus is with Mary His Mother, and the magi fall down before both of them, worshiping Jesus.
Luke 1:35 - the child will be called holy, the Son of God. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, or the Mother of God (the ';Theotokos';).
Luke 1:28 - ';Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.'; These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God.
Luke 1:28 - also, the phrase ';full of grace'; is translated from the Greek word ';kecharitomene.'; This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just ';highly favored.'; She has been perfected in grace by God. ';Full of grace'; is only used to describe one other person - Jesus Christ in John 1:14.
Luke 1:38 - Mary's fiat is ';let it be done to me according to thy word.'; Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration.
Luke 1:42 - ';Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.'; The phrase ';blessed are you among women'; really means ';you are most blessed of all women.'; A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary.
Luke 1:43 - Elizabeth's use of ';Mother of my Lord'; (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used ';Adonai'; which means Lord God) is the equivalent of ';Holy Mary, Mother of God'; which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus' Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus' human nature - mothers are mothers of persons, not natures).
Luke 1:44 - Mary's voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeth's womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor.
Luke 1:46 - Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers.
Luke 1:48 - Mary prophesies that all generations shall call her blessed, as Catholics do in the ';Hail Mary'; prayer. What Protestant churches have existed in all generations (none), and how many of them call Mary blessed with special prayers and devotions?
Gal. 4:4 - God sent His Son, born of a woman, to redeem us. Mary is the woman with the redeemer. By calling Mary co-redemptrix, we are simply calling Mary ';the woman with the redeemer.'; This is because ';co'; is from the Latin word ';***'; which means ';with.'; Therefore, ';co-redemptrix'; means ';woman with the redeemer.'; Mary had a unique but subordinate role to Jesus in salvation.
Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2 - the word ';saints'; (in Hebrew ';qaddiysh';) means ';holy'; ones. So Mary is called Holy, the greatest Saint of all.
Luke 2:35 - Simeon prophesies that a sword would also pierce Mary's soul. Mary thus plays a very important role in our redemption. While Jesus' suffering was all that we needed for redemption, God desired Mary to participate on a subordinate level in her Son's suffering, just as he allows us to participate through our own sufferings.
Luke 2:19,51 - Mary kept in mind all these things as she pondered them in her heart. Catholics remember this by devoting themselves to Mary's Immaculate Heart and all the treasures and wisdom and knowledge contained therein.
Mary - the Immaculate Ark of the New Covenant
Exodus 25:11-21 - the ark of the Old Covenant was made of the purest gold for God's Word. Mary is the ark of the New Covenant and is the purest vessel for the Word of God made flesh.
2 Sam. 6:7 - the Ark is so holy and pure that when Uzzah touched it, the Lord slew him. This shows us that the Ark is undefiled. Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is even more immaculate and undefiled, spared by God from original sin so that she could bear His eternal Word in her womb.
1 Chron. 13:9-10 - this is another account of Uzzah and the Ark. For God to dwell within Mary the Ark, Mary had to be conceived without sin. For Protestants to argue otherwise would be to say that God would let the finger of Satan touch His Son made flesh. This is incomprehensible.
1 Chron. 15 and 16 - these verses show the awesome reverence the Jews had for the Ark - veneration, vestments, songs, harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets.
Luke 1:39 / 2 Sam. 6:2 - Luke's conspicuous comparison's between Mary and the Ark described by Samuel underscores the reality of Mary as the undefiled and immaculate Ark of the New Covenant. In these verses, Mary (the Ark) arose and went / David arose and went to the Ark. There is a clear parallel between the Ark of the Old and the Ark of the New Covenant.
Luke 1:41 / 2 Sam. 6:16 - John the Baptist / King David leap for joy before Mary / Ark. So should we leap for joy before Mary the immaculate Ark of the Word made flesh.
Luke 1:43 / 2 Sam. 6:9 - How can the Mother / Ark of the Lord come to me? It is a holy privilege. Our Mother wants to come to us and lead us to Jesus.
Luke 1:56 / 2 Sam. 6:11 and 1 Chron. 13:14 - Mary / the Ark remained in the house for about three months.
Rev 11:19 - at this point in history, the Ark of the Old Covenant was not seen for six centuries (see 2 Macc. 2:7), and now it is finally seen in heaven. The Jewish people would have been absolutely amazed at this. However, John immediately passes over this fact and describes the ';woman'; clothed with the sun in Rev. 12:1. John is emphasizing that Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant and who, like the Old ark, is now worthy of veneration and praise. Also remember that Rev. 11:19 and Rev. 12:1 are tied together because there was no chapter and verse at the time these texts were written.
Rev 12:1 - the ';woman'; that John is describing is Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so Mary, with the moon under her feet, reflects the glory of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ.
Rev. 12:17 - this verse tells us that Mary's offspring are those who keep God's commandments and bear testimony to Jesus. This demonstrates, as Catholics have always believed, that Mary is the Mother of all Christians.
Rev. 12:2 - Some Protestants argue that, because the woman had birth pangs, she was a woman with sin. However, Revelation is apocalyptic literature unique to the 1st century. It contains varied symbolism and multiple meanings of the woman (Mary, the Church and Israel). The birth pangs describe both the birth of the Church and Mary's offspring being formed in Christ. Mary had no birth pangs in delivering her only Son Jesus.
Isaiah 66:7 - for example, we see Isaiah prophesying that before she (Mary) was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son (Jesus). This is a Marian prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
Gal 4:19 - Paul also describes his pain as birth pangs in forming the disciples in Christ. Birth pangs describe formation in Christ.
Rom. 8:22 - also, Paul says the whole creation has been groaning in travail before the coming of Christ. We are all undergoing birth pangs because we are being reborn into Jesus Christ.
Jer. 13:21 - Jeremiah describes the birth pangs of Israel, like a woman in travail. Birth pangs are usually used metaphorically in the Scriptures.
Hos. 13:12-13 - Ephraim is also described as travailing in childbirth for his sins. Again, birth pangs are used metaphorically.
Micah 4:9-10 - Micah also describes Jerusalem as being seized by birth pangs like a woman in travail.
Rev. 12:13-16 - in these verses, we see that the devil still seeks to destroy the woman even after the Savior is born. This proves Mary is a danger to satan, even after the birth of Christ. This is because God has given her the power to intercede for us, and we should invoke her assistance in our spiritual lives.
Mary is our Mother and Queen of the New Davidic Kingdom
John 19:26 - Jesus makes Mary the Mother of us all as He dies on the Cross by saying ';behold your mother.'; Jesus did not say ';John, behold your mother'; because he gave Mary to all of us, his beloved disciples. All the words that Jesus spoke on Cross had a divine purpose. Jesus was not just telling John to take care of his mother.
Rev. 12:17 - this verse proves the meaning of John 19:26. The ';woman's'; (Mary's) offspring are those who follow Jesus. She is our Mother and we are her offspring in Jesus Christ. The master plan of God's covenant love for us is family. But we cannot be a complete family with the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Christ without the Motherhood of Mary.
John 2:3 - this is a very signifcant verse in Scripture. As our mother, Mary tells all of us to do whatever Jesus tells us. Further, Mary's intercession at the marriage feast in Cana triggers Jesus' ministry and a foreshadowing of the Eucharistic celebration of the Lamb. This celebration unites all believers into one famiy through the marriage of divinity and humanity.
John 2:7 - Jesus allows His mother to intercede for the people on His behalf, and responds to His mother's request by ordering the servants to fill the jars with water.
Psalm 45:9 - the psalmist teaches that the Queen stands at the right hand of God. The role of the Queen is important in God's kingdom. Mary the Queen of heaven is at the right hand of the Son of God.
1 Kings 2:17, 20 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the King does not refuse his mother. Jesus is the new Davidic King, and He does not refuse the requests of his mother Mary, the Queen.
1 Kings 2:18 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the Queen intercedes on behalf of the King's followers. She is the Queen Mother (or ';Gebirah';). Mary is our eternal Gebirah.
1 Kings 2:19 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom the King bows down to his mother and she sits at his right hand. We, as children of the New Covenant, should imitate our King and pay the same homage to Mary our Mother. By honoring Mary, we honor our King, Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 15:13 - the Queen Mother is a powerful position in Israel's royal monarchy. Here the Queen is removed from office. But now, the Davidic kingdom is perfected by Jesus, and our Mother Mary is forever at His right hand.
2 Chron. 22:10 - here Queen Mother Athalia destroys the royal family of Judah after she sees her son, King Ahaziah, dead. The Queen mother plays a significant role in the kingdom.
Neh. 2:6 - the Queen Mother sits beside the King. She is the primary intercessor before the King.
Because she was chosen by god to carry his only son – he obviously thought a lot of her...
Well, the first commandment is thou shall not have any Gods beside me. So of coarse people generally like to brake rules in order. LOL. I have to say most religions I know add someone or something to God they just don't seem to think he can do it on his own. Even though he does not need help. Remember he created everything on his own.
Mary was a woman blessed beyond all others so Catholics see her as someone to help mediate between their heart and God. Same with all the saints. But saints and humans are only of use when alive. Most Christians seem to think they need a mediator. They think God does not see their thoughts and heart without help. And they hope to cover the ugliness that all humans posses. I know, God, who created all is above all. So I hope that answers your question.
Its human natiure.
';Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!'; (Ps. 103:20-21).
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The Virgin Mary is not recorded as having given any advice, so why do Catholics make such a fuss about her?
';Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!'; (Ps. 148:1-2)
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';the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints'; (Rev. 5:8). Thus the saints in heaven offer to God the prayers of the saints on earth.
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';See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.'; (Matt. 18:10).
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Jesus is the only Mediator between man and God (1 Tim. 2:5), but this in no way means we cannot or should not ask our fellow Christians to pray with us and for us (1 Tim. 2:1-4), including those Christians in heaven, who have already had their sanctification completed.
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';[t]he prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects'; (Jas. 5:16).
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I believe the Truth; part of which I have presented to you. What you do with that Truth is up to you.
Examine your conscience; you will see that it is not the Truth you seek; you merely want affirmation for you own beliefs.
Worship the God that Is, not the god you want Him to be.
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Because she was chosen to be the one that gave birth to the Son of God. And she did this knowing what would happen to Jesus.
(to an earlier poster - Mary is a perpetual Virgin, before, during and AFTER the birth of Jesus)
thou shalt have no other gods before me. no graven images,she was a virgin before she conceived but afterwards she had james and it wasnt the holy ghost then
Well according to Christians she was chosen of all women to give birth to god, so that would make her sort of special would it not? I must say I like the ';Queen of Heaven'; title, now that's cool. Silly Catholics just won't admit she's a goddess. What are they afraid of, the opinions of Protestants? Go Catholics.
The Blessed Virgin Mary serves as a mediator to Christ like what happened in the Wedding at Cana (sp?) not an adviser.
That's why we Catholics ask her to pray for us.
She told the servants at the wedding at Cana, ';Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you'; (John 2). Is this not advice? Isn't it the best advice ever given by a human being: to do whatever Christ wills?
Maybe coz she Jesus's Mother. Not sure though.
Because Catholics knew something that others don't. Catholics don't pray to Mary but adore her for accepting the difficult and dangerous task God gave her especially during their time with no question whatsoever and most importantly, by bearing us a saviour and took all the pain that a mother would feel for a son who died for the redemption of our sins.
If this is not important to you, you don't have to give a fuzz about her.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is a wonderful example for us to follow.
She unhesitatingly said YES to God and put her life in mortal jeopardy. Her fiance Joseph could have had her stoned to death for adultery.
Can any of us hope to live up to that example?
With love in Christ.
I think it is because of the all the healing wells and times she has appeared like at Medjugorje, but the Catholic Church always takes the position first to ban people from these areas! They actually chased the poor children around town.
It is ironic that the pope dedicates his whatever it is called to Mary and ignores all compassionate teachings, doing exactly the opposite, judging humanity. Matthew Fox embodies what I see as a truer expression of compassion with a doctrine that includes reincarnation.
I don't believe her true messages are relayed because people's ears are plugged with doctrine. I suppose it is difficult to translate a ';heart'; and thus people who experience this make up Hallmark Cards of it mimicking what the church taught them. Perhaps partly so that they will be believed. After all if they told the church something about something like reincarnation they would be called a fraud. Little doubt.
Many Catholic minds seem to be built like the cathedrals out of stone.
PERFECT EXAMPLE ABOVE, bible blah blah blah
The Uniqueness of Mary as the Mother of God
Gen. 3:15 - we see from the very beginning that God gives Mary a unique role in salvation history. God says ';I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.'; This refers to Jesus (the ';emnity';) and Mary (the ';woman';). The phrase ';her seed'; (spermatos) is not seen elsewhere in Scripture.
Gen 3:15 / Rev. 12:1 - the Scriptures begin and end with the woman battling satan. This points to the power of the woman with the seed and teaches us that Jesus and Mary are the new Adam and the new Eve.
John 2:4, 19:26 - Jesus calls Mary ';woman'; as she is called in Gen. 3:15. Just as Eve was the mother of the old creation, Mary is the mother of the new creation. This woman's seed will crush the serpent's skull.
Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23 - a virgin (the Greek word used is ';parthenos';) will bear a Son named Emmanuel, which means ';God is with us.'; John 1:14 - God in flesh dwelt among us. Mary is the Virgin Mother of God.
Matt. 2:11 - Luke emphasizes Jesus is with Mary His Mother, and the magi fall down before both of them, worshiping Jesus.
Luke 1:35 - the child will be called holy, the Son of God. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, or the Mother of God (the ';Theotokos';).
Luke 1:28 - ';Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.'; These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God.
Luke 1:28 - also, the phrase ';full of grace'; is translated from the Greek word ';kecharitomene.'; This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just ';highly favored.'; She has been perfected in grace by God. ';Full of grace'; is only used to describe one other person - Jesus Christ in John 1:14.
Luke 1:38 - Mary's fiat is ';let it be done to me according to thy word.'; Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration.
Luke 1:42 - ';Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.'; The phrase ';blessed are you among women'; really means ';you are most blessed of all women.'; A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary.
Luke 1:43 - Elizabeth's use of ';Mother of my Lord'; (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used ';Adonai'; which means Lord God) is the equivalent of ';Holy Mary, Mother of God'; which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus' Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus' human nature - mothers are mothers of persons, not natures).
Luke 1:44 - Mary's voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeth's womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor.
Luke 1:46 - Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers.
Luke 1:48 - Mary prophesies that all generations shall call her blessed, as Catholics do in the ';Hail Mary'; prayer. What Protestant churches have existed in all generations (none), and how many of them call Mary blessed with special prayers and devotions?
Gal. 4:4 - God sent His Son, born of a woman, to redeem us. Mary is the woman with the redeemer. By calling Mary co-redemptrix, we are simply calling Mary ';the woman with the redeemer.'; This is because ';co'; is from the Latin word ';***'; which means ';with.'; Therefore, ';co-redemptrix'; means ';woman with the redeemer.'; Mary had a unique but subordinate role to Jesus in salvation.
Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2 - the word ';saints'; (in Hebrew ';qaddiysh';) means ';holy'; ones. So Mary is called Holy, the greatest Saint of all.
Luke 2:35 - Simeon prophesies that a sword would also pierce Mary's soul. Mary thus plays a very important role in our redemption. While Jesus' suffering was all that we needed for redemption, God desired Mary to participate on a subordinate level in her Son's suffering, just as he allows us to participate through our own sufferings.
Luke 2:19,51 - Mary kept in mind all these things as she pondered them in her heart. Catholics remember this by devoting themselves to Mary's Immaculate Heart and all the treasures and wisdom and knowledge contained therein.
Mary - the Immaculate Ark of the New Covenant
Exodus 25:11-21 - the ark of the Old Covenant was made of the purest gold for God's Word. Mary is the ark of the New Covenant and is the purest vessel for the Word of God made flesh.
2 Sam. 6:7 - the Ark is so holy and pure that when Uzzah touched it, the Lord slew him. This shows us that the Ark is undefiled. Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is even more immaculate and undefiled, spared by God from original sin so that she could bear His eternal Word in her womb.
1 Chron. 13:9-10 - this is another account of Uzzah and the Ark. For God to dwell within Mary the Ark, Mary had to be conceived without sin. For Protestants to argue otherwise would be to say that God would let the finger of Satan touch His Son made flesh. This is incomprehensible.
1 Chron. 15 and 16 - these verses show the awesome reverence the Jews had for the Ark - veneration, vestments, songs, harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets.
Luke 1:39 / 2 Sam. 6:2 - Luke's conspicuous comparison's between Mary and the Ark described by Samuel underscores the reality of Mary as the undefiled and immaculate Ark of the New Covenant. In these verses, Mary (the Ark) arose and went / David arose and went to the Ark. There is a clear parallel between the Ark of the Old and the Ark of the New Covenant.
Luke 1:41 / 2 Sam. 6:16 - John the Baptist / King David leap for joy before Mary / Ark. So should we leap for joy before Mary the immaculate Ark of the Word made flesh.
Luke 1:43 / 2 Sam. 6:9 - How can the Mother / Ark of the Lord come to me? It is a holy privilege. Our Mother wants to come to us and lead us to Jesus.
Luke 1:56 / 2 Sam. 6:11 and 1 Chron. 13:14 - Mary / the Ark remained in the house for about three months.
Rev 11:19 - at this point in history, the Ark of the Old Covenant was not seen for six centuries (see 2 Macc. 2:7), and now it is finally seen in heaven. The Jewish people would have been absolutely amazed at this. However, John immediately passes over this fact and describes the ';woman'; clothed with the sun in Rev. 12:1. John is emphasizing that Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant and who, like the Old ark, is now worthy of veneration and praise. Also remember that Rev. 11:19 and Rev. 12:1 are tied together because there was no chapter and verse at the time these texts were written.
Rev 12:1 - the ';woman'; that John is describing is Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so Mary, with the moon under her feet, reflects the glory of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ.
Rev. 12:17 - this verse tells us that Mary's offspring are those who keep God's commandments and bear testimony to Jesus. This demonstrates, as Catholics have always believed, that Mary is the Mother of all Christians.
Rev. 12:2 - Some Protestants argue that, because the woman had birth pangs, she was a woman with sin. However, Revelation is apocalyptic literature unique to the 1st century. It contains varied symbolism and multiple meanings of the woman (Mary, the Church and Israel). The birth pangs describe both the birth of the Church and Mary's offspring being formed in Christ. Mary had no birth pangs in delivering her only Son Jesus.
Isaiah 66:7 - for example, we see Isaiah prophesying that before she (Mary) was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son (Jesus). This is a Marian prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
Gal 4:19 - Paul also describes his pain as birth pangs in forming the disciples in Christ. Birth pangs describe formation in Christ.
Rom. 8:22 - also, Paul says the whole creation has been groaning in travail before the coming of Christ. We are all undergoing birth pangs because we are being reborn into Jesus Christ.
Jer. 13:21 - Jeremiah describes the birth pangs of Israel, like a woman in travail. Birth pangs are usually used metaphorically in the Scriptures.
Hos. 13:12-13 - Ephraim is also described as travailing in childbirth for his sins. Again, birth pangs are used metaphorically.
Micah 4:9-10 - Micah also describes Jerusalem as being seized by birth pangs like a woman in travail.
Rev. 12:13-16 - in these verses, we see that the devil still seeks to destroy the woman even after the Savior is born. This proves Mary is a danger to satan, even after the birth of Christ. This is because God has given her the power to intercede for us, and we should invoke her assistance in our spiritual lives.
Mary is our Mother and Queen of the New Davidic Kingdom
John 19:26 - Jesus makes Mary the Mother of us all as He dies on the Cross by saying ';behold your mother.'; Jesus did not say ';John, behold your mother'; because he gave Mary to all of us, his beloved disciples. All the words that Jesus spoke on Cross had a divine purpose. Jesus was not just telling John to take care of his mother.
Rev. 12:17 - this verse proves the meaning of John 19:26. The ';woman's'; (Mary's) offspring are those who follow Jesus. She is our Mother and we are her offspring in Jesus Christ. The master plan of God's covenant love for us is family. But we cannot be a complete family with the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Christ without the Motherhood of Mary.
John 2:3 - this is a very signifcant verse in Scripture. As our mother, Mary tells all of us to do whatever Jesus tells us. Further, Mary's intercession at the marriage feast in Cana triggers Jesus' ministry and a foreshadowing of the Eucharistic celebration of the Lamb. This celebration unites all believers into one famiy through the marriage of divinity and humanity.
John 2:7 - Jesus allows His mother to intercede for the people on His behalf, and responds to His mother's request by ordering the servants to fill the jars with water.
Psalm 45:9 - the psalmist teaches that the Queen stands at the right hand of God. The role of the Queen is important in God's kingdom. Mary the Queen of heaven is at the right hand of the Son of God.
1 Kings 2:17, 20 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the King does not refuse his mother. Jesus is the new Davidic King, and He does not refuse the requests of his mother Mary, the Queen.
1 Kings 2:18 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the Queen intercedes on behalf of the King's followers. She is the Queen Mother (or ';Gebirah';). Mary is our eternal Gebirah.
1 Kings 2:19 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom the King bows down to his mother and she sits at his right hand. We, as children of the New Covenant, should imitate our King and pay the same homage to Mary our Mother. By honoring Mary, we honor our King, Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 15:13 - the Queen Mother is a powerful position in Israel's royal monarchy. Here the Queen is removed from office. But now, the Davidic kingdom is perfected by Jesus, and our Mother Mary is forever at His right hand.
2 Chron. 22:10 - here Queen Mother Athalia destroys the royal family of Judah after she sees her son, King Ahaziah, dead. The Queen mother plays a significant role in the kingdom.
Neh. 2:6 - the Queen Mother sits beside the King. She is the primary intercessor before the King.
Because she was chosen by god to carry his only son – he obviously thought a lot of her...
Well, the first commandment is thou shall not have any Gods beside me. So of coarse people generally like to brake rules in order. LOL. I have to say most religions I know add someone or something to God they just don't seem to think he can do it on his own. Even though he does not need help. Remember he created everything on his own.
Mary was a woman blessed beyond all others so Catholics see her as someone to help mediate between their heart and God. Same with all the saints. But saints and humans are only of use when alive. Most Christians seem to think they need a mediator. They think God does not see their thoughts and heart without help. And they hope to cover the ugliness that all humans posses. I know, God, who created all is above all. So I hope that answers your question.
Its human natiure.
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