A lot of folks, even some Catholics, have an erroneous idea about what the Church actually teaches about the Communion of the Saints. We do not go to the Saints INSTEAD of Jesus, but we call upon them in ADDITION to Jesus and THROUGH the Body of Christ.
When the Bible uses the word KNOW, it speaks of a level of intimacy reserved for our absolute closest relationships. To know Jesus is to living in a relationship of divine intimacy with him. It is not enough to know about Jesus, we must know him intimately. And he in return knows us intimately.
A lot of Catholics know at least a little about the process for those who who wish to be baptized Catholic or come into Full Communion with the Catholic Church. It is a process formerly known as RCIA, but is now OCIA. However, we can all do a little better job of evangelization by inviting people into the process, people we are in relationship with, our friends and family.
There is an interesting Catholic Tradition that speaks of degrees of glory in heaven. But, many folks might be confused by this concept, especially when we view it through an earthly lens.
Pope Leo, in a recent Angelus address to the faithful, spoke about the prayer that Jesus Himself taught us, what has become known as the Our Father. The Pope beautifully reflected on the importance of the prayer, how the Father loves us and gives us everything we need, but also the responsibility we have to serve and forgive others.
On the 100th anniversary of the famous Scopes Trial in Tennessee that gained national attention dealing with teaching the Theory of Evolution in schools, many folks may still wonder exactly what the Catholic Church teaches about Evolution and Creation.
The Holy Father, Pope Leo, recently addressed attendees of the 5th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. His brief address was filled with messages of Jubilee, wisdom, worth, and most of all, hope...hope for the elderly and wisdom for the young.
The devotion of the wearing of the Brown Scapular, while popular among Catholics, is shrouded in mystery for many. Under the patronage of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, it is actually an ancient devotion with Old Testament roots leading to its founding in the middle ages.
We are a missionary Church and it is not good enough to sit idly in our pew and relish in the grace we receive at Mass. We are, each of us, called to go and make disciples. And, our mission field may be as close as our work, our grocery store, our community, and even our own home.
When Pope Leo was elected, in his very first public address, he mentioned briefly his concerns regarding Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Soon after, he addressed participants at the Second Annual Conference on Artificial Intelligence, where spelled out in more detail the great potential for good...and for evil...that AI has.
When we say Amen when presented the Body and Blood of Christ at Mass, we are saying much more than I believe that this host is Jesus or that this cup contains Jesus. We are saying that we desire to be in Holy Communion with Jesus, His Church, His Mystical Body, and that we believe and profess to be true ALL that the Church teaches.
To spend too much time trying to define the Most Holy Trinity is to risk falling into heresy. Humans, with their finite capacity for understanding, have oft times tried to fully unravel the Trinitarian Mystery. However, even though we cannot know EVERYTHING about the Trinity, we can still live faithfully in this divine Mystery, and know God and live in relationship with Him.
Pope Leo addressed the Jubilee of Families in Rome and told them that the One Flesh relationship of Marriage is not an unobtainable ideal, but it is instead a measure of true love between a man and a woman, and he future reminded us that families are the cradle of the future of himanity.
In the address of Pope Leo XIV to the Diplomatic Corps on May 16, he spoke of the responsibility of governments to build harmonious and peaceful societies. This can only be done, the Holy Father said, by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman.
In his address to the Eastern Churches, Pope Leo XIV spoke eloquently about the traditions of Eastern spirituality and their sense of mystery, and the Eastern Churches are needed by the Universal Church. He also said the East, ever ancient and ever new, is a medicine for the West. Perhaps revisiting Latin spirituality and worship can benefit from a look to the East.
As the words, habemus papem, are proclaimed from the central loggia of the Basilica of St. Peter, all eyes in the world turn to see our new pope take center stage. Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy in hope and prayer, becoming the 267th shepherd of the Universal Church.
Many folks think the Catholic belief that Peter was made the first pope of the Catholic Church by Jesus is merely a human tradition. A quick search of Sacred Scripture shows that the Petrine Primacy is of divine origin and intended as an office to be maintained as long as there is a Church on earth.
The whole world watches with anticipation as the cardinals of Roman Catholic Church solemnly enter the Sistene Chapel at the Vatican after praying to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit promising to keep the whole process secret. We are taken with mystery, intrigue, and holy anticipation as we await the results.
With the death of Pope Francis, the Universal Church enters a time known as the Interregnum, a time between popes. The process of electing a new leader for the Catholic Church is one steeped in tradition, customs, mystery, and even intrigue, but we believe the Holy Spirit is present for all of it.
As we contemplate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord during Holy Week, it is good that we focus for a time on WHY Jesus chose to die for us. He gave Himself totally on the Cross as a free gift, so that we might be reconciled to the Father. That necessarily entails the forgiveness of our sins.
Liz Twente
be blessed
Liz Twente
be blessed