Category: Adult Faith Formation

Good Habits for Training the Body and Soul

Simple Catholic Snapshots

  • We are astonishing and unique – created in His image.
  • Gifts of body, soul and life itself.
  • Take care of the body with three square meals and exercise.
  • Nurture the soul with a diet of humility and gratitude.
  • Dedicate each day to His glory.
  • Make the Time for these Spiritual Habits!!!

Continue reading “Good Habits for Training the Body and Soul”

The Virtues of Four Saintly Women

Simple Catholic Snapshots

  • Virtues are new powers or capabilities that God graces our souls.
  • Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude are the four Cardinal Virtues.
  • The Intellect and Will of our souls are actually changed by the addition of virtues.
  • Virtues lead to a change in mankind – a super elevation of nature towards the divine.
  • Four brilliant women Saints of the 19th and 20th centuries are examples of God’s virtuous graces in action.

 

Continue reading “The Virtues of Four Saintly Women”

Jesus is asking… (How) Do You Love Me?

Simple Catholic Snapshots

  • After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to seven disciples along the North shore of the Sea of Galilee. (Jn 21)
  • The encounter centers on Jesus questioning Peter three times – each question apparently seeking confirmation of Peter’s love. (Jn 21: 15-17)
  • The questions sound simple enough: ‘Do you love me?’
  • But was Jesus asking… or teaching? 

 

Continue reading “Jesus is asking… (How) Do You Love Me?”

Silently Teaching the Truth of Catholicism

Simple Catholic Snapshots

  • Last week I attended a Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Barron.
  • Catholic liturgy is filled with history and tradition, Scripture and proper worship.
  • Sometimes in the routine the unexpected is seen… and we are reminded.

 

What was noticed? What did the teacher teach, without saying a word?

 

Continue reading “Silently Teaching the Truth of Catholicism”

The Immaculate Conception of Mary – What Difference Does It Make Anyway?

Simple Catholic Snapshots

  • Many Protestants question the dogmatic teaching of the Catholic Church regarding the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.
  • To them, belief in Jesus’ loving redemptive work on the cross is the only item of import for the modern Christian.
  • Catholics celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary on December 8th, not coincidentally during the first week of Advent.
  • Advent prepares us for the birth of Christ, and a fuller understanding of the Incarnation of the Son of God.
  • Without understanding the Incarnate nature of Christ, a Christian really can’t fully understand the Savior or our salvation.

Continue reading “The Immaculate Conception of Mary – What Difference Does It Make Anyway?”

Are there people in Hell, now? The Big Dogs speak and a little puppy whimpers.

I just finished leading an 8 week Adult Faith Formation class called  ‘The Mystery of God’ by Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire ministries. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore some tough questions about God such as His nature and providence, the problem of evil in our world, and the mystery of the Holy Trinity (to name a few). Since class time is very limited, I always encourage the participants to email me with any troubling questions they may have. I recently received a question about Hell that had such an interesting slant that I felt compelled to share the question, and my response, in an SCT blog post.

Continue reading “Are there people in Hell, now? The Big Dogs speak and a little puppy whimpers.”

Making Babies and Salvation – There Really is a Connection

Simple Catholic Snapshots

  • Catholic theology recognizes that salvation is an unearned, undeserved gift from God.
  • Catholic theology also includes the fact that we must “participate” in our own salvation.
  • Non-Catholics theology emphasizes that salvation is the work of God only .
  • Non-Catholics deny a role of mankind in his/her salvation.
  • Babies, those divine miracles of life, is an example useful in resolving tensions between these Catholic and non-Catholic positions.

 

Continue reading “Making Babies and Salvation – There Really is a Connection”

The Noise of the World is Boiling our Souls

Simple Catholic Snapshots
  • The barrage is relentless
  • Slowly and imperceptibly we are dying
  • We must find a way out
  • We must become the silence

There’s an old story about how best to cook a frog. The parable points out that if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, the frog will instantly react and jump out of the pot, thus saving his life. If, on the other hand, you place the frog into a pot of warmish water, the frog is happy enough and stays put. The parable continues that if you then start to slowly raise the temperature of the water, even to boiling, the frog will not notice and eventually will meet his demise.

So goes the story of a frog, so goes the story of our souls…

Continue reading “The Noise of the World is Boiling our Souls”

What Catholics Must Believe – Dogma, Doctrine or Discipline?

Simple Catholic Snapshots
  • In a Previous Post, I concluded that to be a true Catholic you must:
    1) Be Validly Baptized
    2) Believe the Required Teachings of the Catholic Church, and
    3) Live a Sacramental Life in Communion with the Body of Christ – The Church.
  • The Required Teachings (#2) of the Catholic Church are called Dogmas and Doctrines
  • Dogmas and Doctrines can not change
  • Dogmas and Doctrines only apply to issues of Faith and Morals
  • Disciplines are teachings and practices that can change
  • Belief in Disciplines is optional.

In this post I’ll explore what is meant by a Dogma, a Doctrine and a Discipline. I’ll describe in concept where they come from and how they are form our faith. Finally to get specific, I’ll present a list of the 258 Dogmas of the Catholic Church (that I could find) that all the faithful must believe.

Continue reading “What Catholics Must Believe – Dogma, Doctrine or Discipline?”

What Does It Mean To Be Catholic?

Simple Catholic Snapshots

How would you explain Catholic Christianity to an outsider? Could you even begin to concisely describe your faith? After a bit of struggling, here is what I think it means, and what it takes, to be Catholic.

To Be Catholic Means:

  • Be Validly Baptized With the Form and Matter of Baptism as Subscribed by Jesus Christ
  • Believing and Professing the Required Teachings of the Catholic Church on Faith and Morals
  • Participate in the Communion of the Church by Living a Sacramental Life of Obedience of the Faith

Continue reading “What Does It Mean To Be Catholic?”