About the Catholic Faith

The Church, founded by Jesus Christ, is marked by four signs which help to identify its true nature: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Each of these marks is briefly explained below, followed by some additional thoughts about what the Catholic Church is.

The Church is One

The unity of the Church is rooted in the unity of the Holy Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Catholics around the world profess one faith and moral truths that God Himself has revealed to His people. The pope and the hierarchy of clergy in communion with him are a visible sign of the Church's unity with Christ our head. While all bishops are successors of the Apostles and equals in most respects, St. Peter's successor, the pope, has always had a special role in maintaining the oneness of the Church.

The Church is Holy

God is the ultimate source of holiness in the Church. The Church is holy since it was instituted by Christ. Its members are made holy by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, given at baptism and always working to continue Christ's mission and ministry on earth. Through the Church, all are called to live in ways which reflect the love of God for us, lead to wholeness and integrity, and keep us united with God who is the source of life and eternal salvation.

The Church is Catholic

The word “catholic” means “universal.” The Catholic Church has Christ as our foundation and has been commissioned by Christ to proclaim the good news of salvation to all peoples (Matthew 28). The Church is for all people - of every culture and language, young and old, in every time and place. The Mass and the Sacraments are celebrated constantly throughout the world, bringing all Catholics together in a spirit of prayer and unity. The Church works to build up the Kingdom of God on earth, a kingdom without borders ruled by Jesus Christ who is the salvation of the whole world.

The Church is Apostolic

The Bishops, being the successors of the Apostles, continue to teach, sanctify, and guide the church until Christ comes again. The whole Church participates in this work in unity with these shepherds. Preserved by the Holy Spirit through the ages, the Church's fundamental teachings and identity have been handed down to us by Jesus through the Apostles without change or error.

We Are the Church

When people talk about "the Church," they might mean one or more aspects of Church governance or structure: for example, the bishops who are most responsible for governing the Church, the Pope and the Holy See, a local congregation and the buildings that belong to that community, a diocese such as the Archdiocese of Boston, or even laws and regulations. All of these are representative of the Catholic Church in one way or another. However, a more universal, all-encompassing understanding of "the Church" must include all of the baptized and all of the institutional and organizational structures that represent the Church's unity and diverse works.

On November 21, 1964, Catholic bishops from all over the world ratified Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. This was one of the first documents to come forth from the Second Vatican Council. It looks back on the early Christian understanding of the Church as the Body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12, for example) and describes the Church as the People of God. In the Bible, God's people are those with whom God has established covenants. (When God says something like, "I will be your God and you shall be my people," He's making a covenant oath with those He is addressing.) God made such covenants with Adam and Eve, Noah and his family, Abraham and Sarah and their descendants, the dynasty of King David, the scattered peoples of Israel and Judah, and finally - through Jesus Christ - believers of all nations and races.

“Henceforward the Church, equipped with the gifts of its founder and faithfully observing his precepts of charity, humility and self-denial, receives the mission of proclaiming and establishing among all peoples the kingdom of Christ and of God, and is, on earth, the seed and the beginning of the kingdom." (LG 5)”

“The apostolate of the laity is a sharing in the Church’s saving mission. Through Baptism and Confirmation the Lord himself appoints all to this apostolate. Moreover, by the sacraments, and especially by the sacred Eucharist, that love of God and humanity which is the soul of the entire apostolate is communicated and nourished. The laity, however, are given this special vocation: to make the church present and fruitful in those places and circumstances where it is only through them that it can become the salt of the earth. Thus, all lay people, through the gifts which they have received, are at once the witnesses and the living instruments of the mission of the church itself ‘according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Eph 4:7).’” (LG 33)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2559) states, “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”

Why We Pray

Prayer can be calling upon God for assistance. God desires closeness with us, an intimate relationship. Prayer is communication with God that allows our relationship with Him to develop and grow.

"For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." - Saint Therese of Lisieux

Everyone is called to live a “vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2558

We can pray alone or with others; we worship together as parish communities at Mass and pray as families. Prayer can be public or private. It can be formal or spontaneous. There are many types of prayer and many different styles of worship, but all center on living and experiencing our relationship with the living God. Each person can develop his or her own style, routine, and rhythm of prayer. Prayer is an essential component of being a Catholic. Prayer helps us form a sense of security and a deeper awareness of our dependence on God.

Tips for Praying

1. Find a quite place and time. Prayer can be done anywhere but it is good to have a place that is conducive to relaxing and focusing our attention on God. Finding a regular time to pray each day can also be helpful to making prayer an important daily routine.
    
2. Calm yourself and put away distractions. It is important to be relaxed when we pray by finding a comfortable posture.
    
3. Use formal prayers or speak what you feel to God, or a combination of each. It is important to note that there is no “right” way to pray. Experiment with styles and forms of prayer. Prayer is an ongoing, developing relationship with God.
    
4. Take time to listen. God does speak to us in prayer but we need to listen with our hearts. Be open to what God is telling you rather than just on what you want to or expect to hear.
    
5. Use the Bible in your prayer.
    
6. Keep a journal of prayer.
    
7. Have a proper attitude. Prayer requires openness to God and a desire to worship and get to know God better.

Calendars serve an important purpose in our lives. They help us to stay organized and give structure and discipline to our routines. They mark important events and celebrate major milestones in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones, such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

Calendars also help us to mark the passage of time by connecting us with the past and preparing us for the future. The marking of time and seasons helps us to make sense of the world around us.

In a similar way, the liturgical calendar helps us to remember the life of Jesus in a meaningful way. Jesus entered our world in time and space, and the liturgical calendar of the Church is an attempt to express and participate in the fullness of Jesus’ experience on earth. The purpose of the Liturgical Year Calendar is not to mark the passage of time, but to celebrate and understand more fully the entire mystery of Jesus Christ, from his incarnation and birth until his ascension, the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of his return in glory. During the course of a year, the Paschal mystery—the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus—is viewed from different angles, in different lights.

The importance of Sunday in the liturgical year is not to be underestimated. For Christians, Sunday is the source and summit of the week. It represents the day God rested after creation, the day Christ rose from the dead, the day of Pentecost, when the spirit created the church, and the symbol of the eighth day, which is the day of eternity when we will receive the gift of new life in heaven. Often called “the Lord’s Day,” Sunday is the day in which we worship and praise God in the Eucharistic celebration. Pope John Paul II, in his 1998 apostolic letter, speaks about the central importance of Sunday in the lives of Christians: “It is clear then why, even in our own difficult times, the identity of this day must be protected and above all must be lived in all its depth…The Lord’s Day has structured the history of the Church through two thousand years: How could we think that it will not continue to shape her future?” (Dies Domini, 30).

The Liturgical Year is marked by the special seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Triduum (or Three Days), Easter, and Ordinary Time. The Liturgical Year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which usually occurs around the beginning of December or the end of November, and ends on the feast of Christ the King. The Liturgical Year Calendar tells us what readings the Church has designated to be used for each day. It also names the special feasts and commemorations celebrated during each season and marks the dates of remembrance of the saints.

The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy

• To feed the hungry
• To give drink to the thirsty
• To clothe the naked
• To shelter the homeless
• To care for the sick
• To visit the imprisoned
• To bury the dead

The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy

• To share knowledge
• To give advice to those who need it
• To comfort the suffering
• To be patient with others
• To forgive those who hurt you
• To give correction to those who need it
• To pray for the living and the dead

The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit

• Wisdom
• Understanding
• Counsel/Right Judgment
• Fortitude /Courage
• Knowledge
• Piety /Reverence
• Fear of the Lord/Awe and Wonder

Virtues

The 3 Theological Virtues

• Faith
• Hope
• Love (Charity)

The 4 Cardinal Virtues

• Prudence
• Justice
• Fortitude
• Temperance

The Twelve Apostles

• Simon - Jesus renamed him Peter
• Andrew
• James the Greater
• John
• Philip
• Bartholomew
• Thomas
• Matthew
• James
• Jude (Thaddaeus)
• Simon the Zealot
• Judas Iscariot  

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are more than simply rules and laws. They are a foundation of moral teaching and shape our obligations as Christians in relationship to God. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai after exiting Egypt. These Commandments were the rules that God expected the Hebrews to follow and they are also the rules that we are to follow. Today the teachings of the Ten Commandments are just as powerful and binding as they were when they were written.

1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's day
4. Honor your father and your mother
5. You shall not kill
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
9. You shall not desire your neighbor's wife
10. You shall not desire your neighbor's goods

The 2 Greatest Commandments
When asked which was the greatest of the commandments, Jesus responded with two. In this teaching of Jesus, these commandments complement each other and cannot be seen as existing apart from the other. The first is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength and the second is to love thy neighbor as thyself.

The 8 Beatitudes

These are teachings of Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount in which he describes the attitudes and actions that should characterize his disciples and followers. They can be seen as blueprints for living an authentic Christian life.Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

• Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.
• Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted
• Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill
• Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
• Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God
• Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God
• Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

The 14 Stations of the Cross

• Jesus is Condemned to Die
• Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross
• Jesus Falls the First Time
• Jesus Meets His Mother
• Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
• Veronica Wipes Jesus' Face
• Jesus Falls the Second Time
• Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
• Jesus Falls the Third Time
• Jesus is Stripped
• Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
• Jesus Dies on the Cross
• Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
• Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

The 7 Last Words of Christ

• Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)
• Amen I say to thee: This day thou shalt be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)
• Woman, behold thy son. . . .Behold thy mother. (John 19:26-27)
• Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? (My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?) (Matthew 27:46)
• I thirst. (John 19:28)
• It is finished. (John 19:30)
• Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:46)

Fruit of the Holy Spirit

• Charity
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Goodness
• Kindness
• Long suffering
• Humility
• Faithfulness
• Modesty
• Continence
• Chastity

Four Marks of the Catholic Church

• One
• Holy
• Catholic
• Apostolic

Precepts of the Church

1. Assist at Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, doing no unnecessary work on those days.
2. Confess serious sins at least once a year.
3. Receive Holy Communion frequently and, at a minimum, during the Easter Season.
4. Fast and abstain on appointed days and times.
5. Contribute to the support of the Church.
6. Observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage and give religious training to one’s children by word, example, and use of parish schools or religious education programs.
7. Join the missionary spirit and work of the Church.