Mother's Day

This past Sunday was a special day for all of the Mother's out their, It was Mother's Day! The Day where you are extra helpful, nice, and good to your mom. Mother's Day is a great time to express your thanks to your mom for all of the things she does for you and all the countless hours she has spent on you, not to mention painful child birth. Although Mother's Day is a great time to express your appreciation to your moms, you should strive to be extra helpful, nice, and thankful to your mom every day. Yes, sometimes moms can get on our nerves but at the end of the day they are looking out for you and your best interest, and they do it because they love you and they know what is best. Everything your mom does for you, she has your best interest in mind and I know it is hard to remember this sometimes, but I challenge you to the next time your mom gets on your nerves to remember that she has your best interest in mind. I also challenge you to let your mom know how much you love and appreciate her every once in a while, I know she will appreciate it!

Justin Martyr's Letter to the Emperor

Justin Martyr's ketter to the Emperor tells us a lot about the Early Church and the Catholic Faith. From the three chapters that were given to read, its main topic is the Eucharist and Mass. In the letter it explains the Eucharist, what happens during mass and the steps for the Eucharist. The way Justin Martyr explains the Eucharist is so clear, it sounds exactly how the Eucharist is run today. This letter was written around 150 AD. This is very important because it shows how little mass has changed in almost 2,000 years and also how even in the very Early Church there was a structure of doing things and conducting mass. Justin Martyr explains the mass and the steps to the Eucharist so well, that someone who has never been to mass could get a good sense of what would go on. He also talks about Mass being held on Sunday and how that day was chosen and why. He also talks about offerings in the Church and how they work and what they are for. Overall, the date of 150 AD, when this letter was written, stood out the most because it validates the structure of the Early Church and that there was a structure that is very similar to todays.

The Homeless and Less Fortunate

My Response to the video above:

Living in a big city like Houston, unfortunately we all see a large amount people like Ronald Davis. We all see less fortunate people on the street begging for money, food, clothes, anything to help them survive the day and possibly get them back on their feet. In our everyday lives, we sometimes forget to acknowledge these less fortunate then us, and even ignore them sometimes; waving them on as they pass by our car, or ignoring them on the sidewalk. I along with many people am guilty of this. Sometimes, we try to avoid a confrontation with a homeless person all together because it is so sad, but we lose the adequate amount of sympathy we should have for these less fortunate people and also the level of recognition they deserve as human beings created by God.

Mr. Davis is a prime example of how people less fortunate go through everyday struggles to survive. He also shows in the video how he has the same emotions and thoughts ad feelings that all of us humans have. This is important because society can sometimes treat homeless people as sub-humans and not as good as them because they are down on their luck. I think that the homeless should never be overlooked or shined on because we are "too busy", if anything we should raise the awareness for homeless people. Material things are important like food, clothes, and money; but the emotional encouragement we can give the homeless people is just as important to them. A word of encouragement  to a homeless person can go a long way. Without the soul being nourished, the material goods mean nothing.

All Are Welcome!

Today I would like to talk to you about the article I just read. After reading this article, the main thing that comes to mind is the Third Mark of the Church: Catholic. Catholic literally means universal which means that all are welcome to the Church. The term all is explained very well when the author begins to mention certain groups in society that most people would question. The author shows how all these people are welcomed into the Church, but there are rules. For example, a drug addict will be accepted into the Church with a warm welcome, but the Church will not condone his addiction. To fully become incorporated into the Church, the drug addict must seek help inside or outside the Church to help cure his addiction. I believe the main point the author was trying to get across is that the Church will always welcome all. The Church will always welcome all people into its Mystical Body but it will not condone some of the actions of the people that go against the laws and commandments sent from Christ.

Women's Role in the Church

Today I would like to talk about an article I read about a women who was recently ordained as a priest. Since the Catholic Church's conception, it has not allowed women to become priests. It is a similar problem in today's socially changing modern age like married priests and birth control or abortion. The Catholic Church did not come up with these rules for themselves but they are carrying out Jesus' rules through their authority in the Church. The Church simply carries out the rules that Christ built his Church on. The Church cannot allow women to be priests because Christ only chose men as his apostles. Some people argue that Christ only chose men as his apostles because it was the custom of his time and the socially accepted way to do things. This is a bit of a silly argument because there are plenty of instances of Jesus going against society's accepted customs in the bible. For example, Jesus talks to a Samaritan women in public while getting water in the same well and she was known to be sleeping around. This was an incredible taboo for society's accepted customs in Jesus' time. We will never understand why Jesus founded the Church on the rules he did but we cannot go against Jesus. The Church cannot change these rules because if the Church goes against Jesus and, for example; made it available for women to become priests, we would become separated from Jesus and the Church would lose its authority.

The Church's Salvation

Today, I figured I would talk to you about the Church's Salvation. The Church is the giver of Salvation and outside the Church there is no salvation. The Church is the universal family of God, and outside this family, there is no salvation. This teaching clarifies the essential meaning of salvation and the Church. Salvation means that you are a son or daughter of God, therefore; those who are saved are members of the Church. Non-Catholic Christians are considered separated brethren that are united in an imperfect manner to the Church by Baptism. The Catholic Church states that all who have been Baptized are accepted as Brothers in the Lord by the Catholic Church. Salvation is still granted to those people who do not have an opportunity to come to know God or to enter into the Church if they are people of good will and whose hearts have grace in them. It is still an urgent matter for the Church to evangelize all the people it can because salvation without the Church is uncertain and accompanied with many dangers. Knowing that salvation comes only through union with Christ in his Mystical Body, the Church does not stop proclaiming the Gospel. The Church understands that many people, through no fault of their own, will never know Christ and his Church. It is possible through Christ, that people who have not been baptized can still be given the grace to seek God. Even so, this does not relieve the Church of her duty to evangelize all people.

The Catholic Rites Explained

Today I would like to talk about the Catholic Rites of the Church, what they are, and explain why there are different rites. Since the beginning of the Church, when the followers of Christ spread throughout the Roman Empire, the Church has found ways and expressions of worship that are specific to different cultures. This has resulted in many different forms of worship, which make up the Church's liturgical tradition. Don't get confused, they are all still grounded in Christ and the Catholic origins and Sacraments, they just differ in the way they are carried out. The rites have their own distinct architectural, spiritual, artistic, and cultural heritage. There are many Catholic Rites in the Catholic Church, for example, the Alexandrian Rite or sometimes known as the Coptic Rite, comes from Egypt and includes the Ethiopian Rite. It's liturgical languages are Coptic, Arabic, and Ge'ez. Another Catholic Rite is the Antiochene Rite which is named for Antioch in ancient Syria  this rite was developed under the influence of the Church of Jerusalem. It's liturgical languages are Syriac and Arabic. The Armenian Rite traces it's origins back to the early Fathers of the Church. It's liturgical language is Armenian. Another rite, the Bizantine Rite came about in the ancient imperial see of Constantinople. It is the most widely used Catholic Rite in the Eastern liturgical form. The final Cathoic Rite I want to talk about today is the Chaldean Rite, also known as East Syrian. The Chaldean Rite is concentrated in the Middle East and India. It's liturgical languages are classic Syriac, Arabic, and Malayalam. I hope this helps you understand a little about the Catholic Rites and what they mean and bring to the Catholic Church.

Apostolic Mark

Today I am posting about the fourth mark of the Catholic Church: The Church is Apostolic. This mark relates to Christ's choosing of the Twelve Apostles as the foundation of his Church. He chose these twelve men to be his closest followers and witnesses to his Ressurection.  Like the twelve ministers who assisted Solomon, son of David, in ruling the Kingdom of Israel, the Twelve Apostles were given the task of assisting Christ, the new son of David, in ruling his kingdom. They were appointed as symbolic rulers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and were entrusted with Christ's own authority to teach, sanctify, and govern his Church. The Church is identified as Apostolic for three primary reasons. The first says that the church is built on an Apostolic foundation. The second says that it involves the Apostolic Faith, guided by the Holy Spirit. The final one involves Apostolic Succession. This means that the authority of the Apostles has been handed ever since the days of Christ.

Papal Infallibility Explained

Since are new Pope, Pope Francis I was just recently elected, i thought it appropriate to talk about Papal Infallibility. The Catholic teaching of papal infallibility is a teaching that is generally misunderstood by those outside the church. People outside of the church misunderstand the word infallible and think more along the lines of sinless. They think that Catholics believe that the pope cannot sin. Others that do not understand the true meaning of papal infallibility think that the pope uses some sort of magical incantation when his infallibility is due. Since there are so many who believe these common misconceptions, lets define what infallibility is not. It is not the absence of sin and it does not only pertain to the pope but also pertains to the whole Church when they are in union with the pope teaching a true doctrine. Before Christ ascended into Heaven, he commanded the Apostles to go and preach everything he taught them. He promised them that the Holy Spirit would be there with them always to guide them in the truth. Although there will be individual Catholics who will stray away from Christ’s teachings, the Church will not. Whether an infallible pronouncement is made by the pope himself or by the ecumenical council is usually only made when a doctrine has been called into question. Although this happens, the large majority of all Catholics have never doubted most doctrines.  Some people ask how popes and the teaching authority of the Church can be infallible if some have lived immoral lives. This shows there misunderstanding of the term infallibility. There is no guarantee that a pope will not sin or live not according to God. Other people say that papal infallibility cannot exist since some popes disagreed with others. A pope’ s private theological opinions are not infallible, only his teachings that he defines are considered to be infallible. Infallibility prevents a pope from solemnly teaching as truth, something that is actually false. 

The Papacy

Today, I would like to talk about the Papacy of the Catholic Church. The Papacy is the head position of the Church and is an appointed position. Christ established the Church as a collegial body with the Pope at its head. The First Pope and head of the Church was St. Peter, who was directly appointed by Christ. After Christ appointed Peter and ascended into Heaven, St. Peter began to fulfill his position as Pope. Peter exercised his authority by electing Mathias as the new Apostle after Judas of Iscariot betrayed Jesus. St. Peter also founded the Church community in Rome. The Pope is infallible when it comes to teachings and doctrines. Everything the Pope teaches as truth is directly inspired by the Holy Spirit and is true. Papal Infallibility is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

The Hierarchical Structure of the Church

Today I would like to discuss and explain the Hierarchical structure of the Church. The Hierarchy of the Church or the Hierarchical Structure was established by Christ for the Church. Any organization, company, or kingdom needs a certain form of organization of powers or it will fall apart. The Kingdom of God on Earth was established by Christ to last until the end of times. The Hierarchy of the Church divides up the positions of the Church in Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. This structure was developed while the twelve Apostles were still alive. The Bishops, who are the successors of the Apostles, form a college. They continue to lead the Church in an unbroken chain leading back to the Twelve Apostles that is known as Apostolic Succession. The Church is organized in this governing structure of hierarchical authority, so that certain members of the Church, due to the graces received through their positions, possess greater authority in the Church than others.

Thoughts on Our New Pope

Today I want to talk about the election of our new Pope, Pope Francis I. Being from a primarily Hispanic family and attending a Jesuit high school, I get a very exciting perspective of the election of our new Jesuit, Hispanic Pope. Two weeks ago we had a mass to celebrate the election of our new Pope, who was the first Jesuit Pope and from the Americas. The excitement in my school was ecstatic, especially when we got surprised with the day off. Once Pope Francis I accepted his papacy, he has seemed to primarily focus on poverty. Pope Francis I seems to be a very humble person and a very selfless person. The Pope has been living in the Papal hotel and not moved into the more plush and luxurious accommodations because of his selfless and humble person. Many people have been wondering why he has been living in such modest conditions and focusing on poverty and it is because he is a Jesuit and that is their mission: to devote their lives to people less fortunate than them. Having a Hispanic family I have seen extreme happiness and excitement as our new Pope is Hispanic and from the Americas. The excitement and support has been immense just like in our school. Overall, I think Pope Francis I will make an amazing Pope with his extremely humble and selfless person and with his jesuit background and mission to serve those less fortunate, I see him making many impressions for the good on the Church.

Inside the Papal Election Process

         Most people know that there was recently a new pope elected; however, most people do not have a full knowledge of how the pope is elected. Following the death or the rare occasion of the resignation of a Pope, the Cardinals meet in Rome to decide who will be the next Pope. One of the most important roles of Cardinals is to act as a papal elector. The election of the new pope is called a conclave. Cardinals first meet in St. Peter's Basilica to celebrate the mass. After, they go to the Sistine Chapel where the election takes place. Once the Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel and take an oath to observe the correct procedures, to defend the liberty of the Holy See, to maintain secrecy, and to disregard all outside influences the doors are closed and an absolute secrecy is maintained and the Cardinals may not speak with anyone outside the conclave until a new Pope is elected. Each Cardinal elector writes down the name of the person he thinks should be Pope and places his ballot in a container. The votes are carefully counted. If the number of ballots is not equal to the number of electors the ballots are burnt without being read and the process starts over. If the number corresponds to the number of electors, the votes are counted and announced. For a Pope to be elected, he must win two-thirds or more of the votes. If no one receives enough votes the ballots are burnt. If the smoke is white, then a Pope has been elected, if the smoke is black, then no one got the majority vote. If no one receives the required majority, and another vote will be taken. The process is repeated until their is a new Pope elected.

Our blog, The Catholic Church as a Teacher and Sanctifier, will focus on Catholic Church Doctrines and Sacraments, the Pope, and Magisterium and all sub topics such as Infallibility, priests, deacons, Roman Curia, and the Deposit of Faith. This blog will contain plenty of good information for anyone Catholic or not but we are projecting specifically towards teenage and young adult non Catholics. We will also cover factual information, as well as common misconceptions. This blog information will be coming from two high school students.