There are many core beliefs of the Catholic Church, founded by Jesus Christ, too many to include in this blog, but I will include a few of the more important ones. For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church
JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
GOD THE FATHER, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light…God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night…..”
Evening came, and morning followed— Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened…. Then God said: Let us make* human beings in our image, after our likeness….God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female* he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply,, (Genesis 1)
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
279 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Holy Scripture begins with these solemn words. The profession of faith takes them up when it confesses that God the Father almighty is “Creator of heaven and earth” (Apostles’ Creed), “of all that is, seen and unseen” (Nicene Creed).
JESUS IS THE PROMISED MESIAH IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” Genesis 3:15
Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who was promised to the Jewish people in the Old Testament. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus opened the gates of Heaven by his Crucifixion and Resurrection. He came to earth not only for the forgiveness of sins but to reveal the love and mercy of the Father.
CRUCIFIED, DIED AND WAS BURIED AND ON THIRD DAY ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
Jesus died on the Cross on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene found an empty tomb. He had risen. He overcame death and showed us a new life. On Pentecost Sunday, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify the Church he founded.
THE HOLY TRINITY
A core belief of the Catholic religion is one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit but one God, not three gods. When we speak of the Father as Creator, we do not mean to say the Son and the Spirit had nothing to do with creation. The same can be said about the Father and the Spirit in regard redemption. The same can be said about the Father and the Son in regards sanctification. The source of all divine actions in the world is one Divine Nature. The Blessed Trinity acts in the world as one single and unique cause.
THE EUCHARIST
.“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26-28
Holy Communion (Eucharist) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic religion. During the Mass, the priest who is acting in the person of Jesus, offers bread and wine to the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine becomes His blood just like at the Last Supper. When we partake of Communion, we are just like the disciples at the Last Supper
ORIGINAL SIN
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve. In His image and likeness, He endowed them with intelligence, love, free will, and conscience. He gave them the grace of “original holiness.” Man and the world began in grace, not sin. The inner harmony of the human person, the harmony between man and woman, and the harmony between man and all of creation comprised the state of “original justice.”
According to the Creation Story in Genesis, Adam and Eve betrayed God, by being beguiled by the Devil and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and discovered evil. God then banished Adam and Eve and their descendents (us) from the Garden of Eden and communion with Him. Because of this mistake, every one of us is born with original sin. We must be Baptized, another Holy sacrament of the Church, to be wiped clean of this original sin.
BAPTISM
Baptism not only removes Original Sin but is an initiation into God’s family and a call to discipleship. We are commissioned the same way Jesus commissioned his disciples over 2000 years ago. In the rite of Baptism, the priest or deacon says these words, “…God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as members of his body… you have become a new creation, and have clothed yourself in Christ…. What does it mean to be priest, prophet and king. As priest, we offer sacrifice. As prophet, we bear witness to the Gospel and as King, we serve our neighbors.
THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
On the evening of the first day of the week, “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you. ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’” John 20: 22-23 Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Confession for personal sins committed after Baptism. We experience God’s mercy through the Sacrament of Confession.
It is there that we acknowledge who we are: limited, weak and sinful creatures in need of redemption. It is there that God forgives us of any and all of our sins. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” John 3: 16-17.
The Sacrament of Confession is an enormous source of interior peace. The priest raises his hand, and then with a blessing pronounces those amazing words, “I absolve you from your sins.” At that moment, we know that God has heard our cry for forgiveness, and we have been pardoned of our sins.
RESURRECTION OF THE BODY AND LIFE EVERLASTING
The words “Life Everlasting” or “Eternal Life” are not to signify merely continuance of existence because even demons and the wicked continue to exist. Everlasting Life refers to the perpetuity of happiness, blessedness, wholeness, and union with the Most Blessed Trinity in heaven. “Eye hath not seen; ears hath not heard, or the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” I Cor. 2:9
In the Book of Revelations, 21:4, it states, “They shall no more hunger and thirst. Neither shall the sun fall on them nor any heat. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and death shall be no more. Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more for the former things are passed away.”
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, eyes have not seen, ears have not heard what you have prepared for those who love you. You sent your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, not to condemn us, but to save us. By His merits, through His Passion and Death, do not look upon our sinfulness and what we truly deserve, but in your mercy, forgive us. our sins and bring us home to Eternal Life, In Jesus’ name, we pray.
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