The 4th Century bishop, St. Athanasius, in his work called The Incarnation, wrote “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God”. The Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes this comment by stating, “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he,
Jesus Christ: The Savior, and Giver of Grace There is a story of a 68-year-old man who died and stood before the gate of heaven. St. Peter told the man that he needed a total of 100 points to get inside. So He asked the man, “tell me what good works you did on earth?” The man
Introduction My classmate shared that one morning he woke up late for a 7AM mass. He rushed to the church, put on his vestments, and then begun the mass. During mass, he noticed that he could hardly read the texts on the Roman Missal (prayers for mass) and the lectionary (biblical readings book). He thought
The First Letter of St. Peter states that the entire Church is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Pt 2:9). Thus, both the lay faithful and clergy are a priestly people and can exercise the sanctifying function of the Church; this function refers to the manner by which we grow in
The gospels recount that Jesus battled the devil and demons. At the start of His ministry, Jesus was tempted three times by the devil (Mt. 4:1-11). On other occasions, He exorcised the demons that possessed people (MK 1:34; LK 4:35). By His death and resurrection, Jesus has won victory over sin and death. The devil
Introduction The council fathers of Vatican II through the dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium taught that all the baptized participate in the three-fold munera (function) of Christ; they share in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal functions (LG 10-13). In particular, the baptized (clergy and lay) share in Christ’s priestly function by offering prayers and praises to
Recently, while walking in the Washington National Mall, I noticed a father holding his daughter’s hands as they crossed the street. Afterwards, the girl’s mother gave her water to drink, and a snack to eat. Then the mother placed a hat on the girl’s head to block the sun. I could not help but think
St. Paul wrote, “Pray without ceasing.” Prayer is foundational to the Christian life. It is the channel through which we foster our relationship with Jesus Christ. In prayer, we praise God and ask Him for the things we need. Prayer also involves listening to God speak; it is reflecting on His Word. We ask, “What
“God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.”[1] Anyone who has experienced the death of a family member knows the great sorrow and pain it brings. As Christians, we believe that with death, life is only changed, not ended. One way the Church assists the faithful departed and
