BIG C CATHOLICS

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism Fr. Anthony Pillari JCL, MCL, STD Lesson 3: On the Unity and Trinity of God Welcome to the third lesson of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism – On the Unity and Trinity of God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. O Jesus, I choose to live this day, for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen. In our last lesson we began to learn about God and His perfections. Today we will learn about the unity and Trinity of God. That is, we will begin learning about a mystery that we can only know because God has revealed it. We can only know it because God has taught it – that He is three Persons in one God. Listen to what happened when Jesus came to John the Baptist in the River Jordan and gave us a glimpse of the Holy Trinity. John the Baptist, the cousin of our Lord, had been given the mission of preparing people for the

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism Fr. Anthony Pillari JCL, MCL, STD Lesson 2: On God and His Perfections (The following is a transcript from the Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism with Fr. Anthony Pillari . Each presentation focuses on a lesson from the Baltimore Catechism. While these catecheses are intended for young Catholics, a prayerful study of the subject matter and materials provided would greatly benefit anyone. This video series is available free online.) Welcome to the second lesson of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism – On God and His Perfections. Let us begin with the prayer taught by our Lady to the children of Fatima, praying it slowly and well, so that you might help save souls even now, as you study your Catechism. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. O Jesus, I choose to live this day, for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism Fr. Anthony Pillari JCL, MCL, STD Lesson 1: On the End of Man (The following is a transcript from the Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism with Fr. Anthony Pillari . Each presentation focuses on a lesson from the Baltimore Catechism. While these catecheses are intended for young Catholics, a prayerful study of the subject matter and materials provided would greatly benefit anyone. This video series is available free online.) Welcome to the first lesson of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism – On the End of Man. You are beginning today a great journey through the entire Baltimore Catechism. Through a challenging program of formation that will lead your soul to become stronger in the Lord and in His might. The keys to the success of this program will be your willingness to work hard at your studies, your willingness to make sacrifices, your willingness to persevere, and your determination to not become discouraged. Because in this pro

To speak of the Church using political labels is a fatuous pursuit. You are either faithful to the teachings of the Church or you are unfaithful. Public opposition to the Magisterium is dissent. Then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith observed, "These doctrines require the assent of theological faith by all members of the faithful." The quotes below show that being a disciple of Christ requires total fidelity to Christ and Christ's Church. The teaching Church does not invent her doctrines; she is a witness, a custodian, an interpreter, a transmitter. As regards the truth...she can be called conservative, uncompromising. To those who would urge her to make her faith easier, more in keeping with the tastes of the changing mentality of the times, she answers with the apostles, we cannot do so. — Pope Paul VI, General Audience, January 12, 1972 It is sometimes reported that a large number of Catholics today do not adhe

The eight classes of unbelievers are as follows: 1. Atheists, who deny there is a God; 2. Deists, who admit there is a God, but deny that He revealed a religion; 3. Agnostics, who will neither admit nor deny the existence of God; 4. Infidels, were never baptized, and who by want of faith, refuse to be so; 5. Heretics, were baptized Christians, but do not believe all the articles of faith; 6. Schismatics, are baptized and believe all articles of faith, save papal authority; 7. Apostates, who reject the true religion, they formerly held, to join a false one; 8. Rationalists and Materialists, who believe only in material things. ( From the Baltimore Catechism #3 Lesson 30 - Q. 1170 .) Outside the Church There is No Salvation The straight forward but constantly misinterpreted doctrine that " Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus ": " Outside the Church there is no salvation ", is the source of much confusion among many Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

By Father Thomas Mattison There is no such thing as a Church teaching that is not social. Once upon a time the bishop of the Diocese of Burlington was named Robert F. Joyce. He was a native of Proctor and installed as bishop of Burlington in 1957. He resigned as bishop after 15 years at age 75. He would not have been grateful to be called an ecclesiologist — an expert in the theology of the Church — but he was just that. At every Confirmation ceremony he gave the same sermon -- every one! And he would make everyone in church repeat the message after him: Don’t go to heaven alone; take someone with you. RFJ clearly understood that there is in each of us a tendency — a temptation — to think of ourselves before thinking of anyone else and, even, to the exclusion of everyone else. But he understood, too, that such a focus on the single self was absolutely antithetical to Christianity. Just being a Christian means being — at very least — connected to Jesus. We have no connect

LifeSite reports on an opinion piece by a former Vatican official discussing Pope Francis’ refusal to answer the dubia issued by four of his cardinals concerning the doctrinal implications and proper interpretation of Amoris Laetitia , the post-synod apostolic exhortation on the family. The confusion that emerged in the wake of Amoris ’ release has resulted in myriad conclusions and widespread uncertainty . The LifeSite article begins: "Why doesn’t the Pope respond to the Dubia? The former director of the Vatican Bank thinks he knows why. Ettore Gotti Tedeschi suggests that Francis is sending two messages through his silence: that he can contradict himself if he likes and that he wishes to impose a 'New Catholic Morality' on the Church. This new morality would be based not on doctrine but on the subjective opinions of the individual conscience... Ultimately, Francis’ silence — which allows doubts to continue to flourish — is a denial of objective truth." Mr.Te

March's blog of note is The Veil of Chastity . The site is written for single Catholic young women, but the information provided, focusing expressly on living chastely in both the single and married vocations — is applicable to all. Although currently inactive, the blog’s author, a Catholic Mom and full-time professional, faithful to the teaching of the Church and to the Magisterium, is finalizing a book discussing the wisdom behind the virtue of chastity. The work of Saint John Paul II, Pope Paul VI, Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand, and Saint Thomas Aquinas are thoughtfully considered vis–à–vis Humanae Vitae and the Theology of the Body. The blog's about page explains its mission: "The United States alone has 27 million single Catholics. This site is dedicated to those singles and those around the world who are looking for wisdom and hope. This is a place to share and learn about the virtue of chastity, the truth behind the virtue and why it leads to our happines

February’s Catholic blog of note is Catholic Preaching . Its information and insights emanate from the mind of Father Roger J. Landry, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, who works for the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations. Father's priestly formation is detailed on the "About" page: "After receiving a biology degree from Harvard College, he studied for the priesthood in Maryland, Toronto and for several years in Rome. After being ordained a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Fall River by Bishop Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap. on June 26, 1999, he returned to Rome to complete graduate work in Moral Theology and Bioethics at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family. Fr. Landry writes for many Catholic publications, including The National Catholic Register and The Anchor , the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River, for which he was the executive editor and editorial writer from 2005-2012." Visitors to C

Matthew Coffin Editor's note: Each Tuesday we will feature posts discussing Saint John Paul the Great's Theology of the Body; his reflection on our nature and life as persons made in the image and likeness of God, conjugal love, the meaning of celibacy, and the eternal beatitude to which every human being is called. Here is Matthew Coffin's updated summary. ___________________________ In his Theology of the Body, Saint John Paul II seeks to establish an adequate anthropology in which the human person, in both his spiritual and physical dimensions, reveals truths about God. George Weigel has called it, "one of the boldest reconfigurations of Catholic theology in centuries." Part 1 examines the philosophical developments that preceded it. Major schools of thought have been greatly oversimplified in order to show how St. John Paul II’s contribution is necessary, transformative, and faithful. Augustinianism Prior to the thirteenth century, the dominant