Catholicity

 DESCENDING INTO THE DEPTHS:  Dante’s Circles of Hell and the Catholic Vision of Sin, Justice, and Mercy --- INTRODUCTION:  Why Dante Still Speaks to Us Dante Alighieri’s, "Divine Comedy" —and especially, "The Inferno" —is not just a literary masterpiece, but also a profound theological meditation on sin, justice, and the eternal consequences of human choices.  Written in the early 14th century, Dante’s depiction of the nine circles of Hell captured the medieval Catholic worldview, weaving together Sacred Scripture, scholastic theology, and classical philosophy. But to read Dante properly, one must remember:  His poem is not official Catholic dogma.  Instead, it is one man's poetic vision.  It does reflect Catholic teaching, while also engaging the imagination and reflecting the culture of its time.  For Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants alike, Dante’s Hell provides a mirror to examine the gravity of sin, the justice of God, and the urgent call...

 Someone asked me why Catholics, when saying the Our Lord’s Prayer in their private prayers, stop at “deliver us from evil”, while Protestants, on the other hand, end with “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” To answer this, let’s look at what Jesus actually taught and how the prayer was passed down. The Our Lord's Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4, which was spoken by Jesus, originally ended with: “…deliver us from evil.” — and not with “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.” The “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen,” which is called the doxology or praise, as seen in the King James Bible, is not found in the earliest Greek manuscripts of Matthew and Luke. So where did “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever” come from? The line “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory…” was added later by some early Christians, who were Jewish, because in Jewish prayers th...

 THE HIDDEN BATTLE WITHIN:  Understanding the “Unconscious” in the Light of Christ --- I. INTRODUCTION — The Question at Stake The concept of the “unconscious” has a long and winding history: Schelling first introduced the term in the early 19th century. Coleridge carried the idea into the English-speaking world. Freud put it in the center of his psychological system, claiming the unconscious mind is the “true” driver of human behavior. Jung expanded it into the “collective unconscious,” a storehouse of the whole spiritual heritage of humanity. Modern cognitive science often criticizes these views as unscientific but admits there are processes outside conscious awareness. The pressing question is: Should Christians view the unconscious as a real, central element of human nature — or as a misleading myth that distorts the Gospel’s vision of the human person? --- II. A Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant-Friendly Approach Christianity has always recognized that human beings have ...

WHY CATHOLICS USE TERMS NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE 1️⃣ Ever heard someone say: “That word, or phrase, or concept - etc. -  isn’t in the Bible!” They then use that as some kind of "proof" to reject a Catholic teaching. This is the basic modus operandi of all protestants, and it's a literal dogma of its own among fundamentalist, and evangelical, "Bible only," sects. Yet this is more the pride and anger of men who hate The Church, more than any valid ecclesiastical action.  And most are so intent on pursuing this error, that they dont even know it IS an error.   After 500+ years, they have grown so accustomed to cherry-picking Scripture verses to invalidate The Church (and so validate themselves), that they are clueless to thier mistake. So, let’s break this down and explain it. First, off, not every word must be in Scripture - the Bible never tells us that. In a few places, we are told how the Bible could be used to help us, but it never says you may use nothing ELSE...

 WHERE IS THE POPE IN THE BIBLE ? The question “Where is the Pope in the Bible?” is one many people—Catholics and non-Catholics alike—often ask. Its an especially favorite question among the Catholic dismissive, "Bible-only" protestant sects. And while the word “Pope” doesn’t appear in Scripture, the office it represents has a clear foundation in the Bible. Catholics believe that the papacy is rooted in Jesus Christ’s delegation of authority to St. Peter, the first Bishop of Rome. 1. Matthew 16:18–19 — “You are Peter…” This passage is the cornerstone of the Catholic belief in the papacy. Jesus says to Simon: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” Here, Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter (from the Greek “Petros,” meaning rock), indicating a new mission. Giving someone keys in biblical language symbolizes authority (see Isaiah 22:22). Catholics assert that ...

This is taken from the Oxi Espiritual daily reading and reflection. It is in Spanish, so here it is translated and edited for the English speaking audience. Link at the end. +++ In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Reading 1 From  Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity." Reading 2 Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 "Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have ...

 WHY DO CATHOLICS SAY : “LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY …” BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION ? We say “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” before Communion as a profession of humility, faith, and trust in Jesus’ power to heal and save, even though we are unworthy to receive Him. 1. Scriptural Origin This prayer echoes the words of the Roman centurion in the Gospel: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” — Matthew 8:8 The Church adopts these words because the centurion’s humility and faith are a model for us as we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. 2. Catechism of the Catholic Church “To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. […] We must humbly recognize that we are not worthy to receive him under our roof, but only say the word and our souls shall be healed” (CCC 1385). This teaches that we approach the Euch...