Catholicity

 SAY THIS SIMPLE PRAYER IN YOUR HEART WHILE RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION Proudly Catholic  For Catholics, there is no moment more sacred, more intimate, and more transformative than the moment of Holy Communion. At Mass, when the priest raises the consecrated Host and declares, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world,” we are invited to approach the altar and receive Jesus Christ Himself — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity — into our very being. This mystery is so great that words fail. We are mere creatures receiving the Creator. We are sinners invited to a banquet of grace. Heaven touches earth, and Christ, who died and rose for us, enters into our bodies and souls. At such a moment, what should we say? How can we respond worthily? The Church offers us prayers before and after Communion, but many saints and spiritual masters encourage us to whisper a simple prayer in our hearts while receiving Holy Communion. This prayer need not be long or complic...

 THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT BINDING AND LOOSING IN THE BIBLE Catholics Online Class  _________________ Someone once asked me: “Father, when Jesus said ‘whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven’ (Mt 16:19; 18:18), does it mean anyone, even lay people, can bind and loose? Or is it only for priests and bishops?” Let’s unlock the meaning together. ✝️ 1. WHAT DOES “BIND” AND “LOOSE” MEAN? In Jewish culture, “binding” and “loosing” were technical terms used by rabbis. To bind meant to forbid something, to declare it unlawful. To loose meant to permit something, to declare it lawful. It was not magic language. It was about teaching with authority, interpreting God’s law and guiding the community of faith. So when Jesus used these words, His Jewish audience understood: He was giving authority to lead, teach, and discipline in His Church. ✝️2. WHO FIRST RECEIVED THIS POWER? In Matthew 16:19, Jesus speaks directly to Pe...

 THE CATHOLIC VIEW ON “PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS” Rosary Family facebook group  Many Christians outside the Catholic Church emphasize the need for a “personal relationship with Jesus.” Catholics sometimes hear this and wonder—do we believe the same thing? The truth is, the Catholic Church not only affirms the importance of a personal relationship with Christ but also shows us the fullest way to live it—through Scripture, prayer, and especially the sacraments. 1. What “Personal Relationship with Jesus” Really Means A personal relationship with Jesus is not about feelings or private spirituality alone—it is about knowing, loving, and following Christ in daily life. Catholics agree that faith must be more than ritual; it must be an encounter with a living Person who calls us into friendship. Jesus Himself said: “I no longer call you servants, but friends” (John 15:15). 2. The Catholic Distinctive: Relationship Through the Church While many Christians see a personal relatio...

A Pathway to Communal Holiness in a Restless World --- I. INTRODUCTION:  What the Rule Is—and What It Is Not The Rule of St. Augustine is among the oldest monastic guidelines in Western Christianity.  Written in the late 4th or early 5th century by Augustine of Hippo, it is not a detailed manual of ascetic practices like the Rule of St. Benedict, nor is it a rigid legal code.  Instead, it is a spiritual charter—a concise and deeply pastoral roadmap centered on the primacy of love (caritas) as the foundation of community life. The rule,  in 8 parts, or chapters, is divided into eight chapters: Chapter I:  Purpose and Basis of Common Life Chapter II:  Prayer Chapter III:  Moderation and Self Denial Chapter IV:  Safeguarding Chastity,and Fraternal Correction Chapter V:  The Care of Community Goods and Treatment of the Sick Chapter VI:  Asking Pardon and Forgiving Offenses Chapter VII:  Governance and Obedience Chapter VIII:  Obser...

THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD (and troubling) TEACHING OF JESUS.... Luke 13:22-30 Jesus passed through towns and villages,  teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate..., for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter  but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from. And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob  and all the prophets in the kingdom of God -  and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and t...

Otherwise known by the acronym, "OSAS," this is an erroneous belief among protestants, in particular among the, "bible-only" Evangelical and fundamentalist groups. Unfortunately for them, it appears nowhere explicitly written in the Bible, and it was never taught before the Bible existed. It came about after the protestant reformation got started, from the mind of one man, as we'll see here in a moment.  To me, the odd part is this: Here we have people who reject anything that doesnt explicitly appear in the Bible, letter for letter. But this concept of OSAS isn’t there that way; it had to be built-up from cherry-picked bits of scripture to suit the argument. Yet, its a cornerstone of these sects. So let's do a little forensics on this. ✅ 1. Did Jesus teach OSAS? No, I'm afraid not. In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly emphasized that we must remain in faith and obedience until the end. Examples: Matthew 24:13 – “But the one who endures to the end will be sa...

 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...