Eleven Ways You Can Know That You Are A Faithful Catholic
What is the mark of a Christian?
It is to watch daily and hourly and to stand prepared in that state of total responsiveness pleasing to God, knowing that the Lord will come at an hour that he does not expect. - St. Basil
A true Christian is vigilant, meaning he is ready to hear God’s word and to respond accordingly. - Carl E. Olson (CWR)
You are a faithful Catholic when... .
- You can recognize truth and live by the truth. You are capable of discerning between fact and fiction by constantly relying on Church teaching to inform your thinking (Zechariah 8:16) and to form your conscience. Furthermore, you know that the phrase 'my truth' is a mental evasion and a lie.
- You know that love is defined by the example of Jesus, not by the strange words and actions of an errant teacher or some misguided social media influencer (St John 13:34-35; 2 Timothy 4:3).
- You pray often - every day, morning, noon and night - and pray with a sincere heart to intercede for others, and to dispose yourself to the grace of God that sustains you.
- You pray sacred scripture because God speaks through the sacred text.
- You habitually act in a way that seeks and actually supports the good of others (St Matthew 25:31-46).
- You believe and behave in a manner that honours your dignity as a child of God, i.e., a person made in the image and likeness of God who is saved by Jesus.
- You are grateful for Jesus' gift of salvation, and that gratitude finds ways to express generous support for the mission of the Church, which is the salvation of souls (cf. Canon Law #1752).
- You serve (attend) Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, and weekdays as often as possible, because you acknowledge that Jesus is really Present - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity - in the Holy Eucharist (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1374), and you desire to be close the Lord (St Luke 10:42).
- You receive Holy Communion reverently. You cling to His Real Presence - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity - that is the Holy Eucharist (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).
- You keep the commandments of Jesus (St John 14-15).
- You have the good sense to stay close to the confessional. We are all sinners given new life by Jesus in the Sacrament of Baptism. When we run off the rails due to mortal sin, we need His gift of the Sacrament of Penance wherein we - penitents expressing to God through His priest real sorrow for sin, accepting our culpability and prepared to do penance - can be restored to friendship with God.
Faith is... .
Letter to the Hebrews 11:1-2
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval.
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TRUE PARTICIPATION IN THE MASS
"I was gathered into the offering of the Son to the Father. I participated in the self-offering of God today."
FEATURED SCRIPTURE | St Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
THE GOLDEN ARROW
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
FEATURED QUOTE
There is but one thing of real value - to cultivate truth and justice, and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men. Marcus Aurelius
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