Confiteor is a Latin word that means "I confess," the first words of the prayer that we now say together. This is a public confession. There are only sinners present in the church today. Everyone—priest, deacon, and all gathered—says the words together.
This prayer is... Read More >>
We sometimes recite or sing the Gloria every Sunday at Mass, Solemnities, and Feasts except in Advent and Lent. What is the Church’s reason?
Advent is a great season of preparation for a greater mystery: the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The omission of Gloria, a song that recalls the... Read More >>
The Gloria (Latin for "glory") is a beautiful prayer that we sing towards the beginning of Mass, meant as a way to direct our praises to God in celebration of His coming as a man 2000 years ago.
Confident that the Lord will forgive us our sins, we now sing out, giving praise to God in... Read More >>
F. Unity of Christians around the Pope
On one occasion Pope Paul VI said that he viewed ‘the charism of the primacy in the Church, given by Christ himself to Peter, whose humble successor I am, more as an office to be exercised than as a right.’ This way of seeing things coincides... Read More >>
E. The Pope, Vicar of Christ
The primacy of the Pope is a mystery in the economy of salvation. And to this mystery belong those internal statutes just previously spoken about. ‘In his chief ministry the Pope is obliged by the objective rules of faithfulness which derive from the revealed... Read More >>
C. Power and Service of Peter
Frequently nowadays, and rightly so, because it is based on Scripture and Tradition, we speak of the mission of the Pope and the bishops as a ministry, as a service. Indeed, they are there to serve. ‘The office which the Lord has committed to the pastors of... Read More >>
Chapter 3 of the dogmatic constitution on the Church of Vatican Council I (Pastor aeternus) is the principal document of the Magisterium about the content and nature of the primatial power of the Roman Pontiff. Chapter 4 is a development and defining of one particular characteristic of this... Read More >>
5) Why should Mary die if she was free from Original Sin and its stain?
Being free of Original Sin and its stain is not the same thing as being in a glorified, deathless condition. Jesus was also free of Original Sin and its stain, but he could—and did—die. Expressing a common view... Read More >>
1) What is the Assumption of Mary?
The Assumption of Mary is the teaching that: The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory [Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus 44].
2) What... Read More >>
1. What does the word “transfiguration” mean?
The word “transfiguration” comes from the Latin roots trans- (“across”) and figura (“form, shape”). It thus signifies a change of form or appearance. This is what happened to Jesus in the event known as... Read More >>
The description of this obedience or response of faith is required, thus, since revelation offers a vision of God to whom we should give our total allegiance and of whom we can also give some account, we can speak of faith as involving both ‘believing in’ and ‘believing... Read More >>
THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
The human, being the subject and recipient of revelation encounters a three-fold experience; a transcendental experience, a religious experience and the human response to both. In O’Collins’ view, “the human subject displays an openness and tendency... Read More >>
Many questions arise from the notion of revelation as the Divine communication of self. For instance, the bugging question of what meaning should be ascribed to revelation, when and where did such revelation occur, how can the veracity of such revelation be discerned and importantly, how does... Read More >>
We can say that, the other functions of communion and revelation mentioned, are but latent functions of the sacrament, this however does not diminish these functions, for without a gathering in faith, it will be impossible to celebrate the sacrament. Moreover, Christ himself said, “when I am... Read More >>
2. The function of the sacrament as ecclesiological
The understanding of the ecclesial function of the sacrament, can be seen in what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, that;
The sacraments are of the Church in a double sense that; they are “by her and for her.” They... Read More >>
1. The function of the sacrament as theocentric
The traditional definition of a sacrament as a visible sign instituted by Christ to give grace, contains three essential Church teachings concerning the sacraments: they are signs; they were instituted by Christ; they give grace. These... Read More >>
INTRODUCTION
The Council of Trent discussing the problem of justification in order to rule out error, draws attention to the functions of the sacrament when it states that, the most holy sacraments are the means “through which all true justice either begins, or begun is increased or being... Read More >>
The early Christians had no doubts about how to determine which was the true church and which doctrines were the true teachings of Christ. The test was simply a trace of the apostolic succession of the claimants.
The essential reference to the Apostles was the grounds for authority for any... Read More >>
It is evident in the prologue of the gospel according to John, that, there is an essential relationship between the incarnate Word and God (Jn. 1:1-5, 14), and also that, some people are marked for some filial relationship with God on the basis of their faith, “to those who accept him, he... Read More >>
The Firstborn Priesthood before the Law of Moses
Before God gave the Law to Moses at Mount Sinai, the father of the family exercised the office of priest. The father handed on his priesthood to his firstborn son by way of a blessing. Saint Thomas Aquinas regards this “primogeniture... Read More >>
