The sufferings Christ bore for us were extremely severe, in large measure, because of our rejection of His infinite love for us.

Before He was crucified, Jesus was falsely accused and mocked by the soldiers. He was also tried and cruelly treated by (1) the chief priests and elders; (2) the Tetrarch Herod; and (3) Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. It was Pontius Pilate who condemned Him to die on the Cross as a common criminal. “And taking the twelve, he said …

Christ’s mission on earth, given to Him by His Father, was to save us from the horrors of Hell, and to bring us to the joys of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. He did this through His suffering and dying on the Cross. We can also say that the Son of God became man to save us from …

We speak of the necessity of the Passion and Death of Jesus in the sense that it was God’s will that man’s redemption be achieved in this particular manner. The Passion of our Lord was not something which absolutely had to be. Our redemption could have been obtained in a variety of other ways had God so desired it.

Yes, Jesus stated that it was necessary for Him to suffer in order to bring us eternal life. Thus, He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). After His Resurrection, Jesus said, “Was it not necessary …

Jesus suffered inexpressible physical and spiritual agony upon the Cross. Crucifixion was such a horrible instrument of death that the Roman authorities would not use it on their own citizens. Added to this torment was that indescribable pain of rejected love. He was rejected not only by those in Palestine, but also by all those who prefer sinful life-styles to …

Venial sin is a minor violation of the law of God. It does not take away God’s life from the soul or break God’s friendship, but it weakens our love for God. It also harms us and other people.

To commit a mortal sin the Christian must: (1) have committed a grave sin; (2) have known its gravity; and (3) have been free to avoid offending God. 1. The offense in itself must be serious or grave, that is, something that has been forbidden by God under pain of losing His friendship. 2. The person who commits the sin …

An act is right when it corresponds to the truth of the moral order—God’s law. In other words, it is something God wants us to do. An act is wrong if it breaks God’s law and, therefore, is not something God wants us to do. Freedom makes us responsible for our voluntary actions. We sin not only by freely choosing …

We know God’s will through our reason, through the Bible, through Sacred Tradition, and through the teaching office or Magisterium of the Church, which is God’s living voice.