Some of the special gifts which God gave to the Virgin Mary are: (1) her Immaculate Conception, (2) her perpetual virginity, (3) becoming the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church, and (4) her Assumption. 1. One special gift which God gave to the Virgin Mary was her Immaculate Conception. In view of the merits of her Divine …
We show our love for our neighbor when we obey all lawful authority, whether it be in the home, in civil society, or in the Church. With respect to lawful authority in the home, the Fourth Commandment of God says: “Honor your father and your mother” (Deuteronomy 5:16; Exodus 20:12). St. Paul wrote: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, …
Hell is the eternal separation from God. The person who dies in the state of mortal sin has deliberately torn himself from God during life and has died without that bond of union with God which we call sanctifying grace. He has no means by which to establish contact with God and has lost Him forever. He is in Hell. …
At the very instant that the soul leaves the body, it is judged by Christ. This is the particular judgment. If we die with no sins on our soul which require atonement or satisfaction, the immediate sight of God in Heaven will itself be our judgment.
We have good reason to face death with courage and joy because: (1) Christ’s Resurrection has conquered death; (2) in the risen Christ we live, die, and shall live again; and (3) we look forward to our homecoming with God our loving Father. 1. We have good reason to face death with courage and joy because Christ’s Resurrection has conquered …
The thought of the duties and obligations which flow from the love of God and man helps the Christian: (1) to form a right conscience, (2) to always choose what is right, (3) to avoid sin and the occasions of sins, and (4) to live in this world according to the Spirit of Christ, for the love of God. 1.The …
Our responsibilities toward self are: (1) to be an example of Christian goodness; (2) to be humble and patient with ourselves; (3) to be simple in the use of the things of this world; (4) to be pure in thoughts, words and actions; and (5) to avoid pride, laziness, envy, and intemperance in food and drink. 1. Our responsibilities toward …
We sin against our neighbor in four general areas, namely: (1) justice, (2) God’s gift of life, (3) speech, and (4) sexuality. 1. Sins against our neighbor in the area of justice. The Seventh Commandment of God is, “You shall not steal”, and the Tenth Commandment is, “You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor” (cf. Exodus 20:15, …
Our judgments of others and our speech should follow the standard of Christ’s charity–which is due to all those created in the image and likeness of God. God commands us to think kindly of others. Jesus said: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will …
We show to others the justice and charity of Christ by reaching out in the spirit of the Beatitudes to help others, to build up a better society in the local community, and to promote social justice and peace throughout the world. We show the justice and charity of Christ to others by letting our Catholic faith, with its beautiful …