Ad Gloriam Trinitatis et Honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis: What must we do to be truly called Catholic?

Oct 20, 2012

What must we do to be truly called Catholic?

I. "Catholic"
II. Who is Catholic?
III. What are the true teachings of the Catholic Faith?
IV. Is it necessary to be Catholic to be saved?
V. Can the Church’s Dogmatic teaching change?
VI. What must we do to be truly called Catholic?

And so now is the time that having being filled with all of the theoretical knowledge about the realities of the Catholic Church and Faith and its necessity for salvation we will now turn to practical matters. What follows is a list of essential practices which are a natural outgrowth of what we believe in our hearts as Catholics, the truth of Jesus Christ, and a way of showing forth Christ in our own person:

-Hold fast to all of the true teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

-Frequent the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist

-Follow all Six of the precepts of the Church:

1- To attend Mass on Sundays and holydays of obligation

2- To fast and abstain on the days commanded.

3- To confess our sins at least once a year.

4- To receive the Blessed Eucharist at Easter or within the time

approved.

5- To contribute to the support of our Pastors.

6- Not to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times; nor to marry persons within the forbidden degrees of kindred, or otherwise prohibited by the Church, nor secretly.

-Devote your life to serving and loving the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the most Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary in whatever state of life God has called you to.

-Set aside at least 15 minutes each day for Mental Prayer

-Make a good morning offering every Day

-Pray at least 5 decades of the Rosary every day, and join the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.

-Pray 3 Hail Mary’s every morning and every night for holiness and a happy death.

-Wear the Brown Scapular (or better yet the Five-fold Scapular) and be enrolled in it.

-Perform the Spiritual Works of Mercy

To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.

-Perform the Corporal Works of Mercy

To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.

13 Essential Means to attaining Salvation

(Compiled by Father John Fongemie, F.S.S.P., and based upon Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange’s “The Priest in Union with Christ” and Dom Chautard’s “The Soul of the Apostolate”)

-Have a great desire for Holiness, “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.” –Matt 5:48

-Conformity to the Will of God and abandonment to Divine Providence and to follow the Vocation God will’s for us.

-Fidelity to the Graces we receive each day and a devotion to the Holy Ghost

-The practice of the presence of God, i.e. Jesus in the Eucharist and the Blessed Trinity in our Souls when we are in the State of Grace. Attending daily Mass, making spiritual communions, praying the Rosary, etc.

-Examination of conscience each day.

-Frequent Confession.

-External and internal mortification

-Willingness to makes sacrifices.

-Plan of life. Living a timetable each day that makes time for prayer.

-Spiritual Reading, reading of good and holy Catholic books according to our state in life and aptitude.

-Spiritual Direction. Everyone needs regular spiritual director, which means getting a good spiritual director.

-Good friendships. Meaning making friends with those who are trying to live good and holy lives.

-Mental Prayer. “Every Saint, became a Saint, because of mental prayer.” –Saint Alphonsus Liguori

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Christus Rex

O Christ, Jesus, I acknowledge Thee as Universal King. For Thee all creatures have been made. Do Thou exercise over me all the rights that Thou hast. Renew my Baptismal Vows, I renounce Satan, with all his works and pomps, and I promise to live as a good Catholic: Especially, do I pledge myself, by all the means in my power, to bring about the triumph of the rights of God and of Thy Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee all my poor actions to obtain that all hearts may recognize Thy Sacred Royalty, and that thus the reign of Thy Peace may be established throughout the entire world. Amen.

Mary Queen of Heaven and Mediatrix of all Grace

"Mary has the authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth and hell, willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs." -Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

About this Blog

This blog is meant to be a series of seriously written articles on teachings of the Catholic Church as well as Catholic culture. I do not claim, however, any teaching authority other than as a Catholic layman who has a desire to share his own thoughts and insights. Please do your own research. Read the official teachings of the Church, which can be found in it's Ecumenical Councils, the Encyclicals and other official writings of the Pope, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and of course Sacred Scripture.

To read the true teachings of the Catholic faith uncluttered by my own ideas and insights then check out my other two blogs:

Catholic Quotations

Providentissimus Deus

Pope Benedict XVI

"How much Christ suffers in his own Church. How often is the Holy Sacrament of His real presence abused. How often must He enter empty and evil hearts. How often do we celebrate only ourselves without even realizing that He is there. How often is His word twisted and misused. What little faith is present behind so many theories and so many empty words. How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those in the priesthood who should belong entirely to Him. How much pride. How much self complacency. What little respect for the sacrament of reconciliation where He waits for us to raise us up whenever we fall. How much filth there is. How much filth." -Good Friday 2005

Fraternity of Saint Peter

Saint Paul

"For I am even now ready to be sacrificed: and the time of my dissolution is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming. Make haste to come to me quickly. For Demas hath left me, loving this world, and is gone to Thessalonica: Crescens into Galatia, Titus into Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." (2 Timothy 4:6-11)

Saint Luke the Evangelist

A Greek, he was converted by Saint Paul and wrote the Gospel according to Saint Luke and Acts of the Apostles. His was the most Marian of gospel and according to Tradition he spent time with our Blessed Lady thus having the most detailed account of our Lady's life in all the four Gospels. When with our Lady, we are also taught by Tradition, that he paint the original Icon of the Virgin Mother and the Christ Child on an old tabletop from a table made by Saint Joseph. His symbol is the Ox, which is the symbol of sacrifice and the Priesthood.

Sacred Scripture

The Douay-Rheims is the most acurate English translation of the Latin Vulgate, which is the official version of Sacred Scripture which bears the Church's promise of infallibilty and inerrancy. “But if any one receive not, as sacred and canonical, the said books entire with all their parts, as they have been used to be read in the Catholic Church, and as they are contained in the old Latin vulgate edition; and knowingly and deliberately contemn the traditions aforesaid; let him be anathema.” (Council of Trent, Fourth Session, 8 April 1546)

Saint Alphonsus Liguori

“Think of what the Saints have done for their neighbor because they loved God. But what Saint's love for God can match Mary's? She loved Him more in the first moment of her existence than all the Saints and angels ever loved Him or will love Him. Our Lady herself revealed to Sister Mary Crucified that the fire of her love was most extreme. If Heaven and earth were placed in it, they would be instantly consumed. And the ardors of the seraphim, compared with it, are like cool breezes. Just as there is not one among all the Blessed who loves God as Mary does, so there is no one, after God, who loves us as much as this most loving Mother does. Furthermore, if we heaped together all the love that mothers have for their children, all the love of husbands and wives, all the love of all the angels and Saints for their clients, it could never equal Mary's love for even a single soul.”

Saint Anthony Mary Claret

“A son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a man who is consumed with love and who sets on fire everything in his path. He is a man who unceasingly expends himself to light the fire of divine love in the world. Nothing stops him; he places his joy in privations, he undertakes all works for the glory of God; he embraces willingly every sacrifice, he is happy in the midst of calumnies; he exults in torments. He can think of but one thing — working, suffering, and seeking at all times the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls, to imitate Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Sacred and Immacuate Hearts

Most loving Jesus, when I consider your tender heart and see it full of mercy and tenderness toward sinners, my own heart is filled with joy and confidence that I shall be so kindly welcomed by You. Unfortunately, how many times have I sinned! But now, with Peter and with Magdalene, I weep for my sins and detest them because they offend You, infinite Goodness. Mercifully grant me pardon for them all; and let me die rather than offend You again; at least let me live only to love You in return. Amen. (Raccolta n. 255) O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially for a return to Orthodoxy in the Church and the conversion of sinners to your Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of you Son Jesus. We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever. Amen.