"C" Links!

One might say, that there are only a few reasons why anyone should be Catholic. In fact, we could summarize it this way:

One should only be a Catholic if the Catholic Church is the Church which Jesus established.

If a person believes in God, believes in the Divinity of Christ and accepts the Scriptures as being inspired by God - then it only makes sense to be a member of the Church which Jesus established. That Jesus established a church is Biblical - we establish that fact that in Matthew 16:18. But consider first what had just taken place. Starting at Matthew 16:13:

Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!" Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Johah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." (Mt. 16:13-18).

Jesus established a church, HIS CHURCH. He promised it would endure even hellish trials and tribulations. Doesn't it make good sense that if a person loves the Lord Jesus, that such a person would want to do the Lord's will? Then why wouldn't a person who loves the Father's will want to be a part of the Church Jesus established? The implication should be obvious.

Why be Catholic? First and foremost, the faithful have the honor and blessing of being united with their Lord and God in the Eucharist - Holy Communion! For all those who love the Lord Jesus, it only makes sense that you'd want to participate in this life-giving sacrament of grace! If you believe in what the Bible and the Lord's Supper reveals, there should be a deep longing for this heavenly gift!

Then there are the rich traditions of the Church - almost 2,000 years of prayer, spirituality, Scripture study and meditations, the inspiration that the lives of the saints and Mary can provide, the support of the prayers of the Church Triumphant - the communion of saints! (See Heb. 11-12:2; Rev. 4, 5:7-14, 7:9-17) . There are so many styles and types of prayer, spirituality, devotions, charity and service available to Catholics that it could easily boggle the mind! There are bound to be many things that appeal to you, once you see the Church for what Christ calls it to be.

There are many reasons why people resist being Catholic. Some wonder, 'Does God Exist?' Others find the Church has difficult beliefs, hard to live out in our 'modern' world. There are accusations based on history, like the Inquisition, the argument being 'surely Jesus' Church wouldn't have done such a thing.' There are arguments based on the Bible, and those that claim that the church which Jesus was talking about a spiritual body, not a visible institution with ordained priests, bishops and a pope. All of these issues are dealt with in detail in the 'Contents' of the ABCs of Faith. One thing is certain, that it is only a person with an open mind and a heart humbly desires Christ's truths will find the answers to such questions. A prejudiced, closed mind can't and won't find, see or recognize the truth, by definition.

The history of the Church isn't perfect, no one claims it to be. The individuals in the Church aren't all peaches and cream either. But then Christ came for sinner, not saints. The miracle of the Catholic faith isn't that sinners sin. It is that many sinners, through the graces poured out by the Spirit through the Church Jesus established, have become, and are becoming saints. It is the redemption of souls that is the heart of the Church!

The more one fairly and openly searches the truths of Catholicism, the more one sees the fulfillment of Biblical truths and prophecies. Think about it; after centuries and centuries of attacks from without (and sinners from within!) what is it * besides * Jesus' promise recorded in Mt. 16:18 that could have kept the Catholic Church in existence? Jesus' Church has not only survived but grown, just like the little mustard seed...

Come, join the hundreds of Christian pastors who have joined the Catholic faith in recent years! Join the thousands who are coming into the fullness of Christian faith in the Church Jesus started - the holy Catholic Church! Join a billion Catholics around the world - the rewards can be eternal.

The Bible Christians claim is divided into two broad sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These names could also translated as the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant. Now a "covenant" is a sacred bond, to the people of ancient Israel, it was a strong and significant term, as we will see in a few moments.

God established a covenant with Abram. We see in Genesis 15 a ritual ceremony that took place to establish the covenant between the Almighty and this mortal. A covenant isn't 'made', it is literally 'cut' - to sever an animal in two, and then the parties to the covenant walk between the severed halves. To modern man, this may seem strange, but this was filled with symbolism and meaning to the Israelites. This covenant oath's implication is that this binding together is so solemn, the ancients believed that a similarly gory ending should be made of the party who dared break this oath (see Jeremiah 34:18!!). One didn't want to be in violation of such a solemn covenant! Now the Latin word for 'covenant' is 'sacramentum.' The Seven Sacraments of the Church are 'sacred actions' which bind us, like the covenant oath, to our God!

To see Biblical references for the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church, click here!

Catholic adj 1: of or relating to or supporting Catholicism; "the Catholic Church" [syn: {Catholic}] 2: free from provincial prejudices or attachments; "catholic in one's tastes" n : a member of a Catholic church [syn: {Catholic}]

Catholic \Cath"o*lic\ (k[a^]th"[-o]*[i^]k), a. [L. catholicus, Gr. kaqoliko`s, universal, general; kata` down, wholly + "o`los whole, probably akin to E. solid: cf. F. catholique.] 1. Universal or general; as, the catholic faith. Men of other countries [came] to bear their part in so great and catholic a war. --Southey. Note: This epithet, which is applicable to the whole Christian church, or its faith, is claimed by Roman Catholics to belong especially to their church, and in popular usage is so limited. 2. Not narrow-minded, partial, or bigoted; liberal; as, catholic tastes. 3. Of or pertaining to, or affecting the Roman Catholics; as, the Catholic emancipation act. Catholic epistles, the epistles of the apostles which are addressed to all the faithful, and not to a particular church; being those of James, Peter, Jude, and John.