What it means to be Christian-Catholic

What it means to be Christian-Catholic

Here is a general observation from a Roman Catholic, on what it means to "accept" Jesus Christ, or to “believe in Jesus Christ”. I love the structure, the fullness and the richness of faith, found in the Roman Catholic Church. To “believe” means to “believe” in all of it. Christianity cannot and should not be minimized or summed-up by using a “handful of bible verses”, a few quotes or “handful of words”. Among many other things, this means to accept, believe and obey the following (Additionally, I have provided some helpful links):

· Accept and be Baptized, and enter the fullness of Christ’s Church the Sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church

· Accept Justification through Jesus Christ

· Accept God’s Sanctifying Grace

· Accept the “hope” in your knowledge of Salvation

· Accept and ask for and have trust in God’s Divine Mercy, cause your let heart to be “attuned” to God's mercy and show mercy to others

· Accept and ask for God’s forgiveness, directly to God and in Confession (CCC 1440-1446 and CCC 2838-2845) also (1John 1:9). Ask God to, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Mathew 5:43-44 and )

· Accept and obey God, in not judging others (Matthew 7:1-21)

· Accept Humility and approach your faith and God with humility “be childlike” (Matthew 18:4)

· Accept and obey what Jesus said in His sermon in Mathew 5:1-48 and in the Eight Beatitudes themselves

· Accept and obey God’s will

· Accept and obey God’s Ten Commandments and teach others to do so.

· Accept and obey Christ’s Two Commandments and teach others to do so (Matthew 22: 36-39 and Matthew 5:19)

· Accept and obey God’s instruction to us, to “pray always” (1Kings 8:22, 3:;5-14, Psalms 5:8, , 86:3, Mathew 6:5-15, 9-13, 5:44 Luke 18:1, 1Timothy 2:2, 2:8) / (Catholic Prayers)

· Accept the understanding of, and avoid the Occasions of Sins

· Accept the understanding and act out the Seven Heavenly or Cardinal Virtues (the Seven Virtues - art)

· Accept understand and try to perform the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy

· Accept, understand and try to perform the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy

· Accept, understand and avoid the Four Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance

· Accept, understand and avoid the Six Sins Against the Holy Spirit

· Accept and understand the Nine Ways of being and Accessory to Another’s Sin
· Accept Salvation through Grace, by Faith and by our Good Works

· Accept and participate in the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church (those which apply to your formation in life)

· Accept believe in and recite the Creed

· Accept and defend Christ and the Catholic faith (CCC 1285,1303) And do not deny Christ

· Accept, recite and follow the words contained within the Lord’s Prayer (Mathew 6:5-15)

· Accept and assist in order of the Catholic Mass on Sundays and Holy Days

· Accept fasting and fasting on Fridays during Lent

· Accept and participate in Almsgiving

· Accept the entire Bible as interpreted by the Roman Catholic Church , in context

· Accept Catholic Traditions and Holy Scripture, oral or otherwise (not Sola Scriptura).

· Accept the teaching found in the Magisterium and the Catechism the Catholic Church,
· Including the Magisterium of Vatican II

· Accept Papal Infallible (explained here)

· Accept the Pope as Successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ here on earth and of the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church, (explained here)

· Accept the many Works of the Fathers of the Church , the Doctors of the Church and of the Christian/Catholic Saints (a limited Catholic Library here for some written works) - (a non-Catholic source for Early Christian works here)

And so on…A Catholic is not required to know all this. A Catholic will be gently guide by Christ and His Church, within these guidelines, based on solid Christian and Biblical principles.

“I love the structure, the fullness and the richness of faith, found in the Roman Catholic Church.”
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Catholic Biblical Apologetics

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

The on-line Bible (NAB)

The Catholic Encyclopedia - on-line

The Imitation of Christ

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Yours in Christ,

Jimmy Brousseau