Catholicism Explained: The Sacrament Of Baptism

Hello! Sorry I've been gone so long, on my unannounced hiatus. A close relative died recently, and that combined with plain lack of ideas, I just haven't wanted to do much. Today I am going to talk about a very important Sacrament of the Catholic Church. Why is it so important? Because not only is it the very first Sacrament one receives, but because it is the door to receiving other Sacraments validly. One cannot receive any other Sacrament validly without Baptism coming first. What is Baptism? Let's dig into that! :) But first, here are the links to the previous Catholicism Explained posts, and Lucy Agnes' - the founder of CE - blog, where all the ones before my charge can be found.
Catholicism Explained: The Sacraments
Catholicism Explained: Devotions And Sacramentals (Part II, The Origins Of)
Catholicism Explained: Devotions And Sacramentals (Part I, What Are They?)
Catholicism Explained: The Three Sacred Authorities
Catholicism Explained: Purgatory
TangleWebs And Fairy Rings
Alrighty, now let's dig into it! ;)

Basic Theology

Baptism is a sealed Sacrament (see the previous post for more details), meaning it can only be received once, and it leaves an inerasable mark upon your soul when you do receive it. To separate it into the most basic of basics, physically it consists of being cleansed in water, and spiritually, it consists of being cleansed in grace. The water removes dirt, perhaps, but it represents what is really going on in the Sacrament - the grace removing sin. So, like I explained in the last post, it really is accomplishing what it represents - it's not just symbolic alone. It is also the rite of initiation that makes you a part of Christ's Mystical Body - the Church. Once baptized, you are an inseparable part of the Church, though you may stray from your baptismal vows later in life. Depending on the age of the person, sometimes the baptismal vows are made for them, by their parents and godparents, or - if they are an adult - they say their baptismal vows for themselves.

Baptism is only valid when administered by a bishop, priest or deacon to someone for the first time. Often, among Catholic families, we are often baptized as infants, rather than when older. My siblings and I were all baptized within two months of birth, if that gives you a rough idea of average age for infant baptism. As I mentioned, only a bishop, priest or deacon may administer the Sacrament, except in cases of extreme necessity, in which a laity, or correctly intentioned non-baptized (see Catechism of The Catholic Church, 1256) may also do so, using the Trinitarian formula ("...In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..."). Here is the definition of Baptism from the good old CCC:

"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: 'Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.'"
(Catechism Of The Catholic Church, 1213)
The Celebration Of Baptism
I'd bet there's at least one person here wondering 'Who are the godparents?', 'Why water?', 'What are baptismal vows?', etc. These are the aspects of Baptism that I shall now explain. First of all, the godparents are - to put it simply - the spiritual parents of the person (usually child) being baptized. While the person may have practicing, religious, living biological parents, they will still be given a second set of 'parents', whose job is specifically to nurture the individual spiritually (unlike the true parents, which are to nurture every necessary aspect of the child). Usually the godparents are hand-picked by the true parents, unless the person being baptized is an adult. The godparents, along with the parents (and sometimes the grandparents), take the baptismal vows for the child being baptized, so that the child may confirm and renew them himself/herself in Confirmation later in life. Godparents may only consist of one Catholically-baptized, practicing woman, and one Catholically-baptized, practicing man. They do not have to be a married couple (or a couple at all), and many times aren't, but they do have to work together for the child's spiritual wellbeing (most of my siblings, and myself also, have married couples as our godparents, mainly because my mother has a preference for such). As for why we use water, well, it's biblical! (See quotes below.)

And besides, what better physically represents the cleansing of the soul than something that cleanses the body? As for the baptismal vows, they are vows taken in baptism for the purpose of promising God one's soul. In our baptismal vows, we vow to follow the Lord to the best of our ability, and to renounce Satan, who is all that is against Our Lord. Often these vows are taken for us when we are children, by our godparents (and sometimes parents or grandparents), but an adult convert takes them himself/herself. They also represent another thing - wedding vows. In wedding vows, we vow to love someone forever and to cherish and aid them. In baptismal vows, we do the same thing, but for Christ rather than an earthly spouse. Because Baptism makes one a part of Christ's Church, and Christ's Church is His Holy Bride, it only makes sense that becoming a part of Christ's Bride involves something rather like marriage vows. There are other aspects of Baptism which have to do with the way we celebrate it, but they are not quite as relevant, though still important enough. For instance, the candle one often receives at baptism. It's usually given to the parents or godparents to keep for the child, but if it is an adult being baptized, then they take it for themselves. It represents the light now inside of the person - a flame for Christ - to burn brightly forever. And then there is the method of Baptism. I named the three methods in my previous CE post, but I'll list them again here:
1. Being anointed with holy water.
2. Being immersed in holy water.
3. Being sprinkled with holy water.
All of the methods have been used, and they have a beautiful symbolism to them*. Firstly, the anointing is after a custom in the Old Testament, where priests, kings, and victims would be anointed before their ordination/coronation/sacrifice. Since we Catholics go out into the world as priests, kings, and victims for Christ, this method's symbolism is only appropriate. Secondly, immersion also symbolizes something. It represents being completely buried in Christ's cleansing grace, and very visibly so.

*Well, according to my research, Catholics do not now use sprinkling, but it has been used by Christian peoples in the past.

Awwwwwwwwww! This picture is soooooo cute!

Some Objections
Why would you baptize infants? They can't make their baptismal vows for themselves, so why should they be baptized?
Good question. You see, whether or not we may speak for ourselves at the time of baptism, we all should be able to be received into the Church, and be able to gain the graces of baptism, which enable us to merit salvation. So, unless we would prevent non-adults from being in the Church at all, the only logical decision is infant baptism. And often in early Church history it occurred that the whole households were baptized, not just the adults or the family members, but also servants and children. The same vows made at baptism for the child will be confirmed to be true by him/her at his/her Confirmation. Not to mention something Jesus Himself said - you know, about letting the little children come to Him? ;)
But surely it isn't necessary for Salvation?
Actually, yes it is. Very much so! Take a look at these verses, and then try and draw your answer.


"Jesus answered, and said to him: 'Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
(John 3:3,5)


So what do you think? ;) However, this - despite what some may think - does not exclude all who are not validly baptized or not baptized at all from Heaven. You see, there are three forms of baptism that may enter one into God's kingdom:
1. Sacramental Baptism (in other words, the actual receiving of a visible water Baptism).
2. Baptism of desire (dying with the strong intent of being Sacramentally baptized, but before one actually can).
3. Baptism of blood (Unbaptized Martyrdom - dying for the faith before being Sacramentally baptized).

All of these count as Baptism that may enter one into Heaven. And even if Baptism were not necessary to be saved, we should still do it. Why? Jesus did it Himself, which means it must be a good thing, and if it is a good thing, then why should we not do it after His example?
Some Quotes...
Seriously, this part is my favorite part of Catholicism Explained. ;)


"I knew him not, but he who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost."
(John 1:33)


"Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened; And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: 'Thou are my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.'"
(Luke 3: 21-22)


"For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life."
(Romans 6:4)

"Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him"
(St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 40)


"Let none of you turn deserter. Let your baptism be your armor; your faith, your helmet; your love, your spear; your patient endurance, your panoply"
(St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to Polycarp 6)


"When we are baptized, we are enlightened. Being enlightened, we are adopted as sons. Adopted as sons, we are made perfect. Made perfect, we become immortal... 'and sons of the Most High; [Psalm 82:6]. This work is variously called grace, illumination, perfection, and washing. It is a washing by which we are cleansed of sins, a gift of grace by which the punishments due our sins are remitted, an illumination by which we behold the holy light of salvation"
(St. Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor of Children 1:6:26:1)


"This sacrament...  signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one 'can enter the kingdom of God.'"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1215)

Significance
I think - and I am somewhat ashamed, because I feel like I say this every time - that the significance is fairly apparent. Baptism is significant in its aid for getting us to Heaven. If we can't go to Heaven without it, then it is truly very significant indeed. And I think that - while this post isn't terribly long - I have perhaps covered enough. But I would love to answer any questions or concerns in the comments if you have any. :)
My Sources
Douay-Rheims Translation Bible.
Catholicism of the Catholic Church.
Why Is That In Tradition?, by Patrick Madrid.
Daily Defense, by Jimmy Akin.
A Catholic Dictionary, by Donald Attwalter.
So what did you think? Did I cover it well enough? I am merely being vain in thinking that this is perhaps one of my better put-together CE posts? :P Have anything to add? Anything to ask? Any concerns or comments on the subject? Any suggestions for the bettering of Catholicism Explained? Anything to note that I did in this post that you would like to see in future CEs?




Catholicism Explained: The Sacraments

So, I said I would try, didn't I? Well, this is me trying. I can only hope that these posts don't go completely wrong because of their frequent appearance. :) Today, I am discussing the Sacraments, a few of which have already been individually discussed. However, before I ship off the discussion, here are links to the previous CE posts, and to Miss Lucy Agnes' - the founder of this feature - blog, where the original Catholicism Explained posts can be found.
Catholicism Explained: Purgatory
Catholicism Explained: The Three Sacred Authorities
Catholicism Explained: Devotions and Sacramentals (Part I, What Are They?)
Catholicism Explained: Devotions and Sacramentals (Part II, The Origins Of)
Tanglewebs And Fairy Rings
Alright, now let's get to it! :D

Definition

A Sacrament, as defined by the Catholic Church, is an instituted sign of certain divine graces being bestowed. Here's a quote from the Catechism Of The Catholic Church on the matter:

"Sacraments are 'powers that come forth' from the Body of Christ [a.k.a., the Church], which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the holy spirit at work in his body, the Church. They are 'the masterworks of God' in the new and everlasting covenant."

- CCC, 1116 -

Basic Theology

So, in short, it's something that not only gives us grace from God, but is visible, so that we can know of those graces being given. These are very special things, Sacraments. They not only signify graces, but also carry out the graces that they represent. There are seven Sacraments, each with a special purpose. I'll go through them briefly today, and then do follow-up posts on each one separately (except in the case of it already having been covered by Miss Lucy).

Baptism

Baptism is the very first Sacrament a Christian receives, and is the 'key', so to speak, that unlocks your ability to participate in the other Sacraments. It's like the door that you open to get into the Church. :)  It gives you the graces of a member of the Body of Christ, and also absolves any sins upon your soul at the time you are baptized. There are different ways of participating in the visible sign, though, while the actual spiritual goings-on always remains the same in the valid Sacrament. For instance, the three ways I have heard of for being baptized are these:

1. The anointing of the individual's head with Holy Water (generally most Baptisms are done by a priest, but a deacon is also permitted to do so).

2. The sprinkling of the individual with Holy Water.

3. The immersing of the individual in Holy Water.

All three of these are valid, assuming that the proper rites are observed. None is greater or more grace-giving than another, and all are true Baptism. Usually, in a Catholic parish we tend to use the first method, but the others can be used (and are from time to time). For instance, all of my seven siblings were baptized this way, and as was I. There are several 'little t' traditions and 'big T' Traditions surrounding Baptism, but as I said, I will speak on more on the Sacraments separately at a later date.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation, also called the Sacrament of Penance, or Confession, is a Sacrament of immeasurable value. The graces it gives are those of absolution, or cleansing, which removes all trace of sin from the soul (like Baptism does, except you can receive this Sacrament as often as you need, whereas it is absolutely unallowed to receive Baptism more than once). The Sacrament of Reconciliation consists of a Christian confessing the sins that are upon his soul to a priest. The priest hears them, and, in God's name, absolves the person of those sins. The priest is only a mediator in the Sacrament, and is only there to be the forgiving mouth of Christ, and not as himself. Because it is a priest's job to bridge the distance between Christ and the faithful, it is only proper that this role in Reconciliation be fulfilled by a priest. This Sacrament will not receive a separate post, because Miss Lucy has already covered it most thoroughly here and here.

Holy Communion

Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, is the most important Sacrament of all. It is the transubstantiation of bread and wine into Christ's true Body and Blood. The faithful then receive His Body and Blood, under the guise of bread and wine. This Sacrament is what the Mass revolves around, and its Consecration is one of the great privileges of a priest. This, like Reconciliation, will not have its own separate post, because Miss Lucy has already done an incredibly job explaining it here and here.

Confirmation

This is the Sacrament that I have most recently received - the Sacrament of full initiation into the Catholic Church. You are a member when you are baptized, but when you are confirmed, you 'confirm' that you wish to be a part of the Church, you wish to serve it, and you wish to do as God commands. With this promise, you are initiated fully - as an adult in Christ, now responsible for your own soul and your own spiritual life in the Faith. This Sacrament bestows the graces of the Holy Spirit, called the fruits, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation, like Baptism, can only be received once in your life.

Matrimony

Matrimony, commonly called marriage, is one of the most beautiful Sacraments in my opinion. It bestows the grace of an unbreakable union between one man and one woman in God' sight, with His people as witnesses. It is for three purposes:

1. Procreation, to share in God's creative nature.

2. To share the most intimate, deep love that can be found within two human beings, enhanced in God's grace.

3. To aid both people in getting to Heaven, by each other's loving and spiritual help.

It is NOT for purpose of pleasure, lust, experiment, mere loneliness, or joke. Getting married for any of these reasons would be a horrendous crime against the Sacrament.

Holy Orders

This is the Sacrament that serves a similar purpose as marriage. However, instead of physical life-giving, the individual receiving the priesthood - or Holy Orders - has a duty of spiritual life-giving. In other words, he is to bring Christ's message to the world - to convert and save the life of all souls. The priesthood is a very hard vocation, and you can only receive it once in your life. The reason for this is that once you receive it, it cannot be undone. Once you are validly made a priest, you are a priest forever. However, there are cases where the priesthood is not valid, as in the case of female priests or unbaptized priests. Only baptized, fully in Communion, Catholic men can be priests in the Catholic Church.

Last Rites
Last Rites is a Sacrament only given to sick or dying faithful. It is only administered in the case where there is a possibility of death for the individual. It is a last Sacrament, meant to prepare one's soul for Heaven. It is only administered by a priest, and only to those who are sick or injured to the possibility of death.
Sealed... or Non-Sealed?
There are two types of Sacraments - those that have a spiritual seal, and those that don't. The ones that are sealed can only be received once, because to do otherwise would be against their nature (and Sacraments cannot be undone!). One that are not sealed can be received more than once, and some of them even are meant to be received often. These are the Sacraments that have a seal:
Baptism
Confirmation
Holy Orders
And these are the Sacraments that can be received more than once (though they also are inerasable):
Reconciliation
Holy Communion
Matrimony
Last Rites
Matrimony and Last Rites, though, can only be received a second time in special circumstances. For instance, Matrimony can only be received a second time if the first spouse is dead, and  Last Rites is received again on the occasion that you lived through your first possibly fatal injury/sickness (where you would have received Last Rites the first time), and then got another one (whereupon you would receive it again, see?).

Some Common Objections
Are you sure that they're even supposed to be taken as literal grace-giving things? What if they are just the sign, and not the fulfillment?
Sacraments are both sign and fulfillment. For instance, what would be the point of making a show of forgiving sin if they could not actually be forgiven? And would that seem rather unkind if sins couldn't be forgiven? And what would be the point of the Eucharist if all we were doing was pretending to receive Christ, while we were really just eating bread and drinking wine? Christ instituted the Eucharist so that we could still have Him even after he had gone up to Heaven. He would not leave us only play-acting, rather than truly Him. Don't you remember what he said at the Last Supper? This is my body, which is given for you. (Luke 22:19)
Why are the Sacraments so exclusive? Surely a person who lives like a Christian, but is not baptized, can receive the Eucharist? Or a woman receive the priesthood? Or an already-married person receive the Sacrament of Matrimony?
The Sacraments aren't exclusive! In fact, they are very inclusive. Any faithful Christian, living like a Christian, receives Baptism. And if it is not possible for them to receive Baptism, how is it possible for them to receive any other Sacrament? As for women becoming priests, we Christian women were perfectly happy not being priests  for long ages. Only with the feminist movement has any Christian woman started to consider the priesthood her 'right'. And feminism's core, to serve women and self, is exactly against the priesthood, which is to serve God. The priesthood is not a right. It is a gift from God, not a granted permit from men. Only men are gifted with the vocation to priesthood, because they are fulfilling the role of Christ - a man. However, women may be gifted with the vocation to religious life, which - excepting the role of Christ, which is the reason for only men priests anyways - has the same objective as the priesthood. And an already-married person cannot receive Matrimony. Matrimony involves making a vow to someone to stay with them as long as life will last. If they have already made this vow to a person, then it would be breaking a promise to them to remarry, and it would be lying to whom they wish to marry.

Summary
A Sacrament is an inerasable, both visible and fulfilling sign of God's grace given to His faithful. There are some which can only be received once, and there are some we may receive as often as every day. Some are for those just entered in the Church, and some are for those just about to enter Heaven. But all of them are important. They give us the grace to do what God wishes, and to avoid what He despises. They also can help us grow closer to Him, for they appeal to us in their visibility. I have received four. Others have received more. All I can say is that, in these troubling times, their value is immense to us, and they should never be abandoned. My only hope is that al the faithful can realize that.



What do you think? Are you perhaps also intrigued by the Sacraments? Or are you trying to learn about them? Was my post helpful? Any concerns? Debates? Additions? Comments? Anything at all is welcome, just so long as it is undemeaning, kind and well-meant. (P.S. Happy Mother's Day to everyone! And if any mothers are reading this, go listen to Il Divo's Mama today. It's a Mother's Day song if ever I've heard one, and so beautiful for all you lovely mamas.)

Catholicism Explained: Devotions and Sacramentals (Part II, The Origins Of)

So, I said I was going to do a follow-up post on my last CE, so here I am to do just that. However, today will be a bit of a different Catholicism Explained. For this post, I am going to go through stories of the devotions and sacramentals I mentioned in that last CE post. Mainly, I'm going to talk about where they came from, but I'm also going to have a few random stories of particular instances where a particular devotion/sacramental aided someone. Here are links to previous Catholicism Explained articles, and Lucy's blog, where the ones before these were posted and can still be found:
Catholicism Explained: Purgatory
Catholicism Explained: The Three Sacred Authorities
Catholicism Explained: Devotions and Sacramentals (Part I, What Are They?)
Tanglewebs and Fairy Rings
So I'll get right on to it! :)

The Chaplet Of Divine Mercy

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was given to us in an apparition in the early 20th century. An vision of Christ appeared to a Polish nun named Faustina (who is now a saint), telling her about His mercy. He informed her of how little people knew of it, and how He wished to remedy that. So he gave to her a prayer. A very simple, very short prayer - to be prayed on the beads of a rosary - that begged forgiveness from Christ through his Divine Mercy (hence the name of the prayer). It consists of these words (beginning with three prayers of the Rosary):

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

I believe in God, the Father Almighty...

And then the prayers that are native to the Chaplet:

O God, we offer you the body, blood, soul, and divinity of your son, our Lord, Jesus Christ - in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion - have mercy on us!

With these words, the Chaplet was instituted. St. Faustina introduced it to the world, and the devotion to it slowly grew around her. Now, thousands of faithful Catholics (and even some non-Catholics) recite this beautiful devotion.
The Scapular
The Scapular, like many devotions (including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy), was instituted through a divine apparition. It was given us by Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as a devotion of a sort. It does have a prayer that goes with it (called the Office), but it also has a special connection with the Rosary (in fact, daily Rosary may be substituted for this Office prayer with permission). In fact, so powerful a connection that Our Lady even said to St. Dominic:
"Someday, through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the world."
And if that doesn't make one want to wear the Scapular, I don't know what will. ;) The scapular is a small, brown square of cloth that is worn around the neck, as in this picture.

 It has the impressive inscription on it:
"Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire"
which is Our Lady's promise concerning the Scapular. There are three conditions for the worthy wearing of the Scapular:
1. That you recite the Office (or, with permission from a priest, the Rosary) daily.
2. That you wear the Scapular, of course.
3. That you remain chaste in your station in life (whether it be a spouse, a single, or a religious).
There are many miracles associated with the Scapular, but here I'll only list a few.
***
Once, there was a ship, sailing on the ocean. It was caught in a storm, and seemed as though it were going to sink. A Catholic boy who was wearing his Scapular ran out onto the deck, and looked over the side of the quaking ship. Then he took off his Scapular, prayed for Our Lady to save them, and threw his Scapular into the stormy waters. Then, suddenly, the storm began to cease. And, just before it had stopped completely, one final wave leapt aboard the deck of the ship and carried the Scapular right to the young man's feet. A Protestant couple who were on deck watching the proceedings later converted to Catholicism due to their awe with the Scapular's miracle.
 ***
A young Catholic family was at home once, praying the Rosary. There came news that the neighborhood was burning. Soon enough, many houses nearby had caught on fire. There seemed to be no way for the family to escape safely, though. So they hanged a Scapular on their door, and then continued praying the Rosary. And the fire blazed on. It consumed the whole neighborhood. The whole neighborhood, that is, except their house. The fire reached every house around it, but their house alone remained untouched, though the fire had burned everything surrounding it.

The Rosary
The Rosary is one of the oldest devotions that there is, not to mention one of the most well-known. It is possibly the first full devotion to Our Lady (at least, that is still known today, I think). It was gifted to St. Dominic from Our Lady in a vision, to increase love in the hearts of the faithful for Christ's Immaculate Mother, and then was spread more by the apparition to three children at Fatima. Miss Lucy already covered the Rosary, and the Fatima apparitions extremely well, so instead of dwelling on the subject more, I shall merely link again to her post on the Rosary (the link to her blog at the top of this post will lead you to her Fatima posts).
 The Miraculous Medal
This is one devotion I didn't talk about last CE post, but an extremely influential and widespread one. The Miraculous Medal was also given us in an apparition of Our Lady. She appeared to a young nun, St. Catherine Laboure, instructing Catherine to make such a medal as Our Lady described. St. Catherine obeyed the instructions, and spread the medal anonymously for a long time, letting another person take the credit for discovering it. Eventually, though, it was revealed that Catherine was truly the one who received the instructions first. The Medal is devoted to The Immaculate Conception of Mary, and the many miracles Our Lady has caused through it (hence it's called the Miraculous Medal). It's a small silver circle inscribed with Our Lady's picture and a small prayer, hanging on a chain, to be worn around the neck.
***
One of the most Miraculous things about the Miraculous Medal is that it's proof of an age-old doctrine - that of Mary's Immaculate Conception. The words it bears are these:
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
And the amazing part of it is the phrase 'conceived without sin', a.k.a., Immaculate. It's especially amazing, seeing as this Medal was instituted a good deal of time before the Pope proclaimed the Immaculate Conception as an official doctrine.

Summary
I suppose my point in this post was to elaborate on the origins and Miraculous abilities of sacramental and devotions (though I'm afraid I had limited time, and still didn't cover all I had wished to concerning them). I am incredibly sorry to have to cut the post off now, but I unfortunately must due to time problems (you see, I am already posting this a day late, so...). :P
What did you think? Is anybody else noticing how haphazard and rag-tag the post is? Please do pardon it. In apology, I am going to try from now on to do Catholicism Explained posts every Sunday, rather than just every other. Any suggestions to better it? Any questions, concerns, additions? I love seeing comments of any kind for these posts, just so long as they are civil and well-meant.


Catholicism Explained - Devotions And Sacramentals

Hey, everybody! Yeah, I know it's been a while since the last CE, and I apologize for it. Due to being gone longer than I expected, and then getting sick once I got back home, I wasn't posting for a while. But I'm back now, so I can proceed with one of my favorite subjects to talk about in Catholicism: devotions and sacramentals (while there is a difference between them, it is very slight. Sacramentals are technically devotions, but not all devotions are sacramentals if that makes sense).

Basic Theology

So, we pray and receive the sacraments, yes? But we're not always doing them of course. Often, very often, yes, I hope, but not always. So sacramentals are little things reminding us of the sacraments. For instance, wearing a wedding ring may remind us of the sacrament of marriage, and our vows to it. (Yes! Even a wedding ring can be a sacramental! :) Or carrying holy water vials can remind us of our baptism. Or having a cassock (if you're a priest) can remind you of your ordination in Holy Orders. So basically they're little symbols to remind us of the sacraments. In and of themselves, they have no power or grace. Their only graces are an extension of the sacrament itself, from representing it. If they are used in a manner that is contrary to the sacrament they represent, then they have absolutely no value except as an ordinary, material item. Devotions are little things meant to further our devotion to God (hence the name 'devotions'). Like the Rosary. Or the Scapular. Or the veil. Or so many others (I will have an explained list of examples later in this post).

Some Common Objections
But why should we put any trust in mere material items? It's ridiculous to put hope in things.
Well, we're not putting our trust or hope or anything in the items themselves. Like I said, in and of themselves, they have no power or grace. But neither do the sacraments. God gives the sacraments power, the sacraments give sacramental power. Thus, we are putting our trust in God's grace, not the nonexistent grace of a mere material item.
Isn't it idolatry? Even if we're not putting our trust in the items themselves, we're still using them as though they were powerful, aren't we?
The thing is, they are powerful. But again, not on their own. Idolatry isn't necessarily of items: it can also be of people who are not God. And yet, when we have help from powerfully holy people in our struggles, it isn't idolatry, is it? No! Because we don't follow them because of their own examples. Alone, they would be without a single grace, without a single virtue. But in God, they have grace, and power, and holiness, so we flock to them. It is the same with items. Being from God, they have their power and grace likewise from Him. So, when we use them, it's not as though we were using magic or idols or anything, we're only being reminded of and led to God through the items (or people).
It's scientifically ridiculous that a little bit of blessed water, or a piece of leather strung around your neck can help you out. How could something like that be?
Well, again, it's God that helps us, not the items themselves. Miracles usually involve some material and scientific fantasy that actually comes to pass. There have been plenty of miracles in the past involving sacramentals or devotions (stories of which I will provide in the next CE post), both spiritual and material miracles.

Why Do We Believe In Them?
We believe in them for many reasons. A great many saints have gone to sainthood through endearing these devotions to themselves. A great many people have turned away from the ugliness of sin only because they saw the beauty of practicing for God (in other words, showing devotion). So we have much history to show that they can only do good. Besides that, even in the Bible we find many instances that are almost coincidentally similar to sacramentals. Like oil, or chrism, for instance. It's all over the Old Testament especially, whether being used to anoint kings or merely to dedicate sacrifices. And chrism is a sacramental that we still use in the Church today. Here are a few Church father quotes on the matter:


"Moreover, we bless the water of baptism and the oil of the chrism, and besides this the catechumen who is being baptized."
- St. Basil The Great, On The Holy Spirit, A.D. 375 -






"Thus, too, in our case, the unction runs carnally [on the body], but profits spiritually; in the same way as the act of baptism itself too is carnal, in that we are plunged in water, but the effect spiritual" - Tertullian, On Baptism 7, A.D. 200 (emphasis mine) -






And the good old Catechism Of The Catholic Church:




"Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops' pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of a Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of Holy Water (which recalls Baptism)"
- CCC 1668 -


Significance
Their significance is simple enough, I suppose. It is to draw us closer in devotion, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual devotion to God and Our Lady. They remind us of things we promised (like baptismal or marriage vows), of things we are promised (like the Rosary reminding us of Mary's Fatima promise), and they remind us most importantly of that Person Whom we are always striving to grow closer in devotion to.
Some Examples
There are plenty of brilliant examples, the most well-known of which is the Rosary. But Miss Lucy has already covered the Rosary (see link above), so I'll list some other ones.

The Scapular
The Scapular is a blessed small, brown square of cloth strung around the lay* person's neck, to explain it very technically. (*there are other forms of the Scapular, but the most common one, the one that lay - not religiously avowed - people wear, is the one I'm talking about here.) It was given to a saint by Our Lady in an apparition, and there is a beautiful promise that goes with it. The exact words (and these words are found inscribed on most Scapulars) are "Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire". There is a promise from Mary that, fulfilling these three conditions, the wearer of the Scapular will be given the graces necessary to reach Heaven and avoid Hell. The three conditions are
1. that the Christian actually wears the Scapular (you can't just own a Scapular and expect the promise to be fulfilled - you have to wear it)
2. that the Christian is chaste according to their station in life (spouse, single, religious, etc.)
3. that the Christian recites the Scapular's office (prayer) daily, or (only with special permission from a priest!) say the Rosary daily in place of it.
The first Scapular you own (you are permitted to own a Scapular once you receive your first Holy Communion) must be blessed by a priest, though. Not every Scapular you own after this has to be blessed in this way, but I think it's a lovely rite, and should be used. I was just invested with my first Scapular last month by my parish priest, and I thought the Scapular blessing was one of the most beautiful things I had ever heard. And I got the really cool privilege of getting invested in Latin. Usually the rite is performed in English, but we brought a version of it in Latin, and the priest was very willing to use Latin, so my siblings and I got invested in a very unusual (but super awesome!) way. The Scapular is to remind us of the mutual promise between us and Our Lady when we have it.

The Chaplet Of Divine Mercy
This beautiful prayer devotion was also instituted in an apparition. This particular apparition was to St. Faustina, a nun. The prayer is said on a rosary, just as the Rosary prayer is, but it's slightly different, and a lot shorter. It's a prayer for Christ's mercy to cover the earth, and for all of us to be forgiven in that mercy. Instead of 'Hail Mary's on the beads, as in the Rosary, we say
"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion - Have mercy on us!",
and then on the 'Our Father' beads, we simply say
"Oh, God, we offer You the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ - In atonement for our sins and those of the whole world".
Other than that, it has minor differences from the Rosary in the prayers it ends in and the prayers it begins in.

The Veil
A whole lot of women (including many Catholics even) are getting confused when they see Catholic women veiling themselves in Mass, perhaps because almost nobody does it. The veil (or, as the European version is called, the mantilla) is a beautiful 'small t' tradition much like how men always take their hats off in church (I wear the Italian mantilla, which is very similar to the picture above). The veil is a rather unusual devotion, though, in that it was not instituted by an apparition of either Christ or Our Lady, or an apparition at all; in that it has been going on since the beginning of the Church; in that it has extremely distinct Biblical roots; and in that it is symbolic and reminding of a very many things rather than just one. The veil, first and foremost, symbolizes purity and chastity (btw, there's a fun fact concerning that symbolism that I will perhaps impart in the next CE post). It also particularly symbolizes the purity of Mary, which is very special, because her purity and her chastity is the most pure and the most chaste of any woman that ever existed. The veil also presents us to Christ humbly, covering our own mere human glory in the sight of His greatness. It also presents us to Him, Our Holy Bridegroom as brides, before Communion, which is a sacramental union of Christ and Christian just as a wedding is of a man and a woman. The veil is also incredibly practical, and I highly suggest reading a booklet called The Veil, which can be found at www.veilsandmantillas.com
I think those are all the examples I'll give for now (because this post is becoming incredibly long, and I plan to do a follow-up anyways). If I can manage to find some good links for more information on these, then I will put them in the next CE post. For this one, my other sources were


http://newadvent.org/
Why Is That In Tradition?, by Patrick Madrid.
Book VI on the Catholic faith, Catholic Apologetics, by Fr. Laux.
Daily Defense, by Jimmy Akin.
I really hope this post doesn't seem al jumbled together like most of them are... I really did try this time! But, I didn't even scratch the surface on the subject, because there's so much to cover. So, like I said before, I will be doing a follow-up post to have more thoughts and explanation on the matter.
What did you think of this Catholicism Explained? Do you agree with the points I made? Or was the post altogether too confusing? Have any notes? Additions? Questions or concerns? Perhaps suggestions for the bettering of Catholicism Explained? Talk to me! :) I love to hear any and all questions and debates for it, just so long as they remain considerate and civil. 

Catholicism Explained: The Three Sacred Authorities

So, I'm back with my next CE post. This time I will be talking about a slightly less well-known doctrine. A piece of it is known by non-Catholics, and often disputed - the part concerning Sacred Tradition - but this is only a piece of the doctrine, even if a very important piece. I am talking about the three Sacred Authorities on earth - Sacred Scripture; Sacred Tradition; and The Magisterium. I was going to talk about all three separately in turn, but Miss Lucy has already covered Sacred Tradition, and a bit about the Church's Magisterium, so I will just review the doctrine as a whole, rather than in parts.  So, let's hop to it! :)

Basic Theology

So, Christ, in the deposit of faith (the giving on his teachings to the apostles before he ascended into Heaven), gave his followers three sacred authorities that would remain on earth for them. The first of these, the only one, I believe, acknowledged as true by most Protestant and Schismatic churches, is Sacred Scripture. It is the first of two parts of Tradition - the written part - and it is also the first of the three earthly sacred authorities (which we call the 'three-legged stool'. The reason for this title I will explain later). It is the written word for us to follow. The second of these authorities is Sacred Tradition , the second part of Tradition - the unwritten part - and the second earthly sacred authority. Sacred Tradition is the 'big T' stuff passed down from the apostles that has been believe since the Church's earliest days, but not written directly into Scripture. And the last authority, the Magisterium, is the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) and his bishops united to solemnly define and teach God's Word. The Magisterium is not flawless, as some misinterpret the word 'infallible', but merely able to teach God's Word in a solemn setting with error. And they only are teaching flawlessly when speaking as the Magisterium in grave truth and morals, not just any plain time one of the bishops speaks about any old thing. So these authorities are the 'three-legged stool' of Catholicism.

Sacred Scripture

  The first authority, Sacred Scripture, must be elaborated upon too, I'm afraid, as, while widely believed as valid, is often misunderstood. Many people think that it should be taken literally or completely allegorically, but neither is true. You see, the Bible is made up of many different books, with many different authors, in many different times, so we cannot read them all the same. In fact, the root word for 'Bible' is 'biblia', meaning 'the books'. Not just 'the book', but 'the books'. The same root word is in 'library', which, as we know, of course, means a whole set of various books in one place. Now, in a library, we wouldn't read a biography, say, the same way as a novel or poem, now would we? If we did, then we'd be getting pretty confused! If we read everything in a poem as being literally meant, rather than figuratively or in metaphor, then we would come to believe some obviously ridiculous things about the poem's subject thing that weren't even meant so be understood from it. But, then, if we read the biography the same as we read poetry, we would take almost everything in it figuratively, and so gain no real beliefs or knowledge, but merely a pretty allegory. Thus, the authority of Sacred Scripture is often misused in the tense of all being read the same. Its authority must be understood to be obeyed, which is why I elaborate on this point.

Sacred Tradition

The second authority, Sacred Tradition, was beautifully illustrated by Miss Lucy, so I will try to be more brief. Sacred Tradition is not, I must clarify, mere customs, such as the veil and mantilla during Mass (which I will explain the significance of later, as it's a pet subject of mine, along with other Mass 'small t' traditions). It is not akin to the un-donning of hats for men in Church, nor to what vestments a priest wears, or what days are Holy Days of Obligation (another thing I will explain later) for what country or area. It is a specific truth, divinely handed to the apostles, taught by Christians from the earliest days, defined fully by the Magisterium (some Traditions, actually, aren't defined by the Pope or Magisterium at all, but that is a complication I will leave out of this talk). Sacred Tradition's job is to complement Sacred Scripture and its interpretation. For anyone who wishes to know more, I will list some of my sources of research at the end of the post, one of which includes extensive proofs of Traditions.
The Magisterium
Ah, here we come to the big one. Many non-Catholics have a problem with the supremacy of Peter, and sometimes even more of a problem with the Pope and bishops having authority from Peter and the apostles. So, I can quite imagine why the Magisterium is odious to many. I suppose I jumped into this one too quickly, though. Let me go back a step. So, the Magisterium is the Bishop of Rome and his bishops united to define Tradition and teach doctrine. Do not confuse this with the Pope's letters concerning doctrine and such things, because they are not the same (the Magisterium is infallible, while, unless the Pope makes a statement in it ex cathedra, the Pope's letters are not). The Magisterium's duty is not to invent teachings. Its job is to define teachings. It may clarify Traditions, and interpret Scripture, but it does not create doctrines (like I said, Tradition is something Christians have believed since the beginning, and if the Magisterium teaches something is a Tradition that  wasn't called one before, they are never inventing it. They are merely now defining it as a solemn truth, now that we have believed it for so long, and they have studied its evidence). The Magisterium's authority comes from the apostles. It's the same authority, more or less, that the bishops themselves have, except that it is for only the solemnest teaching of doctrinal truths (which, even when not speaking as the Magisterium, the bishops should strive for).

Objections
The Bible is completely separate from Sacred Tradition, isn't it? How can you call them the same material?
Because one complements the other. They both fulfill each other's teachings, and are only complete Tradition when both written and oral are believed. Besides, the Bible is not completely without Tradition of its own. If it was, how would we know what books go in it, particularly in the New Testament? There is no 'divinely inspired table of contents' to tell us what books belong in the New Testament - this is a piece of Sacred Tradition! So the Bible is not completely separate.
The Bible is divinely inspired, kept pure in writing, while Sacred Tradition is merely handed down from a divinely taught thing. How do we know that Sacred Tradition hasn't been mottled or mangled throughout the centuries? How do we know the Magisterium has not used 'defining' a belief to change or alter it?
Because we Catholics now believe the exact same things that we did hundreds of years ago. Look to any of the Church fathers and old scholars (Chrystosom particularly), and you will find almost the same beliefs taught that we are teaching now. Even non-Christian ancient scholars refer to some of our doctrine, which shows again the age of our beliefs.
How does the Magisterium have any authority? Even if it is allowed that the Pope and bishops were given authority, there is nothing anywhere saying that the Magisterium does.
The Magisterium's authority comes from the people in it, particularly the Bishop of Rome. The bishops each have authority to teach their areas, and the Bishop of Rome has authority to teach the whole Christian world, so why shouldn't the Magisterium, made up of these factors, have authority?
But do the beliefs taught in Sacred Tradition by the Magisterium necessarily have to be believed?
Yes. If they are defined by the Magisterium as Sacred Tradition, infallible and true, then, as faithful Christians, we are called to believe them. I repeat, if the Magisterium specifically states them so, then they are so. If we cannot trust our leaders of the Church, then we have come to a bad state indeed. Why should we trust anyone if we cannot trust the teachings of the Vicar of Christ on earth?
Evidence For The Three Authorities
Sacred Scripture
"Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received, and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)

Sacred Tradition
"I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you." (1 Corinthians 11:2)


"For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you..." (1 Corinthians 11:23)


"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed  good to me also, having followed all things closely for some times past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilius, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed"


"It is possible, then, for everyone in every Church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the Tradition of the Apostles which has been made known to us throughout the whole world..." (St. Irenaeus of Lyons, 189 A.D., Against Heresies 3:3:1)


"The Tradition here in question comes from the apostles and hands on what they received from Jesus' teaching and example and what they learned from the Holy Spirit. The first generation of Christians did not yet have a written New Testament, and the New Testament itself demonstrates the process of living Tradition. Tradition is to be distinguished from the various theological, liturgical, or devotional traditions, born in the local churches over time. These are the particular forms, adapted to different places and times, in which the great Tradition is expressed. In the light of Tradition, these traditions can be retained, modified, or even abandoned under the guidance of the Church's Magisterium" (CCC 83)

The Magisterium
"I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18)


"When I had come to Rome, I [visited] Anicetus, whose deacon was Eleutherus. And after Anicetus [died], Soter succeeded, and after him Eleutherus. In each succession and in each city there is a continuance of that which is proclaimed by the Law, the Prophets, and the Lord" (Hegisippus, 180 A.D, Memoirs 4:22:1)


"Far be it from me to speak adversely of any of these clergy who, in succession from the apostles, confect by their sacred word the Body of Christ and through whose efforts also it is that we are Christians" (St. Jerome, 397 A.D., Letter 14, To Heliodorus, Monk 8)

Significance

Once again, I feel that I didn't have to dig too far down to understand the significance (well, speaking for religious matters, of course. You always dig far down for them, but in comparison to other spiritual subjects, this one is simpler). The significance is that we know of three infallible authorities to turn to when we are unsure or in question of our faith and morals - Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium. My favorite way to explain it is this: we Catholics call these authorities 'the three-legged stool' of faith. Each authority is a leg of the stool. If a single one is missing, down the stool must crash, for it is crippled. A two-legged stool can't stand, and neither can a one-legged stool. All three of these authorities must be heeded for a faith to stand. To accept any of them is to accept all of them, for they not only complement each other, but they defend each other. And, since they all only bring us closer to the three things we should wish for most in our knowledge - truth, clarity, and sanity - why should we not believe in them?

[Note: My other sources for this post, not yet mentioned specifically, are these:

Why Is That In Tradition?, by Patrick Madrid,

and

Catholic Handbook Of Apologetics, by Fr. Laux.]

I'm afraid that's all for today. I am sooooooooo sorry that this is so hastily put together. I only really was seriously working on it just yesterday, so I didn't have a whole lot of time. And I didn't include as many Bible and early Church scholar quotes as I meant to. I am SO SORRY! I will try to do better next time... And try to be more on time... And maybe try to get some modern-day scholarly points of view too, rather than just referencing older books. But, moving on from there, what did you think? Do you agree with the points I've made? Do you think I explained the three Sacred Authorities well enough? Are you, like me, also absolutely loving the term 'three-legged stool' for this? Is there anything I didn't answer well enough? Please, talk to me if so. I welcome any debate, questions, suggestions for feature - anything! - so long as it is done politely, and with regard to others.



Catholicism Explained: Purgatory

Yay! My first Catholicism Explained post! :D I am quite over the moon that I was allowed to take this up at all. So, before I begin, I suppose I shall give another most heart-felt thanks to Miss Lucy Agnes, the starter of this gadget, and the person who permitted my doing it. *clasp heartily* Thanks, Luce! :)
And now, since all thanks due has been given, I shall proceed. Today, I am going to talk about the Catholic doctrine of... well, okay I forgot something first. Firstly, here is a link to a pervious CE post of Lucy's, which in turn links to all the previous ones before it, that way you don't have to miss any of the subjects talked about through these posts, whether by me or Miss Lucy. Alright, now, where was I? Yes, that's right. Anyways, today, I am going to talk about the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. I was going to do Heaven, Hell and Purgatory in succession of each other, but I figured that Heaven and Hell are not just Catholically held, and are easy enough to understand the basic concept of without a post explaining. So, I am turning to purgatory.

Basic Theology

So, a good person dies. They were also a sinner (as all human beings are), though. Obviously, with sins still on their soul before they died, they are not perfect. And Heaven is for holiness and perfection. If you still have unaccounted-for sins on your soul when you die, then how are you to remedy it? Obviously you can't just pause dying for a moment, go to confession, and then continue. So there is another way to purify yourself. Purgatory is the place for the saved that are still in need of purification. First, before I go on, I must clarify this often-confused point: If you are in purgatory, you are saved. I repeat, if you are in purgatory, you are saved, and meant for Heaven. It is not an in-between place for the kind-of decent people, as some non-Catholics think. You are not there forever. It is a place of purification and preparation, to make you ready for Heaven. It is not Hell, it is not Heaven, but it is 'on the path' to Heaven. So, having that clarified, I'll continue.

Purification?

What exactly do I mean when I say purgatory is for purification? Purgatory is envisioned as a place of some suffering - suffering to make up for sins. But it is not the same sort of suffering as Hell. The greatest torture for the souls in purgatory is merely the fact that they are not yet with God. But they also have great joy. Great joy in that they are going to God. They will be with Him someday, and someday soon hopefully. So they joyfully bear their penances.

Why Is It Necessary?

Glad you asked! You see, every human being sins. We all know this very well. And we pray, offer small sacrifices, and go to confession to remedy this fact. But all the same, the fact remains. We sin again, and again, and again, but are still forgiven. The problem is, sometimes we don't atone for our sins well enough on our own. Sometimes we go to confession only for the necessary things, like mortal (greater) sins, leaving it to our own judgment to atone for venial (lesser) ones. Sometimes we forget to say sorry for a sin altogether, even though, in our hearts, we are sorry for it. So in such cases, we still haven't quite edged that sin out yet. We haven't quite made up for it. All of us do this at some point or other; it's a human flaw. But, when we die with such a trace of sin on our souls, we are not quite perfectly fit to enter Heaven yet. A saint once explained it this way: The flames of Hell are just the light of God seen by those with hearts of sin. Purgatory is the same. The light of God is seen as flame, because the people there have sin upon their souls. But they welcome the flame, because they know that it will become light for them as they are purified, and in Heaven, it is their greatest joy. In Hell, they only do not rejoice in the flame, because they rejected it, both as light and flame, and so they can never truly know its goodness. I think the exact summing-up quote was "The flames of Hell are just the light of God as seen by sinners", or something like that.

   How Are We Released From Purgatory?

Another good question. We are released from purgatory when our sins are fully atoned for. However, the souls in purgatory can have their suffering shortened by two things - suffering of their own on earth (basically, atoning for their sins in life), and prayer or suffering from fellows. I'll go into this second one a little more now. We on earth can pray for or offer little sacrifices for the holy souls in purgatory, to help them get to Heaven faster. Even just giving up that extra helping of desert, or staying home to help a sibling do school instead of going out with friends can help. Offering up sacrifices for the holy souls in purgatory is an amazing thing to do. Or even just doing a little something extra to offer up for them, like saying another rosary, or doing an add-on prayer for them before meals. Even just little things like these can help them get to Heaven faster. And it is definitely not thankless to do this for them. When you pray for them, and get them to Heaven, once they are in Heaven, they'll pray for you, and help you get to Heaven. You can ask their intercession if they are in Heaven, and just as they once needed yours, they'll give you their prayers. It really is one of the best things we can do to help a soul get to Heaven, and in this way we do just that.

Why Do We Believe In Purgatory?

Well, as any well-versed Bible reader will know, there is no direct mention of purgatory in the Bible. There are indirect mentions, though, that support the idea:

"... the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. it will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one's work" (1 Corinthians 3:13)


"... but if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15)


And ones supporting the prayers or sacrifices of those on earth for the sake of holy souls:


"Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)


However, alongside Scripture, Sacred Tradition (which I may or may not talk a bit more about in relation to Scripture and the Magisterium later on) has always held this belief very strongly and directly. We have always believed in purification, whether on this earth or in the spiritual world. It's a necessary thing to make oneself holy, that is, if you want to get to Heaven (which, I'm sure, we all do!). If you are unclean, then how are you to get to Heaven? If you are sorry for your sins, but do nothing about or for this to make amends, then it is idle sorrow, without any reparation. I like to think of purgatory as the afterlife's confessional. You go and fully declare your sorrow for your sins, and do penance. Then, once you come out, your soul has been cleansed, and you may go on. But, the main basis, as I said, for believing in purgatory, is in Sacred Tradition. Passed down from the ages, disciple to disciple, receiving and giving an infallible truth. Thus we have this doctrine. We've always believed it, even before it was fully defined by the Magisterium (whom we may talk about in another post). Here are some Church father and scholar quotes on the matter:




"But also, when God will judge the just, it is likewise in fire that he will try them" (Lactantius, 307 A.D., Divine Institutes 7:21:6)




"Useful too is the prayer fashioned on their [the holy souls in purgatory] behalf..." (St. Epiphanius of Salamis, 375 A.D., Medicine Chest Against All Heresies 75:8)




"...In this present life he will purify himself of any evil contracted... If he have inclined to the irrational pressure of the passions, then he... finds that he is not able to partake of divinity until he has been purged of the filthy contagion in his soul by purifying fire" (St. Gregory of Nyssa, 382 A.D., Sermon On The Dead)




"Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them..." (St. John Chrystosom, 392 A.D., Homilies on 1 Corinthians 41:5)




And then, of course, a fragment of what the good old reliable Catechism Of The Catholic Church has to say:




"All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven" (CCC, 1030)

Significance

The significance of purgatory to our daily lives is fairly easy to see. It is significant as a reminder of why we must not only strive to do our best spiritually, but also to make amends thoroughly for when we slipped and fell into sin again. It is relevant, because we should offer up all the little unpleasantnesses and sacrifices we have to make for those good souls that are there. We should pray for them and think of them much in our daily lives, lest we forget them in their needy state, a state which we also may be in one day. So pray for the poor souls, the souls alive in God, and not quite the whole journey travelled yet.

Summary

So, to sum up what I've already said, purgatory is the place of cleansing. It is where we go to 'get our ticket' into Heaven, so to speak. We are made fully holy there, and, while it is a place of suffering for purification, it is also a place of joy in that it is the last step on the road to Heaven. We may pray for the souls already there, that they can go to Heaven sooner, and they can pray for us when they finally arrive at their Heavenly goal. By doing this, we are helping more souls to Heaven than we can imagine - their vast number of souls, by praying for them; our own, by doing this holy thing and meriting their prayers; and the souls of those around us, by our example which they may follow. So, really, while it is one of the most overlooked Catholic doctrines, it is really one of the most beautiful! I'm sure we all hope that one day, we can make it there, and on to the Heavenly gates beyond it.

So, there's my first Catholicism Explained post. What did you think? Did I do alright? Did I measure up to even half of Miss Agnes's skill at it? Have you any comments or questions concerning the subject matter? I welcome all debating, so long as it's civil, and well-meant. Let's talk! :)

A Few Announcements

I have a few announcements to make, mostly concerning the activities of this blog. Now, I don't have whole lot of time, unfortunately, so I'll get right to it.
First of all and foremost, I am going to be getting in on Miss Lucy Agnes' wonderful creation called Catholicism Explained. That link there will explain what exactly it is. You see, I have been rather disappointed with myself at how I have talked very little or not at all concerning faith. In the upcoming CE posts, I will explain/introduce/clarify Catholicism, the beautiful faith I am a part of. I will also welcome defense and debate in comments so long as it is civil. I will come in with a different subject on each post, on Sundays. For now, because of the short notice, this Sunday's may be absent. However, after that, I will be doing it every other Sunday for a small time (to ease into it), and then full-scale, on every Sunday. I hope it works out, because I've never done anything quite like it before, but I am hopeful that I won't get shot by Lucy if I do mess it up. :)

Secondly, the next Meet The Books post may be a bit delayed, due to backed-up blog to-do list. But I should get to it sooner or later.
Thirdly, I am going to start doing movie and book reviews on here pretty soon, for anyone who wants information on the ultra-obscure movies I watch and books I read (however, I will try to review some of the better-known ones, rather than obscurity of obscurities).
I am also going to be doing writing updates, as soon as all my current writing project are introduced via Meet The Books. And I hope to keep them nice and simple, just so my readers don't all die of boredom.

I also will be going on a hiatus soon, because - guess what? - I am going on the Pro-Life March! This will be the first time for me going on it since I was two years old, so it's very exciting. I will finally be able to join in on this amazing project for life to be permitted! And if there is anything more important than making sure of such a thing, I cannot think of it.

I will also be going onto new writing projects! I am going to try and put in a few poems from my poetry volume which is newly completed (or, at least, almost completed). I am, coincidentally, as Miss Lucy Agnes happens to be doing the same thing this year, coauthoring a story with a friend and fellow writer. I hope (with her allowance) to be able to introduce it, but I am not yet positive that I will. 

I think, that, for the most part, takes care of the announcements. I hope that the plans are not disagreeable, and hopefully are to my audience's liking. 

That's all! What do you think of the plans? Have you anything to add? Any ideas for this blog? Looking forward to Catholicism Explained? (Please wish me luck - I'm off to a piano lesson, and I haven't practiced for at least a week!)