The Catholic Studies Collection

THE CATHOLIC STUDIES COLLECTION

Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest” (PDF)
Down To Earth Answers To Virtually All Your Heavenly Questions.
English – On the Web
Spanish – On the Web

Overcoming the World, the Flesh and the Devil,
In and Through Our Lord Jesus Christ (PDF)
A beautifully illustrated “basic primer” on Christianity
that explains what Christians believe, how they practice, and why.

Living the Catholic Life (PDF)
The Keys To Personal Holiness and Peace. Fully Illustrated.

The “Peculiar” Theology of Our Redemption in Jesus Christ (PDF)
How the death of Christ at the hands of man
served to reconcile sinful man with God. Fully illustrated.

A Basic Course In Catholic Apologetics (PDF)
The theological art and science of presenting, explaining and justifying
the Catholic faith to atheists, agnostics, deists, skeptics, critics, pagans,
believers, unbelievers, politicians, judges, the ignorant,
the arrogant, and the confused.

The Supernatural Relationship
Between Christ’s Passion, the Mass and Holy Communion (PDF)
A Profound Study of the Source and Summit of Our Catholic Faith.
Fully illustrated.

All About Sin, Death, Purgatory and Indulgences (PDF)

To Tell You the Whole Truth (PDF)
A Complete, Concise and Understandable
Basic and Advanced Course In Catholicism.

Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma (PDF)
The Scholarly Collection and Explanation
of Virtually All Authentic Catholic Truths.

e-Sword Electronic Bible Study Software
Download powerful Bible study software,
along with your choice of a number of different Bibles,
commentaries, dictionaries and other helpful resources.
All at no charge.

The “Classic” Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible(PDF)
The Traditional, Original, English Language Catholic Bible .

The Venerable Haydock Bible Commentary (PDF)
Because the Plain Text of the Bible Does Not Always Mean
What People Might Think it Means.

The Ignatius Study Bible and Commentary (PDF)
A More Modern “Take” On the Holy Spirit Inspired,
Written Word of God.

The Catholic Bible Dictionary (PDF)
A Comprehensive Guide To All Those Strange,
Biblical Places, Names and Terms.

The CIS Faith Formation Course (Interactive)
by The Knights of Columbus – On the Web
A comprehensive, interactive, free of charge, Catholic course
utilizing condensed study lessons and test-taking, resulting in
an overall achievement score and printed, course completion certificate.

*** All the resources shown are available without cost ***

The CIS Course and e-Sword are Web based.
The Catholic Treasure Chest is available
in both PDF and Web formats.
All the others utilize the industry standard PDF file format.

If you need a PDF file reader:
Download the Adobe PDF File Reader Software here, for free

Today’s “Gem” from Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”: T R U T H

He who has refused to acknowledge the truth in life
will be forced to confront it in death.

Holy Scripture is very clear that each one of us is obligated to search for the truth and to abide by it. I am appalled at the number of people who completely ignore these dire warnings from the Bible, or are ignorant of the fact that they are there.

Many non-Catholics repeat outright lies about the Catholic Church and take what they have heard or have been taught as truth, without bothering to find out if these things are true or not. When they do this, not only are they calumnizing the Catholic Church, but they are calumnizing its founder, Jesus Christ, Himself.

After reading this article, not one person can ever again
plead innocence (or ignorance)
of what Scripture has to say about spreading the truth,
and about not spreading malicious lies.

Anyone who professes to follow Holy Scripture to the letter, must follow ALL of what it says. They cannot keep the parts they like and reject what they do not like.

Here are some verses which obligate
each and every one of us to search for the truth:

“This is good and agreeable in the sight of GOD our Savior, who wishes ALL MEN TO BE SAVED AND TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.” 1Tim 2:4

“Sanctify them in the truth. Thy Word is truth.” John 17:17

“FOR THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS AND WICKEDNESS OF THOSE MEN WHO IN WICKEDNESS HOLD BACK THE TRUTH OF GOD.” ROMANS 1:18

(That verse by itself should deter any GOD loving person
from spreading malicious lies… but there is much more to come.)

“BUT WRATH AND INDIGNATION TO THOSE WHO ARE CONTENTIOUS, AND WHO DO NOT SUBMIT TO THE TRUTH BUT ASSENT TO INIQUITY.” ROMANS 2:8

“…HE WAS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING, AND HAS NOT STOOD IN THE TRUTH BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. WHEN HE TELLS A LIE HE SPEAKS FROM HIS VERY NATURE, FOR HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES.” JOHN 8:44

(That verse settles it. Lying comes from Satan.
The truth comes from GOD.)

“BUT AS FOR THE COWARDLY AND UNBELIEVING, AND ABOMINABLE AND MURDERERS, AND FORNICATORS AND SORCERERS, AND IDOLATERS AND ALL LIARS, THEIR PORTION SHALL BE IN THE POOL THAT BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.” REV 21:8

(Pretty strong words for those who propagate lies.)

“…AND THERE SHALL NOT ENTER INTO IT ANYTHING DEFILED, NOR HE WHO PRACTICES ABOMINATION AND FALSEHOOD, BUT THOSE ONLY WHO ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB.” REV 21:27

(Let all who have eyes to see, see, and ears to hear, hear.)

“OUTSIDE ARE THE DOGS, AND THE SORCERERS, AND THE FORNICATORS, AND THE MURDERERS, AND THE IDOLATERS, AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES AND PRACTICES FALSEHOOD.” Rev 22:15

(Verse after verse about what will happen to liars.)

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” Prov 12:22

“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape.” Prov 19:5

“The lip of truth shall be steadfast forever; but he that is a hasty witness frames a lying tongue.” Prov 12:19

“He that speaks that which he knows, shows forth justice; but he that lies, is a deceitful witness.” Prov 12:17

“Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh His soul detesteth: haughty eyes, A LYING TONGUE, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief, A DECEITFUL WITNESS THAT UTTERETH LIES, AND HIM THAT SOWETH DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN.” Prov 6:16-19

Wow!
Who wants to be on the wrong side of GOD?
Those who spread lies are there already.

Read more

Go To Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”

Today’s “Gem” from Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”: The Reality of Purgatory

“You, therefore, must be perfect,
as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48

It stands to reason that since GOD is perfect, then Heaven has to be a perfect place, and nothing imperfect can enter (Revelation 21:27).

GOD will not join Himself to anything defiled. If a person dies with sins not sufficient for hell (the sin unto death, 1John 5:16-17), and has lesser sins to prevent entry into Heaven, then there has to be a third place in which to atone for them. This would be a temporary place, as stated in Matthew 5:25-26, “You shall not come out until you have paid the last penny”.

Come out of where?

After Adam’s sin, the gates of Heaven were closed, and no one was allowed to enter (John 3:13) until Jesus Christ redeemed the human race and opened the gates once again. Where were the spirits of Moses and Elias, who appeared and spoke with Jesus at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3)?

They could not have been in Heaven since it was closed, and they would have been lost had they been in hell. They had to have been in a third place. If there was a third place then, why not a third place now?

What about Lazarus? He was already dead four days (John 11:17) when Jesus arrived at his tomb. Where was his soul during those four days? It could not be heaven or hell for the same reasons as for Moses and Elias. His soul had to have been in a third place.

Philippians 2:10 says:
“That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend of those in Heaven, on earth, and ‘under the earth’.”

‘Under the earth’, could it mean hell, or is it a third place?

Non Catholic theologians struggle trying to reconcile their denial of the existence of Purgatory with what Paul said in 1Corinthians 3:12-15: “Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire*.”

To whom do these verses refer? Obviously the person is not in hell, as verse 15 says “himself will be saved”. He cannot be in heaven either as the same verse implies suffering, “as through fire”, and there is no suffering in heaven. These verses say that man will be purified by fire and then will be saved to enter Heaven. Where will this, “yet as though through fire”, take place if not in a third place called Purgatory?

*The Greek word used for fire is “pursw” (puroo)
of which “pur” is the root word for Purgatory.

Read more

Go To Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”

Download the Classic “The Four Last Things” (PDF)

The (Catholic) Church is not, like a Protestant ecclesial community, defined by her leaders of the day.

She is defined by the unchangeable Truths Her Creator gave her, and by the sixty generations of faithful who have abided by them during two millennia.

Read more from Mundabor

Today’s “Gem” from Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”: The Authentic Christological and Historical Roots of the Holy Catholic Church – Part 2

The blueprint for the birth and growth of the Catholic Church
was drawn by Jesus Christ Himself.

Starting in Acts 13:1, the worldwide, universal, Catholic Church began to expand to eventually include all of humanity…

“Now in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, among whom were Barnabas and Simon, called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen the fostering brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” Acts 13:1

“On arriving at Jerusalem they were welcomed by the Church and the Apostles and Presbyters (priests), and they proclaimed all that GOD had done with them.” Acts 15:4

“Then the Apostles and the Presbyters (priests) with the whole Church decided to select representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. Acts 15:22

“But I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is in the ministry of the Church at Cenchrea…”
Rom 16:1

“..to the Church of GOD at Corinth.” 1Cor 1:2, 2Cor 1:1

“Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians.” 1Thess 1:1, 2Thess 1:1

“The Church which is at Babylon (Rome), chosen together with you, greets you, and so does my son Mark.” 1Pet 5:13

“To the angel (Bishop) of the Church at Ephesus write…” Rev 2:1

“And to the angel of the Church at Smyrna write…” Rev 2:8

“And to the angel of the Church at Pergamum write…” Rev 2:12

“And to the angel of the Church at Thyratira write…” Rev 2:18

“And to the angel of the Church at Sardis write…” Rev 3:1

“And to the angel of the Church at Philadelphia write…” Rev 3:7

“And to the angel of the Church at Laodicea write…” Rev 3:14

Cyprus, Acts 13:4
Iconium, Acts 14:1
Lystra, Acts 14:7
Derbe, Acts 14:19-20
Philippi, Acts 16:12
Thessalonica, Acts 17:1-2
Berea, Acts 17:10
Athens, Acts 17:16
Corinth, Acts 18:1-2
Ephesus, Acts 18:19
Tyre, Acts 21:3-6
Malta, Acts 28:1-10
Rome, Acts 28:16-30

Implied…
Pamphylia, Acts 14:23
Perge, Acts 14:24
Attalia, Acts 14:24
Phoenicia, Acts 15:3
Caesarea, Acts 18:22

“For from you the Word of the Lord has been spread Abroad, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in Every Place Your Faith In GOD Has Gone Forth, so that we need say nothing further.”
1Thess 1:8

“Amen I say to you, wherever in the Whole World this Gospel is preached, this also that she has done shall be told in memory of her.” Matt 26:13

“But I say; Have they not heard? Yes, indeed, Their voice has gone forth into All the Earth, and their words Unto the ends of the World.” Rom 10:18

“And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the Whole World, for a witness to All Nations; and then will come the end.” Matt 24:14

“Go, therefore and make disciples of All Nations…” Matt 28:19

And He said to them, “Go into the Whole World and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15

“But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the preaching by the signs that followed.” Mark 16:20

Read more

Go To Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”

Classic Bible Commentary Offers Profound Insights Into Holy Scripture

Practical excerpt from the commentary:

[Luke 1:26–38. Mat. 1:18–25]

The angel of the Lord was sent to Mary in order to procure this (her) consent. The time had arrived, and the Son of God was ready to descend from heaven and become Man.

It only remained for her, whom God the Father had chosen to be the Mother of His Son, to give her consent to be so. The angel of God therefore explained this great mystery, and waited for her answer, on which depended the salvation of the world.

While meditating upon that decisive moment, St. Bernard uttered this prayer to Mary: “Now, O Virgin, thou hast heard what is to be, and how it is to be. Both mysteries are exceeding joyous and wonderful. But the angel awaits thine answer, for it is time for him to return to God who sent him.

We too, O Mary, our Queen, we who are weighed down by the divine sentence, we wait for thy speech, thy words of mercy. For behold, the price of our redemption is offered to thee; and as soon as thou dost accept it, we shall be saved.

We were all created by the eternal word of God, and yet, behold, we die! But if thou wilt speak one little word, we shall live!

Speak then, Oh, speak that decisive word. Adam and his unhappy children, banished from Paradise, beseech this of thee! David and all our holy fathers—thy fathers too—beseech thee! The whole world, prostrate before thee, looks to thee and beseeches!

On thy words depend the comfort of the afflicted, the deliverance of the condemned, the salvation of the children of Adam! Hesitate not, O Virgin! Speak, O Mary, that sweet word of consent, which we who are on the earth, and under the earth, now wait for!”

Mary, as you know, did utter that decisive word of compliance: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word!” By these glorious and precious words she pronounced the longed-for consent.

Read more at eCatholic2000.com

Download the Classic Text: A Practical Commentary On Holy Scripture (PDF)

The Collected Works of Saint Anselm of Canterbury – the Man Who Explained the Mystery

The Collected Works of Saint Anselm (PDF)

Today’s “Gem” from Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”: The Authentic Christological and Historical Roots of the Holy Catholic Church

It never ceases to amaze me that Catholics can provide
a mountain of genuine historical documents
and writings to prove their case, yet non-Catholics can never provide
any genuine historical documentation to back up their false charges.

When you attack the Catholic Church, you attack its founder,
so you had best find out who founded it.

Saul persecuted the Church that Jesus Christ founded.
See Acts 8:1-2. But read also Acts 9:4 and see who he really persecuted.

“…For if this plan or work is of men, it will be overthrown;
but if it is of GOD, you will not be able to overthrow it.
Else perhaps you may find yourselves fighting even against GOD.”
Acts 5:38-39

Read more

Go To Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”

Classic Text: The Faith of the Early Fathers (PDF)
by W.A. Jurgens
A source book of theological and historical passages
beginning with the writings of Saint Augustine
and extending to the end of the patristic age.

This is a very big file (almost 40 MB) and it will take some time
to load and properly display.

You may want to save this file
to your own computer, for easier viewing.

All About Sin, Death, Purgatory and Indulgences

These days, the subject of Purgatory and Indulgences is either totally ignored, or little understood.

It shouldn’t be that way.

This short (four page) presentation provides virtually all the practical information necessary to start getting Holy Souls released from Purgatory, or to totally avoid or shorten a possible stay in Purgatory, for yourself.

Here’s the link (PDF)

Link to the official Catholic (USSCB) Book of Indulgences (PDF)

Today’s “Gem” from Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”: Didache – the teaching of the twelve Apostles, thought to have been written between 65 and 80 A.D.

…CHAPTER 2

2:1 But the second commandment of the teaching is this.

2:2 Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt youth; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not use soothsaying; thou shalt not practice sorcery; thou shalt not covet the goods of thy neighbor;

thou shalt not kill a child by abortion,
neither shalt thou slay it when born;

2:3 Thou shalt not commit perjury; thou shalt not bear false witness; thou shalt not speak evil; thou shalt not bear malice;

2:4 Thou shalt not be double-minded or double-tongued, for to be double tongued is the snare of death.

2:5 Thy speech shall not be false or empty, but concerned with action.

2:6 Thou shalt not be covetous, or rapacious, or hypocritical, or malicious, or proud; thou shalt not take up an evil design against thy neighbour;

2:7 Thou shalt not hate any man, but some thou shalt confute, concerning some thou shalt pray, and some thou shalt love beyond thine own soul.

Read all 16 chapters

Click To View Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest” (PDF)

Mundabor: you should never underestimate the stupidity of people unable to even recognize a woman from a man.

Today – already tomorrow in England – Nancy Pelosi will do what the Biden administration seems to do all the time, and has a long tradition in American history: she will provoke her adversary and, if the adversary reacts, she will make him look as “the aggressor”.

Read more

A practical guide to personal prayer

1. Pray often and everywhere.
2. Give God thanks and praise.
3. Contritely repent of all your sins, asking God’s forgiveness as you carefully confess them, in kind and in number.
4. Have a firm, personal intention to avoid committing those sins again, in the future.
5. Humbly submit all your personal requests/petitions to God, taking as much time as necessary to completely explain to God, precisely what you need and why.
6. Firmly believe you will receive that for which you have prayed.
7. Repeat, as necessary.

Editor’s note:

Holy Baptism gives us the right to pray to God, as well as the supreme privilege of actually expecting God to hear/receive our prayers, according to the grace obtained for us by Jesus Christ, as facilitated by the Holy Spirit, by virtue of our full, faithful membership/personal participation in The Holy Catholic Church.

That said, God is under absolutely no obligation to grant any of our prayers or petitions. Anything he chooses to do for us, he does graciously, because he is all good, he loves us and he wants only the best for us.

God already knows what we need, so our primary mission here, is to keep the faith, perfect our prayer craft and try to avoid “fouling things up” as the Providence of God graciously and powerfully works (for good) in our lives.

(1) In the Gospels, Jesus instructed us to “pray without ceasing”.

(2) Giving sincere thanks and praise to God is completely appropriate, always and everywhere.

(3&4) Contrition (sorrow) for having committed sin, plus a firm purpose of amendment, along with a genuine possibility of actual repentance, coupled with a divinely acceptable form of “satisfaction” (penance) is typically required for the forgiveness of sins. Hence, for this and many other good reasons, numbers 3&4 are best accomplished in and through the great, Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation.

(5) Having made our peace with God, we presume to (once again) ask him to bless us and keep us.

(6) If a person does not firmly believe his/her prayers will be answered, then what is the point of praying, at all?

(7) God’s “timing” is perfect and exquisite. Our “timing” … not so much. Faithfully relying on God to answer our prayers in his own good time, in the best possible manner, is the way to go.

The best way to discover the truth and power of all this is to keep a personal prayer journal, where all your prayers and petitions, as well as the dates you submitted them, are fully documented, with subsequent fulfillments duly recorded and fully correlated, over time.

Make a Perfect Act of Contrition (link)

The Sure and Certain Method of Getting To Know and Love God

A consistent, personal program of prayer and Catholic studies,
coupled with a lifetime of full, faithful participation
in all the work, worship, sacraments and devotions
of the Holy Catholic Church.

“Big Brother” may already be running Israel

“Architecture of Oppression”

Starting Monday, it will be a criminal offense in Israel to pay more than the equivalent of $1,700 in cash to a business or $4,360 in cash to individual, as the government intensifies its ongoing war on tangible money.

San Francisco “Sodom On the Bay” becoming virtually unlivable

The streets are dirty. Homeless encampments, trash, and excrement can be found all over. Car break-ins are so frequent that it has basically become a non-government-imposed tax for people who come here. Of course, some areas are much worse than others, but almost all areas of the city suffer from this decay, and it is appalling.

Read the article at ZeroHedge

Is There a ‘One Last Chance’ to be Saved (after you die)?

…in this life God gives people almost innumerable chances to draw near to Him through repentance and faith. God is present even in the depths of the hearts of people who have never heard the gospel message, through no fault of their own, calling them to respond to their conscience and follow His Way. 

Read more

Gloria TV: …the inflexible Francis has successfully turned the Novus Ordo Church into an irrelevant mainstream religion that no one is interested in.

Francis flew July 29 to Iqaluit (7’000 inhabitants), in the Canadian Arctic, to meet Inuit and “to see “the Inuk face of Jesus.”

An Eskimo dancer performed at the meeting. Francis wore a stole made of sealskin.

The small number of spectators who attended the event was depressing. Even at the front there were empty chairs, as official Vatican media pictures show.

Link to story

Biden’s handlers are likely committing elder abuse, using powerful drugs to avoid presidential “melt downs”

Biden’s Behavior Abruptly Changes
in Spliced Video Speech
Released by The White House;
From Sleepy-Eyed to Bug-Eyed and Not Blinking.

See the video at Gateway Pundit

Today’s “Gem” from Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”: Manna, Eucharist and Divine Providence.

The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years (Joshua 5:6)
and then the manna ceased (as they entered the Promised Land)
the day after a Passover (Joshua 5:12).

Have you ever given any thought to the logistics of this miraculous abundance from heaven?

The Israelites set out from Egypt with 600,000 men, not counting women and children (Exodus 12:37).

The total number of mouths to feed must have been well over 1,000,000 and was probably closer to 1,800,000.

It would have taken the equivalent of train loads of manna, every single day for forty years, to feed them all. If each person ate an average of only one pound per day, that would be 1,800,000 pounds per day, or 900 tons. That works out to 328,500 tons per year or about 13,140,000 tons, over the 40 year period.

A (supernatural) abundance of heavenly gifts fell to earth
during that 40 year period.

Read more

Click To View Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest” (PDF)

Biden: Mr. Rosary for the press, but Mr. Anti-Catholic for the real world.

While Joe is preening for the cameras and his press lackeys are pretending the stories just somehow came out, he was busy with other stuff, which was pretty much the opposite of Catholic:

For starters, he’s vowed to make abortion rights national, and has even dropped his longstanding opposition to ending the filibuster to get it through Congress.

“I share the public outrage to this extremist court, that’s committed to moving America backwards with fewer rights, less autonomy, and politicians invading the most personal decisions,” Biden said Friday in a virtual meeting with Democratic governors to discuss protecting abortion access.

He’s not a simpering wimp of a Catholic who is merely “personally opposed” to abortion, but… No, he’s an active proponent of it willing to use political muscle for it, and not just in the states, but overseas, pushing abortion with the passion of a fanatic who considers it a sacrament.

Worse still, the crazed left has vandalized and burned dozens of churches, many of them Catholic, as well as interrupted and disrupted mass and other religious services in the name of promoting abortion. Any word on Joe to condemn that? Not a single word. Those after all, are his political allies, so he’s got nothing to say, wink, wink.

Read more at American Thinker

Francis the Scourge is subjecting the world to the spectacle of a Jesuit in the New World, wearing the papal white to attend the same pagan rites that the Jesuits first came here to save us from, five centuries ago.

Those heroes paid dearly – in blood, fire, and torments that can hardly be described (seriously, have you read this? or this or this?) – to deliver us from the darkness of superstition and false worship on this continent.

Now, Francis welcomes this same darkness. He celebrates it. He disavows the legacy of his forebears and insults them instead, daring to call them misguided, “colonizers,” and more.

Read More At Whispers of Restoration

Editor’s note: Francis is (currently) the world’s leading proponent of the old, pagan, Babylonian Mystery Religion (The Modern, Green Movement) which is the antithesis of authentic Christianity. Something is obviously, very wrong, here!