Why are you glad you’re a Catholic?
God lavishes all his love and grace on the faithful members of the Holy Catholic Church.
Catholic Sacraments constitute a close, extremely intimate, personal encounter with the risen Jesus, by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass allows Catholics to personally participate in the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, through Jesus Christ, who becomes truly present on the altar for us; the one time, once for all, perfect and atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. It doesn’t get any better than that, this side of Heaven.
All of this is free of charge.
The Holy Catholic Church provides everything any Christian might ever need, for every stage of their human existence, including eternity.
All of this was ordained by God the Father, through the grace of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, because God is kind and merciful and he wants only the best for us.
Asked and answered today on Yahoo!Answers
BAPTISM DURING COVID?
Answer from a Catholic Priest:
Here’s the Church’s teaching on this: The Code of Canon Law, the official “rulebook” of the Church, says, “Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks” (No. 867).
Several months is just too long to wait for the child to be missing the graces and blessings that come with the sacrament. I think parents have grown a bit too casual about this — perhaps due in part to what the Church is currently saying about limbo.
It used to be the common belief of Catholics that children who died before being baptized went, not to be with God in heaven, but to a state of natural happiness called limbo.
But in 2007, the Church’s International Theological Commission, with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI, concluded that there are “theological and liturgical reasons to hope that infants who die without baptism may be saved … even if there is not an explicit teaching on this question found in Revelation.”
But for me, that “hope” is just too chancy. If it were my own kid, I’d want him baptized as soon as possible. And don’t worry — a parish will take caution in making sure that the baptismal ceremony is safe.
Several months is just too long to wait for the child to be missing the graces and blessings that come with the sacrament.
Today’s Question: Was Jonah swallowed by a whale or by a ‘big fish’?
Interpretations differ. Here’s another one: Jonah died while he was inside the big fish.
After three days, Jonah’s lifeless corpse was disgorged by that same fish, on the sea shore, near the city of Nineveh.
God raised Jonah from the dead and sent him on his mission to the Ninevites, still smelling heavily of fish.
As things turned out, the Ninevites worshiped Dagon, who was a pagan, “fish god”. The intense, fishy odor gave Jonah the necessary “street cred” to successfully accomplish his assigned mission.
The Ninevites repented and for a time, they were spared. Jonah wasn’t pleased, but God was pleased and Jesus had a future sign pointing to his glorious resurrection – without the fishy odor, of course.
Asked and answered today on Yahoo!Answers
It would appear that double dose vaccines, given all at once, may supercharge the immune system, causing it to attack the Covid, plus everything else, including key bodily organs and structures.
The newly developed m/RNA Covid vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna are said to require two shots, administered about a month apart, to achieve the desired potency and effect.
This is typically characterized by the manufacturers as a positive feature.
Maybe, it is. Maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s simply a “slick” marketing ploy.
It seems possible (in at least some cases) that if a single, “full” dose were administered, rather than the prescribed, double, widely spaced, “half” doses (especially if the Covid virus was already present) it could “hype up” the immune system to such a degree that it wouldn’t know when to quit, or it would be incapable of precisely discriminating, as to what it should and what it should not target.
In the interest of full disclosure, in order to increase the acceptance of such vaccines and eliminate uncertainty, I would like to see clearer and more pertinent data on this matter, from the CDC and the drug companies.
Editor’s note: I’ve received dose one of the Moderna vaccine.
Woman recovers from Covid-19 after judge orders hospital to administer old, cheap, safe, widely available, Ivermectin
The patient’s son, Michael Smentkiewicz, said hospital officials had told him and his sister, Michelle Kulbacki, on Dec. 31 that their mother’s chance of survival – as an 80-year-old Covid-19 patient on a ventilator – was about 20%.
He said doctors at the hospital also told the family that Smentkiewicz would probably be on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit for at least a month.
“We did a lot of our own research, we read about Ivermectin … The results sounded very promising, and we decided we had to try something different,” Michael Smentkiewicz said. “We pressured the doctor in the ICU to give it to her. He finally agreed.”
On Jan. 2, Smentkiewicz was given her first dose of Ivermectin, and according to court papers filed by her family, she made “a complete turnaround.”
“In less than 48 hours, my mother was taken off the ventilator, transferred out of the Intensive Care Unit, sitting up on her own and communicating,” Kulbacki said in a court affidavit.
But after her mother was transferred to another hospital wing away from the ICU, doctors in that unit refused to give her any more doses of the drug, and her condition quickly declined, the family said in court papers.
“We were astounded when they refused to give her any more doses,” Michael Smentkiewicz said. “That’s why I called Ralph Lorigo and we took the hospital to court.”
Todays Question: A question for any religious or non-religious person to answer; why do you believe what you do?
Question: This question is not intended to be malicious or condescending. I just want to know why.
As a person with a significantly large portion of religious family members and friends, all with conflicting ideas and beliefs, I’ve always been curious about what lead them to that particular system or thought process.
Personally, I’m not a believer of any organised religions (Christianity, Islam, etc) so it would be nice to have another perspective from someone who does. Also, for anyone who has changed their faith from one religion to another, or from none to one, or from one to none at all – what made you change? If you don’t believe in certain parts of the texts of your religion, what reason is that for?
If you’re comfortable to say, what about your stance on LGBT+ topics within your religion? Do you know people who use religion to shield their harmful beliefs? [‘Harmful beliefs’ are not just limited to LGBT+ topics! Any mindset that has a negative impact on themselves or another person also applies.]
[Please do not talk down to anyone or say things about turning to one faith or else a person will be met with negative consequences. It’s not pleasant nor will it change a person’s mind. Using fear to promote or force a belief onto another person shouldn’t be tolerated.]
Answer: First of all, fear is a necessary and useful component of almost any human endeavor, since without fear, undisciplined, irrational and unreasonable behavior almost always results; behavior which could (literally) be fatal.
And in the case of true religion, the consequences may also be eternal.
As for me, I spent the better part of sixty years diligently studying all world religions, as well as the philosophies of men, carefully correlating and evaluating all the various claims and beliefs. That process is a continuous, life-long effort, which will not likely cease, until I die.
At one point, I took two years off in order to finalize my studies and come to a practical, working decision, in order to go forward. It was then that I determined that the only authentic religion on the planet is Catholicism.
All the others fell short in various ways, but essentially, they lacked sufficient rational truth, logic and/or actual historical evidence and experience.
Catholicism not only completes the old Judaic Tradition (in Jesus Christ) but it also provides the historical evidence, the standard method of practical application, plus all the necessary rationale and power for its’ universal efficacy and acceptance.
Acting on that premise, I spent a number of years getting practical field experience, by actually working in various Catholic Church settings, interacting with both clergy and lay people (often at the very highest levels) where I witnessed and experienced heart-rending disappointments, betrayals, corruption and failures, as well as very substantial numbers of extraordinarily good and holy people, along with what appeared to be several genuine, divine miracles, which are impossible for me to rationally discredit or dismiss.
I’ve been informed that many/most people fail to perform such “due diligence” regarding matters of faith, so (true or not) I consider my experience and personal motivation to be a gift from God.
Regarding sin, homosexuality and all other related issues: Divine revelation painstakingly and consistently informs us that such things offend God and so, should be avoided; if not out of due concern for ourselves, our communities and our eternal destiny, then out of sufficient respect for God, himself.
The bottom line: I no longer fear death and I am typically, able to live my life in peace, no matter what the current conditions of the world may be.
God provides for all my needs; usually, before I even know what those needs might be.
I hate no one and I tend to be generous (yet prudent) towards all, with my personal time, talent and treasure, since my experience and my faith informs me that God will provide more, if necessary, out of his supernaturally abundant supply.
As a small, token gesture of thanks and praise to God, who has so richly blessed me and mine, I went ahead and made many of my experiences and resources freely available to others on my website: http://www.askmeaboutgod.org
The site specializes in providing down to earth answers to heavenly and eternal questions, illuminated (primarily) by the wide-ranging, 2000 year-old collection of superb, Catholic theology and philosophy, based on the personal testimony of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as well as the practical works of some of the greatest saints, scholars and theologians who ever walked the earth.
I trust that it will suffice.
Asked and answered today on Yahoo!Answers
Saint Pope John Paul II’s extensive teaching on the purpose and value of human suffering
This is one of the most complete and extensive treatments of the subject of suffering, ever written.
The context is a universal one, benefitting from the Light of Christ, his Church and the long experience of the entire Judeo-Christian faith tradition.
It’s not particularly short, nor is it easy to understand, so it may require some serious study.
The bottom line: If you’re human, you suffer, so you might as well try to make sense out of it; if not for yourself, then for others.
What the demons say…
The demons either say that you need not change at all because you are loved by God, or that God will not love you until you become perfect.
The truth is that you are loved by God as you are and called to repent and grow.
The demons either tell you that God does not desire your happiness, or that you are entitled to avoid all suffering.
The truth is God wills your greatest happiness and because of this he will lead you through trials.
Doug Lawrence's Catholic Site 