We believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church!!

As Christians, we believe that the books that make up the Bible are the infallible Word of God. We believe that each of the authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write only what He willed. Altogether, it is everything and only what we need to know to be saved.

Why? The sole justification for our faith in the Holy Bible, is the authority of the Catholic Church.

So that his mission of salvation would be carried out after He died and resurrected, Jesus established a Church with a specific framework that would continue to bridge the gap between God and man until the end of time. He gave the apostles the power and authority to carry out his mission, to be teachers and perform the sacraments, and to lead all the nations to Christ; making them the first Bishops. Among the twelve was Peter, the “Rock,” who alone was entrusted the keys to the kingdom of Heaven and became the head of the Church on earth; the first Pope of the Catholic Church. Through apostolic succession the Word and Tradition of Jesus were preserved. A continuous chain of successors can be traced from Peter and the apostles, to the current head of the Church, Pope Benedict XVI, and the Bishops that serve Catholic communities all over the world.

The Catholic Church is the direct handiwork of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, through Him, the Church was given the power of the Holy Spirit to compile the Bible, and has the power of the same Holy Spirit to interpret it today, infallibly.

Christ said to the apostles in Luke 10:16, “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

Being mindful of where the Catholic Church has come from, Christ himself, we must have faith in its power to lead us. We must unite ourselves with it, persist in devout participation of the Sacraments that God has so graciously blessed us with, and steadfastly obey its teachings in every aspect of our lives. It is through the Catholic Church alone that we receive the fullness of Christianity and through our active partaking in that fullness that we may fulfill God's will.

Salvation comes from God alone; but because we receive the life of faith through the Church, she is our mother. She is also our teacher in the faith. (CCC 169)


Go forth and...

Recall any struggles you have with a teaching of the Catholic Church or even something you hate about it. What is something you have trouble believing or following? Write it down. We challenge you, this week, to seek understanding of this teaching. Instead of creeping around Facebook for an hour =), or watching TV, do a little research!

First, pray for humility and for the Holy Spirit to touch your heart and to grant you the grace of understanding. Then, go to one of the many Catholic resources online and read up on the topic you've been struggling with. You might be surprised to find that what you didn't like was only something you didn't understand!

Set the World On Fire!