Why should I be Confirmed? Baptism, the Eucharist and Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation”. At Confirmation there is a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as was granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. This brings about an increase and deepening of baptismal grace, completing the process of Christian initiation…
“Is any man sick among you? Let him send for the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he has any sins, they…
In John’s gospel, Jesus comes to be baptised by St John the Baptist and John sees him and says, ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’ (Jn 1:29). The priest and people say exactly the same words at every Mass before Holy Communion. Lamb of God refers to two…
The Crucified and Risen Christ are inseparable. At Mass we say: we proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again. These are just a few thoughts about our use of the Crucifix, and not exhaustive: 1. On the Cross the Lord Jesus shows us the unconditional, passionate love he has…
The ordinary ministers of baptism are the bishop, priest and deacon. However, in cases of necessity, especially in danger of death, anyone, even a non-baptised person, can baptise. They must have the intention to do as the Church does; they must either immerse in water three times or pour water over the head three times;…
All Catholics are obliged to attend Mass every Sunday and on Holydays of Obligation (or at the vigil Mass on the evening before). The celebration of Mass on the Lord’s Day fulfils the third commandment and is the heart of the Church’s life. At Mass we not only demonstrate our faithfulness to Christ and the…
There are many aspects to this question. Of his own free will God created human beings in his own image. That means we too have free will (CCC 1701-1715). We were created to freely choose to love God (CCC 356-361). We respond in faith to the initiative of God who reveals himself (CCC 142-184). If…
Yes. Whoever is to receive the Blessed Eucharist must abstain from all food and drink, with the exception of water and medicine, for an hour before receiving Holy Communion (not the beginning of Mass). The elderly, anyone suffering illness, and those who care for them are exempt from this requirement. As we are both body…
The time at school can, for some, be a difficult and trying time especially on the level of faith. Blessed John Paul II once said: “Christ freed Peter from the fear which had seized him on the stormy night. Christ enables us too to overcome the difficult moments in life, if with faith and hope…
Limbo has never been an official teaching of the Church. Medieval theologians tried to explain what happened to infants who died without baptism. The Lord said that baptism is necessary for salvation, for heaven (John 3:5), but an infant could not be guilty of any personal sins. So they speculated that these children would go…
