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- Written by Edoardo Albert
- Category: Believe
Via Fr Tim Finigan's blog, the Hermeneutic of Continuity , ten suggestions for Advent as we prepare for the feast of our Saviour's birth.
1. Go to Confession
2. Have some daily family prayers
3. Buy Christmas cards that portray a scene from the Nativity of Christ.
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- Written by Edoardo Albert
- Category: Believe
Well, what do Catholics believe? Reading the press or watching TV you might think that it doesn’t stretch much past some weird old-fashioned shibboleths about sex (gosh, you mean they don’t think it’s all right to sleep with whoever you want?) and babies (don’t you know it’s just a clump of cells?). And it’s true, these are important parts of Catholic belief. But they’re not what comes first. In fact, there’s no great secret to Catholic belief at all: it’s proclaimed at each Mass, you know in that bit that begins ‘We believe in one God…’ The Creed. There we have the core of our faith, and from this all else flows.
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- Written by GK Chesterton
- Category: Believe
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- Written by John Wilson
- Category: Sacraments
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age”
(Matthew 28:19).
These last words of Christ, which close Matthew’s gospel, give the disciples a commission – nothing less than to inaugurate a new age, build a new creation, founded on Christ and his teaching. Baptism will be the foundation of this new creation and a lasting mark that we belong to Christ.
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- Written by Rebecca Howard
- Category: Sacraments
Undergoing the RCIA course
For those of us not baptised as children, joining the Catholic Church involves attending the RCIA course. This culminates in baptism, confirmation and first Communion. These three sacraments are bestowed at the Easter Vigil service each year, and not at other times, as the Easter service is the time for all to reflect on their baptismal promises.
I attended the RCIA course at Our Lady of Lourdes which started in September 2006 and continued until Pentecost in May 2007. Each week after the 9.45am Sunday service a class was held, lasting up to an hour, in which we considered some aspect of the faith, for instance each of the sacraments, prayer, Mary, the creation.
This year two of us completed the course, Lucie and me. Also attending were Phil, Doff, Jan, Auxilia, and Ossie, acting as sponsors and support, and Aileen who led the classes. Father Tom and Father Damian also led on a few occasions.