The History of Baptism

(This post is part of a mini-series on Baptism.)

Baptism in the History of the Church

Bpatism has always been a sacrament of the Church since its founding by Christ. However, there was serious disagreement about when Baptism should occur. The two schools of thought were: at birth for the salvation of the soul or at the age of reason so that it meant something. 

At the Council of XXX the Church embraced both traditions and split Bpatism into the two Sacraments known today as Baptism and Confirmation.

Keep Pursuing

The Story of My Wife's Conversion

I want to share the story of my wife's conversion.

I moved back to Texas to pursue my college sweetheart, Margaret.  I was Catholic and she attended a new age, non-denominational church.  Christ was important to both of us so we compromised and alternated churches each Sunday.

As things began to get more serious between us I realized two things: I wanted to marry this girl and I wanted to raise my children Catholic.  Thus we began having conversations about the possibility of her future conversion to Catholicism.  She resisted.  She wasn't sure she wanted to be Catholic and had lots of questions.

Unfortunately, these discussions revealed how shallow my faith was.  I couldn't defend ANY of the Catholic Church's teachings nor dispel the countless myths about the Catholic church.  All these conversations did was leave us both disgruntled.  I got nowhere in these talks.

At the same time all this was going on, my girlfriend had been worrying about her parent's souls.  She had grown up in a non-practicing Baptist household and nobody in her family had gone to church in years. Luckily, my girlfriend had an amazing friend in college who ignited her passion for God.  And since she was now in a  deeper relationship with God, she wanted her family to experience the joy she had as well.  Her family had responded sluggishly, always saying yes during the week, but having an excuse come Sunday.  So, as stated, my girlfriend was worried about the eternal salvation of her family.

While my conversations about her conversion were getting nowhere and causing strife, my girlfriend's mother, Mindy, found Relevant Radio!  She found it to be incredibly soothing in the constant traffic jams of Austin.  And she learned a ton from listening.  Eventually, listening to Relevant Radio led her to want to convert to Catholicism.

She told my girlfriend she was considering joining the Catholic Church and Margaret, worried for her mother's soul, was so enthusiastic that she agreed to go through the RCIA process with her mother just to make sure it happened!  So while my heartfelt attempts to convince Margaret to convert failed miserably, Relevant Radio convinced Mindy, and as a result Margaret, to become Catholic!

Once in RCIA, they both learned tons about the faith!  They would come over and teach me about my faith!  Learning the faith led both of them to love the faith.  They could not wait to be baptized.  And their enthusiasm and knowledge was catching, I was inspired to begin exploring my faith with a fervor I never had before.

During this time I proposed to Margaret.  She was baptized one week before we were married and we got married in the Catholic Church.

So Relevant Radio is responsible for my wife's conversion, my mother-in-law's conversion, my Catholic wedding, and re-igniting my fire for the Church!

But the story doesn't end there!

While we were still dating Margaret's father, Stanley, was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer.  In fact, we pushed up the date of our wedding to make sure he could walk his daughter down the aisle and dance with her to the father-daughter dance.  (It was incredible.  Not a dry eye in the house.)

Within one month of our wedding, Stanley was moved by how excited his wife and daughter were about their faith and agreed to become Catholic.  A priest from our Cathedral came and administered the rites of confirmation, holy communion, and the anointing of the sick.  He went comatose within days and passed away within the month.

So to be clear, this man who had been away from his faith for years assents to convert on his deathbed.  The priest washes him clean of all his sins and then he goes comatose.  He didn't have a chance to sin!  The man's soul was clean!  We are convinced he went straight to Heaven!

Relevant Radio saved my father-in-law's soul!

So this is a testament to the power of Relevant Radio.  You know if all of the funding you had received since you started only bore this one fruit, saving one man's soul from Hell, it would have been worth it.

But it's not the only fruit.  Heck, you've born more fruit in just my life alone!  And I know you've helped countless others.  I am a such a huge believer in the power of what you do and the good you provide constantly!

What is the Most Important Sacrament

The most important sacrament is the Eucharist.

In this organic whole, the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the "Sacrament of sacraments": "all the other sacraments are ordered to it as to their end." ~ CCC 1211

The Eucharist is the source and summit of all Christian faith.

Keep Pursuing

This post is part of a mini-series on the Sacraments

The Marks of Marriage

This post is part of a mini-series on marriage

Marriage is a word that everyone is familiar with. And yet few people can provide a definition of marriage when asked.


What Catholics Mean by Marriage

Marriage is the free, faithful, and fruitful union of one man to one woman before God.
And as such it was made a Sacrament of the Church by Jesus Christ Himself.

1.) FREE

Both parties must enter of their own free will.

1625 The parties to a marriage covenant are a baptized man and woman, free to contract marriage, who freely express their consent; "to be free" means:
- not being under constraint;
- not impeded by any natural or ecclesiastical law.

1626 The Church holds the exchange of consent between the spouses to be the indispensable element that "makes the marriage." If consent is lacking there is no marriage.

1627 The consent consists in a "human act by which the partners mutually give themselves to each other": "I take you to be my wife" - "I take you to be my husband." This consent that binds the spouses to each other finds its fulfillment in the two "becoming one flesh."

1628 The consent must be an act of the will of each of the contracting parties, free of coercion or grave external fear. No human power can substitute for this consent. If this freedom is lacking the marriage is invalid. 

 ~ CCC 1625-1628

2.) FAITHFUL

Marriage is a pledge of fidelity
To be true to each other and forsaking all others
It is a mutually exclusive commitment to never commit adultery

1646 By its very nature conjugal love requires the inviolable fidelity of the spouses. This is the consequence of the gift of themselves which they make to each other. Love seeks to be definitive; it cannot be an arrangement "until further notice." the "intimate union of marriage, as a mutual giving of two persons, and the good of the children, demand total fidelity from the spouses and require an unbreakable union between them." 

1647 The deepest reason is found in the fidelity of God to his covenant, in that of Christ to his Church. Through the sacrament of Matrimony the spouses are enabled to represent this fidelity and witness to it. Through the sacrament, the indissolubility of marriage receives a new and deeper meaning. 

1648 It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being. This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that it supports and sustains them, and that by their own faithfulness they can be witnesses to God's faithful love. Spouses who with God's grace give this witness, often in very difficult conditions, deserve the gratitude and support of the ecclesial community. 

1649 Yet there are some situations in which living together becomes practically impossible for a variety of reasons. In such cases the Church permits the physical separation of the couple and their living apart. the spouses do not cease to be husband and wife before God and so are not free to contract a new union. In this difficult situation, the best solution would be, if possible, reconciliation. the Christian community is called to help these persons live out their situation in a Christian manner and in fidelity to their marriage bond which remains indissoluble. 

1650 Today there are numerous Catholics in many countries who have recourse to civil divorce and contract new civil unions. In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ - "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery" The Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was. If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God's law. Consequently, they cannot receive Eucharistic communion as long as this situation persists. For the same reason, they cannot exercise certain ecclesial responsibilities. Reconciliation through the sacrament of Penance can be granted only to those who have repented for having violated the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, and who are committed to living in complete continence. 

1651 Toward Christians who live in this situation, and who often keep the faith and desire to bring up their children in a Christian manner, priests and the whole community must manifest an attentive solicitude, so that they do not consider themselves separated from the Church, in whose life they can and must participate as baptized persons: 

They should be encouraged to listen to the Word of God, to attend the Sacrifice of the Mass, to persevere in prayer, to contribute to works of charity and to community efforts for justice, to bring up their children in the Christian faith, to cultivate the spirit and practice of penance and thus implore, day by day, God's grace. 

~ CCC 1646-1651

3.) FRUITFUL

Both parties must be open to having children
Since the beginning marriage has served to provide the best environment for the rearing of children

1652 "By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory."
Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves. God himself said: "It is not good that man should be alone," and "from the beginning (he) made them male and female"; wishing to associate them in a special way in his own creative work, God blessed man and woman with the words: "Be fruitful and multiply." Hence, true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it, without diminishment of the other ends of marriage, are directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day. 

1653 The fruitfulness of conjugal love extends to the fruits of the moral, spiritual, and supernatural life that parents hand on to their children by education. Parents are the principal and first educators of their children. In this sense the fundamental task of marriage and family is to be at the service of life. 

1654 Spouses to whom God has not granted children can nevertheless have a conjugal life full of meaning, in both human and Christian terms. Their marriage can radiate a fruitfulness of charity, of hospitality, and of sacrifice. 

~ CCC 1652-1654

4.) UNION

It is an indissoluble bond for the rest of both parties' lives.

"The Pharisees approached and asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him. He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" They replied, "Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her." But Jesus told them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment."

~ Mark 10:2-5



In the house the disciples again questioned him about this. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." ~ Mark 10:10-12

Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him, saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?" [Jesus] said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate."  ~ Matthew 19:3-6

They said to him, "Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss (her)?" He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery." [His] disciples said to him, "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." He answered, "Not all can accept [this] word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it." ~ Matthew 19:3-7

1638 "From a valid marriage arises a bond between the spouses which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive; furthermore, in a Christian marriage the spouses are strengthened and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state by a special sacrament." 

1639 The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself. From their covenant arises "an institution, confirmed by the divine law, . . . even in the eyes of society." The covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man: "Authentic married love is caught up into divine love." 

1640 Thus the marriage bond has been established by God himself in such a way that a marriage concluded and consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved. This bond, which results from the free human act of the spouses and their consummation of the marriage, is a reality, henceforth irrevocable, and gives rise to a covenant guaranteed by God's fidelity. the Church does not have the power to contravene this disposition of divine wisdom.  

 ~ CCC 1638-1640 

...

1644 The love of the spouses requires, of its very nature, the unity and indissolubility of the spouses' community of persons, which embraces their entire life: "so they are no longer two, but one flesh." They "are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving." This human communion is confirmed, purified, and completed by communion in Jesus Christ, given through the sacrament of Matrimony. It is deepened by lives of the common faith and by the Eucharist received together. 

1645 "The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual and unreserved affection." Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive. 

 ~ CCC 1644-1645

5.) ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN

flesh of my flesh
man's helper
from the beginning he made them man and woman

designed for each other

"...But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (and be joined to his wife), and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh."

~ Mark 10:6-8

6.) BEFORE GOD

This is a covenant made before God

7.) RAISED TO A SACRAMENT

Jesus's involvement at the Wedding Feast at Cana
from the beginning he made them man and woman
divorce is not part of the plan


"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament." ~ CCC 1601

Keep Pursuing

Marriage

This page is a landing page for all posts about Marriage.

The first thing we must ask is: What do we mean by marriage?

Answer: Marriage is the free, faithful, and fruitful union of one man to one woman before God.
And as such it was made a Sacrament of the Church by Jesus Christ Himself.

Posts about marriage:

• The Marks of Marriage
• Marriage Insurance
• My Marriage Advice
• Tips for a Successful Marriage

Can you be a Christian and pro-abortion?

No.
Period.
End of post.

...

Want more explanation? Okay!

There is more discussion of abortion than usual on social media these days. And while I am, in general, a believer that more dialogue can only help, there are those out there who try to muddy the waters to cheaply draw people to their cause.

(Warning sign number one: If you have to hide the facts about your position in order to draw people to it, then are oddss are it is not a valid/good position.)

A simple, but very important question: can you be a Christian and be pro-abortion


Below is a list of three values that could belong to any person you meet.

1. Christian
2. Scientifically Literate
3. Pro-Abortion

Do you notice anything interesting about this list? It is impossible to be all three!

Look again. At most, you can be two out of the three things in this list. Don't believe me? Let's explore each one.


Is it possible to be a Christian and be pro-abortion? Let's explore.

1.) On being a Christian

Being a Christian means being a follower of Christ, which means you accept and practice His teachings. Jesus had a lot of teachings, but let's focus on one in particular: the murder of innocents.

In the Old Testament, the Fifth Commandment given by God to His chosen people is:

"You shall not kill." (Exodus 20:13)

In the New Testament, Jesus said,

"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment...'" (Matthew 5:21-22)

 And in the Catechism we read,

"Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." (CCC 2258)

On this topic, the murder of innocents, there is Jesus, the Bible, and Christian doctrine all state very clearly that the murder of innocents is wrong. While being a Christian means a whole lot more than this one practice, it is clear that

2.) On being Pro-Abortion

Abortion is the forced termination of a pregnancy by removing the fetus from the womb.  

Being pro-abortion means that you are in favor of the practice of abortion.

2.) On being Scientifically Literate

I took biology my freshman year of high school. In it we learned about the beginning of life.

• The moment when sperm meets egg is called conception
• At that moment a chemical reaction is triggered
• The DNA from the two cells combines to make one genetically unique individual
• The new cell, called a gamete, begins growing and dividing immediately
• In short, at the moment of conception a new life begins

These are very basic scientific facts that can be found in any biology textbook. So really, if you've completed high school, if you want to call yourself scientifically literate, then you cannot say you do not know when a new life begins.

CONCLUSION

You can be any two of the three things above.

Can you be a Christian and pro-abortion?
Yes. A Christian with no scientific understanding might not know abortion ended life. 

Can you be scientifically literate and pro-abortion?
Of course. A non-Christian is under no moral obligation to believe intentionally ending life is wrong. 

Can you be a Christian and scientifically literate?
Absolutely! The long history of Christians expanding the boundaries of science says "yes"!

But you cannot be all three.

If you are a Christian, then you know it is wrong to murder innocents.
And if you are scientifically literate you know that a fetus is alive.
Therefor you CANNOT be pro-abortion.

You can only be two out of three. 

So which two are you?

(A Christian who knows it is wrong to murder innocents but knows nothing about science, could in good conscience, be pro-abortion.

And a scientifically literate person who is not a Christian is under no moral obligation to believe that the murder of innocents is wrong and can be pro-abortion.)

Keep Pursuing

The Memorare

This is how you pray the memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. 

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.  

Amen.

The memorare is wonderful and powerful prayer asking for the intercession of our Blessed Mother.

Keep pursuing,

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

(This post is part of a mini-series on Baptism.)

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

Jesus himself established Baptism as a Sacrament by receiving Baptism from John the Baptist.

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." ~ Matthew 3:13-17

This is fascinating! Jesus had no need to be baptized! He had no sin to wash clean. He was already the Son of God. So then why be baptized? To set an example of what we should do? To show the Trinity? To show obedience?

Keep Pursuing,

The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer is one of the simplest prayers to learn. It is beautiful and powerful.

This is how you pray it:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner

That's it. What more needs to be said?

Keep pursuing,

What is a Sacrament?

What is a Sacrament?

The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace perceptible to the senses. They are outward signs of spiritual realities. The Sacraments

They were instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. Through them divine life is bestowed upon us.


Where do the Sacraments come from?


Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. the seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life.  ~ CCC 1210

Following this analogy, the first chapter will expound the three sacraments of Christian initiation; the second, the sacraments of healing; and the third, the sacraments at the service of communion and the mission of the faithful. This order, while not the only one possible, does allow one to see that the sacraments form an organic whole in which each particular sacrament has its own vital place. In this organic whole, the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the "Sacrament of sacraments": "all the other sacraments are ordered to it as to their end."   ~ CCC 1211

Christ has entrusted the sacraments to his Church. They are the sacraments “of the Church” in a twofold sense: they are “from her” insofar as they are actions of the Church (which is the sacrament of Christ’s action); and they are “for her” in as much as they build up the Church.

The sacraments not only presuppose faith, but with words and ritual elements they nourish, strengthen, and express it. By celebrating the sacraments, the Church professes the faith that comes from the apostles. This explains the origin of the ancient saying, “lex orandi, lex credendi,” (that is, "the Church believes as she prays").

Keep Pursuing

(This post is part of a mini-series on the Sacraments.)