BASIC CATHOLIC BELIEFS--------------OUR FAITH BY THE NUMBER
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CATHOLIC FAITH BY THE NUMBER 1----2----3----4----5----6----7----8----9----10----11----12----13----14----15----16----17----33----40 1. There is but one God [in Three Divine Persons, et one and the same God]. One True Church founded by Christ Himself, the Holy Catholic Church. 2. There are two parts to the Bible: the Old Testament and the New Testament; and there are two states of life in the Church: the ordained and the lay, or non-ordained. The Two Divine Promises Novena 3. Three Persons in one Godhead: the Blessed Trinity. There are three theological virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity. These are infused into the human soul at Baptism. The Catholic Church has three powers: to govern, to teach, to sanctify. The Three Hours: the name given to the period between 12 noon to 3 P.M. on Good Friday in memory of the three hours Jesus hung on the Cross. The Three Marys: Three women closely associated with Our Lord and Our Lady: Mary Magdalen, Mary Salome and Mary Cleopas. The Three Evangelical Counsels: Voluntary poverty Chastity [that is not to marry] Obedience The Three Great Catholic Creeds------Part of the Tradition Directory The Three member groups of the Communion of Saints: The Church Militant on earth The Church Suffering in Purgatory The Church Triumphant in Heaven The Three Names given to Angels in Scripture: St. Michael, St. Gabriel. St. Raphael. Any other names are from non-canonical books and thus are not part of doctrine or Tradition. TOP OF THE PAGE 4. The Cardinal Virtues are four: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance. These virtues are basic virtues that are developed by grace through habit, although they are natural, that is, non-infused. All the other acquired virtues depend on these, thus they are called cardinal that is they act as the hinge. These are also referred to as the Moral Virtues. The Four Marks of the True Church are those outward, visible signs that point to the Church founded by Christ: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. One, meaning joined under one head from the beginning, that is, the Roman Pontiff; Holy, meaning it has all the Sacraments instituted by Christ; Catholic, meaning universal, in its disbursement, its teachings; Apostolic, meaning identified with Tradition, which is unchanging, handed down from the Apostles and with bishops that can trace a direct line to the original Twelve. The Four Weeks of Advent, the period of penance preceding Christmas. The Four Horsemen: refers to the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse, Chapter 6, verses 1-8: War, Civil Strife, Famine and Plague. The Four Sins Crying Cut for Vengeance: Willful Murder The Sin of Sodom Oppression of the Poor Defrauding laborers of their just wages. The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven or Hell. The Four Great Ends of the Holy Mass: These ends correspond to the four great duties we owe to Almighty God----- (1) To praise, honor and adore the infinite majesty of God, Who is infinitely deserving of all the glory that can be given to Him by His creatures. (2) To satisfy the infinite justice of God, Who is infinitely offended by the sins committed against Him. (3) To thank the infinitely liberality of God, Who requires an infinite return of all the favors bestowed upon His creatures. (4) To petition the infinite goodness of God, Whom nothing but a pleading of infinite value can move to grant us all needful blessings. The Four Special Graces Promised for Devotion to the Dolors of Our Lady: PROMISES: According to St. Alphonsus Liguori, Our Lord revealed to St. Elizabeth of Hungary four special graces that are given to those who are devoted to the dolors of His holy Mother. (1) That those who before death invoke the Blessed Mother in the name of her sorrows, should obtain true repentance of all their sins. (2) That He would protect in their tribulations all who remember this devotion, and that He would protect them especially at the hour of death. (3) That He would impress upon their minds the remembrance of His Passion, and that they should have their reward for it in Heaven. (4) That He would commit such devout clients to the hands of Mary, so that she might obtain for these souls all the graces she wanted to lavish upon them. The Four Necessary Things for a Valid Sacrament: A valid minister [priest or bishop where a Sacrament requires it] Right intention Correct Form Valid Matter The Four Criteria for a Saint to be Named a Father of the Church: (1) Taught correct doctrine----neither a heretic nor confused. (2) Lived a holy life. (3) Approved by the official Church, but not necessarily by a decree. (4) Linked to antiquity-----the earliest centuries of the Church, up to the 8th Century. The Criteria for a Saint to be a Doctor of the Church are the same except for the link to antiquity, but they must be decreed to be such by a Council of the Church of the Roman Pontiff. As of the year 2004 there are 33 Doctors of the Church. TOP OF THE PAGE 5. The Five Chief Means we satisfy God for the temporal punishment due to sin: Prayer Fasting Almsgiving Performing the Works of Mercy, both Spiritual and Corporal [see below] Patiently suffering the ills of life. The Five Holy Wounds: These are the five prominent Wounds in Our Lord's Hands, Feet and Side at His Crucifixion. The Five First Saturdays of Reparation 5 GRACES AND YOUR CROSS TO ALL THOSE FAITHFUL
WHO SHALL RECITE FOR 3 YEARS, EACH DAY, 2 PATERS,
GLORIAS
AND AVES,
IN HONOR OF THE DROPS OF BLOOD I LOST, I WILL CONCEDE THE FOLLOWING (2) You will be free from the pains of Purgatory. (3) If you should die before completing the said 3 years, for you it will be the same as if you had completed them. (4) It will be upon your death the same as if you had shed all your blood for the Holy Faith. (5) I will descend from Heaven to take your soul and that of your relatives, until the fourth generation. The Five Intellectual Virtues are 6. The Six Sins Against the Holy Ghost: Presumption of God's Mercy Despair Impugning the known truth Envy at another's spiritual good Obstinacy in sin Final impenitence TOP OF THE PAGE The Six USA Holy Days: NOTE that Holy Day is also spelled Holyday, whereby the secular term, holiday, is derived. Also note that the US Bishops are permitted to remit a Holy Day if it falls on a weekend other than Sunday. They do not always choose to do so but it has occurred several times since receiving the indult from Rome. These are days other than Sunday on which the faithful are bound to attend Mass and refrain from servile work [if possible, given modern circumstances]. The Circumcision of Our Lord [Trad.] or the Solemnity of Mary [N.O.]------January 1 Ascension Thursday------Forty days after Easter The Assumption------August 15 All Saints' Day------November 1 The Immaculate Conception------December 8 The Nativity of Our Lord------Christmas Day, December 25 The Six Precepts of the Church: (1) To hear Mass on Sundays, and Holy Days of Obligation. (2) To fast and abstain on the days commanded. (3) To confess our sins at least once a year. . (4) To receive the Holy Eucharist at least once at Eastertide. (5) To contribute to the support of our pastors. (6) Not to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times; not to marry persons within the forbidden degrees of kindred, or otherwise prohibited by the Church. TOP OF THE PAGE 7. The Seven Sacraments: Baptism-----Matt. 28:19 Penance-----John 20:23 Eucharist-----Matt. 16:26 Confirmation-----Acts 8:17 Matrimony-----Matt. 19:6 Holy Orders-----Luke 22:19 Extreme Unction-----James 5:14 The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost: Wisdom Understanding Counsel Fortitude Knowledge Piety Fear of the Lord The Seven Godly Virtues: NOTE THEY ARE OPPOSED BY THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS BELOW THIS LIST Humility Liberality [Generosity of spirit in the use of temporal goods] Chastity Meekness Temperance Brotherly Love Diligence The Seven Capital Sins: Covetousness Lust Anger Gluttony Envy Sloth Pride The Seven Joys and Sorrows of Mary Note: The Seven Joys above are called the Franciscan Crown: this is part of the Litanies Directory and not Children, and the Seven Sorrows devotion is part of Mary's Directory. The Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph: NOTE-----THE JOYS AND SORROWS ARE INTERTWINED, THAT IS, THE NUMBERS OF EACH PARALLEL EACH. Seven Sorrows: (1) Anguish after the Annunciation to Him by an Angel (2) Seeing the Child Jesus Born in Poverty (3) The Shedding of Jesus' Blood at His Circumcision (4) The Prophecy of Simeon (5) The Flight into Egypt (6) Fear for the Holy Child at the Returning to Nazareth at the Command of the Angel (7) The Loss of Jesus for Three Days Seven Joys: (1) The Realization of The Incarnation of the Savior (2) The Resplendent Hymns of the Angels at Bethlehem, Christmas Night (3) The Holy Name of Jesus (4) The Knowledge of Salvation of Many Souls by the Redemption of the Cross (5) The Knowledge that the Egyptian Idols Fell (6) Dwelling in gladness in Nazareth with Mary and the Holy Child (7) The Finding of Jesus in the Temple The Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross: (1) Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. (2) This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. (3) Behold thy son; behold thy Mother. (4) My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? (5) I thirst. (6) It is consummated. (7) Father, into Thy hands I deliver My spirit. The Seven Offerings of the Precious Blood The Seven Penitential Psalms These are, of course found in the Book of Psalms of the Old Testament, and they are: Psalms 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129 and 142. They primarily speak of sin, repentance and ask for the mercy of God. The Seven Promises Related to Devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows PROMISES: According to St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), the Blessed Virgin grants seven graces to the souls who honor her daily by saying seven Hail Marys while meditating on her tears and dolors: (1) "I will grant peace to their families." (2) "They will be enlightened about the Divine Mysteries." (3) "I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work." (4) "I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son or the sanctification of their souls." (5) "I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives." (6) "I will visibly help them at the moment of their death-----they will see the face of their mother." (7) "I have obtained this grace from my Divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy." TOP OF THE PAGE 8. The Eight Beatitudes: Amended September 30, 2007 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. 3. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled. 5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. 7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. 8. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Note: In St. Mathew's Gospel there are nine, but the Church places 8 and 9 within the same context, the suffering of persecution, following St. Augustine. Thus, almost every catechism etc., lists 8, not 9. 9. Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and speak all manner of evil against you falsely, because of Me. Eight Promises of St. Joseph: 1. God will grant special graces to those that do not know me, to have a great devotion to me. 2. God will bless all who are married and the blessing in their family will be without limit. 3. Those married and without children will be blessed with offspring. 4. God will give special graces to be delivered from temptations and the attacks of the devil. 5. They shall have a good and happy death. 6. They shall overcome their trials and tribulations. 7. God shall grant them immediate help when they invoke my intercession, for the demons have extreme dread of the invocation of my name. 8. For all those who embrace a St. Joseph cenacle, they shall obtain a more fervent love for Jesus and a true devotion to Most Holy Mary. TOP OF THE PAGE 9. Nine Ways of Being an Accessory to Another's Sin: By counsel By concealment By command By partaking By consent By silence By provocation By defense of the evil done By praise or flattery The Nine Choirs of Angels in Descending Order: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. The Nine First Fridays Devotion of the Sacred Heart------Promise 12 Nine First Wednesdays of St. Joseph: Devotion Promulgated by the Pious Union of St. Joseph Every Wednesday is dedicated in a
special way
to St. Joseph. Make the
Our Lord permits St. Joseph to take from His Divine treasury with full hands in order to give souls the treasures of Divine grace and mercy, like Joseph, the son of Jacob, who took corn from the granaries of the King of Egypt to feed his brethren and all who had recourse to him. From the heights of Heaven, the King of Glory speaks to us the same words as Pharao spoke to the starving people of Egypt: "Go to Joseph." TOP OF THE PAGE The Ten Commandments See Also HERE. [Exodus. 20] 1. I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 3. Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day. 4. Honor thy father and thy mother. 5. Thou shalt not kill. 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 7. Thou shalt not steal. 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. 11. The Eleven Novenas in Honor Mary TOP OF THE PAGE 12. The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Forbearance, Goodness, Benignity [Kindness], Mildness, Fidelity, Modesty, Continency, Chastity. The Twelve Apostles: Simon Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Levi, Thomas, James the Less, Jude Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. After the suicide of Judas, Matthias was chosen to take his place. The Twelve Names Christ gives for Himself in the Gospels, four of which have Life as all or a part of the title: Bread of Life Door Good Shepherd Life Light of the World Lord Master Resurrection and Life Son, Son of Man, Vine, Way, Truth and Life Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart The Thirteen Tuesdays Novena of St. Anthony The Twelve Months of Dedication: January-----The Holy Name of Jesus February-----The Holy Trinity and the Holy Family March-----St. Joseph April-----The Holy Ghost and the Passion of Christ May-----The Blessed Virgin Mary June-----The Blessed Sacrament and the Sacred Heart of Jesus July-----The Precious Blood of Jesus August-----The Most Pure Heart of Mary September-----The Holy Cross October-----The Holy angels and the Holy Rosary November-----The Holy Souls in Purgatory December-----The Immaculate Conception and the Holy Infancy of Jesus TOP OF THE PAGE The Thirteen Tuesdays Novena to St. Anthony The Fourteen Stations of the Cross The Fourteen Works of Mercy consist of 7 Spiritual Works and 7 Corporal: The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are To counsel the doubtful, To instruct the ignorant, To admonish sinners, To comfort the afflicted, To forgive offenses, To bear wrongs patiently and To pray for the living and the dead. The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy are To feed the hungry, To give drink to the thirsty, To clothe the naked, To harbor the harborless [shelter the homeless], To visit the sick, To visit the captives [those in prison] and To bury the dead. The Fourteen
Holy Helpers
St.
George, Martyr, by custom placed first and not in order of Feast Day;
[April
23]
These Saints are invoked as a group, apart from individual patronage, because of the epidemic called the "Black Plague," which devastated Europe between 1346-1349. Among its symptoms were a turning black of the tongue, parching of the throat, violent headache, fever and boils on the abdomen. The malady attacked its victims without warning, robbed them of reason and killed them within a few hours, and many died without the last Sacraments. fear caused many attacks and disrupted social and family ties. To all appearances the disease was incurable. During this affliction, the pious turned toward Heaven, having recourse to the Saints, praying to be spared or cured. Among the Saints invoked were these 14 who already had patronage over certain illnesses or tragedies: St. Christopher and St. Giles, plagues, St. Denis, headaches, St. Blaise, ills of the throat [although St. Ignatius of Antioch is also a patron of those with sore throats], St. Elmo, patron of abdominal maladies [and one of the several Saints having patronage over childbirth, which is not an illness, of course, as well as patron of sailors], St. Barbara, against fever, St. Vitus, [with St. Dymphna, against epilepsy], St. Pantaleon, patron of physicians, St. Cyriacus, recourse in time of temptations, especially at the hour of death; Sts. Christopher, Barbara, and Catherine were appealed to for protection against a sudden, unprovided death; the aid of St. Giles was implored for making a good confession; St. Eustace, patron of all kinds of difficulties, especially family troubles. Domestic animals were also attacked by the plague: Sts. George, Erasmus, Pantaleon and Vitus were invoked for their protection. St. Margaret of Antioch is the patron of safe childbirth deliveries [along with St. Gerard Majella and Raymond Nonnantus]. As devotion spread, Pope Nicholas V in the 16th century attached indulgences to devotion of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, which are no longer attached under the modern norms and grants, although their cultus is still efficacious and to be promoted. TOP OF THE PAGE The Fifteen Promises of the Rosary The Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary The Sixteen Universal Feasts of Mary: Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary-----February 2 The Apparition at Lourdes-----February 11 The Annunciation-----March 25 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary-----July 2 Our Lady of Mount Carmel-----July 16 Our Lady of the Snows-----August 5 The Assumption-----August 15 The Immaculate Heart of Mary-----August 22 The Nativity of Our Lady-----September 8 The Holy Name of Mary-----Septmber 12 The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary-----Septmber 15 Our Lady of Ransom-----September 24 Our Lady of the Rosary-----October 7 The Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary-----October 11 The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary-----November 21 The Immaculate Conception-----December 8 In addition there are many, many other Marian feasts, by region and or country, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Compassion, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of Good Counsel, etc. And many of these are celebrated in most locales. TOP OF THE PAGE The Seventeen Promises of Our Lord to Those Who Practice the Devotion of the Rosary of the Holy Wounds: HISTORY: This devotion to the Holy Wounds and the following promises were revealed by Our Lord to Sr. Mary Martha Chambon (1841-1907), of the Monastery of the Visitation of Chambery. The cause for her beatification was introduced in 1937. PROMISES OF OUR LORD FOR THOSE WHO PRACTICE THIS DEVOTION 1. At each word that you pronounce of the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds, I allow a drop of My Blood to fall upon the soul of a sinner. 2. Each time that you offer to My Father the merits of My Divine Wounds, you win an immense fortune. 3. Souls that will have contemplated and honored My crown of thorns on earth, will be My crown of glory in Heaven! 4. I will grant all that is asked of Me through the invocation of My Holy Wounds. You will obtain everything, because it is through the merit of My Blood, which is of infinite price. With My Wounds and My Divine Heart, everything can be obtained. 5. From My Wounds proceed fruits of sanctity. As gold puri fied in the crucible becomes more beautiful, so you must put your soul and those of your companions into My sacred Wounds; there they will become perfected as gold in the furnace. You can always purify yourself in My Wounds. 6. My Wounds will repair yours. My Wounds will cover all your faults. Those who honor them will have a true knowledge of Jesus Christ. In meditation on them, you will always find a new love. My Wounds will cover all your sins. 7. Plunge your actions into My Wounds and they will be of value. All your actions, even the least, soaked in My Blood, will acquire by this alone an infinite merit and will please My Heart. 8. In offering My Wounds for the conversion of sinners, even though the sinners are not converted, you will have the same merit before God as if they were. 9. When you have some trouble, something to suffer, quickly place it in My Wounds, and the pain will be alleviated. 10. This aspiration must often be repeated near the sick: "My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Thy Holy Wounds!" This prayer will solace soul and body. 11. A sinner who will say the following prayer will obtain conversion: "Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ to heal those of our souls." 12. There will be no death for the soul that expires in My Holy Wounds; they give true life. 13. This chaplet is a counterpoise to My justice; it restrains My vengeance. 14. Those who pray with humility and who meditate on My Passion, will one day participate in the glory of My Divine Wounds. 15. The more you will have contemplated My painful Wounds on this earth, the higher will be your contemplation of them glorious in Heaven. 16. The soul who during life has honored the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ and has offered them to the Eternal Father for the Souls in Purgatory, will be accompanied at the moment of death by the Holy Virgin and the Angels; and Our Lord on the Cross, all brilliant in glory, will receive her and crown her. 17. The invocations of the Holy Wounds will obtain an incessant victory for the Church. The Thirty-Three Petitions in Honor of the Sacred Humanity of Christ The Forty Days of Lent The period from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, dedicated to penance and the remembrance of Our Lord's Passion which began with His 40 days of preparation of fasting and praying in the desert. Forty Hours Devotion A devotion to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament which continues with the Exposition of the Sacred Host for Forty hours duration, when someone must always be present before the altar. |
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