The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated every December 8. It is considered a holy day of obligation or patronal feast and some countries even declare it a public holiday. As this date draws near, let us look back to the meaning of this doctrine to better appreciate its significance in our Catholic Faith.
One of God’s greatest teachings is to love our neighbors just as we love ourselves. It is impossible to be capable of love without feeling mercy and compassion.
Both mercy and compassion refer to the concern we feel for people in need. But although they seem synonymous in the surface, and their usage is sometimes interchanged, they have significant differences.
The role of the Catholic Church in society has existed for many centuries. The Catholic Church is more than an institution. Its influence and authority extends beyond borders, embracing everyone from all walks of life.
It is a home founded in love and faith – the everlasting love God promised his people and the unwavering faith they honour Him with for the rest of their days. When the times get tough, His people turn to him for guidance and there is no better place to find that than in the arms of the church.
Catholic evangelization is one of the main responsibilities of the church and it is as relevant today as it was in the formative years of the early Christian church. The Catholic Church is not just an evangelizer, she is a community made up of believers. As members of the Catholic Church, we all share the responsibility to spread the good news to others.
The Catholic Church teaches us to hold marriage as sacred. It is a gift from the hand of God, who created male and female in his image so that they may become one body. The vision of marriage for the Catholic Church is deeply rooted in the Scripture. In marriage, the love between a man and a woman is blessed by God, a union in faith and a response to God’s call to holiness. The couple becomes the symbol of God’s love on earth.
As Catholics, do we have any special considerations to keep in mind when naming our child? Are we required to name our child after a saint or can we name them with anything we want? What are the reasons why parents choose the name of saints as Catholic baby names?
Are you struggling in your spiritual life? Do you find yourself feeling indifferent toward your religious convictions? If so, you might be experiencing demonic oppression.
Demonic oppression may sound like the stuff that horror movies are made of but it is a very real concern for us Catholics.
A papal conclave is important to us members of the Catholic Faith on so many levels. To better understand the historical, cultural and personal significance of a papal conclave we need to know what this process is about.
IVF is one of the many methods used to overcome infertility but this procedure has stirred up many moral and religious debates. What is IVF and what is the the views of the Catholic Church on it?
There are about 65.6 million refugees, asylum seekers and migrants around the world according to the UN Refugee Agency. Beyond this unprecedented figure are stories of people who have been forced away from the security of their own homes and have to find their way in strange, unfamiliar countries.
Salvation and redemption are at the core of our Catholic Faith. You have probably read about salvation in the bible or heard the word redemption during mass. Are these two concepts interchangeable? What are their key differences?
A pilgrimage is a journey that pilgrims make to a place that is considered holy. To us Catholics, a pilgrimage is more than just traveling to historic sites and viewing religious relics. It is a journey with a deeper and more spiritual meaning.
As Christians, we are expected to manifest the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives. These twelve fruits are different from the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. They are granted to us during our baptism and perfected through the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The seven gifts serve as virtues for us to follow while the twelve fruits are the actions that those virtues produce. We are expected to manifest these fruits in our lives as Christians.
Did you know Physician-assisted suicide is legal in five US states? Although it may seem like a viable option if we think about the painful effects of the patient’s degenerative disease, it is not reason enough to consider ending a life.
Some temptations are easier to overcome than others and we often hear people use the phrase, “I am only human and humans are bound to sin” in order to justify falling into temptation. But is this argument valid?
The Catholic Faith liturgy follows its own unique set of religious rituals and traditions which are part of the Catholic Mass Order. As a member of the Catholic Faith, you probably observed some of these practices which include sitting, standing and kneeling during mass. So why do we do these things and what do they signify?
As Catholics we have been taught about charity work through the gospels and various practices like outreaches. Thomas Aquinas esteems charity as “the most excellent of the virtues.” What does charity mean in the context of the Catholic Faith and why is charity work important to us as Catholics?
Some people put religion at the center of their family relationships and traditions while others do not put as much importance on it. Let’s look into the differences between religious and nonreligious families to better understand how religion affects their relationships.
Catholic cremation is a divisive topic within the Catholic Faith community because not many people understand the Church’s teachings on it. When a loved one passes away, it is up to surviving family members to make arrangements regarding what to do with the remains and cremation may come up as a possible option.
Let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of Catholic cremation and what the Church says about it.
Both the cross and the crucifix are important symbols in the Catholic Faith. To non-Catholics these two may look similar but certain meaningful differences exist between them and these differences can mean a lot to Catholic devotees. As a result, some Catholics may struggle in deciding whether to embrace a crucifix or just stick to a plain cross for use in their daily spiritual devotion.
