Question: Does the Bible say anything about having priests in the Church? Answer: Yes it does. God told his people through the mouth of Jeremiah, “I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer 3:15). It was through His holy priesthood that God guided his people and provided for their worship and holiness both in the … Continue reading
Question: How does a person receive salvation? Answer: One would think that such a simple question would have an equally simple answer. But, it doesn’t. That’s because the object in question – salvation – is itself a mysterious reality. Before we can answer this question, we must attempt to define what we mean by the word salvation. We must grasp hold of both its present … Continue reading
Question: Does the Bible say anything about the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick? Answer: Yes it does. The most explicit reference comes from the Letter of St. James: “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith … Continue reading
Question: What is Pentecost? Answer: Most people only know Pentecost as a Christian holiday, one that commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit fell on the apostles and disciples of Christ as they gathered in the Upper Room after the Ascension. While the apostles and disciples remained in Jerusalem out of obedience to Christ (cf. Acts 1:4-5), Scripture tells us that Jews from many different … Continue reading
Question: Does the Bible support the Catholic belief that, in the Mass, the bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ? Answer: It certainly does! Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper when he said of the bread, “Take, eat, this is my body,” and of the wine, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of … Continue reading
Question; Where does the Bible support the authority of the papacy? Answer: The passages that support papal authority all center on Peter. This is because Peter was the first pope of the Church, and every pope who comes after him receives the same power and authority that Peter first held. I don’t have room to provide each passage, so you’ll have to look them up … Continue reading
Question: What are the four marks of the Church? Answer: A mark is a characteristic that identifies or distinguishes a thing from among other things. The Church Jesus founded is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. These are the characteristics that identify His Church from among the hundreds of ecclesial communities, or “churches,” that exist today. The Catechism contains an excellent exposition of all four of … Continue reading