Celibacy
"He who is unmarried careth about the things of the Lord, how he may please God" (i Cor. vii. 32). THE Catholic Church recognizes matrimony as a holy state. She recommends celibacy to those desiring greater perfection, and enjoins it on her pries... Ceremonies Necessary To Divine Worship
THE angels are pure spirits. They have no body. Consequently the worship they render God is spiritual, interior. The heavenly bodies are not spiritual, but entirely material substances. They render God a sort of external worship according to the w... Ceremonies Of The Mass
THE Mass is the great sacrifice of the New Law. It was foreshadowed by all the sacrifices ordained by God in the Old Law. They were shadows; it is the substance. We learn from Genesis of the fall of man. Universal tradition, as well as Scripture,... Conclusion
"If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments" (Matt. xix. 17). WHEN Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, He did so in order to lead us into life, to open heaven for all mankind. How important our salvation must be, then, for which Christ ... Confession Of Sin
"Whom when He saw He said: Go, show yourselves to the priests" (Luke xvii. 14). "Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained" (John xx. 23). THE whole of the... Confirmation
"Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts viii. 17). BEFORE the coming of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost, the apostles were weak and vacillating. One of them betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of silver; anoth... Crucifixes Relics And Images
"Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them nor serve them" (Ex. xx. 4, 5). ... Devotion To The Blessed Sacrament
"And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke, and gave to His disciples, and said: take ye and eat. This is My body" (Matt. xxvi. 26). PERHAPS no mystery of revelation has been so universally attacked as the Real Pres... Granting Indulgences
"Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven" (Matt xviii. 18). OF THE many practices of the Church, few have been the cause of more controversy than that... Holy Communion
"He that eateth this bread shall live forever" (John vi. 59) HOLY communion is receiving the body and blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The clergy when saying Mass, except on Good Friday, receive under both forms. When not celebrating Mass... Honoring The Blessed Virgin
"The angel Gabriel was sent from God . . . to a Virgin . . . and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in said to her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women" (Luke i. 26, 28). "From henceforth all... Infant Baptism
"Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can not enter into the kingdom of God" (John iii 5). WHILE most Christians admit the necessity of Baptism for adults, the Catholic Church is alone in insisting ... Praying For The Dead
"It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins" (2 Mach. xii. 46). NO ONE will deny that the practice of praying for the dead is reasonable, if the dead are benefited by our prayers. Tha... Praying To The Saints
"And may the angel that delivereth me from all evils bless these boys" (Gen. xlviii. 16). "So I say to you there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance" (Luke xv. 10). "For in the resurrection they [the saints] shal... Respect Shown To Ecclesiastical Superiors
"We are ambassadors for Christ; God, as it were, exhorting by us" (2 Cor. v. 20). "As the Father sent me, I also send you" (John xx. 21). "Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark xvi. 15). THE respect Cathol...

Some Sacramentals Vespers And Benediction Praying For The Dead Ceremonies Of The Mass Celibacy Confirmation The Ceremonies Of The Catholic Church Vestments Used By The Priest At Mass

Crucifixes Relics And Images The Celebration Of Feasts Devotion To The Blessed Sacrament Honoring The Blessed Virgin Infant Baptism Respect Shown To Ecclesiastical Superiors Conclusion The Last Sacraments