I will always go back to my youth for the definition of a sacrament – “A sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace.” For those of us who grew up during the era of the Baltimore catechism, this was etched into our consciousness from an early age. And I still think … Continue reading The Sacraments – An Overview
Nature of Christ
The Resurrection Part 2
In my last post I quoted the Episcopal bishop who said that “we don’t know what happened to Jesus after his death,” referring to an understanding that the physical resurrection of Christ is not necessary for the Christian faith. That is a befuddling statement for any Christian to make. Scripture tells us exactly what happened … Continue reading The Resurrection Part 2
The Resurrection Part 1
In 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 St. Paul writes “Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in … Continue reading The Resurrection Part 1
The Hypostatic Union Part 2
The two natures of Christ, human and divine, can be found in Sacred Scripture. The evidence in Sacred Scripture that Christ is indeed God was provided here (post 1, post 2). We’ll now look at the evidence found in Scripture that Jesus was truly man. For there we see that Christ got hungry, could be … Continue reading The Hypostatic Union Part 2
The Hypostatic Union Part 1
While perhaps not as recognized as the theological terms of the Trinity and Incarnation, the dogma of the Hypostatic Union is equally as important to understand who is the person of Jesus Christ. This dogma professes the revealed truth that in Christ, one person subsists in two natures, the Divine and the human. The Catechism … Continue reading The Hypostatic Union Part 1
Jesus as the Son of Mary – the Incarnation
The first reason given by the Catechism that God becomes man is in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.” (CCC457). Jesus is able to save us because he becomes one of us, representing humanity to the Father and … Continue reading Jesus as the Son of Mary – the Incarnation
Jesus is God – The Trinity in Scripture, Part 2
There is a great deal of evidence in Scripture that tells us that Jesus is God. Perhaps no passage is clearer than this one: John 1:1-3,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through … Continue reading Jesus is God – The Trinity in Scripture, Part 2