2013 holy days of obligation in the Catholic faith
In the Catholic faith, there are six holy days of obligation throughout the year and of course, Sundays are also days of obligation. A holy day of obligation means you …
Meaningful prayer of Repentance
The Act of Contrition is a sincere, humble, but powerful, prayer of apology Catholics offer to God to petition for the forgiveness of their sins. Recitation of the Act of …
The Purpose of Church
Christianity necessarily involves the Church for one becomes a part of the Body of Christ which is the Church when they enter a relationship with Jesus. The great marriage feast …
Ideas for Modern Outreach ministry
When you get the feeling that you are being called by God to do something, and you don’t quite know what, you may feel as if you are being pulled …
Is Christian Perfection a Goal or a Given Grace?
‘Works’ based religions, or those religions which base their perfection on their works, will tell you perfection is a goal to be attained. They measure this perfection by the purity …
‘Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’: A rich, castrated African meets an Apostle
In Chapter 8 of the New Testament’s Book of Acts, verses 26-40, a eunuch official of the Ethiopian queen has just completed a religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem and is beginning …
Doctrine of the laity
There are two competing and yet insufficient doctrinal perspectives concerning church laity. Laity is a term applied to those who are not governing leaders in the church. One perspective is that …
A book Review of Mere Christianity by C S Lewis
While Mere Christianity was one of C. S. Lewis‘ most popular works, it cannot claim the number one spot. This would have to go to his timeless series, The Chronicles …
Bible Study: James’ teaching on patience
As, Christians, we understand that God finds it in his heart to be patient and forgiving of mankind. Shouldn’t we as Christians try to follow his example? Yet, it’s human …
Saint Francis de Sales is the saint writers look to
St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of writers and journalists because of all the writing he did. For Catholic writers, St. Francis de Sales is perfect to pray …
Are the Christian Scriptures to be taken seriously?
Throughout history, able and qualified scholars have debated the validity of the Christian Scriptures. By “Christian Scriptures” one means the sixty-six books of the canon as laid down by historical …
Two ways to get more out of your Bible reading
When approaching the Bible, it is important that one never approach it as just another book. First of all, it is a collection of sixty-six different books and letters, written …
Vengeance Belongs to God
Forgiving is easy so long as the discussion is non-specific to any individual. Almost every Christian can preach a sermon on forgiveness. Christians explain the Lord’s Prayer to new converts …
Why Church History Matters?
Jacques Barzun, a well known French historian known best as a philosopher of education said: “Of all the means of estimating American character . . . the pursuit of religious …
Jesus is Salvation
The man was created to live in a vibrant relationship with God. When people live apart from that reality they live in a habitat not conducive to the fullness of …
Easter resurrection of Jesus
Paul wrote in Romans that if Jesus did not rise from the dead all is in vain. All of Christianity hinges on the reality of one very important event, the …
The Kingdom revealed in the parable of the Sower and the Seed
Jesus often used parables to convey the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Stories are more adept at importing eternal truths to the heart than traditional lectures. Often, we take …
Saints for the Blind
In the Catholic faith, patron saints are turned to for specific troubles or situations. Catholics pray with and through the saints for help with any and all life situations. Keep …
The power of living water to bring salvation
When Jesus appeared in Israel announcing himself as the long-awaited savior of the world, he presented an offer of living water to all who would receive it. This offer was …
Catholic Ways to Celebrate Pentecost
Pentecost, which comes fifty days after Easter, is considered the birthday of the Catholic church. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles and Mary, Mother of God, were frightened and …
Christians Can Lose Salvation
Some claim that a Christian cannot lose salvation while others claim that he/she can. The belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation is often called “eternal security.” It is important …
How to plan a Vacation Bible School
Its summertime and chances are a church near you is hosting a vacation Bible school. Churches across America utilize VBS as a catalyst in reaching families by first ministering to …
Living Words: The Christian Scriptures
The New Testament is often referred to as “The Christian Bible” or “The Christian Scriptures.” This is a bit of a misnomer because the vast majority of Bibles that Christians …
Where to look for God
“Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be open unto you.” Matthew 7:7 We can find God in loving acts of charity, unexplained nature, and through fundamental beliefs. …
The Benefits of Belonging to a Christian Church
The notion of belonging to a local church having a dramatic impact on a person’s faith is not new. In the early days of the church, the local “body” of …
Finding Wisdom in your Bible
The Bible is a book of wisdom. From Genesis to Revelation, the verses are inspirational, educative, guiding and/or cautioning. There are a total of 222 verses that contain the word wisdom in the …
God’s reflection in adversities How do you know you are living out the love of God?
Look at the picture intently. These flowers no matter how limited they are, or wherever they may bloom, still reflect Father’s glory. Many religious writings tackle about the love of …
How is Character Built?
We love people who are gracious and humble: Mother Teresa, Frederick Douglass, Jesus Christ . . . . The very fiber of these individuals echoes through time. How exactly is …
Is the Bible fact or fiction?
Academics, who purely study religion from an objective perspective, and other outsiders of the Christian faith may look at the Bible as little more than a book of fables and …
The Apostolic Church the Founding Fathers of Christianity
An apostle is a person in whom Christ placed the responsibility of disseminating the primary principles of his teachings. Jesus’ teaching consisted essentially of social justice and peace everlasting in …
The significance of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus
One of the most well-known examples of betrayal is that perpetrated by Judas Iscariot toward his master Jesus Christ. The impact of this one action has had various effects that …
James Hudson Taylor (1832-1905): A missionary with a heart for China
“No other missionary…since the Apostle Paul has had a wider vision and has carried out a more systematized plan of evangelizing a broad geographical area than Hudson Taylor.” – Ruth …