People who do not have a religious background often wonder how a certain faith works. People who do have a religious background also wonder the same thing. And ultimately people also have questions about their own faith. Believing does not always mean knowing. That’s why the how, what and why about the Catholic faith in this article to answer your questions.
The Creeds
Confessions of faith are texts in which the church summarizes its faith. The oldest creeds written are those spoken during a baptism. The most important creeds are those of the apostles and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. This latter confession is actually the expanded version of the apostles’ creed.
Creed of the Apostles
The Apostolic Creed is one of the easy confessions of faith and also has the official name ,the twelve articles of faith,.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by Holy God,
born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, died and buried, who descended into hell, the third day he rose from the dead, who ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Almighty Father
, from there he will come to judge the living and the dead, I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and eternal life.Amen
The Our Father prayer
Jesus himself taught the Our Father prayer to his followers. In the Bible itself, the text of the prayer belongs in the book section ,Matthew,. The prayer goes as follows:
Our Father who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Your Name; Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done, as it is in heaven as it is on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
Amen.
This prayer is one of the most used prayers in the Catholic faith.
God and man
Man is created in God’s image because in this way man is able to know and love both God and fellow man. Man was created by God to resemble Jesus who is the perfect image of God. Because all people have their common origin in God, they are a unity, formed by both body and soul.
The sin
The existence of sin arose from the Bible, and arose when Eve ate the apple from the tree. Because of this incident, man will be (and remain) sinful. Man’s first sin is that, apart from God, he wanted to be equal with God. We also all inherit Original Sin. This is not a personal act, but is the actual missing of original harmony with God. Because of this we are subject to ignorance, suffering and death and prone to sin. God wants to rescue man from sin by sending Jesus, the savior.
Jesus and salvation
Jesus is God’s son. God allowed him to become human so that we could be reconciled to God. This makes Jesus both God and man. The divine and the human are united in Jesus. So Jesus had a soul with human knowledge, and had both a divine and human will. This was the perfect combination to make people believe in God again and free them from sin.
The church and its role in faith
The church is not, as many people think, a building, but is the people that God calls together in communion with Christ. The Bible describes the church as the body of Christ, the people of God. The church arose from the redemptive death and resurrection of Christ and God did not want to sanctify and save people individually, but to make them one people and the church made people one people. The church’s task is:
- Offering spiritual sacrifices (priestly task)
- Believing and witnessing (prophetic task)
- Servant leadership (royal duty)
You belong to the church when you are animated with Christ’s spirit, receive the sacraments, profess the same faith and follow the leadership of the church.
The holy (holiday) days
Christmas
On Christmas Eve on December 24, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ was born the son of Joseph and Mary, although his soul was the soul of God.
Ascension Day
Jesus Christ ascends into heaven forty days after Easter. There he intercedes for us with the Father and then sends us his Spirit.
Easter
The Paschal Mystery is the suffering and death of Jesus, his resurrection and his glorification.
Pentecost
Fifty days after his resurrection, Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit on his disciples.
The Sacraments
There are 7 sacraments in total. These are based on the mysteries of Christ’s life.
Baptism
People are reborn through baptism in which they share in the death and resurrection of Christ. Anyone can be baptized.
Confirmation
at confirmation the holy spirit makes the confirmed person strong. The soul receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, which gives the confirmed person the strength of his faith.
Eucharist
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is made present and his death and resurrection are commemorated.
Confession
Sacrament of healing, but also of penance and reconciliation, in order to remove the tendency to sin.
Anointing of the sick
Sacrament of healing. The priest anoints the sick person with holy oil on the forehead and hands, during which the priest says a prayer.
Ordination
Through ordination someone is ordained in the name of Christ and with the authority of Christ in order to be able to act in the service of the faithful.
Wedding
God ordained the marriage relationship for the good of the spouses and for the procreation and education of children.