Have you ever considered the fact that all priests, bishops and consecrated religious men and women first lived as members of the lay faithful, often as teenagers seeking to discern the vocation in life to which God was calling them, before they were ordained or consecrated to God?

Article 125 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series Paragraphs 1638-1642 This section of the Catechism begins: “From a valid marriage arises a bond between the spouses which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive; furthermore, in a Christian marriage the spouses are strengthened and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state by a special sacrament” (ccc 1638).

Article 124 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series Paragraphs 1621- 1637 Like some of our readers, my parents were married prior to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Although faithful Christians, however, my mom and dad were not permitted to exchange vows within a Nuptial Mass at my mom’s home parish, the Cathedral Church, because my dad had not yet converted to the Catholic faith. Instead, because my dad was a Methodist, my parents were married in a back chapel near the sacristy (reserved for those in “mixed marriages,” which means marriages between Catholics and Protestants, and “disparity of cult marriages” between Catholics and non-Christians). This, of course, was a compromise to what the Catechism calls “the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful [that] normally takes place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ” (ccc 1621).

Statistically, it would seem that not many people who respond “I do” to the wedding vow “until death do us part” really mean what they say. Yet, a general survey among faithfully married couples or new widows or widowers would seem to confirm that the glue that kept their marriage together was their faith in Christ and the promise they made before God on their wedding day. This promise is summarized succinctly in the opening paragraph of this section of the Catechism.

If you were asked about the doctrine of indulgences, would you say that indulgences are something that is “old fashioned,” “outdated” or “pre-Vatican II”? In fact, indulgences are included in the Catechism as a legitimate, present-day teaching of the Church. The Catechism states: “The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance” (ccc 1471).

This section of the Catechism provides an overview of how, though various forms of penance, interior conversion helps a person become more faithful to Christ. Ordinarily, there are at least two ways for Our Savior Jesus Christ to enter our lives. We can invite him in before a tragedy happens or when there is nowhere else to go but to him; or, he will invite himself into our lives after a tragedy happens.

Jesus’s titles are many throughout the New Testament. One highlighted in this section of the Catechism is Jesus as “physician.” Specifically, Jesus is referred to as the “physician of our souls and bodies,” who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health (ccc 1421).

I love telling the story of an experience I had in my first parish as a newly ordained priest. It happened that my sitting room was on the second floor of the rectory looking out toward the front door of the parish church across the street. Over the course of several months, a car stopped shortly after 5 p.m. in front of the church.

A wonderful way to begin the New Year 2019 is to make a pledge to fall in love, more and more, with Jesus — present in the Eucharist! Like many, my recognition of Jesus being fully present in the Eucharist was a kind of spiritual awakening that happened to me in high school. It was the moment when I realized, not only intellectually, but emotionally and spiritually, that Jesus is indeed fully, substantially, and in every way, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.

“Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24). This passage from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians reminds me of a banner prominently displayed in our school chapel when I was in high school. It was not a chintzy hanging with felt letters prepared freehand-style and fastened with Elmer’s glue, a familiar sort of banner that was often seen in churches in the years following the Second Vatican Council.

Christmas is all about active participation in the lives of our families, friends and neighbors. We offer one another best wishes of the Christmas season as we prepare gifts, in imitation of the Magi who gave “gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” ( Mt 2:11) to the Christ Child.

Most of us have heard the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium 11). What this means, as the Catechism states, is that “the other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.

As a high school student, I would help our parish priest during the weekdays by opening and closing the church and parish hall for special events. On one occasion, I was asked to open the church for a new group that was coming to our parish called the Charismatic Renewal.

As a high school student, I would help our parish priest during the weekdays by opening and closing the church and parish hall for special events. On one occasion, I was asked to open the church for a new group that was coming to our parish called the Charismatic Renewal.

Throughout our diocese, our country and beyond, young Catholics prepare to be sealed by the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of confirmation. Like those who came before them, those preparing for the Rite of Confirmation are often overwhelmed by the signs and symbols surrounding this ancient sacrament. Paramount among these is “the sign of anointing,” which is “rich in meaning” (ccc 1293).

 When the sacrament of confirmation is mentioned, my thoughts ordinarily jump to the Holy Spirit, Who we first received in the sacrament of baptism. My memory of my own confirmation also included a tap on the cheek from the bishop during the confirmation ceremony as a reminder that the life of a Christian includes sacrifi ce and participation in the suffering of Christ.

When a new, beautiful baby is born into the world, it is generally the case that people will say, “what a beautiful baby” or “what a beautiful little miracle” or “what a beautiful child of God!” Why? Because one is suddenly struck by the mystery of a tiny baby having grown inside the mother’s womb.

In a recent conversation with a convert to our precious Catholic faith, she asked that as a widow, whether there was a special ritual she could participate in so as to consecrate herself to Jesus. I explained that she had already accomplished this when she was consecrated to Christ in baptism.

Regardless of one’s religious affiliation, at one time, people who served in the medical field not only understood the importance of the sacrament of Baptism, but even performed the Sacrament in emergency situations. In recent years, however, it is unclear whether anyone besides Catholic clergy even understands the necessity of baptism.

This section of the Catechism brings us to the beginning of several articles that deal with the seven sacraments of the Church, including the three Sacraments of Initiation – “Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – [which] lay the foundations of every Christian life” (ccc 1212).