It has been a little while since I had anything to say about the fact that we are saved by grace alone. So I will just slip this little post in here to correct that. The Catechism teaches thus: It…
Today we will be considering Catechism sections 1992-1995, which further describe and define justification. Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God,…
In today’s episode we come to a part of the Catechism that teaches us about the effects of justification in our lives. Not only are we reconciled to God but when He receives us He gives us gifts, not unlike…
In this episode of our continuing series on justification as explained in the CCC we come to §1989: The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning…
In our first foray into what the CCC teaches us about justification, it gave us the bird’s-eye, wide-angle-lens view of the doctrine. We learned that justification is the work of the Holy Spirit, a work of free grace; we observed…
I have spent quite some time reviewing passages of Scripture that present problems for the Protestant doctrine of sola fide. More recently we took a look at what the Council of Trent had to say about the Catholic formulation of…
The Catholic Church affirms that under certain conditions the Pope, the Bishops, and in a certain way the Church herself exercises a gift of infallibility. This is a stumbling block for most Protestants. Why is this dogma so important that…
Why did the Catholic Church produce a catechism of several hundred pages’ worth of information? What is the point of that? Is anyone going to remember everything that it says? Of course not. There is way too much there for…
In a previous post I offered a brief argument from Sacred Scripture in defense of apostolic succession. Here are some additional thoughts inspired by CCC §2: Christ sent forth the apostles he had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel:…
In its first section the Catechism says this about God and man’s relation to Him: God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life.…
Aquinas, Etc. 