I. “Catholic”?
II. Who is Catholic?
III. What are the true teachings of the Catholic Faith?
IV. Is it necessary to be Catholic to be saved?
V. Can the Church’s Dogmatic teaching change?
VI. What must we do to be truly called Catholic?
In this series we have taken a look at a broad overview of the realities of the Catholic Church and Faith and its necessity for salvation, and so now we will conclude by turning to practical matters. What follows is a list of essential practices which are a natural outgrowth of what we believe in our hearts as Catholics, the truth of Jesus Christ, and a way of showing forth Christ in our own person:
-Hold fast to all of the true teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
-Frequent the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist
-Follow all Six of the precepts of the Church:
1- To attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation
2- To fast and abstain on the days commanded.
3- To confess our sins at least once a year.
4- To receive the Blessed Eucharist at Easter or within the time approved.
5- To contribute to the support of our Pastors.
6- Not to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times; nor to marry persons within the forbidden degrees of kindred, or otherwise prohibited by the Church, nor secretly.
-Devote your life to serving and loving the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the most Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary in whatever state of life God has called you to.
-Set aside at least 15 minutes each day for Mental Prayer.
-Make a good morning offering every day.
-Pray at least 5 decades of the Rosary every day, and join the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.
-Pray 3 Hail Mary’s every morning and every night for holiness and a happy death.
-Resolve to live out Chastity according to your state in life, and join the Confraternity of Angelic Warfare.
-Wear the Brown Scapular (or better yet the Five-fold Scapular) and be enrolled in it.
-Perform the Spiritual Works of Mercy:
To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.
-Perform the Corporal Works of Mercy:
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.
-Reflect on a regular basis if we are living out lives in order to becomes Saints by consulting the questionnaire used by the Church when considering the life of a particular individual up for the process of beatification and canonization.
-Use the following 13 essential and most efficacious means for getting to heaven…
(Compiled by a holy Priest and based upon Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange’s “The Priest in Union with Christ” and Dom Chautard’s “The Soul of the Apostolate”)
-Have a great desire for Holiness, “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.” –Matt 5:48
-Conformity to the Will of God and abandonment to Divine Providence and to follow the Vocation God will’s for us.
-Fidelity to the Graces we receive each day and a devotion to the Holy Ghost
-The practice of the presence of God, i.e. Jesus in the Eucharist and the Blessed Trinity in our Souls when we are in the State of Grace. Attending daily Mass, making spiritual communions, praying the Rosary, etc.
-Examination of conscience each day.
-Frequent Confession.
-External and internal mortification
-Willingness to makes sacrifices.
-Plan of life. Living a timetable each day that makes time for prayer.
–Spiritual Reading, reading of good and holy Catholic books according to our state in life and aptitude.
-Spiritual Direction. Everyone needs regular spiritual director, which means getting a good spiritual director.
-Good friendships. Meaning making friends with those who are trying to live good and holy lives.
–Mental Prayer. “Every Saint, became a Saint, because of mental prayer.” (Saint Alphonsus Liguori)
