There are many tools that a Catholic can use in deepening his love and understanding for God. I don’t think one can devise a single manual that can include all the important aspects needed to enriching one’s faith. I would prefer to think we need a toolbox - in which we possess all the tools necessary for helping us to become a good Catholic. While salvation is available to all outside the Catholic Church, because, afterall, some tools do exist outside of the Church; Catholics believe that our Church, the Church founded by Christ, possesses ALL the tools necessary for salvation. As Catholics, everyone should familiarise themself with these tools and utilise them frequently. I will attempt to mention some of them here and, because I am sure I will no doubt omit a few, I invite anyone else who can think of any to list them here as well.

Those of you who have read what I have had to say in the past will know of my love for mission statements and how they keep us focussed on the mission at hand. A good Catholic toolbox should first include a mission statement for Catholics. I was taught mine early on as a young boy from loving nuns who knew the importance of instilling faith in children at a young age. They taught me the catechism early on, and one of the first things they taught me was my purpose in life - who made me, what I was doing here, and where I was going.

Who created you? God created me. Why did God create you? God created me to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world and to be with Him in the next. This is the essence of life. This is the secret to life. This is why we exist. It’s that simple. This is our mission statement. It is everyone’s purpose in life to do those things in life that sanctify them sufficiently enough or make them holier enough, that eventually, they can be reunited with God. Believe it or not, we are all called to be saints, to dwell with God for eternity. We are called to become like Christ. This is our calling in life, our vocation. It isn't easy. If we are fortunate we get the job done in this life. If not, then some of us get a second chance in the next life, in Purgatory.

The Apostle’s Creed - Every Catholic should memorize this prayer. It states clearly what the Holy Catholic Church teaches. It summarises the tenets of the Catholic faith and when recited, reminds Catholics and informs others in what Catholics believe.

The Bible - A good Catholic Bible is essential in the spiritual growth of everyone. I would recommend that a person should read scripture for a minimum of 20 minutes per day. (A plenary indulgence is also granted for this provided all the other conditions are met.) In addition, it would not hurt to have a good Catholic bible commentary or concordance at the ready to be used whenever questions arise.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church - Everyone should own a copy of this book and use it frequently. This book is the second “greatest book ever written”. It contains the blue print for salvation. The catechism explains our faith to us. It not only tells us how our faith is to be practised and utilised for salvation but also, gives us the theological understanding for what we believe. It is every Catholic's obligation to learn the teachings of the Catholic Church to the best of their ability.

A good Catholic toolbox should include encouragement of frequent use of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and of the Holy Eucharist. The Church recommends that to realize the full benefit of the these sacraments for the graces they provide, one should avail themselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation weekly, and of the Holy Eucharist, daily.

Spiritual Direction - It is important to lay out a program with your spiritual director (priest, deacon, religious, or qualified lay person) of spiritual awareness that is designed to develop the expertise the Christian needs to realize his mission statement. Spiritual direction should include: 1.) Monthly meetings of about one hour in length with a spiritual director to plan and develop a program of Christian practice. 2.) Personal prayer time (20 minutes per day minimum) preferably before Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Learn all of the frequently used prayers in the Church. Pray the rosary daily. For some, this will also involve praying the Breviary daily. 3.) Frequent reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist (see above). 4.) Daily scripture readings (see above). 5.) Frequent and on-going charitable acts of love and kindness to others - caring for the sick, visiting shut-ins, helping the poor, etc. We should not pay lip service to these most important duties but rather should get involved on a regular basis in these efforts through Church ministerial and/or volunteer work. The best way to accomplish this is to volunteer at the parish level. In doing so, besides helping others, you will inadvertently assist yourself in learning more about and enriching your Catholic faith.

Practice a good work ethic. Everyone has to contribute to society. Work is ennobling. It is sanctifying in that it maintains and/or improves God’s creation. We are all called to be contributors to the human condition if we are able to. It is our obligation as Christians.

I suppose some were hoping for a magic formula that would get us to heaven on a fast and easy track. I am afraid God didn’t set it up that way. He wants us to give ourselves to Him out of love and of our own free will in the same way His Son gave all for us. This sometimes takes effort on our part. We are all called to participate. In practising our faith fully, by carrying out all of the above, we realise the full potential of our vocation in life.

Hopefully, this is only a beginning to our Catholic toolbox and anyone who would like to add additional tools to it is welcome to do so.

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), March 17, 2003

Answers

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Holy Bump!

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

"While salvation is available to all outside the Catholic Church..."

You do mean that it is available to those outside the Church in so far as they have the option of entering into the Church, whereby they might achieve salvation... right?

Because they way you wrote it above, it seems like you are saying that salvation can be found outside the Church.

It can't be found outside the Church, and to say as much would is heresy.

The most interesting thing people say in response to this is "why Emerald, that contradicts new understandings of Church teaching, and ironically, places you outside the Church and therefore you damn yourself by your own words". To which I would respond "what does it matter, since according to your new understandings there can be salvation outside the Church, hence I can still be saved. At this point the so-called admonishment thereby loses what pitiful semblence of any feigned dignity it was proposed to have in the first place, in some twisted composite of a double absurdity.

Using a lousy Pascal's Wager is enough to confirm the truth here... let alone thousands of years of Church teaching on the matter, that there is in fact, no salvation outside the Church.

Burn me at the stake, please. Ban me, moderator.

If you believe me to be a heretic, then drop and do 50 and save my soul.

Tobasco sauce for your eyes. Love ya!

=)

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

The first intelligent thing I heard from you, Ed - to read at least 20 min. a day the Bible!!! Congratulations on that! You'r accepted! Greetings!

-- Harry (HarryB56@hotmail.com), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Salvation is possible outside the church but only if someone doesn't know of the Church. We pray at mass everyday that "Lord, may this sacrifice which has mad our peace with you, advance the peace and salvation of ALL the world." Through the Gift of the Eucharist and the Prayers of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church, God's grace and mercy goes out beyond any barriers. Moved by grace, God's love is shown in the work of Christians everywhere. God cannot be placed in a box as we all know.

It is truly right to say that there is no salvation outside the church but really where does the church end and where does it begin? Does it only exist between the walls of St. Mary parish or St. Joe's?

Granted those who refuse to work with God's grace and those who refuse to seek Christ are taking grave chances, we have no idea of God's mercy. Remember, the Catholic Church assures us that some people are in heaven...they are canonized. Never in the history of our Church (2000 years+) have we ever said somebody was in hell.

May we continue to pray for all who do not have their "toolboxes" filled with all the tools necessary for salvation (sacraments).

Our salvation isn't achieved through anything but the goodness and mercy of God. But at the same time we are called to give witness through our living and good works so that our faith has body and girth!

-- patrick (Patrick@truth.com), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

"May we continue to pray for all who do not have their "toolboxes" filled with all the tools necessary for salvation (sacraments)."

No argument from me on this one. Keep doing it with every breath you take, every move you make. Every cake you bake.

I'm glad you said that... about the sacraments. I like it.

Pray incessantly for the salvation of souls; don't let anyone call you a hypocrite. It's the first thing levied against you when you begin to walk the path of holiness, as if... as if, believe or not, to stay where you are and not seek truth, not seek holiness, is the better option so as to avoid becoming a hypocrite.

I say damn the hypocricy. Go holy and walk the narrow path, admonish others to do the same. Let those who fear hypocracy see that fear for what it is, as lukewarmness, as the talent that was buried for fear of the hard Master's return... what little they have will be taken from them.

Light a fire underneath people's butts.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Patrick, you’ve made an excellent point that I obviously skimmed over and that is: the most important tools of all to be found in our Catholic toolbox are the seven holy sacraments. Thanks for pointing this out.

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Jmj
Hello, Emerald.

You quoted Ed L as saying, "... salvation is available to all outside the Catholic Church ..."
Then you asked him: "You do mean that it is available to those outside the Church in so far as they have the option of entering into the Church, whereby they might achieve salvation ... right?"

I wonder if, by using the words, "entering into the Church," you mean formally entering her (being baptized [if not previously baptized], registering as a parishioner, being open to receive post-baptismal sacraments, etc.)? Please let me know.
Another way for me to clarify things is to ask you if there is a way in which an adult who has died unbaptized with water could nonetheless have "enter[ed] into the [Catholic] Church." If so, please mention all the ways in which this would be possible.

You also wrote: "[Salvation] can't be found outside the Church, and to say as much would be heresy."
You are correct, but it is important to understand exactly what the Church has always meant in proclaiming that dogma.

You continued: "The most interesting thing people say in response to this is 'why Emerald, that contradicts new understandings of Church teaching ..."
You won't hear me "say[ing that] in response." I don't refer to "new understandings," but to perennial truths.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Hey John.

Are you sure you want to do this? Because I just went through the whole thing with Chris B. a little while back, and it all went reasonably well I think, regardless of which side you take... but it takes a lot of time and effort if you know what I mean.

I'm not sure everyone really even gets the question, let alone the answer. There's like this incredible fog in the air that's so thick it doesn't seem like people are even sure that two and two are really four anymore; and personally, it has taken me a tremendous amount of effort and stress to cut through this modern mess for my own sake let alone presuming to be able to hand off anything of value to anyone else. After all, I'm a miserable failure myself.

So in a way, I'm willing to get into it; but on the other hand, why not just pray for everyone's salvation, you know. Maybe we would just be wasting a lot of precious time, assuming either of us actually had something more noble to devote our mental energy to.

It's no secret to you that I am at odds with myself as to whether spending any time at all in here is a worthy pursuit, or pleasing to God for that matter. Hellifiknow.

Blowing you off? No, not at all. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten into that long drawn out ecumenical dialogue with Chris about the issue some time back.

It is a lot of work, you know.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

I agree with Emerald. There is no salvation outside the Church. To say so would be to mock the popes that declared an Ex-Cathedra on this. St. Paul was a tentmaker but he never could picture the new big tent philosophy that makes the tent cover the whole world. This is humanism and not Catholicism. God is just and merciful, and will take care of the details, but in the meantime stick with Church teachings.

-- Ed Richards (loztra@yahoo.com), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

John, thanks for helping me out and trying to clarify some things regarding salvation outside the Church. I purposely didn’t reply to Emerald because quite frankly I don’t understand his writing.

Emerald, I am sorry and I mean no disrespect to you, but I simply can never decipher very much of what you say. It never seems to make sense to me. The problem is no doubt mine, but thankfully, there always seems to be someone around who understands what you are saying and who is willing to dialogue with you. In your latest comment about salvation outside the Church I was going to suggest you read Dominus Iesus but correct me if I am wrong, it seems to me that in the past you have admitted to reading this document and weren’t able to glean much understanding from it. My thinking then was, if the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith can’t convince there is salvation for those outside the Church then I certainly won’t be able to.

In Dominus Iesus, the Church is tells us that a non-Catholic (whether Christian or otherwise) receives a grace of salvation from Christ. This grace of salvation is only gained through a "mysterious relationship with the Church". The Church professes that these individuals receive their salvific reward only through the Church herself as the body of Christ. She however, reaffirms the necessity of conversion to Christ and of adherence to the Church through Baptism and the other sacraments. The Church is clearly saying that those outside of the Church while the possibility exists to attain salvation, are at a distinctive disadvantage and are deprived of the "fullness of the means of salvation" ie. the sacraments; nevertheless She acknowledges that salvation outside the Church (not a baptized Catholic) through this mystical grace bestowed by Her as the Body of Christ, is possible. While not wanting to put words into John’s mouth, I believe this is what John was getting at when he asked you for clarification when he wrote, “I wonder if, by using the words, "entering into the Church," you mean formally entering her (being baptized [if not previously baptized], registering as a parishioner, being open to receive post-baptismal sacraments, etc.)” Clearly you don’t have to be a baptized Catholic to attain salvation. Heaven isn’t only filled with Catholics. If on the other hand your point is that even non-Catholics require the Church as the Body of Christ to acquire this grace and so, can be classified loosely as being members of the Church, then your point is well taken.

Ed R. for your information there are some excellent articles here on the internet about the point you’ve raised regarding former statements made by the Church, most notably, John Hardin and David Palm among them. The explain in detail how there is no contradiction down through the centuries concerning salvation outside the Church.

So much for the original topic of this thread.

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

"Emerald, I am sorry and I mean no disrespect to you, but I simply can never decipher very much of what you say. It never seems to make sense to me."

By no means offended, Ed... in fact, you made my day; I was rotflol. I got a kick out of the honesty. It's awesome! Don't ever get rid of the honesty.

Yes, Dominus Iesus and a couple other documents are at the root of the issue which actually came under scrutiny long before Vatican II. You are current that that document and others say what you say they do.

What I'm saying to John is that this topic, if you really pursue it in the forum, takes an incredible amount of time and effort to discuss and I'm not sure I'm up to it right now. Plus I did discuss it at length with Chris just a little while ago.

By answering John's questions, a long a tiresome thread will ensue. Make no mistake, John knows exactly what my responses to those questions are.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

"You are current..."

I meant, "you are correct".

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

I derailed your thread. My apologies; please continue...

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Jmj
Hi, guys.

Emerald, you wrote: "Are you sure you want to do this? Because I just went through the whole thing with Chris B a little while back, and it all went reasonably well I think, regardless of which side you take... but it takes a lot of time and effort if you know what I mean."

No, I don't really "want to do this." It's just that you made a "significant" comment in your reply to Ed L, and something made me go against my better judgment and speak up! I'd rather drop it, to be honest with you. Just after returning to the forum (about a week ago), I left a post saying that subjects like this have pretty much been beaten to death over the past year, and I can use a long vacation from them. (By the way, I left the forum for more than a month, so I didn't see your debate with Chris B. Being brutally honest, I would have to say that I probably wouldn't have read it if I had been here! [No offense intended.])

Ed L, I just wanted to let you know that Emerald has left plenty of posts that I have not understood either. But fairly frequently he takes a break from the LSD and posts some very lucid things. [Just kidding, folks. Emerald uses only legal substances and beverages.]

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), March 17, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

lol!!!

"I'd rather drop it, to be honest with you."

You got a deal. I want to figure out this Flash software that Hollis turn me on to anyways. Thanks Hollis.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 18, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Hey John, I think you'll appreciate this; I think it probably matches the imagery you had in mind.

Enjoy!

You might say I am high by desire, experiencing the effects without having actually participated in the illegal substances. haha!

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 18, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

Yes, Ed L. I forgot to mention that Emerald is from California -- also called the "Left Coast" and the "Land of Fruit and Nuts." I guess that we must cut him a little slack!
JFG

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), March 18, 2003.

Response to Manual For Becoming a Practising Catholic

It's the cheese!

Don't forget, Junipero Serra was here before all you backeaster's decided to leave that place and come hither to this place...

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), March 18, 2003.