The Catholic Faith
THE ONE-WORD-RELIGION
Our religion is to know Jesus: to know him personally as an intimate friend. “I do not call you servants, but my friends”. Without this friendship there is no religion. He welcomes all, saint and sinner, rich and poor, learned and illiterate, the well and the ill. His friendship will change us radically – to our very roots.
Our religion is not learning but experiencing – experiencing Jesus.
We need him;
We need to be loved: “he loved his own in the world and to the end”
We need peace of mind: “my peace I give you”
We need to be free from anxiety: “let not your hearts be troubled”
We need to relax: “come to me, I will give you rest”
We need to be free from fear: “Do not be afraid”
We need forgiveness: “her sins, her many sins, are forgiven her”.
We need joy in our life: “I say these things that your joy may be complete”.
We need to live life to the full: “I have come that you may have life and to the full”.
“You believe in God, believe also in me”
These gifts can be ours to the full: “he who asks will receive, he who seeks will find and he who knocks will have the door opened”
We are lost in the maze of life: “I have come to seek and search for the lost”
We are slaves of sin: “The Spirit is upon me: to liberate captives”
We don’t know where to turn; “I am the Good Shepherd”.
We are in the dark: “I am the light of the world”
We are weak: “I am the bread of life”.
We thirst for we know not what: “All those who thirst come to me and drink”.
We have a fruitless life: “I am the vine, you the branches – you will bear much fruit”
We have no prospect of eternal life as humans: “I am the Resurrection and life”
We find no meaning in life: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”
We have no way into eternal bliss: “I am the door”..
Jesus waits for each of us: ”I stand at the door and knock”
To know him is to love him. To love him is to keep his commandments. To keep his commandments wins the vision of Jesus: “I will show myself to him”
Is it possible? “Without me you can do nothing”.
THE CHURCH
The Church is the gathering of those who believe in Jesus. They are centred on him. They love him and as they love him, they love one another. “This is the sign by which everyone will know you are my disciples”. “Love one another as I have loved you”.
This is the Church Jesus founded and it will last for ever. It is not the structures that we see. With so many believers in the world today it is necessary to have structures – Popes, Roman Curia, Dioceses, Bishops, parish priests, Canon Law, Rules, Liturgy, Sacraments, even the Bible. They are necessary now, but not to be confused with the Church. They can be and will be one day swept away. The Church has only one law, one tradition, one heart: it is to love Jesus and all who believe. Jesus and those who love him are for ever. They constitute his Church.
“Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I will be there with them”.
“You have only one teacher, the Christ. You are all brothers and sisters”.
“He who believes in me, even though he dies, will live”.
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