The Catechism Explained

This classic is organized as follows: Devotions. I. Prayers and Precepts of the Church. II. Prayers which may be used Daily at Different Times. III. Prayers to be said at Different Times when the Church Bell is Heard. IV. Devotions for Confession and Communion. VI. Special Prayers. Introduction. I. For What End Are We on This Earth? II. How Are We to Attain to Eternal Happiness? III. Can We Attain Perfect Happiness on Earth? Part I. Faith I. The Knowledge of God. II. Divine Revelation. III. The Preaching of the Gospel. IV. Holy Scripture and Tradition". V. The Christian Faith. VI. The Motives of Faith. VII. On the Absence and Loss of Faith. VIII. On the Duty of Confessing Our Faith. IX. The Sign of the Cross. X. The Apostles’ Creed. Part II. A. The Commandments. B. Good Works, Virtue, Sin, Vice. C. Christian Perfection. Part III. The Means of Grace. I. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. II. The Sacraments. III. The Sacramentals. IV. Prayer.

The Catechism Explained by Spirago, was meant to fill the gap in Catechisms that explain and deepen the propositions of Catholic doctrine, rather than giving dry and rote memorization that by itself does little. The sequel goes to the next level. The Catechism Explained by Stories and Examples, is a collection of stories, histories, lives of the saints, and anecdotes illustrating the lessons of each point of Catechetical teaching. From the preface: "The great value of examples and illustrations in teaching children and the uneducated is universally acknowledged. The Romans used to say: Verba movent, exempla trahent (Words influence, examples attract). The reason of this is that examples stimulate the imitative instinct, which is strong in most people, especially in the young; consequently they are a powerful factor in education. In imparting instruction, also, examples are of no slight assistance, for they serve to elucidate the teaching, to render the lesson interesting and attractive, and keep the attention of the scholar from wandering. The teacher need only say: Now, children, I am going to tell you a story, and all eyes are forthwith fixed on him." Spirago's wonderful volume of Catechetical Stories has been arranged around the question and answer format of the Baltimore Catechism. This new addition has been supplemented by lives of the saints and historical anecdotes.

Over 3 million copies sold! Essential reading for Catholics of all walks of life. Here it is - the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics around the world commonly believe. The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject. The word catechism means "instruction" - this book will serve as the standard for all future catechisms. Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a positive, coherent and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation.

The Faith Explained is an all-in-one handbook to help you understand, explain, and defend the great truths of the Catholic Faith. In brief and readable chapters, it explains the purpose of human existence, God and His perfections, the creation and fall of man, the Incarnation, the redemption, the sacraments, sacramentals, prayer, the importance of the Bible, and much more. Perfect for RCIA classes, this book is also a magnificent refresher course on the Faith for Catholics and an illuminating resource for non-Catholics with questions about the Church.

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2021 Reprint of the 1934 Edition. Facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The Council of Trent clarified ambiguities that plagued the early Catholic church through the Middle Ages, including The precise number and nature of the sacraments, The veneration of saints and relics, Purgatory, The authority of the pope, and The use of indulgences. The "either/or" doctrines of the Protestant reformers-justification by faith alone, the authority of Scripture alone-were rejected in favor of a "both/and" doctrine of justification by both faith and works on the basis of the authority of both Scripture and tradition. Additionally, the Latin Vulgate Bible was reaffirmed against Protestant insistence upon the original Hebrew and Greek texts of Scripture. In addition to its impact on Roman Catholic doctrine, the legislation of Trent also reformed the internal life and discipline of the church. Providing for the proper education of its future clergy in Catholic seminaries Requirements for the clergy, and especially the bishops, give more attention to the task of preaching. Financial abuses were brought under control, and Strict rules requiring the residency of bishops in their dioceses were established. The council also established specific prescriptions about the form of the mass and liturgical music. Contents: Catechism of the Council of Trent -- Appendix I. Definition of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Pius IX -- Appendix II. Definition of the infallibility of the Roman pontiff / Vatican Council [I] -- Appendix III. The inseparability of the contract and sacrament in Christian marriage / from the encyclical of Leo XIII -- Appendix IV. Dispositions for frequent and daily Communion / from the Decree approved by Pius X.

In the minds of John Owen and Thomas Watson this explanation of the Catechism is 'greatly useful to all Christians in general.'

In the opinion of B.B. Warfield, the Westminster divines left to posterity not only 'the most thoroughly thought out statement ever penned of the elements of evangelical religion' but also one which breathes 'the finest fragrance of spiritual religion'. Their most influential work, 'The Shorter Catechism', was intended as a teaching basis for an introduction to the Christian Faith. No London pastor made more effective use of it than Thomas Vincent (1634-1678) and when his 'explanation'(The Shorter Catechism Explained From Scripture) was first published in 1674, John Owen, Thomas Watson along with 38 other signatories to the Preface, declared their belief that it would 'be greatly useful to all Christians in general'.