Prayers, Beliefs, and Precepts of the Catholic Faith
(summary)

To be a Catholic Christian is not simply to accept a list of dogmas. It is a way of life. It is living out a daily relationship with God, with Jesus Christ and with our brothers and sisters, in light of the life and teachings of Jesus. These teachings come to us from Him as he once walked on our earth, and from Him as He leads the community of faithful believers -His Church - through each succeeding century and generation.

The following are some of the basic teachings, prayers, and “practices” of the Catholic faith, which are essential to being a literate member of this faith and an intelligent, fruitful participant in its life.

BELIEFS
The doctrines of the Catholic faith have been expressed in many ways through the centuries. Some are in the form of creeds more or less lengthy summaries of Christian belief prepared at different times to meet various needs of the Church. Others are in the form of statements clarifying one or another teaching and making it mow precise

Through 2000 years, both of these forms of expressing the Church’s faith have grown exceedingly rich and spiritually rewarding.

Below are given: (1) The Nicene Creed a fourth century confession of faith, used at our Catholic Sunday liturgy and by many Protestant denominations; and (2) a further summary of essential Catholic beliefs.

THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures:
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

GOD
God, who is without beginning and without end, is the origin and creator of the universe, all that is outside of Himself In the one God are three Divine Persons - the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Second Person of the Trinity God the Son, came to this earth and became a human being, born of the Virgin Mary This God-Man, Jesus Christ, came to reveal the Father’s love for us, and to save mankind through His life, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead.

CHURCH
To carry His life and His message to the end of time, Jesus founded a community of believers - His Church. He promised His Holy Spirit to keep this community of believers in the truth and preserve them as faithful witnesses to Him. He promised to be with His Church until the end of time. To those who remain faithful to His call and His commands he promises a share in His resurrection to eternal life.

To help keep His people united in faith and action, Jesus Christ provided that the pope and (united with him) the bishops would serve the Church as successors of Peter and the other apostles. As its chief sheperds and official spokesmen and teachers, they are to be signs and instruments of communion with the Church and with Jesus, its Head.

The sacraments are sacred symbols (such as words, actions, oil, water) instituted by Jesus Christ to be signs and channels of His grace, of His life and love, to the people of His Church. In and through these rituals He brings people into His Body, forgives and heals them in their weakness and sin, and commissions them to serve one another as leaders of His family.

The three sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist - bring us into the Church and make us full members of the Body of Christ.

In the sacraments of forgiveness and healing - Penance (or Reconciliation) and Anointing of the Sick - God heals and forgives us, and brings us back into the good graces of Jesus and His family if we have sinned in a serious way.

In living out the sacraments of Christian service - Marriage and Holy Orders - husbands, wives, and those who are ordained ministers of the Church provide the people of God with stability continuity and leadership. They also serve as a living sign of God’s covenant of love for us, and of His call to a life beyond that of this earth.

EUCHARIST
The Holy Eucharist, the presence of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine, is both sacrament (or sacred Meal) and sacrifice.

The sacrifice of the Eucharist, often called the Mass, is the offering of the crucified and risen Christ by His Church to the heavenly Father. The Mass is made up of two main parts, the Liturgy of the Word (listening to and reflecting on the Word of God) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist during which Our Lord becomes present to us under the form of food and drink - bread and wine - includes prayers of thanks and praise to God for His goodness, the narrative of the Last Supper, prayers for the living and the dead, the Lord’s Prayer, and the sacrament of the Eucharist, the reception of Holy Communion by the community.

HOLY SCRIPTURE
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. It was written by men and women of various times and places under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit to reveal the message of God’s love and covenant with the human race.

The Old Testament is a series of “books” (including poetry, history, parables, legends, prayers, and other forms of literature) written during several centuries before Christ. It reveals the relationship of God with the human race, particularly the Hebrew people, before the Christian era.

The New Testament consists of the four gospels, the Acts of the Apostles (a brief description of the first decades of the Church), the book of Revelation, and “letters” by early Christian leaders. Composed by members of the Christian community over a period of perhaps 70 years, these writings were gradually accepted by believers in Christ as containing the basic core of the “good news” of Jesus Christ. They will be the pattern and norm for Christian belief and practice until the end of time.

PRECEPTS
As noted earlier, being a Catholic is a way of life, patterned after the gospels This life is guided by certain, principles handed down to us by Christ and His Church, and empowered by gifts of grace from God The following section outlines the criteria of a genuine Christian life, and the helps given by the Holy Spirit enabling us to live that life.

THE EIGHT BEATITUDES
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
the reign of God is theirs.
Blessed are the sorrowing,
they shall be consoled.
Blessed are the lowly,
they shall inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness,
they shall have their fill.
Blessed are they who show mercy, mercy shall be theirs.
Blessed are the single-hearted,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are those persecuted for holiness’ sake;
the reign of God is theirs. (Mt. 5)

THE SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY
(1) Admonish the sinner; (2) instruct the ignorant; (3) counsel the doubtful; (4) comfort the sorrowful; (5) bear wrongs patiently; (6) forgive injuries; (7) pray for the living and the dead.

THE CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY
(1) Feed the hungry; (2) give drink to the thirsty; (3) clothe the naked; (4) visit the imprisoned (5) shel­ter the homeless, (6) visit the sick; (7) bury the dead. (See Mt. 25)

THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
t he fruits of the Holy Spirit, which result from living according to the Spirit, are: love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22)

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, courage, piety, and reverence for the Lord. (See Is. 11)

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT
“You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with your whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself:” (Mt. 22:37-38)

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Keep holy the Sabbath day. (From the beginning, Christians have kept Sunday as the Lord’s Day.)
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear dishonest witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not desire your neighbor’s goods. (See Deut. 5)

PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH
Among the main specific duties of Catholic Christians today are the following:
(1) To lead a full sacramental life’, especially to participate in Mass each Sunday and holy day and share in Holy Communion; and receive the sacrament of Reconciliation regularly at appropriate times of the year
(2) To provide proper religious education for oneself and ones children, especially by use of Catholic schools and other educational programs.
(3) To observe the marriage laws of the Church.
(4) To strengthen and support the Church - ones own parish community and clergy, and the worldwide Church.
(5) lb practice penance and self-denial in the spirit of Christ, including fast and abstinence on the appointed days.
(6) lb share in the missionary spirit and apostolic work of the local and world Church.

PRAYERS
Prayer may be either spontaneous (in one’s own words) or formal (using words of others and turning them into one’s own thoughts). Contemplation is another wonderful form of prayer, simply being with God in His presence, quietly talking or listening to Him heart to heart.

Many formal prayers sacred to Christians, such as the psalms or the Lord’s Prayer, we from the bible. Others we sanctified and proven spiritually fruitful by long use in Christian tradition.

The following basic prayers generally combine elements which are scriptural and traditional to our Catholic faith.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father; the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.

Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary
Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

An Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that You are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that Your divine Son became man, died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because You have revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

An Act of Hope
O my God, relying on Your almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

An Act of Sorrow
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.

An Act of love
0 my God, I love You above all things with my whole heart and soul, because You are all-good and worthy of all love I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.
O God, you fill the hearts of your faithful with the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant us by the gift of that Spirit to be truly wise and always to rejoice in his consolations, through Christ our Lord.

The Rosary
The Rosary is a reflection on a series of events in the life of Jesus and His Mother, with accompanying prayers.

The events are divided into the five Joyful Mysteries: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Our Lord, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple.

The five Sorrowful Mysteries: the Agony of Jesus in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning of Jesus with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion.

The five Glorious Mysteries: the Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead, the Ascension, the Coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (Pentecost), the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, and the Crowning (Glorification) of Mary in Heaven.

The praying of each “mystery” consists of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory be to the Father. The Rosary usually begins with the Apostles’ Creed, three Hail Marys and one Glory be to the Father.