What are the Catholic Ten Commandments?
The biblical Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21, are as follows: (1) “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2–3; cf. Deuteronomy 5:6–7). (2) “You shall not make for yourself an image…
What is a religious order?
A religious order is a group of men or women who have chosen to live within the confines of certain religious vows established by the leader of that religion. For example, Buddhist monks and nuns have chosen to sequester themselves in like-minded communities for the purpose of devoting themselves to the teachings of Buddha. Within…
What is Candlemas?
Candlemas is a liturgical church service (“Candle Mass”) that celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the temple and the ceremonial purification of Mary. Candlemas is observed on different dates in different churches, but generally it is either on February 2 (forty days, inclusive, after Christmas Day) or on the Sunday that falls between January 28…
What is an oblation?
An oblation is an offering, donation, gift, or sacrifice; or the act of giving an offering. Specifically, an oblation is an offering solemnly given to God. The term oblation is understood to refer more to non-bloody offerings, like Cain’s over Abel’s; the firstfruits offering is an obvious oblation (Exodus 23:16). So, an offering of meat…
What is genuflection?
Genuflection (or genuflexion) is a traditional act of honor or worship. It consists of bending one knee to the ground. To genuflect is to drop to one knee and rise, an act customary in the Middle Ages, when respect for a king or noble was demonstrated by going down on one knee, often remaining there…
What is the Sacred Heart of Jesus?
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most popular feast days in the Roman Catholic Church. A movable feast, it is celebrated each year on a Friday in the spring on the nineteenth day after Pentecost. The proper name of the feast is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which…
What is the Cistercian Order?
The Cistercian Order is a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church that began in Citeaux, France, in 1098. A group of monks became dissatisfied with their current monastery, the Abbey of Molesme, and set out to create a new one that would be more faithful to the teachings of Saint Benedict. Led by Saint…
What is the Catholic Bible?
Many Christians are surprised to learn that the Catholic Bible is different from the Bible used by Protestants. While all 66 books found in Protestant Bibles are also found in the Catholic Bible, the Catholic Bible also contains other books, and additions to books. The Catholic Bible contains a total of 73 books, 46 in…
Did Mother Teresa go to heaven?
Mother Teresa, or Teresa of Calcutta (1910—1997), was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Macedonia. Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary and certainly stands out among the world’s most famous and beloved religious humanitarians of the 20th century. Laying aside the recent rumors of skeptics who say Mother Teresa’s beautiful charitable story was exaggerated…