Chapter 1

Catholicism 101

IN THIS CHAPTER

Discovering key figures and Catholic tools

Getting a sense of the Catholic perspective

Introducing Church teachings

Participating in Catholic worship

Behaving and praying like a Catholic

While Catholicism is a monotheistic (one God) religion, it is also triune (one God in three divine Persons) and Christ-centered. We'll get into the basics of what that means in this chapter as we meet several key figures referenced throughout this book - figures who will help you understand why Catholics behave the way they do, study the Bible (the Catholic holy book), and strive to live a Christ-centered life. So on that note, let's get to it so you can get the fundamentals of what Catholics believe and understand what we even mean by "Christ-centered."

Heavenly Roll Call: Getting Acquainted with the Blessed Trinity

While Catholics believe in one God, that one God is actually made up of three parts:

• Father
• Son
• Holy Spirit

These three divine Persons make up the Blessed Trinity. Each Person is God, but there are not three Gods. They are unique and yet united as one, which is why it is considered a mystery in the Church because it's nearly impossible to wrap our human heads around the complexities involved in that arrangement. However, we can help you learn about Them individually so you see how They interact as one.

God, the Father

Catholics believe there is one God (yes, they capitalize His name and pronouns). He is the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, of everything visible and invisible. He is the father of Jesus Christ, who He sent to earth to redeem all humans for their sins. (Sins are immoral and offensive acts that go against the will and laws of God.)

While various names are used for God in the Bible (some of which are considered unpronounceable), in today's world, other common names for God that Catholics use include:

• Father
• Yahweh
• the Lord
• Lord God

Catholics treat the name of God with reverence and never take it in vain, meaning in any perverse or dishonorable way.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth, lived and taught among humankind, and died by crucifixion (being nailed to a cross). After being placed in a tomb, He (yes, He is also referenced with capitalization of His name and pronouns) rose from the dead, thereby saving humanity from their sins. But don't worry; we'll get into the specifics of all that in Book 1, Chapter 4. For now, just keep in mind that Catholics recognize the fully human and fully divine nature of Jesus. This means that while still maintaining His divine nature, He took on our humanity in order to bridge the gap sin (Book 1, Chapter 3) created between humans and God.

In Hebrew, Jesus means 'God saves,' while Christ is derived from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word that means 'anointed.' These names are no mere coincidence, as they signify Jesus's link with God from the very start. However, Jesus obtained many more monikers before and after His death. Some of these include:

• Son of God
• Lamb of God
• Son of Man (because Jesus came to serve, not be served)
• Messiah, meaning 'anointed one' from the Greek translation
• Immanuel, Hebrew for 'God is with us'
• Bread of Life
• Redeemer
• Only Begotten Son
• Good Shepherd
• King of the Jews

The Holy Spirit

In the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit might be considered the forgotten middle child because more focus skews toward the Father and Son. Because, let's be real, it's harder to understand something that is still referred to as the Holy Ghost. However, He's not some milky white phantom lurking in abandoned hospitals to scare those who dare to enter. No, the Spirit is as much a divine Person as the other two, and the Spirit is a harder worker than you might think. In fact, you've probably encountered the Spirit's handiwork and didn't even realize it.

It was the Spirit who inspired the writers of the Bible and guided the apostles (12 followers of Jesus) themselves in their ministry. And the Spirit remains active today. Catholics believe they are filled with the Spirit at Baptism (Book 2, Chapter 2), and they believe that the Spirit acts as a Counselor for Catholics, helping the faithful grow deeper in their learnings and connection to God. Perhaps if your heart is churning as you read this text, it's a sign that the Spirit is alive within you right now.

In art, the Spirit is often depicted as a white dove with heavenly rays of light, which you can see in the image of the Trinity in Figure 1-1.

© Renáta Sedmáková/Adobe Stock

FIGURE 1-1: The traditional depiction of the Holy Trinity with Jesus (left), the Holy Spirit (center, depicted as a dove), and God (right) pictured together.

Introducing Earthly Figures Important to the Faith

When Jesus came to earth, He didn't appear as a superstar or millionaire. No, He chose a much humbler path. He was born and raised by humans. Sort of like Superman (except for being born on Krypton and sent to Earth in a spaceship). But they both work to save those around them using super-human abilities. And while Jesus might have been able to do it without an earthly family, He chose not only to have that but to have devoted followers as well. In this section, we'll outline a few of them for you.

Mary

Mary was an unmarried virgin living her life in Nazareth, Israel, when an angel of God appeared to her (sorry, but since Mary's not divine, she doesn't get capitalized pronouns), asking her to bear God's only Son. After Mary gave what Catholics believe to be the most important "yes" in history, the Holy Spirit came upon her, impregnating her with Jesus. She later gave birth to Him and raised Him with her earthly husband Joseph. You can see a typical depiction of her in Figure 1-2.

© zatletic/Adobe Stock

FIGURE 1-2: An image of the Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary is considered one of Jesus's most faithful disciples. While not an apostle and never holding any authority in the early Church, the Mother of Christ nonetheless has always been a model of humility, virtue, and obedience to the will of God.

Mary is seen as the 'New Eve,' and Catholics believe Mary was born free from the stain of original sin that came about during the fall of Adam and Eve. More on original sin in Book 1, Chapter 3.

Mary and the canonized saints (more on them later) of the Church are not objects of worship (which would be idolatry - something condemned by the First Commandment). There are, to be sure, times when other denominations accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary and the saints, but this is not true. For Catholics, Mary and the saints are living examples and models of holiness and sanctity. They are role models and heroes of faith who, in their own way, tried and succeeded in following Jesus as best they could.

We'll go more in-depth into Mary's role and her various apparitions around the world in Book 4, Chapter 1. But until then, you might see her referred to as:

• The Blessed Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary
• The Blessed Mother
• Mother Mary
• The Mother of God
• The Queen of Peace
• The Holy Queen
• The Mother of Mercy

Mary is beloved in the Catholic Church. In fact, St. Maximilian Kolbe may have said it best: "Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did."

Mary, the Virgin Mother, is not to be confused with Mary Magdalene, who was an early female follower of Jesus.

Joseph

Joseph was a humble carpenter engaged to be married to Mary, when he discovered she was pregnant with a baby that wasn't his. In those days, that was quite a scandal, and Joseph felt he needed to quietly break off his engagement with Mary. However, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him it was the child of God. That convinced Joseph to stand by Mary's side and help her raise and protect Jesus until his death. Most sources agree that Joseph passed away before Jesus began His public ministry, but no clear reason or date is given.

"Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'" (Matthew 1:18-21)

Disciples/Apostles

Different parts of the Bible use...