John Paul Thomas - My Catholic Faith!

My Catholic Faith!

My Catholic Faith!

My Catholic Life! Inc.
www.myCatholic.Life

Copyright 2019 by My Catholic Life! Inc. Third revision. All rights reserved. See www.mycatholic.life/copyright-permission for more information on copying for use.

This third revision contains minor formatting differences from the previous versions. The content has not been changed. Page numbering is slightly altered.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America Copyright 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.Libreria Editrice Vaticana . Used with Permission.

All References from the Catechism of the Catholic Church cited as Catechism or CCC.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The third revision was first printed by Ritman University Press, 104 B Umuahia Road, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Imprimatur:

Most Reverend Camillus Raymond Umoh

Catholic Bishop of Ikot Ekpene Diocese
1 December, 2019
First Sunday of Advent, Year A

Nihil Obstat:

Rt. Rev. Msgr. J. F. Iyire
Vicar General
Ikot Ekpene Diocese

To our Blessed Mother. Her maternal care for us, her perfect surrender to the will of God and her powerful intercession are gifts beyond measure. May her heart shine through these pages and may her faith be shared with all who read them.

John Paul Thomas is a pen name this author picked in honor of the Apostles Saints John and Thomas and the great evangelist Saint Paul. This name also evokes the memory of the great Pope Saint John Paul II.

John is the beloved Apostle who sought out a deeply personal and intimate relationship with his Savior. Hopefully the writings in this book point us all to a deeply personal and intimate relationship with our God. May John be a model of this intimacy and love.

Thomas is also a beloved Apostle and close friend of Jesus but is well known for his lack of faith in Jesus resurrection. Though he ultimately entered into a profound faith crying out my Lord and my God, he is given to us as a model of our own weakness of faith. Thomas should inspire us to always return to faith when we realize we have doubted.

As a Pharisee, Paul severely persecuted the early Christian Church. However, after going through a powerful conversion, he went on to become the great evangelist to the gentiles, founding many new communities of believers and writing many letters contained in Sacred Scripture. His letters are deeply personal and reveal a shepherds heart. Paul is a model for all as we seek to embrace our calling to spread the Gospel.

My Catholic Life! Series

The My Catholic Life! Series is a three-volume series written as a complete summary of our glorious Catholic faith! The goal of these books is to answer the difficult and deep questions of life in a clear and understandable way. We need to know who we are and what life is all about. We need to know who God is and what He has spoken to us through the ages.

Volume One, My Catholic Faith! , is a summary of the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. This volume looks at everything from the creation of the world to Gods eternal plan of salvation. Other topics include: t he afterlife, the Trinity, saints, our Blessed Mother, faith, and the Church. It is a summary of the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1 1065.

Volume Two, My Catholic Worship! , is a summary of the life of grace found in prayer and the Sacraments. So often the Sacraments can be seen as dry and empty rituals. But they are, in reality, the greatest treasures we have! They are Gods true presence among us! This book is a summary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1066 1690 and #2558 2865.

Volume Three, My Catholic Morals! , is a summary of Catholic moral teaching. It reveals the moral principles of our faith as well as a summary of all our Churchs moral teachings. It is a summary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1691 2557.

There are many beliefs that people have held throughout the ages. But what is common to people of every time and culture is a longing for truth. We want to know! We want to know the purpose of our life, why we are here on earth, where we came from, whether there is a God, who this God is, whether there is an afterlife, and so much more!

These most basic and fundamental questions are hopefully in the forefront of our minds. And if they are not, its never too late to start! Below is the answer to these questions. It is our Creed. At first, the Creed can seem dry and unimpressive. It can even seem confusing and overly academic. But when properly understood, the Creed holds the answer to the questions we so deeply seek.

The Nicene Creed was written over 1,500 years ago. S ince that time, it has been professed, lived and loved by countless Christians and saints of God. Its a summary of our foundational set of beliefs for which, over the centuries, many have even shed their blood. Its deep, profound, clear and transformative when properly understood.

This Creed is professed every Sunday at every Catholic Mass throughout the world. Its said in unison with every other Catholic. But its also said individually, by each one making the profession. Our individual profession of this faith is what unites us with each other and with our Triune God.

Too often we stand and profess this Creed, and our mind wanders to other things. We think about yesterday or what we will do later in the day. We think about our particular struggles or hurts. Or we may even find ourselves randomly daydreaming as we speak the words of the Creed. I believe the primary reason we can so easily be distracted and enter into routine mode as we profess the Creed is because we do not understand it. Sure, we may get the basic parts, but most Catholics do not truly understand the depth and splendor of the Creed. T herefore, most Catholics do not understand the depth and the splendor of their own personal Catholic faith!

If this is you, even to a small degree, then commit yourself to a more in-depth reflection on the faith of the Catholic Church, and continually ask yourself, Do I believe? ; Is this also my personal faith? Be open. Be attentive to Gods voice. Seek the truth and let that truth speak to your conscience.

So join along in a reflection on the beautiful answers to the questions of life!

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with 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.