• Catholicism Unwrapped,  Faith

    The Holy Trinity

    According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith.’ The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God reveals himself to men ‘and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin.’ ” Catholics — and every other christian religion…

  • Faith

    Ten Ways to Celebrate Corpus Christi

      Next Sunday is Corpus Christi, a designated feast day for the Catholic Church. In preparation for the event, I thought I would offer a brief explanation of what it is, as well as 10 things you can do to celebrate! According to Wikipedia, “The Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ), also known as Corpus Domini, is a Latin Rite liturgical solemnity celebrating the tradition and belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ and his Real Presence in the Eucharist.” Technically, this feast day lands on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. However, it is celebrated on the following Sunday because the Thursday event is not a holy day of obligation. Wikipedia explains that, “While the institution of the Eucharist is celebrated on Holy…

  • Catholicism Unwrapped,  Faith

    Transubstantiation

    Transubstantiation is perhaps one of the most confusing and misunderstood of all Catholic beliefs. What Exactly is Transubstantiation? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word transubstantiate means “to change into another substance.” As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist, which is made of bread and wine, literally turns into the body and blood of Jesus Christ during Mass. When explaining transubstantiation, Catholic theologians speak of the difference between “accident,” and “substance.” Accident and substance are philosophical ideas that come from the Greek philosopher Aristotle which describe the essential and non-essential properties of any given object. A droplet of water, for example, is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. These qualities are essential to the…