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CATHOLIC BASICS
                The Holy Mass
Just as Christ began His ministry with the words "repent and believe in the Gospel," so the Cure of Ars generally begins each of his days with the ministry of forgiveness. But he was happy to direct his reconciled penitents to the Eucharist. The Eucharist was at the very center of his spiritual life and pastoral work. He said: "All good works put together are not equivalent to the Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men, and the Holy Mass is the work of God."
John Paul II 1986 ewtn


    How to Prepare for Holy Mass
Read the readings before Mass in the 
presence of Mary.
Say the Holy Rosary right before or after Mass.
Make an Examination of Conscience, and a sincere act of Contrition.
Go to frequent Confession.
Spend time adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Spend sometime in prayer before and after Mass.
SPC
        


             The Seven Sacraments
Three Sacraments of Christian Initiation:
Baptism
Confirmation
The Holy Eucharist - Holy Mass

Two Sacraments of Healing:
Penance -  Holy Confession
Anointing of the Sick

Two Sacraments at the Service of Communion:
Holy Orders - Priesthood
Holy Matrimony -  Sanctity of Marriage 


      The Ten Commandments 
 1.     I Am the Lord Thy God,
         thou shalt not have strange  
         gods before Me. Thou shalt 
         not make to thyself any 
         graven thing, nor the 
         likeness of anything that 
         is in Heaven above, or the    
         earth beneath, nor those 
         things that are in the 
         waters  under the earth.  
         Thou shalt not adore them 
         or serve them.
2.      Thou shalt not take 
          the Name of the Lord
          thy God in vain.
3.      Remember that thou keep  
          holy the Sabbath-day.
4.      Honor thy father and
          thy mother.
5.      Thou shalt not kill.
          Abortion - deliberate termination 
          of pregnancy by killing the unborn
          child. 
          Such direct abortion, willed either
​          as an  end or a means, is gravely
          contrary to  the moral law. CCC 2271
            The Church does not restrict the
           scope of mercy. Rather, she
           makes clear the gravity of the
           crime committed, the irreparable
            harm done to the innocent 
           who is put to death, as well as to
           the parents and the whole of
           society. CCC 2272
            The inalienable rights of the
           person must be recognized and
           respected by civil society and the
           political authority. These human
           rights depend neither on single
           individuals nor on parents; nor do 
           they represent a concession
           made by society and the state;
           they belong to the human nature
           and are inherent in the person by
           virtue of the creative act from 
           which the person took his origin. 
           Among such fundamental rights
           one should mention in this regard
           every human being's right to life
           and physical integrity 
           from the moment of conception
           until death. 
               CCC 2273
6.      Thou shalt not commit     
          adultery.
7.      Thou shalt not steal.
8.      Thou shalt not bear false  
          witness  against thy neighbor.
9.      Thou shalt not covet
          thy neighbor's wife.
10.    Thou shalt not covet thy
          neighbor's goods.



         Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
   


The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy
      Feed the Hungry
      Give drink to the thirsty
      Shelter the homeless
      Clothe the naked
      Care for the sick
      Help the imprisoned
      Bury the dead

     
   The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
      Share knowledge
      Give advise
      Comfort those who suffer
      Be patient with others
      Forgive those who hurt you
      Give correction to those who need it
      Pray for the living and the dead


                
              Daily Spiritual Plan
                  (recommended)
    Get up at a fixed time, as early as 
     possible. 
    Eight hours of sleep should be
    enough. 
    Offer your day to God through the
​    intercession of Mary.
    Work with order and intensity during 
    the day as a way of serving God. 
    Set goals and establish priorities.
    Try to attend Mass, as often as 
     possible. (receiving Holy 
     Communion-twice in a day 
     is allowable). This is the best 
     sacrifice we can offer to God.
     Prepare yourself for Mass 
     by spending sometime in prayer.
     Spending sometime in prayer 
      before the Blessed Sacrament (15 
     minutes, if possible).
     Pray the Angelus. Traditionally the 
     Angelus is prayed at sunrise (6:00 
     AM), noon, and sunset (6:00 PM). 
     (During Easter time, say 
     the Regina Coeli instead)
     Pray the Rosary, if possible with your
     family, offering each decade for a 
     specific intention.
     Do some other spiritual reading.
     Start with the New Testament or 
     some well-known spiritual  book.               
     Ten fifteen minutes is sufficient.
     Make a short Examination of 
     Conscience at the end of the day
     before going to bed. Two to 
     three minutes is enough. 
     Follow these steps: 
     With thanksgiving, humble yourself 
     in the presence of God. Tell Him 
     "Lord, if You will, 
     You can make me clean." 
     Ask for light to acknowledge your
     defects and virtues and to see the
     dangers and good occasions of the
     day. Ask for repentance,
     amendment, and encouragement. 
     Examine your conscience briefly on
     these points:
      What have I done wrong? With God, 
               with my neighbor, with myself?
               What have I done right?
               what could have I done better?
     Sorrow: Ask pardon from our Lord. 
                  Tell Him  "A contrite and 
                  humble heart, O God, 
               You will not despise" or 
               "Lord, you know all things, 
               You know that I love You." 
               You may say the Act of 
                Contrition, the Confiteor, or
                Psalm 50 (Miserere).
     Resolution: Make a very concrete 
                 resolution for tomorrow: 
                 avoiding some specific faults.
                 staying away from danger.
                 exerting special effort to 
                 practice some virtue.
                 taking advantage of some
                 occasion of improvement.
Daily Roman Missal/Charles Belmonte-James Socias
           

The Heart of a Catholic Prayer Life is going to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation.
         

Holy Days of Obligation
in addition to all Sundays of the year according to the 
decrees of the USCCB
Mary, Mother of God - Jan 1

Ascension - Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Assumption of Mary into Heaven - August 15

All Saints Day - November 1

Immaculate Conception - December 8

Christmas, the solemnity of the Birth of Christ - December 25

Whenever Jan 1, Mary, Mother of God, or Aug 15, the solemnity of  the Assumption, or Nov 1,the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

The following solemnities are transferred or observed 
on a different day:
Epiphany - Jan 6 
(shall be transferred to the first Sunday following Jan 1)
Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - second Sunday following Pentecost 
(shall be observed on the Second Sunday following Pentecost)

In some dioceses the celebration of the solemnity of the Ascension may be transferred. It is to be made by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the bishops of the respective Ecclesiastical Province.
Daily Roman Missal
         


         The Word of God
1. The Bible (written Word of God)
       Old Testament - 46 Books
       New Testament - 27 Books

2. The Sacred Tradition   
    (unwritten Word of God)
     "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by oral statements or by letter of ours." (2Thessalonians 2:15)


            Mary - Mother of God
The Mother of Jesus. 
Because she is the mother of Jesus 
(Son of God and second Person of the Blessed Trinity) according to the flesh, She is rightly called the Mother of God. CCC 495
 
            Mary's Virginity
From the first formulations of her faith, the Church has confessed that Jesus was conceived solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, affirming also the corporeal aspect of this event: Jesus was conceived "by the Holy Spirit without human seed." The Fathers see in the virginal conception the sign that it truly was the Son of God who came in humanity like our own. CCC 496

            Mary, ever-Virgin
The deepening of faith in the virginal motherhood led the Church to confess Mary's real and perpetual virginity even in the act of giving birth to the Son of God made man. In fact, Christ's birth "did not diminish His mother's virginal integrity but sanctified it." And so the Liturgy of the Church celebrates Mary as Aeiparthenos, the Ever-Virgin." CCC 499


    
        The Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

I. The Joyful Mysteries
        Annunciation of Angel Gabriel to
        the Blessed Virgin Mary
        Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth
        Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
        Presentation of Child Jesus in the Temple
        Finding of Child Jesus in the Temple

II. The Mysteries of Light
        The Lord's Baptism
        Wedding at Cana
        Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
        and His call to Conversion
        The Transfiguration
        Institution of the Eucharist

III. The Sorrowful Mysteries 
       Agony in the Garden
       Scourging at the Pillar
       Crowning with Thorns
       Carrying of the Cross
       Crucifixion and Death of Christ

IV. The Glorious Mysteries
      The Resurrection
      The Lord's Ascension
      The Descent of the Holy Spirit
      The Assumption of Mary in Heaven,
       Body and Soul
      The Crowning of Mary as Queen of 
      Heaven and Earth



Marriage is a covenant or partnership of life 
between a man and a woman, which is ordered 
to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children. 
When validly contracted between two 
baptized people, marriage is a sacrament. 
CCC 1601



        The Fruits of the Sacrament of Marriage 
                     for the spouses:
   The grace to love each other with the love 
   with which Christ has loved His Church.
   A perfecting of their human love.
   A strengthening of their indissoluble unity.
   Sanctification on their way to Heaven.
   The grace to "help one another to attain
    holiness 
   in their married life and in welcoming and 
   educating their children."  
   An integration unto God's covenant with
   man: 
   "Authentic married love is caught up into 
   Divine Love."  Daily Roman Missal  

    


     
Capital Sins
Pride
Covetousness
Lust
Anger
Gluttony
Envy
Sloth



Other Terms for the Capital Sins
Self-love
Inordinate Love of Money
Illicit Sex
Hate
Overindulgence
Jealousy
Laziness


​Virtues Opposed by the capital sins
Humility
Liberality
Chastity
Meekness
Temperance
Brotherly Love/Charity
Diligence

Mortal Sin - is a grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life in the soul of the sinner (sanctifying grace). It requires a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is accomplished within the sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation. 
For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met:
Grave matter is specified by divine law (Ten Commandments) and the ultimate end of man.
Full knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law. Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law which are written in the conscience of 
every man.
Full consent  of the will. It is a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase the voluntary character of a sin. The promptings of feelings and passions can diminish the voluntary and the free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, 
by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.


Venial Sin - does not destroy the divine life in the soul, as does mortal sin, though it diminishes and wounds it. It is the failure to observe necessary moderation, in lesser matters of the moral law, or in grave matters acting without full knowledge or complete consent. 
Roman Daily Missal, CCC 1855, 1857, 1862





Purgatory - a state of final purification after death and before entrance into heaven for those who died in God's friendship, but were only imperfectly purified; a final cleansing before one is able to enter the joy of heaven. 
CCC 1031


      
         Four Last Things        
               Death 
            Judgement
               Heaven
                  HellCLICK  INSPIRATIONS, PRAYERS, JN 3:16-17