celebrating god’s love to us
TRANSCRIPT
CELEBRATING GOD’S LOVE TO US
30 QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
God wants the world to know
and respond to Jesus
Booklet 46
2
Introductory Letter
This series of booklets on Celebrating God’s Love to Us began several
years ago with a collection of Prayers, Psalms and Hymns to help us all
with our devotions. Since then other resources have been produced to
help us grow in our discipleship (please see back page of this Booklet).
All of this is offered in the hope that the resources are helpful to you and
others.
I am extremely grateful for all the assistance given by Mr Robbie Lumb in
helping to prepare this booklet.
My prayer is that these Booklets and Leaflets will also help us Celebrate
God’s Love to Us and keep us focused in our mission to tell through words
and actions that God wants the world to know and respond to Jesus.
Please visit the website: http://wewanttheworldtoknowjesus.weebly.com
Introduction to this Booklet
This Booklet is an attempt to answer questions on the Christian Faith. It is
of necessity brief and is only a simple introduction and is certainly not
exhaustive: but it could be helpful. Some of ‘my’ other Booklets and Leaflets
could be helpful too. I am sorry if the questions that you want to ask are not
here, probably your local priest/minister can help! The website above gives
more resources.
Father Richard Lindsay 2021
3
CONTENTS
1. What is Faith?
2. What can we know about God?
3. What is meant by the word “Incarnation”?
4. Is Jesus God?
5. What is the meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion?
6. What is the meaning of Jesus’ Resurrection?
7. Is there Life after Death?
8. I don’t want to go to Heaven, ought I to look forward to it?
9. What is meant by the ‘Trinity’?
10. Why is there Suffering?
11. Who is The Devil?
12. Why is The Blessed Virgin Mary Important?
13. What is meant by “Justification”?
14. Why Pray?
15. Why is Forgiveness essential?
16. Why read the Bible?
17. Why is the Eucharist very important?
18. Why are the Sacraments important?
4
19. Why Saints?
20. Why go to Church?
21. Why be Confirmed?
22. Why Genuflect?
23. Why have Statues?
24. Why Confess to a Priest?
25. Why people make the Sign of the Cross?
26. Why Stations of the Cross?
27. Why Incense?
28. What are the Liturgical colours?
29. Why wear Eucharistic Vestments?
30. Why Holy Water?
____________________________________________________________________
There are two fundamental elements
which are essential to Christian Discipleship:
How we Pray and
How we Live.
5
1) WHAT IS FAITH?
IMAGINE YOU THREW A KITE and it got caught in a tree. The only way you
could get it down was by climbing on to a friend’s shoulders and reaching
through the branches. You would have to have a lot of faith in your
friend. You would have to trust that he wouldn’t walk away or let you
fall. That’s faith. Trusting someone else.
When the Bible uses the word faith it talks about having or putting your
faith in God and in Jesus.
It means simply ‘depending on God’, depending on Jesus’.
The Bible is full of stories about men and women who depended on
God. Sadly we don’t depend on God enough. And very often we only start
to rely on God when things in our life go wrong. What is amazing is that
God never gives up on us and is longing to help us.
The Gospels show us people putting their faith in and depending on Jesus.
Some depended on him to heal them.
Some depended on him to forgive them.
A Christian is someone who depends on Jesus.
A Christian is someone who has faith in Jesus.
A Christian is someone who trusts in Jesus.
Read Mark 10:46-52 about Blind Bartimeaus.
At the end Jesus says, ‘Your faith has made you well.’
The Purpose of Life is to know God (John 17:3)
To Know God we must Spend Time with God
6
2) WHAT CAN WE KNOW ABOUT GOD?
Is it important? Yes, the meaning of life is to know God, (John 17:3)
Can you prove God? No, you can never ‘prove’ any person. You can only
know or experience a person.
What evidence is there of God’s existence?
Who started the universe? (Genesis 1:1)
Who designed it all? (Romans 1:20)
Who built into us a sense of right and wrong? (Romans 2:14-15)
Who gave us a basic hunger for God? (Acts 17:26-27)
What is God like?
Personal - as seen in Jesus Christ, when the Word became a human
being. He told us to think of God as ‘Father’.
Powerful - with God nothing is impossible.
Perfect - He has absolute standards, and we have fallen short. He has
absolute justice, and we can forfeit his love.
Passionate - He is the God who suffers with us, in our suffering, and for
us on the cross.
Spiritual - (John 4:24), so we need a spiritual birth before we can know
him. (John 3)
Unchangeable - (Malachi 3:6)
Please see Booklet 8
and Leaflets 17, 35, 81, 157 and 194.
7
3) WHAT IS MEANT BY THE WORD INCARNATION?
Incarnation describes the central fact of the Christian Faith. Basically
this word means ‘God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ’. Without
this action, the Christian Faith is clearly groundless. That is why it is the
subject of the most important clause in the Nicene Creed - “By the power of
the Holy Spirit He became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made
man”. Many church people have been taught to bow as this part of the
Creed is said. What is sometimes referred to as ‘everyone’s text’ – John: 3
16 - sums it all up.
“God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life”.
4) IS JESUS GOD?
Jesus was born into a Jewish home in the first century BC. He shared fully
in this Jewish inheritance. He was born under God's providence at a time
and place when the Jewish genius for religion, Greek thought and Roman
justice all coincided.
Jesus completed God's self-disclosure to the Jewish people, and fulfilled the
best hopes of their prophets. He was their 'Messiah' ('anointed' or 'chosen'
one), the Christ, sent to work out God's purpose for the whole world, both
Jews and Gentiles.
Jesus became conscious that he was in a unique relationship to God, that of
a son to his father (Mark 1:11), the Son of God. His disciples learnt this at
the transfiguration (Mark 9:7) and a pagan realised it at his death (Mark
15:39).
As Son of God, Jesus spoke with his own unique authority; not 'Thus says
the Lord' but 'I say to you'. This authority is seen in his love and in his
judgement, and convinces us too that he is the Son of God.
8
Jesus rose from the dead. His friends were certain that after he had died he
was alive. We can know him in our lives as Son of God today.
Jesus is the full self-disclosure of God in human terms, showing us in human
personality the character of God, his love and power and righteousness.
We would expect God to reveal himself in the highest form of life known to
us-that of human beings. And so we would expect him, if he wished to reveal
himself to us as fully as we can comprehend, to become man.
The fact that God became a human being shows us his amazing love in
coming 'down to our level', to help us and to show us what he is like. God
'emptied himself' and became a very humble and self-effacing personal
servant.
Please see Booklet 8 pages 10-20 and Leaflets: 2, 22, 44, 74, 83, 84, 111,
127, 144, 155, 190, 193, 197 and 198
5) WHAT IS THE MEANING OF JESUS’ CRUCIFIXION?
Jesus suffered terribly on the cross in various ways:
(a) He suffered physical agony-'a most cruel death', a Roman historian
called it.
(b) He suffered spiritually-like us, he did not want to die.
(c) He suffered the taunts of others, mockery, betrayal, indifference and
weakness.
(d) He suffered the loss of his Father's presence nothing was left. He was
stripped bare. He hung in the void. 'My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?
9
What the Cross Means
(a) Sacrifice is used of Jesus's death to show that it was costly and involved
death.
(b) Reconciliation is used to show that man is no longer estranged from
God.
(c) Justification is used to show that we have all been 'put in the right' with
God (i.e. accepted).
(d) Ransom is used to show that his death was costly and that it brings
liberation.
(e) Triumph is used because by his death Jesus passed beyond the powers
of evil, and so triumphed over them.
What the Cross Is Not
The angry Father appeasing his wrath by taking it out on his loving Son.
Such a viewpoint betrays a sub Christian idea of God. God may be angry at
sins, but always loves the sinner. God's feelings are not swayed by the
punishment of anyone.
What the Cross Is
(a) God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The Son of God dies
on our behalf {not 'instead of us') as our representative, to show God's love
for everyone. By so doing he takes away our guilt.
(b) God, by accepting on the cross the worst that human beings can do to
him, draws the sting of our rebellious resentments, and removes our basic
fears and insecurities.
We have been accepted.
We can accept ourselves. We can begin to return God's love, and to hand it
on to our neighbours. We are no longer estranged from God, but reconciled
both to God and to one another.
10
6) WHAT IS THE MEANING OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION?
(a) God affirms Jesus by raising him from the dead and attests his lowly
ministry of service and suffering (Romans 1:4), and his true divine status is
made clear by stories of his ascension (Ephesians 1:20)
(b) The resurrection of Jesus is 'the Father's Amen to the Son's "It is
finished'" (Philippians 2:9.) It is the public proclamation of the meaning of
the cross.
(c) The resurrection shows Jesus as 'the first fruits of the harvest of the
dead' (1 Corinthians 15:20), i.e. The One who anticipates the final destiny
of all, and who inaugurates a new era of God's power in the world.
(d) The resurrection shows the triumph of good over evil, and the
conquest of sin and death by the power of God (Romans 6:8; 8:1)
(e) The resurrection is shared by Christians through union with
Christ, so that his risen life works in and through Christians.
The chief meaning of the resurrection is that the claims of the Christian
Gospel are true. The risen Jesus in his spiritual presence is always with us,
wherever we are, especially in worship. He himself said: "Where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them".
(Matthew 18:20)
‘I am the Resurrection and the Life,’ says the Lord.
‘Those who believe in me, even though they die,
will live, and everyone who lives and believes in
me will never die,’ John 11:25-26
Please see Booklet 8 and Leaflets 25, 45, 50, 85, 144.
11
Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so,
through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have
died. So we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
7) IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?
Many are afraid to think or speak of death, because we seem to have no
answers.
Yet, it is often when we face death that we begin to find life. The one fact
that breaks the silence surrounding death is the resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
What is the evidence for this?
The birth and growth of the Christian Church.
The New Testament, with its strong conviction that Jesus is alive.
The empty tomb - what happened to the body?
The many resurrection appearances - seen by at least 550 people
on at least 11 different occasions over a period of 6 weeks.
The Church changed its day of rest from a Saturday to a Sunday, in
honour of the resurrection.
The Holy Communion has always been a celebration, because Jesus
both died for our sins and then rose again.
Throughout 2,000 years countless millions of people have found
the risen Christ for themselves.
What does this all mean?
There is a glorious life after death. When a person dies in Christ, he
or she is more alive than ever.
There is a great life before death. We can know the living Christ
here and now.
‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I need fear no evil
for thou art with me’.
12
8) I DON’T WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN.
OUGHT I TO LOOK FORWARD TO IT?
There may be a number of reasons why you don’t want to go to heaven.
First of all, you may be afraid of dying. That is perfectly natural fear which
a great many people have and especially the fear of dying in pain or alone. If
this is what you fear then it can only be dealt with by accepting that
suffering brings us closer to Our Lord and that he will help us through it. In
Psalm 23 we read that in the valley of the shadow of death he will be with
us. Perhaps you need to trust him a little more.
But another reason why people ask that question is because they are
enjoying life a great deal here, and do not want to leave it. This is also
perfectly normal. If you are fortunate enough not to find this world a ‘vale
of tears’, then rejoice that you are so happy. But remember also that we are
promised even better things to discover in heaven, beyond the grave.
A third reason may be that you have an inadequate idea of heaven as a place
where you are forever singing old hymns or sitting about bored.
What all of us have to think about is what this life is really for. Too many of
us have very limited horizons indeed.
Just suppose that it is really true that this life is primarily a place of
preparation for life in heaven hereafter. Doesn’t that make a vast difference
to how we think about life and death?
The great Westminster Catechism says this: ‘The chief end of man is to
glorify God and to enjoy him for ever’. If that is true, maybe some of us have
a totally wrong idea of the purpose of life. This also means that we are
surely wrong to think of death as the final disaster. Someone called death
‘the final festival on the road to freedom’. Now that does sound
exciting! And that is just how we should think of death. For then it is that
we go to God, and there is no more exciting event than that!
13
9) WHAT IS MEANT BY THE ‘TRINITY’?
The Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith, the mystery from
which all the doctrines of faith derive and to which they point. It is the
central doctrine of Christianity that God is love, but the Trinity is known to
us only because it is revealed to us: which is, of course, true of all love.
God is infinite, we are finite. He is a mystery, unfathomable and
permanently beyond the reach of our minds. That God is a mystery does
not mean, however, that we cannot know anything at all about him. But it
does mean that we can never know or understand what it takes to be God:
we cannot know, in other words, his nature or essence. But, at the same
time, to say that God is a mystery, does not mean that we cannot say
anything true about him. Rather, it means that whatever we can and do say
about God is exceeded by God himself.
To speak of God as a Trinity does not lessen, but deepens, the mystery of
God: our words become even more inadequate. But in speaking of the
Trinity, we come to see that the distance between God and us is
nevertheless bridged: not by knowledge, but by love - his for us and ours
for him. And we come to see that our love for him is a sharing in the love
that Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the Trinity - have for one another.
The doctrine of the Trinity is revealed to us by God himself; but it did not
drop from the sky and nor was it culled ready-made from the New
Testament. Nor is it a completed theory about God, answering all questions
about God or, much less, explaining how the divinity works. The doctrine
of the Trinity emerged in the course of the Church’s effort to appropriate
this revelation, this self-disclosure of God, as a coherent whole.
Technical terms were employed, but even these officially sanctioned
formulations are inevitably inadequate to the impossible task of explaining
how it can be that God is both three and one. It is beyond our
comprehension. But the formulations are still vital because, under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, they guard Christian thinking from errors of
14
various kinds and point us in the direction of the God we can never fully
comprehend or know, except in love.
The doctrine of the Trinity was, of course, “a stumbling block to Jews and to
the Greeks foolishness,” but it is a belief rooted in the Jewish monotheism
out of which Christianity arose, and it found expression in the
philosophically sophisticated concepts of the Greco-Roman culture into
which Christianity came.
Reflecting on their knowledge of Jesus and their experience of faith,
Christians arrived at the conviction that their understanding that Jesus is
God would be incomplete without recognising that what makes the life of
faith possible, is the presence among us of the Spirit promised by our
Lord. “No one”, says St Paul, “can say: ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy
Spirit.”
But what exactly is the doctrine of the Trinity and what does it entail for
our lives now? The teaching, put simply, is that there is only one God and
that this God reveals himself and is known to us as Father, Son and Holy
Spirit: three persons, each distinct and yet each entirely God. God, in other
words, is a unity of substance and a diversity of persons. Their life within
the single Godhead is one of total love and self-giving. And it is into this
divine friendship that we are drawn through faith and baptism.
The doctrine of the Trinity is as an explanation of the assertion that God is
Love, “the love that moves the sun and the other stars,” as the poet Dante
says. The doctrine of the Trinity spells out what it would mean to say that
love is the deepest and most basic reality of all.
Jesus is God and, we believe, God is love. God, therefore, in some sense
demanded by the nature of love, is a relationship. The Trinity is love given,
love received, and love shared. And the Christian life is a sharing, made
possible by sanctifying grace, in this divine love.
15
We are made in the image and likeness of God, and this means that we are
made in the image and likeness of the Trinity.
So the doctrine of the Trinity is foundational not only for our understanding
of God but for our understanding of ourselves. This is God’s own self-
disclosure and it has only one purpose: to invite us to share in his life, the
divine love which is the Blessed Trinity.
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 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 way and the
means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals
himself to us ‘and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away
from sin’.
Please see Booklet 8, 42 and 43 also Leaflet 116.
10) WHY IS THERE SUFFERING?
An Outline
God often uses suffering to strengthen our characters and make us
complete in Christ –James 1: 3-4.
However the whole question of suffering is extremely complex, and is often
discussed in the Bible.
See Psalm 73. : 2-3, the Psalmist is faced with a classic problem, why do the
righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? To begin with in v 1 he makes an
orthodox statement of faith about the goodness of God. He also shows some
humility about his problem – see v 2.
He states his problem: v 4-12
Notice how real he is in his feeling when he speaks to God – see v 13-14.
However his problem seems worse because he (a) exaggerates and (b)
thinks on a purely human level. He has forgotten external perspectives.
16
He overcomes his problem.
He is thoughtful – v 15. If he speaks too quickly about his doubts he
may cause others to stumble in their faith.
He is prayerful – v 16-20. He sees the ultimate perspectives for eternal
justice. In comparison, the suffering of the righteous now are almost as
nothing – see Romans 8: 18. 2 Corinthians 11: 25-27 4: 16-18. In
suffering it is important to remember carefully the cross of Jesus Christ.
He is repentant – v 21-22. He now feels ashamed and humbled. The
same is true in the book of Job. The problem of suffering is not solved,
but when Job humbles himself God blesses him once again.
He is believing – v 23-26 He has a new experience of God’s love and
faithfulness. In his conclusion (v 27-28) he is much more confident and
positive than at the beginning of the Psalm. God can use suffering to
create great spiritual beauty in the life of any person. Nothing is in vain
with Him.
God can use suffering to create great spiritual beauty in the life of any
person.
Is there any action we can take this week to alleviate suffering?
Please see Leaflet 195.
11) WHO IS THE DEVIL?
The popular image which makes the devil an individual, tends to
obscure the fact that the devil is really to be seen as ‘the force of evil’
which affects in some way the lives of us all. This acts as a constant
challenge to us - can we overcome the many ways in which this force
tries to tempt us away from God? Only if we are armed with the
‘force of good’, that is, the presence of Jesus in our lives,
can we expect to succeed in this conflict between good and evil. Ref:
1 Peter 5:8-11.
17
12) WHY IS THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IMPORTANT?
It is widely assumed that devotion to the Blessed Virgin is the privilege and
prerogative of Roman Catholics; and sometimes this false assumption is
made by Anglicans, and others.
Please refer to Booklet 14 for some details of The Naming and Circumcision
of Jesus (often referred to as the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God
(January 1st). The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple (February
2nd). The Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary (March
25th) and the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (May 31st). Please refer
to Booklet 15 for some details of the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(August 15th) and the Birthday of Our Lady (September 8th). The Church
also celebrates The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 8th).
No one will deny that in the past, and indeed at the present time, there have
been, and are instances of extravagant devotion to Our Lady that almost
allow her to take the place of the Holy Spirit in the Blessed Trinity. She
would be the first to disown such extravagances for which there can be no
theological justification. The corruption of the best is the worst; but the fact
that something that in itself is good may be, and often is abused, is no
argument for abolishing the thing that is good. The fact that sometimes
devotion which should be paid to God alone is mistakenly given to another
does not justify us in flying to the other extreme, and behaving as if the
Blessed Virgin Mary were not worthy of mention.
We do no honour to Our Lord by denying Our Lady the honour and devotion
to which she is due. We honour her for her obedience, for her example of
motherhood, for her loyalty and self-sacrifice, for her purity and devotion
to the will of God, and above all that, by her willing co-operation, the
Incarnation of the Son of God was made possible.
The daily commemoration of this wondrous event may be made in the
incarnation of the Angelus:
18
The Angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary:
And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now
and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace etc.
And The Word was made flesh: and dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace etc.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
We beseech Thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that as we have
known the incarnation of Thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel,
so by his Cross and Passion we may be brought unto the glory of his
Resurrection; through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
We may rightly believe that Our Lady takes an interest in our lives and
spiritual progress, and may therefore ask her intercession, that we may
more faithfully serve her Son. Please see Leaflets 51, 52, 112, 115, 237, 249
and 260.
13) WHAT IS MEANT BY “JUSTIFICATION”?
JUSTIFICATION - in the New Testament, we read that according to Saint
Paul, justification is earned by Faith. By contrast, later in the New
Testament, in the Letter of Saint James, we read that justification is only
possible for us by our Works, or action. If we are to succeed as Christians,
and really build up a close relationship with Our Lord, then both aspects
are clearly important. Faith and Works complement one another; we
cannot be true disciples of Jesus without putting our Faith into Action, and
by the same token, we cannot act in a Christian way unless we have the faith
to do so.
19
14) WHY PRAY?
Even though God knows all our needs, Scripture stresses the necessity
of prayers. Here are seven reasons why we are encouraged to pray
regularly.
1. Prayer connects us to God and God's power. Changes take place when we
pray. Sometimes the issue is transformed, at other times we are the ones
changed. Either way, God's power is at work.
2. Prayer is a way of sharing our burden. Some problems are difficult to
share with another human being. The issue may involve deep guilt or
shame, making it difficult to confide in a friend. In such cases, prayer can
help ease the burden.
3. Prayer puts into words what troubles us. No difficulty can be resolved
until it is identified and articulated.
4. Prayer reduces feelings of helplessness. Rather than feeling as though life
is out of control, when we pray, we take the first step to reclaiming our lives
and putting order into chaos.
5. Prayer is a powerful reminder that we are not alone. Life's troubles often
leave us feeling isolated, lonely, and vulnerable. Prayer reminds us that we
are not facing difficulty alone.
6. Prayer generates courage. We become strengthened, and more confident
as a result of prayer.
7. Prayer provides us with a sense of direction. Rather than merely being
tossed about on life's sea, we receive insight, guidance, and direction from
prayer.
Please see Booklet 5 and 26, and Leaflets 4, 32, 40, 41, 46, 65, 67, 77, 87,
95, 107, 113, 147, 152, 162, 182, 202, 203, 204, 205 and 212.
20
15) WHY FORGIVENESS?
An Outline
Lack of forgiveness is very common. It is also one of the greatest causes of
misery, ill-health and broken relationships. Further, it can split and even
destroy a Christian fellowship more quickly than almost anything
else. Forgiveness, however, brings release, peace, healing to all concerned.
When must I forgive?
Obviously when someone has hurt you. To forgive such a person may be
painful, but in this way God can make us more like Jesus.
How often must I forgive?
Matthew 18:21-22 - constantly, without any limit = 70 times 7!
Why must I forgive?
Matthew 18:23-25. Because God in Christ has forgiven me a million times
more than I shall ever have to forgive someone else. God not only forgives
and he sets us free to forgive others too.
What must I do about it?
Check up on your relationships, and put right anything that is wrong at the
first possible opportunity - today if you can. Write a letter, ring up, or go
and see that person to talk things through. Matthew 5:23-24, 18:15,
Ephesians 4:25-27, 30-32.
Forgiveness is essential. In the Lord’s Prayer we say “Forgive us our sins:
as we forgive them that sin against us”.
Please see Booklet 8 pages 7-9. Also Leaflets 15, 82, 188 and 240.
21
16) WHY READ THE BIBLE?
Because it is the record, divinely inspired, of God’s dealings with
mankind. The Old Testament traces the ways in which God revealed
his nature to men and women, and tried to make them understand
his laws, what he required from them, and his love for rich and poor
alike.
The Old Testament shows how the way was prepared over the
centuries for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ. The New
Testament contains four lives of Jesus (the Gospels), or more
correctly, accounts of his ministry; a history of the earliest days of
the Church (the Acts of the Apostles); and letters from the Apostles
to congregations they had established, or to men and women who
had been their friends in this work (the Epistles.)
The study of the Bible — the reading of a passage, imagining it all,
and then thinking over carefully what it means for us today — is
one of God’s appointed ways of speaking in our hearts, and directing
us.
The Old Testament has three main uses:
It contains some wonderful religious and moral teaching, good for
its own sake. It shows the way in which God was progressively
revealed to his chosen people, culminating in Jesus. It was the
Bible of Jesus and the Early Church, and so we must know it to
understand what they said.
The Gospels give us four portraits of Jesus, each with its author’s
distinctive style, but essentially in agreement. These are the only
reliable sources for the life and teaching of Jesus.
22
The Epistles contain the earliest writings of the New Testament. They
consist of letters of St. Paul, etc, and give a 'normative’ account of the
Christian religion (belief, worship, practice) from its beginning. The
Book of Revelation is an imaginative work of prophecy, full of images
taken from the Old Testament.
Christians gain much when they read the Bible, here we find Forgiveness
(Acts 10:43) God’s Love (e.g. 1 John 4: 9 – 10 ) Peace example (Philippians
4: 8 – 9), Purpose, Guidance. We encounter the Saviour of the World,
Jesus; The Way. The Truth and The Life.
For example please see Booklets 3,12,18,19, 20,21,27,32,33 and 34.
And Leaflets 31, 33, 38, 88, 117, 177 and 191.
17) WHY IS THE EUCHARIST VERY IMPORTANT?
The HOLY EUCHARIST is a sacrifice, that is, a gift which people offer to God
through their appointed priest, as a sign of their dependence on God, and in
acknowledgement of God’s absolute power and authority over them. But
we dare not offer anything so marred and sinful as we are except ‘through
Jesus Christ’ that is by joining our unworthy offering to His perfect offering
of Himself spotless and sinless.
God accepts the offering of our sinful and unworthy selves because we unite
our self — offering with the perfect offering of Our Lord on Calvary. God
gives to us through the Bread and Wine (Body and Blood) the divine life of
Jesus. He assures us of our membership with all the rest of the Church, both
that part of it here in the House of Prayer and other parts everywhere
throughout the earth.
THE LORD’S PEOPLE
GATHER AROUND THE LORDS TABLE
ON THE LORDS DAY
AT THE LORDS OWN SERVICE
23
Although present and accessible everywhere to anyone who turns to Him,
JESUS has chosen to focus His presence under the signs of the bread and
wine of the Eucharist, which he said are His Body and Blood. When Jesus
uses the term 'in memory of me’ this is not the modern sense of thinking
about a past event, but in the old Jewish sense of making present and real
NOW a past event, so that we can share in it NOW.
The whole life of JESUS was the one human life offered completely to GOD
— it was all human life is meant to be, centred not on self but on loving GOD
and others. His whole life was therefore a successful battle against evil —
that hateful merciless, and destructive power which feeds on our self-
centredness: separates us from GOD and one another: and creates the
miseries of human life and death.
This battle against evil reached its climax in His suffering and death on the
cross — and He was shown to have won the once for all VICTORY over evil,
suffering and death when GOD raised Him from the dead.
We share in all this in the Eucharist — the way JESUS chose to share with
us His Sacrifice and Victory, so that through Him, in the power of the HOLY
SPIRIT, we may be united to GOD our Father — and also be united to all who
belong to Him in His Body the Church on Earth, and in Heaven.
JESUS is not a past event — He is very
much ALIVE NOW. But in the Eucharist
he makes present NOW all that He did for
GOD’s glory and our salvation in His
whole GOD-centred sin-free life on earth,
and especially at His Birth, Death,
Resurrection and Ascension. He is the
one true sacrifice. A sacrifice is life
offered completely to God.
24
What Does The Eucharist Tell Us?
When we think about the reality of what our celebration tells us it becomes
clear that in the Eucharist we find all that we need in life. We find unity with
others, guidance from our heavenly Father, food for the journey and
confirmation of the promise which was made to us by Jesus. The Lord has
not the slightest intention of leaving us to our own devices and our narrow
outlook on life. Having created each of us to be special and unique he
doesn’t leave it there any more than we would leave a new-born baby to
fend for itself. No, our heavenly Father intends to nurture and cosset us
every moment of our lives until the day we are completely one with Him in
love, unity and peace.
Please see Booklets 4, 9 and 50 and Leaflets 5, 24, 33, 65, 78, 90, 114, 136,
142 and 262.
18) WHY ARE THE SACRAMENTS IMPORTANT?
Sacraments are signs established by Christ that cause what they
signify. They nourish or restore the life of grace in us.
Why are Sacraments Important?
The sacraments are important because they make the power of the Paschal
mystery of Jesus present to us for the sake of salvation. By these seven
channels of grace, God makes us his adopted children and increases his life
of grace within us.
The Seven Sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of
Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the
Christian’s life of Faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the
stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life
25
Please see Booklets 4,9 and 50 and Leaflets 1, 16, 21, 80, 89, 163, 188, 214
and 227
19) WHY SAINTS?
The word SAINT means ‘holy one’, and so the saints are God’s holy
people. In this broadest sense, all members of the Church are, potentially
at least, ‘saints’. St. Paul uses the word in this way in his letters, but it wasn’t
long before the word came to have a more specific meaning.
26
Very early in the life of the Church it came to be recognised that certain
individuals lived more obviously ‘holy’ lives, or were specially favoured by
God. Chief among them were those who had died for the Faith - the martyrs.
As time passed the Church began to realise that holiness only sometimes
went hand-in-hand with martyrdom. More often than not holiness was
apparent in other, less dramatic ways. Often, though, it was only
recognised after the Saint’s death.
“I believe in the Communion of Saints”.
Members of the Church say or sing these words at least every Sunday
during the Eucharist; they are part of the Nicene Creed. They remind us
that the Church is much bigger than our own congregation, or even the
entire ‘Church Militant’ here on Earth. They remind us that the larger part
of the Church exists on the other side of the grave, the Church Triumphant.
The whole of the Church, living and departed, is united in the one eternal
Eucharist. We are united to Christ by Baptism and by taking His Body and
Blood in the Eucharist, and so we are intimately united to each other.
Church Triumphant
The Church Triumphant is the Church in ‘heaven’. The souls of all those
Christians who are enjoying, to the full, the Heavenly Banquet. The Book of
Revelation, although it should not be taken as literally descriptive, paints a
picture of the glory of heaven and the fulfilment of the Saints. It also
reminds us that the Saints in heaven continue to offer prayer to God.
Saints have fought the good fight - they have kept the faith looking to
Jesus. God grant us grace to follow them in faith and hope and love looking
to Jesus too.
27
20) WHY GO TO CHURCH?
Question: Is it possible to be a Christian and not go to Church?
Answer: Yes, It is possible, It’s something like being a football player
without a team.
“Church” means five things:
1. Learning about the Christian faith,
2. Making friends with other Christians,
3. Taking Holy Communion together,
4. Praying together,
5. Praising God together.
Please see Leaflets 6,26,37,90,136,186,200,201,221
21) WHY BE CONFIRMED?
We owe it to God and to ourselves to try to understand the three sides of
the Christian religion; that is,
i) doctrine - what we believe;
ii) duty - how we should behave; and
iii )devotion - worship and prayer
Scriptural Basis of Confirmation
1) The Laying on of Hands is used in New Testament times for various
purposes (healing, ordination, commissioning).
28
2) Confirmation in the New Testament is a sign and symbol of
strengthening, to enable people to enjoy and experience full membership
of the Christian Church.
Infant Baptism - When a baby is Christened, the parents affirm their
intention that it should grow up as a Christian, and the Godparents (the
church’s representatives) witness to this. All ask for God’s grace to enable
this to be done.
Age of Confirmation - Vows made by others are not binding on
oneself. After childhood, a person must make his/her own decisions. At
Confirmation a person publicly renews the promises made by their parents
and Godparents at Baptism. They must be old enough to be responsible for
their actions.
Three Promises Confirmed and Renewed
i) To fight evil in all its forms
ii) To hold the Christian faith
iii) To behave as a Christian
The Universal Church - Confirmation entails the Laying on of Hands with
prayer by a Bishop. A Bishop is not just the minister of the local Church, or
of the Church of England. They personally represent the universal Church
of Christendom, vertically down the ages, horizontally throughout the
world.
The Beginning Not the End - At Confirmation begins full membership of
the Church and this should mean active membership. It is like “coming of
age”.
Preparation for Confirmation - This can only be made by God and by the
candidate. Preparation classes are to help a candidate to know what they
are doing when they re-affirm Baptismal promises.
29
The Holy Spirit is God in action. God works within us, as well as outside
us in the world. By opening ourselves to God, we allow the release of the
spirit within us to make us whole people, able fully to respond to God.
Please see Booklets 9 and 50 and Leaflets 16 and 80.
22) WHY GENUFLECT?
It is customary for women to curtsey before the Monarch, and for men to
bow their heads momentarily.
Many Christians feel a similar desire to acknowledge the sovereignty of
God. Consequently it is right to genuflect when approaching the Blessed
Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, before Holy Communion, but
especially when passing the place of Reservation. The gesture derives from
an attitude of respect and adoration, and is the sign of a humble heart. It
can be accompanied by a mental prayer such as “My Lord and my God”.
23) WHY HAVE STATUES?
Since God became Man in Jesus, the ordinary can be a vehicle, which
conveys the Divine. Earth can reflect heaven. The Gospel is all about how
God is transforming the world and making it heavenly. Therefore the
ordinary things of this world: bread, wine, stone, wood, paint and metal can
all be used to convey the heavenly realm. God shows Himself to us by using
what is ordinary.
There is nothing wrong with having pictures of members of the Church
Family around us when we pray. Of course we do not pray to (still less
worship) blocks of wood or stone, but these can, nevertheless, remind us
and indeed convey to us, heavenly realities which we can perceive only with
the eyes of faith. Just as bread and wine convey the reality of Christ to us,
so too ordinary things can convey other heavenly realities.
30
Sacred pictures in Church and in homes can be important for some
Christians, for Christians know themselves to be part of a greater family
and people whose real home is in heaven.
Many Churches and many Christian homes have at least one picture of the
Mother of the Christian family, Mary the Mother of Our Lord and the Mother
of us all. It was her obedience to the Father’s will which brought about our
salvation. She is the person who is closer than anyone to our Divine
Saviour. Christians do not worship Mary - they only worship God - but they
do love her very much. She is the vehicle which conveyed God to Man. Her
picture adorns the wall of many Christian homes not because Christians
have become idolatrous, but because they love the one who made it
possible the making visible of the invisible God.
24) WHY CONFESS TO A PRIEST?
Please see article on Why Forgiveness, earlier in this booklet.
Christians daily confess our sins directly to God. When we go to
bed we examine our conscience and confess our sins to Him and He hears
and forgives them. Every time we go to Eucharist we begin with the
penitential rite in which we confess our sins to God who has mercy on us,
pardons us and takes our sins away.
Going to confession is not a substitute for this kind of confession but
complements it. First of all the sacrament has its own unique grace. This
grace comes in the form of guaranteed forgiveness, help to understand our
sin, sense of sorrow and strength to amend our ways.
Confessing our sins to the priest, who represents both God and our brother
and sisters, adds to our understanding of sin and forgiveness in two
ways. Representing humanity the priest reminds us that our sin has usually
harmed some other person. We should really confess it to every person
who was hurt by it. That is not always easy or possible. Confessing to the
priest is a sign that we accept that our sin damaged not just God or
31
ourselves but humanity and that we need forgiveness from other people
too. But representing God, the priest reminds us that only He can take away
our sins. As Jesus said, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus gave
priests this power when he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose
sins you shall forgive they are forgiven.”
Jesus was talking about serious sin, sometimes called mortal, because it can
so fundamentally contradict our relationship with God as to sever it. In our
human relationships some offences just need a simple, ‘I’m sorry’, while
others are so damaging that we need to take time out to apologise formally
and make amends. Serious offences against the Ten Commandments as
taught by the Church need this kind of reconciliation with God in the
Sacrament to remove the danger of losing God’s grace and salvation.
Of course the Church strongly recommends regular Confession, for example
monthly. This is not really about reconciliation because our relationship
with God is not broken. It is an unsurpassed way of growing in spiritual
perfection.
We would not want any new sins: having forgiveness for the same sins is
like having the dressing changed on a bad burn. For a while there seems to
be no difference but the regular cleansing of the wound brings an eventual
healing. Most people usually have some fear of the sacrament. It is much
healthier to fear sin than God’s mercy. When we sin we should ask for
confession for forgiveness, help and reassurance from God and the priest.
Forgiveness needs the intention not to sin again which is impossible when
going straight back to a sinful situation.
Jesus did not give His priests this power in order to make things difficult for
us but to make reconciliation with Him easier. The best way to thank him
is to use this gift well.
Please see Booklet 8 and Leaflets 1, 15, 82 and 240.
32
25) WHY PEOPLE MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS?
St. Paul writes: “Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of Our Lord
Jesus Christ” [Gal 6:14]. For St. Paul the Cross is one of the two hinges of
our faith, the other is the Resurrection. In fact, the Resurrection is only
possible after we have been crucified “to the world” and the world to
us. This idea is at the heart of Christian belief: that Resurrection is the
reward or goal, but the Cross is the means. The road to God and eternal life
leads through the Cross.
Making the sign of the Cross is a feature of worship throughout
Christendom, although its form varies from East to West. It can be made
over other people and objects, or self-administered. In the Western Church,
including the Church of England, it is usually made with the right hand. One
begins by:
1. Touching the forehead,
2. Bringing the hand down to the ‘heart’,
3. Touching the left shoulder and then bringing the hand across the chest
to the right shoulder.
In one fluid action you will trace the sign of the Cross upon yourself.
The sign of the Cross can be made at almost any time. It is more usually
made either in response to it being traced over us, in blessing by a priest,
or at particularly significant points in worship and prayer.
1. At the words, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, Amen.”
2. At the words of the absolution.
3. At the beginning of the Gospel reading *. (see last paragraph)
4. At the end of the prayer for the dead in the intercessions.
5. (During the Prayer of Consecration) When the Consecrated Host is
raised, and
6. When the Chalice is raised.
7. At Holy Communion
- before receiving the Host, and
33
8. - before receiving the Chalice.
9. When the priest pronounces the final blessing.
Some Churches are fortunate enough to have a small dish or bowl of ‘Holy
Water’ (called a ‘Stoup’) near the entrance. It is a good practice when
entering or leaving such a Church to dip a finger in and make a sign of the
ross with the water. This will remind you of your Baptism and
Confirmation in which you were signed with the sign of the Cross.
The symbol of the Cross is common to Christians of all traditions, and has
been since the beginning of Christian history. It is to be seen in art, in and
on our Churches. All of this is appropriate for Christians, because the sign
of the Cross constantly reminds us of what Christ did for us all.
When we make the sign of the Cross, we are reminding ourselves of
this. We are also reminding ourselves that what Christ did on the Cross ‘He
did for me’ personally!
In making the sign of the Cross, we “glory in the Cross of Christ”, and we
‘take up our Cross’. When we ‘take up our Cross’ we must be prepared to
say to God ‘not what I will, but your will be done’.
Very often when we make the sign of the Cross, we do it to accompany
another prayer. For example, we make the sign of the Cross when we say
the words “In the name of the Father … etc”. In this case, the three points
of the Cross may remind us of the Trinity. Making the sign of the Cross is
also a prayer itself: a prayer without words.
It is fitting that when we come together in worship, we should worship with
all our being. We are to worship with our minds, our souls, and also our
bodies, for our bodies are the “Temple of the Holy Spirit”.
When we use words to pray, we are using only one form of language. The
body has its own language also, in which making the sign of the Cross is an
eloquent expression. One small gesture can speak volumes of words.
34
(*The way of making the sign of the Cross at the beginning of the Gospel
differs slightly from the usual way. It is made with the thumb of the right
hand, and consists of three Crosses in one. A small Cross is traced the
forehead, and then on the lips, before the hand is moved to the breast. This
reminds us that we are redeemed in all our parts: mind, spirit and
body. When we hear the Gospel we pray that we should understand it with
our minds, speak it with our lips and believe it in our hearts.)
Please see Leaflet 164.
26) WHY STATIONS OF THE CROSS?
In very many churches we find fourteen pictures of the Stations of the
Cross. These pictures are often placed along the north and south walls.
In some Churches there are not pictures but just fourteen crosses, but in
either case each cross or picture represents a moment on Jesus’ journey as
he carried his Cross from Pilate’s Palace to the place where he was
crucified. The final picture is of his burial in the tomb.
The devotion began in Jerusalem itself. As early as the third Century,
Pilgrims have flocked to the Holy Places to honour them. Particular honour
has been given to the place of his death and the place of his burial where
basilicas were built in the Fourth Century by Constantine, the first Christian
Emperor. Modern Pilgrims to Jerusalem will find that these places are still
honoured in the Crusader Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
From the Thirteenth Century, these Holy Places have been in the
guardianship of the Franciscans, and it was they who first encouraged
Pilgrims to follow the Holy Way or the “Via Dolorosa”. Pilgrims would
make a brief stop or station for prayer at various places as the procession
moved towards the place of Jesus’ Death and Burial. Over the years and
centuries this route has varied, as indeed has the number of stopping
places. The Stations have been as few as ten and as many as sixteen, but
the number became established at fourteen until recently when a fifteenth
station has often been added to commemorate Our Lord’s Resurrection.
35
It was not until the Eighteenth Century that the Devotion became
widespread outside Jerusalem. At that time the Pope encouraged the
faithful to follow the Way of the Cross in churches outside Jerusalem by
granting indulgences. It was not long before Churches in the West had their
own set of Stations.
So today even those of us who are not able to make a Pilgrimage to
Jerusalem can follow the Way Jesus took from the Praetorium to the Holy
Sepulchre. And as we make our spiritual journey with Jesus, so we pause
at the fourteen Holy Places where we pray and meditate on an event on the
journey Jesus made for our Salvation.
There are no set prayers for this devotion, but certain features have become
common. A verse of a hymn is sung between each Station; there may be a
Bible reading or short meditation; an act of penitence is made and usually
the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be are recited. The pattern may vary
and indeed dozens if not hundreds of different Devotions on the Stations
have been published.
The devotion may be public or private. That is to say we can either make
the journey on our own or with others. It is a devotion especially suitable
for use in Lent when one is making a particular effort to identify with Jesus’
suffering: to follow Jesus as He journeys to Golgotha where He died so that
we might have life.
Please see Leaflet 19 and 108. (Also 25)
27) WHY INCENSE?
Do Roman Catholics burn incense? Yes, so also do some Anglicans, so do
the Orthodox Churches, and so do some people in their homes where it has
nothing to do with worship or religion at all.
There is no doubt that from the earliest times incense has been used in
Christian worship. During the days of the Roman Empire when Christianity
was not a permitted religion, and the catacombs were resorted to, incense
36
was used partly for fumigatory purposes, and partly to show that worship
was only rightly offered to God. When it was a crime simply to be a
Christian, one who was caught could escape with his life by burning incense
before the Emperor’s statue. Its use also emphasised that the pre-Christian
worship of God was rightly offered to our Lord, as God.
The Bible is full of references to the use of incense in worship; the prophet
Malachi foretold: “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down
of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place
incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name
shall be great among the heathen, said the Lord of Hosts.” When the Wise
Men came to the Baby Jesus they brought gifts: Gold, Frankincense and
Myrrh. As the hymn says: “With gold of obedience, and incense of
lowliness, kneel and adore him, the Lord is his Name.” In the Book of
Revelation “The angel stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there
was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers
of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.”
Incense was used outside worship, to greet victors, to honour special
people, and also to symbolise purity and consecration. It is easy to see how
these symbolic uses are incorporated in the use of incense in Christian
worship. The altar, the clergy, the congregation are censed to symbolise
their need for purity and consecration for worship; with the offering of the
Eucharistic Sacrifice, incense is offered to the risen, ascended and glorified
Christ who is our God; and is that sweet smelling savour of sacrifice and the
symbol of our prayer and adoration.
We are bidden to worship God with all our strength; our bodily strength
includes our senses. We see beauty in building and in vesture; we hear
beauty of music; we feel the hands of bishop or priest in the sacramental
ministrations of the Church; we taste in receiving the Blessed
Sacrament. Incense is the only thing that affects our sense of smell. The
37
scent of incense is as evocative of worship as the scent of a particular flower
is powerful to recall a garden, or as a particular perfume will remind us of
a dance we had with a particular person. The use of incense is not an
essential adjunct of worship, neither is so much else that we accept without
question. It does add beauty and dignity, and is a fitting addition to the
externals of our worship, emphasising that element of continuity in our
worship.
Please see Leaflet 228.
28) WHAT ARE THE LITURGICAL COLOURS?
Often when attending churches (particularly Roman Catholic or Anglican
Church) we see that the altar frontal, the priest, and other adornments have
the same colour - reflecting the theme of the day, and are generally as
follows:-
Purple, a colour of penance and expectation, is worn during Advent and
Lent. It is also appropriately worn at funerals, when we pray for the
deceased on their final journey to God.
White, a joyful colour, is worn at Christmas and Easter, and for feasts
of Our Lady and many saints.
Red, colour of fire and blood, is worn on feasts of the Holy Spirit and in
commemorating the suffering of Jesus and his martyrs.
Green, symbolic of life and growth, is worn on the Sundays in Ordinary
Time.
Rose-coloured vestments may be worn to mark the middle Sundays of
Advent and Lent.
Black, the colour of mourning, remains an option at funerals and for All
Souls Day (2nd November), though not so common now.
Gold and silver vestments may be worn on very important feasts, such
as Easter and Christmas.
38
29) WHY WEAR EUCHARISTIC VESTMENTS?
These garments are worn by bishops and priests throughout the
world. The origin of vestments is in fact rather prosaic, for what we now
see at the celebration of the Eucharist are clothes that are the rather
stylised and ornamented development of what in our Lord’s Day was the
ordinary dress of a gentleman of that period in the Roman Empire.
Certain clothes were retained for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist long
after they had gone out of fashion for the ordinary wearer. The Amice was
a kind of headscarf which was dropped on the neck to become a collar;
the Alb was a long white tunic; the Girdle has obvious uses as a belt;
the Stole was again a scarf; the Maniple, a handkerchief or the towel worn
over the arm; the Chasuble, a kind of overcoat similar in shape to a cycling
cape. These were in time stylised and ornamented, and were worn in
different colours to mark the changing seasons of the ecclesiastical year.
What advantages are there to be seen in the wearing of vestments? Two
are at once evident. First of all there is surely something to be said for
tradition and continuity. These vestments link the Church of today with the
Church down the ages, and when we come to the Eucharist we see the priest
dressed in garments similar in form to those that have been worn in the
Church from the earliest days of the Christian religion. Secondly, they help
to emphasise the anonymity which is surely desirable in a priest
celebrating the Holy Mysteries; for they stand at the altar not as So-and-so,
but primarily as a priest of God. When we are at the Holy Communion we
are not concerned with the person of the minister who is officiating. It were
surely intolerable that we should ever regard our Communion as being in
any sense more valuable or more efficacious, because this or that priest
celebrated or administered. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Host at the
Banquet. The priest who stands there is God’s priest, representing us to
God and God to us. It is fitting, therefore, that all can be done to reduce
personality and to emphasise our Lord’s Presence, should be
39
done. Vestments have that advantage, they are worn by whatever priest is
saying the Eucharist, and so take our attention away from the individual to
concentrate it upon the priest, and one hopes beyond them to the Great
High Priest.
Vestments are certainly not Roman Catholic; nor are they simply
ornamental or intended to make the service any more beautiful. They are
the fitting traditional garments worn in the Church down the ages.
30) WHY HOLY WATER?
There is an old saying that the devil hates holy water! It evidently reminds
him of holy baptism and the Christian promise to fight against evil. For
precisely the same reason the Christian should love holy water, since by
means of it they began the new life in Christ and joined the Church.
Every year on Easter night, at the greatest of all the Christian celebrations,
the People of God stand to renew their baptismal vows together.
The priest sprinkles them with holy water after saying:
God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has given us a new birth
by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us
faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever.
At the entrance of a church it is usual to find a stoup of holy water into
which people dip their fingers and make the sign of the cross as they enter
church. Originally this was a fountain where you could wash your hands..
In addition to its use as a reminder of baptism and remission of sin, holy
water is a sacramental: i.e. something which conveys a blessing through the
40
intercession of the Church. Thus, when water is blessed, a blessing is
invoked upon all who use it, and upon all objects on which it may be
sprinkled.
Leaflet 248 has four more:
1. Why Angels?
2. What we mean by the Body of Christ.
3. Why Pray for the Dead?
4. Why Bells?
CHRISTIAN RESOURCES – BOOKLETS AND LEAFLETS
These resources are freely available online at:
https://wewanttheworldtoknowjesus.weebly.com/ Hopefully your congregation would like to avail this free resource too.
Please do give them an opportunity!
Over 40 Booklets on Christian themes/topics – Especially please look
at Booklet 37
7 Booklets on the theme of Opportunities for God (practical ideas)
Over 300 Leaflets/Handouts on Christian themes/topics.
MORE TO COME!
COPYRIGHT DISCLOSURE: The booklets/leaflets are produced with the intention of spreading the Word of the Gospel and sharing it with others. The compiler has not been able to trace the authors or publishers of some extracts and illustrations. He hopes that no copyright has been infringed. If it has, he apologies and will ensure that a correction is made once he has been informed of the correct owner of any said extract/illustration.