What is the way of life Jesus shows his followers?

After learning about the person of Jesus, his teaching and his saving deeds, we are invited to believe in Jesus and his promises, to be baptized (if we aren’t already), and to live out our Baptism by practicing our holy Catholic Faith; it is, after all, a way of life.

St. Pope John Paul II, on his first visit to France, repeatedly cried out the question: “What have you done with your Baptism?” It was a rhetorical question, for they had done nothing; the members of the Catholic Church of France had for the most part fallen away from the practice of their faith.

Being saved is dynamic, not static. We can’t one day accept Jesus as our savior, and then forget about it. It’s possible for us to forfeit the gift of eternal life by the same kind of pride and disobedience as Adam and Eve.

So, we need to have in our hearts and on our lips a profession of faith: I do believe in Jesus as Son of God and Savior. I can be forgiven by Jesus’ mercy. I will try until I die to live according to the teachings of Jesus and his Catholic Church.

We try by “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), and by “faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:6) 

How do we practice our holy Catholic Faith? The leaders of the Catholic Church, from their study of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, have identified essential elements of the way of life that Jesus shows to his disciples:

PRAYER             
Like conversation between friends, prayer is needed to start and maintain a relationship with God; if we stop praying, the relationship weakens and dies.

Therefore, some kind of prayer should be part of daily life for a follower of Jesus, in order to keep our friendship with him alive. As MC Hammer sang: “You’ve got to pray just to make it today.” Word!

Prayer is described as lifting up our minds and hearts to God, to express love, sorrow for sin, gratitude, or need. Prayer is also described as a dialogue with God.

As with any conversation, prayer starts on a surface level, maybe reciting written prayers, but it eventually goes deeper, more intimate, using fewer words.

One kind of prayer is called vocal prayer: reciting words someone else wrote, like praying the Rosary, or speaking out loud words from our own mind and heart.

Another kind of prayer is called mental prayer: thinking about, or meditating about God, or a teaching of Jesus. An example is lectio divina, prayerful reading of the Bible.

Jesus prayed, and when his followers saw him pray, and maybe also the effect prayer had on him, inspiring in him clarity and action, they begged him: teach us to pray.

Jesus taught them the Our Father, also known as The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Some Bible scholars say the Our Father is made up of individual prayers stitched together into one.

It begins by addressing God as Our Father, which we would only dare do because Jesus tells us we are God’s children, and because the Holy Spirit puts the word in our mouths. This is a prayer of love, just to say the Holy Name of God.

After calling God, Father, we say hallowed be Thy Name. This is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise. It’s a form of a speech common in Semitic languages, such as Hebrew and Arabic. For example, whenever Muslims mention the name of their Prophet, they follow up by saying “Peace be upon him.” 

When we say Thy kingdom come, we are asking, hoping, that God be introduced into day-to-day life, and vice-versa, removing the boundaries between Heaven and Earth.

An important way to live in the kingdom of God is to do God’s will, just as the angels and saints in Heaven do. We do God’s will when we say “Yes” to God’s plan for our vocation, or when we obey the Ten Commandments.

We beg God to give us this day our daily bread, acknowledging our dependence on God for what we need to live with dignity, but also for spiritual food, such as the Bible and Holy Communion. This is a prayer of petition.

We beg God to forgive us our trespasses, our sins, remembering Jesus’ teaching that we will be forgiven if we forgive, that God will be generous with mercy to us as we are towards others. This is a prayer of contrition, sorrow for sin.

Finally, we beg God that we might be delivered from the temptation of the devil, and from both doing and suffering evil.

In addition to the Our Father, Catholics should commit certain prayers to memory, especially so they can pray together with others, like reciting the Holy Rosary:

The Sign of the Cross – In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into Hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among 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.

The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Act of Contrition
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. Amen.


CELEBRATE THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS          
We believe Jesus started seven sacraments, which use outward signs (like water, or oil) to give us grace, a share in the very life of God, putting us in relationship to God and other believers. The sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance (Confession), Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony (Marriage), and Holy Orders.

Baptism takes away original sin and any other sins for which we are guilty. Also,  through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we become the adopted children of God, as well as the brothers and sisters of all in the family of God. 

The sign of Baptism is pouring water over a person’s head three times, while saying “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We are baptized only once.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
(Matthew 28:19)

Confirmation strengthens the gifts of the Holy Spirit received at Baptism, especially for the purpose of continuing the mission of Jesus in the ministries of the Church. We are chosen by God for a special work: to share the Gospel with others by our words and by our service of the poor. 

Confirmation is normally celebrated by a bishop, who lays hands on the person, and anoints the forehead with the Oil of Sacred Chrism, while saying “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” We are confirmed only once.

“[The Samaritans] had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then [Peter and John] laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts of the Apostles 8:16-17)

The Eucharist is spiritual food that nourishes our life in Christ. Receiving the Eucharist is the most intimate union we can have with God this side of Heaven. It also deepens the bond of spiritual friendship with the others who receive it. 

The Eucharist is celebrated at Mass (called the Liturgy of the Eucharist), and received in Holy Communion, and worshipped in Adoration. The signs of the sacrament are bread and wine, which, when a priest invokes the Holy Spirit and repeats Jesus’ words from the Last Supper, become the Body and Blood of Christ. We are required to receive the Eucharist at least once a year, during the Easter season, but we can receive it daily.

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you… [Jesus] took bread… and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

In Penance or Confession, our sins are forgiven when we are sorry (which includes intending to avoid sin in the future), confess to a priest, and the priest says “I absolve you of your sins.” Sin can weaken, and even destroy our relationship with God and the community of believers; Confession restores it. Phew!

The priest gives us a penance to perform in order to repair the spiritual damage from our sins: prayer, self-denial, or charity to the poor. We must confess our mortal sins at least once a year, but it’s a good practice to go to Confession once a month.

“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23)

Anointing of the Sick can bring healing, forgiveness of sins, and the strength to walk with Jesus under the weight of suffering. This sacrament brings the hand of God to heal us, or the passionate presence of Jesus to suffer with us. 

Anointing is celebrated when a priest lays his hands on the sick person, prays over her/him, and anoints her/him with the Oil of the Sick. It can be received as often as needed when we are sick, suffering, or in danger of death.

Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:14-15)

A baptized man and a baptized woman enter Holy Matrimony or Marriage when they freely intend to stay together until death, to be faithful to each other, willing to welcome children, and say “I do” in the presence of a clergyman and two witnesses. 

Marriage is like God at the Creation, saying let there be light, and there was. In Marriage, a man and woman say I do, and something new is created; they become one flesh. People can only be married once, unless one of the spouses die, or unless the Church grants a decree of nullity.

“‘Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.’” (Matthew 19:4-6)

In Holy Orders a baptized man is ordained a deacon, priest, or bishop to preach, celebrate sacraments, and to exercise servant leadership in the Church. The man is more closely identified, or conformed to Christ as teacher, or as one who brings others into contact with Divinity, or as the Good Shepherd of souls. 

Ordination is celebrated by a bishop, by the laying on of hands and anointing with the Oil of Sacred Chrism (except for a deacon). A man is ordained a deacon only once, but a deacon can be ordained again as a priest, and a priest can be ordained again as a bishop.

“Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us… become with us a witness to [Jesus’] resurrection.” (Acts of the Apostles 1:21-22)

“Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom… They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them.” (Acts of the Apostles 6:3-6)


WORSHIP AT HOLY MASS          
Of the seven Sacraments, the celebration of the Eucharist at Holy Mass, especially on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is important for the practice of our holy Catholic Faith.

Participation in Mass is the ordinary way we keep holy the Lord’s Day; it is right and just, our duty and salvation to worship God at Sunday Mass.

Mass is called the summit of our Christian lives. We go to Mass to give praise and thanks to God, for everything from our life’s breath to ketchup on our French Fries. We also ask God for what we and others need, again, everything from life’s breath…

Mass is also called the source of our Christian lives. What we hear and say, give and receive prepares us to practice our faith outside of church, on Monday, where we live, and move, and have our being.

That’s why, at the end of Mass, we’re dismissed with the words: “Go! You are sent!” This isn’t permission to leave, but a command to go and transform the world into the kingdom of God. 

When we receive the Eucharist, our life in Christ is nourished, and we are sent out to give life and gladness to others, like Christ. Here’s one way of understanding the link between our mission to transform the world and Holy Mass:

At the Last Supper, when Jesus gave us the priesthood and the Eucharist, he used wheat bread and grape wine. 

Maybe Jesus had to use bread and wine because the law of Moses required it, but maybe he used them because they express the essence of his life, and ours.

Wheat is ground to make flour, which is baked into bread, becoming the staff of life. Grapes are crushed for their juice, which is made into wine, to bring us gladness.

It is the fulfillment of wheat and grapes to be ground and crushed. You might say that they live to give life and gladness to others.

That is also the fulfillment of Jesus. He said: No one takes my life from me. I lay it down freely. I live to give life and gladness to others. (John 10)

That’s also the fulfillment of Christians. Consider this: Jesus took up his cross to do for others what they couldn’t do for themselves, to give life and gladness to others.

Taking up our cross involves at least in part doing the same: serving, sacrificing to do for others what they can’t do for themselves, to give them life and gladness. Any suffering involved in that comes from the loss of something as a result of sharing.

That’s one way of understanding what Jesus said at the Last Supper: “Do this in memory of me.”

Service, sacrifice, sharing, living to give life and gladness are essential practices of our Catholic religion, as much as going to Sunday Mass, confessing our sins to a priest, studying the Catechism, and eating fish sticks on Friday.

An elaborated catechism on the Holy Mass, titled The Fourth H, is available on the website for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The title refers to “how to celebrate Holy Mass.” The other three H’s are: hospitality, hymns, and the homily.


CONFESS OUR SINS TO A PRIEST             
As mentioned earlier, we are obliged to confess our sins to a priest at least once a year, if we’re guilty of mortal sin.

About sin: We say that it’s “sinful” to think, speak, or act in a way that is contrary to the law of God, especially the Ten Commandments, and even more the commandments to love God first and most, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

But we say we are “sinners” when we know we’re guilty of sin, that is, blameworthy, knowing full well that the thought, word, or deed in question was indeed a sin against God, and we deliberately, freely chose to do it anyway.

It is called a venial sin when the bad thing that’s actually done (a sin of commission), or the good thing that’s not done (a sin of omission) is not so serious in and of itself, or when there were unavoidable limits to our knowledge or freedom. The word venial is from Latin, meaning pardonable. 

Venial sin can be forgiven by confessing it to a priest, but also outside of Confession, for example: by saying what’s called a perfect Act of Contrition, that is, our sorrow for sin is inspired more by love of God than by fear of Hell; by participating in Mass and worthily receiving Holy Communion; or by saying prayers, by doing acts of self-denial, and by giving money to the poor.

It is called a mortal sin when the bad thing that’s actually done, or the good thing that’s not done, is serious in and of itself, and we’re fully aware of that fact, and our choice to sin is fully ours, fully free. The word mortal is from Latin, meaning deadly; it is said to kill the life of Christ (grace) that we receive at Baptism.

Mortal sin is ordinarily only forgiven by confessing it to a priest, with sorrow, and planning to avoid that sin in the future. So, if we’re guilty of mortal sin, we should run, not walk to the nearest priest for Confession.

In extraordinary circumstances, when it’s not possible to confess to a priest, we can receive forgiveness for our mortal sins by saying a perfect Act of Contrition, with the intention to mention that sin in Confession to a priest as soon as that’s possible.

Going to Confession is powerful to help us grow up, and to become holy, to be more like Jesus. Therefore, it’s a good idea to go to Confession regularly, say, once a month. Here are some other reasons that the Sacrament of Confession is recommended to us:

1. Jesus gave priests authority to forgive sins in his name. (John 20:23) The priest is a minister of God’s forgiveness, trying to imitate the love and mercy of Jesus.
2. The apostle James tells us we can find healing by confessing our sins. (James 5:16)
3. The absolution the priest speaks in Confession assures us that God has forgiven our sins; no need to worry if we were sorry enough, or if we confessed correctly.
4. Even if the priest in Confession doesn’t say anything other than “I absolve you from your sins” there is still great benefit, just from examining our conscience, taking responsibility for our actions, doing penance (restorative justice), and telling our sins out loud. 
5. The priest isn’t allowed to tell anyone what we confessed, and so Confession is a safe place to tell our sins, and to receive spiritual counsel.
6. The priest has heard it all before, and is a sinner like us, so there’s no need for us to be afraid or embarrassed. 
7. Going to Confession reminds us that, no matter what sins we confess, or how often we sin, we are always loved by God with a love that we can neither earn nor lose.
8. Going to Confession makes the angels and saints rejoice. (Luke 15:7)
9. And though we might dread the thought of confessing our sins to a priest, most people feel great afterwards, like a heavy weight is lifted off our shoulders.

With regard to the examination of conscience mentioned above, the most widely practiced way to help us acknowledge our sins is to ask ourselves if and how well we have obeyed the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17):

1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day. 
4. Honor your father and your mother. 
5. You shall not kill. 
6. You shall not commit adultery. 
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. 
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Jesus said that he came to fulfill the Commandments, not to abolish them. (Matthew 5:17) One way he did that is by broadening or deepening our understanding of them. For example, murder is a sin, but so is hating someone; adultery is a sin, but so is lusting after someone. (Matthew 5:22, 28)

Another way he did that is by teaching that love of God and love of neighbor, even an enemy, especially an enemy, fulfill the Commandments. (Matthew 22:36-40) In fact, the first three Commandments are about proper love of God, and the last seven, right love of neighbor.

There is an examination of conscience on the website for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. 


VOCATION             
We also practice our holy Catholic Faith by learning and living God’s plan for our life, our vocation.

All people have at least four vocations, or calls from God: (1) to go to Heaven, (2) to become holy by imitating Jesus, (3) to support the mission of the Church, and (4) to a state in life as a single or a married person, as a sister or a priest in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

Of the four vocations, the last one, the call to a state in life, is the most important, because when we know, embrace, and live our state in life, that has a huge impact on our other calls: to mission (evangelization), to holiness (imitation of Christ), and to Heaven (our true home).

And that’s because whatever we do is conditioned by our state in life; we do whatever as a single or married person, as a sister or a priest in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

From all eternity, God has a plan for each person’s state in life. Our responsibility is to learn God’s plan, and then say “Yes” to it, and live it to the best of our ability.

The payoff is enjoying happiness and fulfillment, and then having the best chance of making the world a better place.

“[Jesus] summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve… that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach.” (Mark 3:13-14)

An elaborated catechism on vocation is available on the website for the Archdiocese of Dubuque.


STEWARDSHIP               
Practicing stewardship is still another way of practicing our holy Catholic Faith. What does the Church teach about stewardship? 

First, we don’t own anything. Everything is on loan to us from God, and not just money, but also who we are, what we can do, and what we possess.

Second, all is entrusted to us by God to manage for God. The word manage comes from the Greek word for economy. And another word for that is stewardship: to manage or care for someone else’s property according to the desire of the owner.

Third, the desire of the owner, God, is that we use what is entrusted to us to benefit ourselves, those who are dependent on us, the mission of the Church, and the poor.

Fourth, there is no uniform practice of stewardship; it will look different for each person depending on what God has entrusted to us, and on our personal circumstances.

Stewardship is practiced by freely, generously, even sacrificially sharing our time, talent and treasure, not compelled by the threat of punishment, or the promise of a reward.

That being said, people who practice stewardship will tell you that God always provides an abundance of what we are willing to share with others. Jesus taught that “the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (Luke 6:38)

So, if we’re willing to share nothing, God will make sure we have an abundance of nothing. But if we share generously, then “a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” (Luke 6:38)

We’re supposed to do something with what God entrusts to our management, our stewardship. If we do nothing, well, God may greet us with the words from Jesus’ parable: you wicked and lazy servant. (Matthew 25:26)

Our time, talent, and treasure are like manure: if all you do is let it pile up, it will stink and draw flies, but if you spread it around, it produces abundant fruit. 

We manage time, talent and treasure according to God’s purpose, but also creation: making it prosper and grow using it, but not selfishly, or for sordid gain.

An elaborated catechism on stewardship is available here.
 

This is part of a series titled, "A Follower of Jesus In His Holy Catholic Church"
which was published in April of 2021.

                        

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