Catholic Basics Section

Also See: Advent (Topic Page)

"Four thousand years of expectation preceded that coming [of the Savior], and they are expressed by the four weeks of Advent, which we must spend before we come to the glorious festivity of our Lord's Nativity." (Dom Gueranger)

"The name Advent [from the Latin word 'Adventus', a coming] is applied, in the Latin Church, to that period of the year, during which the Church requires the faithful to prepare for the celebration of the feast of Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ." (Dom Gueranger)

Also See: Incarnation & Nativity of Christ / Christmas | Traditional Prayers & Practices

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"I proclaim that the liberty of the human will was not destroyed but enfeebled and weakened, and that he who is saved, was tried; and he who perished, could have been saved." (Council of Arles, Letter of Submission of Lucidus, c. 475 A.D.)

Also See: Now is the Time for Repentance | Now is the Time for Mercy | Judgment | Salvation | Hell / Eternal Damnation

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Also See: Angels (Topic Page)

"Angels are bodiless spirits created to adore and enjoy God in heaven." (Baltimore Catechism)

"The whole air about us is filled with angels." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)

"Our Guardian Angels are our most faithful friends, because they are with us day and night, always and everywhere. We ought to often invoke them." (St. John Vianney)

"Since God often sends us inspirations by means of His angels, we should frequently return on aspirations to Him by means of the same messengers." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)

"So valuable to heaven is the dignity of the human soul that every member of the human race has a guardian angel from the moment the person begins to be." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)

"God appointed guardian Angels to secure for us their help and prayers, and also to show his great love for us in giving us these special servants and faithful friends." (Baltimore Catechism)

"When tempted, invoke your angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your guardian angel." (St. John Bosco)

"All the Angels are not equal in dignity. There are nine choirs or classes mentioned in the Holy Scripture. The highest are called Seraphim and the lowest simply Angels. The Archangels are one class higher than ordinary Angels." (Baltimore Catechism)

"It is moreover manifest that as regards things to be done human knowledge and affection can vary and fail from good in many ways; and so it was necessary that angels should be deputed for the guardianship of men, in order to regulate them and move them to good." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"For the name Seraphim is found in Isaiah 6:2; the name Cherubim in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 10:15,20); Thrones in Colossians 1:16; Dominations, Virtues, Powers, and Principalities are mentioned in Ephesians 1:21; the name Archangels in the canonical epistle of Saint Jude (Jude 1:9), and the name Angels is found in many places of Scripture...in the names of the angelic orders it is necessary to observe that the proper name of each order expresses its property." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"As men depart from the natural instinct of good by reason of a sinful passion, so also do they depart from the instigation of the good angels, which takes place invisibly when they enlighten man that he may do what is right. Hence that men perish is not to be imputed to the negligence of the angels but to the malice of men. That they sometimes appear to men visibly outside the ordinary course of nature comes from a special grace of God, as likewise that miracles occur outside the order of nature." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"By God's providence Angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding the human race and of accompanying every human being so as to preserve him from any serious dangers. Just as parents, whose children are about to travel a dangerous and infested road, appoint guardians and helpers for them, so also in the journey we are making towards our heavenly country our heavenly Father has placed over each of us an Angel under whose protection and vigilance we may be enabled to escape the snares secretly prepared by our enemy, repel the dreadful attacks he makes on us, and under his guiding hand keep the right road, and thus be secure against all false steps which the wiles of the evil one might cause us to make in order to draw us aside from the path that leads to heaven." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"Let us then first examine the reason for the ordering [of the angelic degrees] of Dionysius, in which we see, that,...the highest hierarchy contemplates the ideas of things in God Himself; the second in the universal causes; and third in their application to particular effects. And because God is the end not only of the angelic ministrations, but also of the whole creation, it belongs to the first hierarchy to consider the end; to the middle one belongs the universal disposition of what is to be done; and to the last belongs the application of this disposition to the effect, which is the carrying out of the work; for it is clear that these three things exist in every kind of operation. So Dionysius, considering the properties of the orders as derived from their names, places in the first hierarchy those orders the names of which are taken from their relation to God, the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones; and he places in the middle hierarchy those orders whose names denote a certain kind of common government or disposition - the Dominations, Virtues, and Powers; and he places in the third hierarchy the orders whose names denote the execution of the work, the Principalities, Angels, and Archangels. As regards the end, three things may be considered. For firstly we consider the end; then we acquire perfect knowledge of the end; thirdly, we fix our intention on the end; of which the second is an addition to the first, and the third an addition to both. And because God is the end of creatures, as the leader is the end of an army, as the Philosopher says (De Metaphysica xii); so a somewhat similar order may be seen in human affairs. For there are some who enjoy the dignity of being able with familiarity to approach the king or leader; others in addition are privileged to know his secrets; and others above these ever abide with him, in a close union. According to this similitude, we can understand the disposition in the orders of the first hierarchy; for the Thrones are raised up so as to be the familiar recipients of God in themselves, in the sense of knowing immediately the types of things in Himself; and this is proper to the whole of the first hierarchy. The Cherubim know the Divine secrets supereminently; and the Seraphim excel in what is the supreme excellence of all, in being united to God Himself; and all this in such a manner that the whole of this hierarchy can be called the Thrones; as, from what is common to all the heavenly spirits together, they are all called Angels... The disposition of the orders which is mentioned by Gregory is also reasonable. For since the Dominations appoint and order what belongs to the Divine ministrations, the orders subject to them are arranged according to the disposition of those things in which the Divine ministrations are effected. Still, as Augustine says (De Trinitate iii), 'bodies are ruled in a certain order; the inferior by the superior; and all of them by the spiritual creature, and the bad spirit by the good spirit.' So the first order after the Dominations is called that of Principalities, who rule even over good spirits; then the Powers, who coerce the evil spirits; even as evil-doers are coerced by earthly powers, as it is written (Romans 13:3,4). After these come the Virtues, which have power over corporeal nature in the working of miracles; after these are the Angels and the Archangels, who announce to men either great things above reason, or small things within the purview of reason... A careful comparison will show that little or no difference exists in reality between the dispositions of the orders according to Dionysius and Gregory." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

Also See: Heaven | Angels (Announcements Reflections) | Announcing Angels (Announcements Reflections) | Guardian Angels (Announcements Reflections) | Angels (Topical Scripture)

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"For since faith is the first foundation of things to be hoped for, and since, without faith it is 'impossible to please God'; when once faith is removed, man retains nothing that may be useful for the obtaining of eternal salvation, for which reason it is written (Proverbs 6:12): 'A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man': because faith is the life of the soul, according to Romans 1:17: 'The just man liveth by faith.' Therefore, just as when the life of the body is taken away, man's every member and part loses its due disposition, so when the life of justice, which is by faith, is done away, disorder appears in all his members. First, in his mouth, whereby chiefly his mind stands revealed; secondly, in his eyes; thirdly, in the instrument of movement; fourthly, in his will, which tends to evil. The result is that 'he sows discord,' endeavoring to sever others from the faith even as he severed himself." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"Apostasy denotes a backsliding from God. This may happen in various ways according to the different kinds of union between man and God. For, in the first place, man is united to God by faith; secondly, by having his will duly submissive in obeying His commandments; thirdly, by certain special things pertaining to supererogation such as the religious life, the clerical state, or Holy Orders. Now if that which follows be removed, that which precedes, remains, but the converse does not hold. Accordingly a man may apostatize from God, by withdrawing from the religious life to which he was bound by profession, or from the Holy Order which he had received: and this is called apostasy from religious life or Orders. A man may also apostatize from God, by rebelling in his mind against the Divine commandments: and though man may apostatize in both the above ways, he may still remain united to God by faith. But if he give up the faith, then he seems to turn away from God altogether: and consequently, apostasy simply and absolutely is that whereby a man withdraws from the faith, and is called apostasy of perfidy. In this way apostasy, simply so called, pertains to unbelief... Now apostasy regards unbelief as the term whereto of the movement of withdrawal from the faith; wherefore apostasy does not imply a special kind of unbelief, but an aggravating circumstance thereof, according to 2 Peter 2:21: 'It had been better for them not to know the truth, than after they had known it, to turn back.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

Also See: Those Outside the Church (Coming Home Reflections) | Faith | Schism / Heresy  

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"Whoever, then, proposes to enlist, under the standard of Christ, must first of all, enter into a sacred and solemn engagement to renounce the devil and the world, and always to hold them in utter detestation as his worst enemies." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"Can. 788 §2 By formation and their first steps in Christian living, catechumens are to be initiated into the mysteries of salvation, and introduced into the life of faith, liturgy and charity of the people of God, as well as into the apostolate." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 789 By means of appropriate formation, neophytes are to be led to a deeper knowledge of the Gospel truths, and to the fulfillment of the duties undertaken in baptism. They are also to be imbued with a sincere love of Christ and his Church." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 788 §1 Those who have expressed the wish to embrace faith in Christ, and who have completed the period of their preliminary catechumenate, are to be admitted to the catechumenate proper in a liturgical ceremony; and their names are to be inscribed in the book which is kept for this purpose." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"The task of the catechist is to take up one or other of the truths of faith or of Christian morality and then explain it in all its parts; and since amendment of life is the chief aim of his instruction, the catechist must needs make a comparison between what God commands us to do and what is our actual conduct. After this, he will use examples appropriately taken from the Holy Scriptures, Church history, and the lives of the saints - thus moving his hearers and clearly pointing out to them how they are to regulate their own conduct. He should, in conclusion, earnestly exhort all present to dread and avoid vice and to practice virtue." (Pope St. Pius X, "Acerbo Nimis", 1905 A.D.)

Also See: Duties of Catholics | Catholic Church / Catholic Faith / Catholics | Sacraments Section | Selections from the Baltimore Catechism | Education

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"A soul that is united with God must be prepared for great and hard-fought battles." (St. Faustina Kowalska)

"Confirmation is a Sacrament through which we receive the Holy Ghost to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ." (Baltimore Catechism)

"We are called soldiers of Jesus Christ to indicate how we must resist the attacks of our spiritual enemies and secure our victory over them by following and obeying Our Lord." (Baltimore Catechism)

"Spiritual warfare lasts until the last moment of life. The call of Jesus to be 'vigilant' and 'prayerful' concerns everyone, even the saints. Only those who persevere until the end will be saved (Mt. 10:22). It is not very useful for you to have won the initial battles, if in the end you become lukewarm and then surrender." (Fr. Fanzaga)

"For although the enemy's weapons may be powerful, nonetheless these weapons of the Savior are stronger. If anyone is armed with them, even though he appear defenseless in the eyes of human beings, he is nonetheless adequately armed because the most high Divinity is guarding him." (St. Maximus of Turin)

"Christianity is a warfare, and Christians are spiritual soldiers. In its beginning, our faith was planted in the poverty, infamy, persecution, and death of Christ; in its progress, it was watered by the blood of God's saints; and it cannot come to the full growth unless it be fostered with the showers of the martyrs' blood." (St. Robert Southwell)

"It is evident that no one can terrify us or hold us in servitude, who have believed in Jesus over all the earth. For, though beheaded and crucified and thrown to the beasts and in chains and fire and subjected to all the other tortures, we do not give up our confession. On the contrary, the more do such things happen, the more do others in greater numbers become faithful worshipers of God through the name of Jesus. Just as with the vine, when someone cuts away the fruit-bearing parts it grows up again and puts forth other branches both flourishing and fruitful - it happens in the same way with us." (St. Justin the Martyr, c. 155 A.D.)

"In the language of the Church, fortitude has not the meaning it has in the language of the world. Fortitude, as the world understands it, is undertaking great things; according to the Church, it goes not beyond suffering every sort of trial, and there it stops. Listen to the words of St. Paul: 'Ye have not yet resisted unto blood'; as though he would say: 'You have not yet gone the whole length of your duty, because you have not resisted your enemies unto blood.' He does not say, 'You have not attacked your enemies and shed their blood', but 'Your resistance to your enemies has not yet cost you your blood.'" (Bossuet, as quoted by Dom Gueranger)

"By the infinite goodness of God man lived again to the hope of an immortal life, from which he had been cut off, but he cannot attain to it if he strives not to walk in the very footsteps of Christ and conform his mind to Christ's by the meditation of Christ's example. Therefore this is not a counsel but a duty, and it is the duty, not of those only who desire a more perfect life, but clearly of every man 'always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus.' How otherwise could the natural law, commanding man to live virtuously, be kept? For by holy baptism the sin which we contracted at birth is destroyed, but the evil and tortuous roots of sin, which sin has engrafted, [is] by no means removed. This part of man which is without reason - although it cannot beat those who fight manfully by Christ's grace - nevertheless struggles with reason for supremacy, clouds the whole soul and tyrannically bends the will from virtue with such power that we cannot escape vice or do our duty except by a daily struggle." (Pope Leo XIII, "Exeunte Iam Anno", 1888 A.D.)

"For although by Our Redeemer's grace human nature hath been regenerated, still there remains in each individual a certain debility and tendency to evil. Various natural appetites attract man on one side and the other; the allurements of the material world impel his soul to follow after what is pleasant rather than the law of Christ. Still we must strive our best and resist our natural inclinations with all our strength 'unto the obedience of Christ.' For unless they obey reason they become our masters, and carrying the whole man away from Christ, make him their slave. 'Men of corrupt mind, who have made shipwreck of the faith, cannot help being slaves... They are slaves to a threefold concupiscence: of will, of pride, or of outward show' (St. Augustine, De Vera Religione, 37). In this contest every man must be prepared to undergo hardships and troubles for Christ's sake. It is difficult to reject what so powerfully entices and delights. It is hard and painful to despise the supposed goods of the senses and of fortune for the will and precepts of Christ our Lord. But the Christian is absolutely obliged to be firm, and patient in suffering, if he wish to lead a Christian life." (Pope Leo XIII, "Tametsi Futura Prospicientibus", 1900 A.D.)

Also See: Concupiscence | Mortification | Perseverance | Confirmation (Sacraments Reflections) | Confirmation (Sacraments Section) | Suffering & Death 

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"With such planters, waterers, builders, shepherds, and fosterers the holy Church grew after the time of the apostles." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 421 A.D.)

"We must most studiously investigate and follow this ancient agreement of the holy fathers...only those opinions of the fathers are to be brought forward which were expressed by those who lived, taught, and preserved wisely and constantly in the holy Catholic faith and communion, and who merited either to die faithfully in Christ or to be killed gloriously for Christ. Those men, moreover, are to be believed, in accord with the rule that only that is to be held as undoubted, certain, and valid, which either all or most of them have confirmed by receiving, holding, and handing on in one and the same sense, manifestly, frequently, and persistently, as if by a council of teachers in mutual agreement. But whatever was thought outside of or even against the opinion of all, although it be by a holy and learned man, or although by a confessor and martyr, must be removed from the authority of the common and public and general opinion, as being among his personal and peculiar and private views. In this way we shall not, as is the sacrilegious custom of heretics and schismatics, reject the ancient truth of universal dogma, to pursue, with great danger to our eternal salvation, the novel error of one man." (St. Vincent of Lerins, c. 434 A.D.)

Also See: Saints Section

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Also See: Ten Commandments (Topic Page)

"We show that we love God above all things by keeping His commandments and by never offending Him for any person or thing." (Baltimore Catechism)

"God's commandment is never detached from his love: it is always a gift meant for man's growth and joy." (Pope John Paul II, 1995)

"If any one saith, that the commandments of God are, even for one that is justified and constituted in grace, impossible to keep; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)

"How mistaken is he who toils on Sunday with an idea that he is making more money or doing more work. Nothing can ever compensate for the injury one does to oneself by breaking the law of God." (St. John Vianney)

"Our Lord did not say, 'If thou wilt enter into life, keep one commandment'; but keep all 'the commandments'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"The commandments of the Church are also commands of God, because they are made by His Authority, and we are bound under pain of sin to observe them." (Baltimore Catechism)

"[T]o be disobedient to the commandments of God is a mortal sin, because it is contrary to the love of God." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"The commandments of God are the guides which God gives us to show us the road to Heaven; like the names written up at the corners of the streets, to point out the way." (St. John Vianney)

"If any one saith, that nothing besides faith is commanded in the Gospel; that other things are indifferent, neither commanded nor prohibited, but free; or, that the ten commandments nowise appertain to Christians; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)

"These two Commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain the whole law of God because all the other Commandments are given either to help us to keep these two, or to direct us how to shun what is opposed to them." (Baltimore Catechism)

"Accordingly we read also (1 John 5:3) that 'His commandments are not heavy': which words Augustine expounds by saying that 'they are not heavy to the man that loveth; whereas they are a burden to him that loveth not.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"If any one saith, that the man who is justified and how perfect soever, is not bound to observe the commandments of God and of the Church, but only to believe; as if indeed the Gospel were a bare and absolute promise of eternal life, without the condition of observing the commandments; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)

"Though man is not always bound to will what God wills, yet he is always bound to will what God wills him to will. This comes to man's knowledge chiefly through God's command, wherefore man is bound to obey God's commands in all things." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"As any one can see, who reads carefully the story of the Old Testament, the common weal of the people prospered under the Law as long as they obeyed it; and as soon as they departed from the precepts of the Law they were overtaken by many calamities." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"The Commandments, written on two tables of stone, were given to Moses in the midst of fire and smoke, thunder and lightening, from which God spoke to him on the mountain, about fifty days after the Israelites were delivered from the bondage of Egypt and while they were on their journey through the desert to the Promised Land." (Baltimore Catechism)

"The commandments of God are these ten: 1) I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me, 2) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, 3) Remember though keep holy the Sabbath day, 4) Honor thy father and thy mother, 5) Thou shalt not kill, 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, and 10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods." (Baltimore Catechism)

"It is easy to conjecture that men are afflicted with heavy calamities because they violate this [second] Commandment; and if these things are called to their attention, it is likely that they will be more careful for the future. Deterred, therefore, by a holy dread, the faithful should use every exertion to avoid this sin. If for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account on the day of judgment, what shall we say of those heinous crimes which involve great contempt of the divine name?" (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"God's commandments teach us the way of life. The negative moral precepts, which declare that the choice of certain actions is morally unacceptable, have an absolute value for human freedom: they are valid always and everywhere, without exception. They make it clear that the choice of certain ways of acting is radically incompatible with the love of God and with the dignity of the person created in his image. Such choices cannot be redeemed by the goodness of any intention or of any consequence; they are irrevocably opposed to the bond between persons; they contradict the fundamental decision to direct one's life to God." (Pope John Paul II, 1995)

"But no one, how much soever justified, ought to think himself exempt from the observance of the commandments; no one ought to make use of that rash saying, one prohibited by the Fathers under an anathema, - that the observance of the commandments of God is impossible for one that is justified. For God commands not impossibilities, but, by commanding, both admonishes thee to do what thou are able, and to pray for what thou art not able (to do), and aids thee that thou mayest be able; whose commandments are not heavy; whose yoke is sweet and whose burden light. For, whoso are the sons of God, love Christ; but they who love him, keep his commandments, as Himself testifies; which, assuredly, with the divine help, they can do." (Council of Trent)

Also See: The Commandments | Precepts of the Church | Love / Charity | Sin | Mortal Sin | Confession / Penance (Sacraments Reflections) | Confession / Penance (Sacraments Section)

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Also See: Saints (Topic Page)

"The communion of the members of the Church is called the communion of saints." (Baltimore Catechism)

"We believe that the saints will help us because both they and we are members of the same Church, and they love us as their brethren." (Baltimore Catechism)

"The communion of saints means the union which exists between the members of the Church on earth with one another, and with the blessed in heaven and with the suffering souls in purgatory." (Baltimore Catechism)

"For the Communion of Saints, as everyone knows, is nothing but the mutual communication of help, expiation, prayers, blessings, among all the faithful, who, whether they have already attained to the heavenly country, or are detained in the purgatorial fire, or are yet exiles here on earth, all enjoy the common franchise of that city whereof Christ is the head, and the constitution is charity. For faith teaches us, that although the venerable [Eucharistic] Sacrifice may be lawfully offered to God alone, yet it may be celebrated in honor of the saints reigning in heaven with God Who has crowned them, in order that we may gain for ourselves their patronage. And it may also be offered - in accordance with an apostolic tradition - for the purpose of expiating the sins of those of the brethren who, having died in the Lord, have not yet fully paid the penalty of their transgressions." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae Caritatis", 1902 A.D.)

Also See: Heaven | Purgatory | Indulgences | Treasury of the Church | The Catholic Church | Saints Section | Saints Section Reflections | Sacraments Section

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"[C]oncupiscence does not constitute sin" (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"For concupiscence which is the effect of sin is nothing more than an appetite of the soul in itself repugnant to reason." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"This strong inclination to evil is called concupiscence, and God permits it to remain in us that by His grace we may resist it and thus increase our merits." (Baltimore Catechism) 

"[C]oncupiscence, if indulged, gathers strength...by resisting concupiscence we moderate it according to the demands of virtue." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"This concupiscence, which the apostle sometimes calls sin, the holy Synod declares that the Catholic Church has never understood it to be called sin, as being truly and properly sin in those born again [that is, baptized], but because it is of sin, and inclines to sin." (Council of Trent)

"No one, not even he who has been renewed by the grace of baptism, has sufficient strength to overcome the snares of the devil, and to vanquish the concupiscence of the flesh, unless he obtains help from God each day to persevere in a good life." (Indiculus, c. 435 - 442)

"Concupiscence is ever striving to make our soul a slave to the body; and in order to escape this tyranny, our life has to be one continual struggle. An unruly love for independence is unceasingly making us desire to be our own masters, and forget that we were born to obey. We find pleasure in sin, whereas virtue rewards us with nothing in this life, save the consciousness of our having done our duty." (Dom Gueranger)

"No one even after having been restored by the grace of baptism is capable of overcoming the snares of the devil and subduing the concupiscences of the flesh, unless he has received through the daily help of God the perseverance of the good way of life. The doctrine of the same high-priest confirms this in the same letter, declaring: 'For although He had redeemed man from his past sins, nevertheless knowing that he would be able to sin again, He saved many things for reparation to Himself, offering him daily remedies by which He might be able to correct him even after those (sins), and, if we do not struggle relying upon these [remedies] and trusting in them, we shall by no means be able to conquer human mistakes. For it is necessary that, as we are victorious with His aid, we shall again be defeated if He does not help us.'" (Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.) 

Also See: Mortification | Temptations | Christian Soldiers | Original Sin | Sin | Evil / Satan | Penance | Perseverance

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Also See: Pro-Life (Topic Page)

"God is the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things." (Baltimore Catechism)

"Everything that exists except God Himself has been created." (Baltimore Catechism)

"God created all things for His own glory and for their or our good." (Baltimore Catechism)

"God created heaven and earth from nothing by His word only; that is, by a single act of His all-powerful will." (Baltimore Catechism)

"[L]ife is God's gift to man" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"If anyone is so bold as to assert that there exists nothing besides matter: let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council) 

"Making means bringing forth or forming out of some material already existing, as workmen do. Creating means bringing forth out of nothing, as God alone can do." (Baltimore Catechism)

"If, dearly beloved, we comprehend faithfully and wisely the beginning of our creation, we shall find that man was made in God's image, to the end that he might imitate his Creator, and that our race attains its highest natural dignity, by the form of the Divine goodness being reflected in us, as in a mirror." (Pope St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church)

"If anyone does not confess that the world and all things which are contained in it, both spiritual and material, were produced, according to their whole substance, out of nothing by God; or holds that God did not create by his will free from all necessity, but as necessarily as he necessarily loves himself; or denies that the world was created for the glory of God: let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council)

"If anyone says that finite things, both corporal and spiritual, or at any rate, spiritual, emanated from the divine substance; or that the divine essence, by the manifestation and evolution of itself becomes all things or, finally, that God is a universal or indefinite being which by self determination establishes the totality of things distinct in genera, species and individuals: let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council)

"If upon entering a home you saw that everything there was well-tended, neat and decorative, you would believe that some master was in charge of it, and that he was himself much superior to those good things. So too in the home of this world, when you see providence, order, and law in the heavens and on earth, believe that there is a Lord and Author of the universe, more beautiful than the stars themselves and the various parts of the whole world." (Minucius Felix, 3rd century A.D.)

"And God made man; He modeled him to the image of God, i.e. of Christ. Wonderful deed, to fashion this slime of the earth! God seems to be absorbed in it; He makes it the work of His hand and of His heart; counsel, wisdom, providence, and above all love, trace the lines. As He forms each lineament of this clay, He has in mind Christ who is to become man. This slime of the earth, stamped with the image of the Christ is to come, is not only God's work, it is also His pledge." [Tertullian ("an excellent early Christian writer" - although he would ultimately fall into heresy), c. 3rd century A.D.]

Also See: Purpose of Life | Why God Created Man (Our Father's Love Reflections) | Life (Catholic Life Reflections) | Animals / Creation (St. Francis Section Reflections) | Life / Life Issues (Catholic Life Reflections) | The Gift of Life: Life Facts (Catholic Life Section)

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