Summary of the Christian Faith/Doctrine

[Denise]

A Summary of Christian Faith

Every Christian must believe that there is One God, and no more than one God, that God is pure Spirit, the Lord and maker of Heaven and earth, Who has neither beginning or end, but is always the same, Who is everywhere present, knows and sees all things, can do all things, whatsoever He pleases, and is infinite in all perfections.

Every Christian is bound to believe that, in One God there are three distinct persons, perfectly equal, of the same substance, and having the same nature:The Father, Who proceeds from no one; the Son, who is born of the Father before all ages; and the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son as from one principle; and that the Three Persons are all equally eternal, equal in wisdom and power, and are, all three, One and the same Lord, One and the same God.

We must believe that God created the angels to live with Him forever, and that one part of them fell from God by sin, and became devils. That God also created Adam and Eve, the first parents of all mankind, and placed them in the earthly Paradise, from which they were justly banished for the sin they committed in eating the fruit of the forbidden tree and, that by this transgression of Adam, we are all conceived and born in sin, and would have been lost forever if God had not sent us a Savior.

We are bound to believe in the Savior of all Mankind, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, true God and true man, perfect God from all eternity, equal to His Father in all things, and perfect man, from the time of His coming down from Heaven for us,
having a body and soul like ours.

We must believe that Jesus Christ, our Savior, who had been long foretold by the prophets was, at God's appointed time, by the power of the Holy Spirit, without having any man for His father, conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, whom God had prepared for this wonderful Maternity in a wonderful manner, in that by a singular grace and privilege, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, she was in the first instant of her conception preserved free from every taint of original sin. Of her, who is Blessed Among Women for ever more, was born our Lord---she still remaining a pure
virgin.

During the time of His mortal life, Jesus Christ founded the Christian religion, and then offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world by dying on a cross, to obtain mercy, grace and salvation for us, and that neither mercy, grace, nor salvation can or ever could, since Adam's fall, be obtained except through the mediation of the Son of God.

We must believe that Jesus Christ, after He died and was
buried, arose on the third day from death to life, never to die again, and that for the space of forty days He was pleased
at different times to manifest Himself to His disciples, to abide with them forever as He promised and to guide them and all their successors into the truth.

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE IN BRIEF

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

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 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.


THE PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH

The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:

("You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor") requires the
faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts
honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in
the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and
activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.82

("You shall confess your sins at least once a year") ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the
sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism's work of conversion and forgiveness.83

("You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season") guarantees as a minimum
the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the
Christian liturgy.84

("You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church") ensures the times of ascesis
and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom
of heart.85

("You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church") means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the
material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.86


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS


*Baptism, *Confirmation, *Eucharist, *Confession, *Marriage, *Holy Orders, and the *Anointing of the Sick


THE THREE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES

*Faith, *Hope, and *Charity


THE FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES

*Prudence, *Justice, *Fortitude, and *Temperance


THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

*Wisdom - desire for the things of God, and to direct our whole life and all our actions to His honor and glory

Understanding - enable us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith

*Counsel - warn us of the deceits of the devil, and of the dangers to salvation

*Fortitude - strengthen us to do the will of God in all things

*Knowledge - enable us to discover the will of God in all things

*Piety - love God as a Father, and obey Him because we love Him

*Fear of the Lord - have a dread of sin and fear of offending God


TWELVE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

*Charity- *Joy- *Peace- *Patience- *Benignity- *Goodness -*Long suffering-*Mildness-*Faith- *Modesty -*Continency -*Chastity


THE SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY

*Admonish the sinner
*Instruct the ignorant
*Counsel the doubtful
*Comfort the sorrowful
*Bear wrongs patiently
*Forgive all injuries
*Pray for the living and the dead


THE CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY

*Feed the hungry
*Give drink to the thirsty
*Clothe the naked
*Visit the imprisoned
*Shelter the homeless
*Visit the sick
*Bury the dead


THE EIGHT BEATITUDES

FROM MATTHEW
•Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
•Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. (Verse 4)
•Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
•Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)
•Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
•Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)
•Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)
•Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)


THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS

*Pride, *Covetousness, *Lust, *Anger, *Gluttony, *Envy, *Sloth


THE CHIEF MEANS BY WHICH WE SATISFY GOD FOR TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT DUE TO SIN

*Prayer, *Fasting, *Alms-giving; *all spiritual and corporal works of mercy, *and the patient suffering of the ills of life


THE GODLY VIRTUES

*Humility, *Liberality, *Chastity, *Meekness, *Temperance, *Brotherly Love, *Diligence


SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

There are six sins that offend the Holy Spirit. These are:

(1) Despair, "By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God,
for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God's
goodness, to his justice - for the Lord is faithful to his promises - and to his mercy."
(C.C.C. # 2091)

(2) Presumption of God's mercy,"There are two kinds of presumption. Either man
presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high),
or he presumes upon God's almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without
conversion and glory without merit)."
(C.C.C. # 2092)

(3) Impugning the known truth, (To "impugn" the known truth means to
attack it by word or argument, to resist it, to contradict it, or even to oppose the known
truth or to challenge it as false.)

(4) Envy the spiritual good of another,(Regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians states, "All these are activated by one and the
same Spirit, who allots to each one individually as the Spirit chooses." To envy the spiritual
good of another is to question the Divine judgment of the Holy Spirit in His distribution of spiritual gifts.
It is to be jealous of another person who has a gift different than one's own gift. Through envy,
one rejects the gift that he has received from the Holy Spirit, determining in his own mind that the gift
he has received is not good enough for him and he wants someone else's gift.)

(5) Obstinacy in sin,(To be "obstinate" means to resist the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit,
to be stubborn, to persist in sin, to be unyielding.)

(6) Final impenitence. ("Impenitence" means to be uncontrite, unrepentant, hardened,
unconverted, to be without regret, shame or remorse.)



SINS CRYING TO HEAVEN FOR VENGEANCE

*Wilful Murder
*The Sin of Sodom
*Oppression of the Poor
*Defrauding Labourers of Their Wages


NINE WAY OF BEING AN ACCESSORY TO ANOTHER'S SIN

By Counsel, By Command, By Consent, By Provocation, By Praise or Flattery, By Concealment, By Partaking,
By Silence, By Defence of the Evil Done.

THE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS

*Voluntary Poverty
*Chastity
*Obedience



THE FOUR LAST THINGS TO BE REMEMBERED

*Death*Judgement*Hell*Heaven*

Taken from Approved Sources