Corpus Christi Blog

Overview of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

07-26-2020Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A. in Theology and Catechetics

You have likely noticed that I reference the Catechism of the Catholic Church quite often when writing articles and reflections for the weekly bulletin. The Catechism is a book that can seem quite intimidating. First of all, it is a very big book. My version contains 904 pages. It is also filled with numbers, both at the beginning of each paragraph as well as in the margins, and there are tons of footnotes. There are numerous topics and it is difficult to know even where to begin. This week I would like to spend some time talking about this book, how to use it, and how it is a helpful and beautiful resource for Catholics wanting to know more about their Faith. You have likely noticed that I reference the Catechism of the Catholic Church quite often when writing articles and reflections for the weekly bulletin. The Catechism is a book that can seem quite intimidating. First of all, it is a very big book. My version contains 904 pages. It is also filled with numbers, both at the beginning of each paragraph as well as in the margins, and there are tons of footnotes. There are numerous topics and it is difficult to know even where to begin. This week I would like to spend some time talking about this book, how to use it, and how it is a helpful and beautiful resource for Catholics wanting to know more about their Faith.

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St. Thomas Aquinas’ Five Proofs

07-19-2020Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A. in Theology and Catechetics

It is relatively safe to assume that if you’re reading this reflection, you likely believe in the existence of God. However, it is a very sad reality in our world today that many people do not believe in God. Some people equate belief in God and faith as fairy tales, mythology, or simply things we’ve made up to make ourselves feel better or less alone in the world. It is also sometimes misunderstood that faith and human reason cannot co-exist, but nothing could be further from the truth. Our human reason can, in fact, lead us to the truth which is then magnified by our faith.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the desire for God is written on every human heart (CCC #27). We can see this in every person we encounter, whether they believe in God or not, and regardless of which religion or spirituality they practice (CCC #28). Everyone, in some way or another, is seeking truth and the meaning of life, however wayward it may seem to others. This is all driven by the desire God wrote into humanity to seek Him out, which is all largely rooted in our human reason.

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Saints

07-12-2020Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A. in Theology and Catechetics

One of the things that stands out to non-Catholics about the Catholic Church is her veneration of saints, though this practice is often misunderstood. So, what does the Church teach us about saints and how they are there to help us?

First, we must differentiate between saints in general and those who are canonized. When we pray the Apostles’ Creed, we say that we believe in the “communion of saints.” We understand the communion of saints to be all members of the faithful, whether living or dead. This includes, of course, those in heaven, but also those in purgatory who are undergoing their purification process and on their way to heaven. We are all part of the communion of saints because we are all members of the mystical body of Christ and are, in fact, a communion under Him.

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Free Will

07-03-2020Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A. in Theology and Catechetics

As we celebrate Independence Day this weekend, I would like to take a closer look at what freedom means in the Economy of Salvation for us as Catholic Christians.

We live in a world today where freedom is misunderstood. Society dictates who is free to do what, when, and where based on whims, emotions, and popular opinions. A popular theme is “Hey, if I want to do X and it’s not hurting anyone, why not? I have free will.” You might also find that where you were free to say or do something one minute, you are all of a sudden no longer free to say or do that same thing. The truth is that we are all free to choose anything, but not without consequences and those consequences are really of the eternal order and not of the worldly one.

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