Understanding
Catholicism
YouTube Videos
"I Was Anti-Catholic... Until This Changed Everything"
Catholic Video Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlyrBA6NOxU&list=PLdTqPytD360BuoAabPi3JcdzJOWngUR9x
The First Church
[Isaiah 22:22-25 ESV]
22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house. 24 And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”
[Matthew 16:18 ESV]
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
[Ephesians 2: 17-22 ESV]
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
[Acts 2:42:47 ESV]
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
[Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV]
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
[Ephesians 4:11-16 ESV]
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
[Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV]
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
[Luke 9:1-2 ESV]
9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
[2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 ESV]
13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits[d] to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
The Catholic Mass
Original Sunday worship as documented in “Apology to the Roman Emperor”, Justin Martyr, 155 AD:
And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the prsident verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the prsident in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participitation of that over which thanks have been given, and to theose who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.
And this food is called among us Eucharistia of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flest by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh [Justin Martyr, First Apology pages 66-67].
The Catholic Mass Explained:
https://www.kofc.org/resources/faith-formation/faith-resources/mass-explained/
The Lord's Prayer
Matthew 6:8-13 NKJV]
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
The Apostles Creed
I believe
(John 3)
in God, the Father
(Psalm 103)
almighty
(Psalm 89)
creator of heaven and earth.
(Genesis 1)
I believe in Jesus Christ,
(Colossians 1)
his only Son,
(John 1)
our Lord,
(Romans 14)
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
(Luke 1)
born of the virgin Mary
(Isaiah 7)
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
(Isaiah 53)
died, and was buried;
(Matthew 27)
On the third day he rose again,
(Luke 24)
he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father
(Hebrews 9)
and will come again
(Mark 13)
to judge the living and the dead.
(Revelation 20)
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
(Acts 2)
the holy Catholic [universal] church,
(1 Peter 1)
the communion of saints,
(Ephesians 2)
the forgiveness of sins,
(Jeremiah 31)
the resurrection of the body,
(Daniel 12)
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
(Revelation 21)
Bringing the Gifts to the Altar
[Matthew 5:24 NKJV]
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Prayer Before The Eucharistic
[Luke 7:6-7 NKJV]
6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.
Eucharist Prayer
[1 Corinthians 11:24-25 NKJV]
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
The Hail Marry
[Luke 1:28 NKJV]
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
[Luke 1:42 NKJV]
42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
Why Practice Baptism?
[Mark 1:9 NKJV]
9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
[Luke 3:21 NKJV]
21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
[Matthew 3:16 NKJV]
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
[Mark 16:16 NKJV]
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
[John 3:3-5 NKJV]
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
[1 Peter 3:20-21 NKJV]
20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
[Acts 2:37-38, 41 NKJV]
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ... 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
[Acts 8:36-38 NKJV]
36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
[Romans 6:3-4 NKJV]
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
More on Baptism from Catholic Answers:
Why Believe in Transubstantiation [Eucharist]?
“Every Scientifically Proven Eucharistic Miracle”
“Extraordinary Footage of the Eucharistic Miracle - What is Going On?”
Original Sunday worship as documented in “Apology to the Roman Emperor”, Justin Martyr, 155 AD:
And this food is called among us Eucharistia of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flest by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh [Justin Martyr, First Apology pages 66-67].
Bible References:
[Mark 14:22-24 ESV]
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
[Luke 22:19-20 ESV]
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
[John 6:35 ESV]
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
[John 6:51-58 ESV]
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[a] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
[Acts 2:46-47 ESV]
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
[1 Corinthians 10:16-17 ESV]
16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
[1 Corinthians 11:26-29 ESV]
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
[John 15:5 ESV]
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Why Do Catholics Practice Confession?
[James 5:16 ESV]
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
[John 20:22-23 ESV]
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
[Luke 5:14 ESV]
And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
Why Believe in the Intercession of Saints?
[Hebrews 12:1 ESV]
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
[1 Timothy 2:1-5 ESV]
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
[Revelation 5:8 ESV]
8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
[Revelation 8:3-4 ESV]
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
But What About Mary?
"I Accused Catholics of Idolatry - Until This" | Redeemed Catholics [formerly a Protestant]
"I used to accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary instead of God - believing she was treated as a goddess and placed above Jesus. I was convinced Marian devotion was idolatry, until I discovered what Scripture and history actually teach."
The Concept of Purgatory...
“This Video WILL CONVINCE You of Purgatory” | Sips with Serra [formerly a Protestant]
[Revelation 21:27 ESV]
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
[Hebrews 12:14 ESV]
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
[1 Corinthians 3:11-15 ESV]
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
[Matthew 5:25-26 ESV]
25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
[Matthew 12:32 ESV]
32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
[Hebrews 12:7-11 ESV]
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
More Answers:
https://www.youtube.com/@CA-Live-Clips
https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth
Find a Mass
What About Other Christian Denominations?
[Luke 9:49-50 NKJV]
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.”