Christianity is a very complex Religion. It dates all the way back to the first century AD, when it was founded in the Roman Empire of Judea, which is in present-day Israel. It all started with the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and communicated in the Gospels of the New Testament (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 156). There are many different denominations of Christianity out in the world today. In fact, there are more than 30 large or well-known different types. Catholicism is one of them, and it is the most practiced, worldwide, out of them all. The current Pope, Pope Francis, lives in The Vatican City in Rome, and this is where the great Cathedral of Saint Peter is located. Saint Peter Basilica is the most sacred, main church, or “headquarters” of the Catholic faith. The Pope is considered the leader of the Catholic Church. Catholic Churches are considered churches, which define their Christian authenticity through apostolic succession (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 148).
Catholicism involves so much history and information; it would be impossible to cover it all, in-depth, in such a short period of time. “The challenge before us is to understand the unity and diversity among Christians, especially in the contemporary world (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 148).” It is important though, to make sure all the main facts are covered, in order to better understand the modern day religion, of Catholicism. This will be portrayed through, a brief history on the coming of The Holy Spirit, basic, but vital information regarding the religion, Beliefs, rituals, and sacred days or traditions.
The start of Catholicism seems to be complex, but it is actually quite simple. The information on how this religion started is essential to understand all that follows. Catholicism has a distinct way of retelling the story on how it emerged and it helps to break down, how Catholicism is viewed and practiced, currently, by the people that practice. The most fundamental part of the Catholic Religion is that God took on human-form in the person of Jesus Christ to come into this world and be sacrificed and crucified for all of our sins so that we can actually achieve eternal salvation through faith in Him. Without the death and resurrection of Jesus, we as human sinners could never have a chance of reaching Heaven because we are all full of sin and evil. Only because Jesus died for our sins, we can reach Heaven (Charles).
God created a man named Adam and a woman named Eve and sets them up in the Garden of Eden. Life is good until they disobey God, eating fruit that God has forbidden to them. As a result of this primordial transgression, Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden and, sin, death, and suffering enter the human story. After things go from bad to worse, God destroys the world in a great flood, leaving the family of Noah and the animals he has squirreled onto his ark to repopulate Earth. God then makes common cause with the Israelites, choosing them as His people via Abraham and delivering His Law to them via Moses. But sin, death, and suffering continue apace, so God the Father sends His Son, Jesus, into the world to live and die as a human being and to rise from the dea. Through His death by crucifixion, Jesus pays for the sins of the world, allowing those who follow Him to enjoy eternal life with God (Prothero 72-73).
There is a common misconception that is seen in the world today. Some believe that God is responsible for all sin and punishes people. This is a false statement. God never “causes” suffering. It’s not like He looks to punish people. Suffering/sin/evil were introduced into our lives with Satan and the original sin of Adam and Eve. So there is much sin and suffering in our lives. However, when suffering occurs, Jesus provides the strength, hope, and help needed to make it through anything. Knowing that suffering for Christ in this world leads to salvation in the Eternal, it makes it more bearable and hopeful (Charles). This brings us into the topic of Heaven and Hell, which is where believers in the Catholic faith believe that they go after death. The good will go to Heaven with God and the bad will go to Hell with the Devil, where God will not be able to save you any longer. In between these two “destinations” is Limbo. Limbo is where people go when it is not yet determined where their final resting place is. To reach heaven, followers must love and serve God in the attainable world. This means attending Mass weekly, praying and being a “good” person, by following God’s sets of laws, called the Ten Commandments.
The people that practice the Catholic religion believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Bible, which is the sacred text of the religion, is the word of God and what he wants and wishes in his people. The Holy Trinity is also very important. “Tri” means three, and “Unity” means one, which makes the word Trinity. The Holy Trinity is as follows, God is one Supreme Being, but is made up of three different persons, which are, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. This may be hard to understand, because there is only ONE God. God lives in a three dimensional universe and is immensely more complex than us humans. The Bible speaks about all of these “three beings.” Followers of the Catholic Religion, also follow God’s set of rules, like mentioned above, called the Ten Commandments. These are found in the Bible in Exodus: 20 and Deuteronomy: 5. Here is the condensed version of each, You shall have no other gods before Me, you shall not make idols, you shall not take the name of the lord your God in vain, remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, honor your father and your mother, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, and you shall not covet. The Ten Commandments “set forth a code of moral conduct, observance of which is acknowledged to promote respect for our system of laws and the good of society (Benen).” The Ten Commandments are predominantly seen in America, as a slight basis for our constitution. Some of the same ideas and values are presented, in which people living in America follows today, or punishment take place. It may not be punishment in the Catholic way, but it is seen in our judicial system. “The Ten Commandments represent the very cornerstone of the values this nation was built upon, and the basis of our legal system here in America,” said Aderholt (Benen). Following the Ten Commandments is the Two Great Commandments. These are also very important in the beliefs of the Catholic Faith. They are, you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind, and with your whole strength; you shall love your neighbor as yourself, and to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves, we must keep the commandments of God and of the Church, and perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Finally, there are also set laws for the Church, the people must follow. They are, to attend Mass on Sunday and holy days of obligation, to fast and abstain on the days appointed, to confess our sins at least once a year, to receive Holy Communion during the Easter time, to contribute to the support of the Church and to observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage. All of these rules, regulations and beliefs, provide a path and guidance in religious, Catholic Life. “Through the teachings of Jesus, the Commandments, etc. we as believers are encouraged to love God and love one another. Do for others, be selfless, help and care for others in need, sacrifice for Christ, live a life that proves that you are a faithful believer in Jesus… Share your blessings! And through faith in Jesus as our Savior, we hope and pray to live eternally with him in Heaven once through with this life (Charles).”
This brings us to the rituals of the Catholic Faith. They are also known as the seven sacraments and the Life Cycle. These rituals were created in the Middle Ages to assist the Christian at every stage of life from birth, to death. The sacraments of Christianity guarantee salvation from sin and death, by uniting humans with God and eternal life (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 180). Baptism is the first ritual that occurs in one’s life. This happens to infants. At the church, the priest pours holy water over the baby’s forehead and says, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” This ritual floods the soul with divine grace, and erases all original sin. This is necessary to be apart of the church and to be Catholic (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 180). The next ritual that occurs in one’s life is Communion. This is when the Priest enables the youth of the church to start taking communion at church, during mass. At Jesus’ last supper, he blessed the wine and bread and then, gave it to his disciples and said, “This is my body, and this is the cup of my blood, shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” At Mass, Christians get in line and the Priest hands them a piece of bread and they get to take a sip of wine. This represents partaking in the body and blood of Jesus (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 180). Then, there is Confirmation. Confirmation is when a young adult, typically in their teens, has to make the choice to live for Christ. They must demonstrate their knowledge of the faith, and get anointed on their forehead with oil, by the Priest. This confirms that the person is confirmed into the Catholic faith and accepting the responsibility for the commitment made for them at Baptism (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 181). Marriage occurs next. People of the Christian faith are strongly supposed to be married in their church. This is because they have to promise to love and to care for each other as Christ loved and cared for them and his church. The union between a man and woman is compared to the union between Christ and the church (Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 181). One more important ritual is Confession. Confession is to mediate God’s forgiveness for sin. At confession you have to go talk to the Priest of the church and tell him every time and everything you did that was sinful. This is fully confidential and the priest will work with God to wipe your sins and then give you a penance for what you did wrong. For example, he might tell you to recite five Hail Mary’s, which is a certain Christian Prayer. For a Christian, the only real weapon we bear is the truth, lived in authentic love, which alone has the power to save. When the Church not only preaches but also lives this truth, her universalism shines forth, and her enemies have nothing truly substantial to oppose her with, no matter how powerful they may seem (White 7). This beautifully sums up the church and Catholic community and what they believe in through their rituals and practices.
Prayers are very popular in the Catholic faith. Practitioners do these on a daily basis to connect with God. Praying does numerous things for people. Praying can build your relationship with Jesus, it can help people avoid temptation, helps determine God’s will, and keep you inspired and an active member of the religion. The most popular and well known prayer of the Catholic religion, is the Nicene Creed. This prayer is recited at each and every mass at Church with the priest. It is as followed,
“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
It is very valuable and outlines the religion. Every Catholic should have this memorized. One more well known prayer in the Catholic faith is the praying of the Rosary. Rosary beads are long, beautiful necklaces that have the cross with Jesus’ on it at the bottom of the chain. Praying the rosary means to say a certain number and set of prayers to God. Each of these prayers or rituals are important in staying connected to God the Father. Three in ten Catholics who attend Mass weekly say they pray the rosary “almost every week” (Gray, Perl 95).
Along with rituals, there are certain holy days in the Catholic religion. There are very many sacred days or “holidays.” They all carry great importance but some are better known and practiced around the world. Ash Wednesday is the first major holiday out of the calendar year; it is the start of Lent. It takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, usually sometime in February. On Ash Wednesday during Mass, people stand in line and go up to the priest at the altar and he says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” and marks a cross on the person’s forehead with ashes. Ashes symbolize the grief people feel from sinning and separating from God. Generally, it is frowned upon to remove the ashes that day and you’re supposed to fast and rest. The next practice is lent. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, and ends about six weeks later on Easter. During lent, practitioners are not allowed to eat meat on Friday’s until after Easter. During the time of lent, the people of the Catholic faith are supposed to fast and give up something they do, eat, etc. on a regular basis. For example, someone may give up candy for those 40 days. Among Catholics who attend Mass at least once a month, those of the Millennial Generation are the most likely to observe Lenten practices (Gray, Perl 86). Palm Sunday occurs on the Sunday before Easter and it signifies Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. It is a very happy celebration. Good Friday is next. It is always on the Friday before Easter and it signifies the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. Catholics attend mass on this day and pray. Easter is a very important holiday. It is considered the most significant (Charles). It occurs on the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after March 21st. Therefore, it can range anywhere from March 21st to the end of April. Easter is significant because it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. This serves as our source of redemption and salvation (Charles). Pentecost, occurring 40 days after Easter, signifies the coming of the Holy Spirit. Advent is a Latin word, meaning “coming.” This is the next tradition and it is the time period starting 4 weeks before Christmas and ending on Christmas Day. It is the preparation and waiting for Jesus’ birth. It is almost like a countdown. Finally, the last major tradition, and possibly the most well known and celebrated around the world, is Christmas. Christmas occurs on December 25th every year. This day represents the birth of Jesus in Nazareth, by the Virgin Mary. About six in ten Catholics (59 percent) report that they have a statue or picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, on display in their home (Gray, Perl 89). There are many days to be grateful for in the Catholic religion and these are just a few. It is important to observe, practice and attend Mass at church on every sacred day in the faith of Catholicism.
There are a few main symbols in the Catholic faith. These are the most well known and help the followers of the faith to understand the history and carry it into the practicing faith of the present day. The Cross/crucifix is most prominent, symbolizing the death of Jesus for all our sins so that we can be saved, and especially his resurrection from the cross/death, Alpha (Α) and Omega (Ω) which symbolize Jesus as being the beginning (“first”) and end (“last”) of all creation, and The “Sacred Heart”, which symbolizes Jesus love for all of humanity (Charles). Although there are only three listed symbols, there are many more. A lot of them are similar and all tie into each other in a specific way. For example, an apple is a symbol, because that is the fruit Adam and Eve ate, which created sin.
Christianity as a whole, and also Catholicism, is definitely seen in modern-day media content. Media has evolved the world we live in immensely. There is a song, movie, music video, etc., for almost anything that exists. Media plays a huge role in the day-to-day human experience; it is informative and entertaining. It is important to appeal to all audiences when making some sort of media content. People have all different views and interests. There is some piece of media for every religion out there. It is more prominent in Christianity just because it is the largest religion in the world. There are deeper shows with Catholic meaning besides just the Christmas movies that get played on television in December, and the cute commercials with the Easter bunny in it in March or April. There is a fairly new show called “Jane the Virgin.” It is aired on the television network called The CW. It is about a woman named Jane that got pregnant accidentally with out having intercourse. Hence, she is a virgin. You may be wondering how this is possible without the miracle works of God. No, this show is not re-enacting the pregnancy of The Virgin Mary, or the birth of Jesus. Instead, it is portraying a Catholic, virgin, that happens to be pregnant. She got pregnant through a through a doctor’s mishandling of a specimen at the in-vitro clinic, when she was only there for an exam. This sounds unrealistic and it probably is. The point is to prove Christianity in real life. Jane chose to keep the baby and raise it herself without no partner. This merges the idea of Jane representing The Virgin Mary and Immaculate Conception in a twisted way and also merges with real life issues today, for example, single mothers and what it is like to grow up and live in a Catholic Family. Jane the Virgin also represents Catholicism in the idea of Chastity. Chastity is the avoidance of all sexual activity, including intercourse, until marriage in the Christian Faith. It is the same as abstinence, which is also not having sex until a person is married to the right person that God chose for them. Jane, in the show was practicing Chastity at 23 years old. This gave a good message to the teens or people in general watching this show all over the world. It is promoting it in a healthy way and showing that people really do wait in real life. It was tying reality with the mainstream media. Media plays a huge role in what people think, do and believe. It is comforting to see something as old as religion, take part in modern-day technology.
Each and every of the 7 billion people in this world has their own way of life. The one aspect that can bring people together is religion. It does not matter what religion it is, there is someone else that practices it. Religion is like an escape from the world. It lets you be yourself, think thoroughly and practice whatever you please. It is a type of self-therapy and healing.
Christianity is a very big, complicated and intricate religion. There are many parts and ways to practice it. Catholicism is just one strain of Christianity as a whole so you can only imagine how much more information there is to grasp. There are still mysteries or loopholes that exist today. Overall, Catholicism can be briefly understood though history, basic information, traditions or holy days, beliefs or rituals, symbols and of course, the media. One of the most important things to understand is that despite any of the sins you may have committed, Jesus loves you and is hoping that you as a normal person (despite your sins, whatever they may be) turn to him for help, guidance, and faith. He wants to love you, lead you, and help you be the person he has created you to be! By admitting your sins and asking Jesus for grace, mercy, and love, he will save you (Charles) Religion is the most beautiful and loving aspect of human life.