Tracts
Sacraments & Worship
The seven sacraments, the Mass and the Eucharist. 18 tracts.
Anointing of the Sick
The anointing of the sick, instituted by Christ, gives spiritual and sometimes physical strength in serious illness or old age, especially near death. It need not wait until the point of death. God does not always heal physically, and he can bring good from suffering.
Celibacy and the Priesthood
Priestly celibacy is not a dogma but a discipline: Eastern Catholic priests are commonly married, and some married convert clergy are Latin priests. Celibacy for the kingdom is commended by Jesus and Paul, the "husband of one wife" rule does not require marriage, and the Church forbids no one to marry.
Corpus Christi
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ celebrates the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, in which his one sacrifice is made present at every Mass. It falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, transferred in the United States to the following Sunday. It began through St. Juliana of Liège and was made universal by Urban IV in 1264.
Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction
Eucharistic adoration is prayer before Christ, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed in a monstrance. It flows from the dogma of the Real Presence. Benediction concludes adoration with hymns, a blessing with the Sacrament, and the Divine Praises.
Examination of Conscience
An examination of conscience is a reflective review of our thoughts, words and deeds in light of the Church's moral teaching, to prepare well for confession. It helps adults, teens and children grow in holiness and distinguish mortal from venial sin.
Getting to Mass
Getting to Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation is vital for remaining in God's grace and growing spiritually. Catholics should prepare to receive Communion by confessing any serious sins first.
Infant Baptism
Fundamentalists hold baptism is only a public sign after an adult conversion. The Church has always taught that baptism remits sin and saves, and that Christ's call to baptism includes children. Scripture's household baptisms, the parallel with circumcision, and early Christian practice all support baptizing infants.
The Eucharist: Christ in the Eucharist
The Eucharist is the "source and summit of the Christian life" (CCC 1324). It is not a symbol: at the consecration the substance of bread and wine becomes the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, while the appearances remain. Jesus taught this in John 6, Paul confirmed it, and the early Church believed it unanimously.
The Forgiveness of Sins
All forgiveness comes from Christ's work on Calvary. Christ gave two means for receiving it: baptism for original sin and sins before baptism, and the sacrament of penance for sins after baptism. He gave the apostles power to forgive and retain sins, a power passed to their successors and practiced from the early Church.
The Institution of the Mass
At the Last Supper Christ instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross until he comes again (*Sacrosanctum Concilium* 47). The Mass is not a re-crucifixion; Christ does not die again. It re-presents the one sacrifice of Calvary in an unbloody manner and applies its fruits.
The Seven Sacraments
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is given to us (CCC 1131). There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony.
What the Early Church Believed: Confession
Our sins are not all forgiven once for all when we become Christians. After baptism, God forgives sin through confession; venial sins may be confessed to God directly, but for grave sins Christ instituted the sacrament, giving his ministers power to forgive and retain sins. The early Church practiced it from the beginning.
What the Early Church Believed: Confirmation
Confirmation appears in Scripture as the laying on of hands to give the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 6:1-2 lists it among the basic teachings of the faith, between baptism and the resurrection. The Fathers recognized it as a sacrament distinct from baptism, though usually given with it.
What the Early Church Believed: Marriage
Jesus restored marriage to its original status, making it a sacrament. A valid, consummated marriage between baptized persons cannot be dissolved, and remarriage after divorce while a spouse lives is adultery. The Fathers proclaimed this amid an easy-divorce culture, as the Church does today.
What the Early Church Believed: The Real Presence
The Real Presence means Jesus is literally and wholly present — body, blood, soul and divinity — under the appearances of bread and wine. Scripture states it plainly, and the early Church Fathers read those passages literally, as even Protestant historian J. N. D. Kelly acknowledges.
What the Early Church Believed: The Sacrifice of the Mass
The Eucharist is a true sacrifice, not merely a commemorative meal. The first Christians understood Jesus' "Do this in remembrance of me" as "Offer this as my memorial offering," saw the Eucharist as the pure offering foretold by Malachi, and proclaimed it a sacrifice from the Didache onward.
What the Early Church Believed: Women and the Priesthood
The Church has always answered no to the ordination of women. Women could pray and prophesy in church but not teach with the authority of the clergy. The Fathers knew orders of virgins, widows and deaconesses, but none were ordained. In 1994 John Paul II declared that the Church has no authority to ordain women, a teaching to be held definitively.
Who Can Receive Holy Communion?
In the Eucharist we receive the very body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ. To receive worthily, a Catholic must be in a state of grace, have confessed any mortal sin, believe in transubstantiation, keep the one-hour fast, and not be under censure. Non-Catholics ordinarily may not receive, with defined exceptions.