Best roman catholicism books according to redditors
We found 271 Reddit comments discussing the best roman catholicism books. We ranked the 77 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 271 Reddit comments discussing the best roman catholicism books. We ranked the 77 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Your source for this? Circa 1500 (ie: the council of trent) the Catholic Church held rape as one of the most grievous crimes, that any marriage (and thus legitimate sexual intercourse) must have the free consent of both parties and it wasn't uncommon for rapists to be subject to capital punishment.
http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Shame-Children-Sexual-Catholic/dp/B000C4SSNU
Even 500 years prior to that, many crusader knights and soldiers were executed by Catholic religious orders for rape on non-catholic women in conquered lands. The women were given monetary compensation for the loss of their virginity or if they were married, payment went to their husband.
http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item1155546/?site_locale=en_GB
1000 years before that Christ himself rejected the punishment of women for sexual crimes committed against them. The Catholic Church never held to beliefs similar to many schools of Islam that women bare responsibility for being raped, can be punished for it or that it required more than the testimony of the woman to present a valid claim of rape.
> I have no idea if this post contains anything insulting/against the rules/breaking some secret taboo. I just want to become closer to the family of the man I love.
This last sentence just made me smile so big today. We're a pretty thick skinned bunch, and hearing that you want to come into this with an open heart and mind, prompted by a man and family whom you love, is an occasion for joy. Welcome! We're happy to have you here. Please stick around and ask as many questions as you wish!
I want to make this offer at the beginning of this post, so it doesn't get buried. As you embark upon this journey, please feel free to keep my username handy and DM with any specific questions that trip you up or pique your curiosity. I mean that, I'm happy to be a resource in addition to all the wonderful folks who help this subreddit tick.
I'm a cradle Catholic, 28 years old, and I, too, feel like there's an eternity's worth of stuff to discover about the faith. It's always overwhelming.
I'm going to first echo /u/Trubea's sentiments, Catholicism For Dummies is an excellent resource book and worth picking up.
Given that your SO has been sharing lots of biblical stories with you it would also make sense to buy a Bible. I'd recommend the following for a very readable Bible with awesome footnotes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a teaching companion to reference against. It may take time to dig really deeply into those, but eventually you'll want them.
Two YouTube channels (finally I'm recommending something free, right?) where you'll find great short videos on what the Church teaches, pop culture, and everything in between are found here:
Also, I've noticed you seem to be drawn to the "beauty" of the faith. The aforementioned Bishop Barron has some great media that I think you'd really enjoy.
Before I recommend too many more options that break the bank, I'll leave you with that. :) There are lots of free resources to learn about the Catholic Church online, as well. The teachings, the stories, the lives of the saints, the miracles, you name it! Just let us know what is piquing your interest the most, and we'll do our best to direct you to something awesome on it.
In the present, will say a prayer for your journey. Peace to you!
In order of interest:
You'll be set.
Obligatory: The Summa of the Summa by Peter Kreeft. It's actually quite good.
If you're interested in this painting, check out the book "The Return of the Prodigal Son" by Henri Nouwen. It's an incredible read and the cover folds out so that you can look at that painting while reading the book.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Return-Prodigal-Son-Homecoming/dp/0385473079
> hard from an intellectual point of view
I'm sorry, I had to snicker when I read this. There is no other organization that has more intellectual underpinnings than the Catholic Church.
If you are having problems reconciling Scripture (exegetically or hermeneutically), you need to start reading academic books, such as those by Brown, Meier, Gonzalez, and Martos, just to name a few.
Helpful for me was Thomism and modern Thomists such as Feser.
A quick comment before I start lobbing people for you to read. Most people stop learning about the faith at around 6 or 7 years old and so it's no wonder that once you read someone who can form a coherent argument against what you barely understand, your opinion is easily swayed.
So I'm going to give you some suggestions of people to read. Take them or leave them, but the Catholic intellectual tradition is amazing, so please at least consider some of these authors.
Chesterton, Chesterton, Chesterton. GK Chesterton's Heretics, Orthodoxy, and The Everlasting Man are all great reads and they're all online in text and audio for free. Chesterton debated all the greats of his age: HG Wells, Kipling, Bernard Shaw, and did so with courtesy and a great love of paradox.
CS Lewis' Mere Christianity is also a classic and keep in mind that Lewis was strongly influenced by his friend, you guessed it... GK Chesterton.
There's always Aquinas, who was so brilliant that he was even recognized by Monty Python (the philosopher's soccer match sketch). Seriously though, New Advent has his Summa (along with about a million other Catholic documents and texts) available for free. Aquinas gets pretty deep, and the Summa is really long, so you may want to start with a primer.
Moving into our own times, there's Peter Kreeft, who is one of my favorite philosophers.
Jennifer Fulweiler is an atheist convert, who writes a blog and does a lot of radio appearances.
If you love the science, check out The Catholic Laboratory; it's a podcast about the intersection of faith and science and how the two are really complimentary. After all, God created the laws of physics and rules the universe through them. Fr. Robert Spitzer is a priest and scientist, who has done some significant research on new proofs of God's existence using things like quantum physics.
Anyway, there's some stuff to get you started if you're interested in reading a bit to counter Hitchens and Dawkins. FWIW, I am a fan of Hitchens' writing, even if I disagree with him; Dawkins on the other hand I consider a no-talent hack, who should stick to science and leave philosophy and theology to other people. Reading Dawkins' take on Aquinas is like reading a young earth creationist writing about evolution. But I digress.
As far as the Church sex scandal, it's a tragic affair. However, you should really read the John Jay report on the scandal; this is an independently written report from the John Jay College that really nails down the causes of the sex abuse scandal (spoiler alert: celibacy had nothing to do with it). Also, if you read the statistics of abuse between Catholic clergy and other institutions (public schools, Boy Scouts, other religious institutions), you'll see that only 4% of priests between 1950 and 2002 were ever even accused and that the average abuse rate in other populations is around 10%. As for the cover up, at the time, the Church was doing what modern psychology said to do because the recidivism rate wasn't really understood (remember that the vast majority of these cases happened between 1950 and 1970). This website has some statistics on all of this and while it is published by the Church, all of the statements are cross referenced to non-church sources.
Anyway, I'll stop with the wall of text and even if you don't read anything I've suggested, I'm glad that your opinion of Catholics has improved. :)
I think there are two ways to support more singing:
An interesting book to read on the issue is:
Why Catholics Can't Sing: The Culture of Catholicism and the Triumph of Bad Taste
Sacred Music sites worth checking out:
Corpus Christ Watershed
Musica Sacra
Edit: the blog New Liturgical Movement posted a entry today about a Sacred Music workshop going on in Lincoln Nebraska Here.
Everyone is welcome to come and hear Mass. Apart from the Eucharist, you can participate to any degree you are comfortable with, including blessing yourself with holy water and kneeling. If you want a deeper understanding of what is going on, The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn is a helpful book on the significance of the rituals at Mass.
Always feel free to speak to a priest if you want to learn more about Catholic doctrine or explore joining the Church.
You should read the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Catholicism by McBrien, it will be incredibly hard to unpack Catholic tradition and theology from just the Bible itself.
It's important to understand the Mass, and Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth is an excellent way to learn more about it.
Here are some posts that have been shared on r/Catholicism before:
While Catechism and official Church documents are the most comprehensive and clear way to answer virtually all your questions, they are dense, long and more like reference materials. I recommend The Faith Explained for a start.
Many people I know, including myself found Scott Hahn's "The Lamb's Supper" to be eye opening about the nature of the Church and the Mass, also life changing.
My faithfully Catholic sister recently married a fundamentalist southern baptist. If you wanna talk with a Catholic who has some 3rd-person experience in this situation, message me.
Two caveats:
That said, I have read speculation that St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Joseph Cupertino both may have been autistic.
Whether or not he may have been on the Autism Spectrum, St. Thomas is fruitful reading. I would encourage starting with the biography, Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox by G.K. Chesterton. This is widely regarded as the best biography of the man himself. The Summa Theologica is beautiful, logical, and comprehensive. Peter Kreeft's A Summa of the Summa is a great place to start reading the work of Thomas himself.
Sure. Well, let me make a couple suggestions:
Our Blessed Mother is the Ark of the New Covenant. She was born free from original sin because she was the one who had to carry the incarnation of God in her womb.
Back in Exodus 25:11-21 we see the the ark of the Old Covenant was made of the purest gold for God's Word. Mary is the ark of the New Covenant and is the purest vessel for the Word of God made flesh. Look in 2 Sam. 6:7 and find the Ark is so holy and pure that when Uzzah touched it, the Lord slew him. This shows us that the Ark is undefiled. Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is even more immaculate and undefiled, spared by God from original sin so that she could bear His eternal Word in her womb.
We see in 1 Chron. 13:9-10 another account of Uzzah and the Ark. For God to dwell within Mary the Ark, Mary had to be conceived without sin. For Protestants to argue otherwise would be to say that God would let the finger of Satan touch His Son made flesh. This is incomprehensible.
You can find more scripture to back this up here. I also recommend the book, "Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God, in the Word of God by Dr. Scott Hahn. You can download the audiobook version here.
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And as for the pope, you are correct in the sense we see from the Gospel of Matthew, that Jesus choose Saint Peter to be the first leader of his church. Saint Peter was the Bishop of Rome, and ever successor of his chair for nearly 2,000 years has lead the Catholic Church. The pope is not perfect, he can make mistakes and is a sinner just like the rest of us. Pope Benedict XVI himself goes to weekly confession. We only believe he is infallible on matters of faith and morals because Jesus promised Saint Peter that the gates of hell, would never prevail against his church. We believe the Holy Spirit has protected the church through the toughest more troubling times. And while we've had horrible popes at times, no pope has ever went against the bible or taught heresy.
Catholics believe in a lot of things because of tradition, because we believe the Church is a living organism and our beliefs are found not only in Sacred Scripture, but also Sacred tradition.
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As a gay man, I can imagine life being hard for you. And I know dealing with your relationship with God is probably frustrating and confusing. My advice would be to find a local parish and ask to speak with the priest or deacon. You may be surprised how open they are with you and how helpful they may be to you.
Keep us update on how things are going for you, you're in my prayers my friend.
Dr. Scott Hahn has a fantastic book on the Mass called The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. Here it is on Amazon. I'm a former Southern Baptist myself and this book answered every single one of my questions.
Matthew Kelly's Rediscover Catholicism
I'd recommend learning more before you consider converting- you've got time. Some books I'd recommend are:
Different parishes have different styles- you should potentially ask your future husband about "parish shopping" once you're married and settled down somewhere, so you can find a parish where you both feel at home.
You want The Lamb's Supper.
Or just have him read the Book of Revelations a few times and then go to an EF High Mass.
If you like math classes like geometry where there are "proofs" (i.e. starting from a very small set of assumptions, what theorems follow logically from that) then you would enjoy reading Summa of the Summa
https://www.amazon.com/Summa-Thomas-Aquinas/dp/089870300X
The most compelling argument for "miracles happen" is that, if you deny the existence of miracles, then Christianity (fragmented and flawed though it is) took over the entire world (and permanently warped everyone's thinking, even atheists, about how we should behave toward one another) without any miracles, which itself appears to be such an unnatural occurrence as to be called a miracle.
Scott Hahn has an interesting book in which he looks at Revelation as an allegorical representation of the Mass.
These are some of the better books I've accumulated in school:
Msgr. Klaus Gamber does in fact mention this in his book The Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background. Particularly he mentions that many ancient churches were built in such a way that the priests faced toward the people, however, the doors of the church faced east, so the priests would be celebrating both ad orientem and versus populum simultaneously. As you said, this made an interesting point as the people would also turn toward the east - thereby praying ad orientem and with their backs toward the celebrant.
Non-fiction:
Fiction
Before beginning, the Church doesn't have any stance on premill vs amill, so both are perfectly allowable. That being said, a very large number of the Church Fathers were amill, so it's definitely a good idea to become well-acquainted with it, at the very least.
I tend to lean more amill, so I'll try to give an overview of why I think so. Primarily, I am just generally weary of taking a strong stance on prophecy in the Book of Revelation. It's all highly symbolic, yet somehow grounded and real. I tend to believe most of it is describing actual historical events as well as future events at the same time, with the past events being types of the future events. For example, I generally think Babylon and its destruction correspond to Jerusalem, Rome, and a future event(s) all at once. The difficulty for me is distinguishing which details refer to which event. Certainly, the destruction of Babylon seems to match different details of the destruction of Rome and Jerusalem at the same time. Applied to the Millennium specifically, I generally think the thousand years is referring to the reign of the Church on Earth as the Body of Christ, as well as possibly to a future event of some sort. I'm quite weary of believing that it will be a literal 1000 year reign given how often 1000 years is used in less-than-literal comparisons in the rest of Scripture. Perhaps the Millennium is entirely the reign of the Church described from a spiritual perspective, which is why it appears so different from present reality. Like most things in the Book of Revelation, I honestly don't know and wouldn't bet money on anyone's guess.
Beyond historical vs. future events there is a further issue. The Church emphasizes a strong connection between the Book of Revelation and the Mass; for more details, The Lamb's Supper is a nice summary. With that additional perspective, events in Revelation may be describing things in the liturgy, things presently and perpetually going on. This particularly lends credence to amill for me.
To connect this back with your objection: The difference lies not simply in amill vs premill, but rather in whether one can discern a universal ordering/timeline in the Book of Revelation, or whether events being described are definitely in the past, present, or future. Once I began to believe that it could be all three all at once, I started to think that being premill or amill or even postmill to the exclusion of the other(s) was too strong of a position to take. For this reason, I am generally weary of arguing any point from the Book of Revelation that is not a bald statement of fact or has multiple likely interpretations.
Hope this helps! Let me know if there's anything I can clarify, or if you have any more questions.
Thank you for this! As a former protestant, I really hope there will come a day you are welcomed in the Catholic Church and receive Holy Communion! It'll be so worth your time to see how Catholics support their beliefs in the Real Presence and what the Mass is with Scripture and Early Christian writings.
I think that's wonderful. As a former Protestant I would only sound a word of caution about what one can learn of the Catholic Church from non-Catholic sources. My own experience was that the non-Catholic sources according to which I had formed my judgment of the Catholic Church didn't always present Catholic belief or theology accurately.
I don't know how well or how accurately the book you're reading presents Catholic theology and practice--it may be perfectly adequate. Only I would suggest, as others here already have, that you supplement this reading with the new Catechism, or other books written by Catholics or for Catholics.
Another good resource is the online Catholic Encyclopedia. It has in-depth articles about just about any subject pertinent to the Church (as of 1913, that is).
You don't have to toss your KJV. As a convert from Protestantism, I still have mine as well. For studying, I would suggest the Ignatius Bible (RSV-CE) and you will probably be given another Bible in RCIA. You should definitely pick up The Catechism of the Catholic Church if you don't have one already. You will be given one of these in RCIA as well. It would answer a ton of your questions (and of course, this subreddit as well, heh)
Next, there is Catholic Answers, one of the best online resources to find what you need.
about the music, yeah, if you feel some negativity like anger from your music you might want to tone it down. it will be hard if it's your favorite but do what you think is best.
Check out Ludwig Ott's Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. The new Baronius Press versions is apparently the best.
Also http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_1998_professio-fidei_en.html
> But where in scripture does it say that?
Your question may be better answered if you learned about the Mass itself and the origins in scripture and Tradition. Scott Hahn has a good book discussing this topic. Called The Lamb's Supper. See if your library has it. Give it a read.
I'm not a non-practicing Catholic, but rather a poorly catechized Catholic for whom, up until about two years ago, Mass felt arbitrary, pointless, and especially, boring. I kept going because my whole family did, and my family structure is such that the problems I'd face by not going would have canceled out any perks of sleeping in on Sundays.
Either way, the questions remained: Why am I doing this? What does this all mean? Is it really so hard for a parish to make a mass that's at least mildly fulfilling and entertaining?
I also felt pretty bad because there was a part of me that knew that the ideal was to want to go to Mass every Sunday, and although I considered myself a spiritual and good person, I just didn't.
The answer? I was simply ignorant of what the Mass truly was. And on a deeper level, I was unaware of the tremendous love God has for me. I think Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper is super insightful on both fronts. I implore you to check it out.
Here's where it gets less nice: you have put your soul in grave danger by missing Mass for no good reason. Please don't wait til judgement day to discover the consequences of it. While it's unexpected to overturn years of apathy in a few days, you might not have forever to figure it out.
Make a sincere confession (general and specific) and begin attending Mass on Sundays. Be honest with God when you're there. Tell Him you honestly don't enjoy being there and can he do anything about it? The God that died for us would definitely throw a little something our way to remind us He's there and He wants us.
Hope this helps, I'll pray for ya.
A helpful popular level book is Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper.
We are here to support you on your journey home, brother/sister.
First, you should know that the Canon of Scripture (the Bible) is not meant to be read from cover-to-cover as a coherent, linear story. Scripture is a collection of books, some of which contain poetry, some song, some pre-history myth, some parable, some wisdom sayings, some history, and some letters to a distinct audience.
One resource I have heard good reviews about is the Quick Journey through the Bible series by Ascension Press. It is intended as a course of study with a group, though.
Other good resources for reading Scripture are:
For other good resources on returning to Catholicism, I recommend the following:
Do not be afraid to go to study groups. As someone who has led study groups, my favorite people are those who come in eager for Truth and ready to ask questions.
You absolutely must read The Return of the Prodigal Son. It transformed the way I understood God as the loving Father even as I was being the wayward son. Seriously, this is a great book for exactly what you are going through right now.
The mass is truly the most beautiful thing on earth. I’ve also really enjoyed this book, it might cover some of the same things but is really good, maybe consider picking this up also
https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591
I read Rome Sweet Home by Scott & Kimberly Hahn and I thought it was a very good tale of conversion. There's a bit of light apologetics throughout and it was compelling enough for me to finish it in a day. (I hardly read.)
Next up on my list are The Lamb's Supper by Hahn, The Love Chapter: The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 13 by St. John Chrysostom, and An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabrielle Amorth, exorcist of the Vatican.
If you know any young people, the YOUCAT is an invaluable resource if they don't want to sit through the entire Catechism. Of course you want to eventually point them to it but I find, at 22, it's more suited to me poor attention span.
Canticle for Leibowitz is my favourite Catholic fiction but that doesn't mean much because I haven't read anything else. If you're looking for a good Catholic writer, I hear Flannery O'Connor is one. Of course Tolkien is a giant as is Chesterton (literally).
Go to mass. Even if you think it is boring.
Did you know that at every single mass you are at the foot of the cross on Calvalry? Do you understand the implications of this?
Did you know that when one receives communion it is the flesh and blood of God one is consuming? Do you understand the implications of this?
When you know these things and more not only is mass less "boring", you start to want to attend mass every day and remain in a state of grace as much as possible so you can receive communion at every mass. I go to mass every day and it is the highlight of my day. I make great effort to attend mass daily even when I travel.
Consider reading The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn to get a better understanding of what the holy mass is. There is much more to be said than I have written! Be an active participant by offering up your works, joys and sufferings for the week. Go to mass, it is good!
https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591
People go to the NO for the same reasons why the NO was created.
I would suggest you read the book, The Reform of the Roman Liturgy by Monsignor Klaus Gamber. It gives good insights into the original intentions of the NO and to celebrate the NO in Latin is a step towards those original intentions.
>TL;DR I'm a Catholic who doesn't understand Catholicism
You know, as unfortunate as it is, the reality is that you will find many Catholic adults who have no clue what the Catholic Faith teaches.
Do you have an active youth group? If so, you may want to consider joining the youth group and becoming an active member. Also see if they will give you a Catechism of the Catholic Church for free. I hand those suckers out all of the time.
>I still don't really know what confirmation means. They did a horrible job at educating me, I basically sat there through general religious education, all of which I knew before, and then after 2 years, I got some oil on my forehead. I know that it basically means that I'm an adult in the church, but not quite sure what that entitles...
Again, unfortunately the adults that were "teaching" you probably had no clue what Confirmation is either. But a correction would be that you are not "an adult" in the Church. This is a common misconception in the American Catholic Church, mostly because the norm for Christian Rites of Initiation for many Dioceses separate Baptism and Confirmation. In many other places around the world, a child receives Baptism and Confirmation at the same time.
Now, the Catechism says: 1308 Although Confirmation is sometimes called the "sacrament of Christian maturity," we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural growth, nor forget that the baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need "ratification" to become effective. St. Thomas reminds us of this:
Age of body does not determine age of soul. Even in childhood man can attain spiritual maturity: as the book of Wisdom says: "For old age is not honored for length of time, or measured by number of years. "Many children, through the strength of the Holy Spirit they have received, have bravely fought for Christ even to the shedding of their blood.
I understand Confirmation as a completion of Baptism. The minister of Confirmation seals you with the Holy Spirit and "unlocks" the "full power" and blessing that was started in your soul in Baptism.
>As far as I can tell, most of the Dogmas of the Catholic church are pretty reasonable, so I don't have a problem with many of them.
Good!
>However, what gets me is the "Pick and Choose" part of the dogmas. I understand why that is there (people that pick and choose believing in core Catholic beliefs), but I'm pretty sure that the word of the clergy isn't 100% accurate with the wishes of God, since there has been corruption before, in the long history of the church, and in the recent history of the church.
I am not quite certain what you are asking here. Catholics cannot "pick and choose" which Dogmas to follow and which to not follow. Dogmas are essential to our Faith.
You are correct that sometimes the Clergy will make mistakes and they will not preach the fullness of Truth to their parishes. We can trust the Magisterium, though.
There has been corruption in the people of the Church, yes. The recent scandals still sting all of us Catholics to the Core of our being. I, myself, am still trying to reconcile how the most respected of our Fold could betray us in such a way. But I know that the reasons behind the pedophilia scandal are many and they are varied and they are not exclusive to the Catholic Church.
I also understand that 50 years ago, Bishops sincerely did not know how to handle allegations of this magnitude and did what they thought was best. In many cases, the Bishops had their priest sent to a psychologist and listened to what the psychologist told them. You would think that common sense would tell the Bishops to hand the accused clergy over to the local authorities for an investigation, but we have to remember that it was a very different time back then. I do not make excuses for the bishops or priests, nor do I presume that I can even entertain the thought of justifying their actions; not at all. But I do know that there is always more to the story than what we hear reported on the news.
>Though I can't think of a specific thing for the prior statement, an example I previously felt about this was purgatory. I heard that it was worse than hell, but a Religion teacher at my school enlightened me by asking me the question: "If we don't know what it is, just that it is a spiritual cleansing, couldn't it be relaxing as a day of personal cleansing, such as at a spa?"
I do not know who told you Purgatory was worse than hell. They were clearly wrong. Purgatory is a part of Heaven. But I do not think it is relaxing as a day of cleansing, like the spa. I think it is very painful. We must suffer to rid ourselves of "self" so that we might love God more.
>At my church, every sermon is about politics, with a radical right-wing viewpoint on it in general. Is it like that everywhere?
Not at all. In fact, many parishes in my area refuse to comment on politics. Instead, they comment on morality, which should guide the way we vote and participate in government.
>What is the official Catholic stance on gay people? My church is SUPER anti-gay, but I have a few openly gay friends at school, and nobody gives a crap. I understand that they aren't allowed marriage because of the Catholic definition of marriage, but would the church condemn another type of union under a different title for political and financial reasons? Chaste, of course...
Read Same Sex Attraction: Church Teaching and Pastoral Practice to understand more on the subject. But you may also notice that nobody at your school "gives a crap" if their friends are having sex, or getting pregnant, or having abortions. Does this justify their behavior?
The Church would indeed condemn any union between a same-sex couple. Why? Because the Church does not look only at the material reasons for the union (political, financial). The Church cares more for the spirituality of the persons involved and wants the salvation of their souls. How can these people be saved if they believe that their immoral actions are sanctioned by the government? How can these people come to know, love, and serve Christ in this life if they think they are doing nothing wrong? The Church teaches that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. Nothing will ever make those actions "good."
>I understand the process of confession and the method, but I'm a bit unclear about what I'm supposed to confess. It's impossible for me to remember every transgression that I make, so I generally try to focus on major ones (10 commandments), with a generalized perspective, (I'm sure I did this at some point in time). I feel kinda awkward asking about this anywhere else but reddit...
You confess all the sins that you can recall. It is a good practice for you to do an examination of conscience each night before you go to bed so that you might be able to make a better confession on your next visit. It is very good to start with the Ten Commandments. The Church recommends you confess every mortal sin first, then your venial sins. Finding a good examination of conscience to aid your prayer might help.
>Catholics don't believe that the bible is 100% true, literal translation, do they? I've heard it both ways, but I'm more comfortable with the definition of the bible being a message of spiritual truth, not literal truth.
No, Catholics do believe that the Bible is the "100% true, literal translation." "Literal" just means that whatever we interpret or translate belongs to a literary work. Many people confuse "literal" with "literalistic", which would say that everything is written down exactly as it happened and does not take into account a contextual analysis of the text (which may be poetry or song or parable).
I do not know what you are attempting to distinguish between spiritual truth and literal truth, though. Truth is Truth.
Haven't read it yet sorry! But I have heard people talk about Summa of the Summa. Maybe that could help?
Here's a great interpretation of Revelations as the Mass in the Bible.
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Scott Hahn
If you're a book guy, Scott Hahn has a good book about it. It's what got me back into Mass. You never look at it the same way again. It's not just a bunch of people in a room talking about God for 45 minutes.
If you can't/don't want to drop the 13 bucks on the book, don't worry, there're a few articles on the Catholic Answers website. Here're a few:
The Mass is Profoundly Biblical
The Sacrifice of the Mass
The Institution of the Mass
The big question: Why Go to Mass??
The Mass is a wonderful thing once you know what it is. As a kid, I hated it with a burning passion. Now, I'm discerning the priesthood and have taken a liking to the pre-Vatican II mass, which is in Latin (pretty old school, I know, but it's beautiful. Doesn't appeal to everyone.)
Anyway, welcome home!! If you have any questions at all about Catholicism, feel free to ask here. We've got some pretty smart theologians on this sub
The Lambs Supper is an awesome book about the mass and how heaven is on earth during mass, regardless of how shitty the choir is. I'm only a couple of chapters in and I'm loving it.
I'm a layman, and I read this one. I'm still reading it. You don't need to read it cover-to-cover, as it can be read by topic. Your local library may have one or check used book stores too.
Free one here
It's shorter than Tolkien.
You might enjoy this book. It describes the connections between Revelation and the Divine Liturgy (the Mass).
Important
I will start with the important point first: BE VERY CAREFUL; preferably even avoid this whole area to begin with. You are driving into areas that at the least are a big fruitless distraction and at worst can be pretty dangerous.
Are you a practicing Catholic Christian? Honestly I am not sure what your beliefs are from what you mentioned previously. If you are trying to live a strong life with God, my advice is don't waste your time with all of this. I give you this advice, since it was given to me when I started my walk with the Lord. When I started, I was very distracted with the spiritual world and demonology. My mentor at the time made it clear to me that this is a distraction. Honestly after that point I realized that that topic should not be taking any serious part of my time. I realized that there is so much to LEARN AND EXPERIENCE about God and the trinity. It is really much more fruitful, practical, applicable and helpful to my life than anything else. It is only after years of being with God have I once in a while read some books by exorcists.
Responses
> I personally think they should ask for Lay Ministers of some sort to practice guided Chaotiks
I think this is at the least a waste of time (no offense) and at worst a risk to these ministers. The concept that Chaos Magic talks about according to the Wikipedia page is problematic in my view according to Catholic teachings. Even superficially, it focuses the person's faith on their abilities instead of on God and our need for Him. Christianity focuses on us letting go of our old man and filling ourselves with God; letting God create and mold us into a new man. God is the center. All magic sets the person at the center. That is a fundamental issue right off the bat for me. This is not even talking about the fact of using magic or spiritual interactions.
> The whole belief is a tool was mad convincing to me and I am guilty of considering reading the book that explains it all
If it will get it out of your system, read the book for information and don't spend too much time on it. But be very clear, this is not just a tool. A system/faith the relies on belief to control the environment around you is at best a fantasy and at worst dealing with spiritual entities that are best avoided. They can be very dangerous and invite demonic attacks on the user.
> I don't consider the spiritual repercussions of going to their temple because I don't want to be alone. I asked my best friend if he want to go and he simply said no.
Follow your friend's advice. Do not consort with people who deal with spirits or magic. It seems like a distraction that is stunting your spiritual growth with God.
> Also there is a universal law of 3's in Wiccan Practice and I wonder how that relates to the Holy Trinity and the whole Passion of the Christ. And if that could be manipulated in some way.
There is no relation. God is Holy and a Trinity. Numbers are very common across many religions/philosophies. Three is a very common number that shows up in many places. Do not try to find a relationship where none exists.
> Ah yes my dreams are way to vague for my liking. I wish I didn't drop out of college or at least choose a non-secular college.
Honestly this is still confusing. Are you having lucid dreams? Are you having nightmares? Also not sure how college relates here.
> I am afraid I am gonna have to ask for a source
For a good understanding on the Catholic Church's teachings on the matter, I would recommend books by Father Gabriel Amorth. Fr. Amorth is the exorcist of the Diocese of Rome. he has two books:
The books give a clear explanation on what types of demonic influence there are including possession, oppression and obsession and curse (that was surprising to me).
> If curses are real, than could not the Holy Father help the Vatican profit off of who we consider Pagans or those that consider themselves Atheists. If it is in sanctified space with proper protections in order then should we not let our Human Brothers practice the Darker Arts (for science and greater wisdom) under the watchful eye of the Lord?
There are way too many wrong things in these statements. First off, the Church only deals with removing evil influence from people's lives to help save people's souls and NEVER FOR A PROFIT. Also dealing with this area is not for testing or scientific purposes. THERE IS NO GOOD MAGIC.
> Just a theory in my Pseudo_Dreamworld. But I hold the belief that all elements have multidimensional properties that have yet to be discovered. Just like there are more than one measurable dimension. I have a Professor friend at UTA that is working on finding the 5th dimension and that is what gave me the whole idea.
There are theories in physics that speak of multiple dimensions. These are pretty well accepted by the physics community. This does not mean that spirits are involved or witches or Wicca. This is purely science. Do not try and mix them in ways that really have no foundation here.
For your talk, I highly recommend taking a canonical approach. That means going through scripture and talking about the typology of the old testament in reference to the Eucharist. Some suggestions:
Here's a great book to get you started on some of these topics.
Here's a couple NT passages to get you started as well:
It can be a bit daunting due to its length, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a text describing the beliefs which the Church officially considers doctrinal. There's the regular Catechism text, but also a Compendium and a Catechism for Adults if the regular Catechism is too long or too dense of a read right now. The parish you contacted might have a copy of the Catechism you can borrow/keep if you ask.
Other good "starter" books on Catholicism include:
Also be aware that the Catholic Bible has a few more books than the Protestant one, so also see if you can get ahold of one. Catholic Bible translations include the New American Bible, the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (also the NRSV-CE), the New Jerusalem Bible (less common here in America), and the traditional Douay-Rheims translation--the Douay Rheims is to Catholicism as the King James Version is to Protestant Christianity.
Sure. The first thing I did was read the primary sources and pretty much in chronological order. I began with the Apostolic Fathers (Michael Holmes has this edition with Greek and English). I then read some 2nd century stuff, especially Irenaeus. Cyprian, Tertullian, etc, were all important. The fourth century took me forever to read through. I probably stayed in the 4th century for a year.
For secondary literature, I'd recommend, in no particular order:
Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Vol. 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition
J.N.D. Kelley, Early Christian Doctrines
Henry Chadwick, The Early Church (Chadwick is my doctoral grandfather, so to speak)
Adrian Fortescue, The Early Papacy: To the Synod of Chalcedon
Benedicta Ward's translation of The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Less to do with Church history, but filling in some intellectual gaps:
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Called to Communion
Henri de Lubac, Catholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Man (This may shock people that I recommend it, but I do like the nouvelle théologie every now and again)
I also welcome /u/koine_lingua to offer some of his own recommendations to give some balance if he'd like.
The Roman Catholic theologian Scott Hann deals with this concept in his book "The Lamb's Supper."
https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591
I'm sure the book is well-written and theologically sound given Hann's reputation. There might be some ideas contained in his book that are not shared by Protestants, but Anglicans may find themselves agreeing more with Hann then our Protestant sisters and brothers.
I've not read the book, but this seems along the same lines you're talking about. I'm sure there are a plethora of ideas and books written about the Mass being an expectation or foretaste of things to come.
My first post on r/Anglicanism, I believe, was actually this picture which I think speaks to what my interpretation of Mass is when I go to church on Sundays.
http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Traditional-Latin-Mass.jpg
I still love this picture.
Love this parable - it has so many layers that it's definitely worth rereading over and over because there's always something new to discover.
Henry Nouwen has an awesome book that explores this parable that I definitely recommend - it's a short/totally manageable read, and is really insightful.
I was hoping this would get more of a response from some more knowledgeable/well-read users, but I'll try to offer some suggestions. I'm only engaged now, never married, and I've loved reading books with my fiance to help support our spiritual life. The ones that we've read have mostly centered over Theology of the Body and understanding Catholic teachings around dating and sexuality - so I don't think these are exactly what you are looking for. (Edward Sri's "Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love" was one of my favorites that condensed JPII's book "Love and Responsibility" - it's an easy read and may be worth checking out - https://www.amazon.com/Men-Women-Mystery-Love-Responsibility/dp/0867168404 )
I feel like you are more looking for books on how to communicate, and I have two very basic suggestions for that (I apologize if you've heard of these or read them before!).
1.) The Temperament God Gave You (https://www.amazon.com/Temperament-God-Gave-You-Yourself/dp/1933184027/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501357551&sr=1-1&keywords=the+temperament+god+gave+you)
I brought up the temperaments with my fiance probably within the first month of dating. This book has the goofiest cover and it's a very simple read - but it is incredibly helpful in understanding one's natural tendencies, both strengths and weaknesses. The idea is that we all have a natural tendency to one of four temperaments and this will affect how we interact with others. Once you've determined your natural temperament, there is advice on how couples of certain combinations should best communicate. I know it sounds super pseudo-sciencey and Meyers-Briggs-esque, but I can say that is big in a lot of Catholic communities and it is so so helpful. If you don't want to buy the book this website has a lot of the core information as well: https://www.catholicmatch.com/institute/temperaments/
2.) The Five Love Languages (https://www.amazon.com/Love-Languages-Secret-that-Lasts/dp/080241270X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501358158&sr=1-1&keywords=the+five+love+language)
This one is also very popular and another goofy looking cover, but again really helpful in facilitating communication. The idea is that we all experience love in different ways (Quality Time, Gift Giving, Acts of Service, Physical Touch, and Words of Affirmation) and the love that we naturally give may not be the kind of love that your partner naturally wants to receive.
For both of these suggestions, I wouldn't recommend just reading cover to cover. You really can just skim through them or find resources online to get the gist and then just facilitate conversation. (I also second the Gottman Institute resources below!)
Then, on a more personal note for you, I would recommend reading "Kristin Lavransdatter" by Sigrid Undset. More information here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6217.Kristin_Lavransdatter
Use the new translation by Tiina Nunally, it seems like an off-the-wall suggestion because it's set in 14th century Norway, but Kristin gets swept up in a romance with an older man and marries him when she is very young. Then it follows her through their marriage and the difficulties they face. I'm only half way through (it's 900 pages long!!) but there are already so many scenes that have helped me personally, especially about how to deal with resentment. Here's a great podcast as an intro: https://player.fm/series/catholic-stuff-you-should-know/kristins-resentment
I did not mean for this to be so long! Hope it can help in any way :)
Catechism:
Web
Print
https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Catholic-Dogma-Ludwig-Ott/dp/0895550091
I'm taking this from Msgr. Klaus Gamber's book, The Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background (Amazon link). The French edition of this book has a preface by Cardinal Ratzinger, a portion of which is printed on the back cover of the English edition.
Gamber, an expert in Eastern and Western liturgy, is definitely of the opinion that the new Mass is in rupture with the old, and cannot be called the Roman Rite Mass in a true sense. He also goes almost, but not explicitly all the way, to saying that the pope had no authority to do this. I'd recommend the book. It contains two of his treatises, a lot of the latter one dedicated to debunking the historical authenticity of the concept of versus populum.
Get the USA edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It's very cheap and it will give a complete picture of the Catholic teachings about everything, which are widely misrepresented. Not theology per se, but it will help you to understand exactly what is really being rejected (often unwittingly or at best clumsily) by many theologians, so you can make up your own mind.
If you like philosophy I'd suggest Thomas Aquinas and a good interpreter of Aquinas like Peter Kreeft
https://www.amazon.com/Summa-Thomas-Aquinas/dp/089870300X
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Scholar-Philosophy-Thomas-Aquinas/dp/B002QBNVAW
If you wanna learn the bible and the catechism at the same time, I can heartily suggest the Didache bible, which includes both, or rather it uses the catechism as commentary for the Bible.
http://www.ignatius.com/Products/DBIB-H/the-didache-bible-with-commentaries-based-on-the-catechism-of-the-catholic-church.aspx
If you are more into learning baby step by baby step, I'd recommend EWTN radio, which has shows like Open Line and Called to Communion. Called to communion is especially goo because Dr. Anders takes small issues and unpacks them into large theological catechises.
St Catherines Catholic church also has a nice video bible study
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3B6ihEAmqWIsQXE5tVob_w
Here's a handy 90-day reading plan, which takes you through the narrative books of the Bible. It's a good place to start when reading scripture, giving you a good look at the story of Scripture.
Aquinas is the premier Catholic thinker. I wouldn't recommend you start reading Aquinas unless you have firm grounding in Aristotelian philosophy. But that's not to say you can't learn about Aquinas' thought. You might find books like A Summa of the Summa, Aquinas: A Beginner's Guide, or The Dumb Ox useful introductory texts to his works. After you're comfortable reading him, you can jump in to some primary texts.
You can absolutely study theology and/or canon law formally. Just be aware that there aren't to many jobs you'll be able to get with a theology degree under your belt. Your options would be pretty much just professor, priest, or religion teacher.
Edit: Also, if you haven't done so already, read the Catechism or the Compendium of the Catechism.
Or saying mass facing the people. Of all the changes, this is by far the easiest to criticize.
Turning Towards the Lord by Fr. Michael Lang and The Reform of the Roman Liturgy by Msgr. Klaus Gamber easily demonstrate that it has always been the practice even from the beggining of the Church to pray facing east, not pray facing each other in some kind of communal gathering like we do in the modern liturgy.
I've not dug into Von Balthasar very much, since the little I've encountered him in coursework has been rather unfulfilling, unlike Ratzinger who I adore.
If you're all in on Balthasar, go for it. But if you're at all open to other Communio scholars, take a look at Henri de Lubac! He's a personal favorite of mine, even though the debate over grace and nature he's most famous for I think he got wrong. His stuff on patristic and medieval exegesis almost makes the Fathers of the Church live again, and he was a major contributor to Dei Verbum (along with Yves Congar, who is the one member of Concilium that you absolutely should read, especially if you enjoy de Lubac, as they pair well together).
Reading list recommendations:
De Lubac's most readable work, impossible not to recommend: https://www.amazon.com/Catholicism-Christ-Common-Destiny-Man/dp/0898702038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525705139&sr=8-1&keywords=de+lubac+catholicism
De Lubac on spiritual exegesis, the topic where I think he's most brilliant: https://www.amazon.com/Scripture-Tradition-Milestones-Catholic-Theology/dp/0824518713
If you like the first chapter of that one, there's a big ol' study of Origen by him that is pretty important to the last 100 years of patristics scholarship.
Congar is important because of his research into the nature of Tradition. Be sure to check out: https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Tradition-Yves-Congar/dp/158617021X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525705236&sr=8-1&keywords=congar+tradition
That is a shortened, better organized version of his much longer research work, "Tradition and Traditions", which he was working on when consulting on Dei Verbum.
I would sincerely ask you read this book, http://www.amazon.com/Hail-Holy-Queen-Scott-Hahn/dp/0385501684, or listen to this excellent podcast, which is free (or both): http://www.salvationhistory.com/audio-resources/hail_holy_queen3
They expound upon the misconceptions of why Mary is often so misunderstood by both Catholics and non-Catholics, and why the Bible itself claims that she is worthy of honor and praise. Please at least listen to the first few of the podcasts so that you understand that the speaker, Scott Hahn, is not proselytizing, but examines Scripture as the primary source of truth.
Here is another short article that demonstrates the many parallels that establish Mary as queen mother of the King, Christ, and as the new Ark of the Covenant: http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/mary-the-ark-of-the-new-covenant
The US Catholic Church uses the New American Bible, so that's the translation you'll be hearing at Mass if you're in the US. So, just search New American Bible and go with that. I would even recommend getting a study Bible to help you understand what's happening and how things relate to other parts of the Bible, because it can be confusing. Just as a recommendation, this one is fantastic.
There are quite a few sources on understanding the Mass. I would look up the Order of the Mass and maybe try reading through that and following along during Mass, so you understand what is being said and also know what to say.
The Catechism is fantastic. Here is a pretty safe bet on getting started with reading that and something to use as reference.
If you're interested in reading the Summa Theologica, there are shorter versions like Summa of the Summa, which, while still not too short, condense down the most important information and make it easier for somebody without as much time to at least get the general idea.
Good luck on your journey, as I am currently doing the same and am in RCIA, but I've been doing my research for quite a while and am very excited for the coming year!
Great link! I also recommend that people read Scott Hahn's Hail, Holy Queen
This is an excellent book for understanding how Catholics ended up with the theological positions they have today.
> What are the sacraments? Where can I find them in scripture?
Catholicism isn't a sola scriptura religion (and, really, sola scriptura wasn't meant to eliminate other sources of knowledge such as Tradition, but that's how it's ended up for a lot of denominations). Sometimes, there are things that logic and reasoning bring you to.
That said, Baptism, Reconciliation (Confession), and the Eucharist are extremely clear from scripture [Matt 28:19] [John 20:22-23] [Luke 22:19].
Someone else already discussed confirmation but I'll add this: [ccc 1286-1289].
Jesus teaches about marriage very definitively to the point of referencing Genesis and the insoluble union of becoming one flesh. He also performed His first public miracle at a wedding. (Interesting side note: the sacrament of marriage is conferred upon one another by the bridge and groom. The Church merely witnesses.)
I'm going to refer you to the Catechism for Holy Orders since I don't have the skill to summarize it for you. Although that implies I'm doing a good job summarizing the others, which probably isn't the case.
Jesus publicly healed the sick, sometimes using sacramentals to anoint them even though He clearly didn't need to [John 9:6-7]. And Jesus' ministry was certainly a healing ministry for both body and soul.
> Do Catholics worship Mary?
No. We honor Mary as the mother of God. I think the biggest thing that causes so much confusion for many Christians is that they equate prayer with worship. To pray is to ask, as in "pray tell". So we ask Mary to intercede on our behalf with her Son, just as she did for the bride and groom at Cana [John 2:1-5].
>So do you pray to Saints? How do we know they are in heaven now? I always thought everyone was at rest waiting for judgement day.
The modern process for declaring that someone is in heaven requires authenticated miracles that could only be attributed to the intercession of someone who is dead (there's more to it than just that, but that's the logical basis for the declaration). There are most assuredly some that have been declared saints in the past that were done so more for political reasons than theological, so I don't really know what their exact standing would be. The Church has been given no knowledge about who isn't in heaven - only those that are. [Luke 23:43] [Mark 9:2-4]
> I'd always thought that meant making images of angels or the trinity was forbidden but correct me if I am wrong.
And yet, [Exodus 25:18-20].
> -Not that is particularly matter to me personally, but I am curious as to whether Catholics believe the images to be aesthetically accurate.
I don't actually know if there's an official Church teaching on that particular item, but I'm personally fairly certain the Jesus wasn't a white guy with blue eyes. Obviously I could be wrong. There are definitely people in the Middle East that vary a lot in complexion, hair color, and eye color. I suppose the various representations of Jesus are more about helping you to identify with Him on a more personal level; hence Him looking more like people in the region that the images were made: white Jesus in Europe, black Jesus in Africa, semetic Jesus in the Middle East. I haven't actually seen an Asian Jesus, but I'm sure He's out there.
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Wow! A lot of great questions. I think you would benefit greatly by purchasing the Catechism of the Catholic Church - CCC for short. It's also available online. I would tell you to follow the links in the part that Catebot will provide from the bot callout I did, but those links aren't working correctly anymore and I haven't made it a priority to fix them. :(
I also checked your posting history and while I don't have experience with the turmoil you're going through, feel free to PM me if you just need to talk. I did go through a similar search as you are including Judaism and very seriously considered converting prior to returning to Catholicism (raised Catholic, never confirmed, drifted away but never completely stopped believing, various Christian denominations, mysticism, etc.). I will pray that your search for the Truth is fruitful: [Phil 1:4-6].
edit: Huh. My instance of versebot scanned my post but chose not to quote any verses. Weird. I'm going to put them all together in a separate comment and call out the official bot.
For overall use? Nothing offhand--/u/MedievalPenguin has got it covered. However, I'm a huge fan (and former student) of John Bergsma, and his new book (Bible Basics for Catholics)[http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Basics-Catholics-Picture-Salvation/dp/1594712913/] does a pretty great job of distilling his beloved Scripture courses into a brief, accessible book without dumbing it down.
The intro is written by Scott Hahn, which makes total sense because they're friendly colleagues who focus on the same areas of salvation history (covenant theology rooted in the Old Testament, fulfilled in Christ).
The monks themselves were never the major drivers of agriculture in a region. The monastery may have been the heart of a community, but the bulk of actual economic production-- the materially valuable work-- was always done by the lay population (i.e. the 99% of people who weren't monks). That's not really a problem at all, because the monks' job isn't to make candles or bind books: it's to be the heavy artillery of the Church. They are there to pray with a fervor and dedication that those of us who are out in the world simply can't match. For a great portrayal of what that means, you might want to check out The Shadow of His Wings.
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385496591/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_tnZYAbRXDH0DN
Ott is pretty complete.
I would recommend watching masses on a Catholic TV Network such as EWTN and Catholictv so that you understand what the liturgy of The Church is , then go to a service in person.
I would also get a copy of the NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition) and a copy of The Catechism Of The Catholic Church.
You can read The Catechism online however
Depends on what section of the Church she wants to discover. Just off the top of my head:
The Lamb's supper is widely recommended, I haven't read it but any word of it highly praises the way it explains and appreciates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
I enjoyed Francis Cardinal Arinze's book on Mary, and how it relates perfectly to scripture.
Has she seen Bishop Barron's Catholicism series in general?
Living in Oklahoma all my life I've come across a LOT of religious people that claim to have the ear of God Almighty and threaten you with hell, fire and brimstone. They never once consider that perhaps God is actually speaking to many more people than just them....for if they consider that, we don't need them. Hmmm
I've worked for decades to reconcile my experiences with a loving, caring higher power that I choose to call God, Source Energy, or any number of other terms with the hell, fire and brimstone messages that have been a large part of my life. It wasn't easy at first but once I realized that God does indeed love us all, not matter what we've done, and is 100% there for us it completely changed my experiences.
Here's a book that I absolutely LOVE because it helped me start putting all those messages I heard back in my childhood in the proper perspective.
Let me see am I going to believe the feelings in my lying heart, my experiences and numerous confirmations throughout the years or what someone else tells me? It's not a hard choice today but it was growing up.
Here's the thing tho - we're all on different journeys and Christina is no different. I've learned over the years that I don't have to FIX anyone anymore. They still have free will as do I and I'll just wish them well and be on my way.
https://www.amazon.com/Code-Canon-Law-Annotated-Responsibility/dp/189017744X/
That one. Not actually that expensive though.
Actually, Peter Kreeft did! He wrote a Summa of the Summa and then A Shorter Summa, which is only like 150 pages.
http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Catholic-Dogma-Dr-Ludwig/dp/0895550091
Henri Nouwen ([Life of the Beloved](http://www.amazon.com/Life-Beloved-Spiritual-Living-Secular/dp/0824519868), [Return of the Prodigal Son](http://www.amazon.com/Return-Prodigal-Son-Story-Homecoming/dp/0385473079), [Seeds of Hope](http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0385490496))
Karl Rahner (The Great Church Year, Love of Jesus and the Love of Neighbor)
Thomas Merton ([New Seeds of Contemplation*](http://www.amazon.com/New-Seeds-Contemplation-Thomas-Merton/dp/0811217248))
In 1860, The Congregation of the Holy Office (later renamed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) made the same distinction (proper intention is necessary for validity, proper faith/repentance is not):
>“the intention or desire to receive baptism is a necessary requirement: if it is lacking, the baptismal character is not conferred on the adult. This does not apply to faith and penance, which are required if the adult is to receive the same and its inherent fruits licitly: the intention is necessary for the validity of the sacrament, so that an adult baptized without faith and penance is baptized illicitly but validly; on the other hand, a person baptized without the will to receive the sacrament is neither licitly nor validly baptized”
>
>(Instr. In foliis of the Supreme S. Congr. of the Holy Office, 03-08-1860 Collectanea S. Congregationis de propanda fide; seu Decreta, instructiones, rescripta pro apostolicis missionibus, vol. I, 1622-1866, NN 1-1299, Romae, Ex Typographia polyglotta S. C. de propaganda fide, 1907, no. 1198, pp 655-656) as quoted in E. Caparros, M. Theriault, J. Thorn, eds., Code of Canon Law Annotated
There's no official list from the vatican, but there is this. Your church library may have a copy you can check out.
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma From the amazon bio: "Recognized as the greatest summary of Catholic dogma ever put between two covers. A one-volume encyclopedia of Catholic doctrines. Tells exactly what the Church teaches on any particular topic. Tells when the pronouncement was made and gives the sources from Scripture, Church Councils, Papal statements and the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Essential for priests, seminarians, parents and teachers. Easily one of our most important books."
You're welcome! Gotta do something with that undergrad degree from a seminary.
Oh, I didn't answer the limitations part. Right, in theory the Pope could use the "formula" of saying I am about to declare something infallibly, but it would have to be on a matter of faith and morals (as per Vatican 1 which formalized the doctrine in 1870). Additionally, Catholics believe it couldn't contradict other infallible statements, including the ordinary infallibility of the magisterium. So, for example, Francis can't overturn anything already considered part of the deposit of the faith (this excellent book lists all Catholic Dogma and its "tier"). Stuff that is considered in the highest tier could never be overturned by future popes without the whole house of cards falling down. So far it hasn't happened, though: changes have always been to the lower tier things, or in ways that maintain the entire truth of a top tier item but see it in a different light. For example "outside the Church there is no salvation" is a fundamental dogma, but it used to be interpreted as literal membership in the visible Church, while Vatican 2 redefined it to still mean "all salvation comes from the Church, i.e. from Christ", but those who are visibly outside of the Church on earth may still be able to attain salvation, but that salvation comes through the Church even if not part of it. Provided their non-membership is due to no fault of their own, etc etc.
Example of the tiers and items from each tier are here: http://catholicism.org/the-three-levels-of-magisterial-teaching.html
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri Nouwen. Taken from a parable from Jesus himself expressing the love of God, Nouwen interacts with Rembrandt's life and his painting and connects it with this parable from the perspective of the youngest son, the oldest son, and the father. Really puts the love of God in perspective.
Hi there, and welcome to the biggest party on Earth.
As far as knowing "what to do" during Mass - your parish should have a missalette located either in your pew or at the back of the church to pick up with your hymnal and whatnot. They usually look like this or something similar. Say the black, do the red, the priest says the bold. But at the same time, don't worry - it's okay if you don't say everything just right; for many hundreds of years, the laity didn't have any verbal participation, and your spiritual participation (ie adding your prayers and intentions to that of the Holy Sacrifice) is plenty.
On a deeper note, if you want to learn about the history and the theology behind the Mass, I really strongly recommend Scott Hahn's excellent book, The Lamb's Supper as it goes into the Jewish roots of much of the Mass. It really helped me understand not only what was going on from a sensory perspective, but also from a theological perspective.
As far as kneeling: You are more than welcome to remain seated if you can't kneel without pain. You're also welcome to kneel anyway and offer that pain as a sacrifice, but sitting is okay, too!
You need to know with certainty what's happening and how to deal with it. The logical next steps would be to discard any medical condition that could be producing these strange occurrences.
Also, try to get these books and read them:
http://www.amazon.com/An-Exorcist-Tells-His-Story/dp/0898707102
http://www.amazon.com/An-Exorcist-Stories-Gabriele-Amorth/dp/0898709172/
PM me if you want to talk about this.
Good luck...
I was raised Evangelical... converted to Catholic in adulthood. There are a number of books that I could recommend. Here are some of my favorites - in order of importance/preference.
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (only the NT though, they are currently working on OT)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catholicism and Fundamentalism (written in the 80's, but still very relevant and the best Catholic apologetics book to defend the faith that I've ever read)
Works of G.K. Chesterton Vol 3 (This volume explains why he converted from Anglican to Catholic)
Rome Sweet Home
The Fathers Know Best
Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic
Surprised By Truth
a) Torah Hebrews != Rabbinic Jews. Zionists != Religious Jews. Zionist Evangelicals != Christianity
b) While zionist protestants think they are partaking on worldly promises of God if they are cucked by Zionist Jews, doesn't mean the same applies to Christianity as a whole. Same for Saudi Arabia not being the model for how Islam views them. "God's chosen people" is only sold to people that have weak doctrine, since through out the bible this "exceptionalism" of the Jews is humbled by God. One of the latter examples: Matthew 3:9: And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
c) Islam has Jesus as a prophet and a central figure of Messianic prophecy, unlike the Rabbinic Jews which have Him boiling in excrement and Mary as a whore. Both Rabbinic Judaism and Islam come after the Christian movement.
The cancer for me is Freemason Liberalism, which trumped Christian nations and values and even won over the movements that rose in reaction to that void, Fascism and Marxism.
https://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Instruction-Alta-Vendita-Subversion/dp/0895556448
So I find very rich, all these new liberals mentioning globalism and geopolitics but never mention Freemasonry, Alchemy or Jews. They espouse "Capitalism", but never teach any of it or address it's problems. All is fine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_FqPz_9d4o
They espouse individualism but want to make it the norm for everyone else...
But Islam... yeah man, Islam took US and UK and most of Europe to wars in the Middle East... That's what happened...
While Muslims have issues they also have something the Christians have no more, a community moral backbone: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/31/school-defends-lgbt-lessons-after-religious-parents-complain
The SJWs are the easy target...
Shout out to my professor, Thomist teacher and writer Peter Kreeft, who wrote A Summa of the Summa, for easier access to this great work by St. Thomas!
tl;dr; I hope I treat you well. Also, we're good goats.
> Matthew 25:31-46
> The sheep and the goats
> ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
> All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd
> separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
> ‘Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance,
> the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
> I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and
> you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
> ‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
> something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When
> did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?”
> ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
> you did for me.”
> ‘Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the
> devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
> I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was ill and in prison and
> you did not look after me.”
> ‘They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or ill or in prison,
> and did not help you?”
> ‘He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
> ‘Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.’
I don't know of a website, but Peter Kreeft's "Summa of the Summa" is very good.
>Not even circumstancial evidence
P. Goldmann wrote in his book about such a case. That can certainly be considered at least circumstancial evidence.
The majority of the records got lost during the war. How hard is it to understand that "No case has been proven" isn't saying as much as you think it does?
>Scratch that doubtless, they were.
If you don't know what a word means, then look it up. Doubtless = "without a doubt".
>who swore a personal oath to Adolf Hitler
Swearing an oath to a head of state is hardly something special.
>are you suggesting that the soldiers ... are somehow treated a bit too harshly?
I am not suggesting, I am stating that it is a ridiculous notion that every one of the >18 million drafted soldiers who thought that they were defending their country is to be held responsible for all the war crimes, regardless of actual, personal guilt. That is called 'guilt by association' and such a concept is generally rejected by civilized societies.
I didn't understand it at first, either. I grew up nominally Baptist, but when I started considering the Catholic and Orthodox churches, I had to come to terms with their devotion to Mary. Reading about what the saints and doctors of the Church as well as various Church fathers had to say about her really helped.
If you're interested in learning more about the particulars, Dr. Scott Hahn's book "Hail, Holy Queen" really explains a lot about the veneration of Mary (if you can get past his horrible puns. That man has some sort of awful pun sickness.)
So you cannot in fact refute any factual claim that I have made? Please retract your baseless attack on my veracity, which I value highly. If you cannot, you have forfeited any claim to legitimate debate.
I repeat: If I say something that is not factual, I will retract it. You apparently are not willing to do the same. Which of us is now more credible?
>Read what you post and remove any insults before posting it
Let me know when you are willing to do this.
>There are over four thousand books.
Four thousand books on the Catholic Child Sex Scandal? OK you're right. If this is true I haven't read them all. I have read most of the popular ones, however, such as Gospel of Shame, Lead us not unto Temptation, Pedophiles and Priests and so forth. Have you?
My challenge remains: Find a single case before around 2000 in which a single official of the Catholic Church, in thousands of cases, ever did the right thing, the thing you and I would do, and picked up the phone and called the police. Just one.
I have used this version http://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-U-S/dp/0385479670/ref=pd_sim_b_2 since I was in 7th grade (Catholic school lifer here!) and it's the one from the USCCB. I love it, it's my go-to. The one you have is also in keeping with the Magesterium, though note that since 1994, some language may have changed. The teachings are always consistent, but their are some occasional "tweaks" to wording (as English is always changing!).
Fenelon is required reading in school for me (bachelors of the arts, theological studies) so we're pretty much BFFs now. I'd also recommend Henri de Lubac and Hans Urs von Balthasar, and not just because they've got cool names. :)
Don't worry, none of us are experts, really. There's always room to grow and learn.
You're asking for the Catechism.
http://www.amazon.com/Summa-Thomas-Aquinas/dp/089870300X
More Relevant
"But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me."
If you get your hands on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (http://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-U-S/dp/0385479670/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411907813&sr=1-1&keywords=catechism+of+the+catholic+church) you can find deep answers to most, if not all, of your questions. There's no better place to go to be nearer to Jesus than the Catholic Church (the 7 Sacraments are essential - especially the Eucharist).
http://johnpaulthewriter.com/2/post/2014/07/the-way-and-the-truth-and-the-life.html
Token Catholic chiming in with the suggestion that you have a look at the Catholic faith. I'm converting from Protestantism because I find Catholicism to be more consistent with historical Christianity and more intellectually satisfying. I almost became Anglican last year, but it just seemed so incomplete compared to the richness of Catholicism, no offense to Anglicans intended. The main things that drew me in were apostolic succession, the consistency and unity of the Church, and my rejection of sola scriptura as illogical and self-contradicting.
Catholic Answers has a lot of great resources. If this piques your interest, I also recommend you take a look at the Catechism online or buy your own hard copy. I also recommend you check out some of Scott Hahn's books; he is also a convert and his books are accessible, but thorough. And, if you aren't already completely overwhelmed with information, you may use this website to find a parish.
I wish you well on your spiritual journey. I hope you find a place where you feel welcome and comfortable, and get to know the Lord.
Edited to add: You can't get more personal in your relationship with Jesus than through the Eucharist.
We are not capable of comprehending some things.
"But here's an 846-page description of the things we know we're right about. Now available on Kindle and iPhone!"
Sickening.
Otherwise I suggest you rethink why you don't believe in God.
You don't need a reason not to believe in something for which there is no evidence.
This one is supposed to be pretty good. I haven’t read it, but I believe it’s basically a shorter and more concise version of his previous book “Summa of the Summa”
Also, this post from this sub should also be helpful.
I haven't read it, but The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn is supposed to be a great book for would-be converts with the standard theological apprehensions for conversion. I think it addresses the Marian doctrines, but I'm not sure about the amount of depth it goes into.
You should check out the autobiography of Fr. Gereon Goldmann.
I can't vouch personally since I've never read any of his stuff, but a lot of people love Scott Hahn's books. He has one called Hail, Holy Queen about Mary.
Yes and no: sure, for me, as an atheist, science - the Baconian way of understanding the world - of what "reality" is and how you "know" something - is my epistemology. If epistemology is what you mean by "faith" or "god" then sure, that's my replacement.
Of course, that assumes those two epistemological approaches are exactly the same and therefore interchangeable; they're not. The whole point about science is that it's falsifiable - you don't actually "believe" anything - you accept what you can see and understand - and your "beliefs" (theories and ideas) are subject to being proven wrong or revised.
Religion is the opposite, except when it's about to go extinct and is forced to change or else be abandoned. One of the more powerful "arguments" that annihilated any respect I had for religious "thinking" was reading a theological historical survey text of Christianity (Catholicism) which started with the early church and came froward to the present. The tortured "reasoning" and "logic" and painful internal inconsistencies - all very clearly driven by threats to the power of the organization in the moment - made an absolute mockery of the ideas. This is, frankly, extensible to just about any "supernatural" belief...and I just don't "believe" in the supernatural.
Make-believe is fun, and I like reading novels, which I freely admit contain "truth" of various sorts - universal insights into human nature (psychology and behavior) - which are useful, as perhaps, parables. Almost all world religions include some things like this as well - for example, altruism is a core tenet of almost all - but almost all also quickly devolve into being used as tools of coercive control and discrimination.
The Bible presents a substantially coherent story from beginning to end, but reading the Bible cover-to-cover for comprehension and understanding is a difficult task for someone to do on their own with little background in the scriptures. Although not impossible, it is made easier with some assistance. The commentary in the study bible will help, but I would suggest sitting down and reading this excellent resource first:
Bible Basics for Catholics
You can read through this thin book in one or two sittings and understand the "plot" of the story. I'm assuming you're not worried about spoilers! Then go ahead and read the the scriptures themselves, which is immeasurably easier when you can put it all into context.
Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly
I know you aren't "rediscovering" the faith but this book is amazing and approachable for everyone.
Please make sure to read Gereon Goldmann's short and easy-read autobiography The Shadow of His Wings.
I will not tell you anything about it. You can find info online, heck, maybe even an online copy of it (for free). It's a great read.
Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!
Here are your smile-ified links:
this
---
^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot
> It surprises me to hear singing isn't a communal thing at church, I'd honestly always imagined it to be a pretty major part (maybe in protestant churches? I don't actually know where I got that idea from)
I think Protestant churches are different than Catholic in this sense. Google Catholics not singing at church and you'll find a ton of stuff. Someone even wrote a book about it: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Catholics-Cant-Sing-Catholicism/dp/0824511530
> It's also interesting to hear that shul is a less "supernatural" experience. Do you feel that way also on, say, Rosh Hashana when the shofar is blown? (although of course there's a big difference between "supernatural" and "spiritual")
I think that distinction is important. The Shul that I go to is definitely spiritual. It might be one of the most spiritual places I've ever been. But it's not "supernatural". As far as I know, there isn't any Jewish theology that say God is being literally brought into the building by a specific person doing a specific prayer (like a Catholic Priest).
With regards to the shofar, in my reading and understanding, it doesn't hold the same kind of supernatural aspect as a Catholic Mass. Rabbi Irving Greenberg says in The Jewish Way:
> In ancient times, people believed that blasts from a horn drove away demons. It is striking that this association is picked up by the Talmud, which suggests that the shofar can drive away Satan and evil spirits.... The primary meaning of the shofar blast seems to be that of the coronation theme--a symbolic declaration of faith in God as Ruler of the world. "The Lord ascends [His throne] amidst a loud sound. God [rises] amidst the sound of the shofar" (Psalms 47:6). Some modern scholars argued that Rosh hashanah is linked to the Canaanite annual divine coronation ceremonies at which the powers of the gods were "renewed" by smpathetic magic, assuring the Earth's fertility. But the Bible rejects the notion of humans giving power to God and/or a divine need for "renewal." However, the Bible does teach that human affirmation (especially in community and liturgy) makes the Divine present and effective on Earth in a greater way. In the Jewish context, the shofar blast represents the Jewish people's proclamation that the Lord is their King or Ruler. (p. 195).
To me, that doesn't come off as supernatural unless you hold the position that it holds off demons. But a Catholic has to believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist or they aren't a Catholic. And that happens every day, not once a year.
Sure. It's an excellent book talking about the beauty of the church, the sacrament's, some commentary on sainthood, etc. Kind of a "come back to the faith" kind of book. It's actually been a while since I've read it!
http://www.amazon.com/Rediscover-Catholicism-Matthew-Kelly/dp/0984131892
Remember: as Catholics we understand a hierarchy of authority. A Council carries great magisterial weight - if a Council declares that reform is necessary, we are obliged to assent. At the same time, lesser authorities who are undertaking that reform carry lower magisterial weights - and can err in doing so.
For example, a conference of bishops might issue an official translation of the liturgy into a vernacular language, containing many mistranslations (intended or not). Obviously, changing the meaning of the parts of the liturgy is not a legitimate development, even though the idea of a translation is. And we've seen this: bishops' conferences issue new translations, where the previous was inaccurate. The translation have been so bad in some places, that you end up with an entire structure and community of people just trying to get the accurate translation to understand what the Mass means (Fr. Z started 'What Does the Prayer Really Say' - an example, among others).
An example that some point to as illegitimate would be the creation of Eucharistic Prayer II. It was touted as the recovered Anaphora of Hippolytus, as a return to an ancient liturgical tradition. However, it is actually a prayer composed by a few priests in a cafe (read Fr. Bouyer's account in his memoirs), loosely inspired by Hippolytus. And, if you read through the actual sessions of the 2nd Vatican Council, the Council fathers were extremely hesitant to make any changes to the Eucharistic Prayer (i.e. the Roman Canon). Indeed, the final schema and the official document they produced make no mention of change here. Yet it happened, pushed by those in the Consilium (a working group on liturgical reform).
Or you could look at the push for worship 'versus populum'. It was described as a return to early liturgical practice (as well as the practice of some of the Roman basilicas), where the priest would face the people during Mass. However, a better understanding of liturgical archaeology indicates that even in those places where the priest would face the people because of the orientation of the building, everyone would turn to face east during the Eucharistic liturgy. Another instances where a reform was not asked for by the Council, but implemented by a lesser authority. This is discussed more in Klaus Gamber's Reform of the Roman Liturgy.
The Summa Theologica is not a good place to start. You're better off getting the Summa of the Summa.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Summa-Thomas-Aquinas/dp/089870300X
Or you believe "God has a plan" for you, and they just need to be there for you when you finally come around. I remember one of the last Christian Theology books I read before I stopped believing was Good Goats, and I think a lot of Christian responses to your argument would be similar to stuff in that book. A lot of Christians I know think good Muslims and Hindus will find their way to Heaven after they die.
A) No, if you don't agree with the pope, you're not catholic, per catholic dogma, but I wouldn't expect you to understand what that is, as you belong to a catholic-in-name-only church.
B) You're required, as a catholic, to follow all catholic dogma, the first and foremost teaching of that dogma being that the pope is infallible (always right/a representation of Jesus) during certain situations.
This is the most basic copy of the Catechism. A book that rivals the Bible in it's importance to Catholics. Essentially an outline of how to live your live. If you ever actually listened the Pope, you'd hear him reference it often.
I don't agree with any of this, mind you, but don't down vote me just because you're too lazy to understand your own religion.
It seems to me most of your argument comes from your last source. A quick look at one of the amazon reviews states this:
>All that said ... the book just isn't that good. Start with the fact that one of the arguments it presents concerns the abrogation of the old rite as a fact (response to Question 5); I got my copy just a matter of days before Benedict XVI said that it wasn't. The authors reached their conclusion by overreading the evidence. Moreover, the book throughout engages things at what I'm afraid is often a very superficial level. I guess there's a reason that some traditionalists call their opponents "positivists", because there's more than a trace of it here. Add in the facts that the writing is at best pedestrian and the arguments (when presented) wander all over the place. It's not a happy picture.
As we now know today, this is simply not true at all. As Summorum Pontificum states.
>I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.
With regards to your comments on lex orandi, lex credendi and the Novus Ordo. You have defined something without addressing the real concern. The Novus Ordo is so broad in it's allowances in the ruberics that if you go to every Novus Ordo Parish in your average city, you will find that it is celebrated in a completely different way. This is not "interculturation," being from a different neighborhood does not constitute a different culture.
Some parishes will have guitars, some a choir, some a piano and a soloist, and so on and so on. They of course get permission to do this from a liberal interpretation of the Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium. And the reason for having these variations in the music is not to lift the mind and heart to God, but it is based on the pleasure it gives the people.
A proper reading of Sacrosanctum Concilium would have to take into consideration prior documents such as Musicae Sacrae issued by Pius XII in 1955 which states:
>Which music finds itself in religious ritual must not be based upon the pleasure it gives the congregation but upon whether it lifts the minds and souls of the congregation to God. It is very easy for musicians who are not properly refined or educated to assume that eliciting emotions from people is the same as causing a "religious experience."
So a proper and honest music ministry would make serious attempts to implement Gregorian Chant which Sacrosanctum Concilium states should be given pride of place, and the prior documents on music should be considered before any apparent allowance implied in the document issued.
Sacrosanctum Concilium also states that Latin should be preserved as the language of worship, and although certain allowances seem to be made, you should consider the prior documents on the language in the liturgy before changing parts from Latin to the vernacular language.
In other areas, nearly every Novus Ordo parish distributes communion on the hand (never called for my Vatican II), removed altar rails, high altars, set the tabernacle to the side, (also not called for my Vatican II), and says the mass entirely in the vernacular (also not called for by Vatican II). Did you hear that? If you say the mass entirly in the venacular you are not taking into consideration previous documents on latin in the liturgy. You're not even taking into consideration Sacrosanctum Concilium itself.
I'm sorry but The Pope, the Council, and the Mass: Answers to Questions the “Traditionalists” is not an "academic" book, it's an attempt at apologetics directed to the general lay public that is obviously slanted against what it calls "traditionalists." I don't have my copy of The Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background to draw upon right now but if you are serious about your academic pursuits on this issue I suggest you pick yourself up a copy.
Awesome!!!
>As I am very new to the faith, I was wondering if I could receive some advice/answers from people here. What would the best writing be to look at for talks through various denominations. Do I need a specific denomination? What other Christian works would be good to read in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship with God and general Christian concepts (I have already ordered a collection of C. S. Lewis’s works as a start).
Well, I would of course want you to join the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Some great resources, in general, include Bishop Barron (anything by him, he's fantastic), Peter Kreeft's works, and Scott Hahn's works. C.S. Lewis, who was highly influenced by Tolkien and Chesterton, both Catholic, is a fantastic starting point. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/Why-Be-Catholic-Important-Question/dp/0307986438) book, [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591) book, and [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-Complete-Updated/dp/0385479670) Catechism aregreat reading resources. I'd recommend getting a kindle if you don't have one so you can do what I did and just pour through tons of books. If you have a past with Orthodoxy, check out the Orthodox Way by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware as well as the Eastern Catholic Churches. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/057803834X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493667291&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=origins+of+catholic+christianity&dpPl=1&dpID=41bsQ2nPSxL&ref=plSrch) book, as well as the other two parts of it, are very interesting as well, and include part I, the Crucified Rabbi, part II, the Catholic Paul, and part III, the Eternal City. Sorry for the boatload of information; Bishop Barron, overall, is the best place to start. You can find him on YouTube.
I'd also recommend that you go on the sidebar to each and every denominational subreddit and ask them why they think they are the True Church. The one thing I can't recommend enough is to not make a grocery list of doctrines you like and then pick the denomination that suits you best. That isn't how Christianity works; there is one Pillar and Bulwark of Truth, one Body of Christ, and one Church-- the next step for you is figuring out which one it is. You'd probably want to start with Catholicism or Orthodoxy, the two Churches that can directly trace their roots back to the Apostles, yet sadly one split from the other in 1054.
If you haven't yet, get a good, solid Bible (preferably one with the original canon, not the Lutheran one) and start reading the Gospels prayerfully, as well as the Epistles. For the epistles especially, keep in mind the audience of the letter and the context. For the New Testament, the Ignatius Study Bible is incredible; however, the Old Testament has yet to come out. You can get a bundle deal on Amazon with the Catechism and a Study Bible.
God bless, and we'll keep praying for you on your journey!