catholic beliefs « For Your Marriage

Why Do We Celebrate Easter for 50 Days?

For Catholics, Easter isn’t just one day, it’s a season. Why do we have 50 days to celebrate?

Why Do Catholics Celebrate the Easter Vigil?

Why is the celebration of the Easter Vigil even more important than Easter Sunday?

What is Sacred Chrism?

During Lent, especially during Holy Week, priests in each diocese come together to celebrate the annual Chrism Mass. What is chrism and how is it used?

What Is the RCIA?

How does an adult convert enter the Catholic Church? Most go through a process called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Read what this involves.

Why Do Catholics Go To Confession?

Easter’s just around the corner–a good time to think about going to confession. Haven’t been for a while? Don’t worry! Here are some resources that can help.

Perhaps you’ve heard it before when you faced suffering in your life: “Offer it up.” It’s a hard saying, but what does it mean? How can “offering it up” help us to find meaning–and even joy–in our suffering?

The Stations of the Cross

Does your parish offer Stations of the Cross? Many parishes do, especially during Lent. What is this popular devotion that continues to attract so many people?

Is a Divorced Person Excommunicated?

That’s a recent question from one of our readers. Read the answer here. And if you have a question, e-mail us at: marriage@usccb.org.

Lenten Practices

Lent begins on March 9. Traditionally, the 40 days of Lent are a time of fasting, prayer and almsgiving (good works). Read more about these Lenten practices.

Lent: Spring Cleaning for the Soul

Lent begins on Wednesday, March 9. The Church calls this a “joyful season” and invites its members to think about and deepen their relationship with God. Read more about this wonderful opportunity to prepare for Easter–and for eternal life.

Why Isn’t Scripture Enough For Catholics?

Scripture is not the only way in which God’s revelation has been passed down to humans. Read what the Catholic Church believes about Scripture and Tradition.

Does the Bible still matter today?

Do you have questions about what the Catholic Church teaches or believes? Perhaps you’re puzzled by Catholic devotional practices and rituals. Whether you’re a cradle Catholic or a convert, a person from another faith tradition or a spiritual seeker, we hope this new series will help to answer your questions. First topic: How do we find meaning in the Bible today?

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places?

You might not think of the Bible as a source for inspiring and enduring love stories. Check out these ten and see if you change your mind.

A Marriage Blessing

This blessing is an adaptation of a beannacht, an ancient Hebrew form of blessing used to communicate the power of the Divine within families and later within believing communities. This beannacht is dedicated to married couples.

10 Pointers for Prayer

Finding time for prayer can seem impossible. Amid the busyness of family life, how can one respond to God’s ongoing invitation to speak with and listen to Him? Here are ten pointers to help you do just that.

The Theology of the Body According to Pope John Paul II

When John Paul II was elevated to the papacy, he unveiled a series of reflections on which he had worked for some time. These talks became known as “The Theology of the Body” and have had a growing impact on Christian thinking about what it means to be embodied as male or female.

The Mountains Bring the Freedom: The Theology of the Body

In the theology of the body, Pope John Paul shows no embarrassment for his repeated appeal to the two accounts of creation in Genesis. He admits the accounts are myth, but not in the rationalist sense of fable. Instead, the fable is the modern approach to the human person and marriage.