Welcome to the Catechetical Corner—your hub for exploring the beauty and richness of Catholic teachings! Have you ever wondered: Why do we say “consubstantial” in the Creed? What’s the meaning behind the pink candle during Advent? Why do Catholics believe in Transubstantiation?
This is the place to find answers to questions like these and more. Each week, priests in the Cincinnati Jesuit Parish Family address a new question submitted by parishioners, diving into the “why” behind our prayers, rituals, and beliefs.
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When the conditions of a dignified life are absent, the Church teaches that people have a right to migrate to support themselves and their families. The Church also teaches that prosperous nations are obligated to welcome those in search of security and proper livelihood (CCC 2241). Many people migrate due to oppression they face in their country of origin. Through Sacred Scripture and Tradition, God tells us that the proper response to any kind of oppression is love. Love can come in many forms, including upholding the dignity of immigrants and refugees, not separating children from their parents based on citizenship status, and promoting just wages and working conditions for all people, citizens and noncitizens alike. As faithful Catholics, we are called to pray for unity and to seek immigration solutions that align with Catholic teachings.
Yes, Mary absolutely had free will, even though she was conceived without original sin. The Immaculate Conception means that, by a special grace from God, Mary was preserved from sin from the first moment of her existence so that she could fully cooperate in God’s plan of salvation. But that grace didn’t take away her freedom—it perfected it. Because she was free from sin’s distortion, Mary’s will was more perfectly aligned with God’s will, yet she still had the ability to choose. Her “yes” at the Annunciation (“Let it be done unto me according to your word”) was a truly free act of faith and obedience. God did not force her participation; rather, He prepared her through grace to respond freely and fully to His call.
The use of bells during the Mass, especially before the Eucharist, is deeply significant in Catholic worship. Bells serve as sacred signs, a type of sacramental, which the Church uses to sanctify and prepare the faithful for the reception of grace (Code of Canon Law, can. 1166). They call attention to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, reminding us of the mystery of transubstantiation, when bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ (CCC 1376). This practice is rooted in the Church’s sacramental nature, where visible signs (like bells) signify and actually help to obtain spiritual effects by the Church’s intercession. The bells heighten reverence and focus, drawing the faithful into deeper worship of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice (Hebrews 12:28-29). Thus, the ringing is not mere tradition but a holy aid to faith and devotion.
From the earliest centuries, Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist were given together as a single initiation into Christian life. Baptism makes us members of Christ, Confirmation strengthens us with the Holy Spirit, and the Eucharist nourishes us with Christ’s Body and Blood. Over time, Confirmation was delayed in the Latin Church, but recent teaching calls for restoring the original order, since the Eucharist completes Christian initiation and shows that these sacraments are stages of growth in faith and holiness.
The Church teaches that Purgatory is for those who die in God’s grace but are not yet fully purified, and while the Bible never uses the word “Purgatory,” Scripture clearly points to the reality. In 2 Maccabees 12:39-46, Judas Maccabeus prays and offers sacrifice for the dead so their sins might be forgiven; in Matthew 5:25-26, Jesus speaks of a “prison” where one must remain until the last debt is paid; and in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, St. Paul describes a person being saved, “but only as through fire,” after his works are tested. These passages reveal a state of purification after death, where God’s mercy prepares the soul to enter the perfection of Heaven. Purgatory, then, is not a later invention, but a name the Church gives to what Scripture already teaches in seed.
Transubstantiation is our belief that during the Eucharistic prayer, the real presence of Christ is revealed. In particular, according to our belief, the bread becomes the body of Jesus and the wine becomes the blood. While the exact way this happens is intended to offer meditation on the mysterious presence of God, we believe that Jesus is present in an extraordinary way in the Eucharist – that is, in a way that is different from the way He is present in the congregation, the scripture, and each person.
The Church calls us to be faithful stewards of creation, to “cultivate and care for it” (Genesis 2:15). Though the biblical call to dominion has often been distorted, saints and popes across the centuries have called us back to stewardship and love—from St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures, praising God with Brother Sun and Sister Moon, to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ (2015), urging us to “hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (Laudato Si’, 49). Long before Francis, Popes Paul VI (1971), John Paul II (1990), and Benedict XVI (2010) named environmental degradation a moral issue. In the 1990s, the U.S. bishops also named Care for Creation as one of the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching. To encourage greater ecological conversion, Pope Leo XIV celebrated the first “Mass for the Care of Creation” this past July. You can learn more via the links below:
St. Paul teaches that deacons should be married only once (1 Tim 3:13), and the Church has upheld this from the beginning. When a man is ordained, even as a permanent deacon, he gives his life in service to God and the Church. If he was married, that vocation is honored—but if his wife passes away, he remains bound by his promise of service. Seeking a new marriage could divide his focus and commitment. Like priests, widowed deacons are called to live with undivided devotion to Christ and His Church.
When we use the word “destiny” we often think of one being “fated” or something is “inevitable.” But we must remember that our God is one of radical freedom, that simply because He wants us to do something or knows that something will occur, that does not necessarily mean that it must. Otherwise, for example, we could not be justly held accountable for our sins if we were merely destined to do them; we would have no choice. Mary became the mother of Jesus because she freely consented to God’s will as expressed by the angel, Gabriel. Yes, God had already chosen her to be the Mother of His Son, but she was free to say “no”; He did not compel or force her, but left the choice entirely up to her, even though in eternity He already knew that she would consent. God’s eternal foreknowledge, in other words, does not force anything to occur in the present, especially where our free will is in play. The real beauty of Mary’s fiat is not only that she said “yes” when she could have said “no,” but that she so loved God and so desired to do His will she said yes not out of mere obligation, or a sense of fate, but out of pure joy.
The Church allows us to receive Holy Communion up to twice a day to prevent misunderstanding or superstition—such as thinking that more frequent reception means more grace. In truth, every time we receive, we receive the whole Christ. Limiting reception helps preserve reverence for the Sacrament. The second reception must take place during a full Mass. A third reception is only allowed if someone is in danger of death, in which case the Eucharist is given as Viaticum—food for the journey home to God.
Notice the priest says “The mystery of faith” right after Jesus commands us to “Do this in memory of me.” We have heard the account of the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted both the Eucharist and the Priesthood. There are many of our Christian brothers and sisters who see the Eucharist as merely symbolic, as only a memorial or a reenactment. But we have always believed that through the mystery of this Sacrament, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus is re-presented to us as though it is happening anew: we are truly present at the Last Supper, at the Cross, at the Resurrection, as Jesus is truly present to us in the Sacrament. This is indeed a mystery, and so we declare our belief in the mysterious, eternal, time-bending reality of the Mass precisely at the moment when any of us could doubt it. “The mystery of faith!” the priest invites us to declare, as so we say one of three formulas, which in their own way declare our belief in what Jesus has done, what He is doing, and what He shall do. For example: “We proclaim your death, O Lord (past), and profess your Resurrection (He IS risen and among us NOW), until you come again (future).”
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) gives no specific instructions as to the posture of the faithful during the Lord’s Prayer; it does say that the priest prayers with his arms extended, as a sign that he is gathering together the collective prayer of the people and offering it up to God. Given that is the priest’s task in that moment, we should reserve that particular posture to him. However, praying with your hands together before your heart, or even holding the hands of those around you, are perfectly fine, as there is no rule against such things. Whatever helps you to pray, and so long as you are not distracting another from their prayer, you are free to do.
Yes, from the beginning, God’s plan has always pointed toward a final and glorious return of Christ—the Second Coming. Jesus’ first coming was not the end of the story but its decisive turning point. He came in humility, born into our world to share in our suffering, to conquer sin and death by the Cross, and to rise again. But He also promised He would come again—not in hiddenness or silence, but in glory, to bring His work to completion.
The first coming opened the gates of heaven; the second will close the age of sin and sorrow. God’s plan, like all things that grow, unfolds in stages: first the sowing of grace and mercy, then the harvest of justice and glory. Christ came first to save us, and He will come again to make all things new—to wipe away every tear, to raise the dead, and to reign forever.
So yes, there was always going to be a Second Coming. We live now in the time between—the age of the Church—where we prepare our hearts for His return in hope and in faith.
Both Judas and Peter failed Jesus in His hour of need. Judas betrayed Him; Peter denied Him three times. But their stories ended very differently. The difference lies not in the gravity of their sins, but in how they responded afterward. Peter wept bitterly and turned back to Jesus in hope. Judas, overcome with guilt, returned the silver but then fell into despair, believing perhaps that his sin was beyond forgiveness. But God’s mercy is never out of reach. Peter believed that, and Judas—tragically—did not. The Church has always taught that repentance is possible for even the greatest sinner. Judas could have been forgiven too, if only he had turned back. The lesson is this: no matter how far we’ve fallen, hope and healing are always possible when we turn to Christ.
As St. Paul famously wrote: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Even in the beginning God warned Adam that to eat from the Tree would be to die; God is the source of human life, and when we break from God through sin, we break from life itself. We see immediately that the life of an innocent animal can be used by God to pay off this natural “debt” of sin: an animal’s life can take the place of that of a person. Before Adam and Eve are sent away from Eden, God clothes them in skins: those animals died for their sake. Abel offers up a lamb; lambs are sacrificed at Passover with their blood marking the doors that the lambs may die in the place of the firstborn of each household. A ram dies in the place of Abraham’s son, Isaac. Because animals are free of sin and thus “innocent”, God eventually gave us a Law that taught us how to atone for our own sins, to pay our “debt” so that the animal died in our stead.
When Jesus walked along the Jordan, John the Baptist declared Him to be the “Lamb of God,” who would offer Himself in atonement for the sins of the entire world. He was slain upon the Cross as our Paschal Lamb, but as our High Priest He offered His Body and Blood, dying so that we may live. At Mass, through the Eucharist, the priest offers that same Body and Blood in atonement for our sins, showing us the greatest love that is to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
What we mean is that we believe we are baptized not merely into a religion or other organization, but into a family with God as our Father, Mary as our Mother, Jesus as our Savior and eldest Brother, and all the saints as our other siblings. Through the Holy Spirit we are all baptized into one Body, and not even death removes us from that Body. There is One Church which spans across time and space and even the different realities of this life and Heaven: the saints are as much a part of the Church as are the folks in the pew in front of you. By professing our belief in the communion of saints we remind ourselves that we are never alone: we belong to a tremendous, diverse, and holy family of many saints who have gone before us, but have not left us behind.
A cross is any depiction of the instrument of torture and execution used primarily by the Roman Empire; it is the crude device on which Jesus and hundreds of thousands of others died. A crucifix is a particular style of cross on which the body or other image of Jesus is depicted. A cross, absent of a body (or “corpus”) is certainly a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and a symbol of our faith. As Catholics, we traditionally prefer the crucifix to a simple cross because only the Cross of Christ ultimately matters; the cross of Spartacus, or either of the thieves crucified alongside Jesus, were the same as the Cross that saves us. The difference is who was on that Cross, and so we keep the image of Christ crucified before us, as a reminder of His love for the world.
When it comes to which Creed is used at Mass, both are acceptable; it is up to the pastor and those in the parish he works with regarding decisions made that affect the worship of the parish. If the pastor and such people decide one Creed is more appropriate than the other, that Creed may be used. In general, the Nicene Creed is preferred for use during Sunday Mass and solemnities, as the tradition of its use is more ancient and its expression of the faith more complete and full. But the Apostles Creed, more often used in private devotions like the Rosary for its brevity and relative simplicity, may be used during Mass as well, if there is a pastoral preference for it.
Canon Law (#934) requires that the Eucharist be reserved in a tabernacle in a sacred place: a cathedral, church, chapel, or other place so designated, and that wherever the Eucharist is kept in reserve, there is someone appointed to be responsible for its protection and reverent safekeeping. In special cases when a person is permitted to bring communion to someone who is sick or otherwise unable to attend Mass, we must not delay that ministry any longer than is necessary: the Eucharist is not a thing to be kept in our pocket, in our car, or even our house. This is Jesus we have with us, and when we are permitted to bring Him to someone, we ought to aim to serve Him and the other person first. If we are the recipient of the Eucharist outside of Mass–someone brings Jesus to us–we must consume the Sacrament immediately. The reason we reserve the Eucharist in the tabernacle is not to keep Him around for later consumption, but rather to assure that all who hunger for Him may be fed, even if He must be brought to them. To keep Jesus in our home to consume at our convenience is an abuse of this greatest of all gifts.
It’s encouraged! The Sign of the Cross is a simple but powerful act of faith in the Trinity and a reminder of the Cross that won our salvation. While not required after confessing sins, it’s a fitting and reverent way to mark the moment of receiving God’s mercy. Many Catholics do so as a personal devotion, and it’s a common practice in the Eastern Churches.
The practice of liturgical cycles for the Scripture used at Mass was an innovation of Vatican II, as an effort by the Church to allow for the proclamation of more of the Bible during our worship. Previously the same readings were heard year after year, which likely developed over the centuries as a means of helping a mostly-illiterate Church hear and learn about the key stories and lessons of Scripture. But as much of the world has become literate, the Church, desiring that the faithful become more familiar with the Word of God, developed a means by which the majority of Scripture would be read and proclaimed at Mass.
The readings for Sundays would use a three-year cycle, while the readings for weekday Mass would use a two-year cycle. Certain solemnities and feasts have fixed readings that are the same every year regardless of the cycle. If one were to attend Mass every day for three years, one would hear roughly 14% of the Old Testament (not counting the Psalms), and roughly 72% of the New Testament! The prayers of the Mass itself includes many quotes and references from Scripture as well.
The Church has long taught and believed that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. Primarily since the Protestant Reformation the question has arisen: “If she and Joseph were married, why wouldn’t they have had children of their own?” Mary remaining a virgin had nothing to do with sex being evil or bad, nor was it a rejection of Joseph or the married life. Rather, her perpetual virginity was a sign of her lifelong fidelity to the Father of her Son. Imagine a woman whose husband is away for a long time in a foreign country; a sign of her fidelity to her absent husband is her remaining chaste. Mary, belonging entirely to God, who is pure Spirit, remains faithful to the One to whom she belongs, faithful to the Father of her Son, by giving herself to no man, but to God alone.
Partly because Scripture teaches us that this is the case; in 1 John 5:16-17 we are told that there are some sins that are deadly, and some that are not, ending with “All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.” Also reason tells us that certain sins are more serious in nature than others; both theft and murder are sins, but murder is certainly far more serious an offense against God. Likewise the theft of a dollar and robbing a bank are of different degrees of seriousness; stealing a dollar from a stranger and stealing a dollar from your mother are also of different degrees of moral wrong.
A venial sin is a lesser sin that does not destroy charity in our hearts, does not break the bond of grace between us and God. A mortal sin not only destroys charity in our hearts and breaks the bond of grace between us and God, but should we die in a state of mortal sin, we are very much in danger of condemning ourselves to Hell. The difference between venial and mortal sins, one could say, is like the difference between a superficial and mortal wound: a scratch and a gunshot. Both are harms, but only one threatens our life.
The Church has celebrated this event since at least the 5th century, but belief in Our Lady’s Assumption has existed from well before then. We celebrate it because it confirms our faith in the Ascension of Jesus: that just as He rose body and soul into Heaven, the Mystical Body–the Church–would follow after. Mary’s Assumption naturally follows this, since He would not have a Body at all without her! Likewise it affirms our belief in the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady being free of sin: since the consequence of sin is death, and she was sinless, she would not die as we do but would experience something altogether different. Jesus says in John’s Gospel “…if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be,” (John 14:3).
Why is this event not spoken of in Scripture? For a few reasons: first, the Bible’s primary concern is about Jesus rather than Mary. Notice she is only ever referred to in Scripture as it pertains to her Son, but never is she spoken of when it pertains solely to her. The Assumption of Mary is something long believed by the Church, and a sign for all of our hopes that we, too, who belong to the same Body of Christ, may trust in her Assumption, that “…where the Head–Christ–has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope.” (Roman Missal)
Surprisingly, no! That ended up being a welcome side-effect to the Church’s decision, in the West at least, to begin using unleavened bread for Eucharist. Up until around the 7th century the Church in both the East and West used leavened bread. However, as the Eucharistic faith of the Church deepened and clarified, a great concern arose over how the Eucharist was celebrated and received, especially because leavened bread tends to lend itself to creating many crumbs when cut or torn. In the East the solution was to administer Communion with a spoon, or by intinction (the priest dips the Host in the Precious Blood before placing it on the tongue). In the West, the solution was to switch to individual, unleavened Hosts, which were far less prone to spreading particles around.
We are asked to fast from all food and drink–with the exception of water–for at least one hour prior to receiving the Eucharist as a way of preparing both spiritually and physically for Holy Communion. Water is the exception because water is a basic necessity, which a person might need within an hour’s time, which usually is not the case with food. Thus we may drink to satisfy our need or simply our thirst; necessary medicine, and any food or drink necessary for consuming it, is also permitted as such a person would be exempt from having to fast.
No, up until the 11th century priests were allowed to marry, while most bishops practiced celibacy. In fact, the last married pope was Adrian II (867-872 AD) who, with his wife, Stephania, had a daughter. There are many reasons why the Church adopted the discipline of celibacy for its clergy, but the most compelling reason for it actually came from the laity who for years had asked the Church to impose celibacy upon all clergy, as they far preferred the monastic priests–who took vows of chastity and always had–to the married clergy. In other words, the example and availability of celibate clergy among the monastics inspired a desire within the laity for priests who were free from having to divide their ministry–and their hearts–between their family and their parishioners. They wanted priests who lived more like Jesus and His apostles, and the Church listened.
The Church permits us to receive in either way, according to the preference of the person. If we are receiving on the tongue, be sure to open your mouth and stick out your tongue enough to make it easy for the minister to give you the Host! If you receive in the hand, do check to see if some particles of the Host remain and, if they do, do your best to consume them rather than brush them onto the floor; remember that Jesus is present, even in the smallest particle.
Some argue that one way is more holy or reverent than the other; both have been a part of the Church’s tradition for a very long time, and both can be done reverently or not depending upon the person.
In the Ten Commandments, God teaches us the importance of the Sabbath, the day of rest and worship, where we take time to thank Him for all He has done for us and to make Him the absolute center of our attention and devotion. Christians began worshiping God on Sunday in honor of the day of Christ’s Resurrection, and as the Church grew it recognized that there are specific people and events that were important enough in God’s saving work that they ought to be celebrated with just as much importance as a Sunday, such as Christmas, the Assumption of Mary, a day honoring Mary as the Mother of God (January 1st), All Saints Day, and so on. A Holy Day of Obligation, really, is a “Sunday Mass” that falls on a different day of the week: we are obligated to attend such a Mass for the same reason we are obligated to attend Mass every Sunday.
Words have meaning, and sometimes in order to clearly articulate something we must use a special word so that our meaning is absolutely clear. This might mean using a strange or obscure word we would not use anywhere else. For example, in 2010 we all had to get used to saying the word “consubstantial” when reciting the Creed, a change from “one in being with”. Some might argue this is unnecessary, but consider what we are doing here: we are professing our faith. We are articulating, as clearly as possible, what we believe. The word “consubstantial” means “one in substance,” that two things participate in the very same reality; “one in being with” could mean a number of similar things, but “consubstantial” nails the meaning on the head. Considering, too, that we are articulating matters of our belief regarding the greatest of all mysteries–the Trinity–it is reasonable to expect we are going to have to use language that is unique to this topic!
The Apostle’s Creed, though shorter than the Nicene Creed, actually is more recent, and likely comes from the area of Europe once called “Gaul” in the 5th century (modern day France). It was composed in Latin, probably adapting a shorter, simpler Creed from the Greek Nicene Creed to aid in the spread of the faith among the Germanic tribes of Europe; Charlemagne would later use the Apostle’s Creed as the standard throughout his lands.
When speaking of Jesus’ descent into the realm of the dead, the Greek would have used the word “Hades,” and the Jews would have used “Sheol”; Latin-speaking folk would have used “inferos” which then was the general word for the realm of the dead, but only later came to specifically mean “hell” as we mean it: a place of fiery torment. Jesus did not descend into the Hell that we think of when hearing that word, but rather the underworld where all the dead went before His victory on the Cross.
Incense has been used since ancient times to honor God and symbolize prayers rising to Him. Once a rare luxury, it was part of Jewish Temple worship and carried into Christian liturgy. Today, incense blesses the altar, gifts, and people, adding reverence and solemnity to the Mass. Its rich fragrance also engages the senses, reminding us of God’s presence.
No, we use low-gluten hosts. As with all of the Sacraments, the Eucharist was instituted by Christ for the building up of the Church. When the Eucharist was established, wheat bread and wine made from grapes were the “materials” used. As a result, we continue to consecrate only these types of matter. Our hosts are approved for consumption by the USCCB for consumption during Mass. In fact, our special hosts are so low in gluten, someone with Celiac Sprue Disease would need to consume 270 wafers to reach the point of an allergic reaction. If you need a low-gluten host when attending Mass, do not hesitate to ask a sacristan before Mass.
The material of vessels is chosen based on several criteria related to what is practical and what is most valuable to us.
First, does the material in some way reveal the value of what it holds? That is, precious metals tend to be important to people, and since the body and blood of Christ are the most precious substance in existence, the vessels that hold them should be of great value. In some cultures, gold and silver are used to hold the sacred species. In the United States, some dioceses receive permission to use ceramic and wood because those materials are considered to be of high value to the residents and are durable. (CCC 327)
A second consideration is that the material must not easily break or corrode. Precious metals, again, are often used for this reason. Their durability and diminished likelihood of transmitting bacteria helps explain why they are preferred over wood or ceramic. Ultimately, the use of something like Crystal is prohibited because of how fragile it is.
The Church still uses leavened bread in the Eastern Rites, as was the ancient custom throughout the world. Leavened bread was often used with the symbolic understanding that Jesus, himself, is risen. He also uses leaven to talk about the presence of the Spirit in the world, and how a little faith leavens the entire batch. In the West, however, the practice changed as our understanding of the sacredness of the sacramental presence developed.
The Western Church changed to unleavened bread in the 7th century because of the realization that, as Jesus is mingled with the Eucharistic species (the bread), oftentimes there would be fragments and crumbs left over. These fragments could be lost and trampled under foot, which was a sign of disrespect. Alternately, leavened bread went bad more quickly, meaning that it was difficult to keep the Eucharist in repose or in reserve. This was especially difficult in areas where there was limited access to priests and therefore the sacrament.
Thus, the Western Church began to use unleavened bread as a way of not losing track of fragments of the Eucharist and allowing it to be held in reserve for longer periods of time.
Some parishes choose to use red wine because it is a clearer symbolic representation of the blood of Christ. The symbolic element of the wine, however, is not to be confused with the real presence of Christ in the sacrament. While the wine retains its external properties, its essence is transformed. What is essential, then, is not the color of the wine, but the reality of Christ that becomes present through it.
What does Church teaching say to the environmental issues facing our world?
The Eucharist comes to us in two forms: the Body and the Blood. The Body and the Blood were separated by death. By placing a particle in the chalice, it represents the reunion of his Body and Blood in the Resurrection. In the chalice is the commingling of the physical elements of Christ Jesus risen and present in our midst. When the priest adds the particle to the chalice he quietly prays the following prayer: “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” Learn more.