Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 8
Introduction 9
Part I God
The Holy Trinity 13
God the Father 16
God the Son 18
God the Holy Spirit 32
Part II The Bible
The Old Testament 36
Difficult Passages in Scripture 45
Jesus in Scripture 55
Saint John the Baptist 95
Saint Paul 99
Reading Scripture 101
Living Scripture 115
Part III Liturgy and Sacraments
The Sacraments 122
Baptism 124
Penance 129
Holy Eucharist 141
Confirmation 148
Matrimony 149
Holy Orders 164
Anointing of the Sick 168
The Church's Liturgy 169
The Mass 169
Liturgical Seasons and Feasts 199
Inside the Church 214
Sacred Music 217
Liturgy of the Hours 225
Funerals 229
Part IV Our Moral Life
The Commandments 236
Sin and Forgiveness 241
Precepts of the Church 265
The Sanctity of Life 272
Medical Ethics 280
Sexual Morality 292
Ethics in Society 314
Part V The Church
The One True Church 326
The Church's Authority 333
The Church's
Hierarchical Structure 337
The Church's Teachings 347
The Church in Society 351
Other Catholic Kites 353
Our Protestant Brethren 353
Unfortunate Scandals and Divisions 362
Part VI Prayers and Practices
Prayers 370
Eucharistic Adoration 376
Sacramentals and Blessings 378
Questions about Mary 388
Angels 397
The Saints 406
Relics 412
Fasting and Abstinence 417
Tithing 420
Indulgences 421
Exorcisms 424
Part VII Other Topics
Human Origins 430
Suffering 439
Catholic Terms and Concepts 447
Part VIII The Last Things
Death 470
Judgment 477
Hell 481
Purgatory 488
Heaven 491
Index 507
