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Early Christians are a wonderful example of the unity for which Christ prayed at the Last Supper: And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. . . . And all who believed were together and had all things in common (Acts 2:42-44). Their unity grew from reading the Old Testament and receiving the teachings of those in authority. It was expressed in their fellowship—“those who believed were of one heart and soul&rd …

The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s preservation from original sin from the very moment of her conception. The formal definition of this dogma was given to the Church by Pope St. Pius IX in 1854:We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all …

Sanctus and Hagios The word saint comes from the Latin word sanctus, which means “holy one.” The Greek equivalent hagios (which means “sanctified,” “set apart,” or “holy”) is used in a variety of ways in the Bible—both the Greek version of the Old Testament (known as the Septuagint) and the New Testament. For example, Christians on earth are “saints” (2 Cor. 1:1, Eph. 1:1, Col. 1:2, Phil.1:1, Rev. 5:8). The Israelites are “holy” (Lev. 20:26) and, therefore, are called “saints” …

Who Are the Saints? A saint is one who is holy. In most languages, the two terms are synonymous (sanctusin Latin,santoin Spanish, etc.). The New Testament refers to all living Christians as saints. That is so because the Spirit sanctifies every Christian at baptism in Christ’s blood, becoming sanctified after yielding his body to righteousness, by abstaining from unchastity and sin, fulfilling God’s call to be holy and blameless. So every Christian is a saint, due to his relationship wi …

Immaculate Conception and God’s Election The Immaculate Conception. For non-Catholics, this dogma of the Church may be one of the most misunderstood doctrines there is. Here are some common questions Catholics get, and how to respond to them: Temptation, Suffering, and Mary’s Humanity Question:Why does Mary have to be holy at the moment of her conception instead of being purified shortly before God chooses her to be his mother? Response:God chooses and elects those w …