CBS News: More Young Men Choosing Priesthood

Contrary to what anti-Catholics like the cult Iglesia ni Cristo founded by Felix Manalo in the Philippines in 1914, the number of seminarians is rising and Catholics grew by 18 million.

FORT WORTH (CBS 11) - No sex, no money, and complete obedience. Not what you think the average 20-year-old guy would go for. But according to the Catholic Church, the number of men joining the priesthood is up.

In the Diocese of Fort Worth alone, the number of seminarians has nearly doubled in the last 10 years.

And who is joining might surprise you.

Brett Metzler bench presses 250 pounds, squats 305, and can shoot hoops with the best of them.

But the former high school Athlete of the Year is not your typical college student.

20-year-old Brett believes becoming a priest is a better fit.

The Denton County native is preparing for the priesthood at Saint Joseph’s Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana–1200 acres of woods, water, and worship north of New Orleans.

He says his calling came during his freshman year at Texas A & M.

“Everything that everybody was telling me to do that was supposed to fulfill me, it just wasn’t working,” explained Metzler. “I was living in a house with four of my best friends from high school. I mean it was a blast. We’d throw the frisbee and play football every day. I just felt a feeling kind of like unfulfillment every night when I was going to sleep.”

Muslim Persecution of Catholic Christians in Bengazi, Tunisia

Kung aling Iglesia raw ang inuusig ay siyang patotoo na TUNAY nga itong IGLESIA NI CRISTO ayon sa PASUGO Nobyembre 1954, p. 2, 1. (Pasugo is INC's official magazine)

Bombers target Catholic church in Benghazi, priests escape unhurt

Bishop of Benghazi, Maltese Mgr Sylvester Magro
is currently in Spain and was not there at
the time of the attack, a spokesman for the
Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed.

Bengazi, Tunisia (Malta Today)- Fr Alan Castillo and Fr Raghib Marzouk escaped unhurt after a bomb went off at the Catholic church in Via Torino, Benghazi, late Friday night.

According to sources, a bomb was placed at the main of the church when an explosion rocked the area at around 11.30pm shattering several glass windows on the opposite side of the narrow road and also several windows in the building adjacent to the church housing the priests.

Fortunately, Maltese bishop Mgr Sylvester Magro was not there as he is currently in Spain attending a religious function.

Fr. Alan Castillo and Fr. Raghib Marzouk were however present at the time of the explosion, but both escaped uninjured.

Soon after the explosion security officials cordoned the area barring anyone from entering or leaving the area.

No one was hurt in this incident.

Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella also contacted the Maltese Consul in Benghazi Joe Pirotta to obtain "first hand" information on the incident and to express his solidarity with the people.

The Maltese Consulate is the only consulate, from among the EU member states, still open in Benghazi. The other consulates are those of Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry described the situation in Benghazi as being "highly fluid" and "easy to obtain explosive material".

Vella also spoke to Fr Alan Castillo, a father from the Philippines who assists Mgr Magro in his work. Fr Castillo said repair works to the church will be carried out by a Maltese man who lives near Benghazi.

Vella said that the situation in Libya was worrying the Maltese government, especially due to the Maltese citizen who in this case were giving their diplomatic and ecclesiastical services.

"The situation is worrisome and our attention is focused on to see how matters will develop, especially in the surrounding areas of Benghazi were the situation is highly instable," the foreign affairs minister said.

Vella added the Maltese government condemned all attacks: "We will be strengthening our bilateral and international efforts in the hope that the situation in Libya normalises as soon as possible."

Despite the end of the revolution, bomb attacks are still taking place in Benghazi. On the same night there were other bombs placed in different parts of the city: A bomb went off in the early hours of the morning outside the diabetes clinic in Sidi Hussein area; another bomb was placed inside one of the pipes of the Great Man Made River monument in Sciara Dubai; a third bomb was placed near the headquarters of one of the brigades manning the checkpoints close to the souk area by the sea.

Catholics around the world incresed by 18 million!

O anong masasabi ng mga kaanib ng Iglesia ni Manalo ngayon? Noong 2010, ang naitala ng Census ay 2.25 million lang ang mga kaanib ng INC ni Manalo. Nganga!

The statistical information, which refers to the year 2011, reveals details about the Catholic Church in the 2,979 ecclesiastical circumscriptions around the planet. The number of Catholics in the world increased from 1.196 million in 2010 to 1.214 million in 2011, an increase of eighteen million faithful, corresponding to a growth of 1.5%. Over the last three years the presence of baptised Catholics in the world has remained stable at around 17.5%... continue reading...

Catholics vs. Iglesia ni Cristo adherents

Catholics around the World
(according to Wikipedia)
1.2 billion (1,200,000,000)

Iglesia ni Cristo
(according to Philippine Census as of 2010)
2.25 million (2,250,000)

96 Years After Its Foundation, the Iglesia ni Cristo has only 2.25 Million as of 2010 Census

Contrary to what they claim, members of the politically influential religious group founded by Felix Manalo in 1914-- the IGLESIA NI CRISTO has only 2.5 million-- not 10 million as they deceive us. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer):

A total of 2.25 million Filipinos were members of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) in 2010, up from 1.76 million in 2000, data from the latest census by the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed.

The number of voting-age INC members at the time was estimated at 1.37 million, as 61 percent of the country’s population was 18 and above.

Of some 92 million Filipinos in 2010, 56.5 million were of voting age.

Based on the same NSO data, of the 5.13 million Muslim Filipinos, about 3.13 million were of voting age, while of the 74.2 million Catholic Filipinos, 45.3 million were of voting age."

Martyred for Christ: 800 victims of Islamic violence who will become saints this month

News Source: Telegraph UK

The cathedral of Otranto in southern Italy is decorated with the skulls of 800 Christian townsfolk beheaded by Ottoman soldiers in 1480. A week tomorrow, on Sunday May 12, they will become the skulls of saints, as Pope Francis canonises all of them. In doing so, he will instantly break the record for the pope who has created the most saints.

I wonder how he feels about that. Benedict XVI announced the planned canonisations just minutes before dropping the bombshell of his own resignation. You could view it as a parting gift to his successor. Or a booby trap.

The 800 men of Otranto – whose names are lost, except for that of Antonio Primaldo, an old tailor – were rounded up and killed because they refused to convert to Islam. In 2007, Pope Benedict recognised them as martyrs “killed out of hatred for the faith”. That is no exaggeration. Earlier, the Archbishop of Otranto had been cut to pieces with a scimitar.

The Average Salary of a Catholic Priest

If you're looking for a career that provides an opportunity to stack up worldly wealth, any job in the clergy probably isn't your best option. If you've heard the call, however, you may be curious about your ability to support yourself should you become a Catholic priest, as you're bound to have expenses like any member of the laity. Before you dedicate your life to the church, investigate the financial impact of your decision.

Read more: The Average Salary of a Catholic Priest | eHow.com

Understanding the ‘Catholic vote’

Catholics are not blind followers.  They use their consciences to vote. -CD2000

(Source:Opinion Inquirer) Many people will liken the notion of a “Catholic vote” to the alleged bloc vote of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. First, we must explain what it is not. The Catholic vote is not a bloc vote according to the dictates of the clergy. It would not be acceptable for the bishops and priests to dictate whom to vote. All this would be very alien to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Catholics are united in what the “Magisterium,” or the teaching authority of the Church, teaches regarding faith and morals. The true mark of Catholicity is this unity in matters of faith and morals combined with great respect for individual freedom and responsibility in temporal matters. Since politics is concerned with temporal matters, Catholics are free to use their own criteria, keeping in mind the common good.

Thus, the decision process of a Catholic is two-tiered: The top tier is the criteria for matters that have to do with faith and morals, and the lower tier is concerned with temporal issues. Before Republic Act 10354, there was never any need for a Catholic vote: Legislation was exclusively concerned with policymaking on temporal matters regulating civil life. The situation changed completely with the introduction of the reproductive health bill—a policy that impinged on the sacredness of human life and the sanctity of marriage. The Catholic vote was born in the hearts of the faithful as they helplessly listened to politicians they elected cast their votes in favor of RH.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says: “When the Church addresses her social teaching to issues of the common good, she has no intention of giving the Church power over the State or to impose on those who do not share the faith ways of thinking and modes of conduct proper to faith.”

Egyptian TV Host Riham Said Removes Veil during Interview, Clashes with Guest Cleric Sheik Yousuf Badri Al-Nahar TV (Egypt)

Quasi-churches who claimed to be Christians but deny the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. The term "Trinity" is not found in the Bible and is a concept of Christianity that is not easy to grasp or explain. Yet most conservative, evangelical Bible scholars agree that the Trinity doctrine is clearly expressed within Scripture. (Source: About.com)

The following faith groups and religions are among those that reject the doctrine of the Trinity. The list is not exhaustive but encompasses several of the major groups and religious movements. Included is a brief explanation of each group's beliefs about the nature of God, revealing a deviation from the doctrine of the Trinity.

For comparison purposes, the biblical Trinity doctrine is defined as follows: "There is only one God, made up of three distinct Persons who exist in co-equal, co-eternal communion as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Mormonism - Latter-day Saints

Founded By: Joseph Smith, Jr., 1830.

Mormons believe that God was once a man, but became God. He has a physical, flesh and bones, eternal, perfect body. Men have the potential to become gods as well. Jesus is God's literal son, a separate being from God the Father and the "elder brother" of men. The Holy Spirit is also a separate being from God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is regarded as an impersonal power or spirit being. These three separate beings are "one" only in their purpose, and they make up the Godhead.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Founded By: Charles Taze Russell, 1879. Succeeded by Joseph F. Rutherford, 1917.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God is one person, Jehovah. Jesus was Jehovah's first creation. Jesus is not God, nor part of the Godhead. He is higher than the angels, but inferior to God. Jehovah used Jesus to create the rest of the universe. Before Jesus came to earth he was known as the archangel Michael. The Holy Spirit is an impersonal force from Jehovah, but not God.

Christian Science

Founded By: Mary Baker Eddy, 1879.

Christian Scientists believe the trinity is life, truth and love. As an impersonal principle, God is the only thing that truly exists. Everything else (matter) is an illusion. Jesus, though not God, is the Son of God. He was the promised Messiah but was not a deity. The Holy Spirit is divine science in the teachings of Christian Science.

Armstrongism

(Philadelphia Church of God, Global Church of God, United Church of God)

Founded By: Herbert W. Armstrong, 1934.

Traditional Armstrongism denies a Trinity, defining God as "a family of individuals." Original teachings say Jesus did not have a physical resurrection and the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force.

Christadelphians

Founded By: Dr. John Thomas, 1864.

Christadelphians believe God is one indivisible unity, not three distinct persons existing in one God. They deny the divinity of Jesus, believing he is fully human and separate from God. They do not believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity, but simply a force—the "unseen power" from God.

Oneness Pentecostals

Founded By: Frank Ewart, 1913.

Oneness Pentecostals believe that there is one God and God is one. Throughout time God manifested himself in three ways or "forms" (not persons), as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Oneness Pentecostals take issue with the Trinity doctrine chiefly for its use of the term "person." They believe God cannot be three distinct persons, but only one being who has revealed himself in three different modes. It is important to note that Oneness Pentecostals do affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Unification Church

Founded By: Sun Myung Moon, 1954.

Unification adherents believe that God is positive and negative, male and female. The universe is God's body, made by him. Jesus was not God, but a man. He did not experience a physical resurrection. In fact, his mission on earth failed and will be fulfilled through Sun Myung Moon, who is greater than Jesus. The Holy Spirit is feminine in nature. She collaborates with Jesus in the spirit realm to draw people to Sun Myung Moon.

Unity School of Christianity

Founded By: Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, 1889.

Similar to Christian Science, Unity adherents believe God is an unseen, impersonal principle, not a person. God is a force within everyone and everything. Jesus was only a man, not the Christ. He simply realized his spiritual identity as the Christ by practicing his potential for perfection. This is something all men can achieve. Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, but rather, he reincarnated. The Holy Spirit is the active expression of God's law. Only the spirit part of us is real, matter is not real.

Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ)

Founded By: Felix Manalo , 1914

Felix Manalo denies the divinity of Jesus quoting bible verses that are only stating his humanity. For them Jesus was a creation of God-- a plan (Jn 1). He existed only when he became flesh. The Iglesia ni Cristo denies the Trinity which for them was a "invented doctrine" by the Catholic Church in the Nicene Council (325) but failed to acknowledge Church fathers who lived during the times of the apostles and testified to this truth.

Scientology - Dianetics

Founded By: L. Ron Hubbard, 1954.

Scientology defines God as Dynamic Infinity. Jesus is not God, Savior or Creator, nor does he have control of supernatural powers. He is usually overlooked in Dianetics. The Holy Spirit is absent from this belief system as well. Men are "thetan" - immortal, spiritual beings with limitless capabilities and powers, though often they are unaware of this potential. Scientology teaches men how to achieve "higher states of awareness and ability" through practicing Dianetics.

The Iglesia ni Cristo: 'Filipino church' in the headline is misleading

"We are neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic. We are the Church of Christ, and everyone will be made welcome." -Pepito Y Acuesta, INC Head Minister, Belfast [they call themselves 'Iglesia']

A letter Belfast Telegraph News from a member of the INC founded by Felix Manalo in the Philippines:

I want to thank you for the article about the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) chapel purchase in Belfast (March 7). Coming from the USA, it's great to hear good news about brethren 'across the pond'.

However the term 'Filipino church' in the headline is misleading. By saying that, it would seem that the INC only caters to people of that nationality, which is far from the truth. All are welcome. Better wording might be 'Christian church'. -From Belfast Telegraph

There is nothing "misleading" in Belfast Telegraph's news dated March 08, 2013 with those headline titles 'Filipino church buys Belfast landmark building'  since the 'church's registration name is Iglesia ni Cristo - the Tagalog word for 'Church of Christ'.

The Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) was founded by Felix Manalo in Punta, Santa Ana, Manila, in the Philippines then registered it as "Iglesia ni Kristo" (INK) in 1914 - a corporation sole and later changed its name to 'Iglesia ni Cristo' (INC) maintaining its Tagalog form.  Manalo cannot register his church as 'Church of Christ' since there were numerous Protestant communities with the same registration name at the present.

The only way people would be assured that this 'Church of Christ' is not the same with the many 'churches of Christ' is the logo (see below) with its Tagalog registered name.

Therefore Manalo's Church is uniquely registered in Tagalog Iglesia ni Cristo with the translation in English usually put in a parentheses (see below) to indicate that this 'Church of Christ' was Manalo founded. from the Philippines for the 'Filipinos'.

In his life, Manalo was a poorly catechized Catholic and found no interest in studying Catholic Church' core teachings just like many of its present members who became fierce anti-Catholics. Often identify themselves as "Iglesia ako" (I'm Iglesia) which was never been used by early Christians. Therefor their identity is even cultic and UNBIBLICAL.

Its man-made doctrines reflect those deep ignorance and hatred attacking the Church with what the Catholic Church is NOT.

His little if not almost empty knowledge about the Catholic Church led him to trifle with various Protestant churches brought about by the Americans who came to the Philippines after three decades of subversive Spanish Catholic rule.

He renounced his Catholic faith easily for lack of depth and became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Then he became a member of the Presbyterian Church in 1907; Disciples of Christ in 1908; of which he was accused of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (see below).

Felix became a member of the Christian Mission in 1910; became a Seventh-day Adventist (Sabadista) in 1911 of which he was suspended for alleged ADULTERY (Ref. The Philippines: a global studies handbook By Damon L. Woods, p. 126)

For almost 10 years Felix Manalo was a member of six different churches founded by men and women whose common force is to tear down the Catholic Church which is the CHURCH OF CHRIST (PASUGO April 1966, p. 46: “Ang Iglesia Katolika na sa pasimula ay siyang Iglesia ni Cristo.")

• Methodist Episcopal Church by John Wesley in 1784
• Presbyterian Church by John Knox in 1560 (Calvinist)
• Disciples of Christ by Thomas Campbell in 1805
• Christian Mission
• Seventh-day Adventists by Helen G. White in1863
• Atheist/Agnostic
• Then founded his own church called the "Iglesia ni Kristo" in 1914

The Belfast Telegraph news maintains its dedication to journalistic professionalism with utmost facts on hand, therefore there is nothing misleading in its reporting.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo is the only true Christian Church?

I’ve studied within this church for nearly 6 months now and I’ve spoken to multiple Ministers too. However, despite my 28 lessons as a bible student, there still remains a lot of suspicion about the Iglesia Ni Cristo. They claim that they are the “true” church and that salvation cannot be found elsewhere. They refer to multiple bible verses to justify their beliefs such as (Isaiah 43:5, Acts 20:28, Romans 16:16, and etc). However after close examination, it’s abundantly clear that those verses (especially ones that read “church of christ”) are taken out of context. Filipinos nor the Philippines are ever mentioned in the Bible. They reason that in Isaiah 43:5 (Moffatt Translation) the phrase “Far East” refers to the Philippines; therefore this is one of many verses which proves their belief. Sadly, this is based on an incorrect translation, because the original Hebrew of Isaiah 43:5 only reads “East” NOT “Far East.” Even if the actual text read “Far East” (which it doesn’t), it has no correlation with the Philippines, because God was speaking to the Jews of Israel (specifically to Jacob with the bringing of his seeds from the East and gathering them from the West).

 

Now in terms of Acts 20:28, they also depend on this verse to justify their beliefs simply because it reads “Church of Christ.” However, the actual Greek of that verse reads “Church of God.” Once again, another example of an incorrect translation in order to justify their teachings. I do not see ANY proof whatsoever that deems them to be the “only true Church.” There are hundreds of different Churches around the world with the title “Church of Christ” so I don’t understand their logic with this notion. Furthermore, if the Iglesia Ni Cristo believe that the only way of finding salvation is through them, then they’ve got a lot of burden on their shoulders. The Iglesia Ni Cristo was established on July 27, 1918, so by definition all Christians alike didn’t go to heaven and burned in hell prior to the Church. (Article from QQRom)

Egyptian Muslims murdering Christians with impunity

CAIRO, EGYPT (Catholic Online) - Clashes between Muslims and Christians have claimed 10 live in Egypt where sectarian violence between the groups has been renewed in the face of Mohammed Morsi's administration.

The most recent spate of violence started after children drew crosses on the walls of an Islamic institute in Khosoos, just north of Cairo. That acts of children's vandalism sparked a bloody retaliation from Muslims in which four Christians and a Muslim were killed.

At the Christian funeral, Muslims struck again, this time carrying on until they reached the Coptic cathedral and damaged the structure. More Christians were murdered.

Note that it's Muslims who are attacking Christian funeral processions, not the other way around.

Vandalism committed by children, particularly of a religious nature is unacceptable, however the punishment should not include murder. Nor should Muslims carry on the violence to the funerals of the people they murdered.

Pope Tawadros II, leader of Egypt's Coptic Christians, has openly criticized President Morsi for his failure to stem the violence despite pledges to do so. The Muslim attackers are yet to face any repercussions for their violence.

In solemn commemoration of the 98th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which began April 24, 1915

"I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim." (Hadith from Sahih Muslim, 19.4366).



Article for reading from Facing Islam Blog

Muslim persecution of Christians in the Middle East, read  Raymond Ibrahim Blog

The Beauty Of The Catholic Faith

Artilce from The Catholic Eternal Truth

 

We cannot speak of beauty if we do not know what beauty is, With the words of St. Thomas Aquinas "Beauty is the splendor of the goods that each being ought to have according to its nature”. In other words St. Thomas is telling us that beauty is not something that we see and pleases our senses, beauty is imbued deep within the being's nature. The beauty of the Catholic faith lies not in its glorious basilicas, majestic tabernacles and incorruptible saints but it emanates from its very foundation the body, blood and divinity of its founder Jesus Christ. To completely exhaust the reasons why the Catholic faith is beautiful is quite unrealistic because our lifetime would not be enough to articulate the beauty, majesty and splendor of the Catholic faith. In lieu of our limitations we'll just have to discuss some of the reasons why the Catholic faith is beautiful.

Unity in Diversity - The Catholic faith is capable of fostering unity among diverse individuals, it cannot be denied that the Catholic Church is made of members coming from various cultures, race, background, lifestyle and language. However, the Catholic faith like a fire it purges (Zec.13:8-9) away the imperfections of these elements and integrates whatever is pure and profitable for the soul. The Pontificate of Blessed Pope John Paul II reiterates the message of St. Paul in our contemporary society that among us Christians "There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal.3:28). We have seen this unity of Christians through the World Youth Day and other universal gatherings espoused by this great pope. Despite of the difference in culture, race and background those who were able to attend the world youth day didn't experience any untoward feeling towards their Catholic brothers and sisters coming from different nations. Rather they are overwhelmed with joy, belongingness and sense of sacredness. Such an event is a foretaste of what the Kingdom of God would be like, there are no barriers and discrimination all are one in Christ. No any other institution in the world can imitate this kind of unity only the Catholic Church because it is no ordinary institution, it is the body of Christ (Col.1:18).

The Communion of Saints - Every time we attend the Sunday Mass we often recite the Apostles creed, a public profession of our Catholic faith. In the creed we say "I believe in the communion of saints", but what do we really mean by this? One must not think that we are the only Catholics in the Church, we have forgotten that we are the Church militant the one who still have to workout his salvation with fear and trembling (Phil.2:12). There are those who died in God's grace but still have to be purified from their imperfections for no defile can enter the Kingdom of God (Rev.21:27), we often refer to these souls as the Church suffering. We also have our brothers and sisters who are already in heaven (Heb.12:22) and continually intercedes for us that we may join them in heaven (Rev.4:8). Though we are all in different state yet we are a family we help each other attaining our goal and that is to be with Jesus Christ in heaven. The Church militant offers prayers for the poor souls in Purgatory that their purification will be shorten and those who are in heaven unceasingly prays for us giving us strength and inspiring us to be obedient sons and daughters of God. In fact together with our fellow Catholics those who are in heaven and in purgatory are worshiping Jesus Christ (Phil.2:10). If only we spend more time reading the teachings of the Church and writings of saints we would even more appreciate the beauty of the communion of saints. God knows that man will always have the inclination to use his senses even in spiritual matters thus he left us not in vain but provided us with evidences of his presence through the incorruptible body of saints. Modern science cannot explain how these body remain intact and no signs of decay after being laid to rest hundreds of years ago. Unlike the mummified remains of the Egyptians the incorruptible body of saints remains to be fresh, some are even reported to be within their normal body temperature and would even bleed if pricked by a needle. There are no any other plausible explanation for this miraculous events but a sure sign of God's presence and favor. The communion of saints tells us to never lose hope in our battle to enter the kingdom of God, the saints too like us were sinners but they didn't lose hope as what Pope Francis said "God never gets tired of forgiving us." So, let us not forget to pray for our beloved brothers and sisters who are in purgatory and to ask the intercession of the saints.

The Sacraments - Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church not only for the purpose of preaching the gospel to all nations (Mt.28:18-20) but also as a means to where people are gathered and saved (Acts 2:47, Eph.5:23). But what is in the Catholic faith that Pope Francis was able to say that "It's absurd to think you can live with Jesus, but without the church."? It is through the Church that Jesus Christ will sanctify his people through the sacraments. When Jesus Christ was hanging on the cross a soldier pierce his side with a spear and immediately blood and water came out (John 19:34). Blood and water is taken by the Church Fathers as a symbolism of the Sacrament. Water symbolizes the Sacrament of initiation, baptism (Jn.3:5, Ti.3:5) and blood symbolizes the Holy Eucharist (Jn 6:54) the life and summit of the Church. The Sacraments of the Church are fountains of grace, it is through the Sacraments that sanctifying grace is being dispense to those who are spiritually prepared to receive it. Though the Holy Spirit can infuse grace to whomever he wants but He choose the Sacraments as the ordinary means of dispensing the graces that is necessary for salvation. Without the Sacraments it would be impossible to man to obtain graces on his own.

Miracles - Since his birth Jesus Christ already showed us signs of wonder that he is no ordinary person from his miraculous birth (Jn.1:14) to his ascension in heaven. Christ's public ministry is also accompanied with miracles to prove his true nature that he is the Son of God, true God and true man. In like manner the Church that he founded is also accompanied with miracles and signs of wonder that serves as evidence of its divine mandate. All throughout the centuries we have seen numerous incorrupt body of saints venerated by Christians since time immemorial, to name a few Pope St. Pius X, St. Catherine Laboure and St. Claire of Assisi. Aside from that there are miracles wherein the consecrated bread and wine literally turns into real flesh and blood, and who else can forget about the miracle that happened in Fatima? These miracles where scrutinized by science yet they cannot provide a probable explanation for these events. But there is one explanation that is plausible that these miracles originated from God, that like Christ whose public ministry is accompanied with miracles his Church also in her public ministry is accompanied with various miracles. No any other religion in the world can claim miracles that are far more superior than the miracles that occurred in the Catholic Church.

Spirituality - Spirituality is an important aspect of man, it is through spirituality that he establishes an intimate relationship with God. Without proper form of spirituality it is impossible to build a deep relationship with our creator. God wanted us to build a relationship with him but we have to do it in a way that he wants it to be. People from other religions search in the shadows in an attempt to connect with God but their efforts are in vain because they are performing forms of spirituality that had its origin in man and not God. The Catholic faith has many forms of spirituality that will aid the individual in attaining a relationship with God. The saints are the prime example of how effective Catholic spirituality is. The Rosary is a favorite of the saints because it entails them to meditate on the life and passion of Jesus Christ as they recite the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Novenas to the different saints and angels are also an effective form of spirituality through this ritual we establishes a relationship with our brothers and sisters already in heaven invoking their aid through their intercession that we too might also join them in God's Kingdom. Spirituality also fosters devotion to the Holy Eucharist, all of the saints have great devotion to the Holy Eucharist, one cannot become a saint if the Eucharist is not the center of his spirituality.

Here are some of the reasons why the Catholic faith is beautiful, the externals of the Catholic faith that captured our senses are emanates from the inner beauty of the Catholic faith. In reality words are not enough to elucidate the beauty and splendor of the Catholic faith.