Baptism

Whether as the infant leaping for joy in his mother’s womb as she greets Mary who is pregnant with the promised Savior, or as the austere, locust-eating prophet, John the Baptist is one of the best-known figures in Scripture.

The Church blesses and uses three holy oils: the oil of the sick, the oil of the catechumens and the holy chrism oil. Each has a distinctive purpose in the Church.

All four Gospels acclaim St. John the Baptist and set him apart from others. From before his birth, he was chosen by God to announce, baptize and identify Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.

Couple’s faith, nourished by the sacraments, brought them together and continues as their foundation — at home, work and in their community.

Here are six perspectives on the Sign of the Cross that reveal why making it opens us to life-transforming graces.

The Nordic tradition sweeping the country is called “vinterbadning” by the Danish, which means “winter bathing.” One view of the tradition is that it is a guidepost, calling to mind a statement from St. Ignatius: that which makes you feel most alive, that’s where God is.

It might feel like there has been a seismic shift in church teaching concerning transgenderism in recent weeks; it’s because so many headlines got the story wrong.

If it would not cause scandal or confusion among other Catholics, “a transsexual may receive baptism under the same conditions as other faithful,” said a document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.