Based on the acclaimed film series, Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained, this book leads readers through the big picture of the Catholic faith. Professor Sri helps you discover all the essential aspects of the Catholic faith - from creation, the cross and the Church, to the sacraments, social teaching, sexual ethics, purgatory, the papacy and prayer.
The author shows how all the aspects of the faith fit together into the one overarching story of God s love for us and our participation in that love. He uses the Catechism of the Catholic Church for our itinerary, focusing on the four main pillars of the Catechism Creed, Sacraments, Moral Life and Prayer
As we walk through core Catholic beliefs, he addresses common questions people have today, such as: Why do I need the Church - can t I just be spiritual on my own? Isn t one religion just as good as another? How is the death of a man 2,000 years ago, in a city far away, relevant for my life today? Why does the Church talk about morality so much? Can t I make up my own morality? Is it really our responsibility to care for the poor doesn t God help those who help themselves? Addresses common questions Protestants have about Mary, the Bible, Confession, the Papacy, the Mass.
Much more than an intellectual enterprise, this work is also a deep spiritual reflection that draws upon the beauty of the Catholic tradition and the insights of the saints. It offers many practical applications to our daily lives, considering how the various aspects of the faith invite us to a deeper conversion to love God more and entrust ourselves to him.
Thus, this book aims to form the head and the heart, helping us to not only understand Jesus and his plan of salvation, but inspires us to love him and our neighbor more. For this is what the faith is all about: Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. (Pope Benedict XVI)
Includes approximately 70 photos of famous artwork, churches, and holy places that complement the text."
