WHAT WE BELIEVE
Through our early church fathers, the profession of faith emerged. This “credo” was not a new belief, but because the church was spreading throughout the world, the Bishops wanted to clearly define what Jesus’ followers believed. There were heretics professing that Jesus was not divine or the Trinity did not exist. So at the Council of Nicaea they began to formulate the Nicene Creed, the statement of beliefs we still proclaim today. Central to Christianity is belief in the Trinity and Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life. We believe in the Incarnation, the Passion, Cross and Resurrection, Ascension and Second Coming.
HOW WE CELEBRATE THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERIES
We celebrate the Christian mystery in the Liturgy and the Sacraments. Through the Sacraments the Holy Spirit makes available to us the mysteries of God’s revelation in Christ. The saving gifts of Christ’s ministry are encountered in the Liturgy and are available to us. This is evident in the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments at the Service of Communion (Marriage and Holy Orders). Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier.
HOW WE ARE TO HAVE LIFE IN CHRIST
Our Catholic faith draws forth a vocation to life in the Spirit. That life is grounded in the dignity of the human person, made in the image of God. It is also grounded in the communal character of the human vocation. Christ calls us to a life of 'beatitude' - holiness and happiness. We are able to achieve this life with the help of God's law (his commandments) and with his grace. Right conduct, freely chosen, fulfils the two commandments of charity - love of God and of neighbour.
HOW WE SHOULD PRAY
The prayer life of believers is intrinsically linked to the prayer life of the Church herself. So, vocal prayer, meditation and contemplation, and the types of prayer – adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise are provided in the rich treasury of Church teaching. The 'Our Father' - the Lord’s Prayer - was given to us by Jesus to express the sum of all the good things which we must hope for and which our heavenly Father wants to grant us.