WHY STAY CATHOLIC?


Series Outline


Throughout this series we will keep returning to three questions:


• Did Christ establish a Church?

• Did He entrust unique gifts to that Church?

• If He did, why would we willingly leave them behind?


Introduction


An Introduction to the Series


The Question


1. What Is Lost When Someone Leaves the Catholic Church?

2. Are All Churches Basically the Same?

3. Why Stay Catholic?

4. “I Don’t Need Religion; I Just Need Jesus.”

5. Can You Have Jesus Without the Church?

6. “Their Worship Feels More Alive.”

7. Why Do Some Catholics Leave—and Why Do Some Come Back?

8. What Are We Really Looking For?


The Eucharist Changes Everything


9. What Happens at Mass That Cannot Happen Anywhere Else?

10. Is Communion Only a Symbol?

11. Did Jesus Really Mean “This Is My Body”?

12. Why Did So Many Disciples Leave in John 6?

13. What Did the First Christians Believe About the Eucharist?

14. Why Can’t I Receive Communion Everywhere?

15. What Is Eucharistic Adoration?

16. If the Eucharist Is True, Where Else Would We Go?


October: Mary


17. Why Ask Mary to Pray for Us?


The Mass


18. Why Go to Mass Every Sunday?


November: The Communion of Saints


19. Why Pray for the Dead?

20. What Is Purgatory?

21. Why Pray to Saints?

22. Are We Still United to Our Loved Ones After Death?


Scripture, Authority, and the Church


23. Did Jesus Leave Us a Book or a Church?

24. Who Gave Us the Bible?

25. How Do We Know What Christianity Originally Taught?

26. Is the Bible Alone Enough?

27. Why Does the Church Have Authority?


Returning to the Mass


28. Is the Mass in the Bible?

29. Why Do Catholics Call the Mass a Sacrifice?

30. Why Not Just Attend a Bible Church Service?

31. Why Do Catholics Use Ritual and Repetition?

32. Why Do Catholics Kneel?

33. Why the Early Christians Would Recognize the Mass

34. Why Missing Mass Matters

 


Lent: Salvation and Grace


34. Are Catholics Saved by Faith?

35. Are Catholics Saved by Works?

36. What Is Saving Faith?

37. Can Salvation Be Lost?

38. Why Does Sin Still Matter?

39. What Is Grace?

40. Why Confess to a Priest?

41. Why Does God Use Sacraments?

42. Do I Need to Be Baptized Again?


Easter: The Apostolic Church


43. Was Peter Really Different?

44. Why Does the Pope Matter?

45. What Is Apostolic Succession?


May: Mary

46. Do Catholics Worship Mary?

47. Why Call Mary Blessed?

48. Is Mary in the Bible?

49. Why Do Catholics Have Statues?


Corpus Christi Season


50. Why the Eucharist Is the Reason I Remain Catholic


Living as a Catholic


51. Why Does the Church Care About Marriage?

52. What Does It Mean to Be a Practicing Catholic?


Conclusion

53. Why Stay Catholic?


Topics may occasionally be adjusted to harmonize with the liturgical year, particularly during Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, the Month of Mary, All Saints and All Souls, and Corpus Christi season.

— Fr. Augustine, O.P.