The Saints
Saints are people who loved God so much during their lives that the Church is certain they are now with Him forever in Heaven.
Read the explanation →THE ANSWER LIBRARY
Big questions, explained simply
Accessible introductions from the “Explained Like You’re Five” collection. A starting point for readers of any age.
56 articles · Page 2 of 4
The Nativity
God the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, became a real human baby and was born to the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem about two thousand years ago.
Read the explanation →The Visitation
Mary, the mother of Jesus, visited her older cousin Elizabeth right after she found out she was going to have a baby, and the two women were filled with so much joy that they could hardly co…
Read the explanation →The Annunciation
God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman named Mary in the town of Nazareth to ask her a very special question on His behalf.
Read the explanation →The Assumption of Mary
The Assumption of Mary means that when Mary finished her life on earth, God took her body and soul up into heaven together, not leaving any part of her behind.
Read the explanation →The Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the Catholic teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was kept free from original sin from the very first moment she existed.
Read the explanation →Mary
Mary is the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, which makes her the most important woman in the history of the world.
Read the explanation →Anointing of the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, given to people who are seriously ill, facing a major surgery, or growing weak with old age.
Read the explanation →Holy Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which Jesus continues his mission on earth by setting apart certain men as bishops, priests, and deacons to lead and serve his Church.
Read the explanation →Marriage
Marriage is a holy promise that a man and a woman make before God to love and care for each other for their whole lives.
Read the explanation →Confirmation
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, and it is one of the three sacraments that together welcome a person fully into the Church.
Read the explanation →Confession
Confession is a sacrament that Jesus Christ himself gave to the Church so that people who sin after Baptism can receive God’s forgiveness through a priest.
Read the explanation →The Eucharist
The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, truly present under the appearance of bread and wine.
Read the explanation →Baptism
Baptism is the very first sacrament a Christian receives, and it opens the door to all the other sacraments of the Church.
Read the explanation →The Seven Sacraments
Jesus personally gave the Catholic Church seven special gifts called sacraments, each one bringing God’s own life directly into our souls.
Read the explanation →The Beatitudes
The Beatitudes are eight special promises Jesus made on a mountain, telling us that the people the world forgets or ignores are actually the ones God loves and rewards most.
Read the explanation →The Ten Commandments
God gave ten special rules to Moses on a mountain, and these rules tell us how to love God and how to love other people.
Read the explanation →Original Sin
Original sin is not a bad thing you did yourself; it is a broken condition that every human being inherits from the very first people God created.
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