#approximatelyinfinity

Yep!

“The unique and altogether singular event of the Incarnation of the Son of God does not mean that Jesus Christ is part God and part man, nor does it imply that he is the result of a confused mixture of the divine and the human. He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man.” CCC 464 (emphasis added)

Nuns are cloistered, meaning they don’t leave their convent. Sisters aren’t cloistered, so they study or teach or do some other work outside their community.

It’s the same with monks and brothers (also known as friars): monks being cloistered and brothers/friars not. 

**All of the above terms refer to people who are in a religious order.

A priest is a man who has been ordained by a bishop, and he has the faculties to celebrate Mass, hear confessions, give homilies, etc. There are both diocesan (or “secular”) priests and religious priests. The religious priests are members of religious orders, and the diocesan priests are not. 

So, to be clear (with saint examples), a man could be simply a diocesan priest (St. John Vianney) OR a monk and a priest (St. Jerome*) OR a friar and a priest (St. Thomas Aquinas) OR simply a monk (St. Peter Damian) OR simply a friar (St. Francis of Assisi). 

Hi, anon. That is a very complicated question, but I’m going to do my best to be fairly brief. But be aware that this is the GREATEST MYSTERY OF OUR FAITH. And it’s called a mystery on purpose: because it’s mysterious and we, as humans, can barely comprehend the immensity of God. Anything we can say about Him falls very, very short, but nevertheless I will do what I can.

Above is a commonly used illustration of the Trinity. As the caption says we believe in one God in three coequal and coeternal Persons who have one nature (divine). 

God, though One, is also three. God is, in Himself, a family, a Trinity of Persons. Also, the Father is not 1/3 of God but rather fully God, as are the Son and Holy Spirit.

And, as I’m sure you know, the second Person of the Trinity, the Son, took on our human nature in Jesus Christ without losing His divine nature. In this way, Jesus Christ is one (divine) Person with two natures (human and divine). True God and true man. 

A simple google search uncovered these, and I’m sure you could find more!!

O God of love, source of life,hear our prayers for _____.Her baby died before it ever came to birth.The blessing of your lovewas torn from her body,leaving her empty and devastated.Comfort her now in her sorrow.Restore her hope for a child to come.Give her courage and new delightin the days ahead.In good time, grant her a new lifethat her soul may rejoiceand her body give birth;in Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

from http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Prayer/Prayers-Miscarriage-And-Infertility.aspx

And for the baby,

Dear God, Please hold my unborn child in your ever-loving embrace. Please let my child know that my love can't be erased. Please bless me on this earth and help to ease the pain. Please plant a seed within my baby's heart of sunshine, not of rain. Please help the days get easier and the nights go quickly by. Please hold my hand when I can't do anything- but cry. Please increase my faith so I believe my baby is with You. Please forgive me when my sadness makes me come completely unglued. Please let my baby know that there'll always be a place- within my heart, just for my baby, full of Divine Grace. And, when You call me Home to Your Kingdom up above- Please let me hold the baby- I never held... but, always loved. Amen.

-Ellen DuBoisfrom http://www.shelovesgod.com/library/poem.cfm?articleid=8450

I also looked up if any saints have a particular patronage. Saints Catherine of Siena, Catherine of Sweden, and Eulalia are the patron saints of miscarriage prevention, but I'm sure they'd still love to receive prayers for after a miscarriage. Also, St. Gerard Majella is the patron saint of mothers, and St. Rita is the patroness of infertility. 

There is quite a bit of evidence, but probably the best source (besides the New Testament, if for some reason a person doesn’t count that as a bunch of historical documents, which they are) comes from a first-century Jewish historian known as Josephus. His most famous writings concern the first Jewish-Roman War, early Christianity, Judaism at that time, etc. Wikipedia has some pretty good articles about Josephus and his writings that mention Jesus. He also mentions John the Baptist and James, “the brother of the Lord.” 

Check out those articles, and I’m pretty sure Josephus’ works are available for free online if you want to read them yourself. 

Hope that helps! 

-Kayla

I go to Vanderbilt, and I've been here through the whole controversy.

The problem isn't that we wanted to restrict who could join. We don't, and we never have. The problem is that we want to restrict our leadership to only Catholics. We're a Catholic organization. I think it's perfectly reasonable to require that our leaders be Catholic so as to protect the integrity of our organization. Vanderbilt didn't agree, so we're no longer an official student organization.

Although it is encouraged to go to Confession after any type of sin, being able to receive the Eucharist depends on whether or not the sin was mortal or venial.

If you are in a state of grace (ie: have not committed a mortal sin), then you may receive communion. The Confiteor at the beginning of Mass (like any Act of Contrition) forgives all venial sins, as does receiving the Eucharist Itself. 

If you have committed a mortal sin, then you must not receive Holy Communion until after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. (Receiving the Eucharist while in a state of mortal sin is in itself a mortal sin. It is a grave offence against the Blessed Sacrament.)