Saint Joseph Studios

06/03/2026

2026: Thursday, June 4 (Traditional) / Sunday, June 7 (US Observation)

06/03/2026

The Catholic Church sometimes uses the term "church" colloquially in reference to a non-Catholic community that traces back to the 16th century or after. However, in Magisterial documents requiring precise definitions, the Church only uses the term "particular church" for those non-Catholic traditions which have preserved valid Holy Orders and apostolic succession of bishops and therefore have preserved a legitimate Eucharist (the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, & Assyrian churches). Christian traditions without a valid ministerial priesthood (Protestant & Evangelical) cannot be regarded as "churches" in the technical sense of being a Eucharistic assembly, but because of valid Baptism, they are indeed "ecclesial communities" or gatherings of the baptized placed in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. They are truly Christian and possess many elements of truth and sanctification derived from the Deposit of Faith in the one Church (cf. CCC 817-819).

Already in the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch (107 A.D.), a disciple of the apostles, one finds this narrow definition of "church":

"See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude of the people also be; even as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." -St. Ignatius of Antioch, disciple of John the Apostle (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Ch. 8 )

View the Church's response to all five questions about the meaning of "church" here: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html

06/03/2026

"For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready" - Rev. 19:7

CCC 1617 "The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is so to speak the nuptial bath which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist. Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant."

06/03/2026

In the Catholic Church, Jesus can be received as Lord & Savior daily and physically in Holy Communion, for the Eucharist is His true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, the Blessed Sacrament deserving of adoration.

06/03/2026

06/03/2026

"The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ...Are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?" - 1 Cor. 10:16,18.

06/02/2026

Jesus is the invisible God made visible (Col. 1:15), and his Catholic Church is his visible body (Col. 1:18). While on earth, He interacted with people and sanctified them through tangible signs (mud on a blind man's eye; fingers in the deaf man's ear, etc.). He forgave face to face and healed face to face. Likewise, He entrusted to the Church sacraments as an extension of His visible ministry, so He would personally encounter souls in every age to give His grace in objective, certain ways (sacraments are not the dead works of men but the living works of Christ the head carried out through His members - Jn. 14:12).

Above all, the Eucharist, validly consecrated by a priest, is Jesus's true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity given as a gift for us to adore and receive in Holy Communion. There is no better way to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior (and the deifying benefits of His Sacrifice and Sonship) than Holy Communion distributed from a Catholic altar.

06/02/2026

St. Justin Martyr's description of the Mass a mere half-century after St. John the Apostle passed away. In CCC 1345 The Mass of All Ages is defined as the basic ritual as found in all rites of the Church (Roman, Byzantine, Maronite, etc.): "As early as the second century we have the witness of St. Justin Martyr for the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration. They have stayed the same until our own day for all the great liturgical families. St. Justin wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161) around the year 155, explaining what Christians did."

06/02/2026

Visit the U.S. Bishops' education resource page for select Church teachings (not exhaustive) on the errors of gender ideology.
https://www.usccb.org/resources/gender-ideology-select-teaching-resources?fbclid=IwY2xjawSMKs1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMeVNPQ05GOUcwV1JuTENyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHi-OUTpVOny88-yGpP8_2ISYsaWVOQpk25ehjXOfjjIUsDVMG29xcMEXPcFw_aem_tXJno_A-O-kHgNfrbMLrFQ

06/02/2026

To hear testimonies from LGBTQ Christians who found a home in the Church, view "here I AM stories" hosted by Kim Zember, a female Catholic with SSA: https://tinyurl.com/mruzrew6