Catholic Teachings & Instructions

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John
Chapter 15
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine grower. 

1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine grower.

2  He takes away every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does He prunes so that it bears more fruit.

3 You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.

4  Remain in Me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.

5  I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without Me you can do nothing.

6  Anyone who does not remain in Me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.

7  If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

8  By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples.

9  As the Father loves Me, so I also love you. Remain in My love.

10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love.

11 "I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

12 This is My commandment: love one another as I love you.

13  No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

14  You are My friends if you do what I command you.

15  I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from My Father.

16  It was not you who chose Me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

17  This I command you: love one another.

18  "If the world hates you, realize that it hated Me first.

19  If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.

20  Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.

21 And they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they do not know the one who sent Me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their sin.

23 Whoever hates Me also hates My Father.

24 If I had not done works among them that no one else ever did, they would not have sin; but as it is, they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.

25 But in order that the word written in their law  might be fulfilled, 'They hated Me without cause.'

26 "When the Advocate comes whom I will send  you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, He will testify to Me.

27 And you also testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

That which I am and the way that I am, with all my gifts of nature and grace, You have given to me, Oh Lord, and You are all this.  I offer it all to You, principally to praise You and t help my fellow Christians and myself.

Doctors of the Church

Besides the writings of the Bible and of the Fathers of the Church, the truths of Divine Tradition may be found chiefly in: (a) writings of the Doctors of the Church; (b) Decrees of Popes and Church councils; and (c) the liturgy of the Church as found in the Missal and rituals.

We call “Doctors of the Church” those ecclesiastical writers, noted for learning and holiness of life, who have by Church authority been proclaimed with that title.

Among the Fathers of the Church, these are honored as Doctors:

1. St. Hilary 368 A.D.

2. St. Athanasius 373 A.D.

3. St. Ephraem 378 A.D.

4. St. Basil the Great 379 A.D.

5. St. Cyril of Jerusalem 386 A.D.

6. St. Gregory Nazianzen 389 A.D.

7. St. Ambrose 397 A.D.

8. St. John Chrysostom 407 A.D.

9. St. Jerome 420 A.D.

10. St. Augustine 430 A.D.

11. St. Cyril of Alexandria 444 A.D.

12 St. Peter Chrysologus 450 A.D.

13. St. Leo the Great 461 A.D.

14. St. Gregory the Great 604 A.D.

Additional Doctors of the Church:

15. St. Isidore of Seville 636 A.D.

16. St. Bede the Venerable 735 A.D.

17. St. John Damascene 749 A.D.

18. St. Peter Damian 1072

19. St. Anselm of Canterbury 1109

20. St. Bernard 1153

21. St. Anthony of Padua 1231

22. St. Thomas Aquinas 1274

23. St. Bonaventure 1274

24. Albert the Great 1280

25. St. Catherine of Siena 1380

26. St. Teresa of Avila 1582

27. St. Peter Canisius 1597

28. St. John of the Cross 1605

29. St. Francis de Sales 1612

30. St. Lawrence of Brindisi 1619

31. St. Robert Bellarmine 1621

32. St. Alphonsus Liguori 1787

33. St. Therese of Lisieux 1897

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Photo of St. Therese of Lisieux