Using Holy Scripture, of which the the Holy Ghost has lead the Church in confirming the Canon of the Bible, is where we shall find the answers in why we should believe Jesus is the only way for salvation. Let us then begin…

1. Jesus was Conceived by the Holy Ghost 

Our Lord Jesus’ coming was foretold even from the moment when our first parents fell from grace in the Garden of Eden – Genesis 3:15. And though there have been many born before Christ that were deemed holy and righteous among all mankind, Jesus was conceived not by the will of man but of the Holy Ghost. “[31] Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. [33] And of his kingdom there shall be no end. [34] And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? [35] And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” – Luke 1:31-35

2. Jesus Commanded Miraculous Miracles

 Jesus also separated Himself from all prophets and holy ones of God by way of His divine miracles. 1. Jesus cast out demons ( Luke 11:14, Matthew 8:16, Mark 1:34 & 39, Luke 4:35 & 41, Luke 13:32) , 2. Jesus gave sight to the blind ( John 9:1-41, Mark 10:46-52, Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 8:22-26), 3. Jesus healed leprosy (Mark 1:40-45, Matthew 10:8, Luke 17:11-19, Luke 5:12-16), 4. Jesus brought people back from the dead, (Matthew 10:8, Luke 7:11-17,) 5. Jesus multiplied fish and loaves for hundreds of people ( Matthew 14:13-21, Luke 9:16, Mark 6:41) , 6. Jesus cured the lame and deformed (Matthew 9:1-8, Matthew 11:5) 7. Jesus, in the presence of St. Peter, St. John, and his brother St. James, was transfigured in radiant heavenly light ( Matthew 17:2 ), 8. Jesus Walked  on water ( Matthew 14:22-33 ), 9. Jesus Turned water into wine ( John 2:1-11), 10. Jesus changed the substance thereof but leaving the appearance intact bread and wine into His Body and Blood for consumption in order to have eternal life (Matthew 26:26, Luke 22:19, 1 Cor. 11:24), 11. Jesus resurrected from the dead. (Luke 24, Acts 4:2, Acts 2:31, Romans 1:4) 

3. Jesus IS the Son of God 

As his journey with His Disciples continued throughout the ministry of salvation, Jesus revealed who He truly was and is. He referred to Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no man can come to the Father unless through Him – John 14:6. He also proclaimed that before Abraham was, “I AM”, echoing the words God said to Abraham in his days – John 8:58. And when Christ asked who His Disciples thought He was, it was graces given to St. Peter by God the Father to be able to say, “You are the Christ.”- Matthew 16:16 Even the demons had to be silenced because they knew that He was Lord – Luke 4:34! 

4. Jesus’ Defeated Sin and Death

  As it was in the day of Moses in Egypt when the spirit of death came and God instructed them what they must do to have death Passover them, so Christ therefore died on the Cross redeeming us from eternal death. Jesus’ Passion and Death was that of the Passover lamb, as the lamb was to be sacrificed for the sins of the people, so therefore Jesus was sacrificed for the world. As John the Baptist called Him, “Behold the Lamb of God”. For when Jews heard this, they knew this meant the sacrificial lamb and not just an expression. So by offering Himself willingly as a holy and spotless victim for the reconciling of sin to God the Father, we all now have the opportunity to benefit from His life by proclaiming Christ crucified. 

 5. He Is Risen 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Christ, by His own power and authority, raised Himself from the dead and lives eternally. This is the focus of the Christian faith, for without it happening, there is no Christian faith. This is the supernatural hope that we pray for when meditating on faith, HOPE, and Charity. For we understand hope in Christ not to be of earthly concern, such as “I hope it does not rain, or I hope we have steak for lunch” but rather a certainty in the faithfulness of Christ’s promise to call us by name at the hour of our death to rise with Him forever!  

6. Jesus’ Mystical Body

 We, who are many, are comprised of many parts but of one body. St. Paul reminds us this as we continue to learn more about Christ and His Church. Where there is a part or place for one soul in Christ’s kingdom, there is another for another soul. For each has its place and graces given to fulfill His divine will on earth as it is in Heaven.  [16] And if the ear should say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? [17] If the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? [18] But now God hath set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him. [19] And if they all were one member, where would be the body? [20] But now there are many members indeed, yet one body. – 1 Corinthians 12:16-20  

7. Jesus established the Pillar and Ground of the Truth

 Jesus did also establish firmly His Church by first crowning St. Peter our first Pope. 
 As Christ said to St. Peter, “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. [20] Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.” By saying this, Christ officially granted great authority to the successors of St. Peter in the office of the Papacy. As long as the Pope teaches/defends/spreads the Apostolic faith, he is echoing Christ Himself!   

8. Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity

 The Eucharist – The source and summit of the Christian life! Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, not only gave us the bread from heaven that may give us life but also laid down the foundation that will always ensure we are NEVER without His presence on earth! For after a validly ordained Catholic Priest consecrates the bread and the wine with the words given by Christ, (Transubstantiation) it then, keeping its outward form, changes the very substance of the bread and wine to become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus is ACTUALLY and FULLY present at the Mass and we receiving Him (in a state of Grace, of course!) also receive eternal Life! 

9. The Sacrament of Penance 

 Jesus presence (though not comparable to that of the Eucharist) is also made possible through the Sacrament of Penance (or Reconciliation). This comes from the divine authority Christ gave to His disciples when He breathed on them saying, “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”- John 20:23  By doing this, Jesus gave His priesthood the power to forgive sins to all those that sincerely repent and confess! In other words, the Catholic priest who hears your confession sits as Christ in giving you the mercy that is due to you in your quest for forgiveness!   

10. The Priesthood

 Finally, Christ is never more represented so perfectly than by His priesthood. Like Christ, the priest must sacrifice himself daily to the Church by giving his time in ministering the truth to all. The priest is also called to forgive sins, like Jesus. He is called to cast out demons, like Jesus. He is called to confect the Eucharist in the Mass for our salvation, like Jesus, He is called to forgive sins, like Jesus. He is called to boldly profess the truth in or out of season, like Jesus. For the Catholic Priest, in many ways is to represent Christ but work tirelessly to intercede for the people to Christ for their perfection in Him for the purpose of eternal life. “[1] For every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins: [2] Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity. [3] And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. [4] Neither doth any man take the honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. [5] So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. [6] As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchi sedech” – Hebrews 5:1-6

Jesus Bless you All
Novena Prayer Family