Why Do Catholics Do That?

                                 Why do Catholics gesture during the Confiteor?
Prayers involve the mind, heart, voice, and body.  When our bodies also participate, we tend to pray with greater attention.  For this reason, during the Confiteor, we strike our breasts at the words, "through my own fault."  Striking one's breast is an ancient symbol of repentance and sorrow.  In the Confiteor, we recognize and profess sorrow for our sins by word and deed.  This helps prepare us for a more holy participation in the sacred Eucharistic celebration that itself can affect reparation for sins.


                                Why are there "Doctors of the Church"?
There are thirty-six Doctors of the Church, which include St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. Augustine.  Church Doctors are saints who have special intellectual gifts.  These men and women were found to have had a deep understanding and orthodoxy in their writing and teaching, particularly in a topic or area.  While this does not mean that that the works themselves are infallible, the Church considers the contributions made by these Doctors to be good guides for spiritual life.