Catholic Q&A

Q: What is the sacrament that increases the Body of Christ through the family?

A: The Sacrament of Matrimony (Marriage) has a twofold purpose: the union of the spouses and the procreation of children. Through producing children (and baptizing and educating them in the faith, which is an obligation on Catholics who have children), Catholic families add to the Body of Christ, the Church.

Q: How did Mary die?


A: The question is not how, but if. Since the early Church, there has been extensive speculation on whether or not the Blessed Virgin died. In the Eastern Churches, it has always been believed that the Blessed Virgin underwent Dormition, that she slept instead of dying. The Western Church has debated the matter. The argument against Mary's death is generally that because she was without sin and its effects (she is the Immaculate Conception), she would not die naturally (neither would Christ have died naturally, but He was crucified). The argument that she did die takes this into account and states that, wishing to be like her Son, she chose to die.


In the mid-1900's, following the devastating holocaust and numerous other attacks against human dignity, Ven. Pope Pius XII sought to define dogmatically the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the long-standing belief of the Church that she was taken directly to heaven, body and soul, as a way of reaffirming human dignity due to God's calling all mankind to heaven. Many theologians looked forward to the proclamation, expecting that the debate would finally be settled. Their expectations were disappointed; the proclamation Munificentissimus Deus (#44) stated "that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." The formal definition of the dogma of the Assumption gives no answer to the matter of whether Mary died, but avoids it completely by placing it in terms of the end of her life, rather than the moment of her death, dormition, or any other clear terms.


Q: Is there music in a monastery?


A: Monasteries have long been known for their music, especially chant. In addition to singing chant at Mass, monks traditionally come together to chant the Divine Office (also known as the Liturgy of the Hours) throughout the day, including Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. In the current form: Office of Readings (formerly Matins), Morning Prayer (Lauds), Terce, Sext, or None (only one of these three midday prayers is required, although all are encouraged), Evening Prayer (Vespers), and Night Prayer (Compline). In short, monasteries are often filled with music. 

Q: What are the restrictions on drinking before Mass?


A: Catholics are to abstain from all foods and drinks (except water and medicine) for at least one hour before receiving the Eucharist (Code of Canon Law 919 § 1). § 3 of the same canon of the law states that the elderly, infirm, and their caretakers are exempt from the above.

In other words, you can only have water and medicine within the hour before Communion, unless old age, infirmity, or the need to care for another has somehow kept you from being able to keep the fast. There are also exceptions for priests in certain circumstances.

Q: Why is Rome the center of Catholicism?

A: Rome is the diocese of the pope, the successor of St. Peter, whose task is to "strengthen the brethren," who are the bishops (Luke 22:32). The Magisterium (the authoritative teaching office of the Church) is composed of the bishops in union with the Pope, making the pope the force of unity among the bishops. Finally, the pope is Servus Servorum Dei, the Servant of the Servants of God, meaning that he is in charge of serving the bishops as their leader.

His Servant and Yours,


Micah

Catholic Q&A

Q: Why is the Church considered a sacrament?

A:  The Church is a sacrament (meaning that it is sacramental in nature, not that the Church is one of the seven sacraments) because she has a visible reality which signifies an invisible reality. This fits the human person, which has a visible reality (a body) which signifies an invisible reality (a soul). The Church's sacramental nature stands against some Protestant claims of a merely spiritual church with no visible attributes. It is responsible for the Church's sacramental approach to theology, including soteriology, liturgy, morality, spirituality, etc.

Q: How is a name a symbol of Baptism?

A: At several points in the Scriptures, God renames individuals (Abraham, Peter, Paul) as a sign of their new nature and mission. One of the first tasks of mankind was for Adam to name the creatures. Naming a thing assigns a certain understanding of it and its purpose. When God is involved, the name change is an act of consecration to God's calling. In Baptism, which regenerates an individual and makes him or her the child of God, purifies the soul, and destines him or her for heaven, it is fitting for a name to be given.

Q: What are the vows of Benedictine monks?

A: The vows of Benedictines are stability, conversion, and obedience. Stability means that a monk is tied to his monastery for life (with rare exceptions, such as the need to move on to found a new monastery). Conversion includes poverty and chastity among other things. Obedience is directed toward the abbot or abbess, who lead the community. 

In many other religious orders, such as mendicant communities (Franciscans, Dominicans, etc.), stability is not a part of the vows because these communities are active in the world outside their walls and cannot be bound by these vows. The vow of conversion is therefore split for them into poverty and chastity, leaving them with the three vows familiar to most people: poverty, chastity, and obedience. 

Q: What are the names of Roman Catholic Cardinals in the US?

A: The following are active cardinals in the United States. There are several current dioceses (such as New York) which fit the norms for having cardinals, but do not have cardinals as administrators due to their newly appointed bishops. They are:

His Eminence Francis Cardinal George - Chicago
His Eminence Sean Cardinal O'Malley - Boston
His Eminence Justin Cardinal Rigali - Philadelphia
His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo - Houston
His Eminence Roger Cardinal Mahony - Los Angeles


The following cardinal is from the United States, but is currently at an appointment in the Vatican City:

His Eminence William Cardinal Levada - Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The following cardinals are retired:

His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua - Philadelphia
His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan - New York
His Eminence Edmund Cardinal Szoka - Detroit
His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida - Detroit
His Eminence Bernard Cardinal Law - Boston
His Eminence William Cardinal Keeler - Baltimore
His Eminence James Cardinal Stafford - Denver
His Eminence William Cardinal Baum - Washington, D.C.
His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick - Washington, D.C. 


His Servant and Yours,


Micah

Catholic Q&A

Q: Why was situation ethics rejected by the Church?

A: Situational ethics states that certain other moral norms can be disregarded when agape love requires it. This is a variation on teleological ethics, which states that the ends justify the means. One example given by the founder situational ethics, Joseph Fletcher, was that of a woman who had sexual relations with a guard at a Ukranian POW camp in order to get pregnant and be released to return to her family. The argument was that the loving thing to do was return to her family and this end allowed her to achieve it through whatever means necessary.

The Church rejects this ethic because it is wrong to place the demands of love in opposition to the demands of morality, since love seeks to fulfill perfectly the law of morality. The loving thing to do in the above scenario would be for the wife to remain steadfast in her love for her husband and family and not to succumb to pressure. A love which violates the laws of morality is not a love at all. The objective laws of morality cannot be bent to love nor do they have to be, since love is in accord with them.

For more information, see Pope John Paul II's Veritatis Splendor, #71-83.

Q: Who makes up the Catholic Church's Magisterium?

A: The bishops in union with the Pope make up the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #85.

Q: What was the Virgin Mary's last name?

A: Last names were foreign to Jewish culture of the Blessed Virgin's time. When we examine Jewish figures in the New Testament, they are usually referred to by their other family members, their place of origin, or their trade: Simon, son of Jonah, James, son of Zebedee, Jesus of Nazareth, etc. Women were generally referred to in relation to men: Mary, wife of Cleopas. The Blessed Virgin was most likely known as Mary, Mother of Jesus or Mary, Wife of Joseph.

It is interesting to note that genealogy was of great importance to the Jews, who would memorize their ancestry from an early age. They considered their heritage as strongly related to their personal identity, so it makes sense that they would refer to their ancestors in their own names.

Q: When did Mary pray the Magnificat?

A: Luke 1:46-55 is the text of Mary's Magnificat, which she prayed in response to the greeting and praise of her cousin Elizabeth. The Magnificat is a prayer of humility which points to God's faithfulness instead of her own blessedness. It mirrors the prayer of Hannah, who had a similar story to Elizabeth (cf. 1 Samuel 2:1-10).

His Servant and Yours,


Micah

Catholic Q&A

Q: What is the difference between Calvinists and Catholics?

A: There are several major differences between Calvinism and Catholicism. John Calvin taught the total depravity of mankind, stating that man was evil by nature. The Catholic Church teaches instead that mankind is inherently good, but flawed by original sin, a defect which remains in human nature from the sin of Adam and Eve. Furthermore, Calvinism professes pre-destination, which says that our actions in this life have no effect in eternity because God has already destined some people for heaven and some for hell from the moment of conception. The Catholic Church teaches that without Christ, we would be lost, but those who live their faith out through charity accept the gift of salvation; therefore, our actions do have a tremendous impact on our salvation, even though it is still the gift of God. God chose to make salvation available because, unlike Calvin's view, God wills that all men might be saved. Furthermore, Calvinism disagrees with Catholicism in teaching that Jesus Christ's sacrifice was not meant to atone for all sin, but only for the sins of those God pre-destined for heaven. Calvinism also teaches against Catholicism that any person God wishes to save will be saved and cannot ultimately resist the work of grace.

Q: How did Catholic monks save civilization?

A: The dark ages began with multiple invasions of the Roman Empire (and the Byzantine Empire), which led to the destruction of many aspects of classical civilization, including architecture, art, philosophy, science, mathematics, etc. Monks built monasteries around which new cities were formed, giving structure to a chaotic society. Monks preserved whatever ancient texts and artwork they could, copying manuscripts by hand to produce great libraries where ancient texts were preserved and civilization could be rebuilt not only through the rebuilding of cities associated with monasteries, but through the educational efforts of monks, who were able to provide intellectual learning in the liberal arts as well as practical training in trades. For this reason, St. Benedict of Nursia, founder of western monasticism, is one of the patron saints of Europe.

Q: Why is God's mercy crucial to understanding salvation?

A: Justice is defined as giving one their due or what is owed. Sin violates justice because God is not given the loving obedience He deserves. Strict justice requires that until we pay an infinite price for offending the infinite majesty of God, God must withdraw from us and we must suffer death and the effects of sin. However, through His mercy, the Son of God became man to save us, and offering Himself on the cross, was able to pay the infinite debt owed to God. Because He is God, He is infinite and able to pay an infinite debt; because He is man, He is able to act on man's behalf. Therefore, through God's mercy, salvation is available to God and the demands of justice are still met.

His Servant and Yours,


Micah

Guides Along the Way: The Epistle of St. Ignatius to the Trallians

The town of Tralles (modern-day Aydin, Turkey) was also blessed by an epistle of St. Ignatius. The Epistle of St. Ignatius to the Trallians is a shorter letter, which I will comment on below.

The greeting of St. Ignatius continues his tradition of referring to himself as Theophorus and he relates peace and hope to the Death and Resurrection of Christ.

1. He states again (as he did in his Epistle to the Magnesians) that in the bishop, he has met the whole Church of Tralles. He also sings high praises of the Trallians, noting that they are not only good in action, but inherently. In other words, their choice in favor of Christ and their actions reflecting Him have become so habitual that they are affected on the level of what they are. The ancient ethic agere sequitur esse, that action follows being, is here answered with a complementary statement, that sometimes being is changed according to habitual action. Acting well makes one a good person, which in turn helps them to act even more perfectly well.
2. The people should be subject to the bishop and priests; also, deacons should be beyond reproach. Sin should be avoided as if it were fire. This simile seems fitting, since fire destroys and consumes, just as sin does.
3. The laity should follow and respect the bishop, the priests, and the deacons.
4. St. Ignatius comments on the same temptation that was the motivation for my starting this blog and taking the title Peregrinus. He has not yet been made perfect, he is not yet a saint, and though he is confident in his knowledge (he had much more than I do), he does not want to be told how intelligent he is because he fears the pride that may turn him to sin.
5. The saintly bishop, though aware that he has great knowledge of God and His ways, states that he does not wish to expound on the deeper things to the Tralles, who are too young spiritually to grasp them. This sounds to our ears like a statement of pride (and perhaps his last paragraph was meant to build up to this one, to assure us that he does not mean to be prideful), but it is similar to some things St. Paul said and, as a leader in the Church, it is rightfully St. Ignatius' place to feed the faithful as though they were growing children. He also makes a humble note of pointing out that he is still learning and there are many things he does not understand.
6. St. Ignatius continues the metaphor of feeding the faithful by warning them of the poison of heresy, which some people may try to mix into their food. It is interesting that he notes deadly pleasure; although heresy sometimes seems pleasant to those who favor it, it still leads to destruction.
7. He states that the way to be sure that we are not being fed poison is to follow the bishops, priests, and deacons. Here as in other places we see the forming of the concept of the Magisterium of the Church, which is composed of the bishops, whose teachings are passed through the whole hierarchy of the clergy.
8. He says that faith is the flesh of Christ and love is the blood of Christ. This can be taken as a metaphoric statement on faith and works. Love gives life to faith as blood to the body. The Body of Christ, the Church, shares one common faith which defines them as a group, a body, but this faith is worthless and the body dead if it does not have the blood, the life, of love. Love takes on one of its forms in obedience, and so the love of the Church consists in part of obedience to the bishop.
9. Here we begin to see St. Ignatius' refutation of the heresy he has only alluded to so far in his epistle. One by one, he insists on the reality of the main points of the life of Christ. The Docetist heresy, which was an offshoot of Gnosticism and taught that matter was evil, has been a recurring theme of many heresies. This particular occurance of it taught that Christ's body was not real and therefore that He did not really suffer. St. Ignatius, whom many believe to have been the child Jesus placed in their midst (cf. Matthew 18:1ff), was witness to the reality of much of what Christ went through.
 
10. He mounts the most powerful of defenses, that of the martyr: if "He only seemed to suffer...then why am I in bonds? Why do I long to be exposed to the wild beasts? Do I therefore die in vain? Am I not then guilty of against [the cross of] the Lord?"
11. St. Ignatius calls the Docetism heresy deadly and says that they were not planted by God. The tree God planted is the Cross, and the Docetists deny the cross.
 
12. He gives them final greetings and admonishes them to heed his word, since he does not want his letter to be evidence at the Judgment against anyone that they were warned.
13. He closes with an exhortation to obedience and love.

So far, this seems to me to be the most direct of his letters in confronting heresy. His personal witness to Christ is powerful and would be difficult to refute, while the Docetist heresy stems from Gnosticism, a philosophy pre-dating Christianity which they tried to blend with Christianity, rather than allowing it to be informed by Christianity, which is diametrically opposed to it.

His Servant and Yours,

Micah

Catholic Q&A

Q: Are vocations only part of the Catholic Church?

A: Most theistic religions believe that God calls His creatures to do certain things with their lives, so no, belief in vocations are not only a part of the Catholic Church. Additionally, Catholics believe that God created all people and has a plan (vocation) for each one, regardless of religion.

Q: Can you become Catholic being married multiple times?

A: Going to a local priest and asking him this question would be the best way to get an answer specific to the factors involved in one's individual case. There are many times that marriages can be annulled, meaning that they were not sacramental marriages to begin with (annulment is different from divorce, which says that there was a marriage, but it has ended). However, a person may not become Catholic if they are with a person aside from their lawful (in church law, not civil law) spouse.

These issues are usually worked out and resolved in the process of becoming Catholic.

Q: What color is a Catholic bishop's hat?

A: A bishop's skullcap, also called a zucchetto or pileolus, is violet. The double-pointed hat worn in procession, called the mitre, can be many different colors, but is usually a plain white linen with simple decorations.

Q: What is the title bestowed upon a Catholic Church because of its age or importance?

A: The term basilica (there are two degrees, minor and major), deriving from the Greek word for a castle, is granted as an honorary title on certain churches which have shown prominence within the Church, particularly as pilgrimage sites. A basilica bears certain markings, such as a pavillion (a fancy umbrella used for shade) and a bell, both of which would be used in procession, were the pope to enter the basilica.

His Servant and Yours,


Micah

Catholic Q&A

Q: What is the name of the Third Sunday in Lent?

A: The Third Sunday of Lent is not a special feast and would simply be called in Latin "Dominica III Quadragesimae."

Q: What is the meaning of the crescent moon in depictions of the Immaculate Conception?

A: The image of the moon is a reference to Rev 12:1, in which St. John records his vision of a woman standing on the moon and clothed with the sun. This is a popular image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and also appears in the tilma of St. Juan Diego (otherwise known as the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe).

Q: What is the name of the story where Mary and Elizabeth meet?

A: Luke 1:39-56 is known as the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Q: What are extreme Catholics called?

A: Saints.

Q: Who was a Doctor of the Church?

A: There have been 33 Doctors of the Church, a title designating their learning and scholarly work done for the Gospel. In chronological order (by birth year), they are: St. Athanasius, St. Ephraem, St. Hilary of Potiers, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nazianzen, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. John Crysostom, St. Augustine, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Leo the Great, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Gregory the Great, St. Isidore of Seville, St. Bede the Venerable, St. John Damascene, St. Peter Damian, St. Anselm of Canterbury, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Albert the Great, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Peter Canisius, St. John of the Cross, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Lawrence of Brindisi, St. Francis de Sales, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Therese of Lisieux.

His Servant and Yours,


Micah

"Mary, Did You Know?"

So there was recently a debate on Phatmass.com that caught my interest.  The question is whether the lyrics of the song "Mary, Did You Know?" are orthodox.  This same question occurred to me a few years ago while evaluating a peer who was using the song for a catechetical presentation at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

The lyrics in question are: "this Child that you delivered will soon deliver you."  As Catholics, we believe in the Immaculate Conception, that Mary was conceived without the stain or original sin, that she was preserved from it from her first moment.  This dogma has a very interesting history of development behind it, but aside from that, it seems that to say Jesus will soon deliver the woman who has delivered him is theologically faulty.

As I sat down to ponder the matter, I determined that as much as I detest the song (it's sappy and sentimental, although the tune is nice), I had to support the orthodoxy of the lyrics.  We cannot judge the meaning or intent of the artist, but we can judge the lyrics, so let's try it out. 

Q: Is it heresy to say that at the moment of the Nativity, Mary needed to be delivered?

A: Yes, that would be heresy.  Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin and never personally sinned.  However, that is not what the lyrics are saying.  Rather, the lyrics say that Mary's deliverance will take place in the future.

Q: Isn't it heresy (not to mention illogical) to say that Mary, who was already preserved or pre-emptively delivered from sin, would be delivered from it in the future?

A: This is where there is no heresy, at least not in the precise language that has been presented.  Salvation has two aspects: the objective redemption, which is the sacrificial offering of Christ atoning for the sins of all mankind, and subjective salvation, which is the infusion of the merit and grace from that sacrifice into the souls of the faithful.  Objective redemption takes place at a precise moment in history, the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  For all but one of the faithful, subjective salvation takes place after that moment, in the midst of their lives, as a process which is completed only at death or in purgatory.  For Mary, however, this process took place at her conception, not to wash her of sin, but to keep her from sin.  Although she had already been saved by the time she gave birth to Christ, the objective aspect of all salvation had not yet taken place.  As a part of the deliverance from the slavery to sin, it would be accurate to say that Christ's act of deliverance had not yet taken place, in which case, it would also be accurate to say that the deliverance that would lead (not chronologically, but in the order of cause and effect) to Mary's salvation, would soon happen (if you can consider a 33 year wait to be "soon").

Let the debate begin.

His Servant and Yours,

Micah

Guides Along the Way: The Epistle of St. Ignatius to the Magnesians

When last we left St. Ignatius, he was writing to the Ephesians about their need to be in union with the bishop, among other things, while he was on his way to be martyred in Rome. Now he writes his Epistle to the Magnesians, whose name reminds me of a liquid, over-the-counter acid reducer, but with that aside, the letter is short and sweet, so let's get to it.

Ignatius once again calls himself by that name Theophorus. Let us keep in mind that this means "God-bearer." It is particularly fitting since he is bearing God to the Magnesians and, on his journey to martyrdom, to the Romans. He greets the Magnesians in the typical laudatory manner.

1. He has heard of the Magnesians' well-ordered love of God, meaning that they put Him first, and desires to be in communion with them. How often do we put ourselves among those who are less than admirable in virtue and risk being spiritually harmed by our friendships?
2. He mentions that he writes to the Magnesians through their bishop and in response to meeting him along with a contingent of the clergy of Magnesia. This implies that St. Ignatius considered the Magnesians to be well-represented by their bishop, such that in some way he was in communion with them all through the bishop (seemingly in a different way than the spiritual communion all Christians share).
3. St. Ignatius identifies reverence for the bishop as reverence for God. Those who disrespect the bishop disrespect God the Father.
4. Christians must act in accord with their bishops, not against them.
5. Here he uses an analogy which has also been applied to the answer of Christ concerning taxes (cf Matt. 22:15-22). God's image is stamped on us and we belong to Him. Death and life are set before us (a theme also found heavily in the Didache) and we must choose.
6. Here the saint makes explicit what he had implied in chapter 2, stating that he has, "in the persons before mentioned, beheld the whole multitude of you in faith and love." The bishop goes on to urge them to remain in harmony, indicating a clear structure of hierarchy. He also mentions that the bishop stands in the place of God, as well as giving contextual support for the divinity of Christ.
7. Only in the unity of the laity with the hierarchical clergy, will harmony reign.
8. St. Ignatius condemns false doctrine and teachers, including Judaizers.
9. Here St. Ignatius implicitly indicates that the early Christian community has stopped worshiping on the Jewish sabbath in favor of the Lord's Day.
10. Judaism embraces Christianity, not the other way, and so it is foolish for a Christian to revert to the Mosaic Law.
11. Here he states that he is not chastizing but warning them, indicating that there have not been many problems yet.
12. Ignatius shows deference to the Magnesians.
13. He reminds them to remain in unity, as Jesus Christ is in unity with the Father.
14. He asks for the prayers of the Magnesians, since he has much ahead of him.
15. St. Ignatius sends greetings from the Ephesians and wishes them farewell in Christ.

His Servant and Yours,

Micah

Catholic Q&A

Q: What day does Lent begin in 2010?

A: Lent beings on Ash Wednesday, which in 2010 falls on February 17th.

Q: Why did Mary and Joseph need to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem?

A: Luke 2:1-7 tells the story of the Birth of Christ in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was known as the City of David because it was the hometown of King David, Joseph's ancestor. Because Caesar Augustus had demanded a census, all men had to take their families to register in their ancestral cities (this was simply how they organized the information). While they were registering in the census at Bethlehem, Jesus was born in the city of his ancestor David, whose reign as king Jesus would fulfill.

Q: What did Tudors believe when you die...the three stages of heaven, hell, and...?

A: Heaven, hell, and purgatory are not stages, but states of being in the afterlife. Heaven is the place of eternal beatitude, blessedness, holiness, and happines. Purgatory is often referred to as the antechamber of heaven, a place of final purification before entering heaven. Those who go to purgatory immediately after death are destined for heaven, but they are not equipped for heaven, since they are still suffering from an attachment to sin. A popular analogy would be this: if you spend your life in a very dark world and are suddenly taken into overwhelming light, you would go blind. It is too much for your eyes. Rev 21:27 states that nothing unclean shall enter heaven. Rather than exclude from heaven those who are in the state of grace but are still attached to sin, God's mercy places you in a dark room where He slowly turns up the light. Purgatory is a place of cleansing from sin and its effects where a person may be healed and made capable of life in heaven. It does involve suffering, in the same way that being exposed to light after darkness might hurt, but it is a hopeful suffering, because it comes with the knowledge that healing is going on and that heaven lies ahead.

Hell is an entirely different state of being and cannot be confused with purgatory. Hell is a state of being experienced by those souls who have rejected God's grace through unrepentant mortal sin. It is the absence of God and His goodness.

Q: Who speaks the words "Hail Mary" to pregnant Mary?

A: In the original Greek of Luke 1:28, the angel greets Mary saying, "χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη (kI-reh kek-kar-it-ah-men-ay)" which Catholic translate as "hail, full of grace." Although the name of Mary is not explicitly used, the verse is very clear that he is speaking to her. κεχαριτωμένη implies a completeness of the process of being given grace, that is, Mary has been given grace to the fullest degree.

Q: Is a Catholic not supposed to prepare in prayer before Mass?

A: The teachings of all the saints who have addressed this topic, while not officially a doctrinal teaching of the Church, should be considered with a level of certainty, and what the saints have said unanimously is that preparation in prayer before Mass is vitally important to the experience at Mass, as is praying in thanksgiving after Mass. The language of the Church states quidquid recipitur recipitur secundum modum recipientis - whatever is received is received according to the mode of the recipient. In other words, the Mass is able to help us to the degree that we have a proper disposition to receive grace. Many who complain of experiencing nothing at Mass would change their experiences completely by putting an effort into prayerfully placing themselves in a proper state of mind and heart before Mass.

His Servant and Yours,


Micah

The Twelve Days of Christmas Carols: We Three Kings of Orient Are

I with to share with you on the Feast of the Epiphany (normally January 6th, but celebrated today in the United States) the carol We Three Kings of Orient Are.

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

The three kings (who are nowhere called kings in Scripture) are the Magi. Tradition from the Early Church suggests that the Magi may have been priests of Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic religion of ancient Persia (modern day Iran). As such, they would likely have sought out truth as noble pagans. The article on the Magi in the Catholic Encyclopedia is worth reading. They followed the star westward toward Jerusalem, where they were directed by Herod's scholars to Bethlehem. The carol tracks the thoughts and speech of the three Magi on their way to see the King of Kings.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

God's plan for Israel had been to make them a beacon of light to the nations, to the Gentiles, who grasp at shadows of God in the darkness. King David sought to do this and Solomon drew the wisdom-seekers of the nations to Jerusalem in what could have become a fulfillment of God's plan, but he was corrupted by the pagan ways of these nations in an act which led to the downfall of all Israel. From that time and the exile which followed, the descendants of Israel sought out the true King of Israel and looked forward to His coming among them. The Magi wished together with the Jews to see the true heir of David seated upon his throne. The kingship of Christ is signified in this verse.

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

The hypostatic union, that mystery by which God becomes (and remains) man, was foretold by the Prophets who saw it as through a glass dimly. Frankincense, a type of incense meant for God, represents the divinity of Christ. God wished from ancient times to be the King of Israel, and so this new King is also God. Jesus Christ is God, the Son of God.

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Myrrh is a spiced oil of anointing for death, and so here the Magi bring myrrh to anoint the Body of Christ, the perfect offering sacrificed to God the Father. We see also that myrrh can be a sign of the Beloved of Israel and of the Church (cf. Song of Songs 1:13), and so it also signifies the goal of Christ's death, to reconcile the family of man with the Family of God, and bring them together in His marriage to the Spotless Bride, the Church.

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Here the final verse sums up for us the purpose of the others, to signify "King and God and Sacrifice," and to sing out the praises of the newborn Christ child.

A very blessed Epiphany to you all!

His Servant and Yours,

Micah

Rest from the Journey: Epiphany

Readings for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

The Epiphany is a feast of grand proportions.  It centers on the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the whole world, with a special emphasis on the meeting of God and the Gentiles.  This meeting had been a long time coming - the promise to Abraham that his offspring would be a blessing to all the world, the travels of foreign leaders and dignitaries to meet Solomon and learn the wisdom of the God of Israel, the design of the temple and the Court of the Gentiles (from which Jesus would later drive the money-changers who were getting in the way of Gentile worship of the one, true God), the Diaspora, by which God's Word was spread through the Israelites dispersed into the foreign lands near and far.  This moment in history was the culmination of a series of events that only God could have guided.  The Magi from the East represent the hopes of every man, woman, and child.

The First Reading calls for Jerusalem to rise up, to awaken to the reality of God's presence among them.  It is foretold that the nations of the Gentiles will walk by their light, that Israel will lead all in the way of life and worship of God.  They shall receive the wealth of the nations and all peoples shall come to give God everything they have.  Then we hear of it, the people from the East shall come.  They shall come in droves.  They shall come bearing gifts of gold and frankincense, gifts for one who is both King and God.  In other places (cf. Song of Songs 4:6), frankincense, together with myrrh, represents an offering of the Bride (Israel) for the Groom (God), as the Church for Christ.

The Responsorial Psalm calls to mind that all nations are to adore God.  The King's son refers to Solomon, but spiritually refers to Christ, the descendant of David, who not only has the wisdom of Solomon, but is the Wisdom from on High.  He shall rule with justice and peace, He shall save the poor.  Him shall all nations worship.  The moment of the conversion of the Gentiles focuses on the Person of Jesus Christ.

The Second Reading focuses on the message that the Gentiles are coheirs in the Gospel.  They have been called and are now members of Christ, the one who fulfills the Law of the Old Covenant that made distinctions.

The Gospel shows the fulfillment of the previous readings.  Here is the moment of which I have spoken: that moment when the Magi, foreigners, appeared to worship God.  They were led by a star, they were led by their own belief in astrology.  God uses the religions of the Gentiles to prepare them for the Gospel.  Knowing these astrologers sought the Truth, God placed in the heavens a sign that would call out to them, that would lead them to seek His face, which He know made manifest in the face of a Jesus Christ.  Yet King Herod, a steward who should be holding the throne for the true Heir, is attached to his position.  His heart is closed to the Gospel.  He does not wish to hear the message of the Magi, except to ascertain where his Divine Enemy is.  He knows from his scholars that the Child is the Messiah, and on that account he believes the Scriptures, but he approaches them superstitiously, believing them to be mere prophecies by man about human affairs, and does not stop to consider that God would protect His Messiah until He can accomplish His mission.  In his superstition, he imitates a true believer, sending the Magi unwittingly to do his dirty work, but as could have been predicted, God saved His Messiah, Jesus Christ.  The Magi, however, noble pagans on an honest quest, prostrate before their God in humility, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  They know, from whatever reasoning they used, whatever private revelation might have been made to them, that this Child, the King of Israel, is God and the High Priest of God and the Sacrifice of the High Priest.  How glorious an epiphany that must have been: to see so great a sight in so lowly a face.

His Servant and Yours,

Micah

The Twelve Days of Christmas Carols: Away in a Manger

Today I share with you my thoughts on a rather simple Christmas carol. Away in a Manger is a carol written with the faith of a child. Children are important. They are the future...and they are the present. It is a child we celebrate at Christmas and it is children Jesus tells us we must emulate. The simplicity of children gives us a model of holiness: accepting faith, longing hope, and generous charity. Despite the lack of theological depth, we see an immensity of spiritual depth.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

We find in the first stanza a description of the lowly state of Jesus' first bed, where the Lord of the Universe and Creator of all lays sleeping under the luminaries He placed to guard the night sky. The humility of God expressed in the language of youth.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

The second stanza sees the Christ-child awake at the sounds of His creatures. He is held up as a model of peacefulness for children, who profess their love for Him now and ask Him to stay by them as they sleep, perhaps so that they may sleep as well as He had those many years ago.

Be near me Lord Jesus,
I ask thee to stay.
Close by me forever,
And love me I pray.

Jesus Christ, to whom children draw near on Christmas, when they recognize God in their midst, not just having become man, but having become a little boy. My son is 14 months old and continually walks over to our 1 month old daughter. That there is another child like him strikes his fancy and he can't help but be overcome with the joy and generous spirit of this solidarity (sometimes trying to give her one of daddy's shoes). How we ought to approach God with gratitude for his becoming one with us and with a sense of amazement, awe, and wonder. It is only natural to desire to be near to Him who chooses through His great love to draw near to us.

Bless all the dear children,
In thy tender care.
And take them to heaven,
To be with thee there.

Ultimately, our drawing close to Jesus cannot be only in this world. There is something offensive to us at the thought of God's coming to us only for a brief time. We say to Christ, "stay with us" (Luke 24:29). Yet to ask Him to stay with us in this flawed world would fall short and so we pray with the children, "take us to heaven, that we may stay with you there."

His Servant and Yours,

Micah

The Twelve Days of Christmas Carols: Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Today we return to a more exultant carol, telling the tale of the announcement of the angels concerning the birth of the Christ child. The mountains, representing all creation, return the song, "Glory to God in the highest!" In the moment the Son of God has descended to take on the flesh of man, He demonstrates His greatness and manifests His glory, now in a mode all men may witness.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

The first of men to sing the gloria are the shepherds, repeating the song of the angels in their joy, and, so the song tells us, their joy pushes them to continue their song to great lengths. The song they sing is that of heaven, and their proclaiming the glory of God in song is a sign of their humble openness to God's grace and willingness to see this glorious miracle of seemingly unmiraculous proportions. The Mystery of the Incarnation is that God does not show His glory in a flash of light and a burst of power, although He does manifest Himself in these ways through the angels, but they point as a sign to something less magnificent on the surface. When except here does a sign point to something less glorious? What is more valuable to a hungry man, the menu or the meal? A menu, which is hardly of any magnificence, even in a fancy eatery, points to the thing of real value, telling of all the delectables which may be purchased. Only in this moment of the Gospel does something so magnificent, so awe-inspiring point to something which seems so simplistic and lack-luster.

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

The King of Israel, the King of God's people, has been born in the city of David, our Eucharistic Lord born in Bethlehem, the House of Bread. Only a bended knee and the song of the angels is an adequate expression. Witness to the great humility of God, only a song of glory can be sung.

See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Christ Jesus has entrusted Himself to Mary and Joseph, and so shall we. They will help us this Christmas Season and beyond to praise the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

His Servant and Yours,

Micah

Rest from the Journey: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

The Readings for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is a Holy Day of Obligation

The First Reading today speaks of the way the priests of Israel were to bless the people.  The line that catches my attention is "The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!"  Until the Incarnation and Nativity of our Lord, these words were metaphor expressing the hope that God's love and graciousness be shown to mankind.  How fitting it is that these words be fulfilled in the ultimate sign of God's graciousness, the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  In ancient times, a theophany of God, such as His appearance in the burning bush or upon Mt. Sinai, would have been the most incredible thing anyone could have seen; awe-inspiring and ineffable, these appearances led many to faith in the God of Israel.

Yet in our Gospel Reading, we hear that the shepherds went forth following the theophany of angels, a whole multitude, more than the Scriptures tell us has ever before been seen, to seek out an Infant lying in a manger.  The power of the theophany, God appearing indirectly through His creation in miraculous ways, has been replaced by God's appearing directly.  At Christmas, the Lord has let His face shine upon us!  We no longer have need of searching Him out; He has come to us and the message of the angels has passed through the shepherds to us today, so that the glorious announcement of that day reaches our ears with joy this Christmas Season.

Revealing Himself is not enough for God's generosity.  No, rather He reveals Himself be becoming visible to our eyes in our own flesh, and makes us His sons and daughters, as the Second Reading tells us.  Through His grace, we have the blessing of receiving His inheritance and through Him, we become theophanies ourselves.  Let us go out into all the world and spread the Good News!  Let us shine as beacons of faith, hope, and charity to all peoples!  Let us take our role as the children of God!  We have set before us a noble task.  Let us not disappoint.


His Servant and Yours,

Micah

A New Year's Resolution: Instaurare Omnia in Christo

A friend of mine recently introduced me to a custom of some religious communities, whereby all the members draw the names of saints from a hat each New Year's Day. The idea is that by randomizing the process, there is some room for the saint to pick the brother or sister, rather than the other way around. We thought this was a nice custom and she agreed to pick a bunch of saint names. I volunteered and was given St. Pius X, Pope. Without further delay, a little introduction...

Giuseppe Sarto, who would become Pope Pius X, was born near Venice, Italy on June 2, 1835 and died August 20, 1914. His father was a cobbler by trade as well as the town postmaster. This meant a poor upbringing for Sarto, who was only able to attend school due to the generous scholarships of the local parish priest. Upon his ordination, he was placed as a chaplain under a pastor who admired him greatly and foretold that he would one day be a bishop. When Sarto did become bishop, he faced difficulty opposing the secularists of Italy (the Italian reunification movement was growing in opposition to the authority of the Church) and had his work cut out for him in the form of great need of reform among the clergy of his diocese. He was nevertheless a successful bishops, not only helping the clergy, but also leading catechesis directly in order to bring out faithful devotion among the laity. He was appointed Patriarch and Cardinal of Venice, where he did more work of the same kind, reforming the Church. When Pope Leo XIII died in 1903, Cardinal Sarto was elected and took the name Pius X. His chosen motto, Instaurare Omnia in Christo - Restore All Things in Christ - defined his papacy. He reformed seminaries and priestly formation, led to increased piety among the laity, and lowered the age of First Holy Communion to the age of reason, considered by Catholic philosophers to be around seven years of age. Among the great battles of his papacy was his fight against the Modernist Heresy, which crept into the Church through theologians who tried to adapt the Church to the modern world.

I look forward to learning, along with you, my readers, much more about St. Pius X over the course of this year! Expect much more to come.

His Servant and Yours,

Micah