Jun 30 Mon - Do I need God’s help to do anything profitable?

 

Jun 30 Mon
Do I need God’s help to do anything profitable?
The intimate life of God consists in that the Father begets the Son (the eternal generation of the Word), and from the Father and the Son proceeds the Holy Spirit.

God is not someone locked up in his own solitude, but constitutes a family; for He shares within Himself the relations of paternity, filiation, and love, which are of the essence of a family. This love in the divine family is the Holy Spirit.

Here we notice three key notions: paternity, filiation, and love. In a human family, paternity is proper to the parents. In them, paternity is a relation to their children. This relation qualifies or adds a new dimension to the person they are.

Filiation is proper for the children. 

The love or affection that unites the members of the family to one another is found in all the members.

God calls humanity to share in the life of the Blessed Trinity. Through his divine action on a creature in the state of grace, God communicates with the person as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit. Thus, our salvation is a grace from God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we share in the Passion of Christ, dying to sin. Through the same power, we share in Christ’s Resurrection and are born to a new life: the life of grace. We become members of Christ’s body, the Church, and living branches united to the vine, which is Christ.

God’s grace is indispensable to carry out every meritorious supernatural action. It requires man’s cooperation, but, at the same time, always precedes it. 

Pelagianism and the teachings of St. Augustine represent opposing views regarding this process. Pelagianism emphasizes the power of free will and minimizes the necessity of God's grace, while St. Augustine stresses the importance of grace due to the effects of original sin.

Pelagianism theorizes that humans can lead morally good lives and achieve salvation through their natural powers, without the need for God's grace. Grace, in this view, primarily facilitates salvation but is not essential.

Pelagius denied the doctrine of original sin, asserting that Adam's sin only affected him but did not wound human nature in his descendants.

Pelagianism highly esteems free will, suggesting that humans have the innate capacity to choose good and follow God's law without divine assistance. They can ultimately achieve holiness and impeccability through their own efforts.

In opposition to this heresy, the Catholic view is that of St. Augustine. He taught that we possess a weakened will and a tendency toward sin. Thus, we need a Savior because of original sin.

Augustine emphasized the absolute necessity of God's grace for salvation. He argued that we, due to our fallen nature, cannot perform profitable acts or resist temptation without grace. Grace is not just helpful, but fundamentally necessary.

Augustine strongly affirmed the doctrine of original sin, which is transmitted to all through Adam. This sin corrupts our nature, affecting both the mind (ignorance) and the flesh (concupiscence).

Augustine acknowledged our free will but maintained that it was weakened by original sin. While we have free will, it is insufficient to achieve holiness without the assistance of grace.

Semipelagianism, also an error, emerged as a compromise between Pelagianism and Augustinianism. It suggested that the "beginning of faith," the initial move, can be done with just our natural power of free will, while the increase in faith requires grace.
Pic: The Good Samaritan by Van Gogh 

Jun 29 Sun - Should I always side with the Church?

 

Jun 29 Sun
Should I always side with the Church?
Today, we should fix our gaze upon the Church, founded by God on earth as a beautiful spiritual edifice in which all Christians are living stones. Peter the Apostle was a mortal man, like all others. However, his office as supreme Pastor, instituted by Christ, must endure eternally, by the Lord's command.

With the affection of faithful children, we renew before God our humble allegiance to the Roman Pontiff. He is the foundation stone of the Church, which continues the task of formation and teaching that Jesus entrusted to the first Twelve throughout the centuries, until the end of time.

The Church is the whole of the People of God, the ensemble of all Christians. Clergy and laity are gathered together in a unity of sentiments, desires, and objectives. “For that reason, wherever a Christian is trying to live in Jesus Christ's name, the whole Church is present."

Since the members of the Mystical Body are so varied and diverse in their functions, God has chosen an authority who would watch over his sheep as a good shepherd. And so, the Church has a hierarchical structure with a juridical order and a unity of norms. Some norms are of divine origin, and others are ecclesiastical. They are the safeguard of the integrity and unity of her spirit. They have their foundation in the love with which the Church, as a good Mother, protects the earthly pilgrimage of her children. These norms can never be considered as a superstructure that suffocates Christian life. Rather, they are like orderly channels for the desires of sanctity that the Holy Spirit awakens in souls.

It is an old error to oppose the charismatic Church against the hierarchical Church. There is only one Church, and in her, the law forms part of the means for sanctity. St. Josemaría wrote: “The law, my children, is something very holy within the life of the Church. It is not an empty formula, nor a weapon to keep a tight hold on consciences, but rather a reasonable and supernatural order according to justice. It's not just an instrument of command, but rather a light at the service of the whole Church, to illuminate for everyone the path of fulfillment of the great commandment of Love."

Today, a resolution of fidelity bursts from our souls. And, using the words of St. Josemaría, we ask the Holy Spirit “to give our Holy Father, the sweet Christ on earth, the Vicar of Christ, great fortitude - at once maternal and paternal - to defend the laws of the Church, which are so little known and appreciated in these times."

We place our humble and filial readiness to always side with the Church at the feet of the Virgin, Mater Ecclesiae. At the same time, we ask her to teach us to obey and love the Church more each day.
Pic: Mosaic of Mary, Mother of the Church, in the Vatican walls. 

Jun 28 Sat - What do I do when boredom creeps in?

 

Jun 28 Sat
What do I do when boredom creeps in?
It’s not difficult to find couples who, after a period of marriage, tell you that theirs is boring. It’s like sharing an apartment, without any motivation or expectation of change for the better.

Indeed, that’s true. Routine, boredom, is a listlessness that creeps into the heart little by little. Total dedication to God becomes boring, and, in matrimony, one loses the hopes that led one to share life with that person.

This doesn’t only occur in human love; it also happens at work, where the phenomenon of burnout is evident, and in spiritual life, where it is referred to as lukewarmness or tepidity.

It occurs in all those loves that can be lost if we don’t nurture them. These loves, as we know, are, in essence, exclusive love of God, love of one’s partner, and love of work.

Love for God, dedicated and exclusive, is replaced by some other, less demanding belief, that relieves the human person’s need to love and believe. These can be fortune-tellers, horoscope readers, or even worse.

In matrimony, love for one’s partner is replaced by another person, and thus one tries to rebuild one’s life. Which is self-deception.

In marriage, as in total and exclusive commitment to God, life must be rebuilt every day with the person one is with.

And love for work is often replaced by meeting minimum standards and thus avoiding the possibility of being sanctioned or expelled from the company where one works.

Avoiding this situation, or correcting it if it has already occurred, means beginning to love again, starting with small acts of love, thinking of others, being gentler, and doing small, pleasant things. All of this will help the relationship gain some strength, especially if done over time, with patience, without rushing, but also without pausing.

It’s a crisis, but this word shouldn’t scare us. It means that God is asking for more, and that we’ve reached a point where our love must be deeper than it was. What we had must be revived. We have to delve deeper into love. If it’s not caught in time, we can reach the boredom we’ve been talking about. But we have to know that boredom is not wanting, not loving. When you make an effort to love, you’re already loving. Even if you don’t realize it.

We must try to remedy it when we suspect we’re in this situation. Getting out isn’t easy, but if one, or better yet, both, tries, it’s possible. It’s a matter of wanting and putting in the necessary resources.

The trap is that in this situation, even though it may seem unbelievable, the person finds a certain comfort. He develops a feeling of being a victim, which ultimately brings a certain reward, given the admiration or pity he perceives from others, and that reward is enough to keep moving forward without doing anything to improve.

My experience over many years is that, sooner or later, those who believe themselves victims fail, and cause others to fail.

Let’s not forget that when you want to love, you’re already loving. Wanting to love is already loving.

Jun 27 Fri - What if we conducted an ultrasound test on Jesus' Heart?

 

Jun 27 Fri
What if we conducted an ultrasound test on Jesus' Heart? 

The Beatitudes would be the result of Jesus’ heart ultrasound, providing insight into what lies within. To truly follow Jesus, we must reproduce His sentiments and basic attitudes in our hearts. The Beatitudes are, also, the response to humanity's natural longing for happiness, a desire that God has placed in every human heart to draw us closer to the One who can truly fulfill it. 

Once we recognize that beatitude (i.e., heaven, everlasting happiness) is the ultimate goal of humanity, the next question arises: "What are the means to achieve it?" or "How do I fit into this picture?" Specifically, we must consider which human goods to pursue and which actions to perform to reach this end. 

The answer lies in living out all the moral implications of the Christian faith, explicitly and consciously (with the help of God's grace), to please God and achieve integral fulfillment in Christ and thereby attain goodness. Therefore, true happiness for humanity lies in self-fulfillment and the attainment of the purpose for which we are created. Our happiness is directly connected to our sense of responsibility in fulfilling God's Will and achieving goodness. 

The Beatitudes are precisely the "modes of Christian response" and are accompanied by their corresponding virtues. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This calls for us to expect and accept all good things, including the fruits of our labor, as gifts from God. The virtue associated with this is humility, which enables us to cooperate with God.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Accept God's will; be a team player on God's team. Accept your limited role in the body of Christ and fulfill it. The related virtue is meekness, to accept and embrace one's mission in life or vocation. 

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Put aside or avoid whatever is not necessary or useful in fulfilling your vocation. The related virtue is detachment. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Endure fearlessly whatever is necessary or useful in the fulfillment of your vocation. The related virtues are endurance in the struggle, faithfulness, and courage. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Do not judge persons according to your feelings. The related virtues are fairness and forgiveness. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Strive to conform your whole self to a living faith, and recognize and purge anything that does not meet this standard. The related virtue is purity of heart. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Respond to evil with good, not with resistance, much less with destructive action. The related virtue is that of the rebuilders of damaged relationships. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Do no evil that good might come of it, but suffer evil together with Jesus in cooperation with God's redeeming love. The related virtue is doing good even though it may produce hatred.

Jun 26 Thu - To be holy, should I perform deeds of love every day?

 

Jun 26 Thu
To be holy, should I perform deeds of love every day?
St. Josemaría: “Does your soul not burn with the desire to make your Father God happy when He has to judge you?" We yearn for it so much that we want to use the days our Lord gives us for pleasing God alone.

However, we cannot rest content with good intentions. Jesus rewards us for love shown in deeds, not for ineffectual good intentions. We must correspond to God’s Love by performing very specific deeds, small ones perhaps, but deeds done out of love. 

Every day, we must strive to perform deeds of love, because every day we can and should come closer to our Lord. “Since our first conscious decision really to follow the teaching of Christ, we have no doubt made good progress along the way of faithfulness to his word. And yet, isn't it true that there is still much to be done? Isn't it true, particularly, that there is still so much pride in us? We need, most probably, to change again, to be more loyal and humble, so that we become less selfish and let Christ grow in us, for he must become more and more, I must become less and less."

“We cannot stay still. We must keep going ahead toward the goal St Paul marks out: ‘It is not I who live, it is Christ that lives in me.’ This is a high and very noble ambition, this identification with Christ, this holiness. But there is no other way if we are to be consistent with the divine life God has sown in our souls in baptism. To advance, we must progress in holiness. Shying away from holiness implies refusing our Christian life its natural growth. The fire of God's love needs to be fed. It must grow each day, gathering strength in our soul, and a fire is maintained by burning more things. If we don't feed it, it may die."

Remember what St Augustine said: “If you say ‘enough’, you are lost. Go further, keep going. Don't stay in the same place, don't go back, don't go off the road."

Our struggle to be worthy of the Lord's blessing must not be vague and indeterminate. We have to examine our conscience daily to increase the love of God in our deeds.

“We all need to be aware of our lack of objectivity whenever we judge our own conduct. You too." In our examination of conscience, we discover faults and omissions in fulfilling our commitment of love. We see that we are still not humble enough, that our heart is attached to created things, that our apostolic zeal is still imperfect. Why is this so? What is the reason for so much carelessness?

“We cannot regard this time as just another day which has simply happened to come around again. Every day is a unique time: a divine aid which we should accept. Jesus is passing by and He hopes that we will take a great step forward - today, now."
Pic: St. Josemaria during the first years of Opus Dei. 

Jun 25 Wed - Should I fear God?

 

Jun 25 Wed
Should I fear God?
What is the meaning of "the fear of the Lord"? The Scripture says: “If you cry out for wisdom and raise your voice for understanding, if you look for it as for silver, and search for it as for a treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord." 
Thus, we must look for wisdom to learn and acquire the fear of the Lord. 

“Fear” is not to be taken in the sense that common usage gives it. We are afraid because of a guilty conscience, or an attack from one who is stronger, sickness, or encountering a wild beast. This kind of fear is not taught: it happens because we are weak. We do not have to learn what we should fear: these objects of fear bring their own terror with them.

However, the real fear of the Lord must be learned, because it can be taught. It has to be acquired by obedience to the commandments, by holiness of life, and by knowledge of the truth.

The fear of God consists wholly in love of God, who wants us to obey his commandments. Man realizes the enormous difference between the Creator and the creature, between the divine holiness and the human fragility. Our love for God is entrusted with its own responsibility: to observe his counsels, to obey his laws, to trust his promises. Thus, we must learn to have fear to avoid cutting our link with God by sin. 

So, the fear of offending God gives us prudence –to seek the right way of acting– and serenity. It is gift of God to fight against sin.

“He who continues to delight in wickedness, what wonder is it if he fears death and judgement? Nevertheless, it is good that, if the love of God does not restrain you from sin, the fear of hell at least should restrain you. For he who sets aside the fear of God cannot continue in a good life for long, but will rapidly fall into the snares of the Devil." (The Imitation of Christ)

 “Show us, O our good Master, some way in which we may live through life’s most dangerous warfare without frequent surprise. The best way that we can do this, daughters, is to use the LOVE and FEAR given to us by His Majesty. For love will make us quicken our steps, while fear of the Lord will make us look where we are setting our feet, so that we shall not fall on a road where there are so many obstacles. Along that road, all living creatures must pass, and if we have these two things, we shall certainly not be deceived.
Love and fear of God! These are two strong castles from which we can wage war on the world and on the devils." (St Teresa)
Pic: Jesus washes the disciples' feet. Chinese painting.

Jun 24 Tue - Why does God call some people?

 

Jun 24 Tue
Why does God call some people?
When God calls someone for a specific mission, He grants all the necessary and appropriate graces for the fulfillment of this task. In the case of St. John the Baptist, divine intervention begins even before his birth. For that reason, the Church applies these words from the book of Isaiah to him: the Lord called me and had me in mind already when I lay in my mother's womb. 

Our Lord chooses his instruments from all eternity and generously bestows his graces on them. However, He requires our correspondence; we must welcome his gifts and let him act without putting up resistance. “We must say with St Peter: Lord, to whom should we go? Thy words are the words of eternal life; we have learned to believe, and are assured that you are the Christ, the Son of God (John 6:69-70). If we allow God's calling to enter our heart, we'll not walk amongst dark shadows. Above our miseries and personal defects, shines the light of God, which is like the sun shining above the storm clouds."

Before he was born, John was called, and later, he spent his life preparing the way of the Lord.

Calling and sending; vocation and mission: these are two aspects of the same reality that encompass one's entire life. Upon calling his Precursor, God entrusts him with an assignment for the good of all humanity: He shall bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. He shall unite the hearts of all, the fathers with the children... preparing for the Lord a people fit to receive him.

The entire life of the Baptist will be a faithful reflection of these words of the angel since he will spend himself completely in preparing souls for their encounter with Christ. He removed any personal interests; his sole objective was to bring men to Christ. A man must be content to receive the gift which is given to him from heaven, and nothing more. 

We must have rectitude of intention and humility in all our actions.
The figure of St John the Baptist is an example of an upright intention. Like him, “You and I must be witnesses of Jesus Christ. We go along unnoticed in the middle of the world, but without any secrets. With God's help, we struggle to be better."

“Our motto should be that of the Baptist: It is right that Christ should grow in me, and that I become smaller (John 3:30). For that reason, our greatest ambition should be to live without human glory, so that God alone can be glorified, soli Deo honor et gloria (1 Tim 1:17)." St. Josemaría.

The example of the Precursor, who places all his work at Christ's feet, moves us to ask our Lord for a deep sense of service. Such a heroic manifestation of an upright intention is very good for you to keep in mind. True humility in God's service must always be lived.

To avoid many disappointments in life, we should be like fruit-bearing trees... but not only full of leaves. And that is how we should be: like a tree that gives much fruit... a tree that is pleasing to God and souls because it does good to everyone. So, humility. Let us ask for it from Mary Most Holy, our Mother; she declared herself to be the Handmaid of the Lord.

Jun 23 Mon - Should I offer to God the best?

 

Jun 23 Mon
Should I offer to God the best?
The purpose of our life is to give glory to God. But there are many good things in this world, and they are capable of diverting our attention from focusing on God. We have no better way of giving glory to God than by living our Christian vocation with ever-greater love.

“God's love is a jealous lover. He is not satisfied if we come to meet him with conditions. He longs for us to give ourselves completely, without keeping dark corners in our hearts, where the joy and happiness of grace and the supernatural gifts cannot reach. Perhaps you are thinking, ‘If I say 'yes' to this exclusive Love, might I not lose my freedom?’"

“Each one of us has at some time or other experienced that serving Christ our Lord involves suffering and hardship; to deny this would imply that we had not yet found God. A soul in love knows, however, that when such suffering comes, it is only a fleeting impression; the soul soon finds that the yoke is easy and the burden light, because Jesus is carrying it upon his shoulders as He embraced the wood of the Cross when our eternal happiness was at stake.” 

“But there are people who rebel against the Creator, in a sad, petty, impotent rebellion, and they blindly repeat the futile complaint recorded in the Psalms: Let us break away from their bondage, rid ourselves of their toils. They shrink from the hardship of fulfilling their daily task with heroic silence and naturalness, without show or complaint. They have not realized that even when God's will seems painful, and its demands wounding, it coincides perfectly with our freedom, which is only to be found in God and his plans."

“Such people barricade themselves behind their freedom. "My freedom! My freedom!" they cry. They have their freedom, but they don't use it. They look at it, they set it up, a clay idol for their petty minds to worship. Is this freedom? What use is this treasure to them, if there is no commitment guiding their whole life? Such behavior goes against their very dignity and nobility as human beings. They are left aimless, with no clear path to guide their footsteps on this earth. You and I have met such people. They then let themselves be carried away by childish vanity, by selfish conceit, by sensuality."

“Their freedom turns out to be barren, or produces fruits which, even humanly speaking, are ridiculous. A person who does not choose, with complete freedom, an upright code of conduct, sooner or later ends up being manipulated by others. He will lead a lazy, parasitic existence, at the mercy of what others decide. He will let himself be blown away by any wind whatsoever, and it will always be others who make up his mind for him." 

“We give more glory to God by offering him our best talents as a holocaust, than by making vain use of them. God is pleased when we offer him the best that we have, what we value most. Nothing is too great to give him. Furthermore, we are children of God, and our obligations as children towards God our Father are not the same as those that can be imposed on strangers. To the children fall duties involving more sacrifice and more generosity, which would never be accepted willingly by hirelings."

Jun 22 Sun - Why do we celebrate this feast of the Body and Blood of Christ?

 

Jun 22 Sun
Why do we celebrate this feast of the Body and Blood of Christ?
The words of the Entrance Antiphon remind us: God has fed them with the finest wheat and given them their fill of honey from the rock.

For many years, God fed manna to the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness. This was an image and symbol of the pilgrim Church and of each individual who journeys towards his or her definitive homeland, Heaven. That food given in the desert of Sinai is a figure of the true food, the Holy Eucharist. This is the sacrament of the human pilgrimage. Precisely because of this, the annual feast of the Eucharist that the Church celebrates today contains within its liturgy so many references to the pilgrimage of the people of the Covenant in their wanderings through the wilderness. Moses often reminded the Israelites of this wonderful deed that God had performed for his People: Do not then forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Today is a day of thanksgiving and of joy because God wants to remain with us to feed us and to strengthen us, so that we may never feel alone. The Holy Eucharist is the food for the long journey of our days on Earth towards the goal of true Life. Jesus accompanies us and strengthens us here in this world, where our life is like a shadow compared to the reality that awaits us. Earthly food is a pale image of the food we receive in Holy Communion; it is a completely new reality.

Although we celebrate this feast only once a year, the Church proclaims this most happy truth every day: Jesus gives himself to us daily as our food, and He remains in our Tabernacles to be for us the strength and the hope of a new life, a life without end and limit. It is a mystery that is ever alive and ever new.

Thank you, Lord, for remaining with us. What would have become of us without you? Where would we have gone to restore our strength and to ask for consolation? From the Tabernacle, how easy you make the way for us!

The Corpus Christi procession makes Christ present in towns and cities throughout the world. But his presence cannot be limited to only one day, like a sound you hear and then forget. It should remind us that we have to discover Our Lord in our ordinary everyday activities. Side by side with this solemn procession, there is the simple, silent procession of the ordinary life of each Christian. Each Christian is a man among men, who, by a great blessing, has received the faith and the divine commission to act so that he renews the message of Our Lord on earth.

Let us ask Our Lord, then, to make us devoted to the Blessed Eucharist, so that our relationship with him brings forth joy and serenity and a desire for justice. Thus, we will make it easier for others to recognize Christ; we will put Christ at the center of all human activities. And Jesus’ promise will be fulfilled: ‘When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself’ (John 12:32).

Jun 21 Sat - Why is there an altar in the church?

 

Jun 21 Sat
Why is there an altar in the church?
At the beginning of the Mass, on reaching the altar, the priest and ministers make the proper reverence—that is, a low bow or a genuflection if there is a tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament.

As a sign of veneration, the priest and deacon kiss the altar. When the occasion warrants, the priest may also incense the altar.
 
The altar symbolizes the heart of the church. It is the Lord’s table and the center of the Eucharistic action. It is a symbol of Christ. That is why we cover the altar with a cloth, out of reverence for the celebration of the memorial of the Lord’s sacrifice. We use candles at every liturgical service as a sign of veneration and joyfulness.

There should also be a cross, adorned with the image of Christ crucified, clearly visible to the congregation, either on the altar or near it. It is recommended that such a cross, which calls to mind for the faithful the saving Passion of the Lord, remain by the altar even outside of liturgical celebrations. It is a praiseworthy practice that the Book of the Gospels be placed on the altar.

Universality is an essential feature of Christian worship. Christian liturgy is never just an event organized by a particular group or set of people or even by a specific local church. There, our movement toward Christ is met with Christ’s movement toward us. The Temple of Jerusalem –built of stone– ceased to express the hope of Christians; its curtain was torn forever. Christians look toward the East, the rising Sun. Christ is the rising Sun, the Orient, the true light of history. In the early Church, prayer toward the east was regarded as an apostolic tradition. It meant going to meet the coming Christ.

Moreover, the altar of the New Covenant is the cross of the Lord (cf. Heb 13:10), from which the sacraments of the paschal mystery flow. Under sacramental signs, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present over the altar, the center of the Church. The altar is also the table of the Lord to which the people of God are invited. The Holy Mass is a sacrifice offered to God. 

To kiss the altar is to kiss Christ. It is then understandable that we want to claim this kiss of the celebrant as our own. It evokes in our memory the many kisses of that sinful woman in the Pharisee’s house. She could not cease to kiss Christ’s feet, washing them with her tears. Great sins were forgiven her because she also loved greatly, the Gospel tells us (Lk 7:38). And we have so many faults to ask pardon for!

Now, by this kiss, the priest also signifies the union of the Spouse (Christ) with his Bride (the Church). And, indeed, what the priest is beginning to accomplish here is nothing other than to forge the union of the Church with her Master, of the soul with its Redeemer. 

During the first centuries, the altar table was often a stone slab placed over the tomb of a martyr. The saints, members of Christ, have been buried in Christ by their love. This is the origin of the custom of inserting a cavity in the altar stone (called the sepulcher) in which relics of martyrs are enclosed. 
Nowadays, the Church sees it fitting to maintain this practice. However, the relics may be of any saint, even of non-martyrs, and these may also be placed beneath the altar. Care should be taken to have solid evidence of the authenticity of such relics.

Jun 20 Fri - Why do we make the sign of the cross or use holy water?

 

Jun 20 Fri
Why do we make the sign of the cross or use holy water?
These are sacramentals, often a stumbling block for non-Catholics who don’t understand their need or purpose. For instance, before his conversion to Catholicism, Dr. Scott Hahn was a staunch anti-Catholic Presbyterian minister. In his talks, Hahn often tells the story of how he discovered his grandmother’s rosary. His grandmother had just died, and Hahn relates that he ripped the rosary beads to pieces, pleading to God to set her free from the chains of Catholicism that had kept her bound.

Today, this internationally recognized Catholic author and speaker couldn’t be more of a supporter of the Blessed Virgin Mary and promoter of the Rosary.

Also, we usually bless the meals to offer God a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. It makes holy the mere need for nutrition and is a reminder of the most blessed meal, the Eucharist.

Sacramentals are sacred signs that, in a sense, imitate the sacraments. They signify certain effects, especially spiritual ones, and they achieve these effects through the intercession of the Church.

This “imitation of the sacraments” implies both similarity and dissimilarity to them. Thus:

•  Both use sensible signs composed of matter and form;

•  It can be said that the sacramentals were instituted by Christ, since Christ gave the Church the power to institute them. In some cases, as in exorcisms, He even demonstrated how to do them. 

•  The sacramentals confer actual graces and assistance. Thus, they indirectly help one merit an increase of sanctifying grace;

How do sacramentals differ from sacraments?
Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ. The Sacramentals are instituted by the Church.

The effects of sacramentals can be divided into four groups:

- Actual graces

- Forgiveness of venial sins

- Protection against the attacks of the devil

- Temporal benefits (like the blessing of the fields)

Sacraments are necessary for salvation; God appointed them as the means to confer certain graces on people.

On the other hand, while sacramentals are important for the spiritual life, they are not necessary in the same way that sacraments are.

In summary, sacraments are instituted by Christ and directly confer grace, while sacramentals are instituted by the Church and prepare individuals to receive grace and sanctify different aspects of life through the Church's intercession.

Sacraments are considered necessary for salvation, whereas sacramentals are not, but they enrich the spiritual lives of the faithful.

There are several kinds of sacramentals. Some are blessed or consecrated objects through which the faithful receive spiritual benefits. Examples of this type are holy water, the scapular, blessed candles or palms, and, generally speaking, all blessed objects used exclusively for the worship of God.

Sacramentals may also be actions that the Church enriches with special graces. For example, the recitation of an act of contrition, the imposition of ash, exorcisms, processions, pilgrimages, and the funeral rites.

Most of the sacramentals consist of blessings, like those of churches, objects devoted to divine worship, rosaries, scapulars, houses, the anniversary nuptial blessing, and the blessing of water.

Jun 19 Thu - How can I get more from the Mass?

 

Jun 19 Thu
How can I get more from the Mass?
To celebrate or to offer the Holy Mass with greater fruit, we should consider that:

• The Mass is the most important event that happens to mankind each day.

• The Mass is the center of Christian life. All the sacraments, prayers, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, spiritual communions, devotions, and mortifications offered to God have the Mass as their central point of reference. If the center were to disappear (e.g., if attendance at Mass were to be consciously abandoned), then the whole Christian life would collapse.

• Even our concern for the others, our apostolate, should take its root in the Mass. 
• The Mass is the most pleasing offering we can make to God. 

These ideas may help you to participate better in the Holy Mass:

• Pray on the way to Mass. Whether you drive to a distant chapel or walk down the street to a cathedral, turn your attention to the coming celebration. Prepare your soul for Communion with acts of love of God. Make acts of contrition and atonement to make up to the Lord for past failures.

• Use your Missal, if you have one, or the missalette available in the church. By reading and following the prayers of the priest, you can avoid distractions.

• Offer this sublime sacrifice in union with the Church. Live the Holy Mass feeling yourself to be part of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, the people of God. Be united to the bishop of the diocese where the Mass is being offered and to the pope, the Vicar of Christ for the universal Church.

• Be united to the sacrifice of Jesus who is the only Victim. By doing so, you also offer to God the Father through Christ, and with the Holy Spirit, all the sacrifices, sufferings, self-denials, and tribulations of each day. 

• Have the necessary preparation for Communion. If you are going to receive Holy Communion, you need—besides being in the state of grace—to have the right intention and keep the Eucharistic fast. 
(a) The right intention in receiving Communion means having this good purpose: to please God. 
(b) The eucharistic fast requires abstaining from eating and drinking, except water and medicine, for one hour before actual Communion time. The sick and the elderly, as well as those who take care of them, may receive Holy Communion even if they have taken something within the hour.
(c) We are bound to receive Holy Communion, under serious obligation, at least once a year—ordinarily in Easter time—and when we are in danger of death. 
(d) Holy Communion may be received a second time on the same day when one attends Holy Mass again on that day, and when one receives the Blessed Sacrament as viaticum in danger of death. 

• Complete the Mass with an intense thanksgiving. Thus, your Mass will have direct influence on your work, your family life, your dealings with others, and the manner you will spend the rest of your day. In short, the Mass should not be an isolated event of the day; rather, it should be the inspiration and the dynamo of all your actions. 

• Turn the whole day into a continuous preparation for the holy sacrifice by working and praying, by making spiritual communions, and, at the same time, into a never-ending act of thanksgiving. For a Christian, all honest activities can be turned into prayer. 

• Imitate the piety of the Blessed Virgin and ask her for it. While our Lord offered and immolated his flesh, Mary offered and immolated her spirit. Participate in each Mass as if it were your last.

Jun 18 Wed - Who am I?

 

Jun 18 Wed
Who am I? 
Good question. Jesus came into the world to tell you who you are.

Before his ordination, a priest worked as an airline desk agent in the U.S. Midwest. On one occasion, a snowstorm shut down the airport. People lined up for reroutes, but it was impossible. He said an unnamed (widely recognized) celebrity lost his patience and demanded, “Do you know who I am? Do you!” The passenger in line behind him dropped his luggage and said, “Oh great. I’m in the middle of a snowstorm trying to get home for Christmas, and now the guy in front of me doesn’t know who he is!

Jesus is the Word made Flesh. Thus, He dignifies our being human, and somehow “divinizes” us, making us children of God the Father.

With Jesus at our side, why wouldn’t we expect Him to restore the kingdom of Israel, end every war, solve every family altercation, and install our preferred rulers? Why not provide God with a job description that satisfies every impulse of ours, good and evil?

Jesus instructed His apostles to live and proclaim the Gospel in faith: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:) This job must continue with our cooperation as God’s instruments.

Our encounter with Jesus requires faith to realize our Christian dignity and duties as His disciples in union with Him. Jesus departs to confer the Holy Spirit upon us and puts us to work: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) Faithful Christians no longer ask, “What will Jesus do?” They ask with faith, “What does Jesus want me to do?”

Years ago, a man called a priest to administer the sacraments to his dying wife. Over many difficult months, he cared for his wife, fed her, and kept her comfortable. Upset, he asked the priest why God didn’t send her the help she desperately needed. The priest marveled at the man’s selfless generosity and said, “You are mistaken. God indeed sent your wife help. He sent you.”

Likewise, the present society and the world at large are in a mess. People put God out of their lives, they fight against one another, they betray their commitments…

WHO is God going to send to improve the world?

With the Holy Spirit, God and man are reconciled in His Church and sealed by God’s grace. The Holy Spirit—in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist—brings us to a new and exalted understanding of the faith in the Incarnation, the reconciliation of God and man. With God’s grace, we become sharers of God’s nature and His mission in Jesus. We discover who we are, children of God; we learn our destiny, and how to love.

Who am I? St. Athanasius responds: “The Son of God became man so that we might become God.”

Some excerpts from Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

Jun 14 Sat - What are the differences among virtues, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and charismas?

Jun 14 Sat
What are the differences among virtues, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and charismas?

Through grace, God the Holy Spirit makes us “participate in the divine nature.” We then acquire a supernatural new life; we become children of God and heirs with Christ. Grace is like light whose splendor erases the stains of the soul, and we are divinized. Thus, it is comparable to a wedding garment, or a seed, in the Gospel.

There is only one divine nature common to the three divine Persons, but this divine nature can be participated in by a multitude of human beings, who become “gods by participation.” There is only one substantial filiation (the only-begotten Son of the eternal Father), but there can be a multitude of people who participate (share) in this filiation: a multitude of children of God in Christ in such a way that Christ becomes “the first-born among many brethren” (Rom 8:29).

With grace, we receive virtues. These are habitual and firm dispositions to do good. They are stable “powers” of the intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct based on reason and faith. The goal of a virtuous life is to be transformed into an icon of Christ. The moral life of a Christian must be directed toward collaborating with the Lord in the task of his sanctification, which implies removing the obstacles to the action of the Holy Spirit and carrying out works pleasing to God. 

There are pure human virtues that are acquired through effort, the fruit of repeated, morally good acts. They provide ease, self-mastery, and joy in living a morally good life. 
Among these, the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) are central.

Theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity) are infused by God. These virtues orient us to God and enable us to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity.

With grace, we also receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts are permanent dispositions that make us receptive to divine inspirations. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are a special awakening of the human soul, and they mature the supernatural life of grace in each person.
They improve the virtues of those who receive them and help the faithful readily obey divine inspirations. A Christian “empowered” by the virtues can perform good deeds. The emphasis is on the decision of the person. A Christian who is obedient to God and allows the Holy Spirit to act through him performs excellent deeds. The emphasis is on the Holy Spirit.

These gifts are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

The Holy Spirit also grants extraordinary, gratuitous gifts to some persons. These are the charisms, given for the good of others, the building up of the Church, and the needs of the world. The emphasis is on the good of others. They can be extraordinary (like miracles or speaking in tongues or healing) or simple and humble (like directing souls, or graces of state that accompany responsibilities in the Church, or within the family and society).

In summary, virtues are habits of doing good, developed through practice and aided by grace; the gifts of the Holy Spirit are dispositions that make us receptive to God's guidance; and charisms are specific graces given for the benefit of others and the Church as a whole.

Jun 17 Tue - Should I be strong?

 

Jun 17 Tue
Should I be strong?
Fortitude is the virtue that strengthens the will so that we may not give up in our pursuit of a good when we see it as difficult.

This virtue controls the influence that feelings (passions) of fear and daring have on the will. The acts of fortitude tend to suppress both excessive fear and recklessness or carelessness.

Since Christian life is a continuous struggle to better fulfill the divine will, fortitude, and its related virtues maintain us firmly in the struggle. Their concrete manifestations are: constancy in work, perseverance in the face of temptations and difficulties, measuring up to costly duties and difficult environments, speaking about God without human respect, correcting evildoers, and boldly undertaking risky or heavy tasks.

The ultimate, though exceptional, act of fortitude is martyrdom: the endurance of death in witness to the truth of Christianity.

The vices contrary to Fortitude are:
•  Cowardice or timidity is an inordinate fear of temporal problems.
•  Fearlessness or impassibility is a lack or disregard of fear when having fear is reasonable.
•  Recklessness or temerity consists in risking danger without a reason.

Four virtues are related to fortitude: 

1. Magnanimity (from magnus animus, “great soul”) is the virtue that inclines man to undertake great deeds in every undertaking.
The magnanimous person does not delight excessively in receiving honors, no matter how great; neither is he greatly affected by prosperity or adversity. He is happy to help others. He does not flatter people, and he does not allow them to restrain his freedom. With ordinary people, he is unassuming. He is neither ambitious nor a social climber. Neither fearing others nor seeking their praise, he openly speaks what he has in his mind when necessary. He forgets offenses. He is not rash but takes his actions deliberately.

The vices contrary to Magnanimity are:
•  Presumption inclines to undertake works that exceed the capacity of the subject.
•  Ambition is an extravagant longing for honors.
•  Vainglory is an immoderate desire for personal glory.
•  Pusillanimity (from pusillus animus, “small soul”) inclines man to shy away from works that he deems to exceed his strength, when in fact they do not.

2. Munificence (from munus facere, “to make presents”) is the virtue that inclines man to undertake great and costly works despite the effort or expenses that are required.

The vices contrary to Munificence are:
•  Prodigality a tendency to make unreasonable great expenses.
•  Stinginess leads to unreasonably restricting necessary expenses.

3. Patience is the moral virtue that inclines people to suffer present evils without excessive sorrow, especially those that are inflicted by others.
Patience has several successive degrees: to suffer evils without backbiting, to suffer evils without groaning or complaining to others, to suffer evils with joy.

The vices contrary to Patience are:
•  Insensibility, or lack of feeling, leads man to be indifferent by any difficulty, as if he could not notice it.
•  Impatience leads to yielding easily to obstacles, often reacting with complaints or anger.

4. Perseverance is the virtue that inclines man to continue working and doing good, despite the wear and tear and the monotony of repetition.

The vices contrary to Perseverance are:
•  Pertinacity or stubbornness leads a man not to yield when it would be reasonable to do so.
•  Inconstancy consists of easily giving up the practice of virtue as soon as difficulties arise.

Jun 16 Mon - How close to us is the Lord?

 

Jun 16 Mon
How close to us is the Lord?
Saint Paul commands us to rejoice, but in the Lord, not in the world. For, you see, as Scripture says, if you choose just the pleasures of this world, you will become God’s enemy. Just as no one can serve two masters, so too no one can rejoice both in the world and in the Lord.

Let joy in the Lord win in you, and go on winning, until you do not focus only on the joy of the world. Let joy in the Lord always go on growing, and joy in the world always go on shrinking until it is reduced to nothing. I do not mean that we should not rejoice as long as we are in this world, but that even while we find ourselves still in this world, we should already be rejoicing in the Lord.

Someone may argue, “I am in the world; so obviously, if I rejoice, I rejoice where I am”. What of it?
Do you think that because you are in the world, you cannot be in the Lord? Listen to the same Apostle in the Acts of the Apostles, speaking to the Athenians, and saying about God, our Creator: In him, we live, and move, and are. 

Since He is everywhere, there is not a place where He is not. Is it not precisely this that he is emphasizing to encourage us? The Lord is very near, beside you; do not be anxious about anything.

This is something tremendous, that He ascended above all the heavens but is still very near to us who dwell on earth, wherever we may be. How can this be? Who can this be that is both far away and close to us, except the One who became our close neighbor, and our brother, out of compassion?

The whole of the human race, you see, is that man who was wounded, lying in the road, left there by robbers, half dead. He was ignored by the passing priest and the Levite. But the passing Samaritan stopped by him to take care of him and help him. Likewise, when Jesus, the Immortal, the Just, was in heaven, far away from us mortals and sinners, He came down to us to become our near neighbor and make us his brothers, children of God.

He did not treat us as our sins deserved, for we are his children. How do we prove this? The only Son died for us so that He would not remain the only Child. He did not want to be alone, after dying alone. The only Son of God made us children of God. He bought himself brothers and sisters with his blood. Rejected, He accepted us; sold, He bought us back; dishonored, He honored us; killed, He gave us life.

So then, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world; that is, rejoice in faithfulness and not in immorality; rejoice in the hope of eternity and not the brief flower of vanity that soon withers. Rejoice thus, and wherever you are now, as long as you are here, the Lord is very close to you: do not be anxious about anything.

Excerpts from Saint Augustine

Jun 15 Sun - Does God, One and Three, dwell in my soul in grace?

 

Jun 15 Sun
Does God, One and Three, dwell in my soul in grace?

We have now received the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised to his Church. The time has come for us to consider in a new light the most amazing of all God's revelations: the Blessed Trinity, the three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In contemplating and rejoicing in the Blessed Trinity, we find the fullness of Christian life.

The three divine Persons have played a part in transforming us, and continue to do so. 

Thus, we want to draw close to the Triune God, getting to know him and being filled with the sweetness of his abiding presence. We are no longer satisfied simply with contemplating God in his essential Unity: we want to love him and adore him, and converse with him, in the Trinity of the divine Persons.

St. Josemaría: “Address each person of the Blessed Trinity in turn, our Father recommended, and repeat without fear: I believe in God the Father, I believe in God the Son, I believe in God the Holy Spirit I hope in God the Father, I hope in God the Son, I hope in God the Holy Spirit I love God the Father, I love God the Son, I love God the Holy Spirit I believe in, I hope in and I love my holy Mother Mary, who is the Mother of God."

Father Almighty, eternal God: in the name of your Son, send your Holy Spirit upon the Church. The Holy Spirit guides the whole of creation, and especially human beings, to the love of the Father through Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God. The Church is constantly reminding us of this by the way all her prayers are directed "through Christ our Lord".

The liturgy helps us to feel a profound devotion to the Blessed Trinity. And we go “to the Blessed Trinity through Jesus, who has become man to redeem us from sin, and to make the Way easier for us, because he has a heart of flesh like ours: Christ is perfect God and perfect Man." We talk to each of the three Persons with filial piety, because the three of them together, in the oneness of their sanctifying activity, adopt us as children of God. 

“As it is true that God created us, that He has redeemed us, that He loves us so much that He has given up his only-begotten Son for us, that He waits for us - every day! - as eagerly as the father of the prodigal son did, how can we doubt that He wants us to respond to him with all our love? The strange thing would be not to talk to God, to draw away and forget him, and busy ourselves in activities which are closed to the constant promptings of his grace."

God is with us. The Blessed Trinity dwells in our souls in grace. And so, despite our wretchedness, we can and should be continually conversing with God our Lord. Devotion to the Blessed Trinity is something that grows gradually from the very depths of our soul. God the Father nourishes our piety through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. We wish to increase our devotion to the Triune God by making better use every day of the traditional means that the Church offers us.
If we let ourselves be guided gently by him, the Holy Spirit will lead us, together with the whole Church, along the ways of God.

Jun 13 Fri - What are the vestments of the priest in the Mass?

 

Jun 13 Fri
What are the vestments of the priest in the Mass?
The function of sacred vestments in liturgical worship is twofold:
- To highlight the diversity of ministries.
- To contribute to the beauty of the rite.

The amice is a rectangular piece of white linen, worn beneath the alb.

The alb is a full-length white linen vestment. It is the vestment common to ministers of every rank. It symbolizes the garment in which Christ was clothed by Herod and the purity of soul with which the sacrifice of the Mass should be offered. 
In some other liturgical ceremonies, the minister may wear a surplice instead of an alb. A surplice is a short, wide-sleeve garment of white linen.

The cincture is a belt, girdle, or cord tied around the waist of the alb. It symbolizes chastity and mortification of the senses.

The stole is a long, narrow band worn over the neck. It should never be left off at Mass or other rites directly connected to the Mass. It symbolizes the sweet yoke of Jesus Christ and the dignity of the ministerial priesthood.

The chasuble is a sleeveless outer garment worn by the priest at Mass. It is worn over all the other vestments, and is made of silk or some other rich material, usually decorated with symbols. It is patterned after the traveling cloak used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Originally, it was a large circle of cloth with an opening in the center for the head of the priest. It symbolizes charity, which must cover all our actions.

At solemn Masses, the deacon wears a dalmatic. It is an outer liturgical vestment with short sleeves, open at the sides, and made of the same material as the vestments of the celebrant.

The cope is worn by the priest in processions and other services.

The beauty of the vestments should derive from the materials and design, rather than lavish ornamentation. Representations on vestments should consist only of symbols, images, or pictures portraying the sacred. Anything not in keeping with the sacred is to be avoided.

The colors of the liturgical vestments are meant to express the specific character of the mysteries of the faith being celebrated, symbolize different truths, or convey sentiments. 

Customarily, the color of these liturgical vestments (the chasuble, the dalmatic, the stole) is repeated in other items (the chalice veil, the tabernacle veil, the corporal burse, and even the frontal of the altar when it is made of cloth).

The color white is the symbol of purity, majesty, and glory. It is used on the feasts of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and saints who are not martyrs (pastors, Doctors of the Church, virgins, and holy men and women in general).

Red symbolizes love, fire, the blood of martyrdom, and royalty. It is used on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost, the Lord’s Passion, and the feasts of the apostles, evangelists, and martyrs.

Green symbolizes hope, youth, progress, life, and continuous growth. It is used in Masses of Ordinary Time.

Violet symbolizes humility, penance, and austerity. It is used in Lent and Advent. It may also be used in Masses for the dead.

Black symbolizes mourning. It may be used in Masses for the dead.

Rose lightens the austerity and penitential rigor of violet. It may be used on the Third Sunday of Advent and on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Light blue symbolizes our Blessed Mother. It may be used on her feasts, following the regulations of the local bishop.

On solemn occasions, more precious vestments may be used even if not of the color of the day.

Jun 12 Thu - Which are the sacred vessels and liturgical items?

 

Jun 12 Thu
Which are the sacred vessels and liturgical items?
It is useful to know and be able to identify the sacred vessels and liturgical items used in worship, especially those used for the celebration of Mass.

The sacred books used in the Mass are called the Lectionary, which contains all the readings, Psalms, and Gospels, and the Sacramentary. They are placed either on the self-standing lectern (or ambo) for the readings or on a small folding bookstand on the altar during the Mass.

Vessels should be made from solid materials that are considered noble in a particular region. Preference should be given to materials that do not easily break or become unusable.

Metal vessels should ordinarily be gilded on the inside if the metal rusts. Vessels that serve as receptacles for Eucharistic bread (ciborium, pyx, monstrance) could be made of nonmetal materials that are prized in the region (e.g., hardwood) as long as they are suitable for sacred use.

Sacred vessels should be blessed, thus dedicating them to sacred use.
The chalice is a cup used at Mass to hold the precious blood of Christ. The bowl of chalices and other vessels that serve as receptacles for the blood of the Lord should be made of nonabsorbent material. The base, however, may be made of any other solid and worthy material.

The paten is a shallow dish on which the host is placed.

The chalice and paten hold a place of honor among the requisites for the celebration of Mass, since they are used in presenting, consecrating, and receiving the sacred species.

The ciborium is a covered cup in which the small, consecrated hosts are kept. It is usually covered with a veil.

The corporal is a linen cloth, about 20 inches square, upon which the chalice and paten are placed. It is customarily pleated in four folds, overlapping inwardly so that no fragment of the consecrated host may be dropped. It is carried in the burse.

The pall is a stiff cardboard, typically square, covered with linen. It is used as a cover for the chalice to protect it from dust and other foreign matter.

The purificator is a small linen towel used to dry the priest’s fingers and the chalice at the end of the Mass.

The chalice veil covers the chalice before and after its use at Mass.

The Communion plate is held under the chin of the communicant (or the hands if the Eucharist is received in the hand) to catch any particle of the sacred host that may fall. The Communion cloth, placed over the rail, has a similar purpose.

The altar bell is rung to alert those present at key moments of the Mass.

The cruets are two small bottles or vessels containing the wine and water to be used for the consecration and the ablutions after Communion.

A censer or thurible to burn incense is used in solemn Masses. The incense boat is a vessel in which incense is kept. A small spoon is used to transfer incense from the boat to the censer. 

Jun 11 Wed - Why do we use gestures in the Mass?

 

Jun 11 Wed
Why do we use gestures in the Mass?
The liturgical celebration includes signs and symbols that refer to creation (light, water, fire), human life (to wash, to anoint, to break bread), and the history of salvation (the rites of Easter). These rites, gestures, or elements are inserted in the world of faith and assumed by the power of the Holy Spirit; thus, they become instruments of Christ’s salvific and sanctifying action.

The sacramental celebration is a meeting of God’s children with their Father in Christ and the Holy Spirit. This meeting is expressed as a dialogue through actions and words. The symbolic actions are already a language, but the word of God and the response of faith should accompany and enliven these actions. The liturgical actions signify what God’s word expresses: the gratuitous initiative of God and the faith response of his people.

The liturgical gestures may be a useful ceremony (like washing the hands after the imposition of ashes or anointing), a sign of veneration toward persons (bowing) or things (kissing the altar), an accompaniment to the words (like making the sign of the cross on the Book of the Gospels or extending the hands during the Eucharistic Prayer), a specifically Christian symbol (the sign of the cross), or a gesture accepted from the socio-cultural environment (giving the instruments in the priestly ordination).

The most important liturgical gestures are:
• the sign of the cross,
• striking one’s breast (a sign of repentance and humility),
• looking upward (used by Jesus and included in Eucharistic Prayer I),
• anointing (a symbol of the grace infused with the sacrament),
• giving of ashes (a sign of humility, repentance, resurrection, and trustful prayer),
• laying on of hands (signifying a supernatural action being performed by God),
• raising and extending hands (prayer, seeking and expecting help from God),
• joining one’s hands at the chest (a gesture of prayer), and
• giving the sign of peace.

The most important liturgical body postures are:
• standing (a sign of joy and the freedom of God’s children),
• kneeling (a sign of repentance, penance, or adoration),
• sitting down (the attitude of a disciple listening to the teacher),
• bowing one’s head (reverence given to the name of Jesus, Mary, or the saint of the day),
• bowing the body (toward the altar when there is no tabernacle, within the Profession of Faith at the words, “by the power of the Holy Spirit”,
• prostration (only on Good Friday and in priestly ordination), and
• procession (a symbol of the pilgrim Church, done several times within the Mass and in some solemn celebrations around the church or in the streets).

Jun 10 Tue - What is Christian patience?

 

Jun 10 Tue
What is Christian patience?
Writing Timothy from his prison in Rome where he will soon suffer martyrdom, the Apostle St Paul warned his disciple that “everyone who wants to live a holy life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12). In the same letter he points out, “I am already poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure” (2 Tim 4:6). And he adds with holy pride, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).

Thus, St Paul warns his disciples that trials will be an ordinary occurrence in the life of a Christian. Christ himself had prepared the apostles: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).

Despite his weaknesses and the opposition from without, a Christian enters the daily struggle full of joy, not passive or frightened; he considers himself a winner in Christ. Thus, St James bids, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops patience. Patience perfects the work of God so that you may become mature and complete, not lacking anything” (Jas 1:2-4).

When we hear about patience, we usually think of one of those situations that get on our nerves: “I really have to be patient with this person.” We think of patience as some sort of control over the irritation and anger we experience when we face people who do something wrong or inconvenient for us. In sum, we think of patience as some sort of serenity: the power of enduring trouble, suffering, and inconvenience, without complaining.

Or we might think of patience as some capacity to bear the delay of goods that do not come as fast as we would like: “I have to be patient before I save enough to buy a car.” This notion refers to the capacity to bear sacrifices for a long time until we attain a certain joy. Patience here appears as the ability to wait for results, and to deal with problems without haste.

Real patience is more than that, it is to accept God’s will and God’s ways, no matter what happens.

Patience is the virtue that enables a person to bear physical and moral sufferings, trying circumstances, and obstinate personalities without sadness of spirit or dejection of heart, but with calmness born of love of God.

There should be no trace of anxiety even in our desires to improve or to be effective: being impatient over good things is also bad. It would be wrong to lose patience because we did not immediately obtain what we wanted, or to lament when we see how slowly we progress in goodness. God knows where He is leading us, and He will let us know of our interior progress whenever and however He pleases.

Souls take time to reach holiness, and God has infinite patience with us: He forgives us, bestows his grace upon us, and constantly encourages us. We should likewise be patient with ourselves and with others, even if this may be difficult at times.

To keep calm, we need to see things in the light of eternity, as St. Josemaría recommended. “You are upset. Look, come what may in your interior life or in the world around you, never forget that the importance of events or people is very relative. Take things calmly. Let time pass. And then, as you view people and events dispassionately and from afar, you'll acquire the perspective to see each thing in its proper place and in its true proportion."
If you do this, you'll be more objective, and you'll be spared many a cause of anxiety.

Jun 9 Mon - Is our Mother Mary the Mother of the Church?

 

Jun 9 Mon
Is our Mother Mary the Mother of the Church?
“The Gospel passages about our Lady show her as the Mother of Jesus, following her Son step by step, playing a part in his redemptive mission, rejoicing and suffering with him, loving those whom Jesus loves, looking after all those around her with maternal care."

“Just think, for example, of the marriage at Cana. Our Lady was a guest at one of those noisy country weddings attended by crowds from many villages. But she was the only one who noticed the wine was running out. Don't these scenes from Christ's life seem familiar to us? The greatness of God lives at the level of ordinary things. It is natural for a woman, a housewife, to notice something is lacking, to look after the little things that make life pleasant. And that is how Mary acted."

“Notice also that it is John who tells the story of Cana. He is the only evangelist who has recorded this example of our mother's concern for us. St John wants us to remember that Mary was present at the beginning of the public life of our Lord. He alone has appreciated the importance of that fact. Jesus knew to whom he was entrusting his Mother - to a disciple who had learned to understand and love her as his own mother."

“Let's turn now to the days between the ascension and Pentecost. As a result of the triumph of Christ's resurrection, the disciples are full of faith; they eagerly await the promised Holy Spirit. They want to stay close to one another, and so we find them with Mary, the mother of Jesus, praying as a single family."

“But what is the Church? Where is the Church? Bewildered and disoriented, many Christians do not find sure answers to these questions. And they come to believe that perhaps the answers that the Magisterium has formulated for centuries - and which good catechisms have proposed with the necessary precision and simplicity - have now been superseded and must be replaced by new ones. A series of facts and difficulties seem to have come together to darken the bright countenance of the Church. Some maintain that the valid Church can be found only in their personal zeal to accommodate it to what they call modern times. Others cry out: the Church is nothing more than man's desire for solidarity. We ought to change it, they say, in accord with present circumstances."

“They are wrong. The Church today is the same one Christ founded, his Mystical Body. It cannot be any other. The Apostles and their successors are the vicars of God about the faith and the sacraments. Hence, the Church must be recognized by the four marks in the profession of faith of one of the first Councils, as we pray in the Creed of the Mass: One, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

“From the first moment of the Church, all Christians who have sought the love of God - that love revealed in Jesus Christ - have encountered our Lady and experienced her motherly care. She can truly be called the Mother of Christians, and Mother of the Church."

By venerating this Mother of ours without stain, and loving the Roman Pontiff, successor of St. Peter, we will preserve unity.

Jun 8 Sun - What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and me?

 

Jun 8 Sun
What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and me?
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind that filled all the house where they were sitting. The Holy Spirit shows himself in those elements that usually accompany the presence of God in the Old Testament: wind and fire.

Fire appears in Sacred Scripture as love that penetrates all things and as a purifying element.

Fire also produces light and signifies the new brightness that the Holy Spirit sheds on the doctrine of Jesus Christ: On this occasion, Jesus had already forewarned his disciples: The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit... will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. The Holy Spirit leads us to a full understanding of the truth taught by Christ, who completed and perfected Revelation and confirmed it by finally sending the Spirit of truth.

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Paraclete (cf. John 14:15-17), a word that comes from Greek, which means both consoler and advocate, also a lawyer. This means that the Holy Spirit never leaves us alone; He is near to us, like an attorney who assists the accused person, standing by his side. And He suggests to us how to defend ourselves from the One who accuses us, the devil, who puts sin inside us, the desire to sin, wickedness.
Let us reflect on these two aspects of the Holy Spirit: His closeness to us, and His assistance against the One who accuses us.

First, the Holy Spirit’s closeness. Jesus says: The Holy Spirit dwells with you and will be in you. He never abandons us. The Holy Spirit wants to stay with us: He is not a passing guest who comes to pay us a courtesy visit. He is a life companion, a stable presence. He is Spirit and desires to dwell in our soul, our spirit. He is patient and stays with us because He truly loves us. He does not pretend to love us, and then leave us alone when things get difficult. No. He is faithful, He is transparent, He is authentic.

In a moment of trial, the Holy Spirit consoles us, bringing us God’s pardon and strength. And when He places our errors before us and corrects us, He does so gently, with tenderness and warmth of love in His voice that speaks to the heart.
Certainly, the Spirit, the Paraclete, is demanding, because He is a true, faithful friend who does not hide anything. He suggests what needs to be changed and where growth needs to take place. But when He corrects us, He never humiliates us and never instills distrust. Rather, He conveys the certainty that, with God, we can always make it. This is His closeness. This is a beautiful certainty.

Second, the Holy Spirit is our advocate and He defends us from the One who accuses us, and also from ourselves, when we do not appreciate and forgive ourselves, when we go so far as to say to ourselves that we have failed, that we are good for nothing. He defends us from the world that discards those who do not fit into its impositions and patterns.

Then, the Holy Spirit suggests to us how to respond. How? He reminds us of the words of the Gospel, and thus enables us to respond to the accusing devil, not with our own words, but with the Lord’s words. He reminds us that we are God’s children. This is the most important truth in life: that we are beloved children of God.

Let us ask ourselves today: Do I call on the Holy Spirit? Do I talk and pray to Him often? Do I listen to His voice, both when He encourages me and when He corrects me? Do I respond with Jesus’s words to the accusations from the Evil One, to the judgments of the worldly ones? Do I remember that I am a beloved child of God?

Jun 7 Sat - How are we connected to Jesus in his Church?

 

Jun 7 Sat
How are we connected to Jesus in his Church?
The Church is not merely a human society, but a supernatural mystery. Thus, we need faith to understand the nature of the Church. The Church is present in the world and transcends it.

“Proceeding from the love of the eternal Father, the Church was founded by Christ in time and gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.”
On the day of Pentecost, Christ the Lord sent the Holy Spirit. The missions of Christ and the Holy Spirit comprise one joint, inseparable mission. It is accomplished in the Church, which is the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Through this joint mission, Christ associates us with the Father through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit prepares us to receive Christ, manifests us the risen Christ, and makes the mystery of Christ present—especially in the Eucharist—to lead us to communion with God, so that we may bear “much fruit” (Jn 15:5). Thus, the Holy Spirit builds, gives life, and sanctifies the Church. The mission of the Church is not added to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit—it is the sacrament (symbol and manifestation) of the communion of the Blessed Trinity with us.

Depending on which aspect we want to emphasize, we say that the Church is at the same time visible and invisible, interior and exterior, or mystical and institutional.

When we emphasize the institutional aspect, we say that the Church is an organic and hierarchical society, structured and governed by the pope and the bishops under the supreme authority of the Roman pontiff, who is also head of the episcopal college. All her members, without exception, have an active role to play.

When we refer to the mystical aspect, we say that the Church is a Trinitarian mystery. that enables us to share in the divine life of God’s Son, “for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:18). In the Church, we can see (though in a veiled way) the mystery of the divine life of the Blessed Trinity, a mystery that one must accept on faith.

Just as the head and body of a man form one single man, Jesus and we, chosen to be his members, form a single mystical body. Christ is both head and body; since all the members form one body, with its head, the Son of God, the one God.

According to this well-known reading of Scripture, neither the body without the head, nor the head without the body, nor the head and body without God make the whole Christ. When we are all united with God, we become divinized, one in God.

What Christ is by his nature, we are as his partners; what He is of Himself in all fullness, we are as participants. Finally, what the Son of God is by generation, his members are by adoption, according to the text: As sons you have received the Spirit of adoption, enabling you to cry, Abba, Father.

Through his Spirit, He gave us the power to become sons of God, so that all those He has chosen may say: Our Father, who are in heaven. Again, He says: I ascend to my Father and to your Father.

By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, He was born, our head, the Son of Man. By the same Spirit, in the waters of baptism, we were reborn as his body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins.

Jun 6 Fri - Should I be involved in spreading the message of Christ?

 

Jun 6 Fri
Should I be involved in spreading the message of Christ?
The Acts of the Apostles relate that after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the multitude came together and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed. There were inhabitants of the most varied nations.

The message of Christ, the word of God, is destined for all peoples: everyone on earth, without distinction of age, culture, language, nation, social class, race, or any other human difference. To do so, we need to be formed well.

Charity, love of our neighbor, which is born from love of God, requires us to be ready to enlighten the minds and enkindle the hearts of those around us with the doctrine of Jesus Christ. “All of our apostolate has, therefore, the nature and function of catechesis. We must give doctrine in all situations, and to do so, we need to adapt ourselves and our message to the mentality of those who hear us: that is the gift of tongues, a gift of tongues to transmit a content. Thus, we must acquire formation to explain things clearly."

Along with doctrinal formation, we also need human and professional training. “In this way, each equipped with your professional formation, all the culture you can acquire, and the outlook characteristic of your background and personal situation, you will bring the doctrine of Jesus Christ to all those you find along the path of your life, with the gift of tongues, in a way that they can understand."

“If you have this wisdom, which I ask the Holy Spirit to grant you, each of you in your place and circumstances can be like the doctor who dispenses the right medicine in proper doses, because you will give the doctrine of salvation with the gift of tongues."

Our Lord asks us to go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. But we must follow the example of Christ himself, who taught the people in a way all could understand.

“The reason why I want you to acquire this 'gift of tongues' can be found in the pages of the Gospel, Saint Josemaría tells us, which abound in parables, in examples which materialize the doctrine and illustrate spiritual truths, without debasing or corrupting the word of God."

Our Blessed Lady spent the greater part of her life working. Let us ask her to help us bring the spirit God has given us to every corner of the earth. Because “after so many centuries, God wishes to use us to help all Christians discover, finally, the sanctifying and sanctifiable value of ordinary life, of professional work, and the effectiveness of the apostolate of doctrine through example, friendship, and confidence."

Today, Jesus our Lord wants us to proclaim this message, as old and as new as the Gospel, all over the world in a thousand tongues, and with the gift of tongues, so that all can apply it to their lives.