Omaha couple made for each otherBY JOSEFINA LOZAWORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERNewlyweds Christine and Gerry Kuhlman complement each other perfectly: She is his eyes, and he is her arms and legs.
During the wedding rehearsal at St. John Catholic Church at Creighton University, Gerry Kuhlman reaches for Christine Heine's hand to place her wedding ring on her finger. The couple met years ago through a college friend.Since birth, Christine has been paralyzed pretty much from the neck down. Gerry lost his sight just after birth.But disabled hardly describes this energetic couple.Christine, a teacher, whizzes around her Omaha South High School classroom in an electric wheelchair. Gerry, an academic adviser, uses a cane to navigate Creighton University.They use personality and technology to push past their disabilities.Christine drives Gerry to work, using her mouth to hit buttons that change the minivan's gears and her wrist to move a joystick that turns the steering wheel.Gerry feeds his wife, puts on her lip gloss and brushes her hair."Combined, we can pretty much do anything," he said before they married last weekend.They've also gotten by pretty well on their own.Christine, 34, brims with energy and sass. She grew up as Christine Heine in west Omaha and graduated from Millard South and Creighton University.After graduation, she taught biology at Burke High. But she couldn't hold a beaker or dissect a frog. It was grueling, and Christine resented any help. Even her mom thought she'd quit.Christine eventually switched jobs, to South's math department. She could teach fractions and formulas on her own.She uses a pencil-like straw with a rubber eraser at the end to type and to turn textbook pages. Aside from an aide who pokes her head in to see if Christine needs help turning on the overhead projector or passing out papers, Christine runs the class.Across town, Gerry taps away on his talking computer and helps students pick courses. The 37-year-old has been at the university for almost two decades, first as a student.He grew up on a farm near Petersburg, Neb. He never really needed much help getting around. He had to feed the calves powdered milk and get the barn ready for milking.The couple met through a college friend at a bar near campus. Gerry said his attraction was instant to the petite blonde who drank beer through a straw and cussed a lot.He laughed at almost everything she said. They both loved Husker football and the Bluejays."At first, it was more of a friendship thing," Gerry said. "I suppose back then if you told us we would be together, we would have been like, 'No way.' But as our friendship got closer, we got closer."They dated on and off for years before getting engaged last year.They recently closed on a house they had built near 96th and Harrison Streets. It's close to where Christine's mom lives - where Christine lived, too, until she got married - but not too close.They designed a ranch-style home with a level driveway so Christine could get in and out easily. Inside their two-car garage is a small ramp where she drives her wheelchair into the house.They have a large living room with a big-screen TV. Gerry likes lots of noise in the house. Sound comforts him, especially when Christine's not there. She's always on the go at dinner dates with girlfriends or at Mom's.Christine made sure the house had a huge bathroom with wall-sized mirrors. She needed space near the toilet to get around and a mounted shower chair.She has an opening in front of her bedroom vanity. That's where Gerry brushes his wife's soft bob haircut and powders her face in the mornings."There are certain things she won't let me do," he said. "She won't let me put on the rest of her makeup. I guess that's understandable." (Mom and girlfriends will help with that some mornings.)The house has no steps, except for the ones leading to the basement."We made the basement steps wider so I could carry her downstairs," Gerry said. "We'll keep a spare wheelchair down there for her. But that's where I'm going to keep my fun stuff like my drums so she can't get down there unless I take her."They bake and cook together. A few weeks ago, Gerry needed to bring chocolate chip cookies to work.The couple called Christine's mom for a recipe. Christine read Gerry the recipe while he mixed the flour and eggs in a bowl. She made sure the cookies were brown before telling Gerry to take them out of the oven."I thought, 'How in the world are these two going to bake cookies?'" said mom Kathleen Heine. "The next day, I couldn't believe it. Gerry brought over six perfectly shaped brown cookies."They built balance into their relationship like any other couple.Christine sifts through the mail and pays the bills. Gerry washes the dishes and does the laundry."I'll have to clean a lot more. That's the worst thing about getting married," he said. "But I can do that for her."On Friday, more than 500 people packed into St. John Catholic Church on Creighton's campus for the wedding.Gerry was nervous. His hands shook a little. He stood near the priest, waiting for his bride to wheel down the aisle.Christine's classroom aide sewed her white satin gown. Seven bridesmaids wore deep red satin. Most were college girlfriends who couldn't believe the two finally were getting married.Christine approached the altar, and Gerry quickly grabbed the back of her wheelchair. He maneuvered his body as she turned to face the priest, who has known the couple for 11 years."I've been waiting for this wedding for a long time," he said to the audience.Gerry reached for Christine's hand and placed a ring on her finger.Wedding music revved up. The couple kissed and turned to their friends and family members, inciting a roar of cheers and claps."People think we're the cutest couple ever," said Gerry. "They've wanted us to get married for so long. But I think mostly people think we're a great team." URL: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10141752
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Reorienting the Mass
This article from Zenit (by way of Catholic Online) helps to explain the posture of the priest facing with the people towards the altar during Holy Mass. This posture, known as "ad orientem" (to the east) is the common posture in what is now called the "Extraordinary Form" of the Holy Mass, and is allowable, although sadly not widely practiced, in the Ordinary Form. There is something beautiful, and unitive, about the people facing with the priest during the offering of the Holy Sacrifice. It symbolizes the fact that together, as the Church, we are all a pilgrim people moving together towards the Lord through out life. One body acting in concert towards one goal. It is not impossible to express this facing the people, but more difficult and sadly, as we have seen born out, easily lost. What has been lost in wide measure is that the Mass is a dialogue with God, and not with each other (just it is also missed that the Mass is what God does for man and not man for God) . I believe that the common posture of priest and people accentuates and supports this divine dialogue. I also believe that this posture also accentuates the role of priest as head and shepherd, standing in the person of Christ, acting as mediator between God and man. Why is their a dearth of men answering the call to priesthood? The answer is legion, and no simple answer will suffice. However, I am sure that among those answers that could be had is the "new" and false model of priest as facilitator of the community's worship instead of the true model of priest as alter Christus, standing in the person of Christ, offering the true sacrifice of Calvary for the salvation of the world. This is a mystery worth living and dying for. Questions and comments are welcome. God love you!************
- From Father V.
Reorienting the MassFather Lang Comments on "Ad Orientem"9/26/2007
LONDON, SEPT. 26, 2007 (Zenit) - The statement asserting that the priest celebrating the older form of the Mass has "his back to the people" misses the point, says Father Uwe Michael Lang.The posture "ad orientem," or "facing east," is about having a common direction of liturgical prayer, he adds.Father Lang of the London Oratory, and recently appointed to work for the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, is the author of "Turning Toward the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer." The book was first published in German by Johannes Verlag and then in English by Ignatius Press. The book has also appeared in Italian, French, Hungarian and Spanish.In this interview with us, Father Lang speaks about the "ad orientem" posture and the possibilities for a rediscovery of the ancient liturgical practice.Q: How did the practice of celebrating the liturgy "ad orientem," or "facing east," develop in the early Church? What is its theological significance?Father Lang: In most major religions, the position taken in prayer and the layout of holy places is determined by a "sacred direction." The sacred direction in Judaism is toward Jerusalem or, more precisely, toward the presence of the transcendent God -- "shekinah" -- in the Holy of Holies of the Temple, as seen in Daniel 6:10.Even after the destruction of the Temple, the custom of turning toward Jerusalem was kept in the liturgy of the synagogue. This is how the Jews have expressed their eschatological hope for the coming of the Messiah, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the gathering of God's people from the diaspora.The early Christians no longer turned toward the earthly Jerusalem, but toward the new, heavenly Jerusalem. It was their firm belief that when the Risen Christ would come again in glory, he would gather his faithful to make up this heavenly city.They saw in the rising sun a symbol of the Resurrection and of the Second Coming, and it was a matter of course for them to pray facing this direction. There is strong evidence of eastward prayer in most parts of the Christian world from the second century onward.In the New Testament, the special significance of the eastward direction for worship is not explicit.Even so, tradition has found many biblical references for this symbolism, for instance: the "sun of righteousness" in Malachi 4:2; the "day dawning from on high" in Luke 1:78; the angel ascending from the rising of the sun with the seal of the living God in Revelation 7:2; and the imagery of light in St John's Gospel.In Matthew 24:27-30, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man with power and great glory, which appears as the lightning from the east and shines as far as the west, is the cross.There is a close connection between eastward prayer and the cross; this is evident by the fourth century, if not earlier. In synagogues of this period, the corner with the receptacle for the Torah scrolls indicated the direction of prayer -- "qibla" -- toward Jerusalem.Among Christians, it became a general custom to mark the direction of prayer with a cross on the east wall in the apses of basilicas as well as in private rooms, for example, of monks and solitaries.Toward the end of the first millennium, we find theologians of different traditions noting that prayer facing east is one of the practices distinguishing Christianity from the other religions of the Near East: Jews pray toward Jerusalem, Muslims pray toward Mecca, but Christians pray toward the east.Q: Do any of the other rites of the Catholic Church employ the "ad orientem" liturgical posture?Father Lang: "Facing east" in liturgical prayer is part of the Byzantine, Syriac, Armenian, Coptic and Ethiopian traditions. It is still the custom in most of the Eastern rites, at least during the Eucharistic prayer.A few Eastern Catholic Churches -- for example, the Maronite and the Syro-Malabar -- have lately adopted "Mass facing the people," but this is owing to modern Western influence and not in keeping with their authentic traditions.For this reason, the Vatican Congregation for Eastern Churches declared in 1996 that the ancient tradition of praying toward the east has a profound liturgical and spiritual value and must be preserved in the Eastern rites.Q: We often hear that "facing east" means the priest is celebrating "with his back to the people." What is really going on when the priest celebrates Mass "ad orientem"?Father Lang: That catchphrase often heard nowadays, that the priest "is turning his back on the people," misses the crucial point that the Mass is a common act of worship in which priest and people together -- representing the pilgrim Church -- reach out for the transcendent God.What is at issue here is not the celebration "toward the people" or "away from the people," but rather the common direction of liturgical prayer. This is maintained whether or not the altar is literally facing east; in the West, many churches built since the 16th century are no longer "oriented" in the strict sense.By facing the same direction as the faithful when he stands at the altar, the priest leads the people of God on their journey of faith. This movement toward the Lord has found sublime expression in the sanctuaries of many churches of the first millennium, where representations of the cross or of the glorified Christ illustrate the goal of the assembly's earthly pilgrimage.Looking out for the Lord keeps the eschatological character of the Eucharist alive and reminds us that the celebration of the sacrament is a participation in the heavenly liturgy and a pledge of future glory in the presence of the living God.This gives the Eucharist its greatness, saving the individual community from closing in upon itself and opening it toward the assembly of the angels and saints in the heavenly city.Q: In what ways does "facing east" during the liturgy foster a dialogue with the Lord?Father Lang: The paramount principle of Christian worship is the dialogue between the people of God as a whole, including the celebrant, and God, to whom their prayer is addressed.This is why the French liturgist Marcel Metzger argues that the phrases "facing the people" and "back to the people" exclude the one to whom all prayer is directed, namely God.The priest does not celebrate the Eucharist "facing the people," whatever direction he faces; rather, the whole congregation celebrates facing God, through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.Q: In the foreword to your book, then Cardinal Ratzinger notes that none of the documents of the Second Vatican Council asked for the altar to be turned toward the people. How did this change come about? What was the basis for such a major reorientation of the liturgy?Father Lang: Two main arguments in favor of the celebrant's position facing the people are usually presented.First, it is often said that this was the practice of the early Church, which should be the norm for our age; however, a close study of the sources shows that this claim does not hold.Second, it is maintained that the "active participation" of the faithful, a principle that was introduced by Pope Pius X and is central to "Sacrosanctum Concilium," demanded celebration toward the people.Recent critical reflection on the concept of "active participation" has revealed the need for a theological reappraisal of this important principle.In his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy," then Cardinal Ratzinger draws a useful distinction between participation in the Liturgy of the Word, which includes external actions, and participation in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where external actions are quite secondary, since the interior participation of prayer is the heart of the matter.The Holy Father's recent postsynodal apostolic exhortation "Sacramentum Caritatis" has an important discussion of this topic in Paragraph 52.Q: Is a priest forbidden from "facing east" in the new order of the Mass promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970? Is there any juridical obstacle prohibiting wider use of this ancient practice?Father Lang: A combination of priest and people facing each other during the Liturgy of the Word and turning jointly toward the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, especially for the Canon, is a legitimate option in the Missal of Pope Paul VI.The revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which was first published for study purposes in 2000, addresses the altar question in Paragraph 299; it seems to declare the position of the celebrant "ad orientem" undesirable or even prohibited.However, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments rejected this interpretation in a response to a question submitted by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna. Obviously, the relevant paragraph of the General Instruction must be read in light of this response, which was dated Sept. 25, 2000.Q: Will Pope Benedict's recent apostolic letter liberalizing the use of the Missal of John XXIII, "Summorum Pontificum," foster a deeper appreciation for "turning toward the Lord" during the Mass?Father Lang: I think many reservations or even fears about Mass "ad orientem" come from lack of familiarity with it, and the spread of the "extraordinary use" of the Roman rite will help many people to discover and appreciate this form of celebration.Contact: Catholic Onlinehttp://www.catholic.org CA, USCatholic Online - Publisher, 661-869-1000
This article from Zenit (by way of Catholic Online) helps to explain the posture of the priest facing with the people towards the altar during Holy Mass. This posture, known as "ad orientem" (to the east) is the common posture in what is now called the "Extraordinary Form" of the Holy Mass, and is allowable, although sadly not widely practiced, in the Ordinary Form. There is something beautiful, and unitive, about the people facing with the priest during the offering of the Holy Sacrifice. It symbolizes the fact that together, as the Church, we are all a pilgrim people moving together towards the Lord through out life. One body acting in concert towards one goal. It is not impossible to express this facing the people, but more difficult and sadly, as we have seen born out, easily lost. What has been lost in wide measure is that the Mass is a dialogue with God, and not with each other (just it is also missed that the Mass is what God does for man and not man for God) . I believe that the common posture of priest and people accentuates and supports this divine dialogue. I also believe that this posture also accentuates the role of priest as head and shepherd, standing in the person of Christ, acting as mediator between God and man. Why is their a dearth of men answering the call to priesthood? The answer is legion, and no simple answer will suffice. However, I am sure that among those answers that could be had is the "new" and false model of priest as facilitator of the community's worship instead of the true model of priest as alter Christus, standing in the person of Christ, offering the true sacrifice of Calvary for the salvation of the world. This is a mystery worth living and dying for. Questions and comments are welcome. God love you!************
- From Father V.
Reorienting the MassFather Lang Comments on "Ad Orientem"9/26/2007
LONDON, SEPT. 26, 2007 (Zenit) - The statement asserting that the priest celebrating the older form of the Mass has "his back to the people" misses the point, says Father Uwe Michael Lang.The posture "ad orientem," or "facing east," is about having a common direction of liturgical prayer, he adds.Father Lang of the London Oratory, and recently appointed to work for the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, is the author of "Turning Toward the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer." The book was first published in German by Johannes Verlag and then in English by Ignatius Press. The book has also appeared in Italian, French, Hungarian and Spanish.In this interview with us, Father Lang speaks about the "ad orientem" posture and the possibilities for a rediscovery of the ancient liturgical practice.Q: How did the practice of celebrating the liturgy "ad orientem," or "facing east," develop in the early Church? What is its theological significance?Father Lang: In most major religions, the position taken in prayer and the layout of holy places is determined by a "sacred direction." The sacred direction in Judaism is toward Jerusalem or, more precisely, toward the presence of the transcendent God -- "shekinah" -- in the Holy of Holies of the Temple, as seen in Daniel 6:10.Even after the destruction of the Temple, the custom of turning toward Jerusalem was kept in the liturgy of the synagogue. This is how the Jews have expressed their eschatological hope for the coming of the Messiah, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the gathering of God's people from the diaspora.The early Christians no longer turned toward the earthly Jerusalem, but toward the new, heavenly Jerusalem. It was their firm belief that when the Risen Christ would come again in glory, he would gather his faithful to make up this heavenly city.They saw in the rising sun a symbol of the Resurrection and of the Second Coming, and it was a matter of course for them to pray facing this direction. There is strong evidence of eastward prayer in most parts of the Christian world from the second century onward.In the New Testament, the special significance of the eastward direction for worship is not explicit.Even so, tradition has found many biblical references for this symbolism, for instance: the "sun of righteousness" in Malachi 4:2; the "day dawning from on high" in Luke 1:78; the angel ascending from the rising of the sun with the seal of the living God in Revelation 7:2; and the imagery of light in St John's Gospel.In Matthew 24:27-30, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man with power and great glory, which appears as the lightning from the east and shines as far as the west, is the cross.There is a close connection between eastward prayer and the cross; this is evident by the fourth century, if not earlier. In synagogues of this period, the corner with the receptacle for the Torah scrolls indicated the direction of prayer -- "qibla" -- toward Jerusalem.Among Christians, it became a general custom to mark the direction of prayer with a cross on the east wall in the apses of basilicas as well as in private rooms, for example, of monks and solitaries.Toward the end of the first millennium, we find theologians of different traditions noting that prayer facing east is one of the practices distinguishing Christianity from the other religions of the Near East: Jews pray toward Jerusalem, Muslims pray toward Mecca, but Christians pray toward the east.Q: Do any of the other rites of the Catholic Church employ the "ad orientem" liturgical posture?Father Lang: "Facing east" in liturgical prayer is part of the Byzantine, Syriac, Armenian, Coptic and Ethiopian traditions. It is still the custom in most of the Eastern rites, at least during the Eucharistic prayer.A few Eastern Catholic Churches -- for example, the Maronite and the Syro-Malabar -- have lately adopted "Mass facing the people," but this is owing to modern Western influence and not in keeping with their authentic traditions.For this reason, the Vatican Congregation for Eastern Churches declared in 1996 that the ancient tradition of praying toward the east has a profound liturgical and spiritual value and must be preserved in the Eastern rites.Q: We often hear that "facing east" means the priest is celebrating "with his back to the people." What is really going on when the priest celebrates Mass "ad orientem"?Father Lang: That catchphrase often heard nowadays, that the priest "is turning his back on the people," misses the crucial point that the Mass is a common act of worship in which priest and people together -- representing the pilgrim Church -- reach out for the transcendent God.What is at issue here is not the celebration "toward the people" or "away from the people," but rather the common direction of liturgical prayer. This is maintained whether or not the altar is literally facing east; in the West, many churches built since the 16th century are no longer "oriented" in the strict sense.By facing the same direction as the faithful when he stands at the altar, the priest leads the people of God on their journey of faith. This movement toward the Lord has found sublime expression in the sanctuaries of many churches of the first millennium, where representations of the cross or of the glorified Christ illustrate the goal of the assembly's earthly pilgrimage.Looking out for the Lord keeps the eschatological character of the Eucharist alive and reminds us that the celebration of the sacrament is a participation in the heavenly liturgy and a pledge of future glory in the presence of the living God.This gives the Eucharist its greatness, saving the individual community from closing in upon itself and opening it toward the assembly of the angels and saints in the heavenly city.Q: In what ways does "facing east" during the liturgy foster a dialogue with the Lord?Father Lang: The paramount principle of Christian worship is the dialogue between the people of God as a whole, including the celebrant, and God, to whom their prayer is addressed.This is why the French liturgist Marcel Metzger argues that the phrases "facing the people" and "back to the people" exclude the one to whom all prayer is directed, namely God.The priest does not celebrate the Eucharist "facing the people," whatever direction he faces; rather, the whole congregation celebrates facing God, through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.Q: In the foreword to your book, then Cardinal Ratzinger notes that none of the documents of the Second Vatican Council asked for the altar to be turned toward the people. How did this change come about? What was the basis for such a major reorientation of the liturgy?Father Lang: Two main arguments in favor of the celebrant's position facing the people are usually presented.First, it is often said that this was the practice of the early Church, which should be the norm for our age; however, a close study of the sources shows that this claim does not hold.Second, it is maintained that the "active participation" of the faithful, a principle that was introduced by Pope Pius X and is central to "Sacrosanctum Concilium," demanded celebration toward the people.Recent critical reflection on the concept of "active participation" has revealed the need for a theological reappraisal of this important principle.In his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy," then Cardinal Ratzinger draws a useful distinction between participation in the Liturgy of the Word, which includes external actions, and participation in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where external actions are quite secondary, since the interior participation of prayer is the heart of the matter.The Holy Father's recent postsynodal apostolic exhortation "Sacramentum Caritatis" has an important discussion of this topic in Paragraph 52.Q: Is a priest forbidden from "facing east" in the new order of the Mass promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970? Is there any juridical obstacle prohibiting wider use of this ancient practice?Father Lang: A combination of priest and people facing each other during the Liturgy of the Word and turning jointly toward the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, especially for the Canon, is a legitimate option in the Missal of Pope Paul VI.The revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which was first published for study purposes in 2000, addresses the altar question in Paragraph 299; it seems to declare the position of the celebrant "ad orientem" undesirable or even prohibited.However, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments rejected this interpretation in a response to a question submitted by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna. Obviously, the relevant paragraph of the General Instruction must be read in light of this response, which was dated Sept. 25, 2000.Q: Will Pope Benedict's recent apostolic letter liberalizing the use of the Missal of John XXIII, "Summorum Pontificum," foster a deeper appreciation for "turning toward the Lord" during the Mass?Father Lang: I think many reservations or even fears about Mass "ad orientem" come from lack of familiarity with it, and the spread of the "extraordinary use" of the Roman rite will help many people to discover and appreciate this form of celebration.Contact: Catholic Onlinehttp://www.catholic.org CA, USCatholic Online - Publisher, 661-869-1000
Divorce: In the Image and Likeness of Hell
Divorce: In the Image and Likeness of Hell
Catholics and Divorce, part 1
BY Melinda Selmys
September 30 - October 6, 2007 Issue Posted 9/25/07 at 11:24 AM
I never intended to fall in love.
For a long time, it was not something that I believed in: the portrayals on television and in books seemed trite and shallow. Those who claimed to be in love seemed to be living out a fantasy that was destined to crumble. Love, therefore, was something that happened unexpectedly, like a flash of sunlight on a winter pond.
When I decided that I was going to marry my husband, it was not a rational discourse, weighing the advantages of financial unity, or a bid for an end to loneliness. It was a bold resolve, made in the knowledge that I was forging something beautiful and irrevocable, that I was taking a step, like Ulysses setting sail for home, that would end either in shipwreck or in glory.
I had no delusions that I was wedding myself to Galahad. I had known my husband for some time, and I had seen there was evil in his soul — every bit as much as in mine — but I loved him, and I knew that this was the one man with whom I could stand before God and vow my life away. I knew that this loving would be enough, and that in all of its darkness and suffering and beauty we would find the means to save our souls.
It was years later, after the ring was locked upon the finger, that I was sitting in a car with my husband's divorced aunt. She said, "You know, no one will blame you if you divorce my nephew."
I didn't know what to say. It was as though someone had said to Frodo, "You know, no one will blame you if you just put on the One Ring and become like the Nazgul, half living and half dead." The dignity of the quest is too great to justify such an ignominious end.
This is not to claim that there have never been times when I have considered leaving.
Early in our marriage he was usually out of work. There were days when I was in tears because we didn't have enough money to buy milk for our daughter, and I considered walking out, telling him to call me when he had found a job and was ready to support a family.
But I knew that it would never happen: the motive for change would come from seeing me and his family with him, day by day, and that however humiliating it was to ask my parents for loans that I would never be able to repay, it would be more devastating to go home and admit that the project on which my life was built had failed.
In every marriage, there are moments when it seems impossible. I am sure that when Christ fell on the road to Cavalry, the thought of lifting his cross again and dragging it the rest of the way to the top of the hill seemed like madness. Perhaps it is different through divine eyes, but for men, there are always moments when we turn to heaven and say, "Are you insane?" When we are hardly able to see the top of Golgotha through our dust-bitten tears, we derive no comfort from reassurances that crucifixion isn't all that bad, and that, seen in perspective, it's really a beautiful expression of love and self-giving.
Unfortunately, this is how many tracts on divorce come across.
The theologians remind us that our married life is an image of the union between the soul and Christ in heaven. We hear of the wine of joy being mixed out of ordinary water, and of the bliss of two becoming one. We are offered the promise that if we just stick with it, it's all going to get better, and we'll enjoy a happy old age sipping lemonade on the front porch of a yellow house while our grandchildren play in the sun. We are told to improve communication, fall in love with each other all over again, observe the tender moments, etc., etc.
But how are you to fall in love again with an insensitive beast who has broken your heart and slept with another woman? How can you see your sex life as an image of the intimate life of the blessed Trinity when your wife consents only on a full moon when Mars is in Virgo, and makes love with the enthusiasm of a dead frog?
Marriage is, absolutely, an image of the soul wedded to God. It includes the same agony, the mingling of tears and blood, the same thorns digging into our skulls, the same nails plowed through our palms. And yet this yoke is easy, and this burden light.
This is the mystery at the heart of the Gospel, and it is the mystery at the heart of marriage: Only in dying do we live. Often we look at the spouse to whom we have vowed our life, and we think, "This is not the person that I married. This is not what I wanted." And yet, it is what we were promised: the sickness, the poverty, the worst.
We are often tempted to abandon the project — to call on the angels of divorce to come with their golden ledgers and take us down from the cross of nuptial defeat.
It is when this temptation is strongest that we have the greatest capacity to strengthen love.
Everyone experiences this at some point in their life, whether they are contemplating divorce, or adultery, or suicide, or abortion. There is a despair that tears the soul apart, a raging fire that consumes everything, and then the will consents, just a little, to the sin proposed. Then there is quiet. The soul looking down into the surface of the river Styx, and seeing its reflection writhing amongst the tortured ghosts.
It is not peace: it is death.
But when peace has been absent for a long time, it can seem to be a good alternative.
In this moment, there are two paths set before us. God tells us to choose life, so that we and our children may live. And yet, often enough, we choose death.
God allows us to survive these little deaths, just as he allowed Adam and Eve to survive when they were cast from the garden. Yet this is the more difficult path. I have met divorced people who, out of this confrontation with the image of hell, were eventually able to transform a lukewarm faith into a life of penance and service to Christ. One day one of these people will be canonized, and we will all be able to beseech them to save our marriages.
Yet it is unquestionably better to choose life — even the life that comes through the cross. God does not try the soul beyond her means. He does not condemn divorce without giving us the graces necessary to avoid it.
Next week, we will make an honest appraisal of the obstacles that stand in our way, and consider why so many people in the modern world are choosing the wide path to the end of marriage.
Melinda Selmys is
a staff writer at VulgataMagazine.org.
URL: http://ncregister.com/site/article/4675/
Catholics and Divorce, part 1
BY Melinda Selmys
September 30 - October 6, 2007 Issue Posted 9/25/07 at 11:24 AM
I never intended to fall in love.
For a long time, it was not something that I believed in: the portrayals on television and in books seemed trite and shallow. Those who claimed to be in love seemed to be living out a fantasy that was destined to crumble. Love, therefore, was something that happened unexpectedly, like a flash of sunlight on a winter pond.
When I decided that I was going to marry my husband, it was not a rational discourse, weighing the advantages of financial unity, or a bid for an end to loneliness. It was a bold resolve, made in the knowledge that I was forging something beautiful and irrevocable, that I was taking a step, like Ulysses setting sail for home, that would end either in shipwreck or in glory.
I had no delusions that I was wedding myself to Galahad. I had known my husband for some time, and I had seen there was evil in his soul — every bit as much as in mine — but I loved him, and I knew that this was the one man with whom I could stand before God and vow my life away. I knew that this loving would be enough, and that in all of its darkness and suffering and beauty we would find the means to save our souls.
It was years later, after the ring was locked upon the finger, that I was sitting in a car with my husband's divorced aunt. She said, "You know, no one will blame you if you divorce my nephew."
I didn't know what to say. It was as though someone had said to Frodo, "You know, no one will blame you if you just put on the One Ring and become like the Nazgul, half living and half dead." The dignity of the quest is too great to justify such an ignominious end.
This is not to claim that there have never been times when I have considered leaving.
Early in our marriage he was usually out of work. There were days when I was in tears because we didn't have enough money to buy milk for our daughter, and I considered walking out, telling him to call me when he had found a job and was ready to support a family.
But I knew that it would never happen: the motive for change would come from seeing me and his family with him, day by day, and that however humiliating it was to ask my parents for loans that I would never be able to repay, it would be more devastating to go home and admit that the project on which my life was built had failed.
In every marriage, there are moments when it seems impossible. I am sure that when Christ fell on the road to Cavalry, the thought of lifting his cross again and dragging it the rest of the way to the top of the hill seemed like madness. Perhaps it is different through divine eyes, but for men, there are always moments when we turn to heaven and say, "Are you insane?" When we are hardly able to see the top of Golgotha through our dust-bitten tears, we derive no comfort from reassurances that crucifixion isn't all that bad, and that, seen in perspective, it's really a beautiful expression of love and self-giving.
Unfortunately, this is how many tracts on divorce come across.
The theologians remind us that our married life is an image of the union between the soul and Christ in heaven. We hear of the wine of joy being mixed out of ordinary water, and of the bliss of two becoming one. We are offered the promise that if we just stick with it, it's all going to get better, and we'll enjoy a happy old age sipping lemonade on the front porch of a yellow house while our grandchildren play in the sun. We are told to improve communication, fall in love with each other all over again, observe the tender moments, etc., etc.
But how are you to fall in love again with an insensitive beast who has broken your heart and slept with another woman? How can you see your sex life as an image of the intimate life of the blessed Trinity when your wife consents only on a full moon when Mars is in Virgo, and makes love with the enthusiasm of a dead frog?
Marriage is, absolutely, an image of the soul wedded to God. It includes the same agony, the mingling of tears and blood, the same thorns digging into our skulls, the same nails plowed through our palms. And yet this yoke is easy, and this burden light.
This is the mystery at the heart of the Gospel, and it is the mystery at the heart of marriage: Only in dying do we live. Often we look at the spouse to whom we have vowed our life, and we think, "This is not the person that I married. This is not what I wanted." And yet, it is what we were promised: the sickness, the poverty, the worst.
We are often tempted to abandon the project — to call on the angels of divorce to come with their golden ledgers and take us down from the cross of nuptial defeat.
It is when this temptation is strongest that we have the greatest capacity to strengthen love.
Everyone experiences this at some point in their life, whether they are contemplating divorce, or adultery, or suicide, or abortion. There is a despair that tears the soul apart, a raging fire that consumes everything, and then the will consents, just a little, to the sin proposed. Then there is quiet. The soul looking down into the surface of the river Styx, and seeing its reflection writhing amongst the tortured ghosts.
It is not peace: it is death.
But when peace has been absent for a long time, it can seem to be a good alternative.
In this moment, there are two paths set before us. God tells us to choose life, so that we and our children may live. And yet, often enough, we choose death.
God allows us to survive these little deaths, just as he allowed Adam and Eve to survive when they were cast from the garden. Yet this is the more difficult path. I have met divorced people who, out of this confrontation with the image of hell, were eventually able to transform a lukewarm faith into a life of penance and service to Christ. One day one of these people will be canonized, and we will all be able to beseech them to save our marriages.
Yet it is unquestionably better to choose life — even the life that comes through the cross. God does not try the soul beyond her means. He does not condemn divorce without giving us the graces necessary to avoid it.
Next week, we will make an honest appraisal of the obstacles that stand in our way, and consider why so many people in the modern world are choosing the wide path to the end of marriage.
Melinda Selmys is
a staff writer at VulgataMagazine.org.
URL: http://ncregister.com/site/article/4675/
Eucharist Teaches us Charity
Cardinal: Eucharist teaches us charity
By John Gleason
..
The Eucharist both generates and commands charity. So said Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, during a conference on stewardship he keynoted in Arvada last week.
More than 150 faithful, including laity and clergy both, gathered at Spirit of Christ Church Sept. 20 to participate in the 2007 Stewardship Confe-rence, "Eucharist: Nourishment for the Christian Steward." In addition to the Vatican City cardinal's keynote presentation, the conference included a panel discussion for pastors on making stewardship work in a parish, breakout sessions and Mass. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. Cap., delivered the opening remarks."Learning to live as a real Christian is a lifetime work," the archbishop said. "It always involves the choice of sacrificing yourself for the sake of others. One of the ways of doing that is giving of our time generously. I don't think that anybody understands stewardship in a practical way any better than our guest today, Cardinal Arinze."
During his address, Cardinal Arinze spoke on the conference theme.
"The Holy Eucharist is both the sacrifice and sacrament of Christ's love," he said. "The bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, which we receive to promote our union with Christ and to nourish our souls.
"Christ loves us so much," he emphasized, "that he gives us his body to eat. What more could he have done for us?"
The sacrament of the Eucharist, the cardinal said, is Christ teaching us and sending us to love our neighbor and to share this love with everyone."Jesus teaches us that our neighbor is anyone who needs me," he said, "whether that person is of my culture or religion, whether I like the person or not."Bonita Welsh, a member of St. William Parish in Fort Lupton, said she was struck by the cardinal's message. It gave her a great deal to ponder."That was very much what I needed to hear," she said.
Following the cardinal's address, the group divided up into breakout sessions. Topics included how to make stewardship work in a parish, and marketing and maintaining stewardship.
Luis Soto, director of Hispanic ministry for the Denver Archdio-cese, presented on starting stewardship in a Hispanic parish."The Hispanic population is becoming a strong presence in the Church in the United States and we need to take responsibility to serve our Church in any way we can," Soto said. "It is time for Hispanics give their lives as disciples to the Church. I'm committed to that and will continue to work in that direction."
In the session about making stewardship a way of life, Mila Glodava, director of stewardship and communication at St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial, told her group that stewardship isn't something that can be initiated and then left to run itself. It takes work, but the results exceed that effort many times over.
"There has to be commitment," she said. "You need the support of your pastor and to get parish leaders to 'buy in.' The size of the parish isn't important because stewardship begins with small groups.
"And it isn't about money," she stressed. "It's about people."
Stewardship is about sharing one's time, talent and treasure. Time to help with parish projects and to serve on the parish council or to visit the elderly or deliver meals. A good Catholic parish is a community of sharing Christians, Glodava said, who pool their talents to help each other. Stewardship is about volunteering, what Glodava calls a "win-win" situation.
"Sure people give money," she said, "but it's about being involved in the parish, too."
Bob Zarlengo, president of the League of Stewardship Parishes, told conference attendees that the league's purpose is to continue to educate parishes as to the benefits of stewardship. He had a message for those parishes that have not yet looked into a stewardship program.
"We want to provide a platform for sharing ideas and serve as a resource for stewardship," he said. "If a parish is interested, we'll come talk to them. All they have to do is call."
URL: http://www.archden.org/dcr//news.php?e=438&s=4&a=9191
By John Gleason
..
The Eucharist both generates and commands charity. So said Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, during a conference on stewardship he keynoted in Arvada last week.
More than 150 faithful, including laity and clergy both, gathered at Spirit of Christ Church Sept. 20 to participate in the 2007 Stewardship Confe-rence, "Eucharist: Nourishment for the Christian Steward." In addition to the Vatican City cardinal's keynote presentation, the conference included a panel discussion for pastors on making stewardship work in a parish, breakout sessions and Mass. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. Cap., delivered the opening remarks."Learning to live as a real Christian is a lifetime work," the archbishop said. "It always involves the choice of sacrificing yourself for the sake of others. One of the ways of doing that is giving of our time generously. I don't think that anybody understands stewardship in a practical way any better than our guest today, Cardinal Arinze."
During his address, Cardinal Arinze spoke on the conference theme.
"The Holy Eucharist is both the sacrifice and sacrament of Christ's love," he said. "The bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, which we receive to promote our union with Christ and to nourish our souls.
"Christ loves us so much," he emphasized, "that he gives us his body to eat. What more could he have done for us?"
The sacrament of the Eucharist, the cardinal said, is Christ teaching us and sending us to love our neighbor and to share this love with everyone."Jesus teaches us that our neighbor is anyone who needs me," he said, "whether that person is of my culture or religion, whether I like the person or not."Bonita Welsh, a member of St. William Parish in Fort Lupton, said she was struck by the cardinal's message. It gave her a great deal to ponder."That was very much what I needed to hear," she said.
Following the cardinal's address, the group divided up into breakout sessions. Topics included how to make stewardship work in a parish, and marketing and maintaining stewardship.
Luis Soto, director of Hispanic ministry for the Denver Archdio-cese, presented on starting stewardship in a Hispanic parish."The Hispanic population is becoming a strong presence in the Church in the United States and we need to take responsibility to serve our Church in any way we can," Soto said. "It is time for Hispanics give their lives as disciples to the Church. I'm committed to that and will continue to work in that direction."
In the session about making stewardship a way of life, Mila Glodava, director of stewardship and communication at St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial, told her group that stewardship isn't something that can be initiated and then left to run itself. It takes work, but the results exceed that effort many times over.
"There has to be commitment," she said. "You need the support of your pastor and to get parish leaders to 'buy in.' The size of the parish isn't important because stewardship begins with small groups.
"And it isn't about money," she stressed. "It's about people."
Stewardship is about sharing one's time, talent and treasure. Time to help with parish projects and to serve on the parish council or to visit the elderly or deliver meals. A good Catholic parish is a community of sharing Christians, Glodava said, who pool their talents to help each other. Stewardship is about volunteering, what Glodava calls a "win-win" situation.
"Sure people give money," she said, "but it's about being involved in the parish, too."
Bob Zarlengo, president of the League of Stewardship Parishes, told conference attendees that the league's purpose is to continue to educate parishes as to the benefits of stewardship. He had a message for those parishes that have not yet looked into a stewardship program.
"We want to provide a platform for sharing ideas and serve as a resource for stewardship," he said. "If a parish is interested, we'll come talk to them. All they have to do is call."
URL: http://www.archden.org/dcr//news.php?e=438&s=4&a=9191
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
What the Devil?
http://
What the Devil?by Br Matthew Whalen,
LC What is the devil trying to get you to do right now?
C. S. Lewis said that there are two errors we can make about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and feel an unhealthy interest for them. They themselves are equally pleased with both since both serve their end: the complete misery of man. Exorcist tales may rouse dread for this fiendish foe of man, but a glance at how he works in our own lives can help us wake to the reality of his existence and avoid the pitfalls he sets before us.
One tool the devil loves to apply is the separation of thinking and doing. In our modern, relativist society, this is often referred to as the abyss between my "private" and "social" life. I may have my own moral principles and beliefs, but I can't "impose" them on society. The devil of course does his best to assure us that society is a liberal, radical, dog-eat-dog monster that must be treated with respect and tolerance rather than an abstract generalization of real individuals with aspirations and desires that at their deepest roots are not that different from my own: the desire for happiness, success and love.
If, in fact, we look at things rationally, those enthusiasts for the radical majority-suppressing, psycho-sociologist, new neo-liberal liberationist slave-drivers don't escape imposing their view on everyone else by saying "No one can impose anything on anybody." To agree with them would be to impose their negative assumption on society. Why not "impose" something positive? It wouldn't really be that imposing if we're not forcing anyone, would it? No one's going to die if I speak about "God" or "religion" or "moral living" as essential elements for the true realization of man.
"But these are just logical games. Stop thinking!" Where'd that voice come from? Oh yes, we're talking about the devil aren't we? "As I was saying, thinking and doing are two different worlds! We don't act on reasoning; we act on instinct, impulse and whim." Yes, the devil stopped trying to use reason against us when he discovered these far more effective means.
"If it makes you happy it's not that bad." Yes, well if following whim and instinct really makes you happy, why—in Satan's fiery furnace—does it leave you empty, dissatisfied, and downright sad. Sure the merry-go-round's merry for a bit—till it turns into a hurricane. The whirling is fun at first, but after a while you start to feel sick. Isn't there something more than just living it up, often at the expense of others, until you die and are no more? Isn't there something more?
"No, stop thinking! Real life consists in the movie that just came out, the next party thrown, and overflowing bank accounts. To ask yourself where you're going in life is for weak-minded nitwits shut up in the library. Oh yes, my friend, you really need an inarticulate sense for actuality to escape the aberration of mere logic." And so on and so forth.
Why so eager to assure our destruction? The devil is a sore loser and doesn't want to admit that he's already lost. Instead he keeps trying to use and abuse us to kick back at the Conqueror.
He's pretty good at his task, but what would happen if we started to think about what we do? What would happen if we put aside prejudice and social fear, if we started thinking more about helping others and less about satisfying passing whims? What would happen if we acted on solid principles instead of letting ourselves be driven by circumstances, feelings, and passions? What would happen if one day we woke up to the reality of the devil and decided to shun the snares of his passing materialist world and opted for the Kingdom of Heaven?
Brother Matthew Whalen is studying for the priesthood in Rome.URL: http://www.catholic.net/twentysomething/template_channel.phtml?channel_id=10
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Angels
Angels - Part 3 by Mark Shea
September 18, 2007
The Church's tradition is chockablock with all sorts of devotions to angels, prayers to angels, and pleas for angelic intercession. One of the most common is the St. Michael prayer, which reminds us that, as Ephesians 6 tells us, we are living in a cosmic war zone. This means that the true nature of the conflict is not liberals vs. conservatives, or based on race, class, and gender. It is not about religion or politics or riches. It is not between humans at all ultimately (though, of course, humans were sucked into the war when our First Parent listened to the Fallen Angel—the Great Serpent who is called the Devil and Satan—and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil).
But as that story makes clear, the war is older than humanity, for evil was already in the Garden before we got here. That war is not, as countless people think, a war between two equal and opposite foes called God and Satan. Rather it is a revolt by Satan and the demons against a God who is infinitely more loving, powerful, glorious and wise than the angels. Indeed, that is what makes sense of the temptation of Adam and Eve: when you cannot hurt the strong man, you hurt the ones he loves. There is no more exquisite form of revenge for a weakling than to simultaneously turn a good person's children against him and then engineer their destruction. That is what the Fall is, from Hell's perspective. The devil hates us because he hates our Father.
Curiously, Scripture tells us that the battle is fought on two fronts. In one battle, the combatants are not Satan and God, but Satan and St. Michael (cf. Revelation 12). That matters because part of the definition of God is "He who has no opposite". The demons, the powers and principalities, the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places, are immensely powerful and clever superhuman spirits, but they are still creatures and they have no power over God at all—except what he gives them.
On the second front, the battle is waged, not so much against Satan as for us—and that by God himself. Our faith says that God gave the devils power over him when he became human in Christ Jesus. Not in the sense that he obeyed them, of course, but in the sense that he allowed them to do their worst: temptation, thirst, hunger, derision, hatred, betrayal, flogging, shameful death—Hell was allowed to pull out all the stops in its battle to finish what it attempted in Eden, the complete destruction of Man in the person of the Son of Man.
On both fronts, the demonic powers are defeated—ultimately by themselves—through the cross and our participation in it. That is why we are encouraged by Holy Church to make prayers to our guardian angel and to the various angels—Gabriel, Raphael, Michael—who are mentioned in the Tradition. The labor of spiritual warfare continues to this hour and includes not merely the defeat of the power and principalities, but the redemption, illumination, salvation, and divinization of the human race.
This is, of course, accomplished through Jesus Christ, who has not only redeemed us from the sin and death which came into the world through the devil's envy (Wisdom 2:24), but who has given us something the angels themselves lack: the grace to participate in his divine nature.
That is what St. Paul is getting at when he says that we shall judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3) and when he says that he was given grace to preach the gospel to the world "so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens" (Ephesians 3:10). In a profound and mysterious sense, angels are not simply our superiors sent here to help us, nor are devils simply impervious to us as they seek to work our woe. The angels and devils are looking on in wonderment at us who, by grace, are now their superiors! They too shall hear "inasmuch as you did it to the least of my brethren, you did it to me". And the nature of their judgment will be, as it is with us, that they shall experience the fruit of their own sin or sanctity full grown. To those who chose the horror of self alone, self—alone—shall be theirs for eternity. For those who chose the self-forgetting ecstasy of the Triune God of love and his creatures, they shall have that, and know forever the love and joy of God and his gloriously redeemed, odd little creatures called human beings.
URL: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/64090
September 18, 2007
The Church's tradition is chockablock with all sorts of devotions to angels, prayers to angels, and pleas for angelic intercession. One of the most common is the St. Michael prayer, which reminds us that, as Ephesians 6 tells us, we are living in a cosmic war zone. This means that the true nature of the conflict is not liberals vs. conservatives, or based on race, class, and gender. It is not about religion or politics or riches. It is not between humans at all ultimately (though, of course, humans were sucked into the war when our First Parent listened to the Fallen Angel—the Great Serpent who is called the Devil and Satan—and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil).
But as that story makes clear, the war is older than humanity, for evil was already in the Garden before we got here. That war is not, as countless people think, a war between two equal and opposite foes called God and Satan. Rather it is a revolt by Satan and the demons against a God who is infinitely more loving, powerful, glorious and wise than the angels. Indeed, that is what makes sense of the temptation of Adam and Eve: when you cannot hurt the strong man, you hurt the ones he loves. There is no more exquisite form of revenge for a weakling than to simultaneously turn a good person's children against him and then engineer their destruction. That is what the Fall is, from Hell's perspective. The devil hates us because he hates our Father.
Curiously, Scripture tells us that the battle is fought on two fronts. In one battle, the combatants are not Satan and God, but Satan and St. Michael (cf. Revelation 12). That matters because part of the definition of God is "He who has no opposite". The demons, the powers and principalities, the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places, are immensely powerful and clever superhuman spirits, but they are still creatures and they have no power over God at all—except what he gives them.
On the second front, the battle is waged, not so much against Satan as for us—and that by God himself. Our faith says that God gave the devils power over him when he became human in Christ Jesus. Not in the sense that he obeyed them, of course, but in the sense that he allowed them to do their worst: temptation, thirst, hunger, derision, hatred, betrayal, flogging, shameful death—Hell was allowed to pull out all the stops in its battle to finish what it attempted in Eden, the complete destruction of Man in the person of the Son of Man.
On both fronts, the demonic powers are defeated—ultimately by themselves—through the cross and our participation in it. That is why we are encouraged by Holy Church to make prayers to our guardian angel and to the various angels—Gabriel, Raphael, Michael—who are mentioned in the Tradition. The labor of spiritual warfare continues to this hour and includes not merely the defeat of the power and principalities, but the redemption, illumination, salvation, and divinization of the human race.
This is, of course, accomplished through Jesus Christ, who has not only redeemed us from the sin and death which came into the world through the devil's envy (Wisdom 2:24), but who has given us something the angels themselves lack: the grace to participate in his divine nature.
That is what St. Paul is getting at when he says that we shall judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3) and when he says that he was given grace to preach the gospel to the world "so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens" (Ephesians 3:10). In a profound and mysterious sense, angels are not simply our superiors sent here to help us, nor are devils simply impervious to us as they seek to work our woe. The angels and devils are looking on in wonderment at us who, by grace, are now their superiors! They too shall hear "inasmuch as you did it to the least of my brethren, you did it to me". And the nature of their judgment will be, as it is with us, that they shall experience the fruit of their own sin or sanctity full grown. To those who chose the horror of self alone, self—alone—shall be theirs for eternity. For those who chose the self-forgetting ecstasy of the Triune God of love and his creatures, they shall have that, and know forever the love and joy of God and his gloriously redeemed, odd little creatures called human beings.
URL: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/64090
The Nature of Sin and Grace
Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.
The Nature of Sin and Grace..>
September 16, 2007
Everyone knows the Bible stories of the Prodigal Son and the Golden Calf. But they don't usually put the two together as this Sundays' readings do. So what do the two tales have in common?
Answer: they both speak volumes about the nature of sin. Think about it. God sees an enslaved people in miserable bondage to the mightiest nation on earth. He champions their cause, smashes the armies of Pharaoh, brings them out of Egypt into freedom, and makes them his own chosen people. And while he is giving to their leader a blueprint for their new life, they decide to worship what their next-door neighbors, the Canaanites, worshiped: power, virility, fertility, prosperity. The golden bull symbolizes all those things, and for this very reason, was a leading idol in the Ancient Near East.
Now let's look at the Prodigal Son. He's born into a prosperous family and receives all good things from his father. But rather than waiting for his dad to die, he demands his inheritance now, thumbs his nose at his father, takes the money and runs. He wastes all that he has on partying and fast living, pursuing the very same idols as the Israelites in the desert
The food sated him. The wine exhilarated him. The carousing titillated him. But after it was all over, he found himself empty, lonely, and broke.
This is the grand illusion of sin. It is dangled before our eyes as the key to fulfillment and happiness. It is all about enjoying the gifts of creation in defiance of the Creator, in a way contrary to his wise and loving design. And because those things were in fact created good by God, it seems to work at first. Sin initially tastes good. But ultimately, it always turns sour and leaves us with an empty, aching sadness. In contrast, God's will may at first sting, but later brings a profound joy that makes our hearts sing.
So how do the stories of the golden calf and the Prodigal Son differ? It's really the difference between the Old and New Testaments, between a preliminary, partial revelation of God and the full revelation of God in Christ. In Exodus, God Almighty reacts to sin with righteous anger, as he did in Genesis when he sweeps the world clean of sin through the flood. If not for Moses' intercession, he likewise would have destroyed the bull-worshipers and started over.
In the gospel, God, the compassionate Father, looks past the sin to focus on the sinner. The older brother of the Prodigal wants punishment. The Father insists on mercy.
There is a very important point in the Prodigal story that should not escape our attention. The motivation of the son is not sincere sorrow at how badly he has offended his father. It is not even that he misses his father. He comes back because he is hungry. He admits his sin and wants pardon, yes, but it is to save his skin.
Does the Father care? Does his insist that the son's contrition be pure or perfect? Does he even pay attention to the son's rehearsed speech? No. He is overjoyed that the son has begun the journey home, for whatever reason. He lavishes gifts upon him before he even gets to the house. The elder brother insists that he does not deserve them. The Father does not contest this. The Prodigal deserves nothing. But the Father gives him everything.
God's freely given, unmerited grace precedes even our expression of sorrow. In fact, without God's grace, we can't make the first step on the road back to him. He loved us when we were yet sinners, and seems to lavish the greatest graces on the most undeserving.
Ask St. Paul about this. Perhaps he writes more about grace than any other biblical author because he needed it so much more. Was it Benjamin Franklin who said that God helps those who help themselves? Paul, the foremost of sinners (1 Tim 1:15), understood that it is quite the opposite: God helps those who can't help themselves. That's what grace is all about.
URL: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/65657
The Nature of Sin and Grace..>
September 16, 2007
Everyone knows the Bible stories of the Prodigal Son and the Golden Calf. But they don't usually put the two together as this Sundays' readings do. So what do the two tales have in common?
Answer: they both speak volumes about the nature of sin. Think about it. God sees an enslaved people in miserable bondage to the mightiest nation on earth. He champions their cause, smashes the armies of Pharaoh, brings them out of Egypt into freedom, and makes them his own chosen people. And while he is giving to their leader a blueprint for their new life, they decide to worship what their next-door neighbors, the Canaanites, worshiped: power, virility, fertility, prosperity. The golden bull symbolizes all those things, and for this very reason, was a leading idol in the Ancient Near East.
Now let's look at the Prodigal Son. He's born into a prosperous family and receives all good things from his father. But rather than waiting for his dad to die, he demands his inheritance now, thumbs his nose at his father, takes the money and runs. He wastes all that he has on partying and fast living, pursuing the very same idols as the Israelites in the desert
The food sated him. The wine exhilarated him. The carousing titillated him. But after it was all over, he found himself empty, lonely, and broke.
This is the grand illusion of sin. It is dangled before our eyes as the key to fulfillment and happiness. It is all about enjoying the gifts of creation in defiance of the Creator, in a way contrary to his wise and loving design. And because those things were in fact created good by God, it seems to work at first. Sin initially tastes good. But ultimately, it always turns sour and leaves us with an empty, aching sadness. In contrast, God's will may at first sting, but later brings a profound joy that makes our hearts sing.
So how do the stories of the golden calf and the Prodigal Son differ? It's really the difference between the Old and New Testaments, between a preliminary, partial revelation of God and the full revelation of God in Christ. In Exodus, God Almighty reacts to sin with righteous anger, as he did in Genesis when he sweeps the world clean of sin through the flood. If not for Moses' intercession, he likewise would have destroyed the bull-worshipers and started over.
In the gospel, God, the compassionate Father, looks past the sin to focus on the sinner. The older brother of the Prodigal wants punishment. The Father insists on mercy.
There is a very important point in the Prodigal story that should not escape our attention. The motivation of the son is not sincere sorrow at how badly he has offended his father. It is not even that he misses his father. He comes back because he is hungry. He admits his sin and wants pardon, yes, but it is to save his skin.
Does the Father care? Does his insist that the son's contrition be pure or perfect? Does he even pay attention to the son's rehearsed speech? No. He is overjoyed that the son has begun the journey home, for whatever reason. He lavishes gifts upon him before he even gets to the house. The elder brother insists that he does not deserve them. The Father does not contest this. The Prodigal deserves nothing. But the Father gives him everything.
God's freely given, unmerited grace precedes even our expression of sorrow. In fact, without God's grace, we can't make the first step on the road back to him. He loved us when we were yet sinners, and seems to lavish the greatest graces on the most undeserving.
Ask St. Paul about this. Perhaps he writes more about grace than any other biblical author because he needed it so much more. Was it Benjamin Franklin who said that God helps those who help themselves? Paul, the foremost of sinners (1 Tim 1:15), understood that it is quite the opposite: God helps those who can't help themselves. That's what grace is all about.
URL: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/65657
The Brown Scapular of O.L. Of Mount Carmel
THE BROWN SCAPULAR OF O. L. OF MOUNT CARMEL
A SIGN OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND COMMITMENT
**************
When the clouds of temptation overshadow the day
May the the light of Mount Carmel shine down on my way;
When the long road is ending, may I go to rest
With Mary's brown Scapular over my breast.
THE BROWN SCAPULAR - A SIGN OF DEVOTION TO MARY
The Brown Scapular is a Roman Catholic devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is worn as a sign of love and devotion for the Mother of God. The Carmelite Order, to which the Scapular belongs, originated on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land and the Scapular is itself a reflection in miniature of the habit (scapular: a sleeveless outer garment falling from the shoulders) which the monks wear as a sign of their vocation and devotion. Over the years the scapular, at least for lay people, became much reduced in size to but small pieces of wool cloth suspended front and back.
OUR LADY APPEARS TO ST. SIMON STOCK
The Scapular was presented by Our Lady to St. Simon Stock, the Father General Our Lady appears to St. Simon Stockof the Carmelite Order, on July 16, 1251. St. Simon's story is very interesting. He was an English hermit and lived in the hollow of a tree. He received the name "stock" because he lived in the hollowed trunk or stock of a tree. In time he became a Carmelite and later the Father General of the order. He led the order during a time of struggle. The Carmelites originally were hermits on Mount Carmel, near Nazareth in the Holy Land. When they migrated to Europe, in this case England, some saw great wisdom in no longer being hermits and instead becoming friars who would work among the people. St. Simon guided them through this state of transition. In the year 1251 a most momentous vision took place. St. Simon Stock, newly transplanted to England, prayed earnestly to Our Lady for help. Then: To him appeared the Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels, holding the Scapular of the order in her blessed hands ...
MARY'S PROMISE TO THOSE WHO WEAR THE SCAPULAR
Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying : Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire .... It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace.
Another important aspect of wearing the Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had. He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those who wear the Brown Scapular: "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."
CONDITIONS AND RITUALS ATTACHED TO THE SCAPULAR
According to Church tradition, there are three conditions necessary to participate in this Privilege and share in the other spiritual benefits of the Scapular: wear the Brown Scapular, observe chastity according to your state in life, and pray the Rosary. In addition to the Sabbatine Privilege, enrollment in the Brown Scapular also makes a person part of the Carmelite family throughout the world. They therefore share in all of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders. Participation in the Carmelite family also, of course, places you in a special relationship with the Carmelite saints, especially St. Elijah, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, and, most importantly, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled in the Brown Scapular by either a priest or a lay person who has been given this faculty. Once enrolled, the enrollment is for life and need not be repeated. Anyone, adult or infant, who has not previously been enrolled may be enrolled in the Brown Scapular.
VALUE AND MEANING OF THE SCAPULAR
Many popes and saints have strongly recommended wearing, the Brown Scapular to the Catholic Faithful, including St. Robert Bellarmine, Pope John XXII, Pope Pius Xl, and Pope Benedict XV. For example, St. Alphonsus said: "Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the Most Holy Mary is pleased when Her servants wear Her Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God."
Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: "The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit." In our own times, Pope Paul VI said: "Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin ... the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel" and in another place referred to the Scapular as: "so highly recommended by our illustrious predecessors."
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
**************
O Mary, Queen and Mother of Carmel, I come today to consecrate myself to you, for my whole life is but a small return for the many graaces and blessings that have come from God to me through your hands. Since you look with special kindness on those who wear your Scapular, I implore you to strengthen my weakness with your power, to enlighten the darkness of my mind with your wisdom, and to increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity that I may repay each day my debt of humble homage to you.
May your Scapular bring me your special protection in my daily struggle to be faithful to your Divine Son and to you. May it separate me from all that is sinful in life and remind me constantly of my duty to imitate your virtues. From now on, I shall strive to live in God's Presence, and offer all to Jesus through you. Dearest Mother, support me by your never-failing love and lead me to paradise through the merits of Christ and your own intercession. Amen.
URL: http://www.catholic-church.org/apcarmel/scapular.htm
THE BROWN SCAPULAR OF O. L. OF MOUNT CARMEL
A SIGN OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND COMMITMENT
**************
When the clouds of temptation overshadow the day
May the the light of Mount Carmel shine down on my way;
When the long road is ending, may I go to rest
With Mary's brown Scapular over my breast.
THE BROWN SCAPULAR - A SIGN OF DEVOTION TO MARY
The Brown Scapular is a Roman Catholic devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is worn as a sign of love and devotion for the Mother of God. The Carmelite Order, to which the Scapular belongs, originated on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land and the Scapular is itself a reflection in miniature of the habit (scapular: a sleeveless outer garment falling from the shoulders) which the monks wear as a sign of their vocation and devotion. Over the years the scapular, at least for lay people, became much reduced in size to but small pieces of wool cloth suspended front and back.
OUR LADY APPEARS TO ST. SIMON STOCK
The Scapular was presented by Our Lady to St. Simon Stock, the Father General Our Lady appears to St. Simon Stockof the Carmelite Order, on July 16, 1251. St. Simon's story is very interesting. He was an English hermit and lived in the hollow of a tree. He received the name "stock" because he lived in the hollowed trunk or stock of a tree. In time he became a Carmelite and later the Father General of the order. He led the order during a time of struggle. The Carmelites originally were hermits on Mount Carmel, near Nazareth in the Holy Land. When they migrated to Europe, in this case England, some saw great wisdom in no longer being hermits and instead becoming friars who would work among the people. St. Simon guided them through this state of transition. In the year 1251 a most momentous vision took place. St. Simon Stock, newly transplanted to England, prayed earnestly to Our Lady for help. Then: To him appeared the Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels, holding the Scapular of the order in her blessed hands ...
MARY'S PROMISE TO THOSE WHO WEAR THE SCAPULAR
Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying : Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire .... It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace.
Another important aspect of wearing the Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had. He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those who wear the Brown Scapular: "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."
CONDITIONS AND RITUALS ATTACHED TO THE SCAPULAR
According to Church tradition, there are three conditions necessary to participate in this Privilege and share in the other spiritual benefits of the Scapular: wear the Brown Scapular, observe chastity according to your state in life, and pray the Rosary. In addition to the Sabbatine Privilege, enrollment in the Brown Scapular also makes a person part of the Carmelite family throughout the world. They therefore share in all of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders. Participation in the Carmelite family also, of course, places you in a special relationship with the Carmelite saints, especially St. Elijah, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, and, most importantly, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled in the Brown Scapular by either a priest or a lay person who has been given this faculty. Once enrolled, the enrollment is for life and need not be repeated. Anyone, adult or infant, who has not previously been enrolled may be enrolled in the Brown Scapular.
VALUE AND MEANING OF THE SCAPULAR
Many popes and saints have strongly recommended wearing, the Brown Scapular to the Catholic Faithful, including St. Robert Bellarmine, Pope John XXII, Pope Pius Xl, and Pope Benedict XV. For example, St. Alphonsus said: "Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the Most Holy Mary is pleased when Her servants wear Her Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God."
Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: "The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit." In our own times, Pope Paul VI said: "Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin ... the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel" and in another place referred to the Scapular as: "so highly recommended by our illustrious predecessors."
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
**************
O Mary, Queen and Mother of Carmel, I come today to consecrate myself to you, for my whole life is but a small return for the many graaces and blessings that have come from God to me through your hands. Since you look with special kindness on those who wear your Scapular, I implore you to strengthen my weakness with your power, to enlighten the darkness of my mind with your wisdom, and to increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity that I may repay each day my debt of humble homage to you.
May your Scapular bring me your special protection in my daily struggle to be faithful to your Divine Son and to you. May it separate me from all that is sinful in life and remind me constantly of my duty to imitate your virtues. From now on, I shall strive to live in God's Presence, and offer all to Jesus through you. Dearest Mother, support me by your never-failing love and lead me to paradise through the merits of Christ and your own intercession. Amen.
URL: http://www.catholic-church.org/apcarmel/scapular.htm
A SIGN OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND COMMITMENT
**************
When the clouds of temptation overshadow the day
May the the light of Mount Carmel shine down on my way;
When the long road is ending, may I go to rest
With Mary's brown Scapular over my breast.
THE BROWN SCAPULAR - A SIGN OF DEVOTION TO MARY
The Brown Scapular is a Roman Catholic devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is worn as a sign of love and devotion for the Mother of God. The Carmelite Order, to which the Scapular belongs, originated on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land and the Scapular is itself a reflection in miniature of the habit (scapular: a sleeveless outer garment falling from the shoulders) which the monks wear as a sign of their vocation and devotion. Over the years the scapular, at least for lay people, became much reduced in size to but small pieces of wool cloth suspended front and back.
OUR LADY APPEARS TO ST. SIMON STOCK
The Scapular was presented by Our Lady to St. Simon Stock, the Father General Our Lady appears to St. Simon Stockof the Carmelite Order, on July 16, 1251. St. Simon's story is very interesting. He was an English hermit and lived in the hollow of a tree. He received the name "stock" because he lived in the hollowed trunk or stock of a tree. In time he became a Carmelite and later the Father General of the order. He led the order during a time of struggle. The Carmelites originally were hermits on Mount Carmel, near Nazareth in the Holy Land. When they migrated to Europe, in this case England, some saw great wisdom in no longer being hermits and instead becoming friars who would work among the people. St. Simon guided them through this state of transition. In the year 1251 a most momentous vision took place. St. Simon Stock, newly transplanted to England, prayed earnestly to Our Lady for help. Then: To him appeared the Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels, holding the Scapular of the order in her blessed hands ...
MARY'S PROMISE TO THOSE WHO WEAR THE SCAPULAR
Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying : Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire .... It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace.
Another important aspect of wearing the Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had. He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those who wear the Brown Scapular: "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."
CONDITIONS AND RITUALS ATTACHED TO THE SCAPULAR
According to Church tradition, there are three conditions necessary to participate in this Privilege and share in the other spiritual benefits of the Scapular: wear the Brown Scapular, observe chastity according to your state in life, and pray the Rosary. In addition to the Sabbatine Privilege, enrollment in the Brown Scapular also makes a person part of the Carmelite family throughout the world. They therefore share in all of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders. Participation in the Carmelite family also, of course, places you in a special relationship with the Carmelite saints, especially St. Elijah, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, and, most importantly, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled in the Brown Scapular by either a priest or a lay person who has been given this faculty. Once enrolled, the enrollment is for life and need not be repeated. Anyone, adult or infant, who has not previously been enrolled may be enrolled in the Brown Scapular.
VALUE AND MEANING OF THE SCAPULAR
Many popes and saints have strongly recommended wearing, the Brown Scapular to the Catholic Faithful, including St. Robert Bellarmine, Pope John XXII, Pope Pius Xl, and Pope Benedict XV. For example, St. Alphonsus said: "Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the Most Holy Mary is pleased when Her servants wear Her Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God."
Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: "The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit." In our own times, Pope Paul VI said: "Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin ... the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel" and in another place referred to the Scapular as: "so highly recommended by our illustrious predecessors."
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
**************
O Mary, Queen and Mother of Carmel, I come today to consecrate myself to you, for my whole life is but a small return for the many graaces and blessings that have come from God to me through your hands. Since you look with special kindness on those who wear your Scapular, I implore you to strengthen my weakness with your power, to enlighten the darkness of my mind with your wisdom, and to increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity that I may repay each day my debt of humble homage to you.
May your Scapular bring me your special protection in my daily struggle to be faithful to your Divine Son and to you. May it separate me from all that is sinful in life and remind me constantly of my duty to imitate your virtues. From now on, I shall strive to live in God's Presence, and offer all to Jesus through you. Dearest Mother, support me by your never-failing love and lead me to paradise through the merits of Christ and your own intercession. Amen.
URL: http://www.catholic-church.org/apcarmel/scapular.htm
THE BROWN SCAPULAR OF O. L. OF MOUNT CARMEL
A SIGN OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND COMMITMENT
**************
When the clouds of temptation overshadow the day
May the the light of Mount Carmel shine down on my way;
When the long road is ending, may I go to rest
With Mary's brown Scapular over my breast.
THE BROWN SCAPULAR - A SIGN OF DEVOTION TO MARY
The Brown Scapular is a Roman Catholic devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is worn as a sign of love and devotion for the Mother of God. The Carmelite Order, to which the Scapular belongs, originated on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land and the Scapular is itself a reflection in miniature of the habit (scapular: a sleeveless outer garment falling from the shoulders) which the monks wear as a sign of their vocation and devotion. Over the years the scapular, at least for lay people, became much reduced in size to but small pieces of wool cloth suspended front and back.
OUR LADY APPEARS TO ST. SIMON STOCK
The Scapular was presented by Our Lady to St. Simon Stock, the Father General Our Lady appears to St. Simon Stockof the Carmelite Order, on July 16, 1251. St. Simon's story is very interesting. He was an English hermit and lived in the hollow of a tree. He received the name "stock" because he lived in the hollowed trunk or stock of a tree. In time he became a Carmelite and later the Father General of the order. He led the order during a time of struggle. The Carmelites originally were hermits on Mount Carmel, near Nazareth in the Holy Land. When they migrated to Europe, in this case England, some saw great wisdom in no longer being hermits and instead becoming friars who would work among the people. St. Simon guided them through this state of transition. In the year 1251 a most momentous vision took place. St. Simon Stock, newly transplanted to England, prayed earnestly to Our Lady for help. Then: To him appeared the Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels, holding the Scapular of the order in her blessed hands ...
MARY'S PROMISE TO THOSE WHO WEAR THE SCAPULAR
Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying : Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire .... It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace.
Another important aspect of wearing the Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had. He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those who wear the Brown Scapular: "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."
CONDITIONS AND RITUALS ATTACHED TO THE SCAPULAR
According to Church tradition, there are three conditions necessary to participate in this Privilege and share in the other spiritual benefits of the Scapular: wear the Brown Scapular, observe chastity according to your state in life, and pray the Rosary. In addition to the Sabbatine Privilege, enrollment in the Brown Scapular also makes a person part of the Carmelite family throughout the world. They therefore share in all of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders. Participation in the Carmelite family also, of course, places you in a special relationship with the Carmelite saints, especially St. Elijah, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, and, most importantly, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled in the Brown Scapular by either a priest or a lay person who has been given this faculty. Once enrolled, the enrollment is for life and need not be repeated. Anyone, adult or infant, who has not previously been enrolled may be enrolled in the Brown Scapular.
VALUE AND MEANING OF THE SCAPULAR
Many popes and saints have strongly recommended wearing, the Brown Scapular to the Catholic Faithful, including St. Robert Bellarmine, Pope John XXII, Pope Pius Xl, and Pope Benedict XV. For example, St. Alphonsus said: "Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the Most Holy Mary is pleased when Her servants wear Her Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God."
Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: "The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit." In our own times, Pope Paul VI said: "Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin ... the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel" and in another place referred to the Scapular as: "so highly recommended by our illustrious predecessors."
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
**************
O Mary, Queen and Mother of Carmel, I come today to consecrate myself to you, for my whole life is but a small return for the many graaces and blessings that have come from God to me through your hands. Since you look with special kindness on those who wear your Scapular, I implore you to strengthen my weakness with your power, to enlighten the darkness of my mind with your wisdom, and to increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity that I may repay each day my debt of humble homage to you.
May your Scapular bring me your special protection in my daily struggle to be faithful to your Divine Son and to you. May it separate me from all that is sinful in life and remind me constantly of my duty to imitate your virtues. From now on, I shall strive to live in God's Presence, and offer all to Jesus through you. Dearest Mother, support me by your never-failing love and lead me to paradise through the merits of Christ and your own intercession. Amen.
URL: http://www.catholic-church.org/apcarmel/scapular.htm
Single, Catholic, Connecting to God - U.S. Singles Outnumbering Married
Catholic Digest: Single, Catholic, connecting to God – U.S. singles outnumbering married, with many finding spiritual meaning
By Kerry Weber9/10/2007
Catholic Digest
NEW LONDON (Catholic Digest) – The letters come adorned with sparkles or scripted handwriting. They feature photos of happy couples. They announce, in extremely formal language, that I am invited to the marriage of … well, everyone I know. At least it seems that way.
My friends are pairing off left and right, and I'm genuinely thrilled for all of them. I like weddings. They honor couples that have chosen to make an admirable and loving commitment. They celebrate who have chosen the person who forever will be by their side. Plus, there's usually cake.
As happy as I am for my married friends, the single life and the uncertainty that comes with it isn't always easy. Living on my own can be difficult and, frankly, boring. But I'm finding that it can also be liberating, exciting and a time for true spiritual growth. And, more and more, I'm finding I'm not alone.
In 2006, the number of people 18 and older who had never married reach 55 million, according to the United States Census data, an increase from 10 years earlier. And today, the term "single" has a broader meaning, and includes a diverse crowd of energetic men and women who have been widowed, separated or divorced. There are nearly 100 million singles in the United States, and that number includes more than a few Catholics.
Whether or not we'll eventually send out sparkly invitations of our own is a common topic among my 20-something single friends. But we're in good company as we discover how God is calling us to live out our current single state. In 2005, the average ages at which American men and women married were approximately 27 and 25, respectively, up from 23 and 21 in 1970. And studies say the single life has its benefits, including the ability to form closer ties with friends and family.
Rebecca Peters, 25, has done just that, demonstrating what many already know – that the single life is not a selfish one. She served for two years as a full-time Jesuit volunteer in Belize, where she found a faith-filled environment among her fellow community members and formed a broad range of supportive friendships.
"It was a really great experience to be part of something bigger and to have people to count on," she said. "Whether or not you're in a couple, you can always be part of a community."
After volunteering, Peters chose to delay entering graduate school in favor of living with her brother and sister-in-law in Dayton, Ohio, to help care for her nephew – something she knows she would not have had the time to do if she were married.
"They have a need, and I am the one person who is able to fulfill that, and they are able to give me things I need like love, community and a place to live. I get to see my nephew grow up, and it gives me experience hopefully for when I have my own kids."
Still, not all of today's singles see their state as preparation for a future romance. For Sally Connolly, who was widowed nearly three years ago, being single in her 60s took some getting used to.
After her husband's death, Connolly threw herself into editing a book of his essays, and also began doing some writing of her own. "I didn't have time [before Gene's death]. And if he were alive I wouldn't be doing it now. I guess I'm using that energy and redirecting it. I've been busy with the children, the grandchildren and writing, and in the good weather, I have a lot of projects outside. In spite of my loss, there are beautiful things happening all around me."
Current technology also has given Connolly a chance to make small liberating changes in her lifestyle. With the help of a GPS, she said, "I went out and traveled around some of the communities {near Danvers, Mass.] . I never would have done that before. Gene drove and I never really paid attention."
Of course, being newly single doesn't have to involve a personality overhaul. "I know my church has a very nice group for people who are single and have had some kind of loss. I've heard that it's very hard, but that's not really what I want to do," said Connolly. "I was never a group person before, and I'm not about to change that now."
For singles looking to become involved in a parish's everyday ministry, it's often left to the individual to make the first move. Pastors and parish staff looking to include singles in mainstream ministry need to remember the importance of extending an invitation to their diverse body of parishioners.
"Whenever we're working with parishes in terms of the laity, we try to keep in front of them the fact that there are different folks in front of them. They're older, they're younger, they're single young adults, they're older singles, they're married, divorced, and widowed," said Sister Eileen McCann, a program coordinator for young people at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Family, Laity, Women, and Youth. "So hopefully parishes are looking at all of that and they keep that in mind whatever programs they put out."
Bob Tyer, 66 and single all his life, acknowledges the efforts of his parish in Springfield, Mass., to reach all members. But he remembers a time when he wondered if he would be welcome in a parish consisting mainly of couples and families.
"I think if a single guy wants to get involved in the church he has to really work at it. I just said, 'I want to be included too,'" said Tyer. His involvement began when he was invited to help decorate the church one Easter.
Today, he chairs the parish's liturgical environment committee, and – in the midst of visiting the homebound, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, serving as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, chairing the spiritual life commission, and participating in the men's prayer group – he continues to extend invitations to others looking to get involved.
"Many timid people might be included not to bother," he said. "You have to find where your comfort zone is."
But for some who are newly single, church can become a source of discomfort. For Tyer's friend and fellow parishioner Jackie Tuohey, 56, being single came as a surprise. After a difficult separation from her husband three years ago, the parish community that once had been a comfort became a painful reminder of her past. For a while, she stopped going to Mass entirely.
"It was just so noticeable that I was by myself," she said. "Little things, like when there's a couple in front of you, and the man puts his arm around the woman, I'd think 'I miss that.'"
Groups ministering specifically to Catholic singles tend to be localized within parish or diocesan communities and are often run by the singles themselves. But even informal groups of friends can be a great source of support to single Catholics. Thanks to the invitation extended by Tyer and other single friends, Tuohey found a renewed sense of belonging within the church."
The Census Bureau reveals that for the first time in the Untied States, married women are a slight minority, with 51 percent of adult women now living without a spouse.
And Tuohey is one of a growing number of people who see their single state as sometimes tough, but not tragic. She's become involved in more ministry than ever before, including taking a weeklong mission trip to Mexico and volunteering with Residents Encounter Christ, a retreat program for prison inmates. "I'm so involved, I'm almost never home. That wouldn't be fair if I had someone else in my life," said Tuohey. "When I was young I thought, 'I'm going to grow up and get married.' I wasn't thinking, 'I'm going to grow up and be single and minister and have a great life,' which is what I have now. I didn't wish to be separated from my husband, but because of the way things turned out, I certainly went through a kind of conversion and ended up with a good life."
- - -
As a single person, it's easy for me to wonder if I'm missing out somehow by not yet having a spouse. But I'm slowly seeing that there's something to be learned and gained at every stage of life, no matter where I go or whom I'm with. And the only time I'm really missing out is when I fail to recognize that.
The "good life" that can be had by Catholic singles is something that Anastasia Northrup, 30, hope to promote through the National Catholic Singles Conference, which she founded in 2005. Held this year in Chicago and San Diego, and inspired by the late Pope John Paul's teaching on the Theology of the Body, the conferences offer Catholic singles a chance to socialize, pray, and listen to talks on various aspects of the Catholic single state.
The focus is "mainly to offer support," said Northrup. "The word 'single' gets a bad rap. People think it's just a bunch of desperate people. My idea is, rather, to redeem the name, and say, 'Look, there are a bunch of people who are single, and they're normal people.'"
Single Catholics, Northrup points out, are in fact a powerful and meaningful group in the church. "I really do believe that if all the singles who are going to Mass on Sunday were actively involved in the church – volunteering with pro-life work or at a homeless shelter, or teaching catechism – the church would be a different place. There are many Catholic singles."
Northrup, 30, has taken advantage of the freedom provided by her own single state to work in church ministry, including promoting John Paul II's Theology of the Body teachings.
Still, she acknowledged that some days of her single state are easier than others. "You can go through cycles of being definitely bothered that you're not so married, and then not so bothered," said Northrup. "But I think that through it all, our ultimate goal is union with Christ, so Christ is going to use those times to bring us closer to him. I think the most important thing to be doing is seeking God's will in your current state."
And in her current state, Northrup has no regrets. "I can't say, looking back, that I would change anything or wish that things had been different. It is a very rich experience if you're using your singlehood."
- - -
Kerry Weber is associate editor of Catholic Digest.
URL: http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=25301
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A Gospel To Make You Squirm
September 9, 2007
When I was a kid, I got the distinct impression there existed a two-track system in Catholicism. Some really decided to go for it. They became priests, nuns, and brothers because they "had a vocation." They "gave up" lots of things, like marriage, family, success in business, and lots of creature-comforts.
The rest of us, however, don't "have a vocation" and therefore don't really need to run for the gold. It is enough to just finish the race. We don't have to deprive ourselves of what most people have. We can get married, have kids, climb the corporate ladder, acquire a vacation home and buy a boat. We just need to go to Mass on Sunday, avoid breaking the Ten Commandments, get to confession when we fail, and basically be decent people.
A few years ago I even heard this two track system clearly laid out in a Sunday homily. The priest said the gospel presents us with a radical Jesus and a moderate Jesus. Some, like Mother Teresa, choose to follow the radical Jesus. But we could pick the moderate Jesus if that was more comfortable for us.
In this Sunday's Gospel Luke 14:25-33, Jesus gives us no such choice. He says "None of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his possessions." And probably even more disturbing is this statement: "If anyone comes to me without turning his back on his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be my follower."
This is an up-front requirement. If you are not willing to do this, don't bother getting started as a disciple, he says.
Wait a minute. I thought that good Christians are supposed to love their spouses, parents, and kids. And how are you supposed to love your neighbor as yourself if you are renouncing both your neighbor and your self? Are we all supposed to leave our families, sell all of our possessions, and enter monasteries and convents?
No. That would actually be not only irresponsible but too easy. "Turning your back" on your family does not mean shirking the duty to care for your own. Renouncing your very self does not mean abusing your self. What Jesus means is being radically detached from family, friends and self-gratification in favor of attachment to God, his truth, his will. There is a love that is about giving and there is a love that is about enjoying. We can never stop giving to others what is for their true and deepest good. But there are times when we must renounce the enjoyment, opinion, and approval of others in order to be faithful to the truth.
The best way to see this is in the life of a very real person who lived out this radical vocation to holiness. Thomas More thought about joining the monks who educated him, but realized that he was called to marriage and family. And so he took a job with the government, got married, and had kids. He rose through government service to become the Chancellor of England under Henry VIII. He had a magnificent mansion on the Thames River where he entertained his friend the King as well some of the most famous men and women of Europe. He had a great sense of humor, a deep relationship with his kids, a profound prayer life, and loved to write fiction, satire, and theology.Then his boss Henry VIII divorced, remarried, and justified it by breaking allegiance with the Pope and making himself the head of the Church of England. He wanted all to take an oath swearing allegiance to his new order. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon. All of the bishops signed save one. All of Thomas's friends did the same. But Thomas knew signing would violate his conscience, compromise his integrity, offend God, and encourage others in the doing of evil. He loved God, self and others too much to do this. So he lost the esteem of his friends and his king. He resigned his position and lost his income. He ultimately lost his head rather than deny his heart.
Few of us will enjoy the privileges enjoyed by Thomas or be called to make the same sacrifices. But little choices, every day, arise that show us where our true loyalties lie.
URL: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/65417
The Center and Summit of the Mass
Barry Michaels
The Center and Summit of the Mass..>
September 9, 2007
In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI's recent apostolic letter on the Eucharist, the Pontiff offers much food for thought and spiritual nourishment. One thing he insists upon is that Catholics should come to understand and love better the Eucharistic prayer of Mass.
"The spiritual life of the faithful can greatly benefit from a better appreciation of the richness of the anaphora [another term for the Eucharistic prayer]," writes the Pope. "Its importance deserves to be adequately emphasized."
Because they hear this prayer every time they attend Mass, Catholics might easily take it for granted or even ignore it. But the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the Church's official instruction manual for the celebration of the Eucharist, calls the Eucharistic prayer "the center and summit of the entire celebration."
So what is the Eucharistic prayer? And why does the Pope believe that all Catholics need to understand it better?
The Church's Prayer
The Eucharistic prayer is prayed from the altar by the priest celebrating Mass. It begins immediately after the prayer over the gifts, with a familiar dialogue between priest and people ("The Lord be with you." "And also with you." "Lift up your hearts." "We lift them up to the Lord.").
It concludes with the doxology ("Through him, with him, and in him...") and the "Great Amen" of the people. In between are the preface, Sanctus, prayers of thanksgiving, an epiclesis, the consecration, a prayer of offering, and prayers of intercession. (See below.)
The entire prayer has crucial significance to the worship, spirituality, and identity of every Catholic. The Eucharistic prayer, though prayed aloud almost entirely by the priest alone, is truly the prayer of the whole Church — meaning Christ and his body of which all the faithful are members.
That's why the entire congregation joins into the three acclamations — the Sanctus, memorial acclamation, and "Great Amen" at its conclusion. It is also why the words the priest prays are addressed neither to the people nor to Jesus, but to God the Father. In the Eucharistic prayer, the Church prays and offers itself to the Father with Christ and in Christ.
"Christ is presented once more to the Father, together with the prayers which we as Church offer alongside his infinite sacrifice," Father Edward McNamara, LC, professor of liturgy at Rome's Regina Apostolorum University, told OSV recently.
"In doing this we renew the covenant sealed in his blood and continue to establish the community of those who form God's people through participation in this sacrifice."
With this understanding of the Eucharistic prayer, the real meaning of participation at Mass, so strongly emphasized in recent years, becomes clearer. To participate at Mass is never simply to pay attention, to sing and respond, or to make a financial offering. Rather, true participation at Mass means offering ourselves with Jesus to the Father.
Hence the Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, could speak of the participation of the lay faithful at Mass in this way:
[B]y offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all (section 48).
"Someone who enters deeply into the spirituality of the Eucharistic prayer is learning to pray as the Church prays," Fr. McNamara said. "The prayer contains almost every form of Christian prayer: praise, thanksgiving, confession of faith, petition for the needs of ourselves and others.
"It also encapsulates the fundamentals of our loving relationship with God — creation, redemption, covenant — which in turn inculcate the essential attitudes of a Christian life, humility and charity."
A Rich History
Priests have the option of using four main Eucharistic prayers when they celebrate Mass. In the Sacramentary, the book of prayers used at Mass, they are numbered I, II, III, and IV.
Besides these, there are also two special Eucharistic prayers on the theme of Reconciliation, three more intended to be used in Masses for children, and four others "for various needs and occasions." But such variety has not always been the case.
Of course, the first Eucharist was offered by Jesus at the Last Supper, on the night before his crucifixion. As a Passover meal, that Eucharist included important prayers to be prayed and meanings to be conveyed. So the Eucharistic prayer has roots that go back many centuries before even Christ. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave the words new meaning and a central place in the life of the Christian Church forever.
In the first centuries of the Church, there was no official "script" that had to be recited by priests who celebrated Mass. The Eucharistic prayer was prayed spontaneously, though certain themes and words were always expected to be included.
Our first record of a written Eucharistic prayer is one composed by St. Hippolytus around 215 AD. But Hippolytus introduces his prayer by acknowledging that priests in his day ad libbed their own; his concern was that they did so according to the tradition form, rather than aberrations that apparently had begun to appear.
This same concern for avoiding what was not traditional led to a written Eucharistic prayer which the priest was required to read verbatim, as is the case today. Though a variety of prayers were used in various places at first, one prayer was preferred above all others by the fifth century.
Known as the Roman Canon, this Eucharistic prayer soon became normative throughout the entire Church. For more than 1500 years, it was the only Eucharistic prayer used throughout the world, right up until the Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969.
"[The Roman Canon's] stability and sacredness in a way marked the lives of generations of priests, allowing them to feel in a special way the entrance into the communion of saints," Fr. McNamara said.
"It also gave a certain stability to society. It was something constant and recognizable. Even if the laity did not hear or understand the prayer, they knew they were before the great mystery of faith."
Changes after Vatican II
The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Liturgy did not call for new Eucharistic prayers or even a revision of the Roman Canon. But as the work of liturgical renewal progressed following the Council, this became one of the topics under consideration by the Consilium, the Vatican committee entrusted with the task of reform.
Though initially hesitant, Pope Paul VI gave the Consilium permission in 1966 to compose new Eucharistic prayers to be considered for use. (In truth, dozens of unauthorized new prayers were already being illicitly used in many countries throughout the world, particularly in Holland, France, and the United States.)
One new prayer that the Consilium presented to the Pope was a revision of Hippolytus' ancient Eucharistic prayer. In the new Missal, it became Eucharistic Prayer II. It is the shortest and simplest of the four main prayers in use, and certainly the one most often heard at Catholic Masses today.
Two other new prayers drew on different aspects of the Church's liturgical history.
Eucharistic Prayer III is the most modern composition, though it draws on several elements of Eastern rite liturgy. Since it can be used with any of dozens of different prefaces, it is well suited for the various Sundays and feast days of the year.
Eucharistic Prayer IV draws even more strongly on Eastern traditions. This is especially evident in the prayer's beautiful summary of salvation history. This is the longest prayer of the four, and probably the one least often heard in parishes today.
The Roman Canon was retained almost exactly as it had been and, like the others, could now be prayed in the vernacular. Among its many noteworthy aspects, its invocation of the prayers of many saints is particularly distinctive. It became known as Eucharistic Prayer I.
"The different Eucharistic Prayers contained in the Missal have been handed down to us by the Church's living Tradition and are noteworthy for their inexhaustible theological and spiritual richness," the Pope wrote in Sacramentum Caritatis.
It should be no wonder, then, that he insists, "The faithful need to be enabled to appreciate that richness."
The Parts of the Eucharistic Prayer
Though the Eucharistic prayers used at Mass today are different in many ways, they all share eight basic parts in common.
THANKSGIVING: The Church offers praise and thanksgiving to God. Thanksgiving is so important to Christian worship that it became known by that name very early: the Greek word for thanksgiving is eucharistia.
ACCLAMATION: Joining into the song of the angels themselves before the throne of God (see Isaiah 6:2 and Revelation 4:8), the people sing, "Holy, holy, holy Lord!..."
EPICLESIS: The priest asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit, so that the bread and wine may become the Body and Blood of Christ.
INSTITUTION NARRATIVE: The priest repeats the words of Jesus ("This is my body.... This is my blood"), and the consecration of the gifts takes place.
ANAMNESIS: The Church recalls the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus for our salvation.
OFFERING: The faithful offer Jesus, as well as themselves, to the Father in heaven.
INTERCESSIONS: The Church asks for the prayers of the saints and prays for the dead who are in need of prayers.
FINAL DOXOLOGY: The Church glorifies the Holy Trinity, concluding with the great "Amen!" of all the people.
Barry Michaels is the author of Eucharist: The Church's Treasure (Pauline, 2004) and At the School of Mary (Pauline, 2004), both prayer and study companions to documents of Pope John Paul II. His third book, Saints for Our Times: New Novenas and Prayers, was published by Pauline Books in September 2007.
URL: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/65025
The Center and Summit of the Mass..>
September 9, 2007
In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI's recent apostolic letter on the Eucharist, the Pontiff offers much food for thought and spiritual nourishment. One thing he insists upon is that Catholics should come to understand and love better the Eucharistic prayer of Mass.
"The spiritual life of the faithful can greatly benefit from a better appreciation of the richness of the anaphora [another term for the Eucharistic prayer]," writes the Pope. "Its importance deserves to be adequately emphasized."
Because they hear this prayer every time they attend Mass, Catholics might easily take it for granted or even ignore it. But the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the Church's official instruction manual for the celebration of the Eucharist, calls the Eucharistic prayer "the center and summit of the entire celebration."
So what is the Eucharistic prayer? And why does the Pope believe that all Catholics need to understand it better?
The Church's Prayer
The Eucharistic prayer is prayed from the altar by the priest celebrating Mass. It begins immediately after the prayer over the gifts, with a familiar dialogue between priest and people ("The Lord be with you." "And also with you." "Lift up your hearts." "We lift them up to the Lord.").
It concludes with the doxology ("Through him, with him, and in him...") and the "Great Amen" of the people. In between are the preface, Sanctus, prayers of thanksgiving, an epiclesis, the consecration, a prayer of offering, and prayers of intercession. (See below.)
The entire prayer has crucial significance to the worship, spirituality, and identity of every Catholic. The Eucharistic prayer, though prayed aloud almost entirely by the priest alone, is truly the prayer of the whole Church — meaning Christ and his body of which all the faithful are members.
That's why the entire congregation joins into the three acclamations — the Sanctus, memorial acclamation, and "Great Amen" at its conclusion. It is also why the words the priest prays are addressed neither to the people nor to Jesus, but to God the Father. In the Eucharistic prayer, the Church prays and offers itself to the Father with Christ and in Christ.
"Christ is presented once more to the Father, together with the prayers which we as Church offer alongside his infinite sacrifice," Father Edward McNamara, LC, professor of liturgy at Rome's Regina Apostolorum University, told OSV recently.
"In doing this we renew the covenant sealed in his blood and continue to establish the community of those who form God's people through participation in this sacrifice."
With this understanding of the Eucharistic prayer, the real meaning of participation at Mass, so strongly emphasized in recent years, becomes clearer. To participate at Mass is never simply to pay attention, to sing and respond, or to make a financial offering. Rather, true participation at Mass means offering ourselves with Jesus to the Father.
Hence the Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, could speak of the participation of the lay faithful at Mass in this way:
[B]y offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all (section 48).
"Someone who enters deeply into the spirituality of the Eucharistic prayer is learning to pray as the Church prays," Fr. McNamara said. "The prayer contains almost every form of Christian prayer: praise, thanksgiving, confession of faith, petition for the needs of ourselves and others.
"It also encapsulates the fundamentals of our loving relationship with God — creation, redemption, covenant — which in turn inculcate the essential attitudes of a Christian life, humility and charity."
A Rich History
Priests have the option of using four main Eucharistic prayers when they celebrate Mass. In the Sacramentary, the book of prayers used at Mass, they are numbered I, II, III, and IV.
Besides these, there are also two special Eucharistic prayers on the theme of Reconciliation, three more intended to be used in Masses for children, and four others "for various needs and occasions." But such variety has not always been the case.
Of course, the first Eucharist was offered by Jesus at the Last Supper, on the night before his crucifixion. As a Passover meal, that Eucharist included important prayers to be prayed and meanings to be conveyed. So the Eucharistic prayer has roots that go back many centuries before even Christ. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave the words new meaning and a central place in the life of the Christian Church forever.
In the first centuries of the Church, there was no official "script" that had to be recited by priests who celebrated Mass. The Eucharistic prayer was prayed spontaneously, though certain themes and words were always expected to be included.
Our first record of a written Eucharistic prayer is one composed by St. Hippolytus around 215 AD. But Hippolytus introduces his prayer by acknowledging that priests in his day ad libbed their own; his concern was that they did so according to the tradition form, rather than aberrations that apparently had begun to appear.
This same concern for avoiding what was not traditional led to a written Eucharistic prayer which the priest was required to read verbatim, as is the case today. Though a variety of prayers were used in various places at first, one prayer was preferred above all others by the fifth century.
Known as the Roman Canon, this Eucharistic prayer soon became normative throughout the entire Church. For more than 1500 years, it was the only Eucharistic prayer used throughout the world, right up until the Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969.
"[The Roman Canon's] stability and sacredness in a way marked the lives of generations of priests, allowing them to feel in a special way the entrance into the communion of saints," Fr. McNamara said.
"It also gave a certain stability to society. It was something constant and recognizable. Even if the laity did not hear or understand the prayer, they knew they were before the great mystery of faith."
Changes after Vatican II
The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Liturgy did not call for new Eucharistic prayers or even a revision of the Roman Canon. But as the work of liturgical renewal progressed following the Council, this became one of the topics under consideration by the Consilium, the Vatican committee entrusted with the task of reform.
Though initially hesitant, Pope Paul VI gave the Consilium permission in 1966 to compose new Eucharistic prayers to be considered for use. (In truth, dozens of unauthorized new prayers were already being illicitly used in many countries throughout the world, particularly in Holland, France, and the United States.)
One new prayer that the Consilium presented to the Pope was a revision of Hippolytus' ancient Eucharistic prayer. In the new Missal, it became Eucharistic Prayer II. It is the shortest and simplest of the four main prayers in use, and certainly the one most often heard at Catholic Masses today.
Two other new prayers drew on different aspects of the Church's liturgical history.
Eucharistic Prayer III is the most modern composition, though it draws on several elements of Eastern rite liturgy. Since it can be used with any of dozens of different prefaces, it is well suited for the various Sundays and feast days of the year.
Eucharistic Prayer IV draws even more strongly on Eastern traditions. This is especially evident in the prayer's beautiful summary of salvation history. This is the longest prayer of the four, and probably the one least often heard in parishes today.
The Roman Canon was retained almost exactly as it had been and, like the others, could now be prayed in the vernacular. Among its many noteworthy aspects, its invocation of the prayers of many saints is particularly distinctive. It became known as Eucharistic Prayer I.
"The different Eucharistic Prayers contained in the Missal have been handed down to us by the Church's living Tradition and are noteworthy for their inexhaustible theological and spiritual richness," the Pope wrote in Sacramentum Caritatis.
It should be no wonder, then, that he insists, "The faithful need to be enabled to appreciate that richness."
The Parts of the Eucharistic Prayer
Though the Eucharistic prayers used at Mass today are different in many ways, they all share eight basic parts in common.
THANKSGIVING: The Church offers praise and thanksgiving to God. Thanksgiving is so important to Christian worship that it became known by that name very early: the Greek word for thanksgiving is eucharistia.
ACCLAMATION: Joining into the song of the angels themselves before the throne of God (see Isaiah 6:2 and Revelation 4:8), the people sing, "Holy, holy, holy Lord!..."
EPICLESIS: The priest asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit, so that the bread and wine may become the Body and Blood of Christ.
INSTITUTION NARRATIVE: The priest repeats the words of Jesus ("This is my body.... This is my blood"), and the consecration of the gifts takes place.
ANAMNESIS: The Church recalls the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus for our salvation.
OFFERING: The faithful offer Jesus, as well as themselves, to the Father in heaven.
INTERCESSIONS: The Church asks for the prayers of the saints and prays for the dead who are in need of prayers.
FINAL DOXOLOGY: The Church glorifies the Holy Trinity, concluding with the great "Amen!" of all the people.
Barry Michaels is the author of Eucharist: The Church's Treasure (Pauline, 2004) and At the School of Mary (Pauline, 2004), both prayer and study companions to documents of Pope John Paul II. His third book, Saints for Our Times: New Novenas and Prayers, was published by Pauline Books in September 2007.
URL: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/65025
Sunday Mass is a Necessity
Sunday Mass Is a Necessity, Says Pontiff
Adds That It's Not Just a Rule
VIENNA, Austria, SEPT. 9, 2007, (Zenit.org).- Going to Sunday Mass is not just a rule to follow, but rather an "inner necessity," says Benedict XVI.
The Pope said this today during the Mass he celebrated at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, on the last day of his three-day apostolic trip to Austria.
About 40,000 people followed the Mass on large screens placed in St. Stephen's Square, since not all of the participants were able to be accommodated inside.
Rain in the morning prompted organizers to distribute plastic raincoats to the faithful.
The Holy Father's homily centered on the mantra of the early Christian martyrs of Abitene: "Without Sunday we cannot live."
The Pontiff said: "Sunday has been transformed in our Western societies into the weekend, into leisure time.
"Leisure time is certainly something good and necessary, especially amid the mad rush of the modern world. Yet if leisure time lacks an inner focus, an overall sense of direction, then ultimately it becomes wasted time that neither strengthens nor builds us up.
"Free time requires a focus -- the encounter with him who is our origin and goal."
Meaning
In the opening greeting, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna, explained that there had been a movement in Austria to defend "Sunday from tendencies to empty this day of its meaning.
"Recalling the example of the early Christians, Benedict XVI explained that for them Sunday Mass was not a "precept," but rather "an inner necessity."
"Does this attitude of the Christians of that time apply also to us who are Christians today?" the Pope asked.
The Holy Father answered: "Yes, it does, we too need a relationship that sustains us, that gives direction and content to our lives.
"We too need access to the Risen One, who sustains us through and beyond death. We need this encounter which brings us together, which gives us space for freedom, which lets us see beyond the bustle of everyday life to God's creative love, from which we come and toward which we are traveling."
But Sunday, said the Pontiff, also calls to mind the "the day of the dawning of creation.
"He said: "Therefore Sunday is also the Church's weekly feast of creation -- the feast of thanksgiving and joy over God's creation.
"At a time when creation seems to be endangered in so many ways through human activity, we should consciously advert to this dimension of Sunday too.
"After the Mass, the Pope recited the Angelus in St. Stephen's Square.
As he was leaving, the pilgrims waved yellow handkerchiefs and banners from countries such as Germany, Israel, Austria and even Iran, chanting the Pope's name in Italian, "Be-ne-de-tto! Be-ne-de-tto!"
Pope Writes Letter To Children
Pope writes letter to children: "Keep your faith pure and genuine"
Vienna, Sep 10, 2007 / 11:05 am (CNA).- At the conclusion of the Angelus yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a letter addressed to children, which reads as follows:
Dear children!
On the occasion of my apostolic visit to Austria, I am happy to particularly address you who actively participate in the initiatives of the Pontifical Children's Missionary Works. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your letters and drawings which you gave me as a sign of your affection and closeness to my mission. In them you express those sentiments of faith and love for which Jesus loved the little ones so much and received them with open arms, placing them as an example for his disciples: 'The Kingdom of God,' he said, 'belongs to such as these.'
I wish to tell you that I appreciate your commitment to the Children's Missions. "I see you little co-workers in the service that the Pope gives to the Church and the world: You support me with your prayer and with your commitment to spread the Gospel. There are so many children in fact who still do not know Jesus. And unfortunately there are many others deprived of what they need to live: food, health care, education; many live without peace and tranquility. The Church gives them particular attention, especially through missionaries; and you too feel called to offer your contribution, whether personally or as a group.
Friendship with Jesus is such a beautiful gift that you cannot keep it to yourselves! Those who receive this gift feel the need to give it to others; and in this way the shared gift does not diminish but multiplies! Keep to this path! You are growing up and soon you will become adolescents and young people. Do not lose your missionary spirit. Always keep your faith pure and genuine, like that of St. Peter.
Beloved little friends, I entrust you to the protection of the Virgin Mary. I pray for you, for your parents and siblings. I pray for your missionary groups and your teachers, and to all I impart my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing."
URL: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=10341
Vienna, Sep 10, 2007 / 11:05 am (CNA).- At the conclusion of the Angelus yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a letter addressed to children, which reads as follows:
Dear children!
On the occasion of my apostolic visit to Austria, I am happy to particularly address you who actively participate in the initiatives of the Pontifical Children's Missionary Works. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your letters and drawings which you gave me as a sign of your affection and closeness to my mission. In them you express those sentiments of faith and love for which Jesus loved the little ones so much and received them with open arms, placing them as an example for his disciples: 'The Kingdom of God,' he said, 'belongs to such as these.'
I wish to tell you that I appreciate your commitment to the Children's Missions. "I see you little co-workers in the service that the Pope gives to the Church and the world: You support me with your prayer and with your commitment to spread the Gospel. There are so many children in fact who still do not know Jesus. And unfortunately there are many others deprived of what they need to live: food, health care, education; many live without peace and tranquility. The Church gives them particular attention, especially through missionaries; and you too feel called to offer your contribution, whether personally or as a group.
Friendship with Jesus is such a beautiful gift that you cannot keep it to yourselves! Those who receive this gift feel the need to give it to others; and in this way the shared gift does not diminish but multiplies! Keep to this path! You are growing up and soon you will become adolescents and young people. Do not lose your missionary spirit. Always keep your faith pure and genuine, like that of St. Peter.
Beloved little friends, I entrust you to the protection of the Virgin Mary. I pray for you, for your parents and siblings. I pray for your missionary groups and your teachers, and to all I impart my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing."
URL: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=10341
Sunday, September 9, 2007
'Greater Love Than This No Man Has'
'Greater Love Than This No Man Has'
Maximilian Kolbe Exemplifies Divine Mercy in Action
Wednesday, September 05, 2007By: Dan Valenti
Photo: Marian Archives
[+] Enlarge Image
"I am a Catholic priest," Fr. Maximilian repeated. "Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children."
Editor's Note — This is the first of two stories of Divine Mercy in action. Today's installment presents the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Part II will examine the heroic virtue-in-action of St. Gianna Molla. They are two saints of and for our time, approachable in their humanity and accessible in their spirituality.The gift of Divine Mercy comes to us freely from God. There's only one proviso, that in accepting the priceless treasure of God's forgiveness, compassion, and love, we agree to put those same qualities to use in our own lives. This means acting with mercy by extending it to others.Mercy in action does several things:
• First, it purifies, for by showing mercy in all situations, we cannot help but improve our lives; we will find that by offering compassion, we receive it in return. • Second, practicing mercy attracts us to the good in each of our life's encounters, even in seemingly bad situations; we discover the "silver lining in the clouds of doubt," that, in the spiritual life, refers to God's will in whatever happens. • Third, living out mercy day-to-day makes for a powerful form of evangelism; we spread the "Good News" not only (or even) by what we say but also by how we live. It calls to mind the writer's axiom of "Show, don't tell."• Fourth, mercy functions as a healing balm in relationships; our dealings with one another vastly improve once mercy enters into the picture.
The Overwhelming Goodness of GodJesus tells us that the highest act of mercy is to lay down one's life for another, as He did for us in taking on our sins by enduring the cross. Laying down a life is the greatest gift because it reflects the overwhelming goodness of God, the divine attribute that radiates pure mercy.Saint Faustina makes this clear in a little-quoted but magnificent entry in her Diary:
During the ten-o'clock meditation, Father [Rzyczkowski] spoke about divine mercy and about God's goodness to us. He said that as we review the history of mankind, we can see this great goodness of God at every step. All the attributes of God, such as omnipotence and wisdom, serve to reveal to us the greatest of His attributes; namely, His goodness. God's goodness is the greatest of God's attributes. Many souls striving for perfection, however, are not aware of this great goodness of God. Everything that Father said in the course of the meditation about the goodness of God, was exactly what Jesus had said to me about the Feast of [Divine] Mercy. I have now come to understand clearly what the Lord has promised me, and I have no doubt about anything; God's language is clear and distinct (458).
The unparalleled sacrifice of giving up one's life for another never fails to inspire and even send chills down the spine. We experience this foremost in the death of Jesus, who died for us, an action echoed throughout history in cases where one person makes a willful offering of life itself to spare another. The action drips of a host of virtues that can be summed up by the word "goodness."Many tend to think of such a heroic sacrifice in terms of days long gone, a supreme act of mercy distant and unreachable. However, we don't have to look too far back to find examples. Consider this analogy: Prisoner 16770 is to Francis Gajowniczek what Dr. Molla is to unborn Giovanna. How do they relate? The first person named in this set of pairs gave up his/her life for the second. In 1941, Fr. Maximilian Kolbe volunteered his life to save a condemned man in Auschwitz; a little more than 20 years later, St. Gianna Molla surrendered her life to save that of her unborn child.You Can Call Him RayHe began life on Jan. 8, 1894 as Raymond Kolbe, the second son of a weaver in a town called Zdunska Wola in Poland, near Lodz. As a boy, Ray, as he was known, showed a strong mischievous streak and had a penchant for getting into hot water.That changed forever when a seemingly tiny incident became the pivot point of his life.One day, Ray got caught in his usual antics, which elicited a scolding from his mother. The tongue-lashing deeply bothered young Ray. He was sad, not for the punishment, but because he had hurt his mother. Later, he wrote about the effect of the incident: "That night I asked the mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both."Ray wasn't sure if it was a dream or a vision, but it didn't matter what he called the experience. Dream or not, the experience had a vivid reality to it, and it stayed with him the rest of his life. He saw the events of his life in terms of the white and red crowns. When he was only 16 years old, Raymond Kolbe joined the Franciscans, taking the name Maximilian. As a Franciscan, he enjoyed a varied ministry, writing and publishing articles, teaching history in Poland, and building friaries in Warsaw; Nagasaki, Japan, and India. Then God began to fulfill young Ray's dream of Mary and the two crowns.Our Lady, as it turned out, would be handing him the red crown.In 1936, the Franciscans recalled Fr. Kolbe from Asia so he could supervise the Warsaw friary. The darkness of war, however, cast a long shadow over Europe and the world. Father Maximilian could see it coming. When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, no one had to draw Fr. Maximilian a map. He knew what that meant. He knew that the Nazis would seize the friary.Instead of fretting over this bad news, Fr. Kolbe went into action. He told his friars they were free to return to their homes, asking only a small number to remain behind to help implement a plan. Father Maximilian got the word out that refugees were welcome at the friary. Soon, the innocent victims of war made their way to the refuge. Thousands of people spent time with the friars, receiving shelter, food, clothing, and care. Some two-third of the refugees were Jews.The Franciscans' works of mercy, though, drew the attention of the Nazis, and in May 1941, the government shut down the friary and sent Fr. Maximilian and four other brothers to the death camp at Auschwitz, Poland. Amid this unsettling, he wrote home to his mother. In a letter dated June 15, he told her:
Dear Mama, At the end of the month of May I was transferred to the camp of Auschwitz. Everything is well in my regard. Be tranquil about me and about my health, because the good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love. It would be well that you do not write to me until you have received other news from me, because I do not know how long I will stay here. Cordial greetings and kisses, affectionately, Raymond.
Father Maximilian's" words hinting at a short stay proved prophetic. Two months later, he would be dead.'Let me take his place'In late July, a prisoner from Fr. Kolbe's barracks went missing. The Nazis presumed that he escaped. They invoked their standard rule in such cases: If someone escaped, 10 men from the same barracks would be killed in his place. The condemned would be locked in the starvation bunker, going without food and water until they died a long, tortuous death.The prisoners from Fr. Kolbe's barracks were ordered to assemble before camp Commandant Karl Fritsch."You will all pay for this," Fritsch told the men. He then chose the unlucky 10. One of those was a man named Francis Gajowniczek. He broke down."My poor wife!" Gajowniczek screamed. "My poor children! What will they do?"The men froze, not knowing how Commandant Fritsch would react. Father Maximilian walked forward to Fritsch, removed his hat, and told him, "I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children."Fritsch said nothing. He gazed at the priest for several seconds, before speaking."What does this Polish pig want?""I am a Catholic priest," Fr. Maximilian repeated. "Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children."The request was granted.Years later, Francis Gajowniczek remembered the moment:
I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on. The immensity of it: I, the condemned, am to live and someone else willingly and voluntarily offers his life for me, a stranger. Is this some dream?I was put back into my place without having had time to say anything to Maximilian Kolbe. I was saved. ... The news spread quickly all around the camp. It was the first and last time that such an incident happened in the whole history of Auschwitz.
Maximilian and the nine other men were immediately hustled to Building 13, the infamous starvation bunker. They were literally thrown down the stairs and locked in. Amazingly, an eyewitness account survives of what the men went through in the hole of Building 13. It came from Bruno Borgowiec, one of the prisoners assigned to service the death bunker. 'This priest is really a great man'Borgowiec told his story before he died in 1947:
The ten condemned men went through terrible days. From the underground cell in which they were shut up there continually arose the echo of prayers and canticles. The man in charge of emptying the buckets of urine found them always empty. Thirst drove the prisoners to drink the contents. Since they had grown very weak, prayers were only whispered. At every inspection, when almost all the others were lying on the floor, Father Kolbe was seen kneeling or standing in the centre as he looked cheerfully in the face of the SS men.Father Kolbe never asked for anything and did not complain. Rather, he encouraged the others, saying that the fugitive might be found and then they would all be freed. One of the SS guards remarked, "This priest is really a great man. We have never seen anyone like him."Two weeks passed in this way. Meanwhile, one after another they died, until only Father Kolbe was left. This the authorities felt was too long. The cell was needed for new victims. So one day they brought in the head of the sick quarters, a German named Bock, who gave Father Kolbe an injection of carbolic acid in the vein of his left arm. Father Kolbe, with a prayer on his lips, himself gave his arm to the executioner. Unable to watch this, I left under the pretext of work to be done. Immediately after the SS men had left, I returned to the cell, where I found Father Kolbe leaning in a sitting position against the back wall with his eyes open and his head drooping sideways. His face was calm and radiant.
The date was Aug. 14, 1941.Maximilian's remains were sent to the crematorium. No special notice was made of his death. Except for the word of what he had done.God's Will Be DoneThe story raced through Auschwitz and into immortality. One survivor of the camp talked of what the news of Fr. Maximilian's sacrifice did for the prisoners, saying it was "a shock filled with hope, bringing new life and strength." He likened it to "a powerful shaft of light in the darkness of the camp."Francis Gajowniczek lived to be 95 years old. Maximilian Kolbe bought him 53 years of life. When he returned to his hometown after being freed by the Allies from the death camp, Francis discovered that his two sons had died in the war. Only his wife survived. Francis never forgot Fr. Maximilian. Every year on Aug. 14, he went back to Auschwitz, descended the stairs to Building 13, and prayed to the saint-priest. The cell where the 10 men died has been preserved as a shrine.Perhaps the supreme irony in the sacrifice of Fr. Maximilian lies in the fact that the "escaped" prisoner had not escaped at all. He had drowned in a latrine. The officers of the camp did not bother to thoroughly check, and the commandant wasted no time in meting out what turned out to be an unnecessary punishment.But it was God's work. He wastes nothing, and this dramatic incident became the method by which He fulfilled Fr. Maximilian's vision of the two crowns, handing him the red one. The holy priest had kept his word. The holy priest reached out to grab this crown from the hand of God himself, delivered in the guise of a concentration camp's horrors.The example of mercy in action will shrine throughout the ages as long as there are people to hear it.Pope Paul VI beatified Maximilian Kolbe in 1970. Pope John Paul II made him a saint in 1981.Dan Valenti writes for numerous publications of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, both in print and online. He authors "Dan Valenti's Mercy Journal" for this website.
URL: http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=2842&PLID=77
Maximilian Kolbe Exemplifies Divine Mercy in Action
Wednesday, September 05, 2007By: Dan Valenti
Photo: Marian Archives
[+] Enlarge Image
"I am a Catholic priest," Fr. Maximilian repeated. "Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children."
Editor's Note — This is the first of two stories of Divine Mercy in action. Today's installment presents the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Part II will examine the heroic virtue-in-action of St. Gianna Molla. They are two saints of and for our time, approachable in their humanity and accessible in their spirituality.The gift of Divine Mercy comes to us freely from God. There's only one proviso, that in accepting the priceless treasure of God's forgiveness, compassion, and love, we agree to put those same qualities to use in our own lives. This means acting with mercy by extending it to others.Mercy in action does several things:
• First, it purifies, for by showing mercy in all situations, we cannot help but improve our lives; we will find that by offering compassion, we receive it in return. • Second, practicing mercy attracts us to the good in each of our life's encounters, even in seemingly bad situations; we discover the "silver lining in the clouds of doubt," that, in the spiritual life, refers to God's will in whatever happens. • Third, living out mercy day-to-day makes for a powerful form of evangelism; we spread the "Good News" not only (or even) by what we say but also by how we live. It calls to mind the writer's axiom of "Show, don't tell."• Fourth, mercy functions as a healing balm in relationships; our dealings with one another vastly improve once mercy enters into the picture.
The Overwhelming Goodness of GodJesus tells us that the highest act of mercy is to lay down one's life for another, as He did for us in taking on our sins by enduring the cross. Laying down a life is the greatest gift because it reflects the overwhelming goodness of God, the divine attribute that radiates pure mercy.Saint Faustina makes this clear in a little-quoted but magnificent entry in her Diary:
During the ten-o'clock meditation, Father [Rzyczkowski] spoke about divine mercy and about God's goodness to us. He said that as we review the history of mankind, we can see this great goodness of God at every step. All the attributes of God, such as omnipotence and wisdom, serve to reveal to us the greatest of His attributes; namely, His goodness. God's goodness is the greatest of God's attributes. Many souls striving for perfection, however, are not aware of this great goodness of God. Everything that Father said in the course of the meditation about the goodness of God, was exactly what Jesus had said to me about the Feast of [Divine] Mercy. I have now come to understand clearly what the Lord has promised me, and I have no doubt about anything; God's language is clear and distinct (458).
The unparalleled sacrifice of giving up one's life for another never fails to inspire and even send chills down the spine. We experience this foremost in the death of Jesus, who died for us, an action echoed throughout history in cases where one person makes a willful offering of life itself to spare another. The action drips of a host of virtues that can be summed up by the word "goodness."Many tend to think of such a heroic sacrifice in terms of days long gone, a supreme act of mercy distant and unreachable. However, we don't have to look too far back to find examples. Consider this analogy: Prisoner 16770 is to Francis Gajowniczek what Dr. Molla is to unborn Giovanna. How do they relate? The first person named in this set of pairs gave up his/her life for the second. In 1941, Fr. Maximilian Kolbe volunteered his life to save a condemned man in Auschwitz; a little more than 20 years later, St. Gianna Molla surrendered her life to save that of her unborn child.You Can Call Him RayHe began life on Jan. 8, 1894 as Raymond Kolbe, the second son of a weaver in a town called Zdunska Wola in Poland, near Lodz. As a boy, Ray, as he was known, showed a strong mischievous streak and had a penchant for getting into hot water.That changed forever when a seemingly tiny incident became the pivot point of his life.One day, Ray got caught in his usual antics, which elicited a scolding from his mother. The tongue-lashing deeply bothered young Ray. He was sad, not for the punishment, but because he had hurt his mother. Later, he wrote about the effect of the incident: "That night I asked the mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both."Ray wasn't sure if it was a dream or a vision, but it didn't matter what he called the experience. Dream or not, the experience had a vivid reality to it, and it stayed with him the rest of his life. He saw the events of his life in terms of the white and red crowns. When he was only 16 years old, Raymond Kolbe joined the Franciscans, taking the name Maximilian. As a Franciscan, he enjoyed a varied ministry, writing and publishing articles, teaching history in Poland, and building friaries in Warsaw; Nagasaki, Japan, and India. Then God began to fulfill young Ray's dream of Mary and the two crowns.Our Lady, as it turned out, would be handing him the red crown.In 1936, the Franciscans recalled Fr. Kolbe from Asia so he could supervise the Warsaw friary. The darkness of war, however, cast a long shadow over Europe and the world. Father Maximilian could see it coming. When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, no one had to draw Fr. Maximilian a map. He knew what that meant. He knew that the Nazis would seize the friary.Instead of fretting over this bad news, Fr. Kolbe went into action. He told his friars they were free to return to their homes, asking only a small number to remain behind to help implement a plan. Father Maximilian got the word out that refugees were welcome at the friary. Soon, the innocent victims of war made their way to the refuge. Thousands of people spent time with the friars, receiving shelter, food, clothing, and care. Some two-third of the refugees were Jews.The Franciscans' works of mercy, though, drew the attention of the Nazis, and in May 1941, the government shut down the friary and sent Fr. Maximilian and four other brothers to the death camp at Auschwitz, Poland. Amid this unsettling, he wrote home to his mother. In a letter dated June 15, he told her:
Dear Mama, At the end of the month of May I was transferred to the camp of Auschwitz. Everything is well in my regard. Be tranquil about me and about my health, because the good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love. It would be well that you do not write to me until you have received other news from me, because I do not know how long I will stay here. Cordial greetings and kisses, affectionately, Raymond.
Father Maximilian's" words hinting at a short stay proved prophetic. Two months later, he would be dead.'Let me take his place'In late July, a prisoner from Fr. Kolbe's barracks went missing. The Nazis presumed that he escaped. They invoked their standard rule in such cases: If someone escaped, 10 men from the same barracks would be killed in his place. The condemned would be locked in the starvation bunker, going without food and water until they died a long, tortuous death.The prisoners from Fr. Kolbe's barracks were ordered to assemble before camp Commandant Karl Fritsch."You will all pay for this," Fritsch told the men. He then chose the unlucky 10. One of those was a man named Francis Gajowniczek. He broke down."My poor wife!" Gajowniczek screamed. "My poor children! What will they do?"The men froze, not knowing how Commandant Fritsch would react. Father Maximilian walked forward to Fritsch, removed his hat, and told him, "I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children."Fritsch said nothing. He gazed at the priest for several seconds, before speaking."What does this Polish pig want?""I am a Catholic priest," Fr. Maximilian repeated. "Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children."The request was granted.Years later, Francis Gajowniczek remembered the moment:
I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on. The immensity of it: I, the condemned, am to live and someone else willingly and voluntarily offers his life for me, a stranger. Is this some dream?I was put back into my place without having had time to say anything to Maximilian Kolbe. I was saved. ... The news spread quickly all around the camp. It was the first and last time that such an incident happened in the whole history of Auschwitz.
Maximilian and the nine other men were immediately hustled to Building 13, the infamous starvation bunker. They were literally thrown down the stairs and locked in. Amazingly, an eyewitness account survives of what the men went through in the hole of Building 13. It came from Bruno Borgowiec, one of the prisoners assigned to service the death bunker. 'This priest is really a great man'Borgowiec told his story before he died in 1947:
The ten condemned men went through terrible days. From the underground cell in which they were shut up there continually arose the echo of prayers and canticles. The man in charge of emptying the buckets of urine found them always empty. Thirst drove the prisoners to drink the contents. Since they had grown very weak, prayers were only whispered. At every inspection, when almost all the others were lying on the floor, Father Kolbe was seen kneeling or standing in the centre as he looked cheerfully in the face of the SS men.Father Kolbe never asked for anything and did not complain. Rather, he encouraged the others, saying that the fugitive might be found and then they would all be freed. One of the SS guards remarked, "This priest is really a great man. We have never seen anyone like him."Two weeks passed in this way. Meanwhile, one after another they died, until only Father Kolbe was left. This the authorities felt was too long. The cell was needed for new victims. So one day they brought in the head of the sick quarters, a German named Bock, who gave Father Kolbe an injection of carbolic acid in the vein of his left arm. Father Kolbe, with a prayer on his lips, himself gave his arm to the executioner. Unable to watch this, I left under the pretext of work to be done. Immediately after the SS men had left, I returned to the cell, where I found Father Kolbe leaning in a sitting position against the back wall with his eyes open and his head drooping sideways. His face was calm and radiant.
The date was Aug. 14, 1941.Maximilian's remains were sent to the crematorium. No special notice was made of his death. Except for the word of what he had done.God's Will Be DoneThe story raced through Auschwitz and into immortality. One survivor of the camp talked of what the news of Fr. Maximilian's sacrifice did for the prisoners, saying it was "a shock filled with hope, bringing new life and strength." He likened it to "a powerful shaft of light in the darkness of the camp."Francis Gajowniczek lived to be 95 years old. Maximilian Kolbe bought him 53 years of life. When he returned to his hometown after being freed by the Allies from the death camp, Francis discovered that his two sons had died in the war. Only his wife survived. Francis never forgot Fr. Maximilian. Every year on Aug. 14, he went back to Auschwitz, descended the stairs to Building 13, and prayed to the saint-priest. The cell where the 10 men died has been preserved as a shrine.Perhaps the supreme irony in the sacrifice of Fr. Maximilian lies in the fact that the "escaped" prisoner had not escaped at all. He had drowned in a latrine. The officers of the camp did not bother to thoroughly check, and the commandant wasted no time in meting out what turned out to be an unnecessary punishment.But it was God's work. He wastes nothing, and this dramatic incident became the method by which He fulfilled Fr. Maximilian's vision of the two crowns, handing him the red one. The holy priest had kept his word. The holy priest reached out to grab this crown from the hand of God himself, delivered in the guise of a concentration camp's horrors.The example of mercy in action will shrine throughout the ages as long as there are people to hear it.Pope Paul VI beatified Maximilian Kolbe in 1970. Pope John Paul II made him a saint in 1981.Dan Valenti writes for numerous publications of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, both in print and online. He authors "Dan Valenti's Mercy Journal" for this website.
URL: http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=2842&PLID=77
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