FRIDAY POTPOURRI: MAKE SURE YOUR WINDOW IS CLEAN AND CLEAR

One of the images of Mary is that of a window.  One does not look at a window, one looks though it at something else.  Mary is a window through which we look to see her Son.  Another image of Mary is that of the moon.  The moon is a cold rock.  But when the sun hits it, it gives a glorious brilliance for us to see on earth on a dark night.  So Mary’s brilliance is in that she reflects her Son to us.  “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

 

In the same way this next paragraph (66) of Lumen Gentium states it, William Wadsworth once said more poetically is that Our Lady is “our tainted nature’s solitary boast.”  She is our exemplar par excellence.  Where Jesus is a divine person, Mary is fully human and so is set at our head to lead us in the way of fully following her Son.  Such has been the case since the very inception of the Church.  This is attested to in Luke where Mary says, “All generation shall call me blessed.”

 

A devotion to Mary is essentially different from the devotion given to the Trinity.  A devotion to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an end unto itself.  The buck stops there so to speak.  God is the object of all true worship.  Devotion to Mary is a pathway to a deeper understanding and love of the Trinity.    

 

Think of it this way:  You might have a particular devotion to a preacher that simply wows you.  You might follow this person around, attend many services, and listen to numerous recordings of sermons and teachings.  But if the person’s preaching only leads you to like that person more deeply, that person has failed.  The inspirational talks are supposed to be a pathway to heaven and entice you further up that glorious trail.  True and loving devotion to Mary is to do the same thing.

TRY IT AFRESH

There are a number of good ways to pray the rosary.  By that I mean ways of contemplating while you pray it.  As long as one finds a way of focusing on the life of Christ, it is, in general, Okay.  In fact, though not ideal, if I’ve already said my rosary, I might do another one passively, letting the Aves pass through my mind like music from the radio.  This started one day when I started actually listening to the messages of the music playing instead of just hearing it and was disgusted by the thought of those sentiments being passively pumped into my brain.  I’d rather have the back ground of the rosary than that junk.  Maybe not the best use of the prayer, but it is a far better thing than what I was doing.

 

Today I tried something new (to me.)  It was interesting and insightful for me.  If you’ve not already tried it, give it a shot and see if it does anything for you.  This morning (Thursday) I was praying the Luminous Mysteries (to be honest, not my favorite but I do them and they always seem to be fruitful) and thought about the mysteries in this way: How would I view them if I were remembering them as if they just happened yesterday – not two thousand years ago with all the baggage that implies – not with all the belief that I already have and the evidence that we now hold as them being true and fitting so nicely theologically?  What if I was just hearing about the Person named Jesus and the claims He is making?  What is all this fuss?  What if, being a person of faith in God (pre-Jesus) already, I was suddenly confronted with the possibility that such a Person was among us?

 

What if I were on the shore of Galilee last week watching John baptizing people and wondering if what he is doing is making any real sense.  And then this guy comes along and is baptized and all of these wonders happen?  I might be able to put that into the back of my mind to think about for awhile, but then last night I was at a wedding and this same guy turned water into wine.  I know he did!  I was there!  What does this mean?  Who is He? 

 

The most interesting personal insight came from the Transfiguration.  I was never quite sure what to do with this mystery other than to imagine it or do some theological ponderings around it.  This exercise pointed out to me perhaps why this might be the case.  If this whole story were taking place in my neighborhood and these miraculous things kept happening, if I met these pious and zealous young men who were His followers and they told me of this story of their leader being transfigured and appearing with Moses and Elijah and nobody saw it except them, with this particular point I would have some skepticism.  Perhaps this is exactly why they didn’t tell anybody what they had seen until much later.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly believe in the Transfiguration but now understand that I have to come at it in a different way than something like the miracle at Cana.  It is different and requires a different aspect of belief and is teaching me something different and therefore requires something different of me.

 

That is part of the joy of the rosary and how it leads us closer to our Savior. 

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: RAISING THE CATHOLICISM LEVEL

Eeek!

From this point Mrs. Fenner gets into wedding etiquette.  I just can’t do it.  It would be like facing another presidential campaign.  I don’t have the heart.  Describing the engagement part alone seems to me as daunting as painting the hull of a battleship in my pajamas as it floats in a rough see in January near the Artic Circle.  But there is one part that piqued my interest:  How to make your wedding more Catholic.

 

Mrs. Fenner does not say it but we’ll rush right in and say first; don’t do things at your wedding service or Mass that are not Catholic and are not part of our Tradition or tradition or are not part of your cultural background.  Having such things as the “jumping of the broom” and the “sand ceremony” and the terrible “unity candle” ceremony (with which there are so many problems I will not even write about it again but you can find more here) just add repetition, time stalling ceremonies, and conflicting or competitive symbols.

 

A wedding Mass may or may not be most appropriate.  This is a time of unification.  If one family is largely not Catholic it might be more wise not to have a Mass at which a large percentage of the people will be asked in one manner or another to not come forward during Communion.  But if both families are Catholic, by all means have a Mass.

 

Bearing in mind that a couple is engaging in a sacrament when they marry, symbols of the sacrament may be used.  The most common is the interlocking rings combined with a cross.  These may be used on the program or even the invitation.  This and other Catholic/Christian symbols may also be used on the wedding cake.  “The foolish bide-and-groom dolls or orange blossoms which usually decorate a wedding cake are symbols,” writes Mrs. Fenner, “although we seldom think of them as such because too-frequent use has rendered them almost meaningless.” 

 

A worship aid may also be used.  It should not simply be a list of characters such as is found at the end of a movie, but of true use.  What is going on?  Who may go to Communion?  What is done next?  What does it mean?  Where do I find the hymn? 

 

Wedding rings might engraved on the inside of the band with a short Scripture passage.  Flowers may take on significant meaning.  For example, roses are the most common and are symbolic of Mary.  Traditionally red is for the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, yellow for the glorious, and white for the joyful.

There are some ceremonies that, while not part of the liturgy of the Church, are somewhat acceptable.  One is the visit to the Mary altar by the bride (and groom) during the singing of the Ave Maria.  Generally a rose is left at her altar as a token of that prayer.  Since it is not a part of the actual ceremony it should almost seem as though it were a spontaneous act on the part of the couple overcome with joy and moved by the singing of this Marian hymn.  Therefore it should not be announced, “NOW THE BRIDE WILL BE GOING OVER TO THE MARY STATUE TO . . .”  Rather, when the hymn is sung (maybe as a reflection after Communion,) the bride simply stands, walks over to the chapel and prays, leaves a rose, and returns to her seat before the end of the song.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: HOW TO SCAR A CHILD FOR LIFE

There is perhaps no topic so personal as naming your child.  Everybody has an opinion – even the Church.  Mrs. Fenner has much to say though some of her advice has become politically incorrect – which is exactly why most of it should be followed.

There is the general custom among Catholics that a child be named after a saint.  At least part of his name should be after a saint.  It is an ancient custom stretching back to the early Church.  It gives the child a patron, “a protector and intercessor in heaven,” as Mrs. Fenner states.  Though I doubt God leaves a child unprotected who does not sport such a name.  But why not take advantage of such an opportunity?

 

Mrs. Fenner points out that when choosing a saints name, know which saint you are choosing.  This is so true.  For a long time I thought I was named after St. John the Baptist but as it turns out I found a medal with an eagle on it that was placed around my neck when I was born so apparently I was named after St. John the Evangelist.

So you want to name your child after St. Francis or St. Therese; which one of the many Francises and Thereses is it?  What an opportunity, during those story telling years, to tell your child about the saint after whom he was named.  Bearing this in mind you might want to carefully review the stories before naming him or her.  There’s no point in naming a child after a saint who caused too much of a raucous and then having them, after hearing the saint’s story during their formative years, become just like them much to your consternation.  “You are just like St. George!  Always going around slaying dragons!”  “But Moooooooom . . .”

I remember the (probably apocryphal) story of the man converting to Christianity and on his way to being baptized was questioned by the priest about his name.  “That certainly is not a saint’s name,” said the priest.  “Not yet!” replied the man.

There is the sole spiritual criteria for naming a child.  But, “on the question of taste in selecting a name, one could write volumes!” reports our hostess.  And she did write volumes.  “Parents should give consideration to the fact that a name is perhaps one’s most intimate possession, and that its suitability, or lack of it, is believed to exercise a profound influence upon the child.”

“Care should be taken that no name is chosen which could be used to ridicule.”  No matter how hard you try this might not be avoided.  My next door neighbor hid his middle name from us for years and years.  It was Kernin.  Why he hated it so is hard to tell.  Perhaps because it was so different.  In any event he later became quite proud of it as it was his mother’s maiden name.  But at least we can try not to add gas to the fire.

Mrs. Fenner abhors names such as “Iva” or “Ima” particularly when combined with last names that are also common nouns such as “Coward” or “Post.”  “’Rose’ as a second name is sometimes awkward; one should remember that ‘rose’ is also a verb.”  Monsignor Manners likes the name Rose however.

 

We are warned to review the initials we may be giving a child.  Watch what they spell!  “Carol Ann Thomas is a sensible name, but any girl so named will be called a “C.A.T.” by her teasing friends.”  Actually that seems rather a lovely nickname to me.  I’ve known some CATs and they were sweet ladies.  Other words to be avoided however are W.O.W., and P.O.P. and so on.

I Googled, “Unfortunate Initials” and found a whole stash of angry people.  People with names like “ETC” and “BLT.”

Monsignor Manners suggests a further step.  (Think things are hard already?  We’ve not yet begun to make the process difficult!)  Remember when your son has cufflinks or your daughter has embroidered towels that the initials will be mixed up.  Who wants to have Ulysess Holden Grant’s guest bathroom towels say U.G.H. to you every time you use them?

Even worse, remember we are in the unfortunate age of texting which brings together a whole new set of unfortunate initials.  William Theodore Fredrickson will never live down his initials.

Of course whatever this have to do with Catholic specific manners slips past Monsignor other than the command by God to love others.  I think Mrs. Fenner simply had to get out her opinion on such things.  But you are sticking this kid with something that will last a lifetime so it is wise to choose well.  Remember, these are the people who will be picking out your nursing home. 

There is more to come next week to complicate matters even further so don’t settle on a name yet!

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: DEFINING YOUR PARISH: LAST THINGS

There are a few other features that you might want to touch upon. These are not symbols so much but they would be very helpful for people to know about. Take the Stations of the Cross. Most people think the stations are pictures around a Catholic Church marking the Passion of Christ. They are not. They are fourteen wooden cross to which pictures may be attached. The indulgence is attached to the wooden crosses not the pictures.

If your church was consecrated you should have a number of crosses on the walls of your church. The number may vary but usually it is twelve. Most people think that the candles are that which are important. They are not. The important part is the cross, painted, sculpted, or hung, in front of which a candle may be placed. These are the spots where the bishop consecrated the building with holy oil.

Others may benefit from seemingly ordinary things being explained. What do all the markings on the Paschal candle mean? Is there heraldry in your parish? Why is it there (there are old posts on AA to help explain this) and what do they mean? How about relics?  What about the relics in (or under) yor altar?  What do you see – that perhaps you don’t see in Protestant Churches – that you never thought to wonder why it is there?

Here’s something that came up since I wrote to you last week. Remember the comment about the twelve pillars and how most parishes that have pillars tend to have 12? Well, I was at a church this past week that I believe was built in 1929 that only had four pillars. Upon closer inspection the tops of the pillars were decorated with symbols of the four Evangelists. The pillars, then, represented the four Gospels upon which the Church is built. Pretty cool! I hope you discover cool things about your parish.

DID YOU HEAR WHAT HAPPENED TO MRS FUSTER LAST WEEK?

Why do we talk in church?

I find it interesting that when we have an event such as a funeral or wedding and many Protestants are present, they are often much quieter than Catholics. I have a theory on this though not necessarily a solution. If you have one I would be glad to hear it. (Remember, this is my theory, not a scientific study.)

At another assignment I had a pastor who used to go out among the people before Mass and encourage them to talk to each other. “Everyone here is from someplace else,” he explained to me, “they have to get to know each other if they are going to be a community.” I understand his point.

The parish in which I grew up was a nationality parish. It seemed everyone knew everyone and one half was related to the other half. They belonged to the same ethnic club, lived in the same neighborhood, went to the theater owned and operated by the community, went to the same bars, same bowling alley, and worked in similar jobs. When they went to church it was time to pray. The church was quiet before Mass. Someone trying to pray did not have to ward off evil thoughts while being constantly distracted by, “Pssst mumble ssspss NEPHEW who psss mumble muble spspps THREE TIMES and mumble sppst with his girlfriend. NO! YES! Hand to God.” All that was said at the hall the night before.

Church is not ideally envisioned the way we experience it now. Can you imagine living in a small European village and everybody coming out of their homes about the same time and talking as they walked to church (Mom described this experience growing up in Barberton) and then arriving at church and going in and having no need (really) to chat. There would be more time later, now we are quiet and praying.

How is it today in most of the United States? We drive to Mass, probably last minute, and unless we are actively involved or have kids in the school this might be the only time we see many of the people we encounter there. It feels almost rude not to say something so we do and sometimes that elicits a couple of other comments. This takes place whether we are on time or not. There is little transition time between a frustrating drive and full and active participation in the Mass. Then afterwards (hopefully) we squeeze out and head for our cars and head back to our home. No kidding we talk before and after Mass. When else would we do it?

However, the rubrics for the Mass call for silence before Mass not only in the main body of the church but in all of the ancillary rooms as well. This makes sense if you consider the brouhaha trying to get everybody ready to go (especially the kid that doesn’t wanna) getting them in the car, hitting every red light, getting behind the slowest moving vehicle in the universe, not finding a parking place anywhere close to the church, walking in the rain, stepping in a puddle, having your youngest jump in a puddle on purpose, and then, adding insult to injury, entering into church (late) and finding some interloper occupying your pew! From there you are to enter into joyful song and praise of the Lord? You might be half way through the Gospel before you are calmed down enough to really hear anything (that is, if the phrase, “I have to go to the bathroom” hasn’t popped up yet.)

The silence is a cushion and a transition. It is invaluable. It is like fasting and praying – precisely because it IS fasting (from talking) and praying. So how do we get people to engage in it and not “pssst sotoe mumble he to HER!”

Donut Sunday. Works somewhat. I really have no idea.  At the Vatican they had guards walking around saying, "Silencio!"  Maybe give kids squirt guns to shoot any adult caught talking. That would work and be fun for the kids. “PLEASE! Can we go to Mass today? I have silence duty!” I would enjoy your thoughts.

FRIDAY POTPURRI: DEFINING YOUR PARISH PART II

Thus far you have collected all readily available material. Now some further research should be done. Let us start with the windows. Your information may not be complete or it might not appear to be quite correct. There are a number of avenues to help you out. One is to figure out what the general theme (if there is one) of the windows are. For example, if a series of windows depict the Beatitudes or the Ten Commandments, you may be able to figure out what a window is supposed to be but not necessarily why.

It is a good idea to record all the symbols in a window. Some may have been glossed over by previous persons doing your project. If the artists used traditional symbolism there are a few good references that you might employ to assist you in deciphering the window.

My favorite book is “Signs and Symbols in Christian Art” by George Ferguson. It is very user friendly and unlike many books out there concentrates on Catholic/Christian specifics. It has been in print since 1954 so may have to search for it though my addition was printed in the 80s I believe. Another book is “Saints, Signs, and Symbols” by W. Ellwood Post. While not exhaustive, these books have most of the basics.

There are some excellent websites as well. Seiyaka.com has a lot of great information. Fish Eaters is pretty good, and Christiansymbols.net is excellent.

There are times, however, when these resources will fail you. It might be because the artist has chosen to use innovative symbols that unless you are familiar with the artist’s intent they may confound you. For example, at one parish the windows were depicting the Ten Commandments and artist used red circles to mean “don’t!” Fortunately we came across an old paper that told us of this. (Don’t covet was interesting.) But how would we have known otherwise?

That leads us to your next step if you are desperate (and lucky.) In the corner of one of your windows (assuming they are all made from the same company) there very well may be (usually in the lower right hand corner) the name of the company responsible for the windows. At one parish it was the choir loft window, at another that last in a series in the nave of the church, at St. Sebastian it is in window off to the side of the sanctuary. It might be the artist and his studio itself, or the company that hired the studio to make them and then they stuck their own name on it. In any case this will give you some information. At the very least it will provide some historical data for you. If you are lucky, it might give you everything you want to know.

There was one set of windows that confounded me to no end. The artist was very creative and once you got into his mindset they made a lot of sense – but we needed a key. I found the name of the creator of the windows and then found someone at the company that would sneak out the blue prints for me. I ran down to the library and copied them as quickly as possible along with the artist’s notes. (Can you imagine trying to copy blueprints on 8 ½ by 11 sheets? – the taping together later was horrendous!) But the result was great! All the mysteries of the windows were cleared up and they became great tools for catechetical instruction.

SPRING IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER

On my couple days away from the parish I happened to be walking along a great body of water and hearing a couple talking as I passed them. The woman was speaking to the gentleman, “Mother said that those old Communion Cups and St. X were just terrible. Men would come up with bushy mustaches and . . .” That is all I heard. To listen any more would be to need to go to confession.

It made me chuckle however and reflect on how much direct Catholicism I had encountered in the past couple of days. It made me think of Las Vegas (of all things) where you knew if you scratched the surface there was nothing but dessert underneath. Though society seems completely secular, scratch hard enough and you find faith.

Yesterday dinner was had at a restaurant that had tables out-of-doors next the sidewalk. As we ate a young man walked by holding hands with a young lady. After passing I noticed that he was wearing a brown scapular. It must have inched its way up out of his collar and was riding high on his neck. If it would have been convenient I would have commended him.

Have you ever seen the movie Seabiscuit? I highly recommend it (save for a minor spot of nudity and cursing.) It is a very pro-life movie in many respects. In a hospital scene one of the lead characters was praying the rosary. (I get far too excited about these things. It was nice to know just the same that the horse was a Catholic.)

This morning reading the newspaper there was a picture about a trial taking place in Peru. In the background on one of the tables – quite blurry but of no doubt – was a table crucifix! “Hey look!” I exclaimed to my breakfast mates, “Is that a crucifix in the courtroom?” Lucky Peruvians.

None of these were advertised for others to see. They were “caught” as it were – snatches of people’s lives. Sometimes these speak louder than grand monuments.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: THE WALL KIT

Recently somebody donated a box of religious items to the parish. Most of it was things used at Mass. One thing in the box, however, was a sick call crucifix that I hung in one of the guest bedrooms.

Sick call crucifixes used to fascinate me as a child with its sliding secret compartment, candles, holy water, and other things. It seems a majority of Catholic homes had one usually near the bedrooms or in the living room just in case it might be needed. This does not seem to be the case anymore. Whereas Catholics are still highly encouraged to have a crucifix hanging in their houses, the sick call crucifix seems to be becoming a thing of the past. (It it is not in your area, I would be interested in hearing about it.)

In all actuality, I have never seen one used and today they are largely not necessary. I do remember my mother showing how they would be used if it were ever needed however. “Before the priest comes,” she said, “we would prepare for his arrival. He will not be very talkative because he is carrying the Blessed Sacrament and therefore will not be engaging in idle chit chat until after.” She then took the crucifix off of the wall and placed it on a table. The top of the crucifix slid off and could be set up right into the base. A small cloth (which I take to be a corporal) would be placed on the table where Father could place his pyx. Two tiny beeswax candles would also be set into the base and lit because of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. There was also a little vile of holy water.

Today there does not seem to be the need for one of these crucifixes. The priest generally brings with him all the things he needs for a visit and such things as candles are either no longer needed or even forbidden as many people we visit are on oxygen the combination of which would send a person to his maker sooner than anticipated. But neither is there anything that forbid or make inappropriate the use thereof.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: DOWN IN ADORATION FALLING

I am hard pressed to understand the logic of why the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated when it is. There may be a very good reason and if anybody knows I would be interested. But I am glad there is such a feast.

There is another similar day – Maundy Thursday. (Oh! Maybe THAT’S why it is on a Thursday – save for places where it is moved to Sunday.) Anyway, Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) is the day we celebrate the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. But there is also a ton of other things going on that day and the theme one of mourning. Here we have Jesus and precious little time to spend in devotion of His presence among us in this most august way. So in the 12th century a movement was begun to have a day when we could, in a special and devotional way, show our love and gratitude for such an auspicious gift. Pope Urban IV began the feast day and St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the liturgical texts. He also wrote some songs about the Blessed Sacrament the words of which we still sing today at benediction: O Salutaris (O Saving Victim) and Tantum Ergo (Down In Adoration).

ON A LONG ENOUGH TIME LINE, EVERYONE'S CHANCE OF SURVIVAL DROPS TO ZERO (FIGHT CLUB)

There is a new ministry beginning at St. Sebastian. It involves people praying for those who are dying. They asked me to come up with some information that people should know about what Catholics need who are in the dying process. Here is the information that I gave them. It's good information to keep in your hip pocket.

Dying is one of the most important things we do in this life and often there is some amount of misunderstanding or even ignorance concerning what a Catholic should do at the hour of death. Most importantly, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is just that, for those who are ill. One of the desired effects of anointing is healing. Therefore anointing should never be put off until the hour of death especially in this age when getting hold of a priest is becoming more and more difficult. Rather, Viaticum (for the way), the giving of the Blessed Sacrament, is the proper sacrament for the dying.

If, however, the person who is anointed is in danger of death, the priest should offer the apostolic blessing with its attached indulgence. If the priest is not aware of the danger of the illness or should he forget, it might be good to ask for the apostolic blessing if death is an imminent reality.

From the Book of Indulgences, “But if a priest cannot be present, holy mother Church lovingly grants such person who are rightly disposed a plenary indulgence to be obtained in articulo mortis (at the approach of death) provided they regularly prayed in some way during their lifetime. The use of a crucifix or a cross is recommended in obtaining this plenary indulgence.” In this situation, they may receive a second indulgence in one day by special exemption.

For these reasons those all are encouraged to pray regularly, especially the sick and dying, that they might receive these special blessings.

FRIDAY PORPOURRI: WHAT? NO CHIPS FOR AN ENTIRE HOUR? HOW BARBARIC!

We are days away from Lenten fasts and the Catholic maxim, “When Catholics feast they really feast and when they fast they cheat.”

The fact is that though we often associate fasting with Lent, we are called to do it all the time. It is recommended to Catholics to practice fasting from time to time. It was, after all, a practice of Christ our exemplar par excellence.

Fasting, at its minimum, is really not all that difficult though it can be trying from time to time. The Church in her wisdom makes the laws of fasting rather lax in order to make it as accessible a practice as possible.

For example, the Eucharistic fast which Catholics are obliged to follow every time they receive Communion is one hour before receiving Communion. If receiving at Mass a half hour of that is in Church (though I have seen some people who cannot survive Mass without snacks) and if your parish is any distance much of the rest of the time involves getting ready and walking/driving to your parish. One hour is hardly a stretch of the capabilities of man. This fast of one hour does not exclude water and medication and for the sick and the elderly it is reduced to 15 minutes. I’ve heard homilies that were 15 minutes. This 15 minute rule also extends to those attending to the sick and elderly IF the one hour fast would be too difficult.

Required fasting days are reduced to 2: Ash Wednesday (just around the corner) and Good Friday. These are hardly stringent expectations. That the perception that eating fish is part of it may be (I loathe even the concept of eating fish) but that too is false. One is NOT required to eat fish on a fast and abstinence day. That is why God made cheese. But I digress.

On these two days we are actually required to cut back our eating to normal proportions – perhaps that which most of the world get to eat if they are lucky: one meal and two smaller – usually a small breakfast (which probably should be renamed on such a day) and a collation or snack (small meal.) The two latter should not add up to more food than is in the main meal. (Mind you – this is a minimum!)

If you have not completed your 18th year, or are over the age of 60, you are not obliged. According to the EWTN site, “Besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need for meat or nourishment, manual laborers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical impossibility to observe the penitential discipline.”

Lastly, from the same source, “Before all else we are obliged to perform the duties of our state in life. When considering stricter practices than the norm, it is prudent to discuss the matter with one's confessor or director. Any deprivation that would seriously hinder us in carrying out our work, as students, employees or parents would be contrary to the will of God.”

FRIDAY POTOURRI: ONLY FOR THOSE IN LOVE

There was a time that I found litanies of any kind painfully BOARING. The mere thought of a litany coming up was enough to send me into desires of being hit by a brick in the head and sent into a coma.

Things change.

First – what is a litany? It is a prayer, usually rather loooooong, in a sort of call and response fashion such as in, “St. Sebastian . . . R pray for us.” There are all kinds of litanies. There are various litanies for God and His various persons (Holy Spirit, Child Jesus . . .) and of the Eucharist, litanies for the Blessed Virgin Mary, angels and saints, and various needs and petitions such as for a happy death, souls in purgatory, humility, priests, peace, etc. . . There are also litanies recalling various promises of God and the saints and such.

That being said the reason that a litany can seem painful is because it is a prayer of someone head over heels in love. If you are not in love or wanting to be in love, like a high fructose corn syrup – sappy – date night romance movie, it can be very painful to endure. A litany is what lovers do. “What do I love about you? Your beautiful eyes, your sunny personality, the way walk, the way you talk. You are my sunshine, the song in my heart, the beat of my heart blah blah blah . . .” It can also take the beloved and break what is lovely about them into their constituent parts. “What is great about the Parish of Saint Sebastian? Jennifer, Tim, Cathy, Ed, Lynn, Aaron, so forth and so on.” And all the time we are asking them to remember us also. We tell them beloved (God, saints) that we trust them, rely on them, look up to them when we place our trust in the them to take our hearts to God.

The first time litanies started making true sense to me was at my ordination. We were laying prostrate on the floor while the congregation sang the Litany of the Saints. The saints became real and personal to me. It was if they were there. It clicked to me that they really were my family. They might as well have been singing, "Mom, Dad, Mickie, Lori, Don, Aunt O, Uncle Paul . . ."The names of the those whom I knew stuck out and I thought, “I know this guy,” and it was if they were truly there. It was quite exciting.

Now, I still need to be in a mood for a litany. But when I am they are so moving. More recently I have started becoming particular friends with St. Sebastian. I did not pay much attention to him before I came to this parish and my idea of him was really of a comic book fashion. “He’s the guy shot with arrows.” But after studying him and praying with him I’ve grown quite fond of him. Here is a litany of St. Sebastian (they are not all that common.)

LITANY OF SAINT SEBASTIAN

Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us! Christ hear us!
Christ, graciously hear us!
God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us!
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us!
God, the holy Ghost, Have mercy on us!
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us!

Holy Mary, Queen of Martyrs, Pray for us.
Saint Sebastian, Pray for us.
Invincible Martyr, Pray for us.
Knight, noble by birth and fame, Pray for us.
Glorious warrior and martyr of Christ, Pray for us.
Patron and mirror of Christian soldiers, Pray for us.
Despiser of the world, Pray for us.
Conqueror of Satan, Pray for us. Comfort of the dying, Pray for us. Consoler of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Announcer of the word of God, Pray for us.
Protector and Patron of countries and cities, Pray for us.
Saint Sebastian, perfect in virtue and wisdom, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, lover of God and men, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, might in word and work, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who didst strengthen the Christians in torments and death, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who didst fortify those wavering in their faith,
Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who didst encourage the doubting to persevere to the end, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who, in flamed with love of God, didst despise the pains inflicted by the tyrant, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, surrounded by celestial light, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, instructed by the holy Angels, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, giving speech to the dumb, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who for defending the truth wast wounded by arrows,
Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who wast put to death with clubs, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who wast crowned with eternal glory, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, great intercessor for us with God, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, endowed with power from God to avert pestilence and all contagious diseases, Pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Have mercy on us, O Lord!
Christ, hear us!
Christ, graciously hear us!

Let us pray. Mercifully look on our weakness, O almighty God;
since the weight of our own evil deeds bears us down, may the glorious intercession of Thy blessed martyr Sebastian be our protection
Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: NO CARE BEARS DUCT TAPED TO TREES FOR ME PLEASE

It seems that people crave ritual – even non-Catholics. Witness in recent years the explosion (it seems to me anyway) of people setting up what Catholics would call “way side shrines” of sorts by the side of the road where an accident and death has occurred. There is usually a cross, maybe a sign, flowers, and stuffed animals. (If I die on the highway please don’t leave stuffed animals – maybe a statue of Mary of St. Sebastian – or maybe St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers – but not a teddy bear.) Did you ever ask yourself why people do this?

I believe that most people have an innate urge to do something to help them deal with whatever difficulty it is that they are facing. They might assemble the various pieces of a “shrine,” take it out to the road, maybe invite others along, put it up, maybe say a prayer, and then leave it as witness to their distress, a prayer for the deceased, and as a symbol to all who pass to be safe and that something happened here that was significant to someone. (Sounds very Old Testamenty doesn’t it?)

Catholics have been doing such things for centuries. One of these practices is the lighting of vigil candles. It feels so right to do but have you ever asked yourself why you do it? Something is pressing heavily on your heart, you show up at your local Catholic Church and approach a bank of candles if you are lucky enough to have them. They are most likely before a statue of a saint, Jesus, or even before the Blessed Sacrament. You slip a little money into a box, light a candle, kneel down and pray.

For Catholics worships involves more than prayers of the mind or vocal chords. We pray with our whole beings. In prayer we engage smell, taste, hearing, speaking, thinking, gestures, postures, sight, the whole nine yards. In lighting candles we engage the body in prayer. Besides the mental aspect, there is the kneeling, the action of lighting a candle, the sight of the burning flame, and the smell of the candles.

Then there is the name “vigil.” If we were to “stand vigil” with someone, we would be with them and alert for an extended period of time. When we leave a particular shrine, our candle stands vigil in our place. We leave the candle burning as a sign of our continuing prayer even when we are not able to keep praying, it is a symbol to the community that someone has something about which they are taking this extra means and that they could use your prayers; that something significant in someone’s life is occurring, it is a link of solidarity with the community who will see the candle and an act of faith that entrusting this prayer this saint that God will grant it (in some way) if it be for His glory and our true benefit.

So if you should pass a vigil candle stand and see a candle lit, say even the quickest of prayers for the intention for which it is burning. Someone in your community is in need.

FRIDAY POTPURRI: MOPPING UP

Who would have thought a better filing system would make life so much better? I’ve actually cleaned most of the stuff off of my desk simply because it was organized better. Life is so grand when you engage it well. Before this my desk had rather the pile on it – the direct result of which was I was not responding to people for a couple of weeks who made comments on Adam’s Ale.

Today I can actually dust my desk. Not that there is any dust on it – it was too covered with paperwork to be able to collect any. So I look back at some of the posts and the one that seems to require the most immediate response is last Friday concerning indulgences. I whipped that one out and a few of you caught me on some inconsistencies. Good for you! You know your stuff! Would that all Catholics be that sharp.

There are a number of ways we can go about the forgiveness of sin but Lynne caught the first inconsistency. It was not enough for me to say that confession remains the normative and most efficacious. Except in some very rare and specific cases, mortal sins must be confessed by kind and number in the confessional. Period. (And I personally highly recommend the regular practice whether one is in mortal sin or not.)

One of the Annons made mention that indulgences has nothing to do with the forgiveness of sin but the temporal punishment due to sin. When it comes to a plenary indulgence confession is a necessary part of the process – but I clouded the issue. To get it absolutely straight let me quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1471: “The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance. An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment die to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven . . .”

There we go! Thanks again to my ever alert readers! Now – go indulge!

FRIDAY POTOURRI: INDULGE ME

I could swear that I’ve done a post on indulgences before. So sure was I that when someone asked to have a post on them I thought I even remembered the title of the post and was just going to link them to it. But I can’t find it and so . . .

. . . Indulge me on this post . . .

The whole idea of indulgences stem from the fact that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter and through Peter to the Church. “Whoever sins you forgive are forgiven, whoever sins you retain are retained.” There is not a whole lot of other explanation after that. It is like giving your kid $100. “I’m giving you the power to purchase things. I am not going to tell you how to use that $100, just that you have $100.” So nowhere, even in the thickest Bible, will you see instructions even for building a small chapel with a screen in it, a couple of seats, and a light on the outside that lets you know if it is occupied or not, in which we are to confess your sins. That is simply what the Church, according to the authority given her, decided to do with the keys.

This, of course, is not the only way that our sins can be forgiven. There are a number of ways though confession is the normative and most efficacious. Every time we celebrate a sacrament the forgiveness of sins is involved in some way which is why we have the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass.

Now, another way for sins to be forgiven is through indulgences, which, by the way, were never done away with in the Church. As a matter of fact in 1968 the “Handbook of Indulgences; Norms and Grants” was put out by the Apostolic Penitentiary and updated in the United States as late as 1988.

An indulgence is not an “easy way out.” In fact I find the practice of attempting to gain one FAR more daunting than going to confession. But let us take a look.

An indulgence brings about the remission of the temporal punishment for sins, and therefore the giving of satisfaction owed to God for one’s sin. An indulgence can either be plenary (when all punishment is satisfied) or partial (just as the name implies.) They can either be gained for oneself or for a soul in purgatory.

In order to gain an indulgence one must perform the action to which the indulgence is attached. For example, according the handbook, “A plenary indulgence is granted the Christian faithful . . .when they devoutly assist at a First Communion Mass.” (That means you come and truly pray the Mass with those who are receiving First Holy Communion.) But that is not all!

Though the rules on partial indulgences are rather lax, in order to receive the benefits of a plenary indulgence, “Besides the exclusion of all attachment to sin, even venial sin (!), the requirements for gaining a plenary indulgence are the performance of the indulged work and the fulfillment of three conditions, 1) sacramental confession, 2) Eucharistic communion, and 3) prayer for the pope’s intentions.” The idea behind this is that the gaining of a plenary indulgence assumes a full conversion to Christ on the part of the person trying for one. (After all – it supposes that you have feed yourself from an attachment to sin of any kind!) It is a radical decision for God. Which is why there is only one day in your life that it is possible for you to receive more than one plenary indulgence and that is on the day you die. You can receive partial indulgences as you please.

Can you see now why selling indulgences is so wrong? An indulgence and in fact even sacramental confession calls for a radical turning of one’s life to Christ for it to be efficacious. Dropping a penny in pot does not constitute this.

Here is online version of the Handbook on Indulgences.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

So . . .

. . . novenas.

So terribly misunderstood and often maligned Catholic practice.

At its core a novena is a prayer said over nine days or over nine weeks with the prayer being prayed once a week. They are not necessarily for anything except being about the business of prayer although people can and often do use them as a petitionary form of prayer.

The idea of nine days of prayer is Biblically based. It takes its length from the time that St. Mary and the Apostles waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit between the Ascension and Pentecost (Friday through Saturday though that is thrown off in many diocese now that we celebrate Ascension Thursday Sunday.) In this way it is a very pious prayer and has been endorsed by the Church often over the centuries though it only really came to be popular in the seventeenth century. To this day there is a partial indulgence attached to those who take part in a publically celebrated novena before the solemnity of Christmas or the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

There are two ways to go off track with novenas. One is to cast them aside as not part of the modern Church. They are very squarely on the Catholic playing field and to dismiss them out of hand is to deny those who derive spiritual nourishment from them their ability to try to fulfill the Gospel’s command to pray always. On the other hand, that does not mean that every parish must do novenas. There is only so much that you can do. I am simply saying don’t be too quick simply to dismiss the whole notion. We should neither be holier or less holy than the Church.

The other way to go off track with novenas is to fall into the idea that a) you have to WANT something other than growing closer to Him in the praying of one, and that God HAS to grant you what you want because you prayed this magic formula. Not so.

In the end it is a form of prayer that obeys the rules of all forms of prayer. When properly used it may be very beneficial, when improperly used it can lead one astray. If it is a type of prayer for you, do it and don’t worry about it. If not, there is nothing that says one must pray this type of prayer that is so relatively new to the Church.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: WHY DOESN'T THIS THING WORK THE WAY I WANT IT TO?

Devotions are notoriously misunderstood, especially those that come with promises. “Do this and your prayers will be answered.” Or “Do this and you will get into heaven.” Particularly to Protestants and devotional shy Catholics this can sound heretical.

That is because they can be.

They cross the line when we think that they have some sort of magical power over God and if we do certain things we can control God. “All I have to do is say this prayer and leave copies of it in the Church for five consecutive days and then God will make sure I get my rent money.” We cannot cause God to jump through hoops no matter what we do.

On the other hand he does say, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you,” and, “Ask and you shall receive.” So a few questions must be asked. To begin is what is being petitioned to God an actual prayer or is it a wish? Is what is being asked something that pertains to the kingdom of God or more something that you would really like? If I find a “devotion” that says, “pray this prayer and God will give you whatever you ask as long as you are sincere,” and pray for a full head of thick, luxurious hair, I bet it doesn’t happen no matter how sincere I am.

Another question to ponder concerns God’s power. Does the petition concern things God does not interfere with such as free will. Just because I want someone I love to become a good, practicing Catholic does not mean that if they are determined not to become so God will take away their free will to choose the devil over him.

Also, promises of devotions come with LOTS O’ strings attached to them. Does your devotion promise heaven? Even a scapular will not get you into heaven should you be so lucky enough to die with one on. It is not a lucky charm. It is a charge to live a certain life. It is a reminder and assumes that you do your best to stay in a state of grace, practice the sacraments, grow in love, say your prayers, and fulfill the requirements of the devotion etc. etc. etc. If I die in a gun shoot out as a robber in a bank I can’t rest easy because I got my scapular on.

And it must be kept in mind that simply because a prayer was not answered in the way that you wanted it to be does not mean that it was not answered. “What father gives his son a snake when he asks for a fish?” God can only give us what is actually good for us. We may think we know what is best but we might not know the inside scoop.

When I was in grade school our teacher taught the young girls in the class to pray to Saint Ann in order to find a husband. “Ann, Ann, find me a man!” “But,” she warned, “If you ask, you have to take whoever she sends you!” Unlike a friend who may give you want you want in order to remain your friend, God will give you what you need. And what you or someone else needs may be painful.

Hence the line, “Be careful what you pray for – you just might get it.”

FRIDAY PORPOURRI: I SECOND THAT DEVOTION

Let’s go in a different direction for a spell – I tire of crosses. Perhaps we will come back some day.

Let’s do devotions for a little while.

Devotions have always been an important part of the Catholic experience though there are different levels at which people like to be involved. There are, of course, those who reject them out of hand and say that Vatican II freed us from devotions and then there are those who take them to such an extreme as to misuse and abuse them.

Vatican II in fact warmly commends devotions while trying to reign in some of the abuses. There are 5 principals to keep in mind when looking at a devotion of any sort.

1. All devotions flow through Christ to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. So a devotion to Mary is to ask her to intercede for us with her son to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. A true Catholic devotion is at least aware of the greater Church. It is never “me and Jesus.”
3. It should always include Scripture in some way.
4. It should flow from the sacramental life of the Church.
5. It should relate in some way to the liturgical calendar of the Church.

Lastly, when devotional objects are used (medals, candles, holy water, etc. . .) the objects themselves are not what is important per se, but what is behind the object and gives it its meaning. So a scapular is not itself a talisman that protects you from anything – it is the prayers of the community and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin that is.

STOP THE INSANITY

There was a fight in a local sacristy recently. “Stop wishing people a Merry Christmas,” one priest said, “It’s advent!” The other priest stepped out into the sanctuary and said over the microphone, “Once again, Merry Christmas everyone!”

For many people advent is like a black hole, a void, and our celebratory nature abhors a vacuum and so Christmas gets sucked into the advent season and we have most of our Christmas parties, put up our decorations, and sing our Christmas songs. Unfortunately the end result is that once Christmas comes we are so tired of it that we start packing it up just as the Church is just beginning to celebrate the season.

So how does one “celebrate” advent? There are few things one can do. There’s prayer and extra Masses. There is always that advent calendar of course and the advent wreath. A Jesse tree is always appropriate. There are the holy days to observe and celebrate during this season: St. Nicholas Day being one with the most traditions attached to it. But by and large advent is about NOT doing anything. It is about cutting back, it is about waiting, it is about being in a moment of silence before the noise of celebration begins. (That’s why we don’t sing the Gloria during advent.) It is like waiting for the apples to ripen on the tree in the summer sun – wait – wait – wait – and then just as it’s time for perfection – a deer comes and eats them – er – I mean you get to eat a great, ripe, fresh apple. The waiting makes it all the more special. If you can eat it every day, it loses something.

So what can you NOT do to celebrate advent? If you must put out your manger scene, wait to put out Jesus. Then when someone asks, “Hey! Where’s Jesus,” you have the opportunity to say . . .

Don’t put out ALL of your Christmas decorations. Don’t leave your tree lights on all of the time. Hold the three kings back. Hold back on the best treats at least for yourself. Try wishing “Happy Advent” to people – at least those who won’t think you too strange. (And when they ask you, “What did you say?” . . .) I used to send advent cards. No, you can’t find them – you have to make them. In any event, try to find ways to build the anticipation so that when Christmas hits and the wrapping paper is all over the house it is not the case of, “Well . . . that’s over. Now what?” It is rather, “Now we begin the celebration!”