Building the City of God

This month’s word was chosen in light of the beginning of my son’s sacramental life in the Church, which will take place in just over a week.

The Catholic Word of the Month is BAPTISM.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Baptism is too elementary to discuss. More importantly, don’t make the mistake of thinking that Baptism is mundane or unnecessary. One who thinks and believes these things ought to reconsider.

Baptism is the very beginning of our relationship with God. It is the sacrament of primary importance because it allows us access to the rest of the sacraments. Without Baptism, we have no access to sanctifying grace, which helps us fulfill our eternal destiny, eternity with God in Heaven. Finally, Baptism makes the one who receives it a new creation: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). (See also 1 Peter 3:21)

Fr. Alfred McBride wrote of the subject so much more eloquently:

Baptism is a sacrament that initiates a person into membership in the Church. Baptismal grace forgives original sin and all personal sins. It is the first sacrament that a Christian receives and it unites the candidate to Christ, who died for our sins and rose from the dead fro our salvation.

No one ought to think of his/her Baptism as “an expression of inward faith.” On the contrary, Baptism is the sacrament that instills the seeds of Faith within us. Then, as we live from our Baptismal graces, and the grace received from subsequent sacraments, those seeds of Faith bear fruit in our lives.

Let us pray that baptized Christians will recall the mighty power of their baptisms in their daily lives. Let us pray that God will grant an abundance of grace from this precious sacrament so that we may become holy in this life.

God Bless.

Our modern Church is marred by scandal (in the moral sense, not political) and sin. One does not have to look far to find an example of how our culture and our humanity has been torn down. It is quite deplorable and disheartening.

However, we need not live in anguish or despair. Great hope abounds, primarily in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In that setting, God grants penitents an abundance of grace to overcome enslavement to sin. Confession has the potential to heal broken individuals, and thereby heal a broken Church and culture.

There is one problem, though. Not enough people are availing themselves of the sacrament. It is sad, but there are a few primary reasons. One of the most prevalent of those reasons is that a confessor was rude, judgmental, uncaring, or all three. Thereby, many people have been traumatized by “bad” confessions.

Thus, the words of St. Alphonsus Liguori ought to be proclaimed to all sinners, penitents, and confessors.

“If all preachers and cofessors would discharge their duties as they should, the whole world would be holy! Bad preachers and bad confessors are the ruin of the world; and every preacher and every confessor is bad who is not devoted to his office, who does not study to improve himself in it, who does not fulfill it to the very best of his ability” (Circular Letters, p. 12).

The previous quote proves to readers that, despite his intellectual rigor and busy schedule, St. Alphonsus was a man who preached the mercy and love of God. Few other men would have arranged to pay the debts of some one who persecuted him so fiercely. It is no wonder that he is heralded by the Church as the Patron of Confessors.

On this feast of St. Alphonsus, let us pray that confessors will allow the love, mercy, peace, and joy of God to work through them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us also pray that more Catholics will seek out that love, mercy, peace, and joy by going to Confession.

God Bless.

This morning, I had the unbelievable pleasure of taking my six-week-old son to Mass. Although he cannot even begin to grasp what is taking place before him on the altar, I believe that blessings will come to him simply by being in that setting. And, I hope that he might have a “head start” on becoming a saint!

On the other hand, I am capable of tuning in to God’s sacred presence in the church. (Whether I do it all the time is a separate issue.) Such a thing happened again this morning. Somtime between the priest’s homily and the Eucharistic prayer, my son and I locked eyes with each other and engaged in a loving, familial stare.

As that happened, God spoke to me. He reminded me that He looks upon me the same way I look upon my son. God also reminded me that I should become locked into that loving, familial gaze with Him more often.

Indeed, a parent’s love for his/her child can teach us so much about God’s eternal love for us, His children.

Thoughts and opinions are already flying about in regard to the impending motu proprio document from Pope Benedict XVI that will allow expanded use of the “old Latin Mass,” also known as the Tridentine Rite. Without a doubt, more thoughts and opinions will be elicited and proclaimed after the document (along with a letter of explanation) is made public. Thus, this particular column may get lost in the shuffle of all the other ruminations on the subject.

Dr. Robert Moynihan, editor-in-chief of Inside the Vatican Magizine, wrote an excellent article that covers the topic. In the following passage, Moynihan reminded readers of the central issue(s) behind the publication of this document and its obvious effects.

Some would see the Holy Father’s interest in the old Mass as a matter of cultural taste. His desire for a wider use of the old rite in Latin is seen as something comparable to his interest in classical music. For these people, the issue is often reduced to a question of practicality: the old rite, in Latin, is “impractical” in the 21st century, and so, these people say, it would be unwise to expand its use.

But this is a serious misunderstanding of Benedict’s motivation. He is not concerned with Latin in itself. His respect for the “old Mass” is not a nostalgic cultural attachment to an ancient language. No, Benedict is concerned about the essence of the Mass itself.

And what is that essence? The right worship of God.

Certainly there is something to be said, in practical terms, for the use in a worldwide Church of a single liturgical language. And certainly, Latin is in some ways a good candidate to be that universal language. It was the language of the Empire under which Jesus lived and died. It has been used for almost 20 centuries. And translations could make the language “accessible” to all even today — and even in times to come.

But that is not the point. It isn’t about the Latin. (And the Latin Mass is, in any case, not the Latin Mass at all; that is a misnomer; it is, rather, “the Latin, Greek and Aramaic Mass,” with “Kyrie eleison” in Greek and “Amen” and “Alleluia” in Aramaic.) And those who think Latin is at the core of this matter do not see fully what is at stake here.

And what is at stake is not a trivial matter. If it were, the Pope wouldn’t have given two years of attention to it, or 25 years as a cardinal to stating repeatedly that there needs to be a “reform of the reform.” Rather, it is an important matter. In fact, the most important one. For the Mass is celebrated for a single reason: for the Eucharist. And the Eucharist is one thing only: Christ with us. And Christ with us is the sole reason for the Church’s being.

So in dealing with the Mass, the Pope is not dealing with a marginal, a peripheral matter. The liturgy is not a “side issue.” It is a central one; indeed, the central one. It is the little matter (and the Orthodox rightly stress this) of… the divinization of man! A reality which brought Padre Pio to tears.

Moynihan could not be more correct! Our Church’s teaching is phrased in similar words: “The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows” (CCC 1074). Could it be more clear? The Liturgy, especially the Mass, is the apex of all Christian activity–past, present, or future. Therefore, every Catholic ought to have a healthy understanding and appreciation of the Church’s primary act of worship.

There is one problem, however, with the idea that people can gain such understanding and appreciation from a broader availability of the Tridentine Mass. People will almost certainly be confused about the proper nature of the Church’s worship. Thus, the “reform of the reform” that is (quite obviously) necessry should not be one that could imply a reversion to something “older.” Rather, it should be a clear, authoritative teaching about the Vatican II Mass; about its deep roots and its recognition of Christ’s presence in various and powerful ways.

These thoughts should not be misconstrued as coming from a man who dislikes the Tridentine Mass. Such is not the case. Instead, they should be read in a light that greatly appreciates the efforts of the Church fathers at the Second Vatican Council to lead the faithful (obviously, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit) into right worship. After all, that is one implication of resourcement and aggiornamento.

God Bless.

This month’s word is inspired by a recent event in my own walk with Christ. On Sunday, I was blessed with an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Why was it such a blessing? Because I had not received the graces from that Sacrament in three or four weeks (so long, I forgot how long it had been). With nearly a month’s worth of spiritual funk to clean, I confessed my sins to the priest, and he provided me with one of humanity’s greatest blessings, about which I write today.

The Catholic Word of the Month for June is ABSOLUTION.

In Catholic Beliefs from A to Z, Fr. Alfred McBride says the following: “After the confession of sins in the sacrament of reconciliation, the penitent hears the priest [speaking in the person of Christ] recite the words of absolution from sins. Through the ministry of the priest, divine forgiveness enfolds the penitent, bringing freedom from sin and new graces to help the person continue the journey to salvation with renewed strength and enthusiasm.”

There really are few things more beautiful in this world than hearing that your [my] sins are forgiven! No doubt should be left in any penitent’s mind that God has welcomed him/her back into His royal kingdom, just as the loving father welcomed the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke.

Before I conclude this post, I would like to offer a challenge, an opportunity, really. If there is anyone reading this site who has not been to confession in several weeks, months, or years, avail yourself of that grace. Put aside your anxieties, fears, and stubborn pride. Let Jesus Christ reconcile you to Himself, to the Church, and to your fellow Christians.

God Bless.

I just had to share what I believe is a phenomenal statistic. In recent months, the bishop of our diocese has been hard at work completing the Christian initiation of nearly 900 teenagers. That’s right, 858 young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of Memphis this year!

I pray that these young people will avail themselves of the grace that God offers them in this most wonderful sacrament. I pray that they will also recognize that their formation in Christ does not end once they receive the sacrament; that they will not view it as a “Catholic graduation” of sorts. I pray that these youth will become humble workers in the Lord’s vineyard, and I will be glad to work alongside them.

God Bless.

For the last several days, I have been looking for a Psalm of praise to pray during my time in front of the the Blessed Sacrament. I have even been wondering why my desire to praise God was not being met.

My wonderings and minor frustrations proved misguided, as usual. Today, the Lord provided His in the form of the Responsorial Psalm during today’s Mass. I feel like such an untrusting fool!

Nonetheless, I prayed that Psalm as though I had never praised God before. I hope that some of you might pray it, too, to glorify our Creator.

I love you, Lord, my strength,
Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold!
Praised be the Lord, I exclaim!
I have been delivered from my enemies.
The breakers of death surged round about me;
the menacing floods terrified me.
The cords of Sheol tightened;
the snares of death lay in wait for me.
In my distress I called out: Lord!
I cried out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry to him reached his ears.

The Lord certainly does wonderful things, as the Psalmist reminds us here. I am eternally grateful for all that He has done for me, who am most unworthy. He is my Rock and Refuge from the death and destruction wrought by the Enemy.

Pray in thanksgiving for the Lord’s gifts, and His mercy!

Last evening, I had the pleasure of listening to the meditational music of John Michael Talbot for nearly two hours! It was an amazing experience for me because I was able to think, reflect, and pray with almost no interruption for the entire time. The best word I could find to describe the whole experience was “peaceful.”

If you have never been acquainted with this ministry of prayer and music, I highly recommend that you do. You will not be disappointed. Moreover, you will most likely grow closer to Our Lord.

Please continue to pray for ministries in the Church such as these that seek to bring the Gospel to the world.

God Bless.

I wanted to share these thoughts with readers on Wednesday, but the work schedule was quite hectic. Thus, I share them with you two days later, but they are no less relevant.

…

One can find a bundle of things written on the Mass: its history, its proper celebration, and its theology are the most common topics of discussion. One aspect of the Mass that remains hidden, however, is the intense love that is poured out upon the faithful according to the measure that they are ready to receive. What I mean to say is that participants who are properly disposed to receiving the grace of God will receive a foretaste of Heaven, something more amazing than they have ever experienced in their entire lives. So intense is this experience that it cannot be put into words.

Something of that sort was my experience as I participated in a celebration of the Sacred Mysteries. Throughout the Gospel reading, the priest’s homily, and the prayers of the faithful, my mind and heart were focused intently on listening to what God wants from my life, especially from my work. Then, as I entered the communion line, I was overcome by an intense desire for union with Jesus Christ, and a realization that I was about to experience something not of this world. Finally, the priest placed My Lord on my tongue, and a rush of emotion came overwhelmed me. As I returned to my pew and knelt to pray, I was absolutely speechless (something quite unique for me).

As much as I wanted to pray, I could not find sufficient words to express the way I felt inside. Instead, I only knelt with my arms open, begging God to allow the gift of His life and love to be present in me at every moment, to dwell within me forever. It truly was one of those transformative moments in a person’s spiritual life. I pray that I will be able to draw abundant grace from that moment, and that my life will truly reflect what I experienced.

Pray that God’s people will work toward the proper disposition to celebrate Mass, and that He will provide them with all the necessary tools to transform their lives.

God Bless.

Even if you didn’t ask, I’ll share with you some details about my joyful weekend.