Showing posts with label The Mass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Mass. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Happy 500th Anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines!

Happy 500 Year Anniversary of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines.

Apparently there is some debate as to where precisely the Mass took place. The government seems firmly convinced that the location was Limasawa, and this seems to be the majority opinion. Others believe the site to be Masao in Butuan as the location.

Either way, everyone agrees it was celebrated for the first time on March 31, 1521 and today is the 500th anniversary. It was actually Easter Sunday on which it was celebrated.

Magellan and the sovereign ruler of the island Rajah Kolambu made a blood pact. I was surprised to discover this involved each person cutting their wrists and pour the blood into a drink such as wine to both drink. Wow. They did this and exchanged gifts.

The first Mass was celebrated by Father Pedro Valderrama. After Mass, they planted a large cross known as Magellan's Cross. This cross still exists to this day, but some claim the original has been lost. Others say the original is encased in a larger cross as people were chipping away pieces of it. Why would someone chip away a piece of such a cross? Do they not realize the damage they are doing?

In any event, the Philippines has become a very Christian country, and is one of the great successes of Christianity in Asia!

Here is a video published today, March 31, 2021 marking the event:









Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Private Masses at St. Peter's Basilica Ended


On Monday, March 21, 2021, St. Peter's Basilica officially ended private masses being celebrated in side chapels in the massive church. Apparently there are around 45 side chapels and in the morning many of them were used by various priests to celebrate Mass, but no longer.

There will now only be a few masses said throughout the day at the Basilica, all in Italian. There are some exceptions but this is the main gist of what is happening. When I first heard about this, I thought it was related to Covid, but apparently it's not. It's a new "permanent" change.

Most of the people commenting on this seem to view it negatively.


You can check out the article CNA's Courtney Mares' article on it here: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/private-mass-restrictions-come-into-force-at-st-peters-basilica

I have only been to the Vatican once while on a European tour. I was only there for a few hours and didn't really get a chance to see a lot, which was unfortunately. You really need several days in the Vatican to even scratch the surface. I wasn't aware of the number of Masses that typically took place during the day.

I can't see how this will be a good thing. In a similar line to the above tweet, many are saying it will turn the Vatican into a "museum". That's the last thing we need.

The Church cannot give people a reason to separate the Catholic Church from the beauty created within the Church. That's actually one of the problems in our society, people appreciate all the beauty emanating from the Church but don't give her credit. We can't encourage that.

Hopefully this will be changed back. It's called permanent, but it can be undone and hopefully will be.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Give us this day our DAILY bread? Could it mean more?

I was reading some Twitter posts and came across something very interesting, something I had never heard before. It was the Lord's prayer from the Douay-Reims Bible, the traditional English Catholic Bible from 1582.


I was intrigued. Why is it translated that way? Normally, the word used there is "daily", but they are using "supersubstantial". So, of course, I Googled it, and was amazed. There was a very thorough article on the subject explaining it.

Here's a few takeaways from the article:

  • The Greek word used in the Gospel in two places (Luke 11:3 & Matthew 6:11) is "epiousios".
  • Not only are these the only places in the Bible where this word is used, they are the only places in all of literature!
  • The word was, in fact, invented by the Gospel writers and is derived from the root words "epi" meaning over or above and "ousia" meaning being, essence, or substance.

The word "ousia" is also found in such words as homoousia which describing the fact that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is of the same substance as God the Father, the first person of the Holy Trinity (i.e. 1 God, 3 persons).

The translation of "supersubstantial" is apt in this circumstance.

St. Jerome, who first translated the Bible from Greek to Latin, uses the word "daily" in one context for the word and supersubstantial in another. Yet, St. Jerome himself stated:

“We can also understand supersubstantial bread in another sense as bread that is above all substances and surpasses all creatures.”

Clearly, this is a reference to the Holy Eucharist. If it were meant simply as "daily" as in something you pray for each day, then they would have used a pre-existing word such as "hemera" which means daily. They intended for the word to mean something more. Plus, they specifically used the word bread. They didn't say food or sustenance, or anything other word, but bread.

Given those pieces of information, it seems clear they intended something very special and unique in the prayer. They are referring to bread, but bread whose substance is "above" or "beyond", something supernatural. Well, that accurately describes the Eucharist. Appearance of bread, but in substance, something greater, something supernatural. Specifically, the body and blood of Christ.

To read the full, very interesting article, please click here.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

What is the difference between Christians and Catholics?

As a Catholic, I really dislike this question. Unfortunately it's a very common one. I am assuming that 99% of people who ask this question are not doing so maliciously or with any ill-will whatsoever. It actually makes sense. When someone says they are "Christian" generally it means a non-Catholic / non-Orthodox Christian, especially if said by someone in the United States or Canada.

I remember one time when I and my now wife were in Europe doing a tour and someone asked me this very question. I have heard it in other instances in various different ways. But this isn't just a blog about why I dislike this question, I will also attempt to the best of my ability to actually answer it!

But first, why do I dislike it? As you can probably tell, I primarily dislike this question because of the question implied within it. If you ask the "difference" between two things, it automatically implies they are, in fact, different. If I said what is the difference between an apple and an orange, it would imply those are two separate entities. If, however, one entity subsumed the other within its definition, the question would seem odd at best.

Imagine for example asking "What is the difference between a Canadian and a person?" or "What is the difference between a cell phone and technology?"

Those would seem like strange, almost unanswerable questions. It reminds me of the court room question of "Do you still beat your wife?" If answered with either "yes" or "no", it would imply the person being questioned was at some point guilty. So, the question's baseline premise must be rejected. That's exactly what I am saying with the above question. I reject the initial premise upon which it is based.

A properly phrased question in this case would be "What is the difference between non-Catholic Christians and Catholic Christians?" I know that's a bit bulky, but it maintains an important point: that Catholics are Christians. This is something which must be emphasized. Catholics are 100% Christians. In fact, we would say we are the truest and most complete form of Christianity. It would make more sense to ask "What is the difference between a Christian and a Protestant?" Even though it would make more sense, I'm not saying it does make sense. Most Protestants, in my estimation, would meet the criteria for being called Christian.

So, having said that enormous pre-amble, let's get into what actually sets Catholics apart from others who call themselves Christians?

I cannot really offer a complete and exhaustive list of differences between the two, but I can offer some observations and some of my own personal knowledge on the subject. To list every single difference would take volumes. These are just some that I thought of. If there are others you think are important, please feel free to list them in the comments. Again, this isn't meant to be an exhaustive list. Also, I may not explain everything perfectly in precise theological language.

One thing I find great about the Catholic Church is that it is very open and transparent on its teachings. If you want to know what the Church believes, you just have to look it up. One of the best sources it the Catechism. There are different versions, and not everything has the same level of authority in its teaching, but it gives you a great idea. Many people accuse Catholics of believing certain things even when they don't. There doesn't need to be any confusion. What we teach is available and knowable by anyone.

Not everything I mention here will differentiate the Catholic Church from all other Christian communities in every way. With thousands of denominations, it would be hard to find a particular doctrine not shared by one or more of them.

Sacraments
The Catholic Church has seven sacraments.

The sacraments are “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (CCC 1131). In other words, a sacrament is a sacred and visible sign that is instituted by Jesus to give us grace, an undeserved gift from God. (See also CCC 1084).

These seven sacraments are the following:

Sacraments of initiation
  • Baptism
  • Confirmation
  • Eucharist
Sacraments of healing
  • Penance
  • Anointing of the Sick

Sacraments of service
  • Holy Orders
  • Matrimony 

In Catholic theology, these sacraments impart grace, which is a free gift from God. The efficacy of the sacraments do not depend on the disposition of the person receiving them. Some of the sacraments are necessary for salvation, such as baptism, and in the case of committing a mortal sin, penance. All of the sacraments bring us closer to God. These are not merely symbolic gesture or symbols, but truly bring God's grace to us.

In some Christian denominations, there are only 2 sacraments instead of 7, and they are not considered necessary for salvation. In some cases, they are seen as merely symbolic.

Priesthood
In order to have the sacraments, the Catholic Church must have a priesthood. Although all Christians, in a certain sense, are priests, prophets, and kings, there is also a special clergy designated by God to perform various sacraments, primarily the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Priests are seen as the spiritual helpers of bishops who are spiritual successors of the Apostles. In theory, each bishop can trace his lineage all the way back to one of the original 12 apostles.

Priests take a vow of celibacy which is a matter of discipline rather than doctrine. On top of this, they make a vow of obedience and in some cases (particularly with religious priests) a vow of poverty. By "religious" priest, I mean a priest belonging to a particular religious order, as opposed to a diocesan priest.

Other Christians do not have the priesthood, especially not a ministerial one. This is a huge difference. Although, for example, both Catholics and Protestants celebrate a form of service or liturgy, Protestants view what is happening in a completely different way. The primary purpose of the Mass is to consecrate the Eucharist, which is an unbloody re-presentation of the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. It makes present his perfect atonement and allows us to do as he commanded when he said "do this in memory of me".

Most Protestant Christians do not believe in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament (the Eucharist) and therefore they may infrequently or never have a communion service which they see as symbolic. The primary purpose of a Protestant service is to pray and hear a sermon.

This is an important distinction. As mentioned, even though many families, both Protestant and Catholic, go to their respective churches on Sunday for a service, the intention and idea behind both is dramatically different. There are, however, commonalities, such as Bible readings and a sermon, although Protestant sermons, being the central aspect of a Sunday service, can be much longer than a Catholic homily which generally lasts between 5 to 15 minutes.

Scripture and Tradition
Another big differentiator between non-Catholic and Catholic Christians is their views on Scripture and Tradition. Within Catholicism, both are seen as equal sources of belief and doctrine. However, there is some misunderstanding which must be clarified.

When the Church speaks of "Tradition", it does not simply mean things that are traditional.

The catechism really says it best, so I will quote it here:

The Tradition here in question comes from the apostles and hands on what they received from Jesus' teaching and example and what they learned from the Holy Spirit. The first generation of Christians did not yet have a written New Testament, and the New Testament itself demonstrates the process of living Tradition.

Tradition is to be distinguished from the various theological, disciplinary, liturgical or devotional traditions, born in the local churches over time. These are the particular forms, adapted to different places and times, in which the great Tradition is expressed. In the light of Tradition, these traditions can be retained, modified or even abandoned under the guidance of the Church's Magisterium.

Of note, Tradition is not something that is just simply "made up", it comes from the apostles and is transmitted through time. As the catechism explains, the apostles didn't yet have the Bible as we know it today. That didn't come about until the mid-300s or so. There was much debate about which books were in the Bible and so on. Therefore, one could say the Bible came from the Church and not the other way around.

Of course, this is not the view of non-Catholic Christians. Most of them would describe themselves as Bible-alone Christians or Sola Scriptura. This belief, in my opinion, seems to stem from the idea that the Church is not a visible structure with a hierarchy, but rather more a collection of believers. Because of this, it would be impossible to identify the true "Tradition" or the handing down of doctrine and belief from a particular source. It is also a Protestant belief that each individual Christian has the ability to interpret Scripture on his or her own, there is no Magisterium, which is the teaching authority of the Church in Catholicism. The "Tradition" of Catholic teaching simply could not exist in Protestantism. 

Saints
Of course, all Christians believe in saints. Saints are quite simply those who are in heaven. The difference in belief comes from our approach to them. Catholics believe we can ask Saints in heaven to intercede for us, which means we ask them to pray for us. It's important to note, we always ask them to pray to God on our behalf. We are not praying to them as a substitution for God, as if we are deciding: Should I pray to God or to a saint today?

That's important to know. Many people ask why Catholics don't just "go straight to God"? Why have all these middlemen? First, I would say we often DO go straight to God and this is not discouraged in any way. Secondly, asking others to pray for us is something everyone does. We may ask a relative or friend to keep us in their prayers. This goes for Catholics and non-Catholics. The difference is Catholics will ask not only relatives and friends but also saints in heaven.

There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, we believe in the communion of saints, meaning we are all kind of in this together. Saints are close to God and are virtuous, holy and filled with grace. They are currently experiencing the beatific vision. Their intercessory prayer is powerful. As Catholics, we believe that saints can hear our prayers and bring them to God.

Purgatory and Indulgences

Purgatory in Catholic theology is a place of purification which those who are saved must spend time in order to purge or cleanse vice or attachment to sin before entering Heaven. We are told that nothing impure can enter heaven. Purgatory are for those who die in a state of grace, meaning in friendship with God, but must first be purified before entering into the beatific vision.

To me, purgatory is congruent with God's mercy. Instead of saying a person must have absolutely no attachment to sin or any disordered desires, God says a person must be in friendship with him at the time of death and that he will cleanse them of any leftover vices before they can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Protestants do not explicitly believe in any form of purgatory for the most part. I did, however, discover that many Protestants believe in a sort of cleansing prior to entering Heaven, the difference is that it takes place instantaneously unlike in Catholic theology.

Because of our beliefs surrounding purgatory, we have other beliefs which correspond as well, such as indulgences. An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. This is best explained with an example. If you steal $1000 from someone and then God forgives you for doing so, you must still, to the best of your ability, repay the amount to that person. You must make restitution. It would not be sufficient to say "well God has forgiven me, no further action necessary." This type of "repayment" cannot always take place. How could one repay gluttony, lust, sloth, etc. It's not always clear the exact "value" of these things. That's where indulgences come in. Indulgences can be granted for various actions such as prayers and fasting. Special indulgences are granted by the Church for various specific tasks such as praying at a cemetery during All Souls Day or participating in a Novena. These actions purify us and detach us from sin.

Indulgences get a little more complicated. There are some which are partial and others which are complete or plenary, meaning they either remit some or all of the temporal punishment due to sin (temporal indicating the effects of sin other than eternal consequences). One of the conditions to receive a plenary indulgence is detachment from sin, meaning we are not drawn to a particular sin. That's a big ask. If these cannot be achieved, and a person dies in God's favor, he may have to spend time in Purgatory.

🙏

There are dozens of other differences between Catholicism and non-Catholic Christianity. We could go on and on, but the above at least gives an idea. I did not provide proof, either Biblical or other, for the above, but they are certainly there. I just wanted to provide the differences, not necessarily prove them.

Hope this helps answer the question many people have asked over the years. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to put them in the comments section.

Have a great day and God Bless You.



Sunday, February 07, 2021

Blog Post: "If the Catholic faith is to grow, these conditions must be met in the Mass" by Peter Kwasniewski [Link]

In a blog post titled "If the Catholic faith is to grow, these conditions must be met in the Mass", Peter Kwasniewski lays out some of the conditions he believes should be present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I tend to agree with him on these points. Some of the ideas he mentions are Mass in Latin, people facing ad orientem, and more reverence shown towards Our Lord in the Eucharist.

I believe some of his ideas can even be employed during vernacular Masses to great effect.

Check out his article to read what he has to say.