Friday, December 11, 2020
The Vatican Christmas Tree of 2020 plus the History of the Vatican Christmas Tree from 2012 to 2020!
The Vatican just installed its 2020 Christmas Tree. It is a spruce tree and came from town of Kočevje, Slovenia, which is in the region of Kočevsko where 90% of the area is covered by trees.
Did you know Slovenia is the only country that contains the word LOVE within it?
The tree is placed in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. The tree came from an area of forest that is protected and sustainable.
The Archbishoip of Maribor in Slovenia was on hand and indicated that the region from which the tree came was the site of many Christian martyrs persecuted under communism.
Along with the tree, the Vatican received ceramic figures for the Nativity scene which came from a region in Italy called Castelli, which is in Abruzzo.
The tree itself weighs seven tons, stands 30 meters (or about 100 feet) tall and is 75 years old. It was planted right after the end of World War II.
The tree will remain in St. Peter's Square until January 10, 2021.
Last year in 2019, the Vatican received its 85-foot tree from the Veneto region of Northern Italy
In 2018, the tree came from Friuli Venezia Giulia, more specifically, from Pordenone in Italy, weighed 4.5 tons and was 23 meters tall.
In 2017, the Vatican got its 28-meter high red fir Christmas Tree from Elk, in North-Eastern Poland.
In 2016, the Christmas tree came from the Dolomites, a mountain range in northeastern Italy, and was 82-feet tall.
In 2015, the tree came from Bavaria
In 2014, the 25-meter white spruce Christmas tree came from Catanzaro region of Italy
In 2013, during Pope Francis's first year as Pope, the chosen tree was 25 meters tall and came from Bavaria.
In 2012, during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican Christmas Tree came from Pescopennataro, a small town in the Italian region of Isernia
The first year that the Vatican had a giant Christmas tree was in 1982 and started with Pope John Paul II.
Joe Biden's Catholicism - and the "Psalms" incident.
I have seen a few articles appearing saying that many Catholics are happy that Joe Biden will be president as he is only the second Catholic to hold this office, after John F. Kennedy.
(Before beginning to discuss this it's important to note that the election results are not official yet. Many have jumped to the conclusion that Joe Biden has won, but the electors do not officially choose the winner of the election until December 14. I'm no legal expert, I'm not even American, but I have heard that Trump even has some recourse beyond this date. Anyway, that's just a long side-note and not relevant to our discussion.)
As mentioned, Joe Biden has been declared and declares himself Catholic. But it's not just a statement of fact, but something he brings up from time to time when discussing his faith. Some have gone so far as to say he is a devout Catholic. I can't say whether or not he is, and particularly I cannot say whether or not he considers himself to be such. But there are some strange things that have happened regarding Biden in relation to his faith.
One that came up recently was Mr. Biden was quoting the "Palmist" as he put it. He should have said Psalmist, as in a writer in the Book of Psalms. Psalms are spoken or sung at every Mass, and referred to quite often. For a "practicing" and "devout" Catholic not to know how it is pronounced seems very odd. Of course, the P and not the S are silent in this word.
This is not a matter of personal pronunciation and there are no accepted variations on how to say Psalm or Psalmist. It's not as if some people just pronounce it differently. It would be like someone pronouncing psychologist "pie-chologist".
I once remembering hearing a guy who was about 15-17 years old pronounce Psalm the same way as Joe Biden. These are probably the only two people whom I've ever hear do so. Even at that time I thought it was odd. I wrote it off as just him not knowing the word or being able to pronounce it. He's a teenager, that happens. But for a man who was Vice President of the United States and is over 70 years old, this seems somewhat unbelievable.
However, we must keep in mind that while mispronouncing Psalm or Psalmist is a little odd, it's not really a moral issue. On the other hand, fully supporting and promoting abortion paid for by tax dollars is a grave moral issue. We cannot simply see that stance as as acceptable position. It would be the equivalent of a politician declaring their support for murder. There are not two sides to this issue from a Catholic perspective. There are other moral issues as well that would put Joe Biden on the wrong side of the faith.
Some bishops, but not all, have declared they would not give Joe Biden the Eucharist during Mass, meaning they believe his actions and belief put him outside of "communion" with the Church.
We cannot judge the state of his Joe Biden's soul, that's between him and God. I'm only talking about his outward words and actions.
I look forward to your comments!
P.S. I just looked up the word "palmist" in Google Images when making the headline graphic and found out that there is a word palmist and it seems to be a fortuneteller who reads palms. I have no idea if this means anything about Joe Biden. It would be very unnerving if he was more familiar with palm reading than a book in the Bible, especially since palm reading is prohibited by the Catholic Church and a violation of the First Commandment.
Happy Feast Day to Pope St. Damasus December 11 in the Catholic Church
From: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-damasus-i
Saint Damasus I’s Story
To his secretary Saint Jerome, Damasus was “an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.” Damasus seldom heard such unrestrained praise. Internal political struggles, doctrinal heresies, uneasy relations with his fellow bishops and those of the Eastern Church marred the peace of his pontificate.
The son of a Roman priest, possibly of Spanish extraction, Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church, and served as a priest in what later became the basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. He served Pope Liberius (352-366) and followed him into exile.
When Liberius died, Damasus was elected bishop of Rome; but a minority elected and consecrated another deacon, Ursinus, as pope. The controversy between Damasus and the antipope resulted in violent battles in two basilicas, scandalizing the bishops of Italy. At the synod that Damasus called on the occasion of his birthday, he asked them to approve his actions. The bishops’ reply was curt: “We assembled for a birthday, not to condemn a man unheard.” Supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime—probably sexual—as late as A.D. 378. He had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod.
As pope, his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome, and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies. A misunderstanding of the Trinitarian terminology used by Rome threatened amicable relations with the Eastern Church, and Damasus was only moderately successful in dealing with that challenge.
During his pontificate, Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman state, and Latin became the principal liturgical language as part of the pope’s reforms. His encouragement of Saint Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate, the Latin translation of Scripture which 12 centuries later the Council of Trent declared to be “authentic in public readings, disputations, preaching.”
Reflection
The history of the papacy and the Church is inextricably mixed with the personal biography of Damasus. In a troubled and pivotal period of Church history, he stands forth as a zealous defender of the faith who knew when to be progressive and when to entrench.
Damasus makes us aware of two qualities of good leadership: alertness to the promptings of the Spirit, and service. His struggles are a reminder that Jesus never promised his Rock protection from hurricane winds nor his followers immunity from difficulties. His only guarantee is final victory.
Readings for Friday, December 11, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Friday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 185
Reading 1
IS 48:17-19
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him!
He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
MT 11:16-19
Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:10
Prayer to St. Anthony for Something that is Lost
I looked online for a prayer to St. Anthony for help in finding a lost item, or perhaps something else that is lost. I found certain variations. The thing is, some don't really rhyme. I feel like it has to rhyme. Some did rhyme but were irreverent, referring to St. Anthony of Padua as "Tony". I don't think you should show such disrespect for a saint in heaven.
Alright, so in order to incorporate proper etiquette and rhyme, I sort of put together my own version.
Dear St. Anthony
Please come around
Something is lost
And cannot be found.
Let me know what you think of this prayer!
Is anyone impeccable?
I saw something by Jimmy Akin today in which he said many people confuse the ideas of infallibility and impeccability and believe that Catholics are claiming the pope is the latter while in reality we claim the pope, under very specific circumstances, is protected by the former.
Just to be clear: Infallibility is a special charism of the pope which means that he speaks without error in matters of faith and morals when he speaks ex cathedra in his role as Bishop of Rome.
On the other hand, impeccability is the absence of sin. It may also be defined as being incapable of sinning. Is there anyone who is impeccable?
Philosophically speaking, God must be impeccable, as it is logically impossible for him to act against his own nature and will. Jesus is God and therefore is also impeccable.
The Church has also defined that all those in Heaven who experience the beatific vision are impeccable. They are no longer capable of sinning. St. Thomas Aquinas goes further to teach that even the souls in purgatory are impeccable as well.
As Catholics, we believe that Mary was conceived without sin during the Immaculate Conception, which we just celebrated on December 8. This means she was preserved from original and personal sin at the moment of her conception and remained sinless her entire life. Her special gift of sinlessness was achieved by Christ's sacrifice at Calvary pre-emptively.
Does the fact that Mary was preserved from all sin also mean she was impeccable?
Kenneth Baker, a Jesuit priest, former president of Seattle University, and editor-in-chief of Homiletic and Pastoral Review writes the following:
Two special factors rendered Mary impeccable or unable to sin. The first was her constant awareness of God, living always in His presence, and the second was her reception of special and extraordinary graces. These special graces made it possible for Mary to maintain a perfect harmony in her mind, will and emotions and to recognize always what was the right thing to do and then to do it.
I am not sure if this is the doctrine of the Church or his opinion as a theologian. Regardless, never sinning and being unable to sin are somewhat similar.
Readings for December 10, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Readings for December 10, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Thursday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 184
Reading 1
IS 41:13-20
I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 145:1 AND 9, 10-11, 12-13AB
R. (8) The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Alleluia
IS 45:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
MT 11:11-15
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Wednesday, December 09, 2020
More proof Jesus Christ was born in December, 1 BC
Ratings for the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Google are completely bonkers.
A few of my friends and I have been studying the catechism for the past year or so. We have been trying to get in a session every Thursday, but things have come up, especially with the pandemic situation, that have prevented us from having a get-together each week.
On top of that, a friend of ours has actually left the province to enter the seminary! Such great and exciting news. I think he would make a fine priest.
I will perhaps get more into what we do as a group in another post. But for now, I just wanted to mention something a little strange that I found when doing some research.
I searched for the Catechism of the Catholic Church to find out when the most recent one was published. I searched for it on Google and it displayed a rating. I noticed it didn't have a great rating, just 3.8 overall. But almost all of the ratings seemed to be either 1 star or 5 stars. Very strange.
Looking a little deeper, I noticed the reason for this. People were giving the strangest reviews for the Catechism. Some would mention that they stopped attending Mass a long time ago. Some just had a grudge against the Church. Some of the comments were from Protestants who were voicing their disagreement with their false conceptions of what the Church teaches.
These people were apparently opposed to the Catholic Church and thus gave the Catechism a low rating. What a strange thing to do. Most of them seemingly didn't even read the Catechism, therefore they weren't even really rating it. They were rating how they personally felt about the Catholic Church. Okay, fine, I get that many people oppose the Church, but it doesn't make any sense to give the Catechism a low rating because of this. It would be like someone who hates BBQ rating a book on BBQ and saying the book was terrible because they dislike that type of food.
Anyway, it was just one of those things that caught my attention. On the other hand, there are hundreds of 5-star reviews, so the score doesn't completely plummet. I hope people realize this when they are looking at this rating.
I find the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a great resource, and it's quite a hefty book with over 800 pages, but despite this fact, it really is an introductory book. It goes over the main tenets of the Christian faith. Sometimes it will quote a saint in a sentence of two. However, it may be valuable to read the entire document or book from which the quote is taken.
The most recent Catechism isn't the only one. There are previous versions. For example, one came from the Council of Trent. There is another called the Baltimore Catechism which was quite popular.
So if you are planning on picking up a copy of this widely-available resource, don't let the reviews stop you!
Readings for December 9, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Readings in the Catholic Church in Canada and the United States:
Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 183
Reading 1
Is 40:25-31
To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
Responsorial Psalm
103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10
R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 11:28-30
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Tuesday, December 08, 2020
Why are Churches singled out for Covid and why are they participating so much?
Covid fears are in full swing at the moment. I go around to many places such as grocery stores, department stores, and more. I also frequently go to Church to attend Mass. One thing I can say without hesitation is that the level of precaution used at the Church is significantly higher than anywhere else. It's as if churches are being targeted and singled out.
First of all, I don't know what the limit is on the number of people in places like Walmart, but it definitely seems very high. I would say there are easily well over 100 people in the store at any given time. I have not seen any lines either in a very long time. Contrast this with churches where there is often only a handful of people. Limits on people are very strictly enforced in churches, but it doesn't seem to be the case elsewhere.
Once you enter a church, you notice how strictly rules are enforced. Pews have barriers restricting huge amounts of sitting space and ensuring people are at least 2 meters or 6 feet apart. There are multiple ushers making sure no one does anything wrong. You cannot enter if you are not wearing a mask. Again, compare this to shopping centers. People never seem concerned about staying 6 feet apart and it isn't enforced. All areas of a store are accessible, nothing is blocked off. But again, it's much stricter for churches.
Next, when anyone enters a church, they are obliged to give their name, phone number, and answer the covid questions. Each person must answer no to all questions. In the case of shopping places, no one has to give their name, no one has to answer questions. Another example of a double-standard.
Once you finally get to sit down, you have to sit through not one but two Covid announcements at church. These are not generic 30-second "please stay 6 feet away"-type announcements. No, they go into every imaginable detail. It is centered around the reception of holy communion.
From memory, they make the following points:
- During this time of covid-19 we must follow the guidelines in order to ensure the safe and respectful reception of Holy Communion
- One general attestation of "Amen" when the priest presents the Eucharist.
- Put on mask before approaching.
- Sanitize your hands before receiving communion
- Bow to the Host
- Receive the host but do not consume the host immediately. Instead, wait until you step aside, then you may consume the host.
- Even though you are wearing a mask, do not say Amen upon receiving the Eucharist. You must remain silent.
- Go back to your pew.
- Make sure you are always 6 feet apart from everyone else.
- If you cannot receive the Eucharist in your hand, you can receive a blessing.
There may be more instructions but that is what I remember at the moment. This is the second announcement which is done during Mass. The other precedes Mass but does not contain as much detail. During communion, the priest or bishop sanitizes his hands and wears a mask. At the end of Mass, the presider recites a prayer by Pope Francis for the protection of the Blessed Virgin during the Covid pandemic.
It just seems Covid has become such an overriding concern in the church. And yet, during these 10 or 15 directives, never once is the idea of unworthy reception of communion ever mentioned or even brought up.
We're at least lucky, churches are allowed to remain open. In some places, while all kinds of other establishments, including liquor stores, acupuncture facilities, bicycle repair shops, hardware stores, etc. remain open as Justice Gorsuch pointed out.
I'm not opposed to a brief message about maintaining distance from one another and receiving communion safely, but to make it such a central part of the Mass I think is overdoing it. We are far too concerned about the temporal and not enough about the eternal. There has to be a balance.
Let me know your thoughts on this subject, would love to hear from you.
