Catholic Church Readings for January 7, 2021: Thursday after Epiphany

Catholic Church Readings for January 7, 2021: Thursday after Epiphany

Thursday after Epiphany

Lectionary: 215

Reading I

1 Jn 4:19–5:4

Beloved, we love God because

he first loved us. 

If anyone says, “I love God,”

but hates his brother, he is a liar;

for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen 

cannot love God whom he has not seen. 

This is the commandment we have from him:

Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,

and everyone who loves the Father

loves also the one begotten by him. 

In this way we know that we love the children of God

when we love God and obey his commandments. 

For the love of God is this,

that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome,

for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. 

And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

Responsorial Psalm

72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17

R.    (see 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

    and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

    and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,

    and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

May they be prayed for continually;

    day by day shall they bless him.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

May his name be blessed forever;

    as long as the sun his name shall remain.

In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;

    all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia

Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor

and to proclaim liberty to captives.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Lk 4:14-22

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,

and news of him spread throughout the whole region. 

He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,

and went according to his custom

into the synagogue on the sabbath day. 

He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. 

He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,

and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 

He said to them,

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

And all spoke highly of him

and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. 

Woman shot at Capitol has died, according to several sources

I'm very sad to report that a woman shot in the Capitol in Washington DC, the site of protests, has died as reported by several news agencies. According to MSNBC, the shot was from a law-enforcement officer. I do not know the circumstances under which this poor woman was shot.

I am saddened to see this happening in the United States. Despite what anyone feels about the election results, violence is not the answer. Anyone doing acts of violence will not receive any sympathy. The president has told protestors to be peaceful and to return home, and I think they should take his advice.

Let's all pray for this woman's soul. She probably did not expect to die today. I'm assuming she did in fact pass away as I think it's not 100% certain. Also, pray for her family. Plus, pray for the alleged shooter who is a law-enforcement officer. LEOs never want to take a person's life.

Very sad situation which I hope is soon resolved.

Shots fired in US Capitol Building - Pray for the USA

Apparently there have been shots fired inside the US Capitol Building which has been taken over by protestors. This seems like a very serious situation. In some of the photos released, security personnel are shown pointing firearms. There has been a report of gunshots, but I am not sure if anyone has been injured.

The Capitol Building has been locked down, and they are trying to get the situation under control. Tear gas has been used extensively and obviously there are firearms in the area.

The situation is still very much developing so there isn't a lot of information available. I know protesters unlawfully broke into the building. There is one image of the people who entered staying within a roped area that was shown on Twitter.

The mayor of DC Muriel Bowser has declared a 6pm curfew.

President Trump has tweeted telling his followers not to use violence. It seems the main people involved in this are Trump supporters who are dissatisfied with what electors are projected to do today as they believe there has been widespread voter fraud in the country.

I think as Catholics we must pray that people do not use violence in this situation. There are mechanisms set up and we must resort to those even if we feel there has been injustice committed. Even if the system is absolutely corrupt, firing shots or committing acts of violence will not bring about the outcome that these people are looking for. In fact, using violence will only undermine the position of the Trump supporters.

There has been significant violence coming from the Left and it has largely been downplayed. Sadly, if there is any violence on the part of the Right, it will probably be emphasized over and over to the point where people will think they are the cause of all political violence.

Let's all pray for a peaceful outcome that brings out the truth in terms of the political situation and the election.

Happy Feast Day of Brother André Bessette January 6

 

Popular Youtubers Bashing Catholics

There is a disturbing trend I have seen lately: youtubers randomly and for no apparent reason bashing Catholics and the Catholic Church. It appears to bolster the view that the last acceptable prejudice is anti-Catholicism (words from author Philip Jenkins). Perhaps this explains why many Youtubers and social media personalities so readily opt to bash Catholics without giving it much thought.

To be clear, I'm not talking about just any Youtubers, I'm talking about people with broad appeal with many followers. Usually Youtubers thankfully take the stance of not espousing any particular political belief or belief in general. They wish to remain neutral on most things in order to appeal to the broadest audience. This is what makes these statements so surprising.

Let me give a couple of examples to clarify what I am talking about.

Adam Ragusea:

I was watching a video by Adam Ragusea who focuses on cooking home meals. He's not a professional chef, but he has learned some things and he produces videos with high production value. He generally seems to stay away from discussion on politics and religion. You can tell he is probably a liberal in many regards, but he doesn't bring it up front and center, so watching his videos is normally fine.

One day he was talking about being attacked for writing an article about Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" song and being interviewed on the article. He made some small mistakes and he was mercilessly bashed by know-it-all music critics. He was criticizing what was happening.

The anti-catholicism came up when he compared these critics to the Catholic Church hierarchy. He jokingly said the Church tells everyone they cannot read the Bible on their own or have their own opinions because the hierarchy has "funny hats" that others do not, or something along those lines. I guess the point he was trying to make was that some people are elitist, and was saying the Church is like that as well.

Anyone who knows anything about the Church knows this is false. It's in fact the opposite. We don't listen to people because of their hats, we listen to them because they are holiest and most learned people within the Church. The hats are worn by bishops and they get these hats because they have been seen to be holy, spiritual, and able to guide the flock. So the knowledge, understanding, grace, and wisdom come first and the position comes later.

However, we don't only listen to those in the hierarchy or those of a certain rank. Many Doctors of the Church, those who best enunciate Church teachings, were not bishops or popes, but perhaps only priests, and even several women.

So, his analogy is wrong. I'm not saying his speech is some kind of discrimination. It's just his fallacious point of view. I'm not saying Catholics are some kind of victims or something. I'm just pointing out the ease with which a personality like him can make these assertions. Would he say such a thing about other religions? I doubt it.

Awaken with JP (Sears)

JP Sears is a well-known critic of Covid protocols and rules. He has also criticized other things prior to Covid such as political correctness and censorship. His comedy centers on parodying and mocking left-wing ideologies.

A couple of times I have heard him bash the Catholic Church and the hierarchy of the Church. However, it was for no apparent reason and made little sense in the context.

Most recently he made a video about fact-checkers. These are the groups online who allegedly fact-check information present on various social media such as Facebook and Twitter. They are criticized for being biased and not providing valid fact-checking. In particular, JP criticized them for all being on the same side as well-known left-wing activists and could thus not be unbiased as they should be.

However, out of nowhere he says sarcastically the fact-checkers can be trusted just like priests could be trusted not to abuse children. This is an extremely overused example. I don't really see how it really fits here. His video has nothing to do with Catholicism or even religion in general. Why drag the church into it just to bash it?

What is strange about this is that many Christians probably appreciate his videos. Why go out of your way to alienate your supporters? I even remember Patrick Coffin posting to Facebook that he likes JP Sears and his videos. Coffin is a very devout Catholic and would be put off by these comments.

Abuse definitely happened in the Church and it's a horrible tragedy. I'm all for routing out the evil. But most people are not able or willing to make the distinction between the hierarchy and structure of the Church and churchgoing Catholics, let alone a distinction between good and bad priests and bishops. Bringing up comments about clergy sexual abuse out of nowhere does nothing but provide fodder to anti-Catholic attitudes.

---

I cannot say why these social media personalities randomly resort to Catholic-bashing that is out of context and can easily turn off much of their audience. I feel it is absolutely unnecessary and they should refrain from doing this.

Catholic Church Readings for January 6, 2021: Wednesday after Epiphany

Wednesday after Epiphany: Optional Memorial of Saint André Bessette

Lectionary: 214

Reading I

1 Jn 4:11-18

Beloved, if God so loved us,

we also must love one another. 

No one has ever seen God. 

Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,

and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,

that he has given us of his Spirit. 

Moreover, we have seen and testify

that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. 

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,

God remains in him and he in God. 

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 

In this is love brought to perfection among us,

that we have confidence on the day of judgment

because as he is, so are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love,

but perfect love drives out fear

because fear has to do with punishment,

and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Responsorial Psalm

72:1-2, 10, 12-13

R.    (see 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia

See 1 Tm 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles.

Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Mk 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,

Jesus made his disciples get into the boat

and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,

while he dismissed the crowd. 

And when he had taken leave of them,

he went off to the mountain to pray. 

When it was evening,

the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. 

Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,

for the wind was against them. 

About the fourth watch of the night,

he came toward them walking on the sea. 

He meant to pass by them.  

But when they saw him walking on the sea,

they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 

They had all seen him and were terrified. 

But at once he spoke with them,

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 

He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 

They were completely astounded. 

They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 

On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Study Questions and Answers Genesis 7 to 9 to Complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's Podcast Bible in a Year

Study Questions and Answers Genesis 7-9 to Complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's Podcast Bible in a Year

For how long did it rain in Noah's Ark? 40 days

How long did the waters remain upon the earth in Genesis? 150 days

On what which mountain did the ark land? Mount Ar-arat

What is the covenant God makes with Noah? That he will never again flood the earth

What is the sign God gives of him covenant? The rainbow

Who is the Noah covenant made with? "Between me and you and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the Earth."

Who are the sons of Noah? Shem, Ham, and Japeth

Who does Noah curse when he wakes up? Canaan, son of Ham

Who does Noah bless when he wakes up? He blesses Japeth and Shem

At what age did Noah die? 950

Why did Noah curse Canaan? Canaan was born of the incest of Ham with Noah's wife (Ham's mother).

Study Questions and Answers Genesis 6 to Complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's Podcast Bible in a Year

Genesis 6 Study Questions:

These are study questions I wrote myself to complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's excellent series on the Bible in a Year.

Who are referred to as Sons of God? Descendants of Seth

In which book does Noah's Ark appear? Genesis 6

What are the dimensions of the ark? 300 x 50 x 30 cubits

Study Questions and Answers Genesis 5 to Complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's Podcast Bible in a Year

I have been listening to and following Fr. Mike Schmitz's Bible in a Year Podcast. See my article about it here. 

What I would like to do is, as a follow-up, post some questions and answers in a trivia style for people who are following the program.

So, here is my first for Genesis 5. I do not have it done for Genesis 1-4 yet.

Genesis 5:

How old was Adam when Seth was born? 130

How old was Adam when he died? 930

How old was Seth when he died? 912

How old was Jared when he died? 962

How old was Methuselah when he died? 969

From whom does Noah Descend? Seth

What are the two lines in Genesis? Sethite Line and Cainite Line

Who was the father of Noah? La'mech

Congratulations Fr. Mike Schmitz on the #1 Podcast [links included]!

Fr. Mike Schmitz, or as I like to say The Don Draper of Catholicism, has a podcast now being produced by Ascension Press called The Bible in a Year. As the name suggests, if you follow his plan, you can read the entire Bible in one year. This is a very valuable resource and goal! When I heard about this last year, I was very excited. It runs from January 1 to December 31, 2021.

There is a free podcast and guide that goes with this. I can express how happy I am that Fr. Mike Schmitz, a very orthodox priest, is providing this to us free of charge.

The podcast can be found in several places.

Bible in a Year Podcast Direct links:

Google

Spotify

Apple

To get the accompanying guide for the year, click here.

#1 Podcast:

This podcast has become so popular that it is the #1 Podcast on Apple iTunes. What an amazing accomplishment! It just shows how thirsty people are for such an amazing resource! Don't hesitate to check it out today. If you haven't started already, no worries, just read up to today's section and you'll be all set. It only started a few days ago.

Catholic Church Readings for January 5, 2021: Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Lectionary: 213

Reading I

1 Jn 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another,

because love is of God;

everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

In this way the love of God was revealed to us:

God sent his only-begotten Son into the world

so that we might have life through him.

In this is love:

not that we have loved God, but that he loved us

and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Responsorial Psalm

72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8

R.    (see 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The mountains shall yield peace for the people,

and the hills justice.

He shall defend the afflicted among the people,

save the children of the poor.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia

Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor

and to proclaim liberty to captives.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things. 

By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,

“This is a deserted place and it is already very late. 

Dismiss them so that they can go 

to the surrounding farms and villages

and buy themselves something to eat.” 

He said to them in reply,

“Give them some food yourselves.” 

But they said to him,

“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food

and give it to them to eat?” 

He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?  Go and see.” 

And when they had found out they said,

“Five loaves and two fish.” 

So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. 

The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. 

Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, 

he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples

to set before the people;

he also divided the two fish among them all. 

They all ate and were satisfied. 

And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments

and what was left of the fish. 

Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

Amen and "Awoman"?????

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver ended a prayer in Congress today with the words "Amen and A-woman". You've got to be kidding me. As has been said before, parody is becoming harder and harder to do.

First of all, Amen has nothing to do with males or men. It means "So Be It" or "Verily" in Hebrew. Just because the three letters M, E, N or M, A, N, appear in sequence does not mean the word refers to males. This is so ridiculous it should not need to even be stated.

To return to the idea that reality can hardly be parodied anymore, the TV show the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actually once made fun of this hyper-virtue-signaling when it comes to gender equality to the point of absurdity. At the end of Judge Banks prayer when he says Amen, his daughter Ashley interjects with A-woman! Of course, the audience laughs at this joke.

But now we are in the year 2021, where these things are happening in real life.

Give me a break!

Who was the Oldest Apostle when he died? (Plus, when and how the other apostles died)

The oldest apostle of Jesus Christ at the time of his death was St. John the Apostle who is said to have died in the year 100 AD. He was born around 6AD and therefore he would have been 93 or 94 years old. This is a very old age even today, but back them all the more. So how did St. John live to such an old age?

St. John is famous among the apostles for not being martyred as all the others were. It wasn't for a lack of trying though! In the year 95, he was taken prisoner at Ephesus and sent to trial in Rome. He was sentenced to death and was put in boiling oil, however he miraculously survived. Apparently though he felt the pain. Because of the miracle, the emperor commuted his sentence to exile on the island of Patmos. This is where he died.

The 10 other apostles plus St. Matthias who replaced Judas were all martyred in the folllowing ways:

St. James the Greater was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa in the year 42 - the first apostle to be martyred.

St. Philip was crucified upside down in Persia in the year 62.

St. James the Lesser was martyred in the year 62 by being thrown from a building in Jerusalem and having his head bashed in with a club.

St. Matthew was martyred in Ethiopia while saying Mass in the year 65.

St. Matthias was killed in Asia Minor near the Caspian Sea in the year 65, either by crucifixion of by being hacked to death.

St. Andrew was crucified in an X shape after being scourged in the year 67.

St. Peter was crucified upside down near the Vatican by Nero in the year 67.

St. Jude (also known as Thaddeus) was clubbed to death in Persia in the year 67.

St. Simon the Zealot was crucified at Edessa in the year 67.

St. Bartholomew was skinned alive in Armenia in the year 72.

St. Thomas was stabbed to death in Mylapore, India in the year 74.

Finally, in the year 100, 26 years after the death of all the other apostles, St. John passed away. St. Robert Bellarmine, a doctor of the Church, indicates St. John was assumed into heaven body and soul which accounts for the fact that we do not have his relics.

I found much of this information here.

Catholic Church Readings for January 4, 2021: Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

Lectionary: 212

Reading I

1 Jn 3:22–4:6

Beloved:

We receive from him whatever we ask,

because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:

we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

and the way we know that he remains in us

is from the Spirit whom he gave us.

Beloved, do not trust every spirit

but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,

because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This is how you can know the Spirit of God:

every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh

belongs to God,

and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus

does not belong to God.

This is the spirit of the antichrist

who, as you heard, is to come,

but in fact is already in the world.

You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,

for the one who is in you

is greater than the one who is in the world.

They belong to the world;

accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,

and the world listens to them.

We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,

while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.

This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Responsorial Psalm

2:7bc-8, 10-12a

R.    (8ab)  I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;

this day I have begotten you.

Ask of me and I will give you

the nations for an inheritance

and the ends of the earth for your possession."

R.    I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

And now, O kings, give heed;

take warning, you rulers of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;

with trembling rejoice.

R.    I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

Alleluia

See Mt 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom

and cured every disease among the people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,

he withdrew to Galilee. 

He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,

in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet 

might be fulfilled:

      Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

the people who sit in darkness

have seen a great light,

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death

light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,

"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."

He went around all of Galilee,

teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and curing every disease and illness among the people. 

His fame spread to all of Syria,

and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases

and racked with pain,

those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,

and he cured them. 

And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,

and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Happy Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord January 3, 2021

Prayer on the Epiphany of The Lord:

Father: Christ has appeared among us.

All: Come, let us adore Him.

Mother: The precious gifts which the Magi brought to the

Lord this day are threefold,

and they are signs of divine mysteries.

By gold the power of the King is signified,

by frankincense His great priesthood,

by myrrh the burial of the Lord.

All: The Magi worshipped the Author of our salvation in

the crib,

and of their treasures they brought to Him gifts of

mystic nature.

Youngest Child: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and

to the Holy Ghost.

All: As it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Father: Let us pray. O God,

by the leading of a star Thou didst manifest Thine

only begotten Son

to the Gentiles on this day;

mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith,

may be brought to contemplate the beauty of Thy

majesty.

Through the same Jesus Christ Thy Son.

All: Alleluia.

The following hymn serves well as a conclusion.

Additional verses may be composed by members of the

family.

The Wise Men tune Jesu Dulcis Memoria

Now there appeared a brilliant Star

Which led the wise Men from afar.

They came and, kneeling down, adored

And offered gifts to Christ, the Lord.

Catholic Readings for Sunday, January 3, 2021: The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Reading I

Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R.(cf. 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king's son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

All kings shall pay him homage,

all nations shall serve him.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading II

Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:

You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace 

that was given to me for your benefit, 

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

It was not made known to people in other generations 

as it has now been revealed

to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Alleluia

Mt 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

in the days of King Herod, 

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 

"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage."

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled, 

and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, 

for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

since from you shall come a ruler,

who is to shepherd my people Israel."

Then Herod called the magi secretly 

and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 

"Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word, 

that I too may go and do him homage."

After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures 

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 

they departed for their country by another way.

Who is Catholic?

This might seem like a simple question. Who is Catholic? Well, as with many issues in the Church it is a multilayered question. It's not a matter of who is or who isn't as such, but rather degrees. I will explain in more detail.

The reason I started thinking about this question is we often hear about "Catholics" as a group in reference to various things such as how they will vote or their beliefs in general. I often wonder, what is the functional definition of a Catholic? What does the Church have to say about this? I don't have all the answers, but I at least have some questions!

Sometimes it seems the term "Catholic" is misused in my opinion. Should a person who does not follow the Catholic faith at all, never goes to Mass, never receives the sacraments and wants to have nothing to do with the Church be called "Catholic"? Seems a little strange to me.

Something I hear often is "I was raised Catholic". It can said in various contexts. Often people will mention this when recounting some aspect of their childhood that was Catholic, whether it be receiving a sacrament or attending Mass, or some other experience such as attending Catholic school.

One trend I see often is how people will preface some "issue" they have with the Church by first declaring their Catholic bona fides. They list off all the ways they believe themselves to be Catholic, such as their attendance in a Catholic school, the fact that they were baptized, confirmed, etc. They will sometimes say "the whole works" in relation to this. Once they believe they have established their credentials, they will then criticize some aspect of the Church, usually something about how the Church must conform more to their personal secular point of view.

This is a very dishonest approach. They should just simply admit that they are no longer Catholic and that they are expressing their view as an outsider. Those who say things like this usually have little to no understanding how the Church actually works, why or how it was established, or any other basic facts. Just because they grew up in a nominally Catholic environment does not make them an expert in Catholicism.

Ultimately the Catholic faith is about growing in grace and virtue and this is accomplished through a life of prayer, penance, and reception of the sacraments. By Grace, we receive the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Charity which are free gifts given by God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Therefore one must have an active faith. It's not a passport that you get stamped and then you are done. It's an ongoing process of purification and ultimately union with God.

That's why I find it so misleading whenever there are headlines about the political candidate supported by "Catholics". Just because you were raised Catholic or your parents made you go to Mass, does not mean you represent what Catholics truly believe.

Can people who never attend Mass and have distanced themselves from the Church be called Catholic? In a sense, I think they can. In fact, Pope Benedict ended the possibility of what's called a "Formal act of defection from the Catholic Church", which was a possibility from 1983 to 2010. During that period of time, by following certain procedures, a baptized member of the Catholic Church could formally leave the Catholic Church. But in 2010, Pope Benedict officially ended this possibility.

You can read more about this here.

Therefore, on one level, a person cannot technically leave the Catholic Church once they are a member. So on that level, they are Catholic.

However, to me, it would seem strange to consider a person who absolutely rejects the Catholic Faith as "Catholic" in the context of finding out the opinion of Catholics. That should seem obvious.

So who is Catholic? I think in our modern era, it's popular for people to think they can be Catholic and yet disagree on whatever issue they choose. We have a very individualistic society and people seem to place themselves on a pedestal. They agree with the Church as long as its convenient. Often people disagree not on theological grounds but on social grounds, things which will restrict their freedom to act as they please in terms of sexuality, food, and other such things. Many people have considerable pride and place themselves above others, even the Church Christ founded.

In reality, I think a Catholic is someone who can say and believe the Creed which is read at Mass. Obviously they must be baptized. A Catholic is someone who prioritizes their relationship with God. They attend Mass at least once a week if possible.

We have an epidemic of cafeteria Catholics. At first some people might say they agree with most things but not everything the Church teaches. We should have compassion for people struggling with some tenets of the Faith. They are on their own journey. However, part of the faith is obedience and humility. These two virtues mean that even if one does not fully understand something or even if something goes against their secular beliefs, they will assent to them out of humility and obedience, realizing that the Church Christ established knows better than them. To me, people who say they believe most things are really just picking and choosing what to believe and they are refusing to be obedient and humble. It's more than just a simple matter of disagreement.

St. Augustine once said:

If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.

When it comes to who's Catholic, it's like concentric circles. On the outer edge are those who are baptized but have rejected their faith, closer are those who consider themselves Catholic but disagree on many issues, closer to the center again are those who believe and affirm what the Church teaches, and on the inner circle are the saints with Jesus Christ. We should try to get as close to the center as possible.

Catholic Church Readings for January 3, 2021 The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Reading I

Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R.(cf. 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king's son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

All kings shall pay him homage,

all nations shall serve him.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading II

Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:

You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace 

that was given to me for your benefit, 

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

It was not made known to people in other generations 

as it has now been revealed

to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Alleluia

Mt 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

in the days of King Herod, 

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 

"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage."

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled, 

and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, 

for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

since from you shall come a ruler,

who is to shepherd my people Israel."

Then Herod called the magi secretly 

and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 

"Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word, 

that I too may go and do him homage."

After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures 

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 

they departed for their country by another way.