Catholic Church Readings for Sunday, January 31, 2021: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Sunday, January 31, 2021: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 71

Reading I

Dt 18:15-20

Moses spoke to all the people, saying:

“A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you

from among your own kin;

to him you shall listen.

This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb

on the day of the assembly, when you said,

‘Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God,

nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.’

And the LORD said to me, ‘This was well said.

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin,

and will put my words into his mouth;

he shall tell them all that I command him.

Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name,

I myself will make him answer for it.

But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name

an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak,

or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.’”

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;

    let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

    let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;

    let us kneel before the LORD who made us.

For he is our God,

    and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:

    “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

    as in the day of Massah in the desert,

Where your fathers tempted me;

    they tested me though they had seen my works.”

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading II

1 Cor 7:32-35

Brothers and sisters:

I should like you to be free of anxieties.

An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord,

how he may please the Lord.

But a married man is anxious about the things of the world,

how he may please his wife, and he is divided.

An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord,

so that she may be holy in both body and spirit.

A married woman, on the other hand,

is anxious about the things of the world,

how she may please her husband. 

I am telling you this for your own benefit,

not to impose a restraint upon you,

but for the sake of propriety

and adherence to the Lord without distraction.

 

Alleluia

Mt 4:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light;

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death,

light has arisen.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Mk 1:21-28

Then they came to Capernaum,

and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.

The people were astonished at his teaching,

for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;

he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Jesus rebuked him and said,

“Quiet!  Come out of him!”

The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.

All were amazed and asked one another,

“What is this?

A new teaching with authority.

He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”

His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Interesting way to see Architecture

 There was a post on twitter showing the difference between modern-day architecture vs. from 600 years ago. At first I thought the left image was of a church, but I think it's some kind of castle. I cannot determine what it is exactly. You could easily replace the left image with an even more beautiful cathedral.

Fr. Casey Says Republicans Care Only About Abortion: Why I Disagree

I like a lot of what Fr. Casey Cole OFM has to say about the Catholic Faith. He recently put out a Twitter video saying he agrees with the dogmas and doctrines of the Church which is good.

I had an issue with a recent video of his where he speaks about abortion. He seems to basically be saying that people have their faith and politics mixed up, that they place politics above their faith. The example he gives is regarding abortion. Essentially he seems to be saying that because people are opposed to abortion, they side with the Republican party, but then they put that political party above their faith and use their faith as a sort of justification for doing that.

He says people will support the Republican party while overlooking the bad aspects of the party which are also threatening to life issues. 

Since there is no Catholic Party as such in Canada or the US which aligns perfectly with Catholic values, you probably will not find a party which fully supports the Church. However, I think the reasoning that he provides is faulty. It could come from the fact that in several studies, it showed that people who are left-leaning do not empathize with the viewpoints of those who are right-wing. When asked to explain the position of someone they oppose, conservatives were much better able to do so than liberals.

I'm not saying this to bash or mock anyone. But it's a fundamental mistake that I see often. Liberals assume that their position is the "right" one. It's not that there are other positions with which they disagree. There's is simply the right and good opinion and then all the others are bad ones. For instance, minimum wage. To liberals, you either support the minimum wage and workers or you don't. But if they were asked why a conservative may not support the minimum wage, they may say things like they don't think people deserve that much money, or that because conservatives are more racist, they don't want minorities to get ahead, etc.

I don't know if liberals think these things about conservatives, but that's how things come across. To be more specific to Fr. Casey Cole, he mentions a few examples in his video. He says people support the Republican party because of its opposition to abortion despite their bad economic and social policies.

He presupposes that Republican economic policies are bad for poor people and that anyone who supports the Republican party must be doing so while holding their noses about all the other issues. It's as if the Democratic platform is good for poor people and the Republican one is bad, and that there isn't even any disagreement on this. This, however, is untrue.

Often the people who support the Republican party on abortion, also support the basic economic policies of the party. The Democratic party tends to favor a large interventionist government that enacts many policies with good stated intentions.

The Republican party, on the other hand, favors individual efforts and less government intervention. The US began a "war on poverty" back with Lyndon B. Johnson and since then poverty, which had previously been decreasing, started going up. The policies with good intentions had the opposite effect.

Another example is minimum wage. To some, the minimum wage is a simple straight-forward question: Should people make $10 per hour or $15 per hour. Should people work and still not make enough money, or should we pass a law that people are compensated fairly?

Sounds simple. If there were no unintended consequences or negative side-effects, all people would be in favor of this. In fact, many would say the minimum wage should be higher in that case. Why not $40 per hour?

The difference is that right-wing people would say that the real minimum wage is $0, and if someone cannot get a job, that's how much they will receive. Minimum wage isn't designed to be peoples' full-time salary to support a family. It's meant to get people into the workforce and then they hopefully move into better positions. By removing the lower rungs of the economic ladder, you aren't helping people, you are preventing them from ever entering the job market. If someone's work is really only worth $12 per hour, no one will hire that person for $15 per hour. Are they really better off?

Taxing companies and wealthier people is another issue. To some it's simple. More taxes = better. The truth is though that higher tax doesn't have its economic impact after the money is earned but before. It comes into play when someone is deciding to start a business, invest, or carry out some other economic activity. If taxes are too high, the expected income from a venture is lower and thus the venture is riskier. All else being equal, if business startup is risky, then fewer will be started and fewer people will be hired and less money will be made.

Again, it's a complex issue. There is definitely room for debate. But to simply characterize one party's policies as "good" and the other's as "bad" and to say the bad one is only focused on abortion is incorrect. There are people with opinions on both sides of economic issues. The same thing goes for various other policies.

Another point is that many commentators seem to want to mix subjects all up together and create the appearance that they are equivalent. Abortion is the pre-eminent issue in our society at the moment because abortion involves killing thousands of innocent children. This simply cannot be compared to disagreements on economic policy.

Although I disagree with people who say economic issues are irrelevant, I do not think they are the very most important thing. The right to life trumps all other secular issues.

Overall, I think it's a huge leap to assume that Republicans care only about one thing. I would suggest asking them what they think and why. Let's be clear, I am NOT a Republican, I'm not even American. But the left must learn to listen to the right. As for Fr. Cole Casey, I think a lot of what he says is good. I commend him on his position of siding with the Church on matters of faith and morals. I simply felt this criticism was necessary. I am open to anyone's comments.

Catholic Church Readings for Saturday, January 30, 2021: Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Saturday, January 30, 2021: Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 322

Reading I

Heb 11:1-2, 8-19

Brothers and sisters:

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for 

and evidence of things not seen.

Because of it the ancients were well attested. 

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place

that he was to receive as an inheritance; 

he went out, not knowing where he was to go.

By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,

dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; 

for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, 

whose architect and maker is God.

By faith he received power to generate, 

even though he was past the normal age

and Sarah herself was sterile 

for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.

So it was that there came forth from one man,

himself as good as dead, 

descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky 

and as countless as the sands on the seashore.

All these died in faith.

They did not receive what had been promised 

but saw it and greeted it from afar 

and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, 

for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.

If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, 

they would have had opportunity to return.

But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.

Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, 

for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, 

and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, 

of whom it was said,

Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.

He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, 

and he received Isaac back as a symbol. 

Responsorial Psalm

Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

R. (see 68) Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

R. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old.

that he would save us from our sins

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

R. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the bonds of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

R. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Alleluia

Jn 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Mk 4:35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:

“Let us cross to the other side.”

Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.

And other boats were with him.

A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,

so that it was already filling up.

Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.

They woke him and said to him,

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

He woke up,

rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”

The wind ceased and there was great calm.

Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?

Do you not yet have faith?”

They were filled with great awe and said to one another,

“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

 

Catholic Church Readings for Friday, January 29, 2021: Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Friday, January 29, 2021: Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 321

Reading I

Heb 10:32-39

Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, 

you endured a great contest of suffering.

At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; 

at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.

You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison 

and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, 

knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; 

it will have great recompense.

You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.

    For, after just a brief moment,

        he who is to come shall come;

        he shall not delay.

    But my just one shall live by faith,

        and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.

We are not among those who draw back and perish, 

but among those who have faith and will possess life.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40

R.    (39a)  The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Trust in the LORD and do good,

    that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.

Take delight in the LORD,

    and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

R.    The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Commit to the LORD your way;

    trust in him, and he will act.

He will make justice dawn for you like the light;

    bright as the noonday shall be your vindication. 

R.    The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm, 

    and he approves his way.

Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate,

    for the hand of the LORD sustains him.

R.    The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;

    he is their refuge in time of distress.

And the LORD helps them and delivers them;

    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

    because they take refuge in him.

R.    The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Alleluia

See Mt 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:

“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;

it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land

and would sleep and rise night and day

and the seed would sprout and grow,

he knows not how.

Of its own accord the land yields fruit,

first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,

for the harvest has come.”

He said,

“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,

or what parable can we use for it?

It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,

is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.

But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants

and puts forth large branches,

so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

With many such parables

he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.

Without parables he did not speak to them,

but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Happy Feast Day of one of my Favorite Saints - Thomas Aquinas!

St. Thomas Aquinas is definitely one of my favorite saints, if not my favorite. I don't like being too committal on something like that! Aquinas isn't just another saint (as if there is such a thing). He is a pre-eminent saint. He is a doctor of the Church but in my opinion, easily one of the top. His Summa Theologiae is definitely the most used extra-biblical source within Catholicism when it comes to issues of morality, theology, and various other Catholic topics.

I went to Mass today and the priest mentioned something about Aquinas which I think we sometimes forget. We know he had a towering intellect (I'll get into that more later), but he was also an extremely holy and devout mystic. Yes, a mystic. We rarely think of him in those terms. In fact, all too often we implicitly seem to categorize saints as either mystical or intellectual. Both of these characteristics are wonderful and important, but we shouldn't always make such black and white distinctions.

It's actually quite an amazing thing when one thinks about it. There isn't a dichotomy between faith and reason in any way. In fact, as we can see from the example of Thomas Aquinas, one only strengthens the other. A false dichotomy often put forth by secular society is between "spiritual" and "religious", implying that to be spiritual means to not be preoccupied by all the "rules". I explained in a previous blog why this is a false dichotomy. An example of this is the common expression among traditional Catholics of Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, which essentially translates to the way we pray is the way we believe.

Perhaps it doesn't fit perfectly but I think that expression does tell us something. To know God is to love God. I think that's the point from which St. Thomas comes. He helps us to better understand God and his will so that we can love him ever more fully.

To me, this comes up when understanding various concepts within the faith. If we do not have a good grasp of these concepts, we can be easily led astray. For example, knowing what true humility or true patience entail will lead us to be holier and better people. If we operate under a false idea of what these terms mean, then we can be led into bad areas without even knowing it.

The same goes for the nature of God Himself. If we have an insufficient, incorrect, or outright heretical viewpoint of God and His Nature, we can easily fall into sin and error. Ultimately we cannot be happy in this state.

St. Thomas Aquinas lived from 1225 to 1274, around 800 years ago, yet his teachings have stood the test of time ever since then. This further bolsters the fact that his ideas are perennial, and not shifting as with the current moral relativism. Truth is truth and it doesn't change. Over all the centuries and through all the various peoples of the Earth, these truths speak to us. St. Thomas has stood the test of time and we can fully trust in what he is saying.

I mention this because I feel that we as fallible human beings can easily fall into error. Often this is not deliberate, it is just a sort of dulling of the sword. We inadvertently fall into sin through many small, poor decisions. Because of faulty philosophy and theology, people can be led astray. This is why we need teachers (or "doctors" in Latin) to guide us. We know that by listening to such men and women, we are listening to God through them and not to our own fallen desires.

On an intellectual level, I find St. Thomas to be an unparalleled resource. He speaks on so many different subjects, and yet there is consistency. This is impressive given the fact that his Magnus Opus, The Summa Theologiae (sometimes written as Summa Theologica) is 3x bigger than the entire Holy Bible! It would be difficult to write even a few pages without having some inconsistencies, but St. Thomas was able to achieve this in such a large tome - obviously with God's help.

I am not suggesting that St. Thomas was infallible in everything he said. He is probably the most complete theologian in the Church's history, but he did make some small errors. Only the Church is guaranteed the charism of infallibility by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Despite the fact that Thomas had one of the greatest intellects of all time, he was one of the most humble men as well. There are many stories of his humility. I will attempt to recount one of them. As a child in school, he spoke so infrequently that people assumed he was dumb, both literally (unable to speak) and in the modern-day meaning of being stupid. His nickname, in fact, was the "Dumb Ox". The idea that he wasn't the best student was so widely believed, that his teacher St. Albert hired a tutor to help out this poor, dumb, child Thomas. Yet, soon after beginning to teach the young Thomas, the tutor, astounded by the boy's brilliance, did something spectacular: he asked, in his own humility, if St. Thomas would switch roles with him and become his tutor.

Later in life, St. Thomas (who is said to have never committed a mortal sin) was praying when he had a profound mystical experience which caused him to declare that all his magnificent writings were but straw. This is not to be misinterpreted to mean that his writings were false or unimportant. Rather, compared to a direct experience of union with God, his writings were infinitely less significant. This shows his holiness and humility.

I could go on and on in writing about this great saint. In this day and age of confusion and relativity, we need St. Thomas Aquinas all the more!

Catholic Church Readings for Thursday, January 28, 2021: Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Catholic Church Readings for Thursday, January 28, 2021: Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 320

Reading I

Heb 10:19-25

Brothers and sisters: 

Since through the Blood of Jesus 

we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary 

by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, 

that is, his flesh,

and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,” 

let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, 

with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience 

and our bodies washed in pure water.

Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, 

for he who made the promise is trustworthy.

We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.

We should not stay away from our assembly, 

as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, 

and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Responsorial Psalm

24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R.    (see 6)  Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;

    the world and those who dwell in it.

For he founded it upon the seas

    and established it upon the rivers.

R.    Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?

    or who may stand in his holy place?

He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,

    who desires not what is vain.

R.    Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,

    a reward from God his savior.

Such is the race that seeks for him,

    that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

R.    Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Alleluia

Ps 119:105

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A lamp to my feet is your word,

a light to my path.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples,

“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket

or under a bed,

and not to be placed on a lampstand?

For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; 

nothing is secret except to come to light.

Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”

He also told them, “Take care what you hear.

The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, 

and still more will be given to you.

To the one who has, more will be given; 

from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

[Video] Pro-Abortion Activists Storm St. Joseph's Catholic Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio

You never really know what pro-abortionists will do next. This time they stormed into a Catholic church in Columbus, Ohio yelling and screaming (like they normally do) about abortion. They had placards and were yelling some incoherent thing about the church teaching hate.

Here is a video of the incident. (Warning: Viewer discretion is advised):

Here's the teaching: Life is valuable, including unborn children, and they should not be killed.

Please let me know where the hate is there.

Catholic Diocese of Columbus Bishop Robert Brennan said: “Today during our Respect Life Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, a group of protesters entered this sacred space in an attempt to disrupt our worship. I am deeply thankful to the Columbus Police, assisted by diocesan staff, for the quick response without injury to anyone present.

“I want to express my great admiration and thanks to all those attending the Mass whose respectful and prayerful response reflects the joy, hope, and mercy that marks our pro-life witness. I also apologize to the families present whose children were exposed to this," Brennan said.

These people burst into a holy place and caused massive disruption. For what? Even if everyone agreed with them in that church, it wouldn't change the Catholic Church's position. In reality, no one changed their minds but were affirmed in them when they witnessed these psychos doing what they did.

Whatever negative feelings pro-lifers had about pro-choicers, it was only intensified and made much worse.

To the "protesters":

As someone mentioned, these people who are so obsessed with the right to kill a child in the womb were themselves allowed to live.

Breaking into a holy place, a sanctuary like this is simply wrong. If they want to engage in a discussion, I am sure there are many Catholics willing to do this. They are hurting no one but themselves by doing these antics.

Let's pray for respect for all life and thank God for his gift of life to us.

Have a great day.

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen at the 1952 Emmys Thanks his Writers.

 

Catholic Church Readings for Wednesday, January 27, 2021: Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Wednesday, January 27, 2021: Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 319

Reading I

Heb 10:11-18

Every priest stands daily at his ministry, 

offering frequently those same sacrifices 

that can never take away sins.

But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, 

and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; 

now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.

For by one offering he has made perfect forever 

those who are being consecrated.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:

    This is the covenant I will establish with them

        after those days, says the Lord:

    “I will put my laws in their hearts,

        and I will write them upon their minds,”

he also says:

    Their sins and their evildoing

        I will remember no more.

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

Responsorial Psalm

110:1, 2, 3, 4

R.    (4b)  You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand

    till I make your enemies your footstool.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:

    “Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;

    before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:

    “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.

A very large crowd gathered around him 

so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.

And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.

And he taught them at length in parables, 

and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 

“Hear this!  A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, 

and the birds came and ate it up.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.  

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it 

and it produced no grain.

And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.

It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone, 

those present along with the Twelve 

questioned him about the parables.

He answered them, 

“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.

But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that

    they may look and see but not perceive,

        and hear and listen but not understand,

    in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?

Then how will you understand any of the parables?

The sower sows the word.

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.

As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once 

and takes away the word sown in them.

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, 

when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.

But they have no roots; they last only for a time.

Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, 

they quickly fall away.

Those sown among thorns are another sort.

They are the people who hear the word, 

but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, 

and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, 

and it bears no fruit.

But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it

and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Shocking but True: The Catholic Church is not about Rules

There is a common misconception in my opinion that the Catholic Church is about rules, but I think that's false. Unfortunately this isn't just believed by outsiders, but by most insiders in the Church as well.

The best way I can put it is that rules exist as a necessary consequence of the deeper teachings of Jesus Christ. Looking at the Catholic Faith as a series of rules takes away from the totality of the faith and is a form of reductionism.

I could use countless analogies to illustrate this point. The goal is music is to express an idea in a beautiful and appealing way. Because of this, there are rules. For example, if one wishes to express a happy theme, they would play the music in a major key. In music theory, major keys follow a pattern. For example, the basic C scale has no sharps or flats. On a piano, you would only play the white keys. Along with the melody, there are rules in terms of making chords which sound good.

No one would describe playing the piano as "following the rules". No one would say they listen to a particular piece because the person playing it is "following the rules" better than others. No, the music is either beautiful or it is not. It is either emotive or it's not. Randomly mashing the keys will produce noise as opposed to music.

Even someone with no musical training or experience can tell if a particular piece has the intended effect. They can tell whether or not they enjoy listening to it  and whether or not it expresses what it is meant to.

You could say the same for countless other endeavors, such as cooking, engineering, carpentry, etc, etc. Yes, all of these professions have rules that must be followed, but the rules come as a natural consequence of the overall goal.

When it comes to the Catholic faith, I find all too many cradle Catholics just following the rules, but are not really interested in going any further. To me that's like trying to get 50% on your test to just barely pass. Does this really show a true love for what you are doing? By the way, I am not saying I am better than others or have achieved some high level of spirituality. I am just thinking about this concept, and am myself also pursuing this!

As one priest put it, God wants everyone to be saved, so therefore salvation should presumably be easy. In Catholic theology, in order to enter into heaven, one must be in the state of grace, that means not having any mortal sins that have not been absolved. Therefore, staying out of mortal sin is sufficient to enter heaven, even if it means having to spend some time in Purgatory.

However, the saints were never satisfied with doing the bare minimum. Something I have come to appreciate more and more about the Catholic faith is that it's based on a relationship with God. This might sound obvious. But our ultimate goal is to be united with the triune God, through his Grace. This is our ultimate end as human beings. Following the rules naturally flows from this endeavor.

A holy priest recently explained that there are three phases of the spiritual life: the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia,

The unitive way is the way of those who are in the state of the perfect, that is, those who have their minds so drawn away from all temporal things that they enjoy great peace, who are neither agitated by various desires nor moved by any great extent by passion, and who have their minds chiefly fixed on God and their attention turned, either always or very frequently, to Him.

This is what we should be seeking to attain.  That's the goal of our Catholic Faith and what the great saints were able to experience. I think this is how our faith should be explained and told to others. Many outsiders see the Catholic faith as a series of strict rules, rather than the attainment of a personal and deep relationship with God that is beyond words.

What happens when people don't realize this? Well again we go back to the rules. People ask about the minimum requirements. People ask questions all the time like "Are Catholics allowed to....." "Wait, are you saying Catholics can't......." Often these questions are related to forms of pleasure attained through sex or food. As Catholics, we should try to change the conversation. Instead of explaining in detail what we are allowed to do, we should explain the point of the Faith, which is union with God. Otherwise people think it's just some kind of strict regimen that we follow.

At the beginning of this essay, I gave several examples of endeavors wherein there is an obvious end and means. Because people understand the end, they are able to accept the means. That's why we should emphasize the end. Imagine if someone was hooking up the electricity to a house and said "I don't think it's important to follow all these rules created by people, I just do what I think feels right for me, I'm open-minded." If that person was incorrectly installing the wiring and creating fire hazards, no one would think they were doing something good. They would be shocked (quite literally). People would be concerned, not because they are sticklers but because they understand the ultimate end of what is being done. The electricity is being hooked up in a safe and regulated way to ensure heat and light to the house.

We have explained the ultimate end of our Faith - union with God. This must remain at the forefront of any discussion. It should be framed in the positive. Otherwise, it can end up sounding arbitrary. It's also important to explain why a particular rule will bring about a particular outcome. Again, this is important in how things are phrased.

One thing that prompted this essay is the common attitude I have observed from my fellow Catholics in which they have this mentality of just following the rules. Again, I am not advocating not following the rules. To the contrary, I am saying people need to go beyond the rules, to understand WHY they are doing them and what the ultimate purpose is for these rules.

For example, when we pray, we are connecting with God. The better we pray, the better we connect with our Creator. If we see prayer as some regimented perfunctory task, then we will not attempt to grow deeper in our connection to God through prayer.

Another example is the Mass. I often see people talk during Mass or just before when others are praying. Fr. Ripperger talks about how we have been indoctrinated as Catholics with the idea that the only form of prayer is verbal prayer and because of this people think that when there is any silence whatsoever, then nothing is "happening" and they can be free to whisper to the person next to them. I'm not coming at this from a place of judgment. Most people are not doing this maliciously. I have done it myself on many occasions. But to go back to the original point, these people may think of everything in terms of rules, and the rules state you must go to Mass. There isn't a specific rule saying not to whisper during Mass, but that would come from an overall attitude of reverence for the Mass. The attitude of reverence would come from knowing what the Mass is and its ultimate purpose.

The same goes for reverence towards the Eucharist. If people truly understand that they are partaking of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in order to attain a close union with him, they would not casually receive communion and think nothing of it. The latter attitude again comes from thinking in terms of the rules. The "rules" state that you must line up, receive communion and consume the Eucharist. That's it. Those are the rules. But the Eucharist is so much more than that.

Overall I think this is a huge problem in our Church, both inside and out. I don't wish to come across as some kind of expert. I am simply seeking to understand these issues. Please comment below if you have of your own input to add to this discussion.

Catholic Church Readings for Tuesday, January 26, 2021: Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

Lectionary: 520/318

Reading I

2 Tm 1:1-8

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God

for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

to Timothy, my dear child:

grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father

and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am grateful to God,

whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,

as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.

I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears,

so that I may be filled with joy, 

as I recall your sincere faith

that first lived in your grandmother Lois

and in your mother Eunice

and that I am confident lives also in you.

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame

the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice

but rather of power and love and self-control.

So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,

nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;

but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel

with the strength that comes from God.

OR:

Ti 1:1-5

Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ

for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones

and the recognition of religious truth,

in the hope of eternal life 

that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,

who indeed at the proper time revealed his word

in the proclamation with which I was entrusted

by the command of God our savior,

to Titus, my true child in our common faith:

grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.

For this reason I left you in Crete

so that you might set right what remains to be done

and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.

Responsorial Psalm

96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10

R.    (3)  Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song;

    sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R.    Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day.

Tell his glory among the nations;

    among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R.    Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,

    give to the LORD glory and praise;

    give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R.    Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.

He has made the world firm, not to be moved;

    he governs the peoples with equity.

R.    Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Alleluia

See Mt 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 3:31-35

The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.

Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.

A crowd seated around him told him,

“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters

are outside asking for you.”

But he said to them in reply,

“Who are my mother and my brothers?”

And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,

“Here are my mother and my brothers.

For whoever does the will of God

is my brother and sister and mother.”

What does the Catholic Church mean by Unitive?

My friends and I were having our weekly catechism discussion and this past week concerned the 6th commandment against adultery. It was mentioned in our discussion that in order for a sexual act to be morally valid and licit, it would have to be three things:

• Procreative
• Unitive
• Marital

My friend would give examples of sexual expression and ask whether they met the three conditions listed above.

During this exercise, a question came up for me which was how does the Church define "unitive". I had assumed that unitive meant two married people uniting in the sacrament of marriage. Therefore, it would have to be open to life, non-contracepting, between a married couple.

It seems I was wrong.

I looked around and no one was really providing a good definition of what constituted "unitive". However, I eventually ran across an article written by theologian Ronald L. Conte Jr. In the article, he goes on to explain what constitutes unitive and basically answers objections to this line of reasoning.

I was surprised to find out that a sexual act can be unitive even if it involves contraception or even if it occurs outside of marriage. Of course, as mentioned, not one, but all three of the above conditions must be met in order for an act to be morally valid. However, just because some of the conditions are not met, does not automatically mean they aren't all met.

I guess logically this makes sense. If this were the case, there would not be three conditions, only one or two. In other words, unitive could just simply be an aspect of procreative if it was implied in the definition.

So what is the answer? Unitive simply means a sexual act involving a man and a woman. This could be between a married couple that is contracepting or between a man and a prostitute. To bolster this idea, Ronald L Conte Jr. quotes St. Paul in the Book of 1 Corinthians 6:15 when he says:

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one.”

St. Paul is saying that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes on body with her, i.e. it is unitive. It doesn't make it right, but that one aspect is fulfilled.

In terms of married couples who contracept, this too would be considered unitive. To show how this is the case, Mr. Conte quotes from Humanae Vitae, which came after the Second Vatican Council, in 1968. I will also quote what Mr. Conte had to say about it:

The Vademecum for Confessors: “Special difficulties are presented by cases of cooperation in the sin of a spouse who voluntarily renders the unitive act infecund.” [n. 13]

Here the Holy See calls contracepted marital sex “the unitive act”. It could not be called by that term if contraception deprived sex of its unitive meaning.

Mr. Conte explains it well. It would be illogical to call an act unitive if it wasn't. It's quite simple. And the act they are referring to is a contracepted marital act. Therefore, the Church would consider such an act to remain unitive.

However, are all sexual acts unitive? Of course not. Unitive sexual acts must involve a man and a woman engaging in intercourse. Homosexual acts are not unitive, nor is self-pollution (masturbation). The latter is obvious since an act involving one person obviously cannot be unitive. The former is not unitive, however the exact reason why not I am not sure. It could simply be because the real definition of sex is sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. It's sufficient to say that homosexual acts fulfill none of the three criteria.

I hope this clarifies things for people. Please comment if you have any comments or questions.