Fr. JC Maximilian

My diocese has a teen oriented website called, RealFaithTV (see the link on my sidebar), and one of the features of that site is a “Ask Father” section where the teens can send questions. I am one of the people who answers these questions. Here is my response to one of these questions, recently sent to me.

This question is from: Peggy
I was watching Fr. Groeschel one Sunday evening on EWTN and was confused about something he was talking about. He said that if we do not “shout it out” from the rooftops about our sins, that these sins will be revealed to others. My question is: Why bother with a confession that is done privately? Will our sins be revealed to others in the afterlife even when we have been to confession?

It is difficult for me to answer this question directly, because I am not sure what Fr. Groeschel was speaking about. We do need to “shout it out from the rooftops” that Jesus Christ, through His Passion, Death and Resurrection, has redeemed us from our sins. Elsewhere in Scripture it is written, “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:16). Jesus says those words in His teaching about not lighting a lamp and then putting it under a basket. The Good News of Jesus Christ can not be kept as a private, secret part of our life. By our baptism we are all called to publicly witness to Jesus – really we should help people encounter Jesus so that they too can develop a personal relationship with Him.

I am not sure how Fr. Groeschel related this to the sacrament of confession, so let me just briefly discuss the development of this sacrament. It is very important to keep in mind the spiritual reality that the Holy Spirit teaches us, particularly through the letters of St. Paul, that all the members of the Church form the Mystical Body of Christ Jesus. We are all parts, or members, of one Body. Jesus remains incarnate through His Church. We are His hands and feet and eyes and ears. When we commit a sin it has an effect on the entire Body of Christ. My sin does not just damage my relationship with Jesus, but on the supernatural, spiritual plane it damages everyone.

Throughout the Gospels Jesus speaks about forgiving sins, and caps it off with His words at the Last Supper when He takes the cup of wine and says, “This is my blood, the blood of the New Covenant, to be poured out in behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Jesus passes on this power to forgive sins to the Apostles (the first bishops, and bishops are the fullness of the ministerial priesthood), on Easter Sunday night when He says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound” (John 20:22-23).

In the early Church, because they strongly emphasized the Mystical Body of Christ, the sacrament of penance was done publicly. Penitents would approach the bishop on Ash Wednesday to confess their sins, often in front of everyone in the church. Then they would be given a public penance, usually this entailed wearing a special garment which identified them as a penitent, which they would perform during Lent, and the bishop would reconcile them on Holy Thursday, welcoming them back to the Table of the Lord to receive Holy Communion. In the Fifth century, Pope St. Leo the Great wrote a letter to bishops that confirmed the practice of private confession of sins. So both public and private confessions existed for several centuries in the Church. Starting in the Seventh Century, with Irish monks, the practice of private confession became much more the norm in the Church. On the one hand, the privacy encouraged many people who were too embarrassed to confess their sins publicly to receive the grace of Jesus’ sacrament of Divine Mercy. On the other hand, it also encouraged more honest confessions. Sometimes, even today, people think that they can hide their sins by staying hidden in the crowd, but we really cannot hid our sins from God. If we do not humbly and honestly confess all of our sins, utterly throwing ourselves into the merciful hands of God, then our sins are not forgiven. Not because God is mean or unable to forgive our sins, but because He will not force His love and mercy on us against our will. If we are unwilling to confess our sins, that means that we are holding on to them and not giving them to Jesus to have them redeemed by His Holy Cross.

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On the Worthy Reception of Christ in Holy Communion (Part 3)
by
Fr. John C. Garrett

This will be the final segment of my summary of the document, “Happy are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, published last November by the U.S. Bishops’ Conference. The first part focused on what the Church teaches about the Eucharist, and the second part focused on who may and may not receive Holy Communion. In this part will summarize the Bishops’ main purpose of the document.

HOW CAN WE PREPARE TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION MORE WORTHILY?
As has already been noted, the Mass is not a private devotion; it is not simply a private encounter between Jesus and the individual. “In a mystical manner, the whole Church is present in every celebration of the Mass, including the angels and the martyrs and saints of all ages” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006). While the Mass is a communal act of worship, the benefit that each individual receives from the Mass depends on the way they approach the sacrament. The Bishops point out that there are two, interrelated ways by which we can foster worthy reception of Holy Communion: remote preparation and proximate preparation.

Remote Preparation
Remote preparation has to do with how we live our Christian faith every day. Some of the practices that the Bishops recommend by way of remote preparation includes:

• Regular Prayer and Scripture Reading: The Holy Spirit works through both of these to foster within us a love for Jesus and a desire to do God’s will in our lives. The Bishops especially recommend the Liturgy of the Hours, sometimes known as the Breviary. This is the official prayer of the Church, a means of sanctifying the entire day, that is required of priests and religious, but very beneficial for all the Faithful. I would also recommend prayerfully reading the Scriptures for the next Sunday.

• Faithful and Loving Fulfillment of the Duties and Responsibilities of our state of Life: The Second Vatican Council reaffirmed the ancient teaching of the Church concerning the Universal Call to Holiness. Whether we are single, married, professed religious or ordained; whether we are young or old, a student or worker, we are all called to live out our baptismal consecration. “It is by faithfully living out in our daily lives the call of the Gospel to love God and our neighbor – especially the poor and vulnerable – that we grow in charity, and so draw closer to Jesus and to one another” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006).

• Daily repentance of sin and regular participation in the Sacrament of Penance: Sin weakens our communion with God and with one another. We are called to daily repentance and regular celebration of the Sacrament of Penance in order to overcome the damage caused by our sins. A daily examination of conscience and act of contrition, say before going to bed, can guide our repentance and foster a life of holiness. If our examination of conscience reveals that we have committed mortal sin, we must confess it in the Sacrament of Penance with true sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment before receiving Holy Communion.

Proximate Preparation
Proximate preparation has to do with how we prepare ourselves to come and participate in the Mass itself. The Bishops recommend the following:

• Prayerful Recollection: Prior to coming to Mass we should prayerfully recollect ourselves. We should allow ourselves enough time to arrive at the church several minutes early, not rushing in “just in time” for Mass, so that we can prepare our hearts and minds for the liturgy. We should maintain a reverent silence as we enter the church, so to ensure a peacefulness within ourselves and others as we get ready for Mass to begin. We should do our best to eliminate all distractions so that we can focus more fully on the great mystery of the Eucharistic celebration we are about to participate. In Latin, the Opening Prayer at Mass is called the Collect. Just as a priest has an intention for each Mass he celebrates, all those participating in the Mass should form an intention – ideally from the needs that they have become aware of in their daily activities – for the Mass, as a spiritual sacrifice, which the priest then “collects” and offers to our Heavenly Father in the Opening Prayer.

• The Eucharistic Fast: We are required to refrain from food and drink (except for water and medication) for at least one hour prior to receiving Holy Communion. “This fast demonstrates reverence and respect for the Body and Blood of Christ that we are going to receive. It also teaches us to hunger for Jesus in Holy Communion” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006).

• Appropriate Attire: We should want to give God our best. As Christians we should dress in a modest manner. How we dress should reflect our reverence for God and manifest our respect for the dignity of the liturgy and one another.

The Bishops then go through the different parts of the Mass and explains how we can all be active and conscious participants in each part. I would like to call attention to how we approach the altar. “We are to approach the altar for Holy Communion with reverence, love, and awe as part of the Eucharistic procession of the faithful. This includes making a reverent bow of the head just before receiving Holy Communion, which expresses both our individual and communal adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist as well as acknowledgment of our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in Holy Communion” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006). Jesus gives Himself to us as a gift, and gifts are received, not taken. It is not appropriate to take the Host from the priest, deacon or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. One may receive Communion on the tongue, or in the hand. To reverently receive in the hands one should place one hand under the other, chest high, to form a throne for the Lord (it goes without saying that our hands should be clean).

After receiving Holy Communion there should be a period of reverent silence to allow us to express our love and thanks to Jesus for His mercy and kindness. We should also ask our reception of Holy Communion become fruitful so that we can give glory to God in our lives, and witness to God’s goodness to the ends of the earth.

In Appendix B the Bishops address whether Catholics can receive Holy Communion in other Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities. Of course Catholics, if they are properly disposed, may receive Holy Communion during any Eucharistic liturgy celebrated by a Church in full communion with the Pope. That would mean any Catholic church of the Roman rite or any of the Eastern rites.

If a Catholic, for a serious and legitimate reason, is unable to attend a Catholic Mass, and is able to avoid the danger of error and indifferentism, they may receive the Eucharist in those Churches that have valid sacraments. Practically this means that if there is a true spiritual necessity (not simply a desire) and a Catholic cannot make it to a Catholic Mass (either Roman rite or one of the Eastern rites), then can receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Church. However, the Bishops also instruct the Catholic Faithful to respect the disciplines of these other Churches which may restrict the reception of Holy Communion to their own members only (so while there are circumstances when the Catholic Church permits its members to receive Communion in these non-Catholic Churches, those Churches may not allow Catholics to receive Communion).

Finally, in the United States is might not be uncommon for a Catholic to be invited to participate in common worship with other Christian ecclesial communities (that means Protestants). Such opportunities can be effective means of promoting Christian unity, which is the expressed desire of Christ. When guests in Protestant worship services, Catholics are encouraged to join in the shared responses and the singing of hymns. However, it is NOT permitted for Catholics to receive communion in these ecclesial communities. “Because the celebration of the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day is of essential importance to Catholics, moreover, if participation in a non-Catholic service were to occur on a Sunday, it is important for Catholics to remember that the obligation to participate in a Catholic Mass still remains” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006).

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Here is part two. You are getting it even before it appears in the bulletin.

On the Worthy Reception of Christ in Holy Communion (Part 2)
by
Fr. John C. Garrett

In the first part of this article, summarizing the document, “Happy are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, published last November by the US Bishops, we reviewed the Church’s basic teaching on what the Eucharist is, and want it means to receive Holy Communion. In this part of the article we will look at the next two questions that the Bishops address in the document.

WHO MAY RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION?
The celebration of the Eucharist expresses our communion with Jesus Christ first formed through our baptism. Our baptism also makes us members of His Mystical Body, the Church, under the apostolic authority of the Pope and the bishops. Typically, only members of the Catholic Church may receive Holy Communion at Mass (this includes not only Roman Catholics, but also members of the Eastern Catholic Churches). There are some exceptions to this principle, which the Bishops explain in Appendix A of the document. That appendix first notes that there is still a close communion between the Catholic Church and the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church, even though those Churches do not share fully communion with the Catholic Church (most notably they do not recognize the Pope as the Vicar of Christ). Members of these sister Churches, if they are properly disposed (e.g., in a state of Grace), may receive Holy Communion if they request it on their own. Other baptized Christians (e.g., Baptists, Episcopalians, Methodists) may receive Holy Communion if they are in the danger of death (or if they are in a situation of grave necessity as determined by the diocesan bishop or the episcopal conference; these baptized Christians cannot make this determination on their own). However, the proper Church authority must see if four conditions are present, in addition to the baptized Christian being in the danger of death. These conditions are: (1) the person is unable to approach one of their own ministers; (2) the person has asked for the sacrament on their own (no one else may ask them if they want to receive it); (3) the person manifests Catholic faith in the Eucharist, namely that they believe that the Eucharist is really the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ; and (4) they are properly disposed to receive Holy Communion.

SHOULD WE EVER REFRAIN FROM RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION?
Ordinarily, all members of the Catholic Church, who have reached the appropriate age of reason, are free to receive Holy Communion. “We should strive to receive Holy Communion regularly, gratefully, and worthily” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006). However, both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have commented that the reception of Holy Communion should be a deliberate, conscious action. That means that just mere attendance at Mass does not mean that we should automatically receive Holy Communion. Rather, we should make an examination of our conscience to make sure that we are in a state of Grace before receiving the Eucharist. Please note, we are called to examine our own conscience; we should be very cautious when making judgments about whether or not someone else should receive Holy Communion. The Bishops then discuss some of the situations in which, after examining our conscience, we should refrain from partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Lack of Sanctifying Grace
“Mortal sin constitutes a rejection of communion with God and destroys the life of grace within us” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006). Thus, a person in a state of mortal sin is not to receive Holy Communion which is the very sign of our communion with God and the Church. Let’s review the basic conditions for an action or thought to be a mortal sin. First it must involve grave matter. It would not be possible to list all the things that are grave matter, but violations of the Ten Commandments, and other serious violations of the law of love of God and of neighbor certainly would be. Secondly, the grave matter must be performed with full knowledge and complete consent of the will. When we are in a state of mortal sin we continue to be members of the body of Christ and the Catholic Church, however, through our mortal sin we have become lifeless or dead members. Since our mortal sin has separated us from God and from our brothers and sisters in Christ, we have forfeited our right to receive the Eucharist. “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27). Of course our loving God does not wish us to remain in a state of mortal sin, and in His loving mercy He has given us the sacrament of Penance. If we repent and confess our sins to a priest, who then acts in persona Christi and gives absolution, then we are restored to a state of sanctifying grace. Again, a complete list of thoughts or actions that would constitute grave matter is not possible, the Bishops do list a few that might be more common in our culture:

• Believing or honoring someone or something as divine other than God

• Invoking God as a witness as we swear a false oath

• Missing Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation without a serious reason

• Serious disobedience against proper authority; such as our parents and civil officials

• Committing murder, including abortion and euthanasia; deliberately hating another; sexual, physical and verbal abuse of another

• Engaging in sexual activity outside the bond of a valid marriage

• Stealing in a gravely injurious way, such as robbery, fraud, or immoral business practices

• Slandering the good name of another

• Producing, distributing or indulging in pornography

Lack of Adherence to Church Teaching
“As Catholics we believe what the Church authoritatively teaches on matters of faith and morals, for to hear the voice of the Church, on matters of faith and morals, is to hear the voice of Christ himself” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006). We cannot give selective assent to the Church’s teaching because that deprives us of her life-giving message, and endangers our communion with her. While there can be situations of honest doubt and confusion, in order to receive Holy Communion while in such a situation, we must be striving, prayerfully and honestly, to understand the truth of the Church’s teaching so as resolve our doubt and confusion. “If a Catholic in his or her personal or professional life were knowingly and obstinately to reject the defined doctrines of the Church, or knowingly and obstinately to repudiate her definitive teaching on moral issues, however, he or she would seriously diminish his or her communion with the Church. Reception of Holy Communion in such a situation would not accord with the nature of the Eucharistic celebration, so that he or she should refrain” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006).

Giving Public Scandal
Scandal means more than just causing other people to be upset or shocked by what one does. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it, “Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter” (CCC #2284). A person who is publicly known to have rejected definitive Church teaching or to have committed serious sin and is not yet reconciled with the Church, should refrain from receiving Holy Communion not only because of their own sinful action, but because to do so is likely to cause scandal for others.

A person, who after examining their conscience, appropriately decides that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion for whatever reason, nevertheless should participate in the celebration of Mass. “In hearing the Word of God and responding to it through acclamations, singing, and prayerful silence they can allow that Word to work within them. At Communion time they can express in their hearts the desire to unite themselves to the Lord in the reception of his sacred Body and Blood” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006).

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I know it has been awhile since I published a post, and even though it is a “priest preach” weekend coming up, we will be showing the Bishop’s Annual Appeal video so I have been bumped from preaching again. Instead I thought I would post an article I wrote for the bulletin (originally because they needed something to fill space). It is a summary of the USCCB’s recent document on the worthy reception of Holy Communion. I have the first two parts written, so here is part one.

On the Worthy Reception of Christ in Holy Communion (Part 1)
by
Fr. John C. Garrett

At their meeting in November 2006, the Catholic Bishops of the United States issued a document entitled, “Happy are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist. This series of bulletin articles will summarize the main points of this important and beautiful teaching which our Shepherds have given us on the very heart of our Catholic Faith. For those who are interested in reading the full document, it is available online at http://www.usccb.org/chronological.shtml (as well as the other two documents which the Bishops issued at that meeting, and that I hope to provide summaries of in the future).

The Bishops first reminds us that the center of the life of the Church is the celebration of the Mass. The Second Vatican Council described the Mass as the “source and summit” of all the activities of the Church. The Eucharistic Prayer, in which Christ’s sacrifice is both recalled and made present and we give thanks and praise to God, is at the very heart of the Mass. At the Mass we receive Jesus, first as the Word of God through the readings, and then sacramentally when we eat and drink His Body and Blood. The reception of Holy Communion is the consummation of the Mass. Due to our sinfulness, none of us are worthy to receive such a wondrous gift as the Eucharist. That is why, right before receiving Holy Communion the priest elevates the consecrated host and says, “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper,” and all present echo the words of the Roman centurion who said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8). Despite our sinfulness, in His great love Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist to give us a share in His divine life.

The Bishops then presents a series of questions and answers that re-affirms the Church’s teachings concerning the Eucharist and the reception of Holy Communion.

WHAT DO WE BELIEVE ABOUT HOLY COMMUNION?
Fundamentally the Eucharist IS the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. It is not a symbol of Jesus, nor is it merely a sign of our fellowship. We believe that when the priest recalls the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper and consecrates the bread and wine, by the power of the Holy Spirit the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Traditionally the Church has used the word “transubstantiation” to describe this change that takes place. “The substance (what something is) of bread and wine is totally changed into the substance of Christ’s Body and Blood. While the appearances of bread and wine remains, the Risen Lord Jesus is actually present, and so it is he who is actually received in Holy Communion – Body and Blood, soul and divinity” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006).

The reception of Christ in the Eucharist is called “Holy Communion” because through it we come into communion with Him who is All-Holy. We are united to the Risen Christ and share in His divine life. Through Christ’s dwelling within us we are also united to God the Father, in the Holy Spirit.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING UNITED TO CHRIST IN HOLY COMMUNION?
“The principle fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., #1391). Three significant elements are encompassed by this union with Christ in Holy Communion.

Participation in the One Sacrifice of Christ
Jesus established the everlasting covenant by lovingly offering His own life on the crose as a holy sacrifice to the Father for our sins. He is the spotless “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This sacrifice of Jesus is made fully present in the Eucharist, and we join ourselves to this one holy sacrifice of Christ by taking part in the liturgy of the Eucharist. “The Risen Lord Jesus comes to dwell personally within us, and so we share in his life and friendship. He gives himself completely and entirely to us, and we are called to give ourselves completely and entirely to him” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006). Receiving Holy Communion fortifies us against sin, heals our weaknesses, and empowers us to live holy lives of sacrificial love for one another.

Communion with One Another
Reception of Holy Communion is NOT a private devotion. Rather it is an integral part of our worship as a faith community. As Pope Benedict XVI has explained, “Union with Christ is also union with all those to whom he gives himself. I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus also towards unity with all Christians. We become ‘one body,’ completely joined in a single existence. Love of God and love of neighbor are now truly united: God incarnate draws us all to himself” (Pope Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter God is Love (Deus Caritas Est), #14).

Holy Communion is a foretaste of heaven, where all of God’s children will together become one with our Lord Jesus Christ in the love of the Holy Spirit. This foretaste should inspire us to work for a deeper realization of communion among all men and women on earth. Pope John Paul II described this attitude as “solidarity” which he defined as “a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all” (Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter On Social Concern (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis), #38).

Sharing in Jesus’ Resurrection and Divinity
Since in Holy Communion we are nourished on Jesus’ own risen life and so become a new creation in him, reception of the Eucharist anticipates and is a pledge of our own bodily resurrection, “when we will share fully in the heavenly banquet of everlasting life” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 14, 2006). As Jesus tells us, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. . . . [For] whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (John 6:54,56).

Since receiving Holy Communion is able to have such a profound effect on us, if we receive it worthily, the Church encourages all the faithful to partake of it frequently. “It is clear that the frequent or daily reception of the Blessed Eucharist increases union with Christ, nourishes the spiritual life more abundantly, strengthens the soul in virtue, and gives the communicant a stronger pledge of eternal happiness” (Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery (Eucharisticum Mysterium), #37).

In the next article in this series I will summarize the next two questions in the document, “Who may receive Holy Communion?” and “Should we ever refrain from receiving Holy Communion?”

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Yesterday I was driving past one of the local Baptist churches which always has a saying on their marquee sign in front. Their saying for this week caused me to laugh out loud. It says, “Stop, Drop and Roll will not work well in Hell.”

I am sure that some of the so-called “more enlightened,” will be shocked at the reference to Hell, but it needs to be talked about, yet in too many Catholic parishes there is a reluctance to talk about Hell, or even Judgment, because it might upset somebody.

Eschatology is the branch of theology that deals with the Four Last Things, namely, Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. It seems to me that no one has a problem talking about Heaven. For many people they talk about it as if it is that retirement home that they have already paid for. While I certainly hope that all souls go to Heaven, we need to guard against the sin of presumption. Christ has won the victory over sin and death which makes Heaven a possibility for us, but we still need to accept and cooperate with the grace of Salvation that He offers us. In a certain way, presumption is a sin against the Divine Gift of Free Will that God has given us. God has made us for Heaven, but He will not force it on us.

I knew a priest who thought he was being so terribly “traditional” because he reminded people that Purgatory was real possibility besides immediately going to Heaven after death. While this is a step in the right direction, the real alternative to Heaven is Hell, not Purgatory. Purgatory is not for eternity (despite the TERRIBLE “theology” in the movie Van Helsing in which a family was condemned to spend eternity in purgatory). For the souls in Purgatory, Hell is NOT a possibility — they have been judged worthy of Heaven; they just need to atone for the damage they committed to the Body of Christ. While God is Perfect Love, He is also Perfect Justice. In the end there are only two places in which we will end up — Heaven or Hell. And in case you have not heard this in a while, Hell is a very bad place to end up. We should fear going to Hell. While perfect contrition springs from filial fear of God (we are sorry for our sins because they offend God who is all good, and not just because of our fear of going to Hell), servial fear is not a bad starting place. This is one of the reasons I do not like how they have “renamed” the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in most Confirmation classes so that Fear of the Lord becomes “Awe and Wonder”.

One of the options that a priest has in vesting for a funeral Mass is to wear violet (the other two are white and black), and I usually wear violet. Some people have asked me why, especially since I do not “match” the pall covering the casket. First, the pall over the casket is white because it represents the baptismal garment. I wear violet to remind people of God’s Divine Judgment and the need for repentance.

Hell is a bad place to be. Try to avoid it. To quote St. John, “My children, love one another for love is of God.”

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Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Often when priests preach about this memorial the focus is on the Rosary as a prayer, but not the history of why this memorial was created. Those that do might mention that it celebrates the naval victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, but do they explain what that battle was all about, who was fighting who?

The Battle of Lepanto was a battle between the Christian, European forces (yes, Virginia, there was a time when Europe was Christian) and Muslim forces. Muslims fighting Christians? Have you ever heard of that before?

Now, history is rarely simple. You really cannot say that one side of a conflict was all wrong and the other side was all good. It is a sad part of Christian history that we too have tried to spread the Gospel by the sword (not really what I think the God of Love would want). However, Muslims cannot say that they have not historically tried to spread their faith by the sword.

If you follow this link http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52338 you can read a nice little summary of events leading up to the Battle of Lepanto. Basically for the previous 1000 years the Muslim forces, mostly Turks, had been invading and conquering Christian lands. While the Christians had fought back, it was not very organized (a lot of “well that’s not my problem”). I am sure there were plenty of brutalities on all sides. We know that the one Muslim leader had a Christian leader skinned alive, and then enslaved 12,000 Christians as galley slaves in the war ships. The Holy League was formed because the European leaders finally realized that, to quote John Hancock of the US Revolution, “if we do not hang together, we will surely hang separately.” In the end, the smaller Christian allied navy destroyed the Muslim navy, and Don Juan freed the 12,000 enslaved Christians. It was the one of the largest naval battles in history, and the last one involved oared ships. However, it was a short lived victory, for the Muslims rebuilt their navy and went back to harassing the Christian trade routes.

My point here is not some type of triumphalism. It is to point out that there has been a long history of conflict between Christian civilization and Muslim civilization. We believe in a God who loves us so much that He sent His only Begotten Son into the world, to become a man like us in all things but sin, not to condemn the world but to save it. Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Mary, perfectly reveal God the Father (yes, I am dissenting from the Archbishop of Canterbury who recently issued a letter to the “clergy” of the Church of England that told them to stop referring God as Father and Lord because those terms may lead to domestic violence). Jesus also perfectly revealed Man (male and female) to himself, and his relationship with God. Jesus then sacrificed Himself to atone for our sins, but in rising from the dead He destroyed sin and death. Jesus then promised to remain with us for eternity. Christianity is a civilization of love and reason (again, sadly, too often we have not acted civilized). Islam considers it a sacrilege to think that God would enter into human history in such a personal way.

However, there is common ground. Archbishop Fulton Sheen, in his book The World’s First Love, noted that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the means for the conversion of Muslims. In Islam, Mary the mother of Jesus, is held in very high esteem. Infact she is given higher honor than even Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad. Isn’t it interesting that Our Lady appeared in a town named in honor of Muhammad’s daughter? Mary is the way. Hers is not a way of violence, but a way of prayer and peace; a way of ever drawing close to Jesus and seeking only to do the will of God. Let us, particularly today, pray for peace for all the world, especially between Christians and Muslims.

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Since I did not get to preach this weekend, I thought I would share just a few reflections that occurred to me as I prayed about today’s Solemnity this past week.

I love the liturgy. I cannot say it any plainer than that. I love the liturgy; so much so that it truly pains me to see liturgical abuse. I am not talking about mistakes or carelessness (although needless carelessness in the liturgy bothers me too). Rather, I am talking about the self-centered, “I’ll do it my way”-attitude that is way too common. One of the principle reasons for the liturgical reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council was to remove the various things that had been added to the Mass over the centuries. There was a desire to get back to the simple Roman Rite (too often there was a failure to keep the “noble” with the simplicity which has been characteristic of the Roman Rite). Many of the more “vertical” or Divine oriented actions were scaled back. However, in just 40 some years we seem to have added so much that the liturgy does not call for, almost exclusively of the “horizontal” or human level. There are few places where the GIRM says that a priest can “say this or in similar words” (and there is no place where the deacon can “in similar words”) to modify the text of the Mass. The Mass is not about the priest or deacon or the laity. It is for us; it is our entering into the work of salvation accomplished by the Trinity. The liturgy does not belong to us, but rather to the Church, and that is why no one is suppose to just alter the Mass on their own. Obedience to the “rubrics” is a way of living out what Jesus lived, as He says so often in the Gospel, “I only do the work my Father gives me to do” or “I only say the things my Father tells me to say.”

In my prayer this week I came to realized why a poorly prayed Mass (which for me means is more people doing it their own way) is so upsetting for me. What husband would not get upset to see others treat his wife abusively? Being ordained “in persona Christi capitas” when I celebrate Mass it is Christ working through me, and the Church is His Bride. Liturgical abuse is like watching a person abuse my wife. And to see the neglect and lack of respect that I often witness to the most Blessed Sacrament is the worse of the abuse.

How great a gift is the Eucharist, yet so many come to receive with a lackisdasical attitude. I cannot tell you how often people come with filthy hands to receive our Lord. Of course there are many, and probably the majority of regular Mass goers, who are very reverent, and they give me joy to see. The deacon who preached at the Masses I celebrated this weekend, captured that well when in his hommily he talked about the joyful eagerness that the sick he visits often have when he brings them the Eucharist. All of us should tremble in awe of “so Great a Gift.”

I am hopeful, however. As you may know, this week the US Bishops voted on a new translation of the Roman Missal. In the past I was no fan of the International Committee for English in the Liturgy (ICEL), because the translations they did in the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s were, IMHO, mundane and lacking in sacredness. We should bring our best to Mass (remember when we dressed in “our Sunday best” for Mass? If you can buy your kids an iPod or Gameboy, you can get them something better to wear at Mass than a tee shirt and jeans). And that should include our language. Well, in the late 1990s ICEL was given a facelift, and the new translation that they developed for the Missal is much more faithful to the Latin text and much more noble and beautiful. It will take some getting used to, but as Archbishop Chaput noted, it will provide us priests and deacons an opportunity to teach people about the liturgy, so that they can fall in love with it all over again. As another bishop put it, “we will learn to speak Bible.”

There were other things I was going to say in this post, but between being called away to help jumpstart someone’s car, and some other interruptions, I have forgotten. If I remember I’ll write some more.

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I really meant to write this post a couple of days ago, but things just got too busy. Living in the world we now do, where attending Mass is for many people just a “thing to get out of the way” on Sunday, there is often grumbling on the Feast of the Passion of the Lord. I mean there are TWO Gospel readings, and the reading of the Passion is “SOOO long” as I heard more than one person muttered. Now, the rubrics say that the priest may give a homily after BOTH Gospel readings on Palm Sunday. I fear for any priest who tries to do that. However, it really is not appropriate to not preach at a Sunday Mass, so priest typically give what we call a “fervorino,” a brief homily to promote fervor for the Faith. Here is the jest of mine for this year:

What a difference a week makes. At the beginning of the week of the Passover celebration, Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of exaltation, as the people joyfully call Him king. By the end of the week they are shouting for him to be crucified. Why this reversal? Because Jesus was not going to be the type of King that they wanted Him to be. They wanted a King of their own liking, who would not challenge them on how to live. They did not want to set their sights on Eternal Life, but wanted a merely horizontal king, taking care of their material and political needs.

How often are we like the crowd in Jerusalem; praising the Lord when all is going our way, but rejecting and complaining when it is not “our will being done”?

Reversal is nothing new for the Christian. In Genesis we see God creating everything good, the first man and woman in a garden of paradise, where there is a tree. By their disobedience the fruit of that tree lead to death. At the end of Holy Week we see this reversed. Jesus is in a garden, not of paradise but of sorrow. His obedience lead Him to a tree of death, but the fruit of that tree is Eternal Life.

As we enter into Holy Week, may there be a reversal in our lives. May we reverse the disobedience of sin by which we shout for the crucifixion of Christ, into the shouts of obedience exalting Him as Christ the King, Victor.

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Today, Hamilton Township, NJ had its annual raising of the Irish Flag ceremony, kicking off about a week of celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day (OK, I don’t know why they start on March 8, and are over before the actual St. Patrick Day). This year’s Miss St. Patrick is a young lady from my parish. I am not sure why I was asked (but the pastor is named Gervasio, no Irish there, and the other priest is from the Phillippines, so me being the only redheaded Irish priest may have a bearing), to say the invocation at the Flag raising ceremony. Here’s my prayer:

God of Heaven and Earth,
As the Dark Ages spread though Europe, it was largely do to the faith of Irish monks that much of Western civilization was preserved.
As the darkness of the Culture of Death continues to spread through much of the world, may we respond to Your light of Truth with the same faith.
Amen

Then they told me that they also wanted me to say the final blessing, so with no prior thought I came up with this:

May the God of Love bless you with long life.
May the Mighty God continue to bless us with freedom, for which so many shed their blood.
And as t