FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2015
ASK A PRIEST
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
FATHER KEVIN BATES, SM
FATHER LAZARUS CHAWDI
PRIEST STAFF
CATHOLICVIEW STAFF
CATHOLICVIEW STAFF
"I fell into
drinking and having fun with my
husband, his family and friends. I feel I
have failed God during Lent. How can
I forgive myself?"
- Adeline
CatholicView Staff:
I am going through a spiritual growth again.
Unfortunately this weekend I fell into drinking and
having fun, which was dancing and drinking only, and I
drank more than I was supposed to. I was with my
husband and his family and friends. I haven't drank for
about 4 months because I am not the type to have fun in
that way constantly. The next day I was feeling
horrible as to why I always fail God... Its horrible
because it is Lent time.. and I failed Him.... I don't
think I know how to forgive myself.... Adeline
_______________________________
Adeline:
There is no sin greater than God's Grace. He
sees your sorrow for your actions. Know that He
understands and is right now waiting with loving arms
for you to come and ask for His precious gift of
forgiveness.
Do
not let Satan step in and tell you that you are
unworthy. Satan is an enemy who wants to see you fail.
Have you prayed about this?
This is that time of the year when we remember the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of all humanity. Please
seek forgiveness
and watch the weight of your sin
fall away, and you will know that you have come back to
the Lord. You will be at peace.
Yes, the price has
already been paid for our sins so tell yourself "I can do all
things through Christ Who strengthens me".
(Philippians 4:13) God go with you always. -
CatholicView Staff
"I am a recently
remarried widow. My husband
and I wanted to visit my deceased husband's
brother who said my husband was not welcome
at his home. Should we avoid them?" - Fran
CatholicView Staff:
I'm a recently remarried
widow. We planned to visit my deceased husband's
brother. He said my husband wasn't welcome at his home.
He & wife have been cool to my remarriage. We were
hurt. I still sent birthday & xmas cards. His wife just
left a phone message with a birthday wish but I didn't
reply. Am I doing wrong to remain silent? My husband is
hurt and thinks we should avoid them. - Fran
___________________________________
Fran:
I am happy to note that
even though your husband has passed on, you still
remember him and his family. This is a beautiful thing
to do. But it may be that your ex-brother-in-law still
sees you as his brother's wife, but sadly, having
re-married, it brings back old memories of that previous
marriage to his brother. Seeing you with a new husband,
the brother-in-law may not be able to let go of his
brother's demise. It may be too painful for him at this
time.
Although you have made a
beautiful gesture of maintaining the memory of your
deceased husband by visiting his family, you are doing
the right thing by stepping back for now. At some time
later, perhaps they will come to you, especially if you
have children from this first marriage.
If you hadn't loved your
husband, you would not be visiting his family still.
Sadly they cannot see this. All you can do now is go
forward with your new marriage and pray for them. You
have done your part. Now you must let go until such
time that they realize how beautiful your gestures
were. May the Lord bless you with peace and happiness
in the coming future. - CatholicView Staff
"I go to Mass each week but was unable
to attend this Sunday because of the weather.
I watched it online. Does this count"?
- Santiago
CatholicView Staff:
I was unable to attend
mass physically because of the weather, but I watched it
online. Does this count as attending mass? I go to
mass every Sunday, but didn't want to chance going out
today. I just wanted to be certain as to what is
expected. Thank you. - Santiago
Santiago:
Do not worry and be at
peace. God sees everything and knows you could not get
to Church because of the bad weather conditions. Even
though you could not attend Mass, you did not forget
what God said; "Keep the Sabbath Holy" And you did
this when you set aside normal activity to spend time
with our Lord by watching on line. Know that God loves
you and understands why you couldn't get to Church yet
you gave God that day with love in your heart. God saw
this gesture and is pleased. God bless you. -
CatholicView Staff
"Is turkey considered meat for Lent?" - Ariana
CatholicView Staff:
Is turkey considered
meat for Lent? - Ariana
__________________________________
Ariana:
Yes, turkey is
considered meat. The Catholic Church's abstinence laws
states that meat from animals such as chickens, turkeys,
cattle or pigs which live on land, should not be eaten.
Meat would exclude fish, seafood, etc. All fowl
including turkey, chicken, Cornish game hens, guinea
hens, etc..
are not
allowable.
And so,
Catholics can eat anything they want on Fridays during
Lent, so long as it is not meat. Many Catholics mark
the Lenten season by choosing to eat fish on Fridays as
an observance of this
Church
ruling.
I
hope this helps you. - CatholicView Staff
PRIEST STAFF
"I am
overwhelmed taking care of my mother
and visiting my father at a nursing home.
What can I do for peace?" - Susan
Father Francisco:
I
am so overwhelmed by cooking for and living with my
mother and visiting my father at the nursing home and
hospital for over a year now, that I feel very tired and
sad that I cannot go on away for a weekend Catholic
retreat to have peace of mind again and relaxation. My
question is can you tell me what I CAN do right now for
peace? - Susan
___________________________________
Susan:
I am well aware of the pressures and stress of being a
caregiver to infirmed family members, especially
parents. You are so special and blest to have your
parents even though this has placed you in a situation
that can be burdensome and painful. You probably feel
imprisoned at times because you also have your own life
to live.
But you are blest; the Lord knows your generous and
loving heart and He rejoices and is pleased with you.
The Lord blesses you and will bless you even more. The
idea of going on a "Catholic retreat" is really a cry to
be alone and for some time not worry about your parents'
medical and physical needs and just the need to spend
some time to breathe.
Since you are unable to participate in a retreat at this
time, you must bring the retreat to where you are. The
focus of your energy should change from wanting your
freedom to the desire to do God's Will in every
situation. God wants us to be faithful to His call, and
His call to you right now is to take care of your
parents as they took care of you in your youth.
What you can do for your search of peace when your heart
is anxious is to accept the limitations that you have in
regards to living your life. You have accepted the
limitations of taking care of your parents and for that,
God is grateful and will bless you for it. And you will
be grateful later when your parents pass into eternal
life and you will be peaceful in knowing that you have
done all you could for them.
Now, instead of fighting and sometimes regretting that
you do not have the time to live your own life and seek
your own spiritual growth in Christ, accept with all
your being the fact that you have accepted this call
from God to care for your parents. No more fighting.
No more feeling sorry for yourself. No more regrets.
And no more anger at other family members who may not be
helpful to you at this time. Instead, in between doing
things for your parents, pray and sit in silence
somewhere in the house or in the backyard by yourself.
Bring your bible and prayer book. Read a few passages
from the scriptures and say a prayer from your prayer
book. Then, sit in silence and then say to yourself the
words that Jesus said in the Garden the night before He
was to be crucified:
Father, Your
Will be done.
This will bring the retreat to you instead of you going
to the place of retreat. It is then that you will find
the peace you desire when you let go and accept the call
from God to care for your parents until their passing.
I know that you feel burdened. But I know that you love
your parents even more. That is your present call from
God, His Will for you at this time in your life. You
are in my prayers and thoughts this day.
- Father Francisco
"Can a priest be able to bless an ocean
and it becomes Holy Water?" - Ariel
Father Cervantes:
Would a
Catholic priest be able to bless an ocean and turn the
entire thing into Holy Water, or do priests have an
effective blessing range? Could you bless the entire
ocean if you had higher authority? - Ariel
__________________________________
Ariel:
A deacon, priest, or bishop can only bless things that
will be used for a sacred purpose. Blessing things such
as water is meant to bring the faithful closer to God
through the use of blest articles of faith and devotion,
thereby separating a thing or element for the greater
glory of God. What would be the reason for blessing an
ocean or body of water and how would that bring the
believer closer to God? The ocean is already blest
simply because God created it for His greater glory and
for our enjoyment and wonder. Any Christian can invoke
God's blessing on anything and anyone. But for a
deacon, priest, or bishop to invoke God's blessing on an
object, element, or person, it is done for the purpose
of glorifying God, edifying the faith of the believer,
and for a specific sacred purpose. I could bless the
ocean, but that has already been done by God Himself
when He created it! Hope this helps. - Father Cervantes
"What is the purpose of
the Hand Cross?
Why didn't the congregation say the Filioque
during Mass?" - Hunter
Father Cervantes:
I
recently attended Divine Liturgy in a Byzantine Rite
Catholic Church. The priest used a small hand cross
several times during the liturgy. What is the purpose of
the Hand Cross? I've never seen this in a Roman Rite
church.
Also, the congregation did not say the Filoque during
the Profession of Faith, Why? How can I learn more about
the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church? - Hunter
_________________________________
Hunter:
The blessing cross is used in the Eastern-rite and
Orthodox Churches as a way to invoke God's blessings on
the faithful during the Divine Liturgy (Mass) and other
liturgical and sacramental functions. The Roman/Latin
rite does not have the custom of using the blessing
cross because that is not in the Latin-rite culture.
The differences between the Eastern rites and the Latin
rites is based on culture and custom. So, as Roman rite
deacons, priests and bishops bless the faithful
with their right hand, the Eastern rite deacons,
priests, and bishops bless with the blessing cross. The
different rites of the Church come from the different
traditions of the many different cultures and from the
apostolic and foundational Churches founded by the
apostles in the different regions of the world.
As for the
Filioque
issue in the Nicean Creed (325 AD), that refers to the
statement in the Nicean Creed that states: I believe
in the Holy Spirit....who proceeds from the Father and
the Son (the Latin phrase,
Filioque...meaning and
the Son).
The Council of Nicea and the First Council of
Constantinople stated that the Nicean Creed as written
was an infallible statement that all Christians must
accept to be considered Christian. When that Creed was
written and affirmed in Greek by these councils, the
statement was: I believe in the Holy Spirit....who
proceeds from the Father. Notice that the term,
and the
Son,
is not included. That statement,
and the
Son (Filioque),
was added by the fifth century AD starting in Spain.
The Eastern Churches did not accept this addition
because it was not done in context of an Ecumenical
Council which, according to the Eastern Churches, is the
only way an infallible statement of faith can be
clarified even further. The Roman/Latin rite Church
added Filioque
through the use of the Western faithful and monks and
later approved by the fourth century popes, and popes
afterwards.
When the some of the Eastern Churches reunited with Rome
after the Great Schism of 1054 (the separation of the
Patriarch of Constantinople and the Bishop of Rome, the
Patriarch of the West), they retained their Eastern
custom of not including
And the
Son
(Filioque)
in the recitation of the Nicean Creed in the Divine
Liturgy (Mass). There is an excellent explanation of
the history of the
Filioque
dispute in this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filioque
Please check it out.
The differences in the Liturgies of the Roman/Latin rite
and the various Eastern rites come from tradition and
culture. To me, it is amazing the diversity of the
Catholic Church is expressed in so many ways, yet there
is one faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. God is
certainly Infinite, Wondrous, and One.
- Father
Cervantes
"I cannot receive communion or reconciliation
because I am divorced and remarried. My
husband also refuses to get his annulment.
Any hope of forgiveness?" - Terri
Father Francisco:
Why
should I continue going to Mass when I have no hope of
ever being allowed to receive communion or
reconciliation because I am divorced and remarried. The
annulment tribunal won't give me an annulment unless my
husband, who is not Catholic, gets an annulment. He
refuses. My sins are weighing on me and I have no hope
of forgiveness. - Terri
_________________________________
Terri:
I am sorry that you are in a stagnant situation with the
Church in regards to canon sacramental law concerning
marriage. Your present husband, though not Catholic,
must seek an annulment to his previous marriage so that
the Church can recognize your present marriage as a
sacramental marriage, thereby healing the broken
relationship with the Church in regards to your marital
status. Yet,you alone know how you stand before the
Lord.
Even though the discipline of the Church requires that
both of you receive an ecclesiastical annulment of your
marriages to have your present marriage solemnized in
the Church, God knows your heart. He knows your love.
He knows your faith. He knows your struggles.
You have tried to convince your present husband to annul
his past marriage. There isn't much more that you can
do but pray that the Holy Spirit of God can inspire him
to correct this situation on behalf of your Catholic
faith. But you must not lose your faith in Jesus as
that is what you will be ultimately judged. It is your
faith relationship with Jesus that saves you. So, keep
your eyes on Jesus.
Attending Mass without receiving communion is a painful
experience. But keep your eyes on Jesus, especially in
the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion). When people are
receiving communion, you can make a spiritual communion
where you sit by saying, "Jesus, I receive you into my
heart and life now. Unite me with yourself. Amen."
Worshiping with the Christian community is important for
the support that you need for your own spiritual
growth. The annulment process is a healing process for
both. It helps both of you to leave the past behind,
learn from your past experiences, and to be free for a
future filled without regret or spiritual burden.
But when your husband does not want to go through the
process, it may mean that he doesn't understand the
process and what it means. It doesn't mean that his
previous marriage, and the children from it, didn't
happen or that his children's status is considered
"illegitimate." What the ecclesiastical annulment does
say is that due to many factors, the marriage was not
considered a sacramental marriage recognized by the
Church as a living symbol (sacrament) of Jesus' love for
His bride, the Church (the body of all believers
in Jesus), therefore unbreakable. Canon Law is very
clear as to the expectations of what constitutes a
sacramental marriage in the Church.
That's what the annulment process is all about. It has
nothing to do with the status of any previously entered
civil marriage of either party. Once again, the Lord
knows your heart. Just keep your eyes on the Lord
Jesus. He will answer your prayer in time for full
communion with the Church. Meanwhile, your relationship
with the Church is based on your complete faith in Jesus
as Lord and Savior. Jesus is what is important in your
spiritual life. He knows your burdens. He forgives
always. He heals always. Let Him take care of the
details and you go forward in your relationship with Him
and the Church, even though it is incomplete at the
moment. Remember, God loves you no matter what. He
knows. No one else knows. As Saint Paul writes in
Romans 8:35, "Who can separate us from the love of
God?" Be at peace and go forward. Never lose your
faith and hope! -
Father Francisco
"I was married in the Church and am having
surgery. Can I submit a document to pull the
plug if I become a vegetable or is this a sin?"
- Thomas
Father
Francisco:
I was
married in the Church, and been with my wife 35 years.
I'm having surgery. If I'm a vegetable can I submit a
document to pull the plug, or is this a sin that God
will not forgive me for? My wife is a devoted member of
the Church. She has always told me suicide is a sin. She
or my sons would not be able to comply with my request.
- Thomas
____________________________________
Thomas:
The Church does not want anyone to undergo extraordinary
means of preserving life. You can sign a
Do Not Resuscitate
order with a clear conscience. But that order only goes
into effect if the medical staff determines that you
will die anyway with or without life support systems.
The
Do Not Resuscitate order lets nature take its course. But
that order can only be fulfilled if you are going to die
anyway, terminal if you will. This is not considered
suicide. On the other hand, assisted suicide is not
acceptable because the person is alive and not near
death despite the illness that they may have. The
Do Not
Resuscitate
order is not suicide since such an order means that all
extraordinary means of preserving life are not to be
used.
Here is a link that will explain the difference between
ordinary means of preserving life, and the extraordinary
means of preserving life.
http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=367160
I pray for you now for your continued health and strength in
this upcoming surgery. May the Spirit of God heal you
and bring you back to your family! Leave all things in
God's Hands. He is watching over you! And He will
bless the doctors and medical staff according to His
Plan and Will. Be at peace! I sense you will be fine! -
Father Francisco
"I
am an actor but make my living playing
online poker. Is playing poker a sin?"
- Steve
Hello:
I am an actor who is now able to pursue my dream by
making a living from playing online poker. I have been
playing poker online for over 5 years, and through
studying, reading, and practice I have gotten to the
point where I have beaten the game and am able to make a
decent living from it. I love this, because it allows me
to work whenever I want and be my own boss, which in
turn allows me to pursue my true dream of becoming a
working actor. However, I want to make sure that playing
online poker isn't a sin, because in the end, my faith
is the most important thing in my life. - Steve
___________________________________
Steve:
I pray that your dreams come true that you will become a
"working actor." I know that this is a difficult
business to get into since it demands that "something
special" that is known only to the one looking for a
particular talent set for the project at hand. So, I
pray for your success in your dream career. As for
gambling, it is not prohibited in the scriptures. As a
matter of fact, casting lots was a preferred way of
deciding God's Will in some situations. But it didn't
involve money but the discernment of God's Plan for that
specific situation.
In the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), in the
Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5, Verses 9-10, the bible
says:
"The
covetous man is never satisfied with money, and the
lover of wealth reaps no fruit from it; so this too is
vanity. Where there are great riches, there are also
many to devour them."
I am concerned that your ability to play poker in such a
successful fashion will lead you to become so focused on
money that you become obsessed with it and destroy your
very soul. That's why Saint Paul, in the Christian
Scriptures (the New Testament) writes this in I Timothy
Chapter 6, Verse 10:
"For the
love of money is the root of all evils, and some people
in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and
have pierced themselves with many pains."
So, in regards to gambling, and in particular, your
skill in poker, I would warn you and advise you to be
honest with yourself: are you truly being responsible
with your small resources, or are you being
irresponsible and putting your financial security at
risk? And is your playing poker becoming an addiction
or obsession? If so, it will destroy you in time and
all those around you, and your dream of becoming a
working actor will not come to fulfillment. I am
reminded of another Saint Paul admonition to the
faithful in Corinth when he writes in I Corinthians
Chapter 10, Verses 23-24: "Everything is lawful, but not everything is beneficial.
Everything is lawful, but not everything builds up. No
one should seek his own advantage but that of his
neighbor."
I hope that you can be honest with yourself and judge
your own intentions when it comes to gambling and
playing poker. And even though you may judge yourself
responsible in playing poker, understand that you are
taking others' money and earned living wages for your
own purpose without any concern for their welfare. So,
when Saint Paul says,
"Everything
is lawful, but not everything is beneficial,"
this can apply to your situation. The big question is
not whether playing poker is beneficial for you and
giving you the means to fulfilling your career dreams.
The big question is the one that Saint Paul lays before
us:
"No one should seek his own advantage but that of his
neighbor."
When you are playing poker, look at your fellow poker
players. One or some of them may be suffering from
their own irresponsibility and their own gambling
addictions, and taking advantage of that is certainly
sinful since you should love your neighbor as yourself.
Even though gambling is not listed as a sin, its
consequences could very well be the cause of sin not
only in yourself, but in others as well. Playing poker
is not ONLY about you. Playing poker also involves the
lives and needs and dreams of others, some of whom may
be sacrificing their future and family for their
gambling addiction. And when that happens, you become
an accomplice to their sin and you will be
held accountable before God. Something to think about.
- Father Francisco
"Can someone baptize themselves?" - Roy
Father
Francisco:
Can
someone baptize themself? Someone who is now a Catholic
mentioned that he baptized himself in the Jordan River.
- Roy
_____________________________
Roy:
No, no one can baptize themselves because baptism is the
sacrament that brings someone into the Church, and
someone representing the Church must baptize that
person. One cannot baptize themselves. But I think
that you are misunderstanding the person who said that
they baptized themselves in the Jordan River. It is
obvious that this person was visiting the Holy Land and
visited the Jordan River. This person probably jumped
into the river and "baptized" themselves. This act
isn't really the sacrament of baptism, but a remembrance
of the baptism of Jesus in the same river. When I
visited the Jordan River, I waded into the waters of the
Jordan River and I remembered that Jesus was baptized in
the waters of this river and I let the waters of the
river flow over me. It was a very spiritual experience
for me. Maybe that is what this person was trying to
recount to you.
Once again, no one can baptize themselves with the
sacrament of baptism. The sacrament of baptism must be
administered by a member of the Church (usually a
deacon, priest, or bishop) as a way of welcoming them
into the body of true believers in Jesus Christ as Lord
and Savior. -
Father Francisco
"I am
concerned that that the Vatican invokes
"Lucifer" when chanted in Latin. What is the
Church's position on this?" - Carl
Father Francisco:
I
am very concerned that the Vatican Easter vigil appeared
to invoke "Lucifer" [2012/13 vigils] when it chanted in
Latin, "ille inquam lucifer qui nescit" anti Catholics
state this also as proof of Vatican's worship of
Lucifer. What is the position? - Carl
________________________________
Carl:
I
have very little patience with Christian fundamentalists
and anti-Catholics who have no grasp on the truth of our
Christian faith. Instead, these obsessed people find
conspiracy theories everywhere when they think of the
Catholic Church. The word,
lucifer,
refers to the
morning star
or
light
from the Latin Vulgate (fourth century translation of
the bible in Latin that was officially accepted as the
canon of scripture at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD).
Lucifer is never mentioned as a name of Satan
anywhere in the bible (in Isaiah 14:12, the word is used
to mean morning star and light in reference to the King
of Babylon, please read it and take a look). Here is a
link from a secular source to show you the origin of the
word, lucifer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer
In
regards to the Easter Vigil hymn, the
Exsultet -- this
hymn is sung at the beginning of ALL the Easter Vigils
around the world (not only in the Vatican), including
your own parish and I sing it every Easter Saturday
night in English....my singing/chanting of Latin is
quite unacceptable to the trained ear! The LATIN term,
lucifer,
is used when the
Exsultet
is sung/chanted in Latin to refer to Jesus Christ, risen
from the dead.. It is the
direct quote
from 2 Peter 1:19 which states:
"Moreover, we possess
the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You
will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining
in the dark place, until day dawns and the morning star
(lucifer) rises in your hearts."
It is very clear that the morning star, translated into
Latin as lucifer, refers to Jesus as the morning star
rising in our hearts. Obviously, this term, lucifer, is
not in reference to Satan.
I
must tell you something as I tell all Catholics I meet.
Don't pay attention to these obsessed people who see the
Catholic Church as an evil institution that somehow does
everything evil and is the cause of evil in the world.
I ignore them because true believers in the Lord Jesus
know that the gospel truth is the treasure that
the Church protects always and we don't have to defend
ourselves against these kinds of calumny (as Saint Paul
writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:15, in which he
writes:
"The Household of God,
which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and
foundation of truth."
and also see Matthew 16:18 which states:
"You are
Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the
gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."
If Jesus promised that His Church would not be
overwhelmed by hell or Satan, that's good enough for
me)! The Latin part in question and its English
translation is below:
Orámus ergo te, Dómine,
ut céreus iste in
honórem tui nóminis consecrátus,
ad noctis huius
calíginem destruéndam,
indefíciens
persevéret.
Et in odórem
suavitátis accéptus,
supérnis
lumináribus misceátur.
Flammas eius
lúcifer matutínus invéniat:
ille, inquam,
lúcifer, qui nescit occásum.
Christus Fílius
tuus,
qui, regréssus ab
ínferis, humáno géneri serénus illúxit,
et vivit et regnat
in sæcula sæculórum.
R/ Amen
Therefore, O Lord,
we
pray you that this [Easter] candle,
hallowed to the honour of your name,
may persevere undimmed,
to
overcome the darkness of this night.
Receive it as a pleasing fragrance,
and let it mingle with the lights of heaven.
May this flame be found still burning
by
the Morning Star (remember,
see 2 Peter 1:19):
the one Morning Star who never sets,
Christ your Son,
who, coming back from death's domain,
has shed his peaceful light on humanity,
and lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
Let's hope this clarifies everything for you. May the
Lord bless you always. -
Father
Francisco
"There will be a "Solemn Liturgy on Good Friday.
What is the Latin Rite Catholic definition of a
Solemn Liturgy?" - Steve
Dear Friends in Christ,
According to our parish bulletin, there will be a
"Solemn Liturgy" on Good Friday 2015. What is the
modern Latin Rite Catholic definition of a "Solemn
Liturgy?" What are the characteristics of this type of
Mass?
Thank you in advance! Sincerely, Steve.
__________________________________
Steve:
The
term,
Liturgy, is used for any kind of worship and rite within the
Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Liturgy doesn't
necessarily mean in our Latin rite to be a Mass with
consecration of the communion elements of bread and wine
and the reception of communion by the faithful.
Liturgy
could be any kind of prayerful rite that is done by the
congregation.
In particular, there are the seven sacraments and each
have their own rite (liturgy).
For example, there is the
Liturgy of the Word,
in which we hear biblical readings and an explanation of
those readings in the homily. Then there is the
Liturgy of
the Eucharist
in which the communion elements are consecrated during
the
Eucharistic
Prayer and the reception of communion. Usually, though,
the term
Liturgy is used for the Mass.
In the Eastern Churches (Orthodox and Catholic Eastern
Rites), the term,
Divine Liturgy,
is the Mass in our Latin-Roman rite. But there is one
day of the year in which Mass, or the
Divine Liturgy,
is NOT celebrated, and that is Good Friday. On Good
Friday, Mass is not celebrated. Instead, a Solemn
Liturgy of Good Friday is done in its place.
A
Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday's elements
are the following:
(1) The Liturgy of the Word, which are the readings and
the gospel that describes the crucifixion of Christ, and
homily; (2) The Prayers of Intercession for the World,
Church, and Special Needs; (3) The Liturgy of the
Adoration of the Cross, in which the congregation kisses
or honors the wood of the cross on which Christ was
crucified;
the Liturgy of the Reception of Holy Communion in which
the participants receive Holy Communion that was
consecrated during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Last
Supper.
Some ask why the Mass is not celebrated on Good Friday.
There are many reasons why Mass is not celebrated on
Good Friday, one of them being that the Mass is a joyful
event while Good Friday is a more solemn and mournful.
Also, the Church does not celebrate Mass from Holy
Thursday night until Easter (or the Easter Vigil),
commemorating Jesus in the tomb.
I look forward to participating in the events of Holy
Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter. The events of Holy
Week bring me to meditate solely on the one sacrifice of
Jesus that gave me salvation through faith in Him.
Participating in the events of Holy Week is walking in
the shoes of the Lord Jesus. And as the saying goes,
you don't know anyone unless you walk in their shoes.
By walking in the shoes of Jesus during Holy Week, we
get to know Jesus intimately and begin to understand the
love of God made present in our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ! Have a prayerful and transformative Holy Week!
- Father
Cervantes
"I felt hatred for a terrorist and wanted him hung.
But my hatred became love after reading about his
repentance for his offences. Will God answer my
prayers for him?" - Clarin
Father Francisco:
When Pakistan terrorists attacked Mumbai and killed
innocent people, I was very traumatized and was very
angry on those terrorists. However, the Mumbai Police
could get only one terrorist (Ajmal Kasab) alive. I used
to read everyday about him and was so angry on him and
used to say he should be hanged. In a few days my hatred
became love for a sinner after reading about his abusive
and lonely childhood. I was felt sorry for being
judgmental and since then I never stopped praying for
his conversion from sinner to a repentant soul. I loved
him so dear in my heart which no one knows. many days I
fasted for him and prayed constantly for him to realize
his crime and for repentance. In gist, the day when he
was hanged I was most happy person since his last
interview says, 'I regret for all my sins and pray to
Allah that no human being should do the crimes which I
did in my life let Allah forgive me". On the same
evening I went to church and had requested for a prayer
for his departed soul. But my parish priest said we
Christians cannot offer prayer for the departed soul of
the non-Christian. I was very confused... is it true
since, I still pray for his soul. Will God answer my
prayers? Thanks for answering me since I pray lot for
many unknown non-Christian sinners.
- Clarin
___________________________________
Clarin:
Thank you so much for your testimony of faith. Thank
you for living out your Christian call to forgive and to
pray for one's enemies (Matthew 5:44). Your testimony
of faith in Jesus shames me. I must tell you and
confess to you that I find very little room in my heart
for terrorists, especially terrorists such as the people
that tore apart Mumbai in 2008.
Your testimony of faith made my head bow down in shame.
I am sure that your parish priest is in the same
thinking as me, especially when your parish priest and
your fellow parishioners know the insecurity and fear of
being a "religious minority" in a country that is so
diverse as India. Your parish priest is probably only
thinking about believers in Jesus as the only ones
worthy of prayer, especially prayer for the immortal
souls of non-believers, and especially terrorists.
Now I want you to know with clarity that
God did
hear your prayer
and granted the grace of repentance to this particular
terrorist when he proclaimed that he was sorry for his
evil and murderous sins and asked God for forgiveness
despite his unworthiness to ask for such a gift. Your
prayer, and I am sure the prayers of others, stirred the
heart of this sinful and murderous man to open his heart
to God's grace of forgiveness and repentance. God
answered your prayer. Be at peace.
Any Christian should pray for everyone, especially one's
enemies (Luke 6:27). You did everything right. You are
a faithful believer in Jesus and His Gospel. You are a
shining example of what it means to be a true
Christian. And now, through this web site, your faith
will challenge the rest of us to really live up to the
faith we profess. You challenge us to get up from our
safe little worlds we have created around us to see the
BIG PICTURE of God's love, forgiveness, and saving
grace.
Pray for who you want no matter what their religious or
non-religious status may be. We are encouraged to pray
for every person seeking the grace of God in their
lives. Pray for them in this life on earth, and pray
for their immortal souls when they die. Pray! You are
doing what Jesus told us to do.
Thank you for your testimony of faith. You have touched
my heart, and I am now sure that you will touch the
hearts of many around the world. When these hateful
things happen, it is most difficult to be a
true disciple of Jesus Christ. Yet, it is my faith that
gives me hope in knowing that one day, God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, will fix everything that is broken
now. Come, Lord Jesus! And my fellow believer, I
exhort you to keep doing what you are doing. Praise
God! - Father Francisco
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