Blogposts

The Reproaches are an important part of Good Friday because they highlight the essential injustice of the Crucifixion, the culpability of humanity in this action, and the role of sin in those times and our times in bringing this about. We are given remarkable gifts by God, and the signs are all around us, and yet often we do not show gratitude. Rather, we turn our backs on God and deny God due reverence in our lives and in our worship.

History

Whereas according to current Roman use Crosses and images are only veiled during Passiontide, in the Middle Ages the common thing was to cover them right at the start of Lent, be it from the Terce (Mid-Morning Prayer) of the Monday after the first Sunday of Lent, be it – although less frequently – already from Ash Wednesday. Here and there the veiling was even done on Septuagesima, 70 days before Easter. Moreover, not only Crosses and images were withdrawn from the view of the faithful by means of veils, but also reliquaries and chandeliers, and even evangeliaries (Gospel Books) whose covers were ornamented with pictorial representations were sometimes veiled. […]

Many people, while understanding the meaning of the sacraments, have never heard of sacramentals.

Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the holy Church, which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By these people are disposed to receive the chief effects of the sacraments and various occasions in life are rendered holy.

We are placed between the things of this world, and spiritual goods from which eternal happiness consists: so that the more we cleave to the one, the more we withdraw from the other, and vice versa. Wherefore whoever cleaves wholly to the things of this world, so as to make them his reason for living, and to look upon them as the reason and rule of all he does, falls away altogether from spiritual goods. Hence this disorder is removed by the commandments.

We have heard the passage from the Acts of the Apostles (20:17-38) in which Saint Paul speaks to the presbyters of Ephesus, intentionally recounted by Saint Luke as the testament of the apostle, as a discourse destined not only for the presbyters of Ephesus, but for the presbyters of all time. Saint Paul is speaking not only with those who were present in that place, he is really speaking with us, so let us try to understand a little of what he is saying to us, at this time. [...]

One of the characteristics of the Lenten season is something call the Stations or Station Churches. Each day in Lent has a “station-church” to which the faithful would process and pray and fast. Station became the place before which or within which the faithful walked in procession and, tired out, but always standing, sometimes leaning on a stick, assisted, before leaving, at the celebration of the Liturgy Station in the secondary sense meant a partial fast or day of partial fast, as distinguished from a day of full fast. The station normally ceased at the ninth hour (3PM), while the full fast was prolonged to the evening. Wednesdays and Fridays were days of customary if not obligatory Christian fast by the beginning of the second century.

Some particulars from the Conference of the American Bishops about a proposed bill called the Equality Act, introduced in Congress and supported by the President. The Conference rejects this proposed bill and advises Catholics to oppose it:

Our bishops ask us to oppose The Equality Act which discriminates against people of faith and threatens unborn life. Tell Congress to oppose it. To contact your representatives click here.

What is a sacrament? A sacrament is an outward sensible sign instituted by Christ to give grace. What is grace? Grace is a gratuitous gift from God to us. Sanctifying grace is first given to us in baptism and is increased by all the sacraments. It is the beginning of heaven because through it the individual shares the very life of God the Blessed Trinity as a son or daughter and his or her humanity becomes a temple. Sacraments also give actual grace which is the grace to live out the sacrament and to live as a Christian in all the circumstances of life.

The Church’s greatest treasure is the sacrifice of the Mass and the Presence of Christ in His Church, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, true God, true Man. The Church’s greatest crisis has been in this latter days where Catholics no longer recognize or understand the meaning of the Mass and the Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and that He is God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, as well as Man taking flesh from the Virgin Mary. In the midst of this crisis which was going on during the Second Vatican Council and which metastasized after it. Pope Paul VI issued perhaps his most profound encyclical called Mysterium Fidei, the Mystery of Faith, in 1965. In it is a primer on the Church’s teaching on the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. Below are highlights from this great encyclical:

#1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death,(emphasis added) in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification or immediately, -or immediate and everlasting damnation.
—Catechism of the Catholic Church

You ought love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength. Matt 22:37 If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.
—John 14:15