Abstaining from meat on Fridays and fasting during Lent are two practices of the Catholic Church that few understand and many simply disregard. It is certainly not one of the "fun" activities that Catholics engage in and requires sacrifice and self-discipline.
But why do we do it in the first place? First of all, the practice of fasting or abstaining from certain foods has biblical roots. In the Old Testament, we see the fast proclaimed by Jonah, (Jonah 3:7), as well as many biblical figures like Moses (Exodus 34:28) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) fasting for forty days. Whatever type of fasting was done, it was associated with a spiritual cleansing that was either self-induced or commanded by God. In the New Testament, Jesus himself fasted for forty days in the desert in preparation for His public ministry and St. Paul continued on the tradition of fasting when instructing the churches he founded (1 Corinthians 9:25). Fasting in this context echoed the Old Testament and added the dimension of aspiritual preparation that helped individuals prepare for a great work. But how does abstaining from food help our spiritual life? As humans, we are a body/soul composite. Whatever we do with our body, has a direct impact on our soul. For example, when we sin with our bodies it affects the state of our soul in a negative way. That is why we must do something positive, to counteract our sinful tendencies and gain better control over our sensual desires. Fasting and abstinence helps us progress in discipline, which in turn helps us to avoid sin and follow God's will. Additionally, fasting is a proper way to atone for previous sin, offering it as a sacrifice to God. If we can't abstain or fast from food, it means our base desires are in control of us and our ability to resist sin has been greatly diminished. Why meat on Fridays? Traditionally, meat from animals was viewed as a "delicacy" and "expensive" and so in Europe it would be brought out on special days of celebration. Also, meat was theologically associated with the "flesh" and spiritually speaking giving up "meat" on Fridays is symbolic of avoiding sin. Fish was always allowed as an alternative because fish was seen as a "lesser" food that did not hold the same taste or spiritual associations with sin. The reason for fasting or abstaining on Fridays is very simple: Christ died on a Friday and so each Friday throughout the year and during Lent can be a memorial of that fateful day. What about after Lent? Do we still abstain from meat? The Bishops of the United States have said this: 24. Among the works of voluntary self-denial and personal penance which we especially commend to our people for the future observance of Friday, even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence binding under pain of sin, as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday, we give first place to abstinence from flesh meat.We do so in the hope that the Catholic community will ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by free choice as formerly we did in obedience to Church law. Abstinence from meat on Fridays throughout the year no longer has the penalty of sin, however, the Church still hopes that "the Catholic community will ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by free choice." Catholics are still obliged to make Friday a day of penance and so the Bishops have suggested other alternatives to abstaining from meat if someone can not do so for a particular reason: 27. It would bring great glory to God and good to souls if Fridays found our people doing volunteer work in hospitals, visiting the sick, serving the needs of the aged and the lonely, instructing the young in the Faith, participating as Christians in community affairs, and meeting our obligations to our families, our friends,our neighbors, and our community, including our parishes, with a special zeal born of the desire to add the merit of penance to the other virtues exercised in good works born of living faith. In the end, fasting and abstinence is about a spiritual renewal of our soul and the Church gives it to us not to shame us, but to invite us to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ. That is the end-goal. We must not observe these practices simply to check them off a to-do list, but because our love of God compels us to do something for the greater benefit of our soul. Read the Entire Series
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As we explore the liturgical season of Lent, we look at the threefold call of the Church to increase our efforts in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This week, we will look at one practice during Lent that the Church recommends to foster a greater sense of prayer: the Stations of the Cross.
An ancient tradition has it that Mary visited the sites of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection on a daily basis after His ascension into Heaven. Even before that other traditions say that Mary followed Jesus along His bitter Way of the Cross that led to Calvary and Scripture at the very least testifies that Mary was there at the foot of the Cross. Mary was the first to accompany Jesus in His sufferings and she kept all of these things in her heart, reflecting daily on them after His ascension. After her assumption, Christians would continue to flock to the sites of Jesus' crucifixion. They wanted to be close to their Lord and to walk in his footsteps. However, not everyone was able to make the pilgrimage to the Holy Land and for many centuries it was dangerous to travel there. That is why, around the 17th century, Franciscans began to develop a “Way of the Cross” in local churches whereby the faithful could walk through the passion narrative without having to go to Jerusalem. Here is a brief history: Innocent XI, in 1686, granted to the Franciscans, in answer to their petition, the right to erect the Stations in all their churches, and declared that all the indulgences that had ever been given for devoutly visiting the actual scenes of Christ’s Passion, could thenceforth be gained by Franciscans and all others affiliated to their order if they made the Way of the Cross in their own churches in the accustomed manner. Innocent XII confirmed the privilege in 1694 and Benedict XIII in 1726 extended it to all the faithful. In 1731 Clement XII still further extended it by permitting the indulgenced Stations to all churches, provided that they were erected by a Franciscan father with the sanction of the ordinary. At the same time he definitely fixed the number of Stations at fourteen. (Catholic Encyclopedia) The Stations are a great devotion to unite us to Christ’s suffering and death and allow us the opportunity to accompany Him on the Via Dolorosa. We watch as He suffers under the weight of the cross and realize it was our sins that crucified Him. This meditation on the passion of Christ, stirs within us a spirit of prayer, whereby we can not help but be drawn closer to God. We want to console Jesus and are sorry for our many sins. The Stations of the Cross is just one way that the faithful can devote themselves more to prayer during Lent. Next week, we will look at what the Church recommends for fasting in Lent and beyond. Read the Entire Series
After a few short weeks of Ordinary Time, the Church quickly shifts her focus to the season of Lent. The word "Lent" comes from the Old English word len(c)ten, meaning "spring season," and has been used by English speaking countries to denote this part of the Church's year since the Middle Ages. Lent is always during spring in the Northern Hemisphere and reminds the Church of the need for spiritual renewal.
On the other hand, the official word for this season in Latin is, "quadragesima," or simply put, "forty days." The Latin term calls to mind the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert before embarking on His three-year mission of proclaiming the Good News to all people. Regardless of what we call this penitential season, it is a time of the year when the Church focuses onspiritual preparation for the great feast of Easter. Ever since the early centuries of the Church, there has been a period of time dedicated to prayer, fasting and almsgiving before celebrating Christ's resurrection from the dead. In the Early Church, Lent was a time of immediate preparation for catechumens who were to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. They would perform many spiritual exercises and receive multiple blessings to prepare their hearts for Christ. Eventually similar practices were expanded to the universal Church and everyone was encouraged to use Lent as a time for renewal. As time progressed, the Church continually went back to the examples of Noah, Moses, and Jesus for inspiration. Noah was asked by God to create an ark to protect him and his family from the rain that would last 40 days and 40 nights. During Lent, the Christian follower is called to fortify themselves in the faith so that they can endure any temptations or trials that come from the outside. Moses led the people into the desert and because of their infidelity and distrust of God, they were asked to wander the desert for 40 years before entering the promised land. Following this example, we are taught to use Lent as a time for spiritual purification, renouncing their sinful ways and making amends for any past infidelity to God. As already mentioned above, Jesus Christ freely submitted to being tempted in the desert for 40 days in preparation for his public ministry. We are to follow His example of renouncing the world, flesh and the devil during the time of Lent, so that we are prepared to preach the Gospel of Christ's Resurrection to the whole world. The Church, in her wisdom, gives us some specific practices to consider during Lent, namely, prayer, fasting and almsgiving. During the next few weeks, we will look at these practice and discover why each is so important to the life of a Christian and central to a fruitful Lent. Read the Entire Series
As we progress through the liturgical year, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of what is now called "Ordinary Time."
But what does that mean? Is it some sort of generic season in the Church that has no focus? On the contrary, Ordinary Time has a specific focus even though the English name for it can be confusing. In Latin this period of time is called "ordinario," coming from the word "ordo," or in English "order." This means that "Ordinary Time" is more properly known as a "time of order." So what "order" does it have? The USCCB explain: "Christmas Time and Easter Time highlight the central mysteries of the Paschal Mystery, namely, the incarnation, death on the cross, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time, on the other hand, take us through the life of Christ. This is the time of conversion. This is living the life of Christ. Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ. The goal, toward which all of history is directed, is represented by the final Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe." (emphasis added) Ordinary Time is a specific season in the Church that focuses on the life of Christ during his three years of public ministry. That is why the start of Ordinary Time begins with the Baptism of the Lord, as that is the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The Second Sunday of Ordinary Time follows suit, focusing on the Wedding Feast at Cana, also known as Jesus' first public miracle. The color for this liturgical season is green, which is most associated with growth. Ordinary Time is then viewed as a time of growing in our knowledge and love of Jesus. It is a time aimed at spiritual growth, walking in the footsteps of Jesus's public life. However, the beginning of Ordinary Time is not very long and depending on the year, quickly ushers us into the season of Lent, which we will discuss next week. Read the Entire Series
One tradition that occurs near the end of the Christmas Season is the annual blessing of homes around the Feast of the Epiphany. It is a beautiful tradition, because not only does it place God at the entrance of your home, it places your entire family under the protection of the Almighty and sets the tone for the rest of the year.
Before we look at how to administer the Epiphany blessing, let us briefly look at a passage from Scripture that reinforces the importance of this tradition: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt…“Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household…and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening. Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them….In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you.” (Exodus 12:1-13, emphasis added) It is no coincidence that the Epiphany blessing is traditionally written on the lintel of the main doorway and even some of the prayers echo God’s words of protection that He gave to Moses. While the Epiphany blessing was not given to us in the same manner as it was to Moses, the Church provides it for our own spiritual benefit. The Church desires our salvation and so gives us beautiful sacramentals to assist us along the path to Eternal Life. Traditionally, a priest blesses chalk on the Feast of the Epiphany. The blessing is as follows (from the Roman Ritual): Bless, + O Lord God, this creature, chalk, and let it be a help to mankind. Grant that those who will use it with faith in your most holy name, and with it inscribe on the doors of their homes the names of your saints, Casper, Melchior, and Baltassar, may through their merits and intercession enjoyhealth in body and protection of soul; through Christ our Lord. Once you acquire the blessed chalk, either a priest or “head of the household” can bless the home in the following manner: Upon entering the house: Priest/Father: Peace be to this house. All: And to all who dwell herein. Priest: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial. During the Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with holy water and incensed. All: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name. And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever. After this is completed: All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial. Priest: Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead and lead us not into temptation, All: But deliver us from evil. Priest: All they from Saba shall come All: Bringing gold and frankincense. Priest: O Lord, hear my prayer. All: And let my cry come unto Thee. Priest: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord. All: Amen. Priest: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee– Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary. All: And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light and kings in the splendor of thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee. Priest: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord. All: Amen. After the prayers of the blessing are recited, walk through the house and bless each room by sprinkling with Epiphany/holy water and incensing it. Take the blessed chalk and first write the initials of the three Wise Men, connected with Crosses, over the inside of your front door (on the lintel, if possible). Then write the year, breaking up the numbers and the year so that they fall on both sides of the initials. It should look like this, for example 20 C+M+B 16 with the “20 “being the millennium and century, the “C” standing for the first Wise Man, Caspar, the “M” standing for Melchior, the “B” standing for Balthasar, and the “16” standing for the decade and year. It is also popularly believed that the Kings’ initials stand for “Christus mansionem benedicat” (“Christ bless this house”). In the past, priests would visit each home in their parish after the Feast of the Epiphany, but it became more difficult to do that as parishes became larger and larger. That is why the “head of the household” (which if you are single or a widow is yourself) is permitted to do this blessing in place of the priest. As a family, it is a beautiful tradition that gains more significance each year. The children enjoy it and you can always add Christmas hymns to help the younger children participate. This blessing brings many graces upon those who practice it in faith and protects them from any spiritual enemies that may be lurking around. Read the Entire Series
Near the end of December, Advent gives way to the joyous time of Christmas. It is a beautiful time of year to celebrate the brith of Christ; the coming of our Savior into the world.
Christmas is a feast that teaches us many spiritual truths, including the reality that we must become "little" to enter into the Kingdom of God. As the Catechism notes: "526 To become a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom. For this, we must humble ourselves and become little. Even more: to become "children of God" we must be "born from above" or "born of God". Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us. Christmas is the mystery of this "marvelous exchange": O marvelous exchange! Man's Creator has become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity." The English word "Christmas," comes from the Old English Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass." This focuses our attention on how we should celebrate the feast of Christmas, namely, by attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ comes again in the Holy Eucharist. The Church gives us three separate Masses to celebrate on Christmas, each with their own readings:Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass, and Mass during Christmas Day. A highlight of theses three Masses is the Midnight Mass. It is at this Mass that we commemorate the approximate time of Christ's birth as it is believed He was born in the middle of the night. The liturgical season of Christmas, contrary to popular belief, does not end on December 26th. While it is one of the shorter seasons of the year, it extends all the way to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January. Additionally, because of the solemnity of Christmas, it is given an "octave," which means that the eight days following Christmas are celebrated as if it was Christmas. The "Gloria" is said/sung on each of these eight days and the readings at Mass revolve around the mystery of Christ's birth. If we were to celebrate the Octave of Christmas in our homes in a similar manner to how we celebrate it in the liturgy at church, we would open presents every day for eight straight days! During the Christmas season, there are the feasts of the Holy Family, Mary, Mother of God and theEpiphany of Our Lord. These three feasts enrich our understanding of Christmas and help us deepen our love of God and the Incarnation. The color for the season of Christmas is white and signifies purity, light and celebration. Jesus is known as the "light of the world," who came to shatter our darkness, and so we celebrate His brith by using white in the liturgy. While the Christmas season is focused on the beginning of our salvation, it also foreshadows what is to come in Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. The gifts of the Magi are the most obvious signs of what is to come, symbolizing Christ's kingship (gold), priesthood (frankincense) and burial (myrrh). So even though it is a joyous time of celebration, Christmas prepares us for the somber season of Lent and gives us a foretaste of the even more joyous season of Easter. Read the Entire Series
In starting our series on the liturgical year, we first examine the season of Advent. This particular season is at the beginning of the Church's year and prepares us for the coming of Christ and sets the stage for the remainder of the year.
The word Advent comes from the Latin Adventus, meaning, "coming." It is a season that is focused on the coming of Christ into the world at Christmas as well as looking forward to the second coming of Christ at the end of time. The Catechism explains the symbolism behind this beautiful season: 522 The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the "First Covenant". He announces him through the mouths of the prophets who succeeded one another in Israel. Moreover, he awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming. 524 When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to [St. John the Baptist's] desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease." At the start of the Church's year, we encounter the first liturgical color: purple/violet. The color has been associated with the spiritual theme of preparation, penance, and renewal. Therefore, whenever the Church uses purple, she is reminding us to prepare a way for the Lord and imitate the example of St. John the Baptist. He is the prime example of these themes and is the key to unlocking the great season of Advent. To heighten our senses during Advent, the Church uses a tradition called the "Advent Wreath" to help us enter into the season. The USCCB offers this explanation of the practice: Traditionally, Advent wreaths are constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent. Ideally, three candles are purple and one is rose, but white candles can also be used. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living and the dead. Everything about the season asks us to prepare a way for the Lord and is a fitting start to the liturgical year. It is a season that prepares us to enter into the life of Christ as it is lived out in the Church's calendar. As we will see, each season builds upon itself and goes deeper into the mystery of Jesus Christ. Next week, we will examine the season of Christmas and explore the many facets to this joyous time of the year. Read the Entire Series
God knows us better than we know ourselves and because of that He inspired the Church to develop a "Liturgical Year," where we celebrate the life of Christ by observing various seasons and feasts.
The idea of an annual cycle of sacred celebrations is not something new as God previously instructed the Israelites to keep certain commemorations each year, remembering God's saving actions in their lives (like the Passover). Stemming from this ancient Jewish tradition, the early Christians started to develop a yearly cycle of feasts so that they would not forget the saving works of Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church further explains this practice of the Church: 1163 "Holy Mother Church believes that she should celebrate the saving work of her divine Spouse in a sacred commemoration on certain days throughout the course of the year. Once each week, on the day which she has called the Lord's Day, she keeps the memory of the Lord's resurrection. She also celebrates it once every year, together with his blessed Passion, at Easter, that most solemn of all feasts. In the course of the year, moreover, she unfolds the whole mystery of Christ. . . . Thus recalling the mysteries of the redemption, she opens up to the faithful the riches of her Lord's powers and merits, so that these are in some way made present in every age; the faithful lay hold of them and are filled with saving grace." 1164 From the time of the Mosaic law, the People of God have observed fixed feasts, beginning with Passover, to commemorate the astonishing actions of the Savior God, to give him thanks for them, to perpetuate their remembrance, and to teach new generations to conform their conduct to them. In the age of the Church, between the Passover of Christ already accomplished once for all, and its consummation in the kingdom of God, the liturgy celebrated on fixed days bears the imprint of the newness of the mystery of Christ. 1165 When the Church celebrates the mystery of Christ, there is a word that marks her prayer: "Today!" - a word echoing the prayer her Lord taught her and the call of the Holy Spirit. This "today" of the living God which man is called to enter is "the hour" of Jesus' Passover, which reaches across and underlies all history. Thus, we are able to relive Christ's life each year and so be nourished by the many mysteries of His life. As we know, repetition is essential if someone wants to master a particular task, job or sport. As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect." If we do not sit at our Lord's feet each year and learn what He wants to teach us, we will never grow in holiness. This is the beauty of the liturgical year, as it gives us a chance to follow Christ throughout His life on earth and learn from His example. In a certain sense, the liturgical year is similar to an apprenticeship. An apprentice who wants to learn from his/her master must walk in the master's footsteps and carefully observe whatever the master is doing. This takes time and for many professions it requires years and years of accompaniment before the apprentice can take over and imitate the master perfectly. So too in the spiritual life. Becoming a disciple of Christ never happens overnight. We must walk in Jesus' footsteps, carefully observing His every move. This takes a lifetime to master and so the Church provides for us the liturgical year, which repeats Christ's life and allows us to grow deeper in our knowledge and love of Jesus. Going forward, we will examine the liturgical year of the Church and discover the richness of each season and explore the many feasts that occur. By doing so, we will walk in Christ's footsteps and thank God for the many gifts He has given us.
As we conclude our series on sacramentals, the greatest way we can safeguard our use of them and not become superstitious is to remember that sacramentals are not infallible in their effects. They cannot be used as a “lucky charm” that works every time, no matter the disposition. A person cannot simply wear a Brown Scapular and expect to receive copious amounts of grace, nor can we invite a priest to bless a football field and expect our team to win. We must have a strong faith in God’s action or else it will become an empty ritual, lacking any personal effect.
It is important to know that the Church has given us these sacramentals for the purpose of our holiness and the holiness of those around us. Jesus wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives and sacramentals remind us of that and allow His graces to flow in every corner of society. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, sacramentals can sanctify “almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ...[t]here is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God” (1670). Additionally, similar to the seven sacraments, sacramentals are “signs” to us that remind us of our duty to know, love and serve God. Having a crucifix visible not only in the home, but also in the car and office reminds us to keep God in all my thoughts and actions. Inviting a priest to bless chickens reminds us that God is the creator of all things and keeps all things in existence; we are only stewards of His creation. Keeping a rosary in our pockets, reminds us to pray on a daily basis. Sacramentals are a great gift to us, but we must use them with care. They are meant to be channels for us, opening the floodgates of Heaven's graces. In the end, sacramentals can have great power in our lives, if we let them. They have been instituted by the Church so that Christ’s presence can be everywhere: in our homes, workplace and everywhere in between. Sacramentals remind us that we must give our entire selves to God and not lead a divided life. Yet, we must use them properly in order for them to have an effect on our spiritual lives. With a proper disposition, sacramentals can be a conduit of grace that will propel us to sanctity. Our spiritual life must not begin and end with going to Mass on Sundays. It must continue on throughout the week and sacramentals are a vital tool that the Church has given us to make that a reality. Read the Entire Series
Last, but not least, sacramentals have a vital role in the liturgy of the Church. There are numerous objects used in divine worship and all of them are set-apart and blessed for their specific purposes. As we learn about these liturgical items, we will discover that everything has a purpose and is used in the liturgy to help us draw closer to Heaven.
Before we get started, it would be good to offer a brief overview of liturgical ceremonies in the Old Testament to see where our currently liturgy comes from. The Old Testament Liturgy Offering a sacrifice to God is as old as Noah, but formal liturgical practice did not begin until God led His people out into the desert with Moses. God laid out for the wandering Hebrews a very specific rule of law for offering sacrifice. All of this can be seen in great detail in the book of Deuteronomy. For starters, God desired that the Hebrews worshipped in a specific place called the “tabernacle” (which was essentially a tent dedicated to divine worship). God instructed His people to construct the following: “And let every able man among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the laver and its base; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the finely wrought garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.” (Exodus 35:10-19) We see in this passage numerous items that were to be dedicated or “consecrated” for the worship of God. Among other items, we see veils, utensils, bread, lamp stands, oil, incense, and priestly vestments. All of these very specific objects were meant to be “signs,”or “sacramentals,” that pointed to an underlining meaning. For example, the incense, as related later in the Psalms, was meant to represent the prayers of the people: “Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice!” (Psalm 141:2) This specific worship of God went on for centuries and was at its height during the era of Temple sacrifices in Israel. They followed God’s instructions to the letter and made sure that all of the proper objects were used. The Apostles then took what they saw at the Temple and Synagogues and adapted it to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. This means that many of the same items were brought into Christian worship. It does not take us long to see the liturgy we experience today stems from the original worship services of the Jews and much of what we see today comes from a tradition over 2,000 years old! Now that we have a sense behind the history of sacramentals that are used in the liturgy and their biblical basis, lets examine a handful of sacramental blessings. We will highlight the primary prayers of blessing in the 1962 Roman Ritual as they are short, to the point and give us a great summary of why each item is used. Some of these blessings explicitly connect the Old Testament with the New and weave both in a harmony that encompasses all of Salvation History: BLESSING AND LAYING THE CORNER-STONE OF A CHURCH “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who are the corner- stone hewn from the mountain-side not by the hand of man, and the foundation which cannot be moved; make firm this stone which is to be laid in your name. You who are the beginning and the end, be likewise, we pray, the beginning, the increase, and the end of this work, which is fittingly begun for your praise and glory. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.” “In the faith of Jesus Christ, we lay this corner-stone on this foundation; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the true faith flourish here, along with fear of God and brotherly love. May this place finally be devoted to prayer, to the adoration and praise of the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.” CONSECRATION OF A PATEN AND A CHALICE “Almighty everlasting God, who instituted the laws of sacrifice, and ordered among other things that the sprinkled wheaten flour should be carried to the altar on plates of gold and silver; be pleased to bless, hallow, + and consecrate this paten (these patens), destined for the administration of the Eucharist of Jesus Christ, your Son, who for our salvation and that of all mankind chose to immolate Himself on the gibbet of the cross to you, God the Father, with whom He lives and reigns, forever and ever.” “O Lord our God, be pleased to bless + this chalice (these chalices), made by your devout people for your holy service. Bestow that same blessing which you bestowed on the hallowed chalice of your servant, Melchisedech. And what we cannot make worthy of your altars by our craft and metals, do you nonetheless make worthy by your blessing; through Christ our Lord.” BLESSING OF ALTAR-LINENS “Lord God almighty, who for forty days instructed Moses, your servant, how to make linens and sacred appointments, which even Mary wove and made for the service of the Old Covenant; be pleased to bless + these linens (this linen) made to cover and envelop the altar of your glorious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.” BLESSING OF SALT “God's creature, salt, I cast out the demon from you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said to His apostles: "You are the salt of the earth"; and through the Apostle says: "Let your speech be at all times pleasing, seasoned with salt." May you become a sacred thing…to drive away all temptations of the devil. May you be a shield for body and soul, health, protection, and a safeguard for all who use you; through Christ our Lord.” BLESSING OF PRIESTLY VESTMENTS “Almighty everlasting God, who decreed through Moses, your servant, that the vesture of high-priest, priest, and levite, used in fulfilling their ministry in your sight, should be worn to dignify and beautify the worship rendered to your holy name; mercifully heed our prayers, and be pleased, through our lowly ministry, to bless ~ these priestly vestments (this priestly vestment), bedewing them (it) with your grace, so that they (it) become hallowed and suitable for divine worship and the sacred mysteries. Let every bishop, priest, or deacon clothed in these sacred vestments (this sacred vestment) be strengthened and defended from all assault or temptation of wicked spirits; let them perform and celebrate your mysteries reverently and well; and let them always carry out their ministry in a devout and pleasing manner; through Christ our Lord.” BLESSING OF CANDLES “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, bless + these candles at our lowly request. Endow them, Lord, by the power of the holy + cross, with a blessing from on high, you who gave them to mankind in order to dispel darkness. Let the blessing that they receive from the sign of the holy + cross be so effectual that, wherever they are lighted or placed, the princes of darkness may depart in trembling from all these places, and flee in fear, along with all their legions, and never more dare to disturb or molest those who serve you, the almighty God, who live and reign forever and ever.” BLESSING OF A CHURCH ORGAN “God, who by Moses, your servant, ordered the sound of trumpets to accompany the sacrifices offered to your name, and willed that the children of Israel sing praise to your name with trumpets and timbrels; we beg you to bless + this organ which we dedicate to your service. And grant that your faithful who are gladdened with holy songs here on earth may attain everlasting gladness in heaven; through Christ our Lord.” We see in these blessings the great beauty of sacramentals in the liturgy and understand that everything we use is meant for a purpose and each item is meant to bring us closer to Heaven. 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Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Stay Connected with Our ParishWelcome from Our PastorWelcome to Christ the King Catholic Church! Ever since 1938 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Our mission statement is essentially found in the stained glass window above the main altar: “For Christ our King.” Insofar as God made us and we belong to Him, we have come to... Read More
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