tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218809452024-02-28T15:23:15.197-06:00Three Holy WomenWelcome to our Three Holy Women Catholic Parish Blog and Q&A site. Click on "Click Here to Ask a Question" below to submit a question about the Catholic faith, our parish, or living as a Catholic. Responses will be posted below or emailed to you directly. Responses will generally be posted in ten days. Click on "comments" to leave a question or comment about an answer. God bless you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-29657228929829384262009-01-23T14:23:00.001-06:002009-01-23T14:24:51.889-06:00What is the significance of the birds on the doors on the west side of St. Hedwig?The birds are a Polish symbol, and are part of the polish crest. St. Hedwig was originally founded by Polish immigrants, many of whom came from St. Stanlislaus on the south side. They built St. Hedwig because of the growing needs of the Catholic Polish community. Therefore, you will notice many such symbols of Polish heritage in St. Hedwig church.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-3343499421877070532008-03-26T16:03:00.004-05:002008-03-26T16:30:57.188-05:00Question: I was just wondering about the book of Sirach. Does the Catholic Church recognize this as part of Sacred Scripture?The Book of Sirach is part of the canon of Scripture for Catholics (canon=what we consider sacred scripture and what makes up the Bible).<br /><br />Many Protestant denominations do not recognize the Book of Sirach as part of the Bible. The book of Sirach, along with Wisdom, Tobit, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Judith, and Baruch, are what are referred to as "deuterocanonical books" (which means "second canon" or, for Protestants, the "apocrypha" (meaning "hidden texts"). For Catholics, these books are part of the Old Testament. They are sacred Scripture.<br /><br />The very brief and oversimplified version of why these seven books are not part of the canon for Protestants is that they were removed from the canon of Scripture at the time of the Reformation for doctrinal reasons. These seven books were important in the tradition of Jews for many years, and were regarded as part as the Christian canon from the earliest times of the Church. But they were originally written in Greek, not Hebrew like the rest of the Old Testament. Though they were held in high regard by the Jews, when the Hebrew canon was "closed" or set sometime in the early second century (the Christian Bible was also still coming together at this time), these books were not included. One reason is that they were not written in Hebrew. However, members of the Christian Church held these books as inspired, and considered them as part of the "Old Testament" or Hebrew scriptures. Thus, Catholic Bibles have these additional seven books in the Old Testament.<br /><br />At the time of the Reformation, Martin Luther thought that these seven books should not be part of the Old Testament because the Jewish people had not chosen to include them in their canon. Thus, Protestants do not consider these books to be Sacred Scripture.<br /><br />You can read more about this at the following sites:<br /><a href="http://www.catholic.com/library/Old_Testament_Canon.asp">http://www.catholic.com/library/Old_Testament_Canon.asp</a><br /><a href="http://www.envoymagazine.com/backissues/1.2/marapril_story2.html">http://www.envoymagazine.com/backissues/1.2/marapril_story2.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-18789324187575060032007-07-17T13:58:00.001-05:002008-03-26T15:58:48.640-05:00Your Question: Can I vist a church on my own time to reflect and pray in quiet? When and where may I do this? Do I have to be a confirmed Catholic?YES!!! Stopping into a church on your own time is a wonderful way to spend time with the Lord in quiet and in prayer. Often in the midst of a busy day, stopping into the quiet of a church and spending some time in the Lord's presence can replenish us and fill our soul with peace! Anyone can do this--whether you are Catholic or not, all are welcome to spend time with the Lord in our churches.<br /><br />Some churches cannot remain open all day because of security concerns. Other churches, however, are able to be open almost all day nearly every day. Two in Milwaukee are the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (812 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee) and Gesu parish lower church, accessed by the side doors (1145 W. Wisconsin Ave., on the Marquette University campus). There is also a chapel at St. Mary's hospital on lake drive that is open all day, as well as the Schoenstatt shrine chapel on 55th and Wisconsin Ave. (behind St. Vincent Pallotti East parish). These are just some of the many sanctuaries of prayer in the city.<br /><br />There are also daily Masses all over the city that you can go to--also an amazing way to connect with the Lord in the midst of our everyday lives. To find a daily Mass near you, you can go to <a href="http://www.masstimes.org/">http://www.masstimes.org/</a> and enter your zip code. At our parish, Three Holy Women, our daily Mass schedule is as follows:<br />Monday, no Mass<br />Tuesday, 9 a.m.,Holy Rosary church, 2011 N. Oakland<br />Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., St. Hedwig church, 1702 N. Humboldt<br />Thursday, 9 a.m., St. Rita church, 1601 N. Cass St.<br />Friday, 9:00 a.m., St. Hedwig church, 1702 N. Humboldt<br /><br />If you are concerned about time and fitting this into your day, daily Masses are generally shorter than Sunday Mass - about 30 minutes on average. A nice break time!<br /><br />There are a number of daily Masses over the lunch hour in the city as well. A great downtown location for this is Old St. Mary parish, 836 N. Broadway.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-13724568082228122002008-02-05T17:50:00.000-06:002008-02-05T18:00:40.027-06:00Ash Wednesday Questions and Lenten fastingIs Ash Wednesday a Holy day of obligation? What are the different types of liturgy celebrated on Ash Wednesday? The first answer is no, Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation (surprising, right?!). This does not mean it's not important! Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Holy season of Lent, and is also a day of fasting and abstaining from eating meat.<br /><br />You can find a variety of Masses to attend on Ash Wednesday, in which we will both celebrate the Eucharist, and receive ashes on our foreheads as a sign of repentance and turning back to the Lord. At Three Holy Women, Masses are held at 9:00 a.m at St. Hedwig, Noon at St. Rita, and 6:00 p.m. at Holy Rosary. Anyone may receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, the ashes used on this day are made from burning the palms from Palm Sunday.<br /><br />You can also attend a simple prayer and ashes service, often done at hospitals, and places of care for the sick. This not a Mass, but is another way to call to mind the penitential attitude of this day and begin Lent by turning to the Lord.<br /><br />Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. The guidelines for fasting and absitnence during Lent are as follows (taken from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee website:<br /><br />All Catholics, from 14 years of age, abstain from meat on all Fridays and Ash Wednesday.<br /><br />Those from age 18 up to age 59 (the obligation to fast ends on one’s 59th birthday) fast all day on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, only one full meatless meal is allowed. Two other smaller meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted on these two days, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices are allowed. When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige.<br /><br />Catholics should not lightly excuse themselves from these prescribed minimal penitential practices.<br /><br />Have a blessed Lent!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-29596859183986429312007-12-18T13:42:00.001-06:002007-12-18T13:48:57.853-06:00Your Question: What are the Holy Days of Obligation for Roman Catholics?In addition to Sundays (or anticipation Masses on Saturday evening), the HolyDays of Obligation for Roman Catholics in the United States are as follows:<br /><br /><strong>January 1</strong>, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;<br /><strong>Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter</strong>, the solemnity of the Ascension;<br /><strong>August 15</strong>, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;<br /><strong>November 1</strong>, the solemnity of All Saints;<br /><strong>December 8</strong>, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;<br /><strong>December 25</strong>, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated (that means the obligation to attend Mass is lifted)<br /><br />Also, in the some dioceses and archdioceses, Milwaukee included, the solemnity of the Ascension is tranferred to a Sunday. Thus, the obligation to attend Mass on Thursday is suspended.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-25967777142173401332007-06-19T16:41:00.000-05:002007-06-20T09:55:11.211-05:00Your Question: Why are catholic priests not allowed to marry and yet they are supposed to be able to give marital advice?Does being married automatically make one’s marital advice better? Think of it this way: does any person who counsels another about a certain experience have to have gone through the particular experience themselves in order to offer advice and support? Sure, it can help. But it’s not necessary, right? In fact, our world is filled with examples of this. A judge can give decisions on numerous cases with which he or she has no personal experience. A psychologist can help those who are suffering from depression, without having experienced it for himself/herself, right?<br /><br />Priests are called upon to walk with people through all sorts of things. Deaths, sicknesses, joys, and trials that span all kinds of life situations. Just like any other person offering counsel, it doesn’t mean they have to have gone through the same situation to be able to offer some perspective and care. Sometimes, it can even help to be an outside observer, who can lend some clarity to an issue that the couple cannot see themselves. Priests are called to be the presence of Christ to those who are struggling, not necessarily to have all the answers.<br /><br />Additionally, priests share in the experiences of a multitude of people. They learn from the experience of those who have come before them in the 2000 year history of our Church, as well as the many experiences they have with their parishioners today.<br /><br />Also, the priest is often there to explain to couples what the Sacrament of Matrimony is. In the Sacrament of Matrimony, the couple gives the sacrament to each other through the proper rites and dispositions. But the definition of that sacrament is given by the Church. So, if someone wants to be married in the Catholic Church, a priest can certainly explain to them what it is they are agreeing to enter into.<br /><br />Finally, a priest doesn’t act alone. For example, most marriage preparation programs include witnesses and teaching by married couples, in addition to the meeting with the pastor. Also, most priests will have a list of professional marriage counselors and other resources that he can offer to a couple.<br /><br />When a priest takes a vow of celibacy, he is promising his life to the Church and to not marry another person. This is what is called a “discipline” of the Church, meaning that it is the custom that evolved in the western church, though it has always held a place of honor and meaning in Christian history. This happened because, among other reasons, it is a sign of fidelity to God that speaks to the world. When a priest vows his life to the Church in this radical way, he is speaking a “yes” to total, lifelong commitment. He is ensuring that he is always free to follow God’s will in ministering wherever he is needed. In a world where commitments are often broken, promises are no longer kept, and a vow is no longer a vow, this commitment our priests make should be a beautiful reminder to all of us that we are to be faithful in our commitments, whether religious or married. Whatever our vocation, all of us need God’s grace to live out our commitments, and we ask the Lord that He helps us to live them well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1159557053676567032006-09-29T14:08:00.000-05:002006-09-29T14:18:51.703-05:00Your Question: Can you explain the symbolism in the carvings on the "priest's chair" at St. Hedwig's?There are several common symbols present in the elaborate carvings on the presider’s chair at St. Hedwig. First, you may notice what looks like an “A” and “W” on the back of the chair. It’s not an early sign for root beer. These are actually the Greek letters Alpha and Omega. These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and are often used to describe Christ Himself. Also, you’ll notice some peacocks on the back of the chair. These birds were used as early symbols of resurrection. I have seen it present in a Jewish context (some of the Jewish sects, such as the Pharisees, believe in resurrection). It was appropriated by the Christian Church as a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the hope of our own resurrection as well. You’ll also notice that the arms of the chair are the heads of lions. Most likely, this refers to the title of Christ as the “Lion of Judah”—a title that has both Jewish and Christian uses. The Messiah is referred to as the Lion of Judah in the Revelation 5:5—the promised one from the line of David, of the tribe of Judah, who is the Messiah. The Lion is often used to symbolize Christ and Christ-figures, such as in C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia.”<br /><br />You’ll also find loaves and fishes carved into the chair at St. Hedwig. These have many meanings in Christianity, and bring to mind the miraculous multiplication of loaves and fishes by Jesus, as well as the Eucharist, and the disciples who were fishermen and “fishers of men.” Also, the fish is a very early Christian symbol, and the word “fish” in Greek was an acronym used by the early Christians to identify themselves to one another.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1149886076134549152006-06-09T15:28:00.000-05:002006-06-09T15:54:24.596-05:00Your Question: What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle?The differences between what we has been considered a disciple and apostle in the Christian tradition is basically that of a student and teacher.<br /><br />"Disciple" is a general term for any student or follower of a particular teacher. So, Jesus had many disciples, but we most often think of "the Twelve disciples" whom were closest to Jesus during his life.<br /><br />"Apostle" comes from the Greek word <em>apostolos</em> which means "one sent off or commissioned." An Apostle is one who is sent to represent the one who sent him or her. The Apostle acts and speaks in the sender's place. After Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension to the Father, and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in the upper room, the Twelve Disciples are called Apostles--they were given Jesus' Spirit to go out into the world the preach the Word of God as Jesus' representative. They were specifically commissioned and sent by Jesus to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).<br /><br />All baptized Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ. We also draw a close connection between our reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation and becoming Apostles for Jesus in the world. Thus, both of these terms apply not only to those living in Jesus' time, but also to us today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1146609364728612432006-05-02T17:25:00.000-05:002006-05-05T16:20:33.070-05:00Your Question: What is the reason historically and currently that women are not able to be priests?The Church's teaching that women cannot be ordained priests is, of course, one of most asked questions in the Church. For many, this teaching of the church is synonymous with centuries of mistreatment of women, and second class status in society. It is true that members of the Church, all of us sinners, have in the past and even today have twisted the Bible and teachings of the Church to further agendas that claim women are inferior to men. Our Church must work to heal these wounds, and promote the great dignity and worth of both women and men, and the great love Christ has for all of us. The wounds run very deep, and there is a lot of healing that needs to be done.<br /><br />The historical and current reasons for why women cannot be ordained, however, can be distinguished from the sinfulness of past generations. It hinges on the understanding that women and men are indeed equal in dignity, but that there are, of course, distinctions bewteen the sexes. Both men and women must come to know what calling Christ gives them in the Church, as men and as women. The history and tradition of the teaching is more complicated that we realize, and often we don't take the time to learn the "why" behind the teaching. So, I appreciate your question very much! I will refer you to the following articles, which treat the subject much more in-depth that I can here.<br /><br />The follwing article presents a summary of why there is no women's ordination, offering responses to common statements about women's ordination:<br /><a href="http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1996/9601fea3.asp">http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1996/9601fea3.asp</a><br /><br />The following article disucsses the nature of the sacrament of ordination, and why the Church can't ordain women:<br /><a href="http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2001/0105fea4.asp">http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2001/0105fea4.asp</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1146248387550480282006-04-28T13:10:00.000-05:002006-04-28T13:19:47.566-05:00Your Question: With an all-merciful God, wouldn’t he consider the weakness and sinfulness of all people and let everybody in heaven?First, we have to recognize that the mercy of God is much more than we can imagine! When we fall away, he is always waiting to welcome us back when we come to Him and ask for His wonderful forgiveness and mercy. No matter how many times we turn away—even if we keep doing the same things over and over—God will welcome us back when we seek His forgiveness! He did, after all, take into account our sinfulness and weakness and become incarnate. Additionally, God gives us help to amend our ways—especially when we turn to Him in the sacrament of Reconciliation.<br /><br />Beginning from this understanding, however, we also wrestle with the fact that though Jesus talked a lot about the promises of eternal life, he also talked about hell. We understand “hell” to be a state of eternal separation from God. While often portrayed as a place of physical fires and little red devils running around with pitchforks, we may be better off to think of hell as a state of being, rather than a “place.” Why is this radical separation from God a possibility?<br /><br />God loves us more than we can imagine, and desires that we love him in return. The only way we can love God is if we have free will. Without free will, we are incapable of love! How many times have you heard a love song that includes the line “I can’t make you love me” or something similar? Well, it’s true! Love, by its nature, must be a free choice we make—what we call an act of the will.<br /><br />This freedom God gives us is an amazing gift. It is at the center of being created in the image and likeness of God. It separates us from the animals, and is one of the fullest expressions of what it means to be human. God could have made the world so that we were just a bunch of automatons that ran around, serving God without any question. But, God wanted something more. He wanted us to be able to LOVE! And, in order to love, we have to be able to CHOOSE to love God. In order to be able to choose to love, we need free will. <br /><br />The consequence of free will, however, is that we must also be able to choose to not love God. We can choose against God, and we can reject God. This possibility is illustrated in the Genesis creation stories—our first mother and father chose to deny God.<br /><br />When we consider that God can do whatever God wants to (because He is, well, GOD), it is amazing that He did this. God allows the possibility of His creation rejecting Himself, just so that we can have the joy and sweetness of loving God. Love is that valuable and that wonderful, and it is the action by which we most express how we are made in God’s image and likeness (because God Himself is Love). We get to love God, and have a love-relationship with God, rather than being automatons. Furthermore, we get to love each other, rather than simply co-existing with each other like ants in an ant farm.<br /><br />We also can reject God, however. God had to allow for that possibility in order to us to be able to love Him. This is always a possibility when we have free will in a broken world! It is therefore said that God doesn’t send people to hell, but people send themselves to hell. You can think of hell as the eternal choice a person makes against God—a choice in which the person says that he/she does not want God in his or her life. So, in summary, God wants all of us to be with Him (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pt 3:9). God allows the possibility of freedom, and also the possibility that we will reject Him.<br /><br />We cannot know exactly who is in Hell. We cannot presume know the innermost state of a person’s relationship with God, and we cannot presume to know God’s final judgment of a person. This is not mean, however, that we can’t know what is wrong and right, and what constitutes good and evil. We live in relationship with Christ through the Church, walking in His ways. Christ, through the Church, teaches us ways to live that, with God’s help, will bring us closer to God and will help us to live in harmony with one another. That’s why we don’t just do whatever we feel like doing all the time and simply trust that God will think it’s okay if we are pretty good people. God has revealed to us how we should live, and so we seek to know and live God’s truth! The point is that we know that the Church is our light in the darkness, and gives us a way to live that is true, good, and brings joy and freedom to our lives. By God’s power, and with our cooperation with that power, we trust that God will lead us closer to Himself. We trust in the Lord’s mercy, while seeking to live holy lives. The Lord is indeed kind and merciful, giving us freedom and the ability to come to love him more every day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1144964400679573312006-04-13T16:37:00.000-05:002006-04-20T16:00:17.163-05:00Your Question: Why does what we consider sin seem to change? What is a sin, and how does it affect where our soul spends eternity?<span style="font-size:85%;">Many people have experienced the Church’s way of teaching change over their lifetime. One such way is in the way that we are taught about sin. Often the rules change or seem to change! This is because the Church is not an unchanging, lifeless institution. Rather, the Church is a living Body of Christ that both maintains Tradition, and has to live out that Tradition in a changing world. So, there is both constancy and change in the Church. Just as I have been the same person my whole life, I have (hopefully!) changed tremendously throughout my life. But, at my center, I have remained the same.<br /><br />We first have to recognize that the Church is both sinful and holy. It is holy because the Holy Spirit works in the Church, leading it to all truth, as Christ promised. But the Church is also sinful—because it is made up of sinners! Often, then, the beauty of the teachings of the Church have been distorted by the sin and limitations of its members, and particularly its teachers.<br /><br />That being said, in the past some people experienced Catholic teaching that put a focus on fear as a motivation for living a good life. Live a good life, or go to Hell, seemed to be the message given to the people in the pews. (This is, of course, a generalization, but there are many people who remember such things!).<br /><br />This had an impact on how people understood redemption. Some of those who grew up in the fifties and sixties remember a church that emphasized redemption as something that was given if you lived the good life and followed all the rules. To break the rules and not repent through the Sacrament of Confession, meant you went to Hell. What many teachers of the faith seemed to forget, however, was that our life of sin and redemption is not about following a system of rules and avoiding certain traps in order to win eternal life.<br /><br />Redemption and salvation is first of all about a relationship with Christ—a God who saves us, and is literally dying to know us and purify our lives. This relationship with Christ transforms us, freeing us from sin and bringing us to live lives of self-giving love!<br /><br />What is sin? Sin is an offense against God, and “an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as ‘an utterance, deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1849).<br /><br />In other words, sin is something that separates us from God, our neighbors, and ourselves. We injure our relationship with God, others, and ourselves when we commit sin.<br /><br />The particular actions that we consider to be sin are typically gleaned from Scripture and Tradition. Violations of the Ten Commandments, as well as Jesus’ command to love one another as he has loved us, often provide the material for us to discern the ways in which we have injured our relationship with God by doing, saying (or not saying), or thinking certain things.<br /><br />The sin we commit harms not only our relationship with God and the people whom we’ve sinned against, but it also has an effect on our spiritual life and wellbeing. If we kill someone, it’s going to have an effect on us. When we habitually lie, it becomes harder to tell the truth, and so on. This is what we mean when we talk about being enslaved to sin—we are habitual creatures, and the evil we do grows on us!<br /><br />Tradition and Scripture have always recognized that there are different kinds of sin, with different seriousness attached to them. The Church recognizes that some sin is more serious because it has a greater impact on our relationship with others, and our own spiritual wellbeing. Grave sin (typically called mortal sin), is more serious because it seriously harms our own wellbeing and our relationships with others. Certain acts are said to always be drastically harmful, no matter who commits them. It is, of course, more serious to murder someone or somehow impair their wellbeing, than to maybe just yell at someone or something. It is not only logical that this would be the case, but also supported in our Tradition of the Church.<br /><br />So what about the particulars? What actions are considered sin, and why has this sometimes seemed to change? We get our understanding of what sinful actions are from Scripture and the teachings of the Church. You can find what we call an “examination of conscience” based on the Ten Commandments, or the words of Jesus. The point of these exercises is to uncover the places in our lives where we choose ourselves over God.<br /><br />In some cases, the particulars seem to change. Sometimes it’s because of flawed teaching and teaching that was centered about using fear to get people to do something, and which left out a teaching on the mercy of God, and God’s great power. It’s also because times do change, and the Church reads the signs of the times to help us discern what kinds of behavior best express love for God and neighbor. Yes, there are some things such as murder, theft, adultery, fornication and the like that have always and will always be considered sin.<br /><br />There are other things, however, that have to do with how we worship and live out our faith that change a bit more with the times. For example, the rules for fasting were different in the early church—no meat at all during Lent, and no dairy products either in some regions. To intentionally and consciously not obey the rules of fast is a sin because the Church has determined that in that time, observing those practices is the way we should all make sacrifices to God together. The times change, however, and now the rules are apparently much more relaxed. We have to keep in mind, however, that these rules are not mindless expressions of control over us. Rather, they are part of the guidance of the Church to give us concrete actions we can do out of obedience, to all come closer to the Lord as a whole community together. One of the Church documents from the Second Vatican Council puts it this way, “At all times and in every nation, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him (see Acts 10:35). He has, however, willed to make women and men holy and to save them, not as individuals without any bond between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness.” Part of becoming a people who is gathered to God not simply as individuals, but as a whole church community, means that we do things together. Christ promised that his Spirit would continue to be with the Church throughout the ages, and that the primary mission of the Church was to go forth and make disciples of all nations (See Matthew 28:19-20). The Church teaches what it does in order to gather us all to Christ, not simply as independent units, but as a whole people. So, this means that we have certain standards the Church sets out so that we can, in fact, be together! When we freely choose to intentionally not observe something like a fasting or abstinence rule (assuming that we aren’t sick or advanced in years or under some circumstance where we would cause disunity and scandal by doing so), we are removing ourselves from the community. We set ourselves apart. In short, we sin.<br /><br />Does this mean we go to Hell? I don‘t know! We really just have to recognize our fault and ask God for His bountiful mercy! Of course we do things to hurt our relationships. Of course we turn away from God. But that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. When we turn back to God, seeking his mercy, we are strengthened by God’s power. Our human relationships are made much stronger when we seek forgiveness from one another—sometimes we even see our worst enemies become the most devoted friends and loves of our lives. So it is with God. He strengthens us even through our sin and redeems us. As we go to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for example, we receive strength to walk more closely with God and not turn away. Redemption means not only that we don’t have to be condemned, but also that we become holier people in this life! It becomes easier for us to know and do good, and we are actually less tempted to do sinful things. Have you ever known someone who quit smoking and then later said that he or she can’t stand the smell of cigarette smoke? Our spiritual lives can be the same. Oftentimes the vices that were so attractive at one time become repulsive to us.<br /><br />So, what about eternity? There is a difference between what we consider sin, and the judgment we receive for it. We have to remember that we don’t know all the ways of God. God can do so much more than we can imagine. Additionally, each person is a mystery in some way, and we cannot claim to know exactly who has chosen to turn away from God and refuse to repent and send himself to Hell. Ever notice that the Church will never say who is in Hell for sure? Ultimately, God knows the depths of our hearts. We are indeed all finite and flawed. But God knows our efforts and love for him.<br /><br />Additionally, the Church says that we can’t be held completely responsible for the wrong we do that we don’t recognize as wrong. You can’t accidentally commit grave sin. This doesn’t mean, however, that we can just live in ignorant bliss! The point of our Christian lives is to know God and to know the truth, and truth sets us free. So, we should seek to know God and love Him, and spend eternity with Him. Unintentional ignorance is, well, not really something we can be held responsible for! The government doesn’t expect children to be able to responsible for their own wellbeing, right? Likewise, God recognizes when we are children. However, to intentionally not learn the truth is something we can be held responsible for. Intentionally staying ignorant is like shooting ourselves in the foot. We are simply choosing to live in the darkness.<br /><br />So, let us all ask God to bring us into the light! We hear Jesus say, “Be not afraid!”. God mercy is so much more than we can imagine, and he longs for us to come to him. The truth about God and about ourselves will truly set us free.<br /><br /><strong>For more on this topic:</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />See the <strong>Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1846-1876</strong>. You can view it online at </span><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm</span></strong></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><strong>An Example of an Examination of Conscience:</strong></span><br /><a href="http://www.stthomasirondequoit.com/id272.htm">http://www.stthomasirondequoit.com/id272.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1145036739757469312006-04-14T12:43:00.000-05:002006-04-19T12:22:45.906-05:00Your Question: The Little Black Lenten Book talks about St. Dismas...what more can you tell us about him - why as "the good thief" is he a saint?The account of the "good thief" is one of the most beautiful moments in the account of the crucifixion:<br /><br /><strong>From the Gospel of Luke 23:39-43</strong><br /><em>"Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, 'Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.' The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, 'Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation. And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' He replied to him, 'Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.'"</em><br /><br />We often chant "Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom" at the end of Holy Thursday Mass, or on Good Friday. While not much is known about Dismas, he is an example for us because he recognized Jesus as the Savior and made a profession of faith to the Lord. His admission of fault and beautiful act of faith as he met his own death, is something we all can hope to reflect in our own lives.<br /><br />We know he is a saint, because Jesus Himself told him that he would be with him in paradise. Everyone who is in paradise is a saint. Let us all pray that our faith will be strong like that of St. Dismas, and that we recognize and embrace Jesus in our lives.<br /><br />For more on St. Dismas:<br /><a href="http://www.catholic-forum.com/saintS/saintd11.htm">http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintd11.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1144090397761097662006-04-03T13:41:00.000-05:002006-04-13T11:34:30.206-05:00Your Question: What is sanctifying grace?First of all, "grace" is a term we use to describe God's freely given power or action in our lives. Grace is not a substance, but an action, a state of being. There are many ways of describing grace and the ways in which it comes to us and acts in our lives. "Sanctifying grace" refers to the grace given and received in baptism. Sanctifying grace is a supernatural state of being infused by God into our souls at baptism. This life of God given and living in our soul is permanent once it is received. This is why we do not "re-baptize" people in the Catholic church. Baptism with water, and the invocation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bestows sanctifying grace--a real participation in the inner life of God. It "sanctifies," which means to "make holy," by giving those who possess it a participation in the life of the Trinity. Sanctifying grace makes the new Christian a child of God and unites them with Jesus Christ.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1144091648956383862006-04-03T14:08:00.000-05:002006-04-03T14:24:27.703-05:00Your Question: What are the main differences between Orthodox and Roman Catholics, besides the Greek origin?There are a few main distinctions between Roman Catholics and those whom we call “Eastern Orthodox.” The issues are varied and many, but I'll address here some of the major ones: the differences in origin, the role of the Pope, the Creed, and worship.<br /><br />You are right that there is a difference in their origin. Early on, cultural differences between western Christians (those who spoke Latin and congregated around Rome) and eastern Christians (those who spoke Greek and congregated around Constantinople, among other places) created a difference in some of the practices and theology of Christians in the east and west. Eventually, some of these differences actually caused a division between Christians in the west, and most of those in the east.<br /><br />There were several main reasons for the division. One is that western Christians look to the Pope as the vicar of Christ, and are therefore “in communion” with him. Eastern Orthodox Christians recognize the Pope as a “patriarch,” but they don’t see him as the head. Rather, Eastern Orthodox Christians are organized around several “patriarchates,” all of whom have authority and headship. There is special reverence given to the patriarch in Constantinople, but all of them operate somewhat independently and with their own authority. If we operated that way in Roman Catholicism, the U.S. Catholic bishops, for example, would not be bound to take direction from the Pope in Rome, but would have their own autonomy in a certain sense. As we have it, however, all Catholic bishops around the world are in communion with and are obedient to the Pope as the vicar of Christ.<br /><br />A second major difference is not usually thought about a great deal among common Roman Catholics. Another major division occurred between Christians in the East and West over the Creed that we recite at Mass each weekend- the Nicene Creed. This is known as the controversy over the "filioque." In the Creed, we state that the Holy Spirit proceeds “from the Father and the Son.” The “and the Son” is “filioque.” This phrase was not a part of the original Greek text of the Creed when it was first written in the 4th century. It was added in the 5th century to emphasize Christ’s divinity when many people in the Church were denying that Christ was divine. The conflict is that the eastern Christians didn’t think the bishops had the authority to make such an addition, and that the additional actually changed the meaning of the Creed. The western folks saw it as simply making more explicit something that was already believed. Both sides got angry and division ensued. We often don’t realize how much work, sweat, tears, and passion had to happen to articulate the Creed that we say every weekend together. Those Christians went through a lot in order to come up with a way to clearly express their belief and preserve it throughout history in our beautiful creeds.<br /><br />Another point of distinction between the Roman Catholics and Orthodox is our way of worship. First of all, there are a lot of similarities. We both believe in the “Real Presence” (though Eastern Orthodox wouldn’t necessarily call it that.) We both have a set form of worship every week (liturgy), and a similar church calendar. We also both honor the saints in the same way, and share many other practices as well. We both have religious brothers and sisters, as well as ordained deacons, priests, and bishops.<br /><br />There are, however, differences. One difference between Roman Catholic and Orthodox worship, however, is in language. Our liturgy often comes from Latin. Theirs is Greek. This is a tricky point, however, because there are Eastern Catholic churches that have a litury that is Greek in origin, and that are actually Catholic and not Orthodox. This would mean that their liturgy looks almost exactly like that of an Eastern Orthodox church. The only difference is that the Eastern Catholic churches are in communion with the Pope in Rome, rather than the Eastern Orthodox patriarch. It can be very confusing!!! The bottom line, however, is that if you went into an Orthodox church and were accustomed to the Mass we have here at Three Holy Women, you wouldn't necessarily know what to do, though you'd recognize some of the same major elements.<br /><br />Overall, we are very similar to our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters, and many efforts are being made to bring this great division between east and west back into communion with one another.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1142628371500868082006-03-17T14:43:00.000-06:002006-03-17T14:46:11.526-06:00Your Question: How many times a year are you supposed to go to confession?The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a gift Christ has given to us to receive His healing grace in our lives. You partake of this sacrament as often as you need it or desire it. The Church requires that we all go to the sacrament to confess serious sin (mortal sin) once per year. Oftentimes people go during Advent or Lent. Additionally, we are to go before we receive Communion whenever we have committed sin of grave matter with full knowledge of its seriousness, and deliberate consent (commonly called “mortal sin.”)<br /><br />The Catechism of the Catholic Church says the following about frequency of reception:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>1457 According to the Church's command, "after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year."56 Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession.57 Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.58<br /><br />1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:60<br /></em></span><br />So, the Church encourages us to go more frequently because of the sacrament's healing power and strength that it gives us to live as Christians in the world. Receiving this sacrament is a beautiful experience that is incredibly freeing and healing. Through it, we know we are forgiven and can let go of our faults. It is an encounter with Christ that converts us more to His heart, and reconciles us with both God and our community.<br /><br />The scheduled time at our parish for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is Saturdays from 3:30 to 4:30 at Holy Rosary Church, 2011 N. Oakland Ave. You can also call the parish office, 414-271-6577, to schedule a time to receive the sacrament if you can’t make it on Saturdays. The Reconciliation Room (or Confessional) is located in the north side of the small chapel that is located behind the altar. Our Reconciliation Room allows for anonymous or face-to-face confession, and there are guide cards in the room that list the responses and prayers you’ll say when you receive the sacrament. Of course, if you are unsure of what to do, you can simply ask the priest to lead you through the process, which he is happy to do. <br /><br />For more detailed information the Sacrament, see the following link:<br /><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm">http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1142626407827594892006-03-17T14:11:00.000-06:002006-03-17T14:13:27.840-06:00Your Question: What do the letters on either side of the cross at St. Hedwig's mean?The letters on the horizontal bar of the cross at St. Hedwig’s are Greek letters that are often used in Eastern Christian icons and writings. On the left side are the letters ICXC. This is what we call a Christogram—a collection of letters that are an abbreviation for the name Jesus Christ. So, ICXC simply means, “Jesus Christ.”<br /><br /> The letters themselves come from the Greek name for Jesus Christ, Isous Christos: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ. This is written in our alphabet in this way: IHCOYC XPICTOC. We take the first and last letters of these words to make the Christogram, ICXC. <br /><br />On the right side of the cross is the word NIKA. This means “conquer” or “victorious” in Greek. This reminds us of Christ’s victory over sin and death brought through his Cross and Resurrection.<br /><br />So, together ICXC NIKA means, “Jesus Christ Conquers,” or “Jesus Christ Victorious.” <br /><br />There is one more set of letters above Jesus on the cross at St. Hedwig: INRI. This is commonly seen on our crucifixes in the West, and is a abbreviation for “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” as it is written in Latin: "Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm." This is the inscription that Pontius Pilate had placed above Jesus on the cross in John 19:19-22.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1142463022056721352006-03-15T16:46:00.000-06:002006-03-15T16:50:22.076-06:00Your Question: Why do we hear so little about Catholic Social Teaching...(not specific to THW but generally as Catholics)?Yes, we often hear that Catholic Social Teaching is the best kept secret in the Catholic Church. (I, however, think the best kept secret is that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that Opus dei is a secret society with murderous monks…. Oh, wait. That’s not true? The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction you say? Well, nevermind.) Yes, Catholic Social Teaching just may be the best kept secret of the Catholic Church!<br /><br />I’m not really sure why we don’t hear about it more, but here are a few thoughts and resources to help us get the word out. Catholic Social Teaching is a wealth of reflections and documents about how we are to concretely live out the call of the Gospel in our world. It may just be that the documents are seen as too time-consuming to go through and read (which is not necessarily true!). So, the reason we don’t hear about Catholic Social Teaching is the same reason why the talk around the water cooler at work generally doesn’t include things such as, “Hey! Did you guys read the Pope’s encyclical this weekend? Can you believe what he said about <em>agape</em>? That was deep.”<br /><br />Catholic Social Teaching should be a natural fruit of our Christian lives. Here are some straightforward resources to introduce yourself and others to Catholic Social Teaching.<br /><em><br /><span style="color:#330099;">For information on what it is and the foundational documents:</span><br /></em>Catholic Social Teaching site of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: <a href="http://www.osjspm.org/cst/index.html">http://www.osjspm.org/cst/index.html</a><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#333399;">and</span></em><br /><br />The Busy Christian’s Guide to Catholic Social Teaching: <a href="http://salt.claretianpubs.org/cstline/tline.html">http://salt.claretianpubs.org/cstline/tline.html</a><br /><br /><span style="color:#333399;">Information from the Center of Concern:</span> <a href="http://www.coc.org/">http://www.coc.org/</a><br /><br /><span style="color:#333399;">Just Faith groups at Three Holy Women:</span><br /> Just Faith is a group of parishioners that meet weekly and discuss living out Catholic Social Teaching in the world. The group runs for a year, and includes both education and concrete practice of living and spreading the core values of Catholic Social Teaching. For more information, contact Bob Schuelke, Director of Human Concerns at Three Holy Women at 414-271-6577, or <a href="mailto:bschuelke@threeholywomen.org">bschuelke@threeholywomen.org</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1142460580440456912006-03-15T16:05:00.000-06:002006-03-15T16:09:40.453-06:00Your Question: Why at some churches does the priest do the "washing of the hands" and others do not? Is this not a standard part of Mass?The “washing of the hands” is indeed a significant rite in the Mass and may not be omitted. It is meant to express the priest’s need for purification from sin. <br /><br />Why do some priests omit it? Well, I can’t speak for the priests. You may want to approach the particular priest and ask for his thoughts about it. If you do so, please do so out of charity, remembering that our Liturgy has undergone many changes, and often people are misinformed about it. Enter into dialogue out of love and the desire to understand one another. The priest may, for example, be acting out of a misunderstanding about this element of the Mass. Apparently one notion connected to this issue that circulated in the past is that there is no need for this rite, because it originally had a purely practical purpose—to truly clean the dirty hands of a priest in a much dustier and dirtier time! This is, however, an oversimplification. While many of our rites have practical origins that form their practice, this is not the sole reason for this particular rite. From early one, there is evidence that the rite was connected to the purification from sin, and not simply to the need to scrub-a-dub before the Eucharistic meal.<br /><br />While I am not trying to say that personal adaptations of our Liturgy are not a big deal, you can, however, be assured that omission of the washing of the hands wouldn’t make a Mass invalid…you are still receiving the Eucharist (just in case you are concerned about that).<br /><br />As I am not an expert on Liturgy, I refer you to Fr. McNamara professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum, via the link below. His thoughtful response may help you more than I can! God bless you!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur22.htm">http://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur22.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1142458166565615742006-03-15T15:26:00.000-06:002006-03-15T15:33:04.916-06:00Your Question: Can you explain the church calendar year? What is "ordinary time"?<span style="font-size:100%;">The Church calendar year, or Liturgical Calendar, outlines the rhythm of our Catholic life. The Church year runs from the first Sunday of Advent (at the beginning of December) to the Feast of Christ the King (end of November). We celebrate six main periods of time throughout the year: Advent, Christmastime, Ordinary Time, Lent, Triduum, and Easter (and then back to ordinary time). We recognize Advent, Christmas, Lent, Triduum, and Easter as seasons of time during which we focus on specific aspects of the life of Christ. The seasons of Advent and Lent are periods of expectation for the Savior—for His birth during Advent, and for His Passion and Resurrection during Lent. Christmas and Easter are times of celebrating Christ’s coming into the world, in His birth at Christmas, and in His resurrection at Easter.<br /><br />The Church calendar is also comprised of days devoted to specific saints or events in salvation history, such as the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1, or the feast of St. Patrick, which we will celebrate March 17. There are also special days in the Church calendar called Holy Days of Obligation, days other than Sundays when Catholics are obliged to go to Mass because they are days in which we celebrate people or events that are particularly important for us. These days are like the anniversaries and birthdays that we celebrate in our own families—we are all called together so the whole family enjoys the presence of everyone else as we remember something important.<br /><br />The six Holy Days of Obligation are as follows: December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ; January 1, the solemnity of Mary Mother of God; Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension; August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; November 1, the solemnity of All Saints.<br /><br />Another component of the church calendar is the cycle of readings. As Latin rite Catholics, we follow the same set of readings as all other Latin rite Catholics in the world (Latin rite simply means that we follow the same traditions concerning the celebrations of Mass and the sacraments. You’d definitely know if you were at a Catholic Church that was a different rite, because you wouldn’t be familiar with what to do!). So, if I went to Spain today, the readings would be the same as they are at the daily Mass at Three Holy Women Catholic Parish in Milwaukee. Each day of the year has an established set of readings. The weekday readings are set in a two year cycle, either year I (odd numbered years) or II (even numbered years), and the readings for Sundays go on a three year cycle, either A, B, or C. If you went to Mass every day for three years, you’d hear pretty much the whole Bible proclaimed!<br /><br />What is “ordinary time”? Ordinary time is called “ordered time,” and is the time of year where we continue to meditate on the life and miracles of Jesus in light of the Resurrection. It is the largest church season of the year, and numbers 33 or 34 weeks. As a message of hope and growth, the color of vestments (the garments the priest wears) and the altar cloths are usually green. So, we can think of Ordinary time as a time of continued growth and new life in our Christian lives. The readings relate to us events from the life and teaching of Jesus, rather than meditating on a specific aspect of Christ’s life. We live our “ordinary time” in the Resurrected Lord, continuing to grow in His love and light.<br /><br /><br /></span><strong><span style="font-size:100%;">For a list of saints days in the Catholic Church, go to:<br /></span></strong><a href="http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/mar.php"><span style="font-size:100%;">http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/mar.php</span></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><strong>For the daily readings of the Church, go to:</strong><br /></span><a href="http://www.usccb.org/nab/"><span style="font-size:100%;">http://www.usccb.org/nab/</span></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1142380883501321352006-03-14T17:59:00.000-06:002006-03-14T18:03:16.436-06:00Your Question: What is Confirmation? What does it mean in terms of our religion?The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Along with Baptism and Eucharist, it is one of the three sacraments of initiation. Its purpose is to “seal” one’s initiation into the Church. In the early church, the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and first Eucharist were all given at the same time, by the bishop. As the Church grew, however, there arose the need for priests to baptize the faithful. In the western Latin churches (which is where the Latin rite we follow comes from), Confirmation was then still done by the bishop, but at an older age. Thus, a Christian’s initiation would be “sealed” and completed when one was older, and the connection between the bishop and initiation into the Church was maintained. Even now, the bishop is the one who gives the sacrament of Confirmation, though parish priests can receive what is called “faculties” to administer the sacrament, which often happens.<br /><br />Confirmation is likened to the sending of the Holy Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost. It is at Confirmation that we are further strengthened in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to go forth and do the work of the Apostles. We are sent forth to make disciples of all nations, and are strengthened in our task of proclaiming the gospel to others in deed and word. Since the core mission of the Church is indeed to make disciples of all nations, Confirmation plays a very important role in our religion. Through this sacrament, we are prepared by the Holy Spirit to go out and bring the gospel to every person in the world in our words and deeds.<br /><br />For more on the Sacrament of Confirmation see the Catechism of the Catholic Church:<br /><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a2.htm">http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a2.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1142380761401643002006-03-14T17:57:00.000-06:002006-03-14T17:59:21.413-06:00Your Question: How do you meet a good Catholic man?The best Catholic man around is, of course, Jesus. Most potential mates pale in comparison with Him….<br /><br />But perhaps you mean other men as well. Something I think is helpful for Catholic men and women alike, is to get involved in activities that interest you and pertain to your faith. If your faith is important to you, get involved in different church groups. There are many different faith sharing groups, young adult groups, speaker series, etc. in our parish, as well as in the Archdiocese. Above all, I’d pray for guidance in your search. The Lord’s will be done, ask that He show you your vocation in life—whether married or single, religious or otherwise. If you are certain that your vocation is marriage, ask God to lead you to your mate. You can also ask our Blessed Mother for her prayers as well!<br /><br />You’ll be in my prayers! I hope that you are shown your vocation in life, and how to live it out. God bless!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1141863158279109062006-03-08T17:26:00.000-06:002006-03-09T14:55:59.063-06:00Your Question: Since Sundays aren't part of Lent, does that mean that you don't have to keep to your Lenten sacrifice? Or is that a common myth?This is a common question, and its answer depends upon how you chose to live out your Lent! Sundays are technically a part of Lent--Lent goes from Ash Wednesday to the Mass of the Lord's supper, Holy Thursday. It is true that if you count the number of days in Lent, there are more than 40--and by not counting Sundays, it gets us closer to 40. Nevertheless, they are still part of Lent (the number "40" a figurative reminder of Christ's desert sojournings, the 40 years the Hebrews spent in the desert, etc.). The reason behind the practice of not observing one's Lenten sacrifices on Sundays, however, is that one is putting more emphasis on celebrating the "mini-Easter" on Sunday. We can indeed "not keep" our Lenten sacrifice that day as we celebrate the Resurrection, which many people do. After all, He is indeed still risen! Whether or not one decides to keep one's Lenten sacrifice that day is a personal choice. Personal sacrifices during Lent are of one's own choosing, unlike the required fasting and abstinence from eating meat at certain times. The point of voluntarily giving up something during Lent is not to follow some kind of law, but to come closer to Christ, and unite oneself more closely to His heart. If you want to suspend your sacrifice on Sundays to celebrate the Resurrection, go ahead! If you think you should keep it to remain in Lent, then by all means do so. Either way, have a faith-filled Lent. May we all journey closer to Christ in union with one another.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1141860045541404162006-03-08T17:16:00.000-06:002006-03-08T17:20:45.550-06:00Your Question: Who is permitted to preach a homily at Mass?The preaching of a homily at Mass is reserved for ordained persons, such as the priest or deacon. Laypersons are permitted to preach in certain circumstances in a church, but it should not take the place of the homily at Mass. So, for example, if someone is giving a “witness talk” of some kind at Mass, which can be beneficial in certain circumstances, it should not be give in the place of a homily, but at some other time in the Mass. <br /><br />For more information on this topic, see<br /><a href="http://www.jimmyakin.org/2004/05/lay_homilists.html">http://www.jimmyakin.org/2004/05/lay_homilists.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1141417597078950412006-03-03T14:23:00.000-06:002006-03-03T14:30:37.386-06:00Your Question: How do we fast correctly during Lent?The fasting and abstinence rules for Lent help us enter into a time of being open to God's work in our lives by helping us to be detached from the things we tend to cling to.<br /><br />Fasting and abstinence rules are as follows:<br /><br />All Catholics, 14 years of age and older, abstain from eating meat on all Fridays and Ash Wednesday. You may eat fish.<br /><br />Those between the ages of 18 and 59 fast all day on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting generally means eating only one regular meal, and two small meals (not equaling a regular meal), with no snacking in between.<br /><br />People with compromised health or with disability are not bound to follow these regulations.<br /><br />Fasting "well" is to fast while remembering why we are doing it. Fasting can be an aid to prayer and a reminder to us of those who are hungry and do not have enough to eat. It can remind us of our dependence on God, from whom we receive all spiritual and material food. We should offer our fasting to God as a prayer for others--a sacrificial action made for others in the Body of Christ. Fasting should help us to change our behavior and turn more readily to God. It is a beautiful reminder of our heavenly Father’s care for us, and our complete dependence upon Him.<br /><br />To read more about penitential practices during Lent, go here: <a href="http://www.usccb.org/dpp/penitential.htm">http://www.usccb.org/dpp/penitential.htm</a> on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880945.post-1138914613707519142006-02-02T15:09:00.000-06:002006-03-03T14:23:37.490-06:00Your Question: What is Chrism oil used for?Chrism is a mixture of olive oil and balsam (balm) that is used to anoint people at Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. It is also used in the blessing of an altar, liturgical vessels, churches, and holy water. Chrism is blessed by the bishop for these uses. Why do we use Chrism? Catholics anoint people and objects (pour oil on them) to single them out as something sacred. Chrism is specially noted for its sweet smell that comes from the balsam added to the olive oil. The smell reminds us of the sweetness of Christan virtue. Additionally, balsam preserves things from corruption. Chrism is one of three oils that are blessed at the Chrism Mass before Easter each year, along with the oil of Catechumens, and that of the sick.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0