Today, in the United States, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated. While not technically a liturgical feast day, the United States has developed a Mass which can be used. While I'm not a huge fan of those Mass texts, the New Translation does do a decent job of finding a balance between the Liturgy the civil occasion. Nevertheless, the fact that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops felt a use and need to create a Mass for it does speak of its importance in the spiritual lives.
It would be well, I think, to first consider some of the original decree of President George Washington which established this civic holiday:
"By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us....
"Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789."
The most striking part of this proclamation, in my opinion, is the emphasis it places on Almighty God. It is fitting that at the close of the Liturgical Year, we should make some act of thanksgiving to God. Granted, Washington did not have the liturgical year in mind, considering he was a Protestant and did not follow Catholic liturgical principles. Nevertheless, the providence of the Holy Spirit has provided that these two events occur with each other.
Just as the end of the civil year is especially a time to reflect on God's blessings of the past year, so the end of the liturgical year is even more so. The former year is of the secular order, but the latter is of the order of grace. In Advent we were presented with the coming of the Lord, Who came to us at Christmas. In Lent we were called to repent to be renewed by the Paschal Triduum of the Lord and rejoice in Easter. Through Ordinary Time and in the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints, an opportunity was given us to increase grace in our souls. Hopefully, we have taken advantage of every means offered by the Church for increasing the life of grace in our souls, and for this we must give thanks to God alone. By His bountiful grace alone we have been able to profit from these means. However, if, by our own neglect and shortcomings, we have failed to take advantage of these opportunities for growing in grace, let us implore the infinite mercy of God on us and resolve to start afresh. In this situation though, we have even more cause for giving thanks to God!
God has offered us His graces, and even though we spurned them, we must still remember that He offered them. Our refusal to accept in no way decreases or minimizes His beneficence. If anything, we must rather see an increase in it. For not only has He offered once, but has continued to offer, and by His grace has drawn us back to Himself, for even our recognition of our failing has come about by His grace. Therefore, let us give thanks this day and at this time of year to the Almighty God, Who created us, and even though we refused His love, did not abandon us, but called us back to Himself by showing us the error of our ways, and continues to offer us His love.
The primary way, of course, in which we give thanks is through the Eucharist, which as many love to note upon this day, comes from the Greek word which means "thanksgiving." This is one of the reasons the American bishops felt it so appropriate to compose a Mass for this day. The relationship between the Eucharistic Liturgy and this holiday cannot be escaped. Attendance at Mass this day, while not obligatory is to be highly commended (plus it's still normally a little later in the morning so you can sleep in a little).
However, I would like to focus on something else instead - the great and almighty Thanksgiving Day meal. The early Christian communities celebrated the Mass alongside a communal meal. While the exact manner is not clear, for there are few texts explaining it and many that do are more localized to one area for there was only the skeleton of a universal liturgical practice, it does seem clear the early Church felt there was an important link between the communal meal (a sign of fraternity) and the the Eucharistic Sacrament (through which we are made one through the Spirit and transformation into the Body of Christ).
Now I am in no way proposing these two things need to be recombined. There were good reasons they were quickly separated; this is not the place for the discussion of such things though. Instead I wish to focus on the great benefit of this meal in the spiritual life. Yes, I do believe it can have benefit for the spiritual life.
When placed in its proper context and understanding the Thanksgiving Day meal is more than some of the other traditions common to this day, such as the Macy's Parade, the Dog Show, or a football game. The meal is not simply a tradition, albeit in many places and families this is what it has been reduced to. The meal has a special significance; through it we are allowed to be united in a special way with our families and friends. Not only that, but we give thanks for all the blessings we have been given through God's love.
Every feast should be seen as a celebration. There is a spiritual connection to feasting and fasting. As a being composed of body and soul, we must unite those two principles of our being in action. Thus, when we have a great meal, such as that of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, Easter, etc. we must strive to lift our souls up in joy and thanksgiving to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Who has provided us with the great blessing ultimately of salvation and His Church.
Nevertheless, the Lord God also bestows the blessings of health, family, friends, and many other things upon us. Even if we are lacking in these things, we have been given a Cross to bear by our Lord, which was given for our sanctification. It is appropriate then for those who have been put in a painful situation to lift up their hearts in thanksgiving this day and on all holidays. For, on those most difficult holidays, for those without family, friends, or health to celebrate with, they are able to be a vessel of prayer for the salvation of the world, for their suffering has been given them to draw closer to God, Who is the health and the Father of us all, Mary, our Mother, and the Saints who are our most perfect friends.
Thus, may all on this most wonderful day join with Job in saying, "'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21).'"
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
The Cross: The Throne of the King
Yesterday, I was privileged to visit the relics of the Passion that are in the city of Rome, which, thanks to St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, is most of them. At the Basilica of St. Praxedes, the pillar which Christ was scourged at is kept in a chapel. The Holy Stairs, which Christ would have ascended and descended during His judgment by Pilate in the Praetorium are right by St. John Lateran. Then, right down the street in the Basilica of Sancta Croce in Gerusaleme (Holy Cross in Jerusalem) are contained at the very least fragments of the rest of the relics of the Passion.
Within their Relics Chapel they have, in the very center, one of the largest relics of the True Cross in the world. Then around the instrument of our salvation, are one of the nails used to pierce Christ to the Cross, two of the thorns that formed His crown, and the inscription hung above Him which proclaimed Him, "King of the Jews." In addition to these, there are fragments of the pillar, pieces of sand from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (where Christ was crucified), and the cords used for His scouring. Finally, with the relics of the Passion, there is the finger of St. Thomas the Apostle, appropriately included since it was privileged to touch the wounds of our Lord's hands, and enter into His Sacred Side.
In a side chapel the basilica also contains a copy of the Shroud of Turin, which I'll admit doesn't mean much since it's not an actual relic, but it's good for meditation. However, while not properly relics of the Passion the church also contains a crucifix with Jesus bloody and scourged hanging from the tree, and the famous icon of the "Veronica," which is the face of Christ, interestingly not scourged and bloody, but simply the human face in a glorious icon.
The thought occurred to me, "Why include an icon of Christ not in the context of the Passion, but simply in His humanity?" I believe there are many answers, but the answer that stands out is that it is through the Passion that Christ's glory is reveled; it is through the Passion that Christ's Kingship is shown.
The relics of the Passion are not simply relics of Christ's death. They are the items used for His coronation ceremony. The beginning and end of Christ's earthly life mirror each other in that His kingly glory is hidden beneath the veil of poverty and humility. As He was born in a stable and given a feeding trough of animals for a crib, so when the moment for Him to assume His reign came, He did so under the form of poverty. His scepter was a reed, His crown was woven of thorns, the throne from which He began His reign - a cross! And all of these items were used by earthly men, not to proclaim Him as King, but to mock Him and to His earthly injury.
The reed He was given as a scepter was given to show His lack of power and authority; thus the soldiers beat Him with it.
Instead of royal garments, He was stripped of His own to display His poverty.
His crown was made not for His comfort, but for His shame and pain. When placed on Him, the soldiers' genuflections were not those of obeisance.
The royal procession was done alongside two thieves, numbering our Lord not among the royal but among the despised of the earth. Instead of proclamations of praise and trumpet blast, there were shouts of hatred and derision aimed at Him.
And then, finally, when He mounts His throne to reign, He dies.
But as the Apostle tells us, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, 'Cursed by every one who hangs on a tree' (Galatians 3:13)." He has turned these insults into the means of our salvation, and consequently His glorious reign! For Christ is worthy of the glory of kingship for two reasons. First, because He is the "Only-Begotten Son of God . . . God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God (Nicene-Constantinopalitan Creed)." Therefore, by reason His Divine Nature, He already reigned from eternity, and this did not cease when He assumed His humanity.
However, He is also worthy of the the throne from which He reigns over the entire universe due to His human conquests, for while visibly on this earth, through His preaching and life, and primarily through the Pascal Mystery of His Passion and Death, He triumphed over sin and death, paying the debt of our sins and ushering in His Kingdom.
The question, however, presents itself - what is the nature of Christ's Kingdom? He Himself tells us in His trial before Pilate that His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). This world crucified Him; it rejected His authority. In this world, Christ has been deposed of His kingship, until the end of time, when all will be subjected to Him, and then He will subject Himself and all His dominion to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:25-28). Nevertheless a king cannot reign without a kingdom, so what is Christ's kingdom?
Origen gives us the answer in today's Office of Readings. He says, "The kingdom of God is within us." Christ's Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom; it begins in the hearts of His disciples and grows within us. When we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," we pray that Christ will come to us and make His dwelling with us, as He promises in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:20-21), and then through the indwelling of grace in our souls we will be able to bring about His Kingdom in the hearts of others.
This is one of the reasons the Lord's Prayer takes place immediately before we receive the Eucharist in the Mass, for the Sacrament is the supreme way in which Christ comes to dwell in us. The graces we receive from the Eucharist, and from all the Sacraments and Liturgical Prayers of the Church, transform us into temples of the Spirit, and consequently into the Kingdom of God.
However, just as Christ came to earth to inaugurate His Kingdom, so we must do after it has been built up in us. We must go forth to all people and be images of Christ. We must give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the ill, visit those in prison (Matthew 25:35-36), in other words, we must care for the poorest among us.
Let us not be deceived in thinking that the poorest among us, though, are the socially deprived. It is true they need to be cared for and our social charity to them will not go unrewarded by our Lord, but their poverty often also comes from the lack of experiencing the love of Jesus Christ. And this poverty can extend beyond the physically destitute to any who are deprived of their spiritual and emotional needs. I have quoted before, and will quote again the closing words from the play Les Miserables, "To love another person is to see the face of God." When we care for any person, we show them the face of Jesus Christ. We show teach them to unite their sufferings to those of Jesus Christ, and in this way we build up the Kingdom of God, for we teach them to reign.
For Christ's crown of thorns was a glorious crown because the wounds it gave Him were the wounds of love. Thus, love was His crown.
Stripped of His garments, He shows us the complete emptying of Himself, His reign of service!
In the royal procession of the Cross, He bears the iniquities of His people, and thus compassionately cares for all His subjects.
His scepter of a reed shows the glorious dignity He has raised us earthly creatures to, by allowing us to partake of the bread of angels and look on Him face to face at the end of our lives!
And the Cross is His most glorious and triumphant throne because through it He draws all peoples to Himself, the King of the Universe (John 12:32)!
The Cross is the very foundation of the Kingdom of Christ. In and through the Cross, Christ conquers and reigns. In and through the Cross, our suffering is given meaning and we are exalted. In and through the Cross, we are guaranteed to one day reign with Jesus Christ our King, the King of Heaven and earth, the King of the Universe!
Within their Relics Chapel they have, in the very center, one of the largest relics of the True Cross in the world. Then around the instrument of our salvation, are one of the nails used to pierce Christ to the Cross, two of the thorns that formed His crown, and the inscription hung above Him which proclaimed Him, "King of the Jews." In addition to these, there are fragments of the pillar, pieces of sand from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (where Christ was crucified), and the cords used for His scouring. Finally, with the relics of the Passion, there is the finger of St. Thomas the Apostle, appropriately included since it was privileged to touch the wounds of our Lord's hands, and enter into His Sacred Side.
In a side chapel the basilica also contains a copy of the Shroud of Turin, which I'll admit doesn't mean much since it's not an actual relic, but it's good for meditation. However, while not properly relics of the Passion the church also contains a crucifix with Jesus bloody and scourged hanging from the tree, and the famous icon of the "Veronica," which is the face of Christ, interestingly not scourged and bloody, but simply the human face in a glorious icon.
The thought occurred to me, "Why include an icon of Christ not in the context of the Passion, but simply in His humanity?" I believe there are many answers, but the answer that stands out is that it is through the Passion that Christ's glory is reveled; it is through the Passion that Christ's Kingship is shown.
The relics of the Passion are not simply relics of Christ's death. They are the items used for His coronation ceremony. The beginning and end of Christ's earthly life mirror each other in that His kingly glory is hidden beneath the veil of poverty and humility. As He was born in a stable and given a feeding trough of animals for a crib, so when the moment for Him to assume His reign came, He did so under the form of poverty. His scepter was a reed, His crown was woven of thorns, the throne from which He began His reign - a cross! And all of these items were used by earthly men, not to proclaim Him as King, but to mock Him and to His earthly injury.
The reed He was given as a scepter was given to show His lack of power and authority; thus the soldiers beat Him with it.
Instead of royal garments, He was stripped of His own to display His poverty.
His crown was made not for His comfort, but for His shame and pain. When placed on Him, the soldiers' genuflections were not those of obeisance.
The royal procession was done alongside two thieves, numbering our Lord not among the royal but among the despised of the earth. Instead of proclamations of praise and trumpet blast, there were shouts of hatred and derision aimed at Him.
And then, finally, when He mounts His throne to reign, He dies.
But as the Apostle tells us, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, 'Cursed by every one who hangs on a tree' (Galatians 3:13)." He has turned these insults into the means of our salvation, and consequently His glorious reign! For Christ is worthy of the glory of kingship for two reasons. First, because He is the "Only-Begotten Son of God . . . God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God (Nicene-Constantinopalitan Creed)." Therefore, by reason His Divine Nature, He already reigned from eternity, and this did not cease when He assumed His humanity.
However, He is also worthy of the the throne from which He reigns over the entire universe due to His human conquests, for while visibly on this earth, through His preaching and life, and primarily through the Pascal Mystery of His Passion and Death, He triumphed over sin and death, paying the debt of our sins and ushering in His Kingdom.
The question, however, presents itself - what is the nature of Christ's Kingdom? He Himself tells us in His trial before Pilate that His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). This world crucified Him; it rejected His authority. In this world, Christ has been deposed of His kingship, until the end of time, when all will be subjected to Him, and then He will subject Himself and all His dominion to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:25-28). Nevertheless a king cannot reign without a kingdom, so what is Christ's kingdom?
Origen gives us the answer in today's Office of Readings. He says, "The kingdom of God is within us." Christ's Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom; it begins in the hearts of His disciples and grows within us. When we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," we pray that Christ will come to us and make His dwelling with us, as He promises in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:20-21), and then through the indwelling of grace in our souls we will be able to bring about His Kingdom in the hearts of others.
This is one of the reasons the Lord's Prayer takes place immediately before we receive the Eucharist in the Mass, for the Sacrament is the supreme way in which Christ comes to dwell in us. The graces we receive from the Eucharist, and from all the Sacraments and Liturgical Prayers of the Church, transform us into temples of the Spirit, and consequently into the Kingdom of God.
However, just as Christ came to earth to inaugurate His Kingdom, so we must do after it has been built up in us. We must go forth to all people and be images of Christ. We must give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the ill, visit those in prison (Matthew 25:35-36), in other words, we must care for the poorest among us.
Let us not be deceived in thinking that the poorest among us, though, are the socially deprived. It is true they need to be cared for and our social charity to them will not go unrewarded by our Lord, but their poverty often also comes from the lack of experiencing the love of Jesus Christ. And this poverty can extend beyond the physically destitute to any who are deprived of their spiritual and emotional needs. I have quoted before, and will quote again the closing words from the play Les Miserables, "To love another person is to see the face of God." When we care for any person, we show them the face of Jesus Christ. We show teach them to unite their sufferings to those of Jesus Christ, and in this way we build up the Kingdom of God, for we teach them to reign.
For Christ's crown of thorns was a glorious crown because the wounds it gave Him were the wounds of love. Thus, love was His crown.
Stripped of His garments, He shows us the complete emptying of Himself, His reign of service!
In the royal procession of the Cross, He bears the iniquities of His people, and thus compassionately cares for all His subjects.
His scepter of a reed shows the glorious dignity He has raised us earthly creatures to, by allowing us to partake of the bread of angels and look on Him face to face at the end of our lives!
And the Cross is His most glorious and triumphant throne because through it He draws all peoples to Himself, the King of the Universe (John 12:32)!
The Cross is the very foundation of the Kingdom of Christ. In and through the Cross, Christ conquers and reigns. In and through the Cross, our suffering is given meaning and we are exalted. In and through the Cross, we are guaranteed to one day reign with Jesus Christ our King, the King of Heaven and earth, the King of the Universe!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Prayers to Christ the King
Prayer of Dedication to Christ the King:
A plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, may be gained when this prayer is recited publicly on the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
Christus Vincit:
The following is adapted from the Christus Vincit and the Litany of the Saints. The Latin version is included and an English translation follows.
Latin Version:
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
Ecclesiae sanctae Dei, supra regnorum fines nectenti animas: salus perpetua.
Redemptor mundi, tu illam adjuva.
Sancta Maria, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes Baptista, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Ioseph, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Michael, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Gabriel, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Raphael, tu illam adjuva.
Omnes sancti Angeli, et Archangeli, vos illam adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Apostoli, et Evangelistae, vos illam adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Patriarchae, et Prophetae, vos illam adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
Francisco Summo Pontifici, in unum populos doctrina congreganti, caritate: Pastori gratia, gregi obsequentia.
Salvator mundi, tu illum adjuva.
Sancta Dei Genetrix, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Petre, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Paule, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Andrea, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Iacobe, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Thoma, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Iacobe, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Phillippe, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Bartholomaee, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Matthaee, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Simon, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Thaddaee, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Mathia, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Barnaba, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Luca, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Marce, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Silvester, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Gregori Magna, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Pio X, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes Pauli II, tu illum adjuva.
Sancti Pontifices, vos illum adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
N. (archi)episcopo et omni clero sibi commisso pax et virtus, plurima merces.
Salvator mundi, tu illum adjuva.
Sancta Virgo virginum, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ambrosi, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Augustine, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Hieronyme, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Martine, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Nicolae, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Timotheae, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Carole, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Francisce Salesii, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Antoni, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Benedicte, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Bernarde, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Dominice, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Francisce, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Thoma Aquino, tu illum adjuva
Sancte Ioannes Vianney, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ignatiae, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes Bosco, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Stephane, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Laurenti, tu illum adjuva,
Sancte Vincenti, tu illum adjuva.
Omnes sancti Pontifices et Confessores, vos illum adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Doctores, vos illum adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Sacerdotes et Levitate, vos illum adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Monarchi et Eremitae, vos illum adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Rex regum.
Rex noster.
Spes nostra.
Gloria nostra.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
Magistratibus et omnibus concivibus nobiscum orantibus: cordis vera quies, votorum effectus.
Auxilium christanorum, tu illos adjuva.
Omnes sancti Dicipuli Domini, vos illos adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Innocentes, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Fabiane et Sebastiane, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Ioannes et Paule, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Cosma et Damiane, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Gervasi et Protasi, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancte Jason, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Tarcisiae, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Maximillian Kolbe, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Thoma Morae, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Ioanna Arcae, tu illos adjuva.
Omnes sancti Martyres, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancta Maria Magdalena, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Agatha, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Lucia, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Agnes, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Caecilia, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Catharina, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Anastasia, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Anna, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Veronica, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Theresiae, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Ioanna Francisce Chantel, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Theresiae a Iesu Infante, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Maria Goretti, tu illos adjuva.
Omnes sancti Virgines et Viduae, vos illos adjuvate.
Omnes Sancti et Santae Dei, vos illos adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Ipsi soli imperium, laus et iubilatio, per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Tempora bona habeant!
Tempora bona habeant redempti sanguine Christi!
Feliciter!
Feliciter, Feliciter!
Pax Christi veniat!
Regnum Christi veniat!
Deo gratias.
Amen.
English Translation:
Christ reigns, Christ conquers, Christ commands.
Give ear, O Christ.
Give ear, O Christ.
To the Holy Church of God, uniting the Faithful beyond the limits of kingdoms: may She have everlasting wealth!
Redeemer of the world, grant Her assistance.
Holy Mary, grant Her assistance.
Holy John the Baptist, grant Her assistance.
Holy Joseph, grant Her assistance.
Holy Michael, grant Her assistance.
Holy Gabriel, grant Her assistance.
Holy Raphael, grant Her assistance.
All holy angels and archangels, grant Her assistance.
All holy Apostles and Evangelists, grant Her assistance.
All holy Patriarchs and Prophets, grant Her assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
Give ear, O Christ,
Give ear, O Christ.
To the Supreme Pontiff Francis, who gathereth into one all peoples through doctrine, in charity: let there be dignity for our Shepherd, and obedience for his flock.
Savior of the world, grant him assistance.
Holy Mother of God, grant him assistance.
Holy Peter, grant him assistance.
Holy Paul, grant him assistance.
Holy Andrew, grant him assistance.
Holy James, grant him assistance.
Holy John, grant him assistance.
Holy Thomas, grant him assistance.
Holy James, grant him assistance.
Holy Philip, grant him assistance.
Holy Bartholomew, grant him assistance.
Holy Matthew, grant him assistance.
Holy Simon, grant him assistance.
Holy Thaddeus, grant him assistance.
Holy Mathias, grant him assistance.
Holy Barnabas, grant him assistance.
Holy Luke, grant him assistance.
Holy Mark, grant him assistance.
Holy Sylvester, grant him assistance.
Holy Gregory the Great, grant him assistance.
Holy Pius X, grant him assistance.
Holy John Paul II, grant him assistance.
All holy popes, grant him assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
Give ear, O Christ.
Give ear, O Christ.
To N. our (Arch)bishop and to every cleric committed to him: let there be peace and strength and a great bounty of good.
Savior of the world, grant him assistance.
Holy Virgin of virgins, grant him assistance.
Holy Ambrose, grant him assistance.
Holy Augustine, grant him assistance.
Holy Jerome, grant him assistance.
Holy Nicholas, grant him assistance.
Holy Timothy, grant him assistance.
Holy Charles, grant him assistance.
Holy Francis de Sales, grant him assistance.
Holy Anthony, grant him assistance.
Holy Benedict, grant him assistance.
Holy Bernard, grant him assistance.
Holy Dominic, grant him assistance.
Holy Francis, grant him assistance.
Holy Thomas Aquinas, grant him assistance.
Holy John Vianney, grant him assistance.
Holy Ignatius, grant him assistance.
Holy John Bosco, grant him assistance.
Holy Stephen, grant him assistance.
Holy Lawrence, grant him assistance.
Holy Vincent, grant him assistance.
All holy bishops and confessors, grant him assistance.
All holy Doctors, grant him assistance.
All holy priests and levites, grant him assistance.
All holy monks and hermits, grant him assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
King of kings,
Our King.
Our hope.
Our glory.
Give ear, O Christ.
Give ear, O Christ.
To the magistrates and all fellow citizens praying with us: let the effect of their devotions be true rest for the heart.
O Help of Christians, grant them assistance.
All holy disciples of the Lord, grant them assistance.
All holy Innocents, grant them assistance.
Holy Fabian and Sebastian, grant them assistance.
Holy John and Paul, grant them assistance.
Holy Cosmas and Damian, grant them assistance.
Holy Gervase and Protase, grant them assistance.
Holy Jason, grant them assistance.
Holy Tarcisius, grant them assistance.
Holy Maximilian Kolbe, grant them assistance.
Holy Thomas More, grant them assistance.
Holy Joan of Arc, grant them assistance.
All holy martyrs, grant them assistance.
Holy Mary Magdalene, grant them assistance.
Holy Agatha, grant them assistance.
Holy Lucy, grant them assistance.
Holy Agnes, grant them assistance.
Holy Cecilia, grant them assistance.
Holy Catherine, grant them assistance.
Holy Anastasia, grant them assistance.
Holy Anne, grant them assistance.
Holy Veronica, grant them assistance.
Holy Teresa of Avila, grant them assistance.
Holy Jane Francis de Chantel, grant them assistance.
Holy Therese of the Child Jesus, grant them assistance.
Holy Maria Goretti, grant them assistance.
All holy virgins and widows, grant them assistance.
All holy men and women, saints of God, grant them assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
Let all power, praise, and jubilation be to Him alone, through endless ages to ages.
May they have prosperous times!
May they have prosperous times by the redemptive Blood of Christ!
Joyously!
Joyously! Joyously!
Let the peace of Christ come!
Let the reign of Christ come!
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
A plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, may be gained when this prayer is recited publicly on the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
Loving Jesus, Redeemer of the world,
we are yours, and yours we wish to be.
To bind ourselves to you even more closely
we kneel before you today
and offer ourselves to your most Sacred Heart.
Praise to you, our Savior and our King.
Have mercy on all who have never known you
and on all who reject you and refuse to obey you:
gentle Lord, draw them to yourself.
Praise to you, our Savior and our King.
Reign over the faithful who have never left you,
reign over those who have squandered their inheritance,
the prodigal children who now are starving:
bring them back to their Father’s house.
Praise to you, our Savior and our King.
Reign over those who are misled by error or divided by discord.
Hasten the day when we shall be one in faith and truth,
one flock with you, the one Shepherd.
Give to your Church freedom and peace,
and to all nations justice and order.
Make the earth resound from pole to pole with a single cry:
Praise to the Divine Heart that gained our salvation;
glory and honor be his for ever and ever. Amen.
Praise to you, our Savior and our King.
- From the Handbook of Indulgences, 3rd Edition.
The following is adapted from the Christus Vincit and the Litany of the Saints. The Latin version is included and an English translation follows.
Latin Version:
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
Ecclesiae sanctae Dei, supra regnorum fines nectenti animas: salus perpetua.
Redemptor mundi, tu illam adjuva.
Sancta Maria, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes Baptista, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Ioseph, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Michael, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Gabriel, tu illam adjuva.
Sancte Raphael, tu illam adjuva.
Omnes sancti Angeli, et Archangeli, vos illam adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Apostoli, et Evangelistae, vos illam adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Patriarchae, et Prophetae, vos illam adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
Francisco Summo Pontifici, in unum populos doctrina congreganti, caritate: Pastori gratia, gregi obsequentia.
Salvator mundi, tu illum adjuva.
Sancta Dei Genetrix, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Petre, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Paule, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Andrea, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Iacobe, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Thoma, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Iacobe, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Phillippe, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Bartholomaee, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Matthaee, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Simon, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Thaddaee, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Mathia, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Barnaba, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Luca, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Marce, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Silvester, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Gregori Magna, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Pio X, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes Pauli II, tu illum adjuva.
Sancti Pontifices, vos illum adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
N. (archi)episcopo et omni clero sibi commisso pax et virtus, plurima merces.
Salvator mundi, tu illum adjuva.
Sancta Virgo virginum, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ambrosi, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Augustine, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Hieronyme, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Martine, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Nicolae, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Timotheae, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Carole, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Francisce Salesii, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Antoni, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Benedicte, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Bernarde, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Dominice, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Francisce, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Thoma Aquino, tu illum adjuva
Sancte Ioannes Vianney, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ignatiae, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Ioannes Bosco, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Stephane, tu illum adjuva.
Sancte Laurenti, tu illum adjuva,
Sancte Vincenti, tu illum adjuva.
Omnes sancti Pontifices et Confessores, vos illum adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Doctores, vos illum adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Sacerdotes et Levitate, vos illum adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Monarchi et Eremitae, vos illum adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Rex regum.
Rex noster.
Spes nostra.
Gloria nostra.
Exaudi Christe.
Exaudi Christe.
Magistratibus et omnibus concivibus nobiscum orantibus: cordis vera quies, votorum effectus.
Auxilium christanorum, tu illos adjuva.
Omnes sancti Dicipuli Domini, vos illos adjuvate.
Omnes sancti Innocentes, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Fabiane et Sebastiane, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Ioannes et Paule, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Cosma et Damiane, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancti Gervasi et Protasi, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancte Jason, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Tarcisiae, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Maximillian Kolbe, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Thoma Morae, tu illos adjuva.
Sancte Ioanna Arcae, tu illos adjuva.
Omnes sancti Martyres, vos illos adjuvate.
Sancta Maria Magdalena, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Agatha, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Lucia, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Agnes, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Caecilia, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Catharina, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Anastasia, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Anna, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Veronica, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Theresiae, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Ioanna Francisce Chantel, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Theresiae a Iesu Infante, tu illos adjuva.
Sancta Maria Goretti, tu illos adjuva.
Omnes sancti Virgines et Viduae, vos illos adjuvate.
Omnes Sancti et Santae Dei, vos illos adjuvate.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Ipsi soli imperium, laus et iubilatio, per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Tempora bona habeant!
Tempora bona habeant redempti sanguine Christi!
Feliciter!
Feliciter, Feliciter!
Pax Christi veniat!
Regnum Christi veniat!
Deo gratias.
Amen.
English Translation:
Christ reigns, Christ conquers, Christ commands.
Give ear, O Christ.
Give ear, O Christ.
To the Holy Church of God, uniting the Faithful beyond the limits of kingdoms: may She have everlasting wealth!
Redeemer of the world, grant Her assistance.
Holy Mary, grant Her assistance.
Holy John the Baptist, grant Her assistance.
Holy Joseph, grant Her assistance.
Holy Michael, grant Her assistance.
Holy Gabriel, grant Her assistance.
Holy Raphael, grant Her assistance.
All holy angels and archangels, grant Her assistance.
All holy Apostles and Evangelists, grant Her assistance.
All holy Patriarchs and Prophets, grant Her assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
Give ear, O Christ,
Give ear, O Christ.
To the Supreme Pontiff Francis, who gathereth into one all peoples through doctrine, in charity: let there be dignity for our Shepherd, and obedience for his flock.
Savior of the world, grant him assistance.
Holy Mother of God, grant him assistance.
Holy Peter, grant him assistance.
Holy Paul, grant him assistance.
Holy Andrew, grant him assistance.
Holy James, grant him assistance.
Holy John, grant him assistance.
Holy Thomas, grant him assistance.
Holy James, grant him assistance.
Holy Philip, grant him assistance.
Holy Bartholomew, grant him assistance.
Holy Matthew, grant him assistance.
Holy Simon, grant him assistance.
Holy Thaddeus, grant him assistance.
Holy Mathias, grant him assistance.
Holy Barnabas, grant him assistance.
Holy Luke, grant him assistance.
Holy Mark, grant him assistance.
Holy Sylvester, grant him assistance.
Holy Gregory the Great, grant him assistance.
Holy Pius X, grant him assistance.
Holy John Paul II, grant him assistance.
All holy popes, grant him assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
Give ear, O Christ.
Give ear, O Christ.
To N. our (Arch)bishop and to every cleric committed to him: let there be peace and strength and a great bounty of good.
Savior of the world, grant him assistance.
Holy Virgin of virgins, grant him assistance.
Holy Ambrose, grant him assistance.
Holy Augustine, grant him assistance.
Holy Jerome, grant him assistance.
Holy Nicholas, grant him assistance.
Holy Timothy, grant him assistance.
Holy Charles, grant him assistance.
Holy Francis de Sales, grant him assistance.
Holy Anthony, grant him assistance.
Holy Benedict, grant him assistance.
Holy Bernard, grant him assistance.
Holy Dominic, grant him assistance.
Holy Francis, grant him assistance.
Holy Thomas Aquinas, grant him assistance.
Holy John Vianney, grant him assistance.
Holy Ignatius, grant him assistance.
Holy John Bosco, grant him assistance.
Holy Stephen, grant him assistance.
Holy Lawrence, grant him assistance.
Holy Vincent, grant him assistance.
All holy bishops and confessors, grant him assistance.
All holy Doctors, grant him assistance.
All holy priests and levites, grant him assistance.
All holy monks and hermits, grant him assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
King of kings,
Our King.
Our hope.
Our glory.
Give ear, O Christ.
Give ear, O Christ.
To the magistrates and all fellow citizens praying with us: let the effect of their devotions be true rest for the heart.
O Help of Christians, grant them assistance.
All holy disciples of the Lord, grant them assistance.
All holy Innocents, grant them assistance.
Holy Fabian and Sebastian, grant them assistance.
Holy John and Paul, grant them assistance.
Holy Cosmas and Damian, grant them assistance.
Holy Gervase and Protase, grant them assistance.
Holy Jason, grant them assistance.
Holy Tarcisius, grant them assistance.
Holy Maximilian Kolbe, grant them assistance.
Holy Thomas More, grant them assistance.
Holy Joan of Arc, grant them assistance.
All holy martyrs, grant them assistance.
Holy Mary Magdalene, grant them assistance.
Holy Agatha, grant them assistance.
Holy Lucy, grant them assistance.
Holy Agnes, grant them assistance.
Holy Cecilia, grant them assistance.
Holy Catherine, grant them assistance.
Holy Anastasia, grant them assistance.
Holy Anne, grant them assistance.
Holy Veronica, grant them assistance.
Holy Teresa of Avila, grant them assistance.
Holy Jane Francis de Chantel, grant them assistance.
Holy Therese of the Child Jesus, grant them assistance.
Holy Maria Goretti, grant them assistance.
All holy virgins and widows, grant them assistance.
All holy men and women, saints of God, grant them assistance.
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands.
Let all power, praise, and jubilation be to Him alone, through endless ages to ages.
May they have prosperous times!
May they have prosperous times by the redemptive Blood of Christ!
Joyously!
Joyously! Joyously!
Let the peace of Christ come!
Let the reign of Christ come!
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
A Look at the Mass: The Prayers of the Faithful
The Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon (Revelation 22:20)! This thought is deeply in my mind as I write this post, for this is the last post of this liturgical and civil year which is part of the "A Look at the Mass" series. It is also the last part in the series on within the Liturgy of the Word. The future posts of this series, which will resume after Advent and the Christmas season, will all be part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Concluding Rites of the Mass. And I find it highly appropriate that we will conclude these considerations of the first half of the Mass with prayer, i.e. the Universal Prayers of the Church, or more commonly called the Prayers of the Faithful.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)." The name of the Prayers of the Faithful, then, are a bit misleading, in my opinion. The chief name found in the new Missal translation is the Universal Prayer, which seems to bring out the importance and tie in to this Scripture the best. If the petitions of only two or three can obtain the answer of God, how much more will the petitions of the entire Church united gain hearing before God!
This title also gives us an impression of what should be contained within these petitions. As the Mass is the public prayer of the Church, so the Universal Prayer, as a part of the Mass, should be public petitions. It's not the part where we specifically focus upon single people (with the exception of those public figures placed universally over us), but is where we unite and pray for all under a single grouping. This is not meant to neglect the individual needs or people or try and mitigate their specific human dignity, but is instead a means whereby we show our unity. There are many who suffer, and we pray for all of them.
Historically speaking, this seems to have been considered one of the three major parts of the Mass in the early Church, as recorded to us by St. Justin Martyr. All in the assembly stood for the offering of this prayer, highlighting its importance, similarly to how we stand for the reading of the Gospel alone. Indeed, until the Middle Ages, these prayers, or more properly theologically speaking, this prayer, was the turning point of the Mass. Although we consider it the final part of the Liturgy of the Word, it was previously thought to be the beginning of the Mass of the Faithful. Nevertheless, in various areas it served also as the conclusion of the Fore-Mass, especially since it was felt that the Catechumens be present for some of it, and they were not allowed at the Mass proper.
In this, we can see deep theological significance. This Prayer is our conclusion to the Liturgy of the Word, in the sense that our fervor for the Christian life, especially the call to charity, has been renewed by listening to God's word and by the homily. Therefore, we pray for all the needs of the Church. However, it also serves as the introduction to the Liturgy of the Eucharist in that we introduce the specific intentions we will offer to God through the Eucharist.
The Eucharistic Prayer was partially the reason this part of the Mass fell out of use, since all of the intentions were mentioned during that great prayer. Additionally, as mentioned in the post on the Kyrie (here), it became the point of intercessions, which would conclude with the, "Kyrie eleison," or, "Christe eleison," which was also the response used at the Prayers of the Faithful. It is easy, then, to see how they apparent repetitions led the Church to drop this part of the Mass for the sack of brevity.
It is, however, a wonderful restoration within the Ordinary Form. Now that the Kyrie no longer explicitly contains intercessions, and the intercessory parts of the Eucharistic Prayers are not quite as evident, it is important to remind the ministers and people that the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for the needs of the entire Church, both Her members on earth and in Purgatory, especially as we move into the Offertory.
Now the Prayers were generally divided into specific categories. We see the remnant of these divisions in the Solemn Intercessions of the Good Friday Liturgy. There was generally always a prayer for the Universal Church throughout the world. This would be followed by a prayer for the Pope, and then for the Bishop and all his priests and deacons, generally followed by a prayer for the emperor (while Christianity was exclusively in the Roman Empire) and the civil leaders, that they may promote the Christian values. There would be prayers for specific groups of the Faithful, especially the Catechumens. The inclusion of these were the reason it was thought appropriate in some places that the Catechumens should remain present until the supplication to God for them was completed. The Faithful were also prayed for under contexts of those who could not be present, possibly due to infirmity or imprisonment for the Faith. Lastly, within the realm of the Faithful, those in special need would be prayed for, such as the widows and orphans who were under the care of the Church.
These prayers extended to all the world though, just as the Eucharist is the Sacrifice for the salvation of all. Thus, the Church did not hesitate to pray for the Jewish people especially, and for the Pagans. We must consider that at the time these prayers were first used, these were the two great opposing religions of the known world. There could also be prayers for peace and for good weather, deliverance from tribulation, etc.
It is integral these divisions and formats be remembered. As I said before, the Universal Prayers are not to be the source of random or obscure phrases, nor are they to be a means of promoting a specific agenda, save the agenda of the Universal Church. Therefore, although there may be intentions used for the local region, and on occasion even the local church or community, these should not be the norm or the focus of the entire setup.
Indeed it would seem to be best when the Universal Prayers start with the petition for the Church throughout the world, followed by a petition for the Holy Father. In this way, the true purpose of this part of the Mass may shine forth. From here, then, the prayers may become more localized, praying for the bishop and the diocese, and the nation and her leaders.
From here, the needs of the Church may then be brought to mind, also keeping the idea of decreasing universality in mind. For example, one may start with a petition for an increase in vocations to the Priesthood and religious life and for an increase in holy marriages (needed throughout the entire Church), following that with an end to all the crimes against human life and for the preservation of the dignity of marriage and the family (needed in many parts of the Church), then following that with a prayer for good weather (needed more particularly in the region), and then perhaps, if appropriate, for a specific need of the local church.
I wish to note that I am not saying all these specific intentions must be prayed for (excepting the universal Church and the bishops); indeed, the list of petitions could go on for 15 minutes if every need was explicitly prayed for. Instead, it seems good to limit the petitions to a minimum number and to rotate them, so that the Faithful are always able to easily remember the many, many supplications included in the Eucharistic Liturgy. In many places it is also customary to include the pious practice of praying for the specific needs and intercession the Faithful bring to the Mass, through a petition such as this, "Let us pray for all the intentions we hold in the silence of our hearts..." The Faithful are then able to interiorly unite their petitions to the rest of the Universal Prayers of the Church.
Lastly, by a rather old custom, the Church always concludes Her public intercessions with a petition for the Faithful Departed. It would be well to remember this practice in the Prayers of the Faithful, for it is our obligation to pray for those who cannot pray for themselves. In this way the needs of the universal Church are even more perfectly brought forth, for we are able to remember that the Church is made up of the souls on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven, all offering their praise to God!
The petitions are called to be led by the deacon, although in his absence a layman or woman may lead them, or even the priest himself. The reason for this being the deacon's role is that in the early Church he was seen as the one who would teach the people to pray. Therefore, he leads the intercessions in order to show us what we should pray for. In Eastern Liturgies, this role of the deacon is especially evident, for he is the one who goes between the priest, offering prayers to God for the people, and the people to instruct them how and when to pray.
However, the petitions are always concluded by the priest. Although no written prayer is here given, the rubrics seem to imply the idea that it should be structured in the same manner as the Collect, Prayer over the Gifts, and Prayer after Communion, for two reasons. First, because it is recited by the priest in the same way as the Collect and other prayers, i.e. with hands extended, and secondly because before the suppression of this part of the Mass in the early Church, this prayer served as the "Collect" for the Mass, as the Mass was seen to begin here at that time, the Liturgy of the Word being a sort of pre-service. Although our understanding of the Mass has developed, we may still properly say that this prayer serves as part of the "hinge" prayers of the Mass. It is, like the other three, called to focus our minds and it is offered, "Through Christ our Lord."
Through the petitions of the Universal Prayers and the concluding prayer to them, we fittingly conclude the Liturgy of the Word, in which we have been instructed in the Christian life and opened our hearts to God, and prepare, with open hearts, to offer ourselves to God with the needs of the whole Church and to receive Him in the wonderful and awesome Sacrament of the Eucharist!
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)." The name of the Prayers of the Faithful, then, are a bit misleading, in my opinion. The chief name found in the new Missal translation is the Universal Prayer, which seems to bring out the importance and tie in to this Scripture the best. If the petitions of only two or three can obtain the answer of God, how much more will the petitions of the entire Church united gain hearing before God!
This title also gives us an impression of what should be contained within these petitions. As the Mass is the public prayer of the Church, so the Universal Prayer, as a part of the Mass, should be public petitions. It's not the part where we specifically focus upon single people (with the exception of those public figures placed universally over us), but is where we unite and pray for all under a single grouping. This is not meant to neglect the individual needs or people or try and mitigate their specific human dignity, but is instead a means whereby we show our unity. There are many who suffer, and we pray for all of them.
Historically speaking, this seems to have been considered one of the three major parts of the Mass in the early Church, as recorded to us by St. Justin Martyr. All in the assembly stood for the offering of this prayer, highlighting its importance, similarly to how we stand for the reading of the Gospel alone. Indeed, until the Middle Ages, these prayers, or more properly theologically speaking, this prayer, was the turning point of the Mass. Although we consider it the final part of the Liturgy of the Word, it was previously thought to be the beginning of the Mass of the Faithful. Nevertheless, in various areas it served also as the conclusion of the Fore-Mass, especially since it was felt that the Catechumens be present for some of it, and they were not allowed at the Mass proper.
In this, we can see deep theological significance. This Prayer is our conclusion to the Liturgy of the Word, in the sense that our fervor for the Christian life, especially the call to charity, has been renewed by listening to God's word and by the homily. Therefore, we pray for all the needs of the Church. However, it also serves as the introduction to the Liturgy of the Eucharist in that we introduce the specific intentions we will offer to God through the Eucharist.
The Eucharistic Prayer was partially the reason this part of the Mass fell out of use, since all of the intentions were mentioned during that great prayer. Additionally, as mentioned in the post on the Kyrie (here), it became the point of intercessions, which would conclude with the, "Kyrie eleison," or, "Christe eleison," which was also the response used at the Prayers of the Faithful. It is easy, then, to see how they apparent repetitions led the Church to drop this part of the Mass for the sack of brevity.
It is, however, a wonderful restoration within the Ordinary Form. Now that the Kyrie no longer explicitly contains intercessions, and the intercessory parts of the Eucharistic Prayers are not quite as evident, it is important to remind the ministers and people that the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for the needs of the entire Church, both Her members on earth and in Purgatory, especially as we move into the Offertory.
Now the Prayers were generally divided into specific categories. We see the remnant of these divisions in the Solemn Intercessions of the Good Friday Liturgy. There was generally always a prayer for the Universal Church throughout the world. This would be followed by a prayer for the Pope, and then for the Bishop and all his priests and deacons, generally followed by a prayer for the emperor (while Christianity was exclusively in the Roman Empire) and the civil leaders, that they may promote the Christian values. There would be prayers for specific groups of the Faithful, especially the Catechumens. The inclusion of these were the reason it was thought appropriate in some places that the Catechumens should remain present until the supplication to God for them was completed. The Faithful were also prayed for under contexts of those who could not be present, possibly due to infirmity or imprisonment for the Faith. Lastly, within the realm of the Faithful, those in special need would be prayed for, such as the widows and orphans who were under the care of the Church.
These prayers extended to all the world though, just as the Eucharist is the Sacrifice for the salvation of all. Thus, the Church did not hesitate to pray for the Jewish people especially, and for the Pagans. We must consider that at the time these prayers were first used, these were the two great opposing religions of the known world. There could also be prayers for peace and for good weather, deliverance from tribulation, etc.
It is integral these divisions and formats be remembered. As I said before, the Universal Prayers are not to be the source of random or obscure phrases, nor are they to be a means of promoting a specific agenda, save the agenda of the Universal Church. Therefore, although there may be intentions used for the local region, and on occasion even the local church or community, these should not be the norm or the focus of the entire setup.
Indeed it would seem to be best when the Universal Prayers start with the petition for the Church throughout the world, followed by a petition for the Holy Father. In this way, the true purpose of this part of the Mass may shine forth. From here, then, the prayers may become more localized, praying for the bishop and the diocese, and the nation and her leaders.
From here, the needs of the Church may then be brought to mind, also keeping the idea of decreasing universality in mind. For example, one may start with a petition for an increase in vocations to the Priesthood and religious life and for an increase in holy marriages (needed throughout the entire Church), following that with an end to all the crimes against human life and for the preservation of the dignity of marriage and the family (needed in many parts of the Church), then following that with a prayer for good weather (needed more particularly in the region), and then perhaps, if appropriate, for a specific need of the local church.
I wish to note that I am not saying all these specific intentions must be prayed for (excepting the universal Church and the bishops); indeed, the list of petitions could go on for 15 minutes if every need was explicitly prayed for. Instead, it seems good to limit the petitions to a minimum number and to rotate them, so that the Faithful are always able to easily remember the many, many supplications included in the Eucharistic Liturgy. In many places it is also customary to include the pious practice of praying for the specific needs and intercession the Faithful bring to the Mass, through a petition such as this, "Let us pray for all the intentions we hold in the silence of our hearts..." The Faithful are then able to interiorly unite their petitions to the rest of the Universal Prayers of the Church.
Lastly, by a rather old custom, the Church always concludes Her public intercessions with a petition for the Faithful Departed. It would be well to remember this practice in the Prayers of the Faithful, for it is our obligation to pray for those who cannot pray for themselves. In this way the needs of the universal Church are even more perfectly brought forth, for we are able to remember that the Church is made up of the souls on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven, all offering their praise to God!
The petitions are called to be led by the deacon, although in his absence a layman or woman may lead them, or even the priest himself. The reason for this being the deacon's role is that in the early Church he was seen as the one who would teach the people to pray. Therefore, he leads the intercessions in order to show us what we should pray for. In Eastern Liturgies, this role of the deacon is especially evident, for he is the one who goes between the priest, offering prayers to God for the people, and the people to instruct them how and when to pray.
However, the petitions are always concluded by the priest. Although no written prayer is here given, the rubrics seem to imply the idea that it should be structured in the same manner as the Collect, Prayer over the Gifts, and Prayer after Communion, for two reasons. First, because it is recited by the priest in the same way as the Collect and other prayers, i.e. with hands extended, and secondly because before the suppression of this part of the Mass in the early Church, this prayer served as the "Collect" for the Mass, as the Mass was seen to begin here at that time, the Liturgy of the Word being a sort of pre-service. Although our understanding of the Mass has developed, we may still properly say that this prayer serves as part of the "hinge" prayers of the Mass. It is, like the other three, called to focus our minds and it is offered, "Through Christ our Lord."
Through the petitions of the Universal Prayers and the concluding prayer to them, we fittingly conclude the Liturgy of the Word, in which we have been instructed in the Christian life and opened our hearts to God, and prepare, with open hearts, to offer ourselves to God with the needs of the whole Church and to receive Him in the wonderful and awesome Sacrament of the Eucharist!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
The Visible and Invisible Reality of the Church
The month of November traditionally considers four very related aspects of the Faith. One of these is the four Last Things - death, judgment, Hell, and Heaven. As the end of the Liturgical Year draws near, we liturgically commemorate that which has yet to occur, namely the Paraousia of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Last Judgment, the Last Act of Salvation. This of course gives rise to the end of the world, and consequently, our end. Therefore, we cannot help but to consider the fact that we will one day die, be judged, and either be eternally in Heaven with God or eternally separated from Him in Hell, both through our own free will. In fact, the Subjects for Daily Meditation propose these as the final two subjects:
"Remember, Christian soul, that thou hast this day and every day of thy life . . .
Death perhaps to suffer,
and Judgment to undergo."
This focus on death, in turn, gives rise to meditation on the Three States of the Church, which the posts of last week considered, especially the Poor Souls in Purgatory, who have not yet attained their final end. The month of November is especially dedicated to the praying for the Poor Souls as well, then.
Following from this, the Church naturally considers the resting place of those who have fallen asleep in Christ, namely cemeteries, which are one of the two types of sacred places the Church designates. The other type is the church building (which has many different subcategories). These two sacred places are designated primarily to prayer. The church building is given to the nourishment of the Christian life through the Sacraments, and the cemetery is the resting place of our brothers and sisters (and one day, us), who have lived the Christian life in body as well as soul and await the coming reunification of them in the Resurrection of the Dead.
Today's feast of the Dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, however, which supersedes the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, allows us to mediate upon the church building, that final aspect of meditation in the month of November.
This feast celebrates many things. Firstly, and most clearly, it commemorates the day upon which the the first official Church of Rome (and the West), was officially consecrated and dedicated by Pope St. Sylvester I, under the reign of Constantine in 324 A.D. First known as the Lateran Palace, when it was converted into a church, it was originally dedicated to Christ the Savior alone and became the Cathedral of Rome. Later, however, the patrons St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle were added to its dedication, leading to the common name it is known by, St. John Lateran. Nevertheless, the official name for the cathedral is, "The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran, the Mother and Head of all the Churches of the City and of the World." Quite the impressive title, if I do say so myself.
Its position as cathedral of the bishop of Rome, the pope, who exercises universal jurisdiction over the Church throughout the world, means that the basilica is granted the position of "archbasilica," meaning simply that it ranks first and foremost of all churches. Thus, just as the anniversary of the dedication of a diocese's cathedral is a feast day in all the churches of that diocese, the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral of Rome is a feast throughout the entire Church.
This provides us with a great opportunity to reflect upon the church building in our lives. The church building mystically represents so many things. It has been called, "the house of God and gate of Heaven (Genesis 28:17)." These words, used to refer to the church building come to us from the passage in Genesis of Jacob's Dream, where we read:
"He [Jacob] dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, 'I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants . . . . Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.' Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it.' And he was afraid, and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (Genesis 28:12-17).'"
Jesus also references this passage in relation to Himself, which I believe is worthy to note for our meditation:
"Jesus answered him [St. Bartholomew the Apostle], 'Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.' And he said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man (John 1:50-51).'"
From these two passages we can draw forth much fruit to understand the importance of the church building. Just as Jacob encountered God in the Promised Land, which God had sworn to Abraham and his descendants, which was then fulfilled in the Kingdom of Israel after the Exodus from Egypt, so we encounter God in the church, which is a representation of the land promised to us, i.e. Heaven, and of the Kingdom of Christ which will be fulfilled in the Second Coming at the end of time.
It is within the church building that the Liturgy, the official prayers of the Church, take place. Within her walls the Sacraments are administered and the Divine Praises are sung throughout the day in the prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours. Here it is that we see, "heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man," for all of the prayers are offered through Christ our Lord. Through Him, Whom we encounter principally in the public worship of the Church, Heaven opens and we see the Father (John 14:9).
St. Augustine has an interesting line in his Confessions, in which he writes, speaking of Victorinus, once a pagan and honored citizen of Rome:
"[Victorinus] said to Simplicianus, - not openly, but secretly, and as a friend, - 'Know thou that I am a Christian.' To which he replied, 'I will not believe it, nor will I rank you among the Christians unless I see you in the Church of Christ.' Whereupon he replied derisively, 'Is it then the walls that make Christians?' (Book VIII, Chapter 4)."
Victorinus was correct. The walls are not what make one a Christian, rather through Baptism we are made Christians. Nevertheless, "the walls" are the visible representation of the spiritual truth of what we are. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
"What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the 'living stones,' gathered to be 'built into a spiritual house.' For the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, 'we are the temple of the living God (1179).'"
When we gather together within the walls of the church, we gather as one Body - the Body of Christ. Just as a building must, in its architecture, be unified for the building to stand, so must we be. We are "living stones" of the household of God, unified by our one Faith, one Baptism, and partaking of the one Eucharist. The Faith, "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, [with] Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20)," is the unifying foundation for the Church. We who bear the name of Christian, share in this one Faith.
We then, are Kingdom of Christ, "the eternal dwelling for God's majesty . . . [who] build up the heavenly Jerusalem (Collect for the Feast)." In the celebration of this glorious feast day, we pray that we may more perfectly reflect this truth. In order to do this, we must be perfected in grace, so that we may be a fitting stone for the Church of God. By this I mean that just an unstable brick would not be used in the construction of a building, for one would risk the collapse of the building, so the Church cannot obtain her perfection until all Her members are perfected in the Christian life. The difference is, of course, that God works with imperfect instruments and by the power of the Holy Spirit protects the Church from collapse. Christ has built His Church firmly upon the Rock of Peter and the foundation of the other Apostles, and thus the Church may never collapse (Matthew 16:18).
Nonetheless, the Church may be greatly afflicted and broken, albeit never in Her foundation or inner structure, for that is Christ, and thus the Church is always holy just as Christ is holy. However, it is for this reason that the Christian must work to be perfected in grace, so that he may always be united to the Church and may be a witness to the world of the glory of Christ. How often have we driven through a city and seen a run down or gutted out building and felt either pity for it or disgust at it, or both. It is the same when the world sees the Church through a Christian has disfigured himself or herself through sin; they see the Church as not worthy of admiration. However, when we live the words of our Lord, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16)," the world will be left in wonder at the "living stones," which build up the Church, just as we are astounded by the beauty of a well ornamented church building.
Now the church building is essential for this perfection in grace. Note that I do not mean that the Sacraments and/or prayer cannot take place outside of the sacred place, for, "The worship 'in Spirit and in truth' of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place (CCC, 1179)." What I am saying is that the church holds a deep theological significance which the Faith cannot set aside. To go there is to express one's unity with the entire Church through prayer, through hearing the Divine Word, through instruction in the Faith, and through the Sacraments. Christianity is a communal faith. The Catechism says, "These visible churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ (1180)." First and foremost, through the Liturgy God comes to dwell in our souls.
The church is designed in such a manner that it can most perfectly bring about the dwelling of God in our souls. The Catechism explains various features of a church. It says:
"A church, 'house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful - this house ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred ceremonial.' In this 'house of God' the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should show Christ to be present and active in this place.
"The altar of the New Covenant is the Lord's Cross, from which the sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow. On the altar, which is the center of the church, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs. . . .
"The tabernacle is to be situated 'in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor.' The dignity, placing, and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
"The sacred chrism (myron), used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the seal of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally reserved and venerated in a secure place in the sanctuary. The oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick may also be placed there.
"The chair of the bishop (cathedra) or that of the priest 'should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer.'
"The lectern (ambo): 'The dignity of the Word of God requires the church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place during the liturgy of the Word.'
"The gathering of the People of God begins with Baptism; a church must have a place for the celebration of Baptism (baptistery) and for fostering remembrance of the baptismal promises (holy water font).
"The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance. A church, then, must lend itself to the expression of repentance and the reception of forgiveness, which requires an appropriate place to receive penitents.
"A church must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist (1181-1185, emphases in original)."
I quote the Catechism at length because there is a great epidemic in the Church that the building itself is unimportant, that it is simply a gathering place and serves more of a functionary purpose. This could not be further from the truth! Yes, Christians can and should worship God through prayer outside the church, but the church is specifically given to worship of God. The very nature of the building is designed to foster prayer and for this reason, Christians should be so familiar with the church building they know it like they know their own home. They should know which pews creak, where the not to sit because you'll be blinded by the sunlight, etc.
Certain places are much more conducive to certain acts than others. Anyone who has ever tried to sleep in economy class on a transAtlantic flight knows that an airplane is not conducive to the act of sleeping. Rather, we use a bed for such an act. However, a bedroom is not the place in which one would have a fancy dinner; instead, one would use a formal dining room. The same holds true for the church. It is conducive to prayer, it is the place where certain actions, such as Mass, Baptism, Confession, are most proper. It is not that they cannot be performed other places but all the matter of the church is constituted so as to assist the Faithful in harvesting the most fruit from the sacred actions they participate in and perform.
The church has a "feeling" about it, much as a library or a museum have a "feeling." Something that transcends our everyday lives is present there. The difference is that in those secular buildings we may only in some way transcend the present into the past. However, in the church, we transcend our earthly existence. We transcend the present into the past and the future, and beyond. I quote the Catechism again:
"To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold, which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new Life to which all men are called. The visible church is a symbol of the Father's house toward which the People of God is journeying and where the Father 'will wipe every tear from their eyes (1186, emphasis in original).'"
In a church we are able to transcend our earthly existence because it is the house where God dwells. Therefore, we encounter God there, and thus, our final end. Which brings us full circle in our meditations for the month of November. Last week, in considering the three states of the Church, we considered how we make up the Church Militant, the Pilgrim Church. As the Catechism pointed out, the church building is a symbol of what we are called to be and what we journey towards. It is, on this earth, the New Jerusalem we journey to. It is also a sign of what we are called to be.
In today's Office of Readings, St. Caesarius of Arles says, "Let us not destroy the living temples of God in ourselves by works of evil. . . . Whenever we come to church, we must prepare our hearts to be as beautiful as we expect this church to be." We must work to purify our souls so that God may enter into them through the Sacraments, Liturgy, and prayer, and dwell in us as He does in the church. Then we will truly be living stones in the New Jerusalem!
"Remember, Christian soul, that thou hast this day and every day of thy life . . .
Death perhaps to suffer,
and Judgment to undergo."
This focus on death, in turn, gives rise to meditation on the Three States of the Church, which the posts of last week considered, especially the Poor Souls in Purgatory, who have not yet attained their final end. The month of November is especially dedicated to the praying for the Poor Souls as well, then.
Following from this, the Church naturally considers the resting place of those who have fallen asleep in Christ, namely cemeteries, which are one of the two types of sacred places the Church designates. The other type is the church building (which has many different subcategories). These two sacred places are designated primarily to prayer. The church building is given to the nourishment of the Christian life through the Sacraments, and the cemetery is the resting place of our brothers and sisters (and one day, us), who have lived the Christian life in body as well as soul and await the coming reunification of them in the Resurrection of the Dead.
Today's feast of the Dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, however, which supersedes the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, allows us to mediate upon the church building, that final aspect of meditation in the month of November.
This feast celebrates many things. Firstly, and most clearly, it commemorates the day upon which the the first official Church of Rome (and the West), was officially consecrated and dedicated by Pope St. Sylvester I, under the reign of Constantine in 324 A.D. First known as the Lateran Palace, when it was converted into a church, it was originally dedicated to Christ the Savior alone and became the Cathedral of Rome. Later, however, the patrons St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle were added to its dedication, leading to the common name it is known by, St. John Lateran. Nevertheless, the official name for the cathedral is, "The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran, the Mother and Head of all the Churches of the City and of the World." Quite the impressive title, if I do say so myself.
Its position as cathedral of the bishop of Rome, the pope, who exercises universal jurisdiction over the Church throughout the world, means that the basilica is granted the position of "archbasilica," meaning simply that it ranks first and foremost of all churches. Thus, just as the anniversary of the dedication of a diocese's cathedral is a feast day in all the churches of that diocese, the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral of Rome is a feast throughout the entire Church.
This provides us with a great opportunity to reflect upon the church building in our lives. The church building mystically represents so many things. It has been called, "the house of God and gate of Heaven (Genesis 28:17)." These words, used to refer to the church building come to us from the passage in Genesis of Jacob's Dream, where we read:
"He [Jacob] dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, 'I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants . . . . Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.' Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it.' And he was afraid, and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (Genesis 28:12-17).'"
Jesus also references this passage in relation to Himself, which I believe is worthy to note for our meditation:
"Jesus answered him [St. Bartholomew the Apostle], 'Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.' And he said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man (John 1:50-51).'"
From these two passages we can draw forth much fruit to understand the importance of the church building. Just as Jacob encountered God in the Promised Land, which God had sworn to Abraham and his descendants, which was then fulfilled in the Kingdom of Israel after the Exodus from Egypt, so we encounter God in the church, which is a representation of the land promised to us, i.e. Heaven, and of the Kingdom of Christ which will be fulfilled in the Second Coming at the end of time.
It is within the church building that the Liturgy, the official prayers of the Church, take place. Within her walls the Sacraments are administered and the Divine Praises are sung throughout the day in the prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours. Here it is that we see, "heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man," for all of the prayers are offered through Christ our Lord. Through Him, Whom we encounter principally in the public worship of the Church, Heaven opens and we see the Father (John 14:9).
St. Augustine has an interesting line in his Confessions, in which he writes, speaking of Victorinus, once a pagan and honored citizen of Rome:
"[Victorinus] said to Simplicianus, - not openly, but secretly, and as a friend, - 'Know thou that I am a Christian.' To which he replied, 'I will not believe it, nor will I rank you among the Christians unless I see you in the Church of Christ.' Whereupon he replied derisively, 'Is it then the walls that make Christians?' (Book VIII, Chapter 4)."
Victorinus was correct. The walls are not what make one a Christian, rather through Baptism we are made Christians. Nevertheless, "the walls" are the visible representation of the spiritual truth of what we are. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
"What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the 'living stones,' gathered to be 'built into a spiritual house.' For the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, 'we are the temple of the living God (1179).'"
When we gather together within the walls of the church, we gather as one Body - the Body of Christ. Just as a building must, in its architecture, be unified for the building to stand, so must we be. We are "living stones" of the household of God, unified by our one Faith, one Baptism, and partaking of the one Eucharist. The Faith, "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, [with] Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20)," is the unifying foundation for the Church. We who bear the name of Christian, share in this one Faith.
We then, are Kingdom of Christ, "the eternal dwelling for God's majesty . . . [who] build up the heavenly Jerusalem (Collect for the Feast)." In the celebration of this glorious feast day, we pray that we may more perfectly reflect this truth. In order to do this, we must be perfected in grace, so that we may be a fitting stone for the Church of God. By this I mean that just an unstable brick would not be used in the construction of a building, for one would risk the collapse of the building, so the Church cannot obtain her perfection until all Her members are perfected in the Christian life. The difference is, of course, that God works with imperfect instruments and by the power of the Holy Spirit protects the Church from collapse. Christ has built His Church firmly upon the Rock of Peter and the foundation of the other Apostles, and thus the Church may never collapse (Matthew 16:18).
Nonetheless, the Church may be greatly afflicted and broken, albeit never in Her foundation or inner structure, for that is Christ, and thus the Church is always holy just as Christ is holy. However, it is for this reason that the Christian must work to be perfected in grace, so that he may always be united to the Church and may be a witness to the world of the glory of Christ. How often have we driven through a city and seen a run down or gutted out building and felt either pity for it or disgust at it, or both. It is the same when the world sees the Church through a Christian has disfigured himself or herself through sin; they see the Church as not worthy of admiration. However, when we live the words of our Lord, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16)," the world will be left in wonder at the "living stones," which build up the Church, just as we are astounded by the beauty of a well ornamented church building.
Now the church building is essential for this perfection in grace. Note that I do not mean that the Sacraments and/or prayer cannot take place outside of the sacred place, for, "The worship 'in Spirit and in truth' of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place (CCC, 1179)." What I am saying is that the church holds a deep theological significance which the Faith cannot set aside. To go there is to express one's unity with the entire Church through prayer, through hearing the Divine Word, through instruction in the Faith, and through the Sacraments. Christianity is a communal faith. The Catechism says, "These visible churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ (1180)." First and foremost, through the Liturgy God comes to dwell in our souls.
The church is designed in such a manner that it can most perfectly bring about the dwelling of God in our souls. The Catechism explains various features of a church. It says:
"A church, 'house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful - this house ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred ceremonial.' In this 'house of God' the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should show Christ to be present and active in this place.
"The altar of the New Covenant is the Lord's Cross, from which the sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow. On the altar, which is the center of the church, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs. . . .
"The tabernacle is to be situated 'in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor.' The dignity, placing, and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
"The sacred chrism (myron), used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the seal of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally reserved and venerated in a secure place in the sanctuary. The oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick may also be placed there.
"The chair of the bishop (cathedra) or that of the priest 'should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer.'
"The lectern (ambo): 'The dignity of the Word of God requires the church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place during the liturgy of the Word.'
"The gathering of the People of God begins with Baptism; a church must have a place for the celebration of Baptism (baptistery) and for fostering remembrance of the baptismal promises (holy water font).
"The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance. A church, then, must lend itself to the expression of repentance and the reception of forgiveness, which requires an appropriate place to receive penitents.
"A church must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist (1181-1185, emphases in original)."
I quote the Catechism at length because there is a great epidemic in the Church that the building itself is unimportant, that it is simply a gathering place and serves more of a functionary purpose. This could not be further from the truth! Yes, Christians can and should worship God through prayer outside the church, but the church is specifically given to worship of God. The very nature of the building is designed to foster prayer and for this reason, Christians should be so familiar with the church building they know it like they know their own home. They should know which pews creak, where the not to sit because you'll be blinded by the sunlight, etc.
Certain places are much more conducive to certain acts than others. Anyone who has ever tried to sleep in economy class on a transAtlantic flight knows that an airplane is not conducive to the act of sleeping. Rather, we use a bed for such an act. However, a bedroom is not the place in which one would have a fancy dinner; instead, one would use a formal dining room. The same holds true for the church. It is conducive to prayer, it is the place where certain actions, such as Mass, Baptism, Confession, are most proper. It is not that they cannot be performed other places but all the matter of the church is constituted so as to assist the Faithful in harvesting the most fruit from the sacred actions they participate in and perform.
The church has a "feeling" about it, much as a library or a museum have a "feeling." Something that transcends our everyday lives is present there. The difference is that in those secular buildings we may only in some way transcend the present into the past. However, in the church, we transcend our earthly existence. We transcend the present into the past and the future, and beyond. I quote the Catechism again:
"To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold, which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new Life to which all men are called. The visible church is a symbol of the Father's house toward which the People of God is journeying and where the Father 'will wipe every tear from their eyes (1186, emphasis in original).'"
In a church we are able to transcend our earthly existence because it is the house where God dwells. Therefore, we encounter God there, and thus, our final end. Which brings us full circle in our meditations for the month of November. Last week, in considering the three states of the Church, we considered how we make up the Church Militant, the Pilgrim Church. As the Catechism pointed out, the church building is a symbol of what we are called to be and what we journey towards. It is, on this earth, the New Jerusalem we journey to. It is also a sign of what we are called to be.
In today's Office of Readings, St. Caesarius of Arles says, "Let us not destroy the living temples of God in ourselves by works of evil. . . . Whenever we come to church, we must prepare our hearts to be as beautiful as we expect this church to be." We must work to purify our souls so that God may enter into them through the Sacraments, Liturgy, and prayer, and dwell in us as He does in the church. Then we will truly be living stones in the New Jerusalem!
Friday, November 7, 2014
The Mother and Head of All the Churches of the City and of the World
| The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist on the Lateran |
| The main altar and baldacchino |
| The cathedra of the Bishop of Rome |
| The Altar of the Eucharist and the Priesthood (Note: the Blessed Sacrament does not repose here) |
| The altar is said to contain the table used by our Lord at the Last Supper |
| The Statue of St. John the Baptist, under the main altar |
| The main altar, which is said to contain a part of the Communion Table of St. Peter. The heads of St. Peter and St. Paul are above the altar. |
| Christ the Savior, St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Apostle and Evangelist |
| Pictures of the Prophets surround the nave of the Basilica. Above is the portrait of the Prophet Micah |
| Above is the picture of the Prophet Obadiah |
| Statues of the twelve Apostles also tower over the Nave. Above is the statue of St. Peter |
| Above is the Statue of St. Paul |
| The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Everyday the intentions of those praying are for the Intentions of the Holy Father. |
| Ancient image of the Dormition of Mary and her Assumption |
| Altar of Our Lady in Glory, Queen of Heaven and Earth |
Monday, November 3, 2014
A Triduum of the Church: The Church Suffering
An interesting and relatively new event occurred yesterday. The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed occurred on Sunday. Commonly known as All Souls' Day, the older liturgical practice of the Church was to transfer this feast day to Monday, when November 2, fell on a Sunday, the reason for this being that the day has a penitential and sorrowful overtone, improper to Sunday.
Nevertheless, the day also has a hopeful aspect to it, which is why it may be celebrated on Sunday, in that it focuses on the second happiest souls in existence. The first are, of course, the Blessed Saints in Heaven, for they have already obtained eternal beatitude. The souls in purgatory are, however, the second happiest souls, for they are guaranteed of one day seeing God face to face. This is in contradiction to us, poor sinners, who may still forfeit our salvation through sin.
I feel we can say, though, this day makes more evident the Communion of the Saints which we have as our focus over these three days. The reason I state this is because we should be so consciously aware of how we mutually benefit each other here. We offer our prayers and supplications for the poor souls in Purgatory to bring about their purification sooner, and they in turn pray for us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
"'In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins' she offers her suffrages for them.' Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective (958)."
Praying for the departed goes back to the Old Testament. In the Second Book of Maccabees, Judas has sacrifices offered for the sins of the dead, and it refers to his action saying, "In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But . . . it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin (2 Maccabees 12:43-45)." Through Christ, this teaching was further developed, as the teaching on Purgatory was understood.
This development took place especially during the Ecumenical Councils of Florence and Trent when the doctrine was under attack (CCC 1031). Nevertheless we find it in the New Testament as well, such as, "If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:15)," and in the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Gregory the Great and St. John Chysostom (CCC 1031, 1032). St. Gregory the Great said, "As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire," and, ". . . whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come." Then Chrysostom says, "Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them."
The best means we have at our disposal to pray for the dead is through the Sacrifice of the Cross, i.e. by offering Masses for the faithful departed (CCC 1032). Nevertheless, the Church, during the month of November, encourages praying for the dead in a special way, especially from yesterday and for the seven following days. In fact, the Church offers, from November 1 through November 8, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, under the usual conditions (Reception of Communion and Confession within eight day of the work, prayer for the Holy Father's Intentions, and the freedom from attachment to sin), to the Faithful who visit a cemetery and say any prayers for the eternal rest of all the Faithful Departed. Through these days the blessings of the Church flow forth for the Poor Souls in Purgatory, releasing them from their purification, and thus in turn, sending forth innumerable blessings down upon us.
The Poor Souls in Purgatory are an essential part of the Communion of the Saints, and for that reason we should never forget about them, just as we should never forget about the saints in the Church Triumphant. The Liturgy constantly puts before us these two things. Throughout the year, we celebrate the various commemorations of the saints. In every Mass, within the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray both for the living and for, "our departed brothers and sisters and . . . all who were pleasing to you at their passing from this life (Eucharistic Prayer III)," and we commemorate the, "elect, especially . . . the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, . . . blessed Joseph, her spouse, . . . [the] blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs and . . . all the Saints, on whose constant intercession in your [God's] presence we rely for unfailing help (Eucharistic Prayer III)." In the Intercessions of the Liturgy of the Hours, Evening Prayer's concluding one is always for the Faithful Departed.
Even outside the Liturgy, it has been the constant practice of Christians to keep the memory of the Faithful Departed. Traditionally, the prayer after meals is followed by a prayer for the Poor Souls, i.e. "May the souls of the Faithful Departed rest in peace." The Litany of the Saints contains a concluding prayer for the Faithful Departed. The Requiem aeternam should be ever on our lips. "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen."
But the best thing we can do, after the Sacrifice of the Mass, is to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory through our sacrifices. We are familiar with offering sacrifices for ourselves and for our brethren on this earth. Nonetheless, it is even greater to offer sacrifice for those who cannot offer it for themselves. The Poor Souls are called "poor" because they can do nothing for themselves. They can no longer merit for themselves; merit for one's soul can only be gained during this life. Thus, they are utterly helpless in relieving their own suffering. They are even more destitute than the poorest and most helpless person on this earth.
Let us then, through a tremendous act of charity, never neglect the Faithful Departed. Let us pray for our own beloved parents, grandparents, and all our ancestors. Let us pray for our families who have gone before us. Let us pray for our friends and all those who did us any good while on this earth. Let us especially, however, pray for those poor forgotten souls, who no longer have anyone to pray for them. Let us continually offer prayer and sacrifice for them.
The saints were most familiar with praying for the Faithful Departed. Indeed, there were even some who made what is called the Heroic Act of Charity, in which they sacrificed all merit for their own souls and offered it instead for the Poor Souls. How deep was their trust and their love! They knew that they would not lose their eternal reward through this, but it would instead be magnified all the more, for once those Poor Souls attain unto the Heavenly Jerusalem, they will not cease to pray for their benefactors upon earth.
May we always hold fast in faith to the Communion of the Saints. Let us help each other on our Pilgrimage to our Heavenly Homeland. Let us learn from the wisdom of the saints, and never tire of asking them to intercede for us and for the Poor Souls. And let us offer prayer and sacrifice for Faithful Departed, so that they will in turn aid us in attaining the glory of Heaven, where we will all, as the Church Triumphant, praise for all eternity the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
Nevertheless, the day also has a hopeful aspect to it, which is why it may be celebrated on Sunday, in that it focuses on the second happiest souls in existence. The first are, of course, the Blessed Saints in Heaven, for they have already obtained eternal beatitude. The souls in purgatory are, however, the second happiest souls, for they are guaranteed of one day seeing God face to face. This is in contradiction to us, poor sinners, who may still forfeit our salvation through sin.
I feel we can say, though, this day makes more evident the Communion of the Saints which we have as our focus over these three days. The reason I state this is because we should be so consciously aware of how we mutually benefit each other here. We offer our prayers and supplications for the poor souls in Purgatory to bring about their purification sooner, and they in turn pray for us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
"'In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins' she offers her suffrages for them.' Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective (958)."
Praying for the departed goes back to the Old Testament. In the Second Book of Maccabees, Judas has sacrifices offered for the sins of the dead, and it refers to his action saying, "In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But . . . it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin (2 Maccabees 12:43-45)." Through Christ, this teaching was further developed, as the teaching on Purgatory was understood.
This development took place especially during the Ecumenical Councils of Florence and Trent when the doctrine was under attack (CCC 1031). Nevertheless we find it in the New Testament as well, such as, "If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:15)," and in the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Gregory the Great and St. John Chysostom (CCC 1031, 1032). St. Gregory the Great said, "As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire," and, ". . . whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come." Then Chrysostom says, "Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them."
The best means we have at our disposal to pray for the dead is through the Sacrifice of the Cross, i.e. by offering Masses for the faithful departed (CCC 1032). Nevertheless, the Church, during the month of November, encourages praying for the dead in a special way, especially from yesterday and for the seven following days. In fact, the Church offers, from November 1 through November 8, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, under the usual conditions (Reception of Communion and Confession within eight day of the work, prayer for the Holy Father's Intentions, and the freedom from attachment to sin), to the Faithful who visit a cemetery and say any prayers for the eternal rest of all the Faithful Departed. Through these days the blessings of the Church flow forth for the Poor Souls in Purgatory, releasing them from their purification, and thus in turn, sending forth innumerable blessings down upon us.
The Poor Souls in Purgatory are an essential part of the Communion of the Saints, and for that reason we should never forget about them, just as we should never forget about the saints in the Church Triumphant. The Liturgy constantly puts before us these two things. Throughout the year, we celebrate the various commemorations of the saints. In every Mass, within the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray both for the living and for, "our departed brothers and sisters and . . . all who were pleasing to you at their passing from this life (Eucharistic Prayer III)," and we commemorate the, "elect, especially . . . the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, . . . blessed Joseph, her spouse, . . . [the] blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs and . . . all the Saints, on whose constant intercession in your [God's] presence we rely for unfailing help (Eucharistic Prayer III)." In the Intercessions of the Liturgy of the Hours, Evening Prayer's concluding one is always for the Faithful Departed.
Even outside the Liturgy, it has been the constant practice of Christians to keep the memory of the Faithful Departed. Traditionally, the prayer after meals is followed by a prayer for the Poor Souls, i.e. "May the souls of the Faithful Departed rest in peace." The Litany of the Saints contains a concluding prayer for the Faithful Departed. The Requiem aeternam should be ever on our lips. "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen."
But the best thing we can do, after the Sacrifice of the Mass, is to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory through our sacrifices. We are familiar with offering sacrifices for ourselves and for our brethren on this earth. Nonetheless, it is even greater to offer sacrifice for those who cannot offer it for themselves. The Poor Souls are called "poor" because they can do nothing for themselves. They can no longer merit for themselves; merit for one's soul can only be gained during this life. Thus, they are utterly helpless in relieving their own suffering. They are even more destitute than the poorest and most helpless person on this earth.
Let us then, through a tremendous act of charity, never neglect the Faithful Departed. Let us pray for our own beloved parents, grandparents, and all our ancestors. Let us pray for our families who have gone before us. Let us pray for our friends and all those who did us any good while on this earth. Let us especially, however, pray for those poor forgotten souls, who no longer have anyone to pray for them. Let us continually offer prayer and sacrifice for them.
The saints were most familiar with praying for the Faithful Departed. Indeed, there were even some who made what is called the Heroic Act of Charity, in which they sacrificed all merit for their own souls and offered it instead for the Poor Souls. How deep was their trust and their love! They knew that they would not lose their eternal reward through this, but it would instead be magnified all the more, for once those Poor Souls attain unto the Heavenly Jerusalem, they will not cease to pray for their benefactors upon earth.
May we always hold fast in faith to the Communion of the Saints. Let us help each other on our Pilgrimage to our Heavenly Homeland. Let us learn from the wisdom of the saints, and never tire of asking them to intercede for us and for the Poor Souls. And let us offer prayer and sacrifice for Faithful Departed, so that they will in turn aid us in attaining the glory of Heaven, where we will all, as the Church Triumphant, praise for all eternity the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
A Triduum of the Church: The Church Triumphant
"We don't choose the saints, they choose us." - Anonymous
Today's solemnity, All Saints' Day, has a relatively interesting history in the Church. Originally, the feast was meant to commemorate all of the unknown martyrs, since they were the first saints whose feasts were commemorated in the early Church. This led to the title for the Pantheon when it was converted into a Church, Santa Maria ad Martyres, Saint Mary of the Martyrs. It was essentially given to the Queen of All Saints. Eventually, this feast was extended to commemorate all of the Saints, both those known and unknown.
We rejoice in the entire Church Triumphant, who now behold God face to face in the Beatific Vision. They provide us with a constant example of holiness and the blessing of their prayers. As the preface for today states, "Towards her [the heavenly Jerusalem], we eagerly hasten as pilgrims advancing by faith, rejoicing in the glory bestowed upon those exalted members of the Church through whom you give us, in our frailty, both strength and good example." Yesterday we considered ourselves as part of the pilgrim Church on earth, but that is simply a temporary state. The Church Triumphant is permanent and will last for all time. It is our end goal, and those holy men and women who have already attained to its glory are truly our brothers and sisters!
As we form one family then, it is their great joy to aid and support us, and it is our duty to maintain a relationship with them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
"'. . . The union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods (955).'"
The saints aid us in a most wonderful way by their constant prayers and intercessions for us. Because they are perfectly united to God they are able to pray to Him in a way we cannot, and He gives a generous hearing to them. The Catechism teaches this through the words:
"'Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . . (T)hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus. . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped (956).'"
We do well then when we offer all our prayers through the saints, especially through the Queen of All Saints, Mary. However, as was said above, though, they also provide us with examples of holiness and other spiritual goods. While it is true that some of their examples are more to be impressed at rather than emulated, such as St. John Vianney's only eating a boiled potato for lunch every day or the stylites who sat on a pole as penance throughout the days, there are those who also provide us with means to holiness we can follow. I think especially of the "Little Way," of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, who teaches us to offer everything to Christ, even our most little sufferings, as a path to sanctification. There is also the Introduction to the Devout Life of St. Francis de Sales, which contains within it a method for living out the Universal Call to Holiness, spoken of by the Second Vatican Council.
This also leads me to speak of the other spiritual goods left to us by the saints. One of these are the writings of the doctors of the Church. Of the 35 doctors, there is a plenitude of teachings and various writings which we may use to grow in our knowledge of God. There are the theological works of the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, and and St. John Chrysostom, as well as the climax of theological works in the Scholastics such as the preeminent St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure and St. Anselm. There are those who wrote such beautiful meditations that we can never cease to be inspired by the reading of them, such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Alphonsus Liguori. Let us also remember the mystical works, especially of the Carmelite Doctors St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. And of course there are the spiritual direction writings of the above mentioned St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Nevertheless, the spiritual goods they leave us are not just writings which help us grow closer to God, but outstanding witness which inspire us to follow Jesus in carrying our crosses. I think first of the Holy Martyrs. There are the numerous ones of the early Church, such as St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, and St. Irenaeus, and the most beloved virgin martyrs of the time, St. Cecilia, St. Agnes, St. Agatha, and St. Lucy. Of course, there are many martyrs throughout the ages as well. I recall the North American Martyrs, St. Boniface, and St. Charles Lwanga and his companions. And there are the martyrs of especially recent times, St. Maria Goretti and St. Maximillian Kolbe. All of the martyrs show us how highly we should prize our love of Christ. We should always be willing to lay down our lives for Him!
However, if it is holiness of life we wish to see, there are no better examples than the holy virgins of the Church, along with the holy men and women. For love of the Eucharist, let us consider St. Clare and St. John Vianney, and let us imitate their love. There are the women, such as St. Jane Francis de Chantel and St. Bernadette who consecrated their lives wholly to God. Although we do not follow them in their total consecration, let us imitate their commitment. There are the men who gave everything to follow God's will, such as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola. From them we may learn to always put God's will first. Or let us consider the men and women of the Old Testament in their trust of God. There is holy Job, who said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)," or Esther who entrusted her task to the Lord God and then did what she had to, in trust the Lord would bring it to a happy issue (Esther 14). And of course there are Abraham, who trusted the Lord would remain faithful to His promise, and the mother of the seven children in the Book of Maccabees.
Ultimately though, from the saints we should learn love - love for God and neighbor. Let us look at the prime examples of those Biblical saints, the holy Apostles, who left everything and ultimately laid down their lives for Christ. St. Peter, who so often failed in his love, but never despaired, and ultimately was crucified for his love. St. Paul loved Jesus so much he never ceased to have His name upon his lips. St. John is called the beloved Disciple because of his love for Christ, and it is he who tells of of the love God has for us (1 John). However, we would be remiss if we neglect to look at the holy women of the time of Christ, who faithfully followed Him. There is St. Mary Magdalene, who clung faithfully to Christ after being brought to new life by Him. There is St. Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus during His Passion.
And, of course, let us not forget to mention the saints who were most close to our Lord. There is St. Joseph, who raised Him, and died a happy death in His arms, as we should hope to do. There is St. John the Baptist, who always pointed not to Himself, but to Christ. And lastly, there is the saint of Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is Queen of the Angels and Saints on account of her love. All of the great saints entrusted themselves to her. Let us follow in their example so that we may become great saints as well in the Heavenly Jerusalem.
There are so many other saints I could mention, St. Pius X, St. Tarcisius, St. John Bosco, but all of them have one thing in common, and that is their love for Jesus Christ being the one thing that shown forth in their lives. This is what we must also do.
I started the beginning of this post with the quote that the saints choose us, not the other way around. This is because from eternity, in His most mysterious plan, God choose them for us, in order to bring us to Heaven. The Church both on earth and in Heaven is a family, then, because of the providential guidance we receive, and the glory we give Christ through them. The love for Christ our King is the binding force of this. We begin the month of November with the feast of All Saints, and we will close it with Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, because through the saints we are led to Jesus Christ our King!
Let us close with this quote from the Catechism:
"It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself (495)."
Today's solemnity, All Saints' Day, has a relatively interesting history in the Church. Originally, the feast was meant to commemorate all of the unknown martyrs, since they were the first saints whose feasts were commemorated in the early Church. This led to the title for the Pantheon when it was converted into a Church, Santa Maria ad Martyres, Saint Mary of the Martyrs. It was essentially given to the Queen of All Saints. Eventually, this feast was extended to commemorate all of the Saints, both those known and unknown.
We rejoice in the entire Church Triumphant, who now behold God face to face in the Beatific Vision. They provide us with a constant example of holiness and the blessing of their prayers. As the preface for today states, "Towards her [the heavenly Jerusalem], we eagerly hasten as pilgrims advancing by faith, rejoicing in the glory bestowed upon those exalted members of the Church through whom you give us, in our frailty, both strength and good example." Yesterday we considered ourselves as part of the pilgrim Church on earth, but that is simply a temporary state. The Church Triumphant is permanent and will last for all time. It is our end goal, and those holy men and women who have already attained to its glory are truly our brothers and sisters!
As we form one family then, it is their great joy to aid and support us, and it is our duty to maintain a relationship with them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
"'. . . The union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods (955).'"
The saints aid us in a most wonderful way by their constant prayers and intercessions for us. Because they are perfectly united to God they are able to pray to Him in a way we cannot, and He gives a generous hearing to them. The Catechism teaches this through the words:
"'Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . . (T)hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus. . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped (956).'"
We do well then when we offer all our prayers through the saints, especially through the Queen of All Saints, Mary. However, as was said above, though, they also provide us with examples of holiness and other spiritual goods. While it is true that some of their examples are more to be impressed at rather than emulated, such as St. John Vianney's only eating a boiled potato for lunch every day or the stylites who sat on a pole as penance throughout the days, there are those who also provide us with means to holiness we can follow. I think especially of the "Little Way," of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, who teaches us to offer everything to Christ, even our most little sufferings, as a path to sanctification. There is also the Introduction to the Devout Life of St. Francis de Sales, which contains within it a method for living out the Universal Call to Holiness, spoken of by the Second Vatican Council.
This also leads me to speak of the other spiritual goods left to us by the saints. One of these are the writings of the doctors of the Church. Of the 35 doctors, there is a plenitude of teachings and various writings which we may use to grow in our knowledge of God. There are the theological works of the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, and and St. John Chrysostom, as well as the climax of theological works in the Scholastics such as the preeminent St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure and St. Anselm. There are those who wrote such beautiful meditations that we can never cease to be inspired by the reading of them, such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Alphonsus Liguori. Let us also remember the mystical works, especially of the Carmelite Doctors St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. And of course there are the spiritual direction writings of the above mentioned St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Nevertheless, the spiritual goods they leave us are not just writings which help us grow closer to God, but outstanding witness which inspire us to follow Jesus in carrying our crosses. I think first of the Holy Martyrs. There are the numerous ones of the early Church, such as St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, and St. Irenaeus, and the most beloved virgin martyrs of the time, St. Cecilia, St. Agnes, St. Agatha, and St. Lucy. Of course, there are many martyrs throughout the ages as well. I recall the North American Martyrs, St. Boniface, and St. Charles Lwanga and his companions. And there are the martyrs of especially recent times, St. Maria Goretti and St. Maximillian Kolbe. All of the martyrs show us how highly we should prize our love of Christ. We should always be willing to lay down our lives for Him!
However, if it is holiness of life we wish to see, there are no better examples than the holy virgins of the Church, along with the holy men and women. For love of the Eucharist, let us consider St. Clare and St. John Vianney, and let us imitate their love. There are the women, such as St. Jane Francis de Chantel and St. Bernadette who consecrated their lives wholly to God. Although we do not follow them in their total consecration, let us imitate their commitment. There are the men who gave everything to follow God's will, such as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola. From them we may learn to always put God's will first. Or let us consider the men and women of the Old Testament in their trust of God. There is holy Job, who said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)," or Esther who entrusted her task to the Lord God and then did what she had to, in trust the Lord would bring it to a happy issue (Esther 14). And of course there are Abraham, who trusted the Lord would remain faithful to His promise, and the mother of the seven children in the Book of Maccabees.
Ultimately though, from the saints we should learn love - love for God and neighbor. Let us look at the prime examples of those Biblical saints, the holy Apostles, who left everything and ultimately laid down their lives for Christ. St. Peter, who so often failed in his love, but never despaired, and ultimately was crucified for his love. St. Paul loved Jesus so much he never ceased to have His name upon his lips. St. John is called the beloved Disciple because of his love for Christ, and it is he who tells of of the love God has for us (1 John). However, we would be remiss if we neglect to look at the holy women of the time of Christ, who faithfully followed Him. There is St. Mary Magdalene, who clung faithfully to Christ after being brought to new life by Him. There is St. Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus during His Passion.
And, of course, let us not forget to mention the saints who were most close to our Lord. There is St. Joseph, who raised Him, and died a happy death in His arms, as we should hope to do. There is St. John the Baptist, who always pointed not to Himself, but to Christ. And lastly, there is the saint of Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is Queen of the Angels and Saints on account of her love. All of the great saints entrusted themselves to her. Let us follow in their example so that we may become great saints as well in the Heavenly Jerusalem.
There are so many other saints I could mention, St. Pius X, St. Tarcisius, St. John Bosco, but all of them have one thing in common, and that is their love for Jesus Christ being the one thing that shown forth in their lives. This is what we must also do.
I started the beginning of this post with the quote that the saints choose us, not the other way around. This is because from eternity, in His most mysterious plan, God choose them for us, in order to bring us to Heaven. The Church both on earth and in Heaven is a family, then, because of the providential guidance we receive, and the glory we give Christ through them. The love for Christ our King is the binding force of this. We begin the month of November with the feast of All Saints, and we will close it with Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, because through the saints we are led to Jesus Christ our King!
Let us close with this quote from the Catechism:
"It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself (495)."
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