The problem of evil is perplexing. If God is all-powerful and all-good, why doesn’t He stop bad things from happening? He must either not be all-powerful, or perhaps He’s not very good after all. Human beings have faced the possibility of evil since the very beginning of our existence. In granting us free will, God gives us the ability to make free choices. God does not force us into moral perfection. We are not forced to love Him or to love our neighbor. We must make the decision ourselves. This means, of course, that we have the ability to choose against love.

One small decision of selfishness, jealously, or pride may not seem so bad. But every decision – good or bad – is like a stone dropped into a still pond. The ripples extend much farther than the original stone. When decisions against love begin to compound, they affect families, neighborhoods, and nations. This is all the more reason for Christians to be faithful to our baptismal call to love one another as Christ has loved us!

©LPi

Discerning a vocation can happen in any number of ways. It might come as a surprise to the person called or to family or friends. Sometimes it is a gradual process, and other times it is as quick and bright as lightning. Regardless of how it starts, a vocation to the priesthood or religious life requires a process of discerning, testing, and preparing. The best place to begin would be with lots of prayer, receiving the sacraments, and attending daily Mass whenever possible. Then talk to your pastor or a priest you know and trust. Your diocese may have a vocation director who can provide you with guidance and information. The Serra Club is also a great resource for information and contacts to help you discern if indeed God is calling you.

Remember that many young Catholic men have considered the priesthood. Some are ordained and others realize this is not their calling. However, we are all called to be of service to others as we practice our faith. These are extraordinary times in which we live, and they require an extraordinary witness to faith and to God’s presence in the world. Our work, our ministry as Catholics, is to be the body of Christ with and for others. The Church needs priests. If God calls you to ordained service in the church, He will provide the grace, direction, and support you need. Just listen and respond with all your heart, mind, and soul.

©LPi

Foot washing is an ancient practice of hospitality. In Israel in Jesus’ day, with its deserts and dusty roads, washing of feet was an act of honor on the part of the host. However, the host himself would not do the washing. That was the role of the servant. The Apostles would have been accustomed to this tradition. At the Last Supper, Jesus takes on the role of the servant, washing the feet of his followers and friends. He models the humble, loving service to which the Apostles would soon be called.

Holy Thursday is the commemoration of the Last Supper. We celebrate many things, including the institution of both the Eucharist and the priesthood – “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19B). When the priest washes the feet of his parishioners, he is modeling the service of Christ. While foot washing is no longer a common practice in our society, we too are invited to imitate Christ’s sacrificial service to others.

©LPi

Despite the often packed churches, you may be surprised to hear that the answer is no! Holy days of obligation commemorate a particular event (such as the birth of Christ at Christmas) or celebrate particular people (such as Mary’s Immaculate Conception or the feast of All Saints). Ash Wednesday is a day of penance, fasting, and abstinence to begin the season of Lent. In a sense, it focuses on a concept rather than something particular and concrete.

Of course, repentance ought to be reflected in particular, concrete ways! That’s one of the reasons that attending Mass on Ash Wednesday is a very good idea. It marks the beginning of a solemn season of penance. Despite all its comparisons to the desert, Lent can be very fruitful for our spiritual growth! Beginning this season with the celebration of Mass and the reception of ashes is a sign of our commitment to God and to spiritual growth.

©LPi

Charles Shultz, the creator of the Peanuts comics wrote, “I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand!” This good humored comment gets at an important truth. St. John wrote a very strong statement in one of his letters: “If anyone says ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). How often do we say “I love the homeless,” but ignore the parish food drive? Or insist on the importance of respecting others, but don’t bother to say hello to our cashier? If we can’t love an individual person, we might not love people like we think, and we certainly need to work on our love for God.

Love is “the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC 1822). God knows acts of love of Him and others isn’t always easy. So He invites us to pray for the grace to do it. The virtue of love gives us the grace and strength we need to offer our lives to God and love people in our lives, especially those who are difficult to respect, tolerate, and care for. Real love, of course, is risky. Real love wills the good of the other when we just want good for ourselves. Real love gets up on the cross when we’d prefer to take a nap in Gethsemane. Real love changes things.

©LPi

Epiphany means “manifestation,” or public display. The feast is usually celebrated January 6. In the US, it is celebrated on the Sunday nearest to January 6. It originates from a story unique to Matthew (2:1-12). Magi from the East come to offer homage to the newborn King, presenting him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

This part of Matthew’s infancy narrative differs from Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. In Luke there are no Magi, star, nor gifts. Luke has Jesus being born in a stable after Mary and Joseph’s long travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Matthew seems to have the family living in a house in Bethlehem, where the Magi find them.

Why these differences? They stem from the needs and concerns of the audience the authors were addressing, as well as the theological stance of each author. Knowing the original intention helps get at the correct interpretation of the text.

Since Matthew was writing primarily to a Jewish community, his concern was to show that Jesus did not come just for Jews, but for Gentiles as well. From his very birth, Jesus not only manifests himself to Jews, but also to Gentiles, who are prominently included in the manifestation, symbolized by the Magi and their journey. This is the most significant aspect of the feast of Epiphany. How do you manifest Jesus to all with whom you come into contact?

©LPi

Great events in and of themselves are not tangible. They occur in life but leave no mark behind, nothing that someone could come across and know that something significant occurred. So we mark the event with monuments, holidays, gold watches or plaques, making a meaningful event tangible and memorable.

Gifts at Christmas do the same thing. They mark the occasion of the birth of Jesus, communicating a bit of the joy of the day by allowing us to be both giver and receiver. Gift-giving sets aside the day as special and different. The special foods, customs, decorations, and gifts all help focus our attention on the importance and meaning of the day and at the same time allow us to share personally in its joy and happiness.

In giving gifts, though, we can share in the meaning of Christmas in a significant way. We imitate God in sharing with others. We give a bit of ourselves to others in the gifts we give, just as God gives us the gift of his Son. No wonder we often say that the best gifts are those that come from the heart. Given in love, these presents are wrapped in the best covering of all.

©LPi

November 2nd, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, dovetails with November 1st, the feast of All Saints. The saints, our models of Christian living, are one with God in heaven. All the faithful departed are those who have died with hope and trust in a loving God who calls us to greater growth and development, even beyond death. This growth and development occurs in a state of being that we have traditionally called purgatory.

While the Western Church has emphasized the cleansing and purifying nature of purgatory, the Eastern Orthodox Church has emphasized the growth and development aspect of it. Today, belief in purgatory allows one who has died in Christ to continue growing and developing before meeting God face to face. God continually invites communion with these loved ones, but some feel the need to continue growing and developing before entering into full communion with God.

These November feasts vividly remind us of the rich reality known as the communion of saints. This belief stresses the strong affirmation that the church is always one in Christ. Death does not sever any of the bonds that unite us in Christ. That is why it is a fitting practice to pray for the dead and to ask them to pray for us. Just as we do that for each other when we are alive, so, too, do we continue that bond and concern for each other even beyond death.

©LPi

The short answer: nowadays, a little bit of both. But it wasn’t always that way. Halloween and All Saints’ Day are closely connected. In the 800s, the Catholic Church began celebrating All Saints’ Day. It was originally called All Hallow’s Day or Hallowmas. The celebration began early on All Hallows’ Eve. But if Halloween is really about the saints in all their victorious glory, where do we get haunted houses, costumes, and pranks?

All Saints’ Day became associated with the other deceased rather quickly. November 2nd is All Souls Day, where we pray for the souls in purgatory. Throughout the European world, especially with the Celtic and Germanic peoples, the dead were honored in the autumn months. The Celtic pagan celebration of Samhain had its own folk rituals and occurred around the same time as these Catholic feast days.

Within the last few hundred years, this included dressing in disguise and going door to door, asking for food in exchange for a rhyme or poem. Some people masqueraded as “dark” spirits and pulled pranks on others. Today’s celebration of Halloween tends to take on these later practices, rather than the original meaning of celebrating the saints. But remember…this feast was Catholic first!

©LPi

Sacramental marriage is indeed indissoluble. You can find this in several places in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Indissolubility is foundational to the union of marriage (CCC 1646) and required by spousal love (CCC 1644). This quality of marriage draws its meaning from the fidelity of Jesus to his Bride, the Church (CCC 1647). Spouses give themselves forever to each other. Through the vows and their consummation, the spouses form a covenantal bond that binds them as one. Indissolubility presumes and depends on this sacramental bond between the spouses.

Sometimes, however, there are impediments to marriage that are overlooked, poorly understood, or unknown. It is possible that at the time of the vows, something was either present or absent that made the consent invalid. The ceremony itself does not bring about the sacrament. The priest is the official witness of the Church, but he is not the minister of the sacrament. The husband and wife are the ministers of the sacrament to each other. Without the full, free, and able consent of the man and the woman, no sacrament takes place. An annulment does not destroy the marriage bond. It is an acknowledgement that the sacramental bond did not form in the first place.

©LPi

Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, is credited with having discovered the true cross around 330. She traveled to the Holy Land and uncovered the places associated with Jesus’ life. Legend has it that Helena uncovered three crosses but was not able to detect the true cross until each of them was laid on a leper. Only one of them cured the leper, proving it to be the true cross. A great church was built at the site, and soon various portions of the cross were sent to other churches as relics to be venerated.

The day after the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, September 14, 335, the actual cross was displayed for veneration. Egeria, a women traveler to Jerusalem around the year 386, kept a diary that has survived. She tells of the unique veneration of the wood of the cross that took place on Good Friday, something maintained ritually to this very day.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross focuses on the gift of love that Jesus manifested by his total gift of self, offered for all. The cross, the ultimate form of capital punishment in its day, has become for us the ultimate symbol of love and triumph over evil and death.

©LPi

One of the most important principles of Catholic social teaching is the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Four encyclicals address this foundational social teaching: Rerum Novarum (1891) by Leo XIII, Quadragesimo Anno (1931) by Pius XI, Laborem Exercens (1981), and Centesimus Annus (1991) by John Paul II. They address both the theology and dignity of work. In Genesis, God takes the initiative in creating the world, calling forth human beings to be faithful stewards of creation. We are thus formed to share in God’s continuing creative activity by partnering with God in finishing the world and helping bring it to completion and fulfillment. From this perspective, work can be spiritually understood in terms of sharing in God’s ongoing activity to build, create, and transform the world. Human beings are co-creators with God. This vocation demands self-discipline.

Besides an exercise in self-discipline, work is also the means by which we develop and fulfill ourselves. In work, we shape the world and our environment. Through work, we also shape ourselves. Pope John Paul II summarized this point in Laborem Exercens #6, “the value of work is not primarily the kind of work being done, but the fact that the one who is doing it is a person.”

Labor Day offers an excellent opportunity to reflect on how we view work in light of our Catholic social teaching.

©LPi

Another term for the Sacrament of Confession is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We go to this sacrament not only to confess our sins, but to be reconciled with God. Of course, this begs the question, “If I can pray to God on my own, why can’t I be reconciled to God on my own?” In the seven sacraments, we recognize the importance of community. Sacraments like baptism or matrimony happen in the context of the wider church to remind us of the communal impact of our lives. We are not alone in our walk of faith!

We don’t need to confess our sins in front of the whole community – thank God! But going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a tangible reminder that our sins affect not only ourselves and our relationship with God, but others as well. Jesus gave his Apostles authority to forgive sins in his name. Through this sacrament, we are really, truly forgiven by God Himself. We receive an outpouring of grace and strength to sin no more and our relationship with Christ and his Body, the Church, are restored.

©LPi

Some families practice their religion together as just another event on their schedule: go to church, observe Lent, help at the parish picnic, go to a meeting, volunteer time, make your confession, use your envelope…But the focus needs to be on who we are – God’s people, in relationship with him, loved, forgiven, and redeemed, and called to live and proclaim the Gospel. Our awareness of God’s presence and our sense of mission are supported by the daily rituals, celebrations, and traditions that help us stay focused. Sharing our faith strengthens us and clarifies the beliefs and values of Christian living.

Daily family practices include time for prayer – before meals, before bed, before important meetings and activities. Attend Sunday Mass together and discuss the homily afterward. Create family celebrations for holy days and holidays. Make religion a regular part of your discussions. Include others, especially the elderly and the less fortunate, in your activities and charitable efforts. By applying the virtues of faith, hope, and love to each day, faith becomes part of who your family is. It influences how you act towards others, what you value, and how mindful of God you are. Faith is the leaven of life that helps all of us rise to our calling and dignity as God’s people.

©LPi

Gospels are a particular faith community’s reflection on Jesus. Each Gospel’s author reflected that community’s faith in Jesus. Jesus’ message is made relevant to the community’s situation and context. Mark was the first Gospel to be written. When Matthew and Luke wrote theirs, they imitated and adapted Mark for their communities.

Mark’s Gospel seems to be addressed to a faith community undergoing turmoil, rejection, and persecution—forces that threaten to overwhelm them. This provides the context around which Mark fashions the story of Jesus. He presents Jesus as the One sent by God to confront the forces of evil. That is the good news of Jesus.

Jesus’ struggle with the demonic forces leads to confrontation, rejection, outright opposition, and a conspiracy to do away with him. Realizing this, Jesus is not deterred. Rather Jesus calls for total faith in God who helps us to overcome the forces of evil. Suffering and even death seem to be the consequences of this struggle. Yet, that is not the end. The one who suffers for the sake of others, the suffering servant, will be the one through whom redemption and salvation will come to all. For Mark, this is what discipleship demands and what true faith in God can and will accomplish. See if you can detect these themes as you read Mark’s Gospel.

©LPi

Start on a personal level! How did you and your neighbor become friends? How did you begin to discuss such a personal topic as faith Communication, spending time together, and getting to know each other are essential to forming the bonds of a relationship. Personal prayer is essential to our relationship with God. We can’t be close to someone we don’t know! Invite your friend to explore the stories of Jesus in the Bible. Introduce them to the lives of the saints, especially ones you think they might be interested in.

Your neighbor might also have questions about the Catholic faith that you don’t know how to answer. If your friend hasn’t yet enrolled in RCIA classes, invite them to Mass at your parish. Introduce your friend to the faith formation director to make a connection. Personal support can be helpful as well, especially if few of your neighbor’s current friends are practicing their faith. Connect your neighbor to other people in your parish living their faith well. The good examples of other faithful people could help your neighbor to feel welcomed and supported. Our Church is vibrant and alive!

©LPi

The liturgies during Holy Week are unique and rich in symbolism. The Mass for Palm Sunday follows the pattern of the day 2,000 years ago when Jesus entered Jerusalem. It includes a Gospel reading outside the church building and the entrance of the priest into the sanctuary while the congregation waves palms.

The Holy Thursday Mass also follows the rhythm of the ancient Last Supper. The presider washes the feet of members of the congregation, like Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. After Mass, all remaining hosts are taken to an altar of repose, where adoration of the Blessed Sacrament occurs late into the night. Parishioners can remain like the disciples in Gethsemane, asked to “watch and pray.”

On Good Friday, we celebrate another special liturgical service. Following the Liturgy of the Word, there is a communal reverencing of the cross. The intercessions are solemn and include prayers for many different groups of people, reminding us that Jesus’ passion is for the whole world. There is no Liturgy of the Eucharist. Hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday are distributed, after which the tabernacle is empty. The tabernacle remains empty through Holy Saturday – just as Jesus departed from this earthly world in death – and we wait in hope for Easter Sunday!

©LPi

Foot washing is an ancient practice of hospitality. In Israel in Jesus’ day, with its deserts and dusty roads, washing of feet was an act of honor on the part of the host. However, the host himself would not do the washing. That was the role of the servant. The Apostles would have been accustomed to this tradition. At the Last Supper, Jesus takes on the role of the servant, washing the feet of his followers and friends. He models the humble, loving service to which the Apostles would soon be called.

Holy Thursday is the commemoration of the Last Supper. We celebrate many things, including the institution of both the Eucharist and the priesthood – “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19B). When the priest washes the feet of his parishioners, he is modeling the service of Christ. While foot washing is no longer a common practice in our society, we too are invited to imitate Christ’s sacrificial service to others.

©LPi

If you were born well before the year 2000, you know the feast of Divine Mercy has not always been celebrated in the Church. In the early 1900s, a young Polish nun began receiving private revelations. Jesus appeared to her during her times of prayer, speaking a message of mercy and love for the world. She received a set of prayers – the Divine Mercy Chaplet – and the request to have a feast day established to remind the Church of the mercy of God. St. Faustina died in 1938, on the cusp of war and in the midst of one of the most violent centuries in the history of the world.

Her story and her diaries began circulating in Poland and beyond. It quickly became apparent that this was a holy young women, and the cause for her canonization opened. In the year 2000, she was canonized by the first-ever Polish pope, St. John Paul II. On her canonization day, he established the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, “a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind with experience in the years to come.”

©LPi

The first Stations of the Cross were walked by Jesus himself on the way to Calvary. Known as the “Via Dolorosa” (“The Way of Suffering”) or the “Via Crucis” (“The Way of the Cross”), it was marked out from the earliest times and was a traditional walk for pilgrims who came to Jerusalem. The early Christians in Jerusalem would walk the same pathway that Jesus walked, pausing for reflection and prayer. Later, when Christians could not travel to the Holy Land, artistic depictions of “The Way of the Cross” were set up in churches, or outside and Christians would walk from station to station, reading the Gospel account of the Passion, or simply praying and reflecting on each event. While the content or place of each station had changed, the intention was to make a mini-pilgrimage and follow–literally–in the footsteps of Jesus.

This devotion became better known in the Middle Ages, and the Franciscans are credited with its spread. Lent is a time when many people make the Stations and some churches present Passion plays or Living Stations. But anyone can pray the Stations at any time. It is a simple and personal reflection on the passion of Jesus and what it means to us.

©LPi

This is an interesting question because beneath the surface there seems to be an assumption that if it’s okay, then why do we have to stay after we receive communion? The short answer is “no,” but we definitely want to go a bit deeper as we consider why.

First, when we think about questions like this, we must consider this in adult terms. If there is something gravely important that we need to do, then we must attend to that. However, if it is a matter of convenience or preference, then we really have to stop and think again. First, while we always want to recognize the importance of sacramental communion in the Mass, we also need to understand how important the time of thanksgiving and prayer after communion is. This is summarized in the Prayer After Communion offered by the celebrant and then we are also commissioned to “Go forth” during the Dismissal of the Mass, reminding us that we have been entrusted with a gift – the Word of God and the Presence of Christ in the sacrament – and that we are to share that gift with others.

If we simply leave after we receive communion, we risk two things. First, there is the possibility that we will turn our reception of communion into a purely personal, individual experience that is separated from our common experience of worship – and communion in the fullest sense – and, second, we lose an opportunity for gratitude and serious reflection if we simply leave after communion. This time of thanksgiving, reflection, and, ultimately, missioning, are important and, in the end, an essential part of the celebration of the Mass.

©LPi

The practice of members of the assembly holding hands while praying the Lord’s Prayer during the Mass is a custom that developed organically in the 1970s and 1980s. While some commentators acknowledge that the practice varies from place to place, it is a fairly universal reality in parishes across the United States. For some, this action symbolizes the communion of Christians praying together as one family of believers honoring the Father of All. Critics of the practice sometimes express concern that holding hands can be a distraction from the more significant unity that is experienced when we process to the altar to receive sacramental communion.

And so, we’re left to ask, what is the answer?

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the document that offers specific instructions for the celebration of the Mass) is silent on the practice, saying only that “all the faithful say the prayer” with the priest. The website of the US Bishops simply observes that “No position is prescribed in the Roman Missal for an assembly gesture during the Lord’s Prayer.” And so, we’re left to discern within ourselves and within our parish and religious communities what is an authentic gesture of praise during this important point of the Mass. For some, this means continuing to hold hands, while for others, this may mean adopting another posture of prayer.

©LPi

The process of proclaiming someone as a saint in the Catholic Church has evolved over the course of many centuries. In the beginning, those honored as saints were almost exclusively biblical figures or martyrs. However, after the legalization of Christianity in the fourth century, new holy women and men came to be honored as saints, and this was often done by popular acclaim or by the local bishop or abbot.

It was Pope Gregory IX (who was pope from 1227 to 1241) who officially proclaimed that only the pope had the authority to add someone to the official list (the “canon”) of saints. This is the meaning of the word “canonization.”

Today, the saint-making process includes several steps, including detailed studies of the person’s life and a recognition that they died as a martyr or lived a life of “heroic virtue.” Once someone is recognized as a martyr or if a miracle is attributed to their intercession, they will be beatified and honored as “Blessed.” This means that they can be celebrated by Catholics in a particular country or region or by the members of certain religious community. If another miracle occurs and is approved, then the “Blessed” is canonized and honored with the title “Saint,” meaning that they are now officially recognized as a universal model of holiness and an intercessor.

©LPi

While we may always want to do what is best for our friends and family members, we have a responsibility to respect their privacy and their conscience. In its reflections on the Eighth Commandment (“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”), the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury [One] becomes guilt: of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor; of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who do not know them; of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them” (no. 2477).

We will never truly know what is in a person’s mind, heart, and soul; only God knows those things. We should, of course, take our concerns to God and entrust the person about whom we are concerned to God’s grace and mercy. If we have concerns about the spiritual wellbeing of someone with whom we are close, we should go to the person themselves and talk about our fears and concerns. Unless it is a case of abuse or endangerment (which we have a moral and even legal responsibility to report to the appropriate authorities), we ultimately do not have the freedom to share another’s persons faults or sins, however good we think our intentions might be.

©LPi

The Epiphany season focuses on revealing Jesus to the world. Following the Christmas celebration, the liturgical year lays out a series of manifestation points in which Jesus is made publicly known. From its very beginning, the Christian community highlighted three events in the life of Jesus. These are the Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord and the wedding feast at Cana.

The Epiphany discloses Jesus to the world of the Gentiles, represented by the magi from the East. The accounts of Jesus’s baptism reveal his identity and mission, along with exposing him to those to whom he was sent to minister. The miracle of turning water to wine at the wedding feast of Cana, unique to John’s Gospel, is the first public sign that Jesus performs, thus manifesting his public identity and his powers.

Today in the Roman Church, these are usually celebrated on three successive Sundays: Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord which is usually the next Sunday, and the wedding feast of Cana, which is proclaimed on the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time in lectionary year C.

These feasts connect around the concept of epiphany, public manifestation of Jesus to the world. They help us get to know more intimately who Jesus is and what he is about. Spend some time delving more deeply into your understanding of who Jesus is. Continue to cultivate these “epiphany” moments in your life.

©LPi

The sign of peace is a part of the Mass that takes place immediately after we offer the Lord’s Prayer. Inspired by the Jesus’ words to his first followers, we stand together in a spirit of communion to pray as Jesus taught us: “Our Father who art in heaven…” In this prayer, we call for the coming of God’s kingdom in all its fullness and ask that God provides for our needs — “Give us, this day, our daily bread” — to forgive our sins and to bring us to the joy of heaven.

It is almost natural, then, that the rite of peace would follow. As the celebrant prays that Christ’s peace will fill our hearts, our communities, the Church, and the whole world, we extend to those around us a sign of peace (usually a hug or a handshake) as a symbol of the communion that we experience now and will experience forever in the fullness of the reign of God.

We are also reminded of Jesus’ teachings that if we are at prayer and remember that a brother or sister is holding something against us, then we are to go and seek reconciliation with them before we continue our prayer (see Matthew 5:23). And so, the sign of peace also reminds us of the need to truly be in communion — united in love and peace — with God and one another before we approach the altar to receive the Eucharist.

So, the next time you’re at Mass and the time comes for the sign of peace, remember that this is a moment to celebrate the gift of Christ’s peace that each of us has received from God and to pass that peace along to those around us. We need this moment to practice, because this is also the same peace of Christ that we are instructed to carry out into the world at the end of Mass when the priest or deacon says to us, “Go, in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”

©LPi

Although Jesus speaks of our relationship with material wealth and the very human struggle with greed, the gospels do not include any specific instructions related to gambling. At the same time, the Church is very sensitive to the needs of those who might struggle with an addiction to gambling, and pastoral care should always be offered to those who struggle with this reality in their life.

While it is true that many parish or school communities include gambling or games of chance in festivals and fundraisers (e.g. bingo, roulette, ring tossing, dunking booths, etc.), there is nothing inherently wrong these sorts of events, given they are played fairly and within the limits of reason are not morally objectionable. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us: “Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others” (no. 2413).

As in all things, moderation and a sense of healthy limits should be applied to gambling and games of chance. For those who find themselves living with addiction to gambling, help is available in various 12-step and addiction recovery programs.

©LPi

If a Catholic has ever attended a Protestant worship service and saw the communion service that was offered for that community, one of the things that might have stood out was the use of small, disposable cups for distributing the wine or grape juice. This is in stark contrast to the precious metal chalices used in Catholic churches during the Mass.

Although practices for Protestant Christians can vary (ranging from large shared chalices, to personal-use cups, to dipping the bread in the wine/grape juice), the norms governing Catholic practices are fairly direct: “Sacred vessels are to be made from precious metal. If they are made from metal that rusts or from a metal less precious than gold, then ordinarily they should be gilded on the inside. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, sacred vessels may also be made from other solid materials that, according to the common estimation in each region, are precious … they are to have bowls of nonabsorbent material” (nos. 328-330). Rather than being a commentary on the beliefs or practices of those other communities, these rules are intended to highlight the reverence that Catholics have for the bread and wine consecrated at Mass, which become the Body and Blood the Lord.

©LPi

Each person is unique and each of us has different gifts, interests, talents, and, yes, even struggles and areas where we need to grow. This is no less true of those holy women, men, and children who have been canonized or beatified.

Because we believe that the saints and blesseds are both models of faith and intercessors, Christians have looked to certain holy people as role models and heavenly protectors for occupations, spiritual charisms, and even places. Although the Church sometimes names a person as a patron saint (e.g. Saint Philip Neri as the patron of Rome, Saint Clare of Assisi as the patroness of television, or Saint Aloysius Gonzaga as the patron of youth and young adults), more often it is popular devotion that inspires lay Christians to turn to a particular saint or blessed for heavenly help and support. This is how, for example, Saint Cecilia came to be honored as the patroness of musicians, Saint Toribio Romo as patron of migrants coming into the United States, and Saint Gertrude of Nivelles as patroness of cat lovers. Although there are official and unofficial lists of patron saints, we should always feel free to ask any and all the saints to give us their patronage and protection in whatever it is that we need.

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One of the unfortunate realities in the Church today is that so few people understand the meaning and value of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, largely because so many people still mistakenly think of this sacrament as “Last Rites” or “Extreme Unction.”

In his life and ministry, Jesus healed the sick. In this sacrament, the Church continues the healing mission of Jesus and, in hope, prays that God will grant healing to the person who is suffering. But even if there is no physical healing, the sacrament offers spiritual healing through the Holy Spirit’s gifts of peace and courage. And so, anyone who is living with serious illness (including emotional or psychological illness) and the elderly are encouraged to celebrate this sacrament when it is needed.

The ritual for Anointing of the Sick does also include special prayers and blessings for those who are facing death, including viaticum (communion given to the dying, trusting that the Lord Jesus will be their companion along the way, as they make their final journey).

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This is a good question! Every parish has financial obligations, including the basic operation of the buildings, salaries, maintenance, and improvements. In addition, there are schools to support, programs to run, charities to be funded, and operational expenses like hosts and wine for Mass, music books, vestments, and so on. In some cases, cemeteries and other buildings need attention. Finally, there is the diocesan assessment that each parish pays to help run the diocese and the support services provided to each parish.

Most parishes manage to get by with the collection, a few fundraisers and endowments. But contrary to popular opinion, cash flow is also a problem, and many parishes operate in the red. The Finance Committee is responsible for assisting the pastor in fiscal management, and good stewardship is the basis
for successful programs.

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All sacraments mediate grace and connect us to Christ and to the Church. Some sustain us in our faith journey, while others help us heal from the effects of sin. Each one offers a share in God’s life, giving us what we need to be faithful followers of Jesus. But some sacraments change us in ways that are irreversible. The three sacraments that leave a character are Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. We are literally different people because of the effect of the grace of those sacraments. We are changed at the core of our being in such a fundamental way that we can not go back to what we once were.

In Baptism, we are freed from original sin, initiated into the Body of Christ as adopted sons and daughters. In Confirmation, we are given the fullness of God’s Spirit, sealed in his grace and gifted with what we need to live a Christian life. In Holy Orders, a priest is marked as an ‘alter Christus,’ another Christ, and is once and forever a priest who offers sacrifice, forgives sin, and acts in the person of Christ. In these three sacraments, we are conformed more closely to Christ, reflecting his love and truth.

If you are on your way to the supermarket, and you are forced to detour from your usual route because of road work, does the food you buy taste different? Is the meal less filling? Are the vegetables less tasty? Of course not. In our faith journey, there are many detours called sin. Some are greater than others, some are even a bit longer. But God’s grace comes to us in ways we understand and recognize and need. Your children leading you back to the Church is not as important as the fact that you are back.

This is an opportunity for you to renew, strengthen, and deepen your faith. Regardless of how we get to Church, or what draws us closer to God, the fact is we are there. Do what you need to do to get right with God and the Church. Go to confession, begin good family religious practices, and be involved in the ministries your parish offers. Be more than a lukewarm parishioner. Be the kind of Catholic you want your children to be.

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This a very practical question because, as we all know, accidents happen, even during the most careful celebration of the liturgy. The short answer to this question is that nothing happens to the consecrated host. The Real Presence of Jesus remains in the consecrated host or any consecrated wine that might accidentally be spilled.

Another question we might ask is: How should the minsters respond if the Eucharist is dropped or spilled? If this happens, the priest, deacon, or extraordinary minister of holy Communion should immediately pick up the dropped host and consume it. If it is a case of the Precious Blood being spilled, the minister would use the purificator (and additional purificators if needed) to clean the spill and then the area should be reverently washed as soon as the Mass is over and the water poured into the sacrarium (a special sink that is located in church sacristies for reverently disposing of holy water, the water used to clean sacred vessels, etc.).

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If a marriage counselor is in a bad marriage does that mean that he or she will be a bad counselor? If one’s counseling ability depended upon first-hand experience, would that require counselors to be perfect before they can help others? Obviously not. Some of the skills necessary to help others do come out of personal life experience. But you don’t need personal, first-hand experience in order to understand something. We would not think that a doctor, who is an oncologist, would not be able to treat cancer because he himself has never been sick. We also would not expect every doctor to treat cancer. It is the same with priests.

Essentially marriage is a relationship and we’ve all been involved in different kinds of relationships: in our family, with our friends, and with God. And so counseling people about marriage is really helping them to look at the issues that really are part of their relationship,finding ways to better understand themselves in relationship to one another and in relationship to God. In many ways a priest’s training, background, and experience, as well as his personal knowledge of many different relationships in families and couples, gives him a broad background from which to draw upon. Most priests are quite capable of helping couples prepare for marriage and discussing the issues that are important as they begin their life together. And they do not do it alone. With the help of married couples and specially trained counselors, most parishes offer a very good preparation for the sacrament of marriage.

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Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians used a Greek translation of the Old Testament known as
the Septuagint. This collection of the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures included 46 books. At the time of
the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s, the Protestant reformers began to create their own
translations of the Bible (into local languages) and some began to question why the Jewish Scriptures
would have included texts that were written in Greek, because, they assumed, the only valid Jewish
Scriptures would have been written in Hebrew. And so, they decided to remove seven books from the
Old Testament: Baruch, Sirach, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith and Wisdom (as well as portions of the
Books of Daniel and Esther). This means that the Protestant Old Testament only includes 39 books, while
Catholic Bibles continue to include those original 46 books. Both Catholic and Protestant Bibles include
27 books and letters in the New Testament.

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It’s part of human nature to experience some sense of unease and fear about the future. This can lead some people to seek out the services of psychics or consult horoscopes or turn to other occult practices or resources (e.g. Ouija boards or tarot cards). The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear that Catholics should avoid such practices: “Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone” (no. 2116).

Despite the uncertainties we might feel, we are called to have faith and trust in God, confident of God’s desire for what is best for us. This means that we are called to surrender, to pray and to reflect on how we can best move into the future in hope, knowing that God is with us.

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Many Catholics are not exactly sure what an annulment does. An annulment does not deny that a marriage took place, nor does it deny that there once was love. It does not mean that people say anything untrue, such as they never loved each other or that everything in their marriage was wrong. An annulment does not negate children, nor make them illegitimate. An annulment addresses the spiritual aspect of marriage. In effect, an annulment says that at the time of the wedding, there was either something present or something absent that prevented the sacrament from taking place. It is a spiritual determination that, if granted in the affirmative, allows a person to marry in the Church.

Annulments have no legal standing and are unable to be used in a civil court. Therefore, a Catholic has no moral obligation to pursue an annulment. However, when the tragedy of divorce occurs, and there is no hope for reconciliation, annulments may help bring some spiritual closure to a person’s life. Some people have found the process to be healing and others have found it to be difficult. Speak to your priest or a member of the Diocesan Tribunal staff to decide what is best for you.

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Offering money and other goods to God and the Church is, before all else, a statement of gratitude. We see this when we look at how our spiritual ancestors showed their gratitude to God for the gifts they had received (e.g. Genesis 14:18-20 and Genesis 28:16-22). One of the ways they offered thanks to God was through a practice called “tithing,” in which 10 percent of a person’s goods (crops, livestock, money, etc.) were given back to God.

Today, the practice of tithing — giving 10 percent — is still common in many Protestant communities, but it is not required for Catholics. Instead, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, “The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to [their] own abilities” (no. 2043). This means that, although we are not bound to practice “tithing” in the traditional sense, we do share a responsibility to share our money or other resources with our parish communities. Like our spiritual ancestors, we give as a sign of our gratitude for the many gifts that God has given to us. Beyond this, we also share our resources with other Catholic organizations to help them finance their ministries, to continue and grow their outreach to the poor and the needy, and to provide just wages for their employees.

How much we give depends on our individual circumstances, but since we share a responsibility for the programs, outreach, and health of our parish communities and Catholic organizations, this question gives us a wonderful opportunity to ask some important questions about the quality of our giving and what our priorities are. Remember, we are only stewards of our time, talents, and treasures and as the First Letter of Peter reminds us, “As each one of you has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied graces” (4:10).

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No matter who we are, our inner lives affect the way we interact with the world. In the United States, we have freedom of religion. That means there is no official state sanctioned religion. This does not mean that our faith is a private affair with no impact on public life! We have the ability to freely exercise our religious beliefs in accord with our conscience. Not only do we have the option to do so, but we also have the responsibility.

We’re called to imitate Christ in every area of our life, not compartmentalize our faith. This means acting with respect and honoring the common humanity all we encounter. It means recognizing the person behind the politics. It also means standing up for the truth of human life and dignity, and advocating for just policies that serve the common good. The Vatican has produced a “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.” It contains more detailed exposition of how our Catholic faith relates to various aspects of public life.

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