Letdown or Joy, Easter Musings

In our flawed human existence, we often experience a letdown after major holidays (holy days). The buildup leading to the event, in this case, Easter, has been fruit-filled and intense. We may have ramped up one, or all, of the three expressions of faith during the Lenten season – sacrifice, prayer, and almsgiving.

Perhaps, this year, we were even moderately successful in creating ourselves anew in anticipation of His rising. Even if we were less than successful, the awareness and anticipation insinuated their way into our lives.

Triduum

With the Triduum, our efforts intensified. Our God is a forgiving God, given to second and endless chances – right up until the moment of our death. Holy Thursday brought the delight of sharing, in our small way, in the elation and wonder of that first Holy Mass. Of the institution of priesthood and Eucharist. And the command to go out, mercifully, and serve others.

Then came the somber, exquisite pain of Good Friday. The empty tabernacle left us feeling desolate and mournful. An entrance and recessional of silence only emphasized that this day was like no other.

No Mass – how could that be? The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, readily available 364 days of the year, was taken from us. Yet, the nourishment of His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity sustained us still, having been reserved the night before.

Saturday, the anticipation became palatable. The Vigil Mass, the candle light (His Light) leading us toward hope as it brightened with each succeeding participant. Readings, telling and thorough, guided us toward the tomorrow of Easter joy. Yet still, we waited.

Easter Joy

The bells ringing, Gloria triumphantly singing, and Alleluias resounding on Easter morning all called us Home. The parish church, whether a cathedral or modest country chapel, was resplendent in festive flowers, white vestments, love-filled faces, and joyful hearts. The springing of hope was resounding and rose to the rafters. The long anticipated Resurrection had come. He has risen! He is alive!

As our Easter Joy spilled into the afternoon, family and friends gathered. An atmosphere of celebration was in the air. Souls, cleansed from confession and nourished by the Eucharist, exulted in an atmosphere of joy. Prayers and meals shared, we were reunited with coveted pleasures formerly sacrificed.

The Letdown

So why is there now a letdown? Our human experience leads us down this path because we are weak. Lent holds us accountable. It reminds us, day after penitent day, that there is something magnificent coming. Because we know it has an end, we feel a false sense of finality. This, too, shall end and we will once again take up our earthly pleasures.

Is this the righteous mindset? The tomb is empty but our resolve shouldn’t be. The true test comes from maintaining what Lent has taught us. The cross is still a reality. Eucharist still brings us to the foot of that bloody sacrifice – at each and every celebration of Mass. Sin is still real, relevant.
Lent As a Stepping Stone

Flying without the net, the accountability of the Lenten season of penitence, almsgiving, and prayer leads us to temptation. Our earthly vessels need the reminder. Easter isn’t over; it’s a season, which gives us the opportunity to mold Lenten habits more firmly into lives. Our spiritual duty is to avoid falling back into old habits – to move forward and seek more.

Living Easter Joy

That extra reading, that prayer life more fully developed, and those small mortifications performed in the name of love need to be nurtured. Each year’s Lent can be a stepping stone toward sainthood as we train for more spiritual endurance.

The Easter Octave is the perfect time to hone our spiritual skills. Taking advantage of the opportunity of turning Lenten sacrifice into holy habit will reap much fruit. In turn, our lives will joyfully march toward the holiness so vaunted by God Our Father and Jesus Our Brother. The Holy Spirit whispers encouragement if only we will heed it.

Living Easter Joy, while maintaining our Lenten growth is well worth the effort. Growing in faith is the only way to prevent the stagnation on the other side of the spiritual coin.

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This post first appeared at Catholic Stand

Catholics, Seder Meals, and the Lamb of God

The readings for Holy Thursday make a point that may be easily overlooked. The first, from Exodus provides a glimpse into the Jewish tradition of Passover - a practice Jesus would have participated in with His family. The second comes from 1 Corinthians and tells us of the Last Supper, the New Covenant, and the first instance of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When we ponder this choice of readings, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, we begin to see that Jesus did, indeed, come to fulfill the Old Law by the institution of a New Covenant.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This brings us to the logical, and morally sound, conclusion that celebrating a Seder Meal is not a practice that should be observed by Christians. We are the Easter People and Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is the New Covenant, the New Sacrifice, and His death saves us from Eternal damnation. No longer are we to offer animal sacrifices; the Temple has fallen, the biblical Jewish priests are gone, and Jesus has died for our Salvation.

As we celebrate the most holy of seasons - the Triduum, let us remember the importance of our beautiful faith, given to us by Jesus the Christ Himself!

If you'd like to delve further into this teaching please continue to Why Christians Shouldn't Celebrate Seder Meals. There you'll find references from Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Council of Trent, and Catholic theology books as well as an extremely informative audio presentation by a good holy priest.

7 Ways We Might Be Politically Correct Like Pilate

Palm Sunday 2015

As Holy Week begins, we might ask ourselves a question: Are We Politically Correct Like Pilate? Saint Mark's Gospel tells us that he was certainly a biblical version of the ‘go along to get along’ crowd. When he asked the throng what to do with Jesus, he clearly demonstrated that he knew Jesus was blameless. We got further confirmation of culpability when Pilate cited the jealousy of the Chief Priests for the arrest of Jesus. In washing his hands of the entire affair, he showed his lack of conviction and profound failure to take a stand.

In this final period of heightened anticipation, will examining our consciences find us similarly weak-spined? By scrutinizing our actions in relation to prominent issues of the day, we might find an answer that does little to vindicate us. Here, then, is an opportunity to search our hearts and find His Truth.

1. Are We Politically Correct About Abortion?

Mouthing the prolife mantra among like-minded friends isn’t enough to make us genuinely prolife. What exactly are we willing to do for the innocent, voiceless victims of the Culture of Death? Can we be found praying for the unborn - either at Mass, in private prayer, or at abortion mills? Do we seek out conversations, even to the point of discomfort, in order to share the message of God’s unconditional love? How about the ‘exception’ children? Rape and incest are taboo subjects to many, yet the children whose conception traces back to a violent, unlawful attack on their mothers are certainly beloved children of God. 

2. Same Sex ‘Marriage’, a Leading Politically Correct Issue

It’s all over the news. If you don’t rise to defend the sinful actions of those who suffer from same sex attraction (SSA), you are somehow deemed judgmental and uncharitable. The justly charitable position fails to be mentioned – loving all people enough to witness to the Gospel. Standing silently by while the mainstream of society pretends that acting on SSA tendencies is moral and even something to be proudly proclaimed, is to witness to the twisted logic of the devil. That all people deserve to live with God-given dignity is a given. Yet to praise those who persist in sinful living is to scandalize others and to lull those searching for the truth into morally fatal complacency.

3. Leaving Religion at the Church Door

Whether it’s the leading moral issues of the day or subtle rebellious acts, leaving our faith at the church door after Sunday Mass is seen by some as an accepted politically correct way of life. Listening to scripture, partaking of the True Presence, and mouthing the words of prayer – all these are of no benefit if they aren’t the vehicle that sends us out into the week, nourished and armed with conviction. In order to reach for the goal of sainthood, desired for all of us by God, the Holy Sacrifice of Mass is the springboard toward living life by sharing His Word.

4. Ignoring the Promotion of Intrinsic Evils

Do we facilitate organizations, celebrities, or events that glorify evil? Once we know of these unholy alliances, we share a moral responsibility to live accordingly. The Girl Scouts and their collaboration with Planned Parenthood or the acceptance of embryonic stem cell research and abortion by the March of Dimes, begs for action from the faithful. Do we share this information with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing to contact the offending groups and charitably express our moral outrage? What’s more important in our lives – the cookies and the praise for donations, or the unvarnished truth?

5. Speaking Up For Those Falsely Accused

Have you ever been present when someone was maligned? It’s so easy to either slip into an uncomfortable silence or to share in the gossip. But is that what we are shown by the examples of Jesus and His saints? We’ve not been charged with having an easy life; we’ve been charged with walking the narrow path. With this comes the responsibility to refrain from gossip, idle talk, calumny, and other sins of the tongue. Who stood up for Jesus when He was being falsely accused? The politically correct crowd didn’t. They remained silent or worse, shouted “crucify him, crucify him”. Although they knew of no wrong with which to accuse Him, they gave in to the mob mentality. Surely this isn’t something to be emulated.

6. Ignoring the Poor and Struggling

They’re out there, waiting to be acknowledged, looking for a kind word or smile. How many times do we simply turn away, cast down our eyes, and forget them as soon as we walk away? Remembering the poor or struggling doesn’t involve just the obvious Lenten alms giving. It can entail going out of our way to smile at a weary stranger or the mother whose life is overflowing with beloved yet boisterous children. They may look frazzled but we can make a difference by a smile, a kind word, or an offer of help with some small task. There are those who are poor for lack of love in nursing homes or those who are poor in catechesis and struggling to find Truth. We have untold opportunities to make a difference in the lives of everyone we encounter.

7. Failing to Speak Out Against Evil In Media

It isn’t necessary to name them. We all know of movies, television shows, and music that are so offensive to moral sensibilities that the heavens cry out for their denouncement. How do we react? Are we content to stand by and revel in the fact that we, ourselves, don’t participate? Or do we take a stand? We certainly have the opportunities. Yes, posting a truthful warning on your Facebook wall or speaking out at a gathering may garner some uncharitable comments toward you, but is that really enough reason to abstain from doing what is right? We will often find that, when one person has the courage to take a stand, others will join in – relieved that someone took the initiative.

So how do we score when we ask ourselves these seven questions? Is there a bit too much complacency or is there something more we could do? These are things we would do well to ponder as we enter into Holy Week. As our priest told us during his homily today, we can’t bypass the Cross on our way to the Resurrection. To be fully immersed in the season we must partake of the sacrificial giving before we claim the Easter Joy!

“We can't let Holy Week be just a kind of commemoration. It means contemplating the mystery of Jesus Christ as something which continues to work in our souls.” Saint Joemaria Escriva

Veiling and You: 5 Things Catholic Boys and Girls Should Know

The devotion of wearing a veil is seeing a definite upswing throughout the country. This is evidenced by first time sales by veiling companies as well as the rapid growth of veiling groups in social media. One such group to which I belong, has seen its numbers grow from 10 to 700+ - since February! Lively discussions, education, and camaraderie are seen on a daily hourly basis. Today, one of the ladies posed a question:

I'm thinking my daughter and I will wear full veils this weekend. Any tips on veil apologetics for a 6 year old?

Her question was the perfect catalyst to set me into action. I wanted to include young men in the discussion because they should also be made aware. After all, we are training them to respect women and their special place in God's plan. This may be an evolving list, but here are five ideas I can readily share:

1.) Women are very special in the eyes of God. He made them to nurture new life and to be the complimentary (different, yet equally important) partner to men. The most special woman ever born was Mary, the Mother of God. God asked something very difficult from her - he wanted her to be the mother of His Son, Jesus. When she said 'yes' to Him, she showed us how we should react when we are asked to do something for God. If you look at pictures or statues of Mary, you will see that she has her head covered with a veil. One of the ways we can try to be like her is to do the same. Saying 'yes' to God, no matter what He asks, and showing that we understand He created us in a special way by wearing a veil, are two ways we can honor Him.

2.) Since women and girls are special and want to honor God, they should show respect when they go to His house. When we go to an important place or have a special occasion in our lives, we dress a certain way. We wear our very best on Easter, Christmas, birthdays, and weddings. When we go to God's house (church), we are certainly going somewhere very important! That's why we should do our very best to give honor to God by looking our best. In addition to wearing their best clothing, women and girls can also show Him how much they love Him and His mother by wearing a veil.

3.) Notice things in the church itself. You will see that the altars are decorated with flowers and candles. We have beautiful statues and Stations of the Cross. We also see that holy things are often covered. During Holy Week, the statues and crucifix are covered with a veil. The Eucharist, which is Jesus Himself, is also covered when not being given to the people during Holy Communion. Even the tabernacle has a veil behind its doors - to show how special the Contents are. As the beautiful flowers in God's garden, women and girls can put on a veil to show that they know they are His.

4.) Wearing a veil can also be a big help when we are trying very hard to concentrate during Mass. Do you ever notice that sometimes you feel distracted and start daydreaming during Mass? Maybe someone beside you is fidgeting or maybe there is something else going on that keeps you from your prayers. Wearing a veil can keep you on track - just like using Rosary beads to pray can keep you focused on what you're supposed to be doing.

5.) Wearing a veil whenever you're in church is a way to show what's going on inside (your thoughts, prayers, and love of God), on the outside. The priest wears his vestments to show us that he is acting in the person of Christ during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Married people wear a wedding ring to show that they belong to each other. Religious sisters and nuns wear habits to show that they have given their lives to Jesus. Wearing a veil shows that a woman or girl belongs to God. It helps others see that they are serious about doing what God wants them to do.

I hope this brief list will help begin a fruitful discussion of veiling with your children. Please share any other thoughts in the comment section below. If you know of someone who is contemplating the devotion of veiling, feel free to share this post. God bless!

Holy Thursday and Foot Washing - Misunderstanding What Catholics Do

So here we are again - Holy Week. A most splendid - the most splendid week of the year! Yes, Christmas brings us the infant God made man, but during this week He fulfills that purpose for which he was conceived of the Virgin Mary. Holy Week, however, comes replete with painful awareness of how many Catholics (including clergy) simply don't choose to follow the instructions (rubrics anyone?) that clearly give priests the black - exact words to say - and the red - exact instructions for what they (and we, the faithful) are to do. Now before someone says, "but if it's not expressly forbidden, we can add to the things we can do", here's a word: NO!

Let's take some secular examples.

1) a prima ballerina decides that she will enhance the carefully crafted choreography of Swan Lake and just add some cutsie little steps here and there - at her pleasure.

2) a legal secretary decides that her boss' brief needs a bit of enhancement and throws in a few things she's learned at night school.

3) a sou chef takes the recipe of his master and tweaks it just a bit.

Pow! All heck would surely break out. Not just because the servant hadn't done what the master intended but also because the resulting chaos would affect everyone involved.

And so it is with the optional rite of Foot Washing - Mandatum (command) - on Holy Thursday. The rubrics are clear - men (viri) are to have their feet washed - twelve, if you want to follow Jesus' lead. Why twelve and why men, you might ask? Well, because a secondary function of our remembrance of that day (aside from the - very important - institution of the Eucharist!), is the institution of the priesthood, initiated with the twelve apostles. Can women become priests? Contrary to liberal wishes the answer has irrevocably been given by Pope John Paul II - never!

As has been pointed out by Fr. Z,"let it be remembered that the Church’s legislation allows for the washing of the feet of only men. MEN = VIRI = MEN. Not manish women or any other critter. Even if some claim to have received permission to wash the feet of women, and even if the claims were true, those permissions would in no way change the law for the rest of the world. Period. Furthermore, I have never seen a letter or a copy of a letter from the Congregation in Rome granting such a permission. I doubt anyone else has either".

Canon lawyer, Dr. Edward Peters has written about it thoroughly and shares the wording of the rubric with us - along with emphasis of the Latin, in which it was written. The word man (viri) can only be interpreted one way, and it's not mankind (or humankind).

I'd rather just see this optional rite done away with altogether. Why oh why does the focus always have to be on 'us' (the people)? Holy Thursday is about the institution of the priesthood. It is about the institution of the Eucharist. And yet, here we are again. With our self congratulatory songs, choirs up front so that we may focus away from everything that we should be focusing on - Jesus, present to us as food at the foot of the cross! I'm so very frustrated and it takes away my right to worship in the way Mass was intended* (complete with thorough instructions). I've seen even babies' feet washed, mostly women's feet washed, and commemorative towels given out as 'door prizes' for those women and men who participated. I'm beyond frustrated by this lack of saying the black and doing the red!

Rant over...

May we all celebrate a holy, Holy Thursday! Happy Holy Week!

The Last Supper - the reason for Holy Thursday!

*From Redemptionis Sacramentum (Latin, “The Sacrament of Redemption”).

"It is the right of the Christian people themselves that their diocesan bishop should take care to prevent the occurrence of abuses in ecclesiastical discipline, especially as regards the ministry of the word, the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals, the worship of God, and devotion to the saints (24)."