By: Bernadette Parrott
Welcome to our Faith Renewal Series that is exploring The ABCs of Being Catholic. We are invited on a journey through the alphabet to explore Catholic terms, beliefs, and traditions. In this post we focus on the letter “C”. Each day we will add another term beginning with “C” to this post.
If you missed our Introduction to this series <click here>. To go back to the letter “B” <click here>. To go to the letter “D” <click here>.
Christ the King
November 21, 2020
I couldn’t think of a better way to end our journey through the letter “C” than this great Solemnity. The Feast of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe marks the ends of our liturgical year. Soon, we will move into the Season of Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas.
So, one of my things to do is to go outside and be witness to meteor showers, eclipses of the sun and moon and take my telescope out and peer into the darkness to uncover the plants, stars, nebulae and the unknowns of deep space. To explore the universe of which I am just a tiny, tiny part. In it, I find the grandeur of creation. And guess who is there – its King: Jesus Christ.
We can choose to move through the liturgical calendar beginning and ending each individual day, or we can choose to truly experience the deeper mystery and meaning of our lives made new in Jesus. He truly is King, transforming the lives of His people and calling us to newness.
With this final Sunday of the Church Year, we are invited to commemorate Jesus’ sovereignty over all men, women and children, for He is our King, Lord of All. He reigns over all of creation. Through our pilgrimage of life, we find The Way, The Truth and The Life. He has created a path to holiness for us.
Who do you see when you look upon Christ on the Cross? Who do you see when you look upon Christ in the Eucharist? He is the only Sovereign King. He is our spiritual King and Ruler who rules by truth and love. We serve, we sacrifice, we forgive, we love, we tend the poor and the lame, because of His example.
To shorten the Title, we call this last Sunday of our liturgical calendar the Feast of Christ the King
This beautiful world, this incredible universe I love to gaze upon and all the mystery it contains is a gift from the Eternal Word. On this last week of the Church Year, we are invited to remember it is also a beginning. In Christ the King I can find a new life and begin again.
Prayer to Christ the King
O Lord our God,
You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations.
We pray to You, Lord,
In the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King,
Mercy, peace, justice and all good things.
Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth.
Guard us we pray Most Faithful One.
Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgement.
Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you.
Jesus, You are a King of Mercy.
We have deserved Your Just Judgement.
Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us.
We trust in Your Great Mercy.
O most awe-inspiring King,
We bow before You and pray;
May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth.
Amen
Confeitor
November 19, 2020
I confess to almighty God And to you, my brothers and sisters, That I have greatly sinned In my thoughts and in my words, In what I have done And in what I have failed to do, Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; Therefore, I ask blessed Mary, Ever-Virgin, And you, my brothers and sisters, To pray for me to the Lord our God.
In this prayer we come in humility and repentance and find the great mercy of God. No doubt, we have all heard about throwing a rock into a lake and seeing how the impact sends out ripples. I guess we are challenged to find in this metaphor how our sins affect those around us.
This prayer starts with “I confess”. Well, that is indeed a bold statement, isn’t it! I am admitting, acknowledging, and declaring that I have greatly sinned. I’m opening myself up to almighty God’s mercy and but I am also bearing myself open to my brothers and sisters present with me at Mass – to the person next to me, behind me, or sitting the furthest away from me in the church. We find here too, the power of prayer, the power of the communion of saints – for I have called upon Mary (Church Triumphant) and those here on earth (Church Militant) to pray for me. I have acknowledged my sinfulness and have turned away from sin and towards God. What a beautiful and powerful way to begin the Mass.
The Confiteor reminds me how fragile my relationship with God and with my brethren truly is. I can shatter those relationships with my words, in my actions and with my omissions of goodness and mercy. Through this prayer, the Kyrie, the Lord’s Prayer, the Lamb of God and the Lord, I Am Not Worthy, we seek forgiveness, for they all lead us to the reception of Jesus Christ is the Most Holy Eucharist.
It should stir in me a great desire to come before Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The sorrow for my sins that have wounded my relationship with God and my brethren will be transformed into a new desire: to make amends for those sins, to recognize sin and turn away from those occasions that will lead me towards sin and to choose to truly walk with God.
Communion
November 18, 2020
There’s a couple of ways to interpret this word when it comes to our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and with our God.
- We are in communion with our God when we align our souls to the Divine.
- We are one with Jesus when we receive the Eucharist in Holy Communion
- We are the Communion of Saints united to those in heaven, purgatory and on earth
- We are in a communion of the faithful with those who belong to the Catholic Church
When we receive Holy Communion, we are a Communicant. We humbly approach our Lord to receive Him into our very being. I remember when I got married and my husband was standing at the front of the church. My dad had to hold me back and remind me to walk slowly. My whole being just wanted to be with him. My eyes locked onto him, my heart pounded in joy just thinking about marrying him, and all I said to my dad before beginning the journey down the aisle was “let’s do this – I’m ready”. Like a bride approaching her groom on their wedding day, our focus should be unbroken and undistracted as we come to Jesus. He should be our focus and our desire.
The conditions for the reception of Holy Communion are freedom from conscious, unconfessed mortal sin, and the right intention, namely to honor God, grow in Christian charity, and overcome one’s sinful tendencies. (Pope St. Pius X)
In these difficult times, Spiritual Communion has become a part of our daily lives. The conscious desire to receive Holy Communion should be accompanied with acts of faith and love during the day. To receive Spiritual Communion well, our faith should be lively and filled with works of charity. We may not be able to come to Mass and receive the Holy Eucharist, but Jesus sees our hearts, and He knows our desires, and after participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass our Prayer for Spiritual Communion unites us to Jesus.
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You have already come
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
I remember when I was a child that I usually received the Holy Eucharist by mouth. It changed when I was about 12 or so. Always, though, there was the paten, the ‘plate’ that was placed under my chin or under my hands to catch any particle of the Sacred Host that might fall. As a young altar server, and yes, when I was growing up, there were very few female altar servers. I actually remember the day I got the call from our priest telling me that I could be trained to be an altar server! I was full of joy! Part of the training required me to learn the proper way of handling the communion paten and I absolutely remember Father’s strict warnings that my attention was to be on the communicant, the paten, and the Holy Eucharist.
What did you eat today? In the Lord’s Prayer we ask what seems like a simple petition – ‘give us this day our daily bread’. Do we hunger for Jesus in our lives? Do we come to Him humbly during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to receive Him at Eucharist so we can be in communion with Him?
“If we eat of the Lord and we drink of the Lord,
like the Lord, we all shall be.
Then we live with his life, and we share in his love,
and his truth will make us free.”
Consecration
November 17, 2020
“…gave it to his disciples saying…”
What moment during Mass is the holiest for you, when you truly find yourself being humbled before our God?
One moment for me is at Consecration. It is for me, a moment of deep and fervent prayer.
Permit me please to take us again to Scriptures – to the Last Supper. In the Gospel of Matthew (26:26-28) we find “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples, ‘Take it and eat,’ he said, this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”.
These words spoken by Jesus are the words of the institution of the Eucharist. Jesus becomes truly present, body, blood, soul and divinity.
I think that one of the saddest moments I ever encountered during a Mass was when a family attended Mass together many, many years ago. At consecration, the bells rang, and I overheard the child ask his parents, “why are the bells ringing?’ Their answer was “shhh….we do not talk during Mass.” A moment when faith could have been passed on had been lost.
During Mass the Consecration is uniform throughout all the Catholic Churches: “Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you”…(at this moment, the host is elevated.) This is our moment to worship and adore, to briefly look upon our Lord and then humbly offer our prayer to Him, and then the Consecration continues… ”take this, all of you, and drink: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me” (at this moment, the chalice is elevated). This is our moment to worship and adore, to briefly look upon our Lord and then humbly offer our prayer to Him.
When the priest pronounces the words “this is my body”, “this is the cup of my blood”, what was once bread and wine is now the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing remains of the bread and wine except their appearance. This is accomplished by the power of God, as nothing is impossible for Him. This miraculous process is called transubstantiation.
It is with the eyes of faith that our soul recognizes our Lord. It is during Consecration that we are to be most awake and aware. Here is when we put our heart and soul into many acts of faith and love and adoration. Christ is truly present on the altar.
It is good to ask the Saints who stood at the foot of the Cross to help us to be present in faith, and in all humility to adore and worship Him and thank Him for His great Sacrifice.
Just as Jesus at the Last Supper gave to his disciples, so too, he gives to us.
This is my body
This is my blood
Poured out for you
Chalice and Ciborium
November 16, 2020
Sacred Vessels
Here’s a little more of that Catholic terminology we’ve been talking about!
What is the Ciborium?
A covered vessel used to hold Altar Bread (hosts) that will become the Body of Christ through Consecration.
What is the Chalice?
The cup shaped vessel or goblet used at Mass that holds the wine that will become the Precious Blood of Christ.
We’ve been coming faithfully to Mass, responding to prompts and prayers of Father and spending one hour a week in the church, and God’s heart is happy.
Mass is a prayer of thanksgiving. It’s a prayer of praise. There is so much richness again in the symbolism of the Sacred Vessels that are used to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our invitation again is to become active participants in the Sacrifice that is taking part at the Altar.
At the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Corporal is placed on the Altar. Father begins the Preparation of the Gifts with “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.” It is in this moment that he briefly elevates the Ciborium for all to see.
After a quiet prayer, the priest continues, “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.” Then the priest briefly elevates the Chalice, again for all us to be a witness.
As we look upon the Ciborium and Chalice – the bread and the wine, this is our moment of invitation. Do I now become a part of this Sacrifice? I am now a witness to what is to come.
The Ciborium is a Sacred Vessel. It is made of precious metals and the interior is commonly gold or gold-plated. It will hold tenderly the Body of Christ that will be distributed to faithful followers – to you and I. If any consecrated hosts remain at the end of Mass, it is the Ciborium that cradles the Body of Christ as it placed in the Tabernacle for safe keeping.
The Chalice is considered to be one of the most Sacred of Vessels used in our liturgical worship. It holds the Precious Blood of Christ. Yes, once it held wine – pure and simple, but at the moment of Consecration, His Precious Blood is given once again for us. Only wine, water and a portion of the Consecrated Host are permitted to be placed in the Chalice.
So sacred is this Vessel, that strictly speaking only priests and deacons are permitted to touch it. Special permission must be granted to others who aid the priest. It too is made of precious metals and its interior is commonly gold or gold-plated.
What do you see when you gaze upon the Chalice and the Ciborium? Just a cup and a container? Or is it more? It is sacred, connected with God and dedicated for a holy purpose: for worship and reverence.
They are Sacred Vessels.
Communion of Saints
November 14, 2020
“I believe in the communion of saints”
We never pray alone.
As I moved through my childhood, prayer in my home was ever present. Morning prayer, before and after meals, night prayers, the rosary, scripture readings and of course the Mass. I never thought about it much, it was just what we did in our home. I prayed with mom and dad and my sisters and brothers, it’s just what I did.
Later, when the choice was mine alone, I still found prayers at meals, the rosary, and the Mass to call to me. One of my brothers died in a tragic accident the night of my high school graduation. That was my first encounter with living with such sadness, disbelief and loss. I had experienced other losses, but nothing like his death and the emptiness I felt. My dad had left to be at his side, and my mom was home with us. Those days are long in my past, but I most certainly remember the strength of my mother even in her mourning. Where did she find that strength? Once dad returned and the arrangements for George’s funeral were finalized, we experienced a parade of his friends at our door and at his funeral. People we did not know at all were with us, some with religious affiliations and others not. The one thing which was certain is that we were all united in our sadness, grief and prayers.
If we take a look at what the Catholic Church means when she speaks about the ‘communion of the saints’, we see what Jesus meant when he said “I am the vine and you are the branches” (John 15:5)
Our prayers are so very powerful as we never pray alone. We are united with our brethren on earth, those souls in purgatory and the saints in heaven. We are a communion of holy persons in Christ, and together we form one Church where our merciful God is always listening to our prayers.
To give more definition to the Communion of Saints, let’s look at its three components:
Church Militant – this is us! We still struggle with sin and temptation. We are in a battle with the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are in communion with one another by professing the same faith, obeying the same authority, and assisting one another with our prayers and good works. Our prayers for those suffering in purgatory are carried to God. Our request for intercession for ourselves and for those in purgatory to those in the Church Triumphant are carried to our merciful God. We are united and we do not pray alone.
Church Suffering – this is referring to the faithful departed who are saved but are still being purified in purgatory. As it was for my brother and God willing as it will be for me, at the time of my death, may God find me worthy to enter heaven. Once my earthly journey ends, I can no longer pray for myself or for anyone else. I hope and pray that those I leave to continue their earthly journey will pray for me:
Eternal Father, I offer you the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for all sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my home and within my family. Amen.
St Gertrude
Church Triumphant – the Church of saints! They have triumphed over all that we on earth are still battling against. They have reached the fullness of salvation in Christ. Their intercession for us is powerful.
Let us pray, unceasingly. All our genuine prayer is ultimately directed to God and originates from the grace of the Holy Spirit. Yet, our prayer is powerful as it is united in the Communion of Saints. We never pray alone. I know my mom, dad and brother are there for me as are so many other holy Saints. Our God is merciful and kind and full of love – for me, a small voice in the Communion of Saints.
Confirmation
November 13, 2020
Come O Holy Spirit
Confirmation is the completion of our Baptism. It is the second of the three Sacraments of Initiation. Through it the gifts of the Holy Spirit are “sealed” and are sent forth as witnesses of Christ into the world. This sacrament gives us inner strength, strength of conviction, determination, and endurance against fear and discouragement.
After a prolonged wait due to COVID-19, six young adults from our parishes will have received this incredible gift of the Holy Spirit over two weekends, last weekend and this weekend. I welcome everyone to watch anytime, the livestreamed 9:30 am Mass from St John Vianney this Sunday and witness this beautiful sacrament. The normal officiant for Confirmation is the Bishop, but he can delegate priests to Confirm in extraordinary circumstances – this is one of those circumstances. The second is for those persons who journey through the RCIA process and receive their sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.
There are three major symbols of Confirmation:
- Imposition of Hands – calls down the Holy Spirit
- Signing with the Cross – marking us as followers of Christ
- Anointing with Chrism and the words “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” – God marking us as His own. Chrism oil is made of oil and balsam and has a sweet scent. Chrism is a sign of the Holy Spirit being with us giving us strength and courage to carry out the work of Christ
How do I witness in the here and now? Which gift of the Holy Spirit is my strength and courage? Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord (Awe and Wonder)
Once I accept these gifts, like any gift – it’s time to open them! Which of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit are reflecting the Holy Spirit in action in my life? Do I react in Charity, serve with Faith, live in Joy, act with Modesty, give with Benignity, share Goodness, share Peace, act with Patience, act in Continence, live in Chasity, give thanks for Longanimity and share Mildness.
I often hear from those who journey through the RCIA that they have want to come and see because they have witnessed in someone they have encountered the true presence of God in their lives: a love of the Father, a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus, and the action of the Holy Spirit shining brightly in the whole of their lives. They want what we have! What a marvelous gift we can all share!
I’ve stopped many times and just said “wow – did you see that?” Each of them bringing a smile to my face and joy into my heart. Ordinary people doing works of extraordinary kindness, being witnesses of the love of God in their little world. Little things like picking up something that was dropped by a stranger, holding a door open, paying for someone’s order in the Timmy’s line before them, offering consolation in times of sadness and despair, saying a prayer for a loved one or for someone who you do not even know, but you feel a sense of sadness. Saying “I wish I could hug you right now!”, giving unselfishly to charities. These and so much more, these are signs of witness. These are signs that the Holy Spirit of your Confirmation is alive and working within you.
Let’s take a moment to pray:
Spirit of Wisdom,
reveal to my soul all the mysteries of Heavenly things, their exceeding greatness and power and beauty. Show me the way by which I may be able to attain them, possess them, and hold them as my own forever. Amen.
Spirit of Understanding,
enlighten my mind that I may perceive and embrace all the mysteries and the deep things of God. Amen.
Spirit of Counsel,
help me and guide me in all my ways that I may always do your holy will. Amen.
Spirit of Fortitude,
uphold my soul in every time of trouble or adversity, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from you my God, my Greatest Good. Amen.
Spirit of Knowledge,
grant that I may perceive and know the will of the Father, show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may know their vanity, use them only for your glory and my own salvation, looking beyond them to you and the eternal great reward. Amen.
Spirit of Piety,
possess my heart, incline it to a true faith in you, to a holy love of you my God that with my whole soul I may seek you and find you my best and truest of all. Amen.
Spirit of Fear of the Lord,
penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set you My Lord, My God, before my face forever, shun all things that can offend you, so that I may be made worthy to appear before the Pure Eyes of Your Divine Majesty in the heavens of Heaven where You live and reign in the Unity of the ever Blessed Trinity God world without end. Amen.
If you missed our Introduction to this series <click here>. To go back to the letter “B” <click here>. To go to the letter “D” <click here>.