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 “M”.
If you missed our Introduction to this series <click here>. To go back to the letter “L” post <click here>. To go to the letter “N” post <click here>.
Mitre
April 29, 2021
This Liturgical headdress is worn by popes, cardinals, and bishops.
It is worn during the seasons of Advent and Lent, on days of fasting and penitential processions, at funerals and blessings and during the Mass.
Have you ever noticed our Bishop Gregory Bittman wearing his when he celebrates Mass?
I love the richness of our faith found in its traditions and practices. As always, I invite us to pay attention during the Mass. To be active participants and to be involved in the prayerful gestures, not only of ourselves, but of the presiding priest. On the occasions that Bishop Gregory is here celebrating Mass with us – tune in! You will notice that he removes the Mitre when he prays. This practice goes back to the commandment of the Apostles that a man’s head should be uncovered when he prays (1 Cor. 11:4).
In its earliest form the Mitre was a simple cap of soft materials, which ended above in a point. The lappets (the two pieces of material out the back of the Mitre) were not always present.
As a side note, other items distinctive to the Bishop are the Crozier, it’s shaped like a shepherd’s crook and reflects the bishop’s role as “shepherd of the flock of God”, the Pectoral Cross, which is attached to a chain and worn on his chest near his heart, his ring, which has the bishop’s coat of arms or some other design engraved on it, and like a wedding band, unites him to Jesus and his Holy Church, and the pallium, which is a strip of white wool worn around the neck like a collar, over the chasuble, with two strips, one hanging down the front and one down the back and signifying their fidelity to Christ.
The Mitre signifies for us the special role of the Pope, Cardinals and Bishops. They are our connection to Jesus who founded the Church on earth.
What do you wear that binds you to Jesus?
Miracle
April 26, 2021
Sometimes I just like looking up definitions in the good old-fashioned dictionary. Merriam-Webster’s first definition of the word ‘miracle’ is this: “An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” For us this somewhat clinical evaluation of an “extraordinary event” goes so much deeper.
I was watching the first episode of season 2 of The Chosen. In it, Jesus visits a man, who has fallen on difficult times. He walks with a severe limp and uses a crutch. He cannot support his family. Jesus visits him and the following day, one of his disciples says to Jesus “you don’t even have to be there!”
How true is that statement. Yet, it shows our human limits in understanding the power of God. Jesus is with us, everywhere, everyday.
Let’s look at the Miracles of Christ. They may be divided into five classes: nature, healing, deliverance demoniacs, victories over hostile wills and cases of resurrection. (Catholic Dictionary)
The nine Nature Miracles:
| Changing of Water into wine at Cana John 2 | First Miraculous draught of fishes Luke 5 |
| Calming of the tempest Matthew 8, Mark 4, Luke 8 | First multiplication of loaves Matthew 14, Mark 5, Luke 9, John 6 |
| Jesus’ walking on the water Matthew 14, Mark 6, John 6 | Second multiplication of loaves Matthew 15, Mark 8 |
| Stater in the fish’s mouth Matthew 17 | Cursing the fig tree Matthew 21: Mark 11 |
| Second miraculous draught of fishes John 21 |
There were 21 special cases recorded of Miracles of Healing. Although there were many more references that are not related in detail. Here is a list of most of them.
| Healing of the nobleman’s son John 4 | Cure of the Peter’s mother-in-law Matthew 8, Mark 1, Luke 4 |
| Cleansing of the leper Matthew 8, Mark 1, Luke 5 | Healing of the paralytic Matthew 9, Mark 2, Luke 5 |
| Healing of the sick man at Bethesda John 5 | Restoring of the man with the withered hand Matthew 13, Mark 3, Luke 6 |
| Healing of the centurion’s servant Matthew 8, Luke 7 | Healing of the blind and dumb Matthew 12, Luke 11 |
| Opening of the eyes of two blind men Matthew 9 | Cure of the dumb man Matthew 9 |
| Healing of the deaf and dumb man Mark 7 | Opening of the yes of one blind at Bethsaida Mark 8 |
| Healing the lunatic child Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9 | Opening of the eyes of one born blind John 9 |
| Restoring the woman with a spirit of infirmity Luke 13 | Healing of the man with the dropsy Luke 14 |
| Cleansing of the ten lepers Luke 17 | Opening the eyes of the blind man near Jericho Matthew 20, Mark 10, Luke 18 |
| Healing of Malchus’ ear Luke 22 |
There are 7 special cases recorded of Jesus driving out devils.
| Demoniac at Capernaum Mark 1, Luke 4 | Deaf and dumb demoniac Matthew 12, Luke 11 |
| Gerasene demoniacs Matthew 8, Mark 5, Luke 8 | Dumb demoniac Matthew 9 |
| Daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman Matthew 15, Mark 7 | Lunatic child Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9 |
| Women with the spirit of infirmity Luke 13 |
There are very few recorded miracles where Jesus has victories over hostile wills. It’s difficult to pin down when he simply eluded them, or when his Divine Will superseded them. There are 3 cases recorded though.
| So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come. John 7:30 | The casting out of the vendors John 2, Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19 |
| Escaping the hostile crowd at Nazareth Luke 4 |
There are 3 recorded occasions when Jesus raised people from the dead. Not true “resurrections” as they did die again and in The Resurrection of Jesus we find life eternal.
| Raising of Jairus’ daughter Matthew 9, Mark 5, Luke 8 | Raising of the son of the widow of Naim Luke 7 |
| Raising of Lazarus John 11 |
How many of these miracles did you recognize? I invite you to take out your Bible and look up the ones you did not.
I had to look up the Stater in the fish’s mouth and then giggled at myself – of course I had heard of it! I also had to look up the difference between Bethesda and Bethsaida.
So, let’s go back to the dictionary definition of miracle, “An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” Now, let’s take a look at our lives today.
Do you find miracles in your daily life? How about joy? How about your relationship with you spouse, partner, friend, child? How about peace at times of great sadness? How about the warmth of the sun? How about the beauty of a flower? How about the sound of birds singing? How about a kind word or gesture from a stranger? Each of these and so much more can be extraordinary events from God encountering us if we open our hearts to His love.
Go for it – be the miracle you are meant to be!
Monstrance
April 19, 2021
The Monstrance is the sacred vessel that contains the consecrated Host when Our Lord is exposed or carried in a procession.
Pope St. John Paul II in 1979 reminded us, “The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone.”
It is when our Lord is taken from the Tabernacle that the Monstrance becomes the vessel that is the safe haven for the Body of Jesus. It is the means by which we can come before Our Lord in humble Adoration.
We can sit quietly in His presence. We have the chance to speak to Him and to listen to Him. We can simply open our hearts to Him and let Him in.
With the Monstrance, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and clearly visible to you and I. When Christ is present in the Monstrance, you will find that candles will be lit as a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World. You will notice the incense can be used as a sensory symbol of our prayers rising to heaven.
I invite everyone to join us in staying with our Lord during Adoration on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 am – 10:00 am, immediately following the conclusion of Mass. There, you too, can experience the peace that comes with staying in His presence. You will notice that Father will transfer the Blessed Sacrament in a smaller sacred vessel called a Luna. It is the Luna that is placed inside the Monstrance. You will notice that Father will don the Humeral Veil, so that his hands do not touch the monstrance as a mark of respect.
I invite you to really listen and respond to the Divine Praises and to be a part of this powerful prayer.
Christ is really present with us. Our invitation is to also be present with Him. Of course, He is present in the Tabernacle, but with the Monstrance, he stands before us – exposed.
Blessed be God.
If you missed our Introduction to this series <click here>. To go back to the letter “L” post <click here>. To go to the letter “N” post <click here>.