Meatless Friday: The Triduum

The Triduum is the 3 days preceding Easter:  Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

On Holy Thursday we commemorate the Last Supper; the beginning of the Eucharist.  Washing of feet is also done:  “So when he had washed their feet / ...he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? / ... I have given you a model to follow, / so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” (Jn 13:12, 15)    Mass is celebrated in the evening because Passover begins at sundown.  No masses will be celebrated until the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. This was very emotional last night:  The altar was stripped, and the tabernacle was opened.  Seeing that empty tabernacle was heart wrenching.

Good Friday:  The day when Jesus died.  The day when the world realized that they crucified the Son of God.  Upon walking into the church, one sees a bare altar, with the tabernacle that holds the monstrance (which holds a suspended host) open, but empty.

 There is no Mass on this day; only a service.  The difference is that the host is not consecrated at this service; the hosts used were consecrated at the Holy Thursday Mass.  (Consecration occurs during the part of the Mass during the Eucharistic Prayer:  when the "wafer" and wine becomes the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ.)  The service consists of a reading from the Bible, Prayers of Intercession, Veneration of the Cross, and Communion.  Veneration of the Cross is a favorite of mine:  We go to the altar and kiss the feet of Jesus on the crucifix.  Before venerating the cross, the priest says:  "Behold, the wood of the Cross."

On Holy Saturday there is an Easter Vigil in which Catechumens  are received into the Church.  These new members have gone through RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults), have studied the Catholic Faith, and are ready to become full-fledged Catholics.  I've never been to that Mass, but I've heard it's incredibly long. And beautiful.  The Mass begins in darkness; the Easter/Paschal Candle is blessed and lit.
After the Catechumens are baptized into the Catholic Faith, the veils come off of the statues on the altar, bells ring, and the "Gloria" and "Alleluias"  return.  It's officially Easter!

Resurrection Cookies are a really neat way to take part in the Easter Story with kids.  You can find the "recipe" here.

Meatless Friday: Divine Mercy

This week at church, we had a "Mission".  The visiting priest is Polish, and he knew Pope John Paul II.  Pope JPII canonized St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, who was also Polish.  St. Faustina was one of 10 children, and only had a 3rd grade education.  When she was 20, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of our Lady of  Mercy; sisters who dedicate their lives to working with troubled young women.

Since she wasn't educated, she was assigned to household tasks.  She had visits from Jesus and Mary, and visited Purgatory.  Her spiritual director encouraged her to write a diary, which was difficult for her due to her limited education.  In 1958, Pope John XXIII condemned the Divine Mercy, reasoning that the diary was misinterpreted because of misspellings and punctuation mistakes.  Pope John Paul II, when he was the archbishop of Cracow, opened up the investigation into Sister Faustina's life and again allowed devotion to the Divine Mercy.  She became a saint on April 30, 2000.

Jesus appeared to her and requested that she have the following picture painted with the words "Jesus I Trust In You":

The 2 rays:  The red denotes the blood and the white denotes the water that poured out of Jesus when his sides were pierced.  "The white ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous.  The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. ....These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father."  (Diary 299)

So, why do we use pictures?  Father Simon said it perfectly:  We're human.  We have to have something visible.  It's a reminder.    We don't pray to the picture, we use the picture to focus on our prayers.

The mission of Saint Faustina consists in:

• reminding the world of the truth of our faith revealed in Holy Scripture about the merciful love of God towards every human being, even the greatest sinner;
• conveying new forms of devotion to Divine Mercy;
• initiating a great movement of devotes and apostles of Divine Mercy who would lead people toward the renoval of Christian life in the spirit of this devotion; in other words, in the evangelical spirit of a childlike confidence in God and an active love of neighbor 

Devotion to the Divine Mercy:
Using a Rosary, the following prayers are said:
1 Our Father
1 Hail Mary
1 Apostle's Creed
"Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world."
The following is said 10 times:
"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
(The "Eternal Father" and the above prayer are then repeated 5 times.)
The following is then said 3 times: 
"Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

I had heard of the Divine Mercy, but wasn't real sure what it was about.  This week was wonderful.  It happened at a time when I needed it.  And, it's a wonderful way to start the day.

Meatless Friday: Reconciliation

Reconciliation

Reconciliation, or Confession, is one of the 7 Sacraments.  I can sum it up in one word:  Humility.  Think about how hard it is to tell someone you're sorry for something you did to them.  And then to ask for forgiveness.  That is Reconciliation:  Facing another human and admitting your sins, taking responsibility for your actions, and asking for forgiveness.
Now think about how relieved you were when you asked for forgiveness from someone for some wrongdoing.  That's how it feels after Reconciliation.
When I made my First Confession (as it was called back then), I went into a confessional, knelt down, waited for the door of the window screen to slide, and did the following:
Made the sign of the cross while saying, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned.  It has been (however long it had been) since my last confession and these are my sins."  That would be followed by a list of wrongdoings, then, "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."  The priest would then say words of absolution, and assign a penance.  The penance may be anything from fasting, doing some kind of charity work, or, more often, prayers.
Last night we had a communal penance service.  The opening prayer was beautiful:
"Jesus said, 'There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous who have no need of repentance.'  No matter how hard we try, we are a people who always stand in need of repentance, and our gathering tonight brings joy to the Lord."  There was a reading of a Bible passage by one of the priests, followed by a Responsorial Psalm, a Gospel reading, followed by a Homily.  During the Homily, the priest recounted a story that had been going around in e-mails:  there was a man from the country who was in the big city for the first time.  He stood in front of an elevator, and saw an old woman go into this small room.  The doors closed, and when they opened, a beautiful young woman stepped out.  The man looked at his son and told him to get his mother.
Then, he related that story to Confession.  I thought it was a great analogy.
Following the Homily, there were a couple of prayers.  There were about 8 priests at the service; each priest had a "confession station" (as I call it).  Parishioners can go to one of their parish priests, or they can go to somebody they don't know.  I had always gone to a priest I didn't know (it makes it easier when you know you won't have to see him again!) until we lived in SC.  That was when I felt comfortable enough with the parish priest to admit that I wasn't perfect and I had done some things I was ashamed of.  I forgot to mention that now confession is done face to face.  No more hiding.
So, last night, I got in line for my parish priest...the African...my buddy.  As I stood in line, examining my conscience and deciding just what I was going to say, I wasn't nervous.  Then, I started thinking about how I've let that priest down.  He has told my mother how happy he is to see me at Daily Mass or at Sunday Mass.  He always has a hug for me and thanks me for coming or tells me that he's happy to see me.  He went out of his way to write a sweet personal note in a birthday card.  And I started to panic.  I was about to let him know that I wasn't just full of rainbows and sunshine.  I was going to tell him that I'm not perfect.  Humbling?  Absolutely.  A relief?  You bet.  That is Reconciliation.
I feel like I have to address the question:  Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?  Why not go directly to God?  The answer can be found in the Bible:

John 20:19-23 "Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you. And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." 

  The apostles were the first priests.  In saying those words, Jesus was giving them the power to forgive sins, and to pass that power down to future generations.   In Matthew 5:23, Jesus said: "If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar. Go first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

Going to Confession is a difficult thing.  I kept putting it off because it's not easy to go in front of another human being and admit your faults.  Pride kept me from going before last night.  I would like to think that it might get easier.  Especially since the priest knows my secret:  I'm not perfect.

Meatless Friday: First Friday

 Around 1673, Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque had a vision of Christ's heart,  and He allowed her to rest her head upon His Sacred Heart.  His message:  frequent Communion, Communion on the First Friday of the Month, and Adoration (Holy Hours).
Saint Margaret Mary was French, and, as a child, was sickly.  Once she made a vow to the Blessed Virgin to become a nun, she was healed.  According to an article from Aquinas Goods, she was not surprised when she received the visions; she assumed everyone had them.  She was assigned the task of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 
Saint Margaret Mary lived in a time when going to Communion wasn't a weekly occurrence, as it is now for Catholics.  So, going to Communion frequently was huge.
In order to be endowed with the below promises, one must, for 9 consecutive First Fridays, attend Mass and receive Communion.


The Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 1. "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life." 
2. "I will establish peace in their homes." 
3. "I will comfort them in their afflictions." 
4. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death."
5. "I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings."
6. "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy." 
7. "Tepid souls shall grow fervent." 
8. "Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection." 
9. "I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored." 
10. "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts." 
11. "Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out." 
12. "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."

Meatless Friday: Or Is It?

FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION
The following is the biblical background for this Feastday.


Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Some interesting facts about this Feastday:
~ The Annunciation has always been celebrated exactly 9 months before Christmas.
~  The Feast of the Annunciation is not a Holy Day of Obligation (days when Catholics are obligated to attend Mass).
~  25 March, in Western Countries, used to be the 1st day of the New Year, until 1752 when secular calendars used 1 January as New Year's Day.
~ This day was also called "the Feast of the Conception of Jesus", as well as "the Feast of the Last Judgement".

This was the day when Mary said "yes".  This was the day that Jesus became flesh in her womb.  This is the day when one of our most beloved prayers began:  "Hail Mary", which begins, "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee."  The Annunciation is also the first Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. 

Could you imagine if this happened in modern times?  Would it be a reality show?  Would God find someone to say "yes"?  Would this happen in the USA or somewhere else in the world?  Something to think about, for sure.
 
I think I like this picture of The Annunciation the best out of all of the ones I looked at:

This is how I imagine Mary to feel; she has a scared look about her.  She must've been terrified when she first saw the angel, only to be comforted knowing that God would be with her.  It's just unimaginable, but I guess that's what faith is all about, right?

Meatless Friday 2011: Part 1

Stations of the Cross

When you walk into most Catholic Churches, if you look on the walls you will find 14 plaques depicting Jesus' path from his condemnation to death until his burial.  You may know the Stations of the Cross better as "the Way of the Cross".  The Stations of the Cross didn't start until the 17th Century; however, "The devotion originated, historians suggest, with late 4th century Byzantine pilgrims who visited Jerusalem and its holy places"

I hadn't been to the "Stations" since I was little.  I'm not real sure if we made to go or not; I barely remember going.  Last Friday was my first time attending as an adult; I was a little nervous going in because I couldn't remember the routine.  But, once it started, I felt very comfortable.

The Stations begin with the priest in front of the altar for the Gathering Prayer.  He then moves to each plaque, which depicts a  Station.  At each one, the priest introduces the Station then begins with "We adore you, O Christ and we bless you."  The congregation then responds by genuflecting (kneeling briefly on one knee) and responding with "Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world."  The priest reads a passage from the Bible corresponding with the Station.  The congregation responds with another passage in the Bible corresponding with the passage just read.  (See, Catholics do read the Bible!)  The version that we use is just amazing.  It's a little longer than the ones I've seen online, but very meaningful and pertaining to today.  After the congregation responds with the Bible passage, a song is sung (Stabat Mater) as the priest and the servers move to the next station.  Our parish does a bilingual Stations of the Cross:  one station is in English, the next is Spanish.  After all 14 Stations have been "visited", the priest returns to the altar for the Resurrection. 

When you read the list of the Stations below, you may think, "Wait.  That's not in the Bible."  And, you'd be correct. These scenes probably came from the early pilgrims to Jerusalem.   We don't know that Jesus fell 3 times.  We don't know that Veronica wiped Jesus' face.  We don't know that Jesus talked with Mary, his mother.   The Bible certainly doesn't tell us those details.  But, the Bible does tell us that Jesus was weak carrying the cross.  Do you have any idea how much that thing must've weighed?  Since Simon's help was asked for, it only seems logical that Jesus would have fallen.   Mary was at the foot of the cross (John 19:25-27).  Wouldn't she have followed alongside her son?  Wouldn't Jesus have been allowed to speak to his mother for a few seconds?  As for Veronica:  Her story is told in 2nd century version of the Acts of Pilate.  Jesus cured her of a blood disorder, and she went to Pilate to plead Jesus' innocence at his trial. "Later versions of the story from the 4th or 5th century say that Veronica possessed a cloth imprinted with the face of Jesus. Western pilgrims returning to Europe passed her story on. As the Stations of the Cross developed in late medieval times, Veronica was remembered at the 6th Station: she wipes the face of Jesus on his way to Calvary and he leaves an image of his face on her veil. A healing relic, impressed with the image of Jesus' face, which came to be known as "Veronica's Veil," was honored in St. Peter's Church in Rome as early as the 8th century" .

This devotion is absolutely beautiful.  There is a lot of standing and kneeling, but it is just an awesome thing.  You feel Jesus' pain and the pain of his followers.  One of the few things I have of my maternal grandmother's is this plaque of the Stations:

The Stations of the Cross:

I      Jesus is condemned to death
II     Jesus takes up his cross
III    Jesus falls for the first time
IV    Jesus meets his mother
V     The Cyrenian helps Jesus carry the cross
VI    Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
VII   Jesus falls for the second time
VIII  Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem who weep for him
IX    Jesus falls for the third time
X     Jesus is stripped of his garments
XI    Jesus is nailed to the cross
XII   Jesus dies on the cross
XIII  Jesus is taken down from the cross and handed to his mother
XIV  Jesus is laid in the tomb

Meatless Friday 2011: Introduction

I've decided to bring back "Meatless Friday" as my Friday posts for Lent.  Why "Meatless Friday"?  During Lent, Catholics abstain from eating meat on Friday.  Pre-Vatican II, every Friday during the year was meatless.  Now, Catholics are "encouraged" to abstain from meat every Friday during the year, but it is "mandatory" during Lent.

Since Jesus suffered and died on Friday, that day has been held by the Catholic Church as a day of reverence; a day of fasting and abstinence.  Growing up, our Friday suppers consisted of some kind of fish.   Canon Law 1251 states "Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference (which is the Conference of Bishops), is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday."  However, the United States Conference of Bishops mitigated the obligation of meat on all Fridays; they then came out with  a statement indicating that it should be a Catholic's choice to abstain from meat on Fridays.  Catholics are still supposed to do some form of penance on Fridays throughout the year.  (This was news to me...wonder why no one ever told me that?)

Okay, so that's the background.  My posts on Fridays will be on my Catholic Faith.  If you aren't Catholic, please don't be turned off by them.  My purpose is to hopefully give you something to think about.  There are a lot of misconceptions about the Catholic Faith out there.  As I told Mom24, if I can dispel one misconception to one person, I'll be happy.
If you have a question, please either e-mail me or leave the question in the comment.  If I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to find out!  If you are Catholic and I haven't gotten something exactly right, please let me know.

Apparently McDonalds decided not to bring back this commercial this year, so I thought I'd give you a nice earworm for the day:

Meatless Friday: Final 2010 Edition

It's hard to believe that Lent is coming to a close.  In the Catholic Church, Good Friday is one of the most, if not the most solemn day.  Not only is there no meat, it's also a day of fasting.  That meaning has changed through the years:  today it means that we only eat 1 big meal (meatless of course).  Since the fasting doesn't go into effect until you turn 18 years old (when children turn 14 they are to abstain from eating meat), I don't really have any memories of starving during that day!  One tradition on Good Friday is eating Hot Cross Buns.  I remember my mom making them for us to eat.  Unfortunately,  most recipes that call for yeast and the rising of the dough don't cooperate with me!  Maybe I'm just too impatient.

Since Ash Wednesday, there have been no "Alleluias" or "Hallelujahs" in church.  Do you know I was well into my 30's when I learned that?  Is that sad, or what?  I mean, how could I not have missed that in all of my previous Lents?  No wonder hearing the "Alleluias" on Easter made my heart sing so much!

If you went to the Good Friday Service today, here's what you would see:  Readings, a homily (sermon), special intentions (usually sung), veneration of the cross, Communion.  After the service, you would watch the altar being stripped, followed by the silent recessional (no music) of the Priest and altar servers, followed by the silence of the congregation leaving the Church. There is no talking until you get outside of the building, but sometimes that silence will carry over into the parking lot.  For the veneration of the cross, the congregation goes to the altar where there is a crucifix, and kisses Jesus' feet.  There is a wonderful explanation on Catholic Online:


In the seventh century, the Church in Rome adopted the practice of Adoration of the Cross from the Church in Jerusalem, where a fragment of wood believed to be the Lord's cross had been venerated every year on Good Friday since the fourth century. According to tradition, a part of the Holy Cross was discovered by the mother of the emperor Constantine, St. Helen, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 326. A fifth century account describes this service in Jerusalem. A coffer of gold-plated silver containing the wood of the cross was brought forward. The bishop placed the relic on the a table in the chapel of the Crucifixion and the faithful approached it, touching brow and eyes and lips to the wood as the priest said (as every priest has done ever since): 'Behold, the Wood of the Cross.'

Adoration or veneration of an image or representation of Christ's cross does not mean that we are actually adoring the material image, of course, but rather what it represents. In kneeling before the crucifix and kissing it we are paying the highest honor to the our Lord's cross as the instrument of our salvation. Because the Cross is inseparable from His sacrifice, in reverencing His Cross we are, in effect, adoring Christ. Thus we affirm: 'We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has Redeemed the World.'

It really is humbling to kiss the feet of Jesus on the crucifix.  For communion, the host that was consecrated last night is used; there is no Mass, so there is no consecration of the host.  During the consecration, we believe that the bread and wine actually becomes Jesus (transubstantiation).  The Good Friday Service is a very powerful service.  We're used to singing at the end of Mass; when you watch the altar being stripped, it is so emotional and overwhelming.  Good Friday is not a 'Holy Day of Obligation' (days where we must go to Mass), but, if you ever get the chance to attend, do it!

I've really enjoyed writing "Meatless Friday".  I honestly didn't have that in mind when I started blogging; it just kind of happened.  I hope that I have dispelled some misconceptions that some may have had about the Catholic Religion.  I have appreciated that visitors have shown respect to my posts and my religion.  I also appreciate that Catholic visitors have let me know that they think I was "dead on" with the way I see things.  It always helps to know that I don't have misconceptions about my own faith!

My Lenten promise was to read the daily readings, visit the Video Daily Reflections, read the "Little Black Book" every day, and go to Mass every Sunday.  Looking back over the past 6 weeks, I can honestly say that I've gotten more in touch with my faith.

If you have visited with me on Fridays and read "Meatless Friday":  Thank you for bearing with me while I get back in touch with my Catholicism.  If you chose not to read it, I respect your decision, and hope that you'll come back to visit!

This song really tears me up when I hear it:  (The actual song starts at around 57 seconds)



Here's hoping everyone has a Holy, Happy Easter!

Meatless Friday V

Yesterday was the Feast of the Annunciation.  That is when we celebrate the day that Mary said "yes" to God.  Do you ever wonder if God had asked someone else and they said "no"?   Sometimes I wonder about that, but then, since God is all-knowing, I guess Mary was the first one he asked.

Many people who aren't Catholic believe that we "worship" Mary.  She is held in high esteem; she's the mother of  Jesus, after all!  One way to think of it:  Say you want to talk to someone who is really busy all the time.  Who are you going to talk to so that the person will hear what you have to say?  Aren't you going to go to the closest person to him?  Another way to think of  it:  A lot of people ask for other people to pray for them.  It's the same concept:  We ask Mary to pray for us, to intercede for us.  We don't pray to Mary, we ask her to help us out and to put in a good word for us.

As far as the virgin thing goes:  Catholics believe that Mary was ever-virgin.  I can't imagine Joseph  having relations with her, knowing she produced the Son of God.  Her body was so holy and perfect.  It would have had to have been for God to have chosen her.  Oh, the brothers & sisters thing?  One explanation is that in translating the Bible, the words translated to brother & sister had a general meaning of family, to include cousins.  Another explanation is that he had brothers & sisters in God. 

Can you imagine the pain that Mary felt watching her son be unjustly crucified?  On Palm Sunday, the gospel at Mass is the Passion.  There are a few readers who narrate the Passion, and there are parts that the congregation read as well.  There is one part where the congregation is the mob yelling "Crucify Him!"  I have never been able to say those words during the reading.  I can not begin to imagine Mary's horror when she watched Jesus go through the inevitable.  She was forewarned of his destiny; she knew he was going to go through something horrific.  But, she still said "yes".  And, to me, that entitles her to sit close to Jesus & God in heaven, and to intercede in our behalf.