AUGUST 14TH 2017 DAILY READINGS FOR CATHOLICS

AUGUST 14TH 2017 DAILY READINGS FOR CATHOLICS

  16:16    Catholic Channels

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First Reading , Deuteronomy 10:12-22
12 'And now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God ask of you? Only this: to fear Yahweh your God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul,

13 to keep the commandments and laws of Yahweh, which I am laying down for you today for your own good.

14 'Look, to Yahweh your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and everything on it;

15 yet it was on your ancestors, for love of them, that Yahweh set his heart to love them, and he chose their descendants after them, you yourselves, out of all nations, up to the present day.

16 Circumcise your heart then and be obstinate no longer;

17 for Yahweh your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, triumphant and terrible, free of favouritism, never to be bribed.

18 He it is who sees justice done for the orphan and the widow, who loves the stranger and gives him food and clothing.

19 (Love the stranger then, for you were once strangers in Egypt.)

20 Yahweh your God is the one whom you must fear and serve; to him you must hold firm; in his name take your oaths.

21 Him you must praise, he is your God: for you he has done these great and terrible things which you have seen for yourselves;

22 and, although your ancestors numbered only seventy persons when they went down to Egypt, Yahweh your God has now made you as many as the stars of heaven.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
12 Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem, Zion, praise your God.

13 For he gives strength to the bars of your gates, he blesses your children within you,

14 he maintains the peace of your frontiers, gives you your fill of finest wheat.

15 He sends his word to the earth, his command runs quickly,

19 He reveals his word to Jacob, his statutes and judgements to Israel.

20 For no other nation has he done this, no other has known his judgements.


Gospel Reading, Matthew 17:22-27
22 When they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, 'The Son of man is going to be delivered into the power of men;

23 they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised up again.' And a great sadness came over them.

24 When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, 'Does your master not pay the half-shekel?'

25 'Yes,' he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, 'Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do earthly kings take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?'

26 And when he replied, 'From foreigners,' Jesus said, 'Well then, the sons are exempt.

27 However, so that we shall not be the downfall of others, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that rises, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for yourself

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GUIDE TO EXAMINE YOUR CONSCIENCE BEFORE CONFESSION FOR FAITHFUL CATHOLICS

GUIDE TO EXAMINE YOUR CONSCIENCE BEFORE CONFESSION FOR FAITHFUL CATHOLICS

  16:05    Catholic Channels

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"O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)

Many of us may be tempted to begin our examination of conscience when we get in line at the confessional. There is nothing wrong with this practice if the line looks something like this:

However, you don’t want to get caught in the middle of your examination when it is your turn to go in to the confessional. If you don’t regularly examine your conscience, it may take awhile before you are fully prepared. Next time you go to confession, consider preparing before you go; for one should not simply just go to confession, but rather make the best confession possible.

One of the essential pieces in the Rite of Penance is the examination of conscience. We take an internal self-examination of our spiritual life and bring to light those sins that keep us from a more intimate relationship with Christ.  Here, we recall our sins and faults committed since our last confession.

There are several ways to make a good examination of conscience. One of the easiest and most common ways to examine your conscience is by turning to the Ten Commandments for guidance. In this way you will prepare your heart and mind for confession by contemplating on the Word of God.


Each of the Ten Commandments can be broken down into questions. For example, if you ask yourself if you have killed someone – for most of us it is an obvious no. But, we may fail to grasp the entirety of the commandment. We may not have physically killed an individual but have we emotionally, physically, or spiritually hurt ourselves and others?  This brings the fifth commandment into a whole new light.

The examination of conscience below is based on the Ten Commandments. Begin by praying. This will put you in the best frame of mind for recalling your sins.

PRAYER BEFORE CONFESSION BY ST. JEROME
“Show me, O Lord, Your mercy, and delight my heart with it. Let me find You whom I so longingly seek. Behold, here is the man whom the robbers seized, manhandled, and left half dead on the road to Jericho. Kind-hearted Samaritan, come to my aid! I am the sheep who wandered into the wilderness. Seek after me and bring me home again to Your fold.  Do with me according to Your Will, that I may abide with You all the days of my life, and praise You with all those who are with You in heaven for all eternity. Amen.”

 questions to prayerfully consider before going to confession:
Examination of Conscience

“I am the Lord, your God.  You shall have no other gods besides me.”


1. Have I doubted or denied God’s existence?
2. Have I been ungrateful to God for His benefits?
3. Am I open to God’s will?
4. Do I rely solely on myself and not on God?
5. Have I abandoned the Catholic Faith?
6. Have I joined a non-Catholic church or anti-Catholic group?
7. Have I refused to believe any truths of the Faith or any teachings of the Church?
8. Did I fail to profess or defend the Faith?
9. Have I failed to go to confession at least once a year?
10. Have I been faithful to my daily prayers?
11. Have I practiced any superstitions?
12. Am I unwilling to turn away from everything that is opposed to God’s work in my soul?



“You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.”


13. Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain, for example, carelessly, in anger, or surprise?
14. Do I speak irreverently of holy persons, places or things?
15. Have I cursed myself or others?
16. Did I use profanity?
17. Have I called down evil upon anyone or anything?
18. Did I get angry with God?
19. Have I angered others so as to make them curse?
20. Have I broken a vow made to God?
21. Have I murmured or complained about God?



“Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.”


22. Did I miss Mass on a Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation?
23. Did I arrive to Mass late or leave early?
24. Did I receive Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin?
25. Have I been irreverent while receiving the Most Blessed Sacrament?
26. Have I been willfully distracted during Mass?
27. Do I distract others during Mass?
28. Have I done unnecessary work on Sunday?



“Honor your father and your mother.”


29. Have I disobeyed, insulted, or shown disrespect to my parents or legitimate superiors?
30. Did I neglect my duties to my husband, wife, children or parents?
31. Did I neglect to give a good religious example to my family?
32. Am I disrespectful, impolite, or discourteous toward my family?
33. Have I failed to meet my children’s physical, spiritual, emotional, and educational needs?
34. Have I disobeyed the lawful demands of my superiors, teachers, or employer?
35. Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
36. Did I cause anyone to leave the Catholic Church?
37. Did I cause tension and fights in my family?
38. Did I care for my aged and infirm relatives?



“You shall not kill.”


39. Did I kill or physically injure anyone?
40. Did I have an abortion, or advise someone else to have an abortion?
41. Do I use artificial contraception or birth control?
42. Have I entertained thoughts of suicide, desired to commit suicide, or attempted suicide?
43. Have I participated in euthanasia or assisted suicide?
44. Have I placed others in harms way, by driving or texting inappropriately?
45. Have I failed to help someone in danger or in need?
46. Do I drink or smoke excessively or abuse prescribed drugs?
47. Have I wished evil on anyone?
48. Do I deliberately harbor unkind and revengeful thoughts about others?
49. Have I taken revenge?
50. Have I used harsh or abusive language toward others?
51. Have I spread gloom through my words and actions?
52. Is there anyone with whom I refuse to speak, or against whom I bear a grudge?
53. Have I taken pleasure in anyone’s misfortunes?
54. Have I led others into sin?



“You shall not commit adultery” and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife”


55. Did I commit impure acts with another – fornication (premarital sex) or adultery (sex with a married person)?
56. Did I commit impure acts by myself (masturbation)?
57. Do I engage in homosexual acts?
58. Have I refused my spouse the marriage right without good reason?
59. Am I dating someone who is civilly divorced but still bound by a valid marriage?
60. Did I marry or advise anyone to marry outside the Catholic Church?
61. Have I willfully entertained impure thoughts or desires?
62. Did I respect all members of the opposite sex, or have I objectified them?
63. Have I read, listened to, viewed, or spoken of impure things?
64. Have I worn revealing or immodest clothing?
65. Have I succumbed occasions of impurity?

“You shall not steal.”

66. Have I stolen money or property?
67. Have I cheated?
68. Have I failed to make restitution for what I stole?
69. Have I intentionally damaged property?
70. Have I accepted or bought stolen property?
71. Have I helped someone steal?
72. Am I dishonest in my business dealings?
73. Have I failed to make restitution for my stealing, cheating and frauds?
74. Do I gamble excessively?
75. Have I borrowed without permission?
76. Have I failed to return things borrowed?
77. Did I waste time at work, school or at home?
78. Have I cheated my employer of an honest day’s work?
79. Have I cheated my employees of their wages?
80. Have I refused or neglected to help anyone in urgent need?



“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”


81. Have I lied deliberately?
82. Have I deliberately misled or deceived anyone?
83. Did I gossip or reveal others’ faults or sins?
84. Have I failed to keep promises or oaths?
85. Have I signed false documents?
86. Have I failed to prevent the defamation of another’s character?
87. Have I revealed secrets and betrayed trust?
88. Do I make false judgments and harbor false suspicions?
89. Have a failed to forgive someone or held a grudge?
90. Have I failed to apologize or make amends?
91. Did I fail to keep secret what should be confidential?
92. Have I disclosed another’s sins without serious reason?



“You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.”


93. Am I greedy or selfish?
94. Am I envious of someone’s possessions, talents, or blessings?
95. Do I indulge in self-pity?
96. Am I proud, vain, or desire to be praised?
97. Have I exaggerated my success?
98. Have I minimized or made excuses for my failures?
99. Have I measured my charity by what others have given, rather than my ability to give?

Going to confession can be overwhelming and uncomfortable. This list of questions is extensive and can be daunting. It can be hard to say out loud the things in our lives that we have done wrong. Rather than looking down upon your failings, let the sorrow for sin help you overcome them. Look upon this sacrament as an opportunity to make full reparation for your sins, and restore your soul’s relationship with God. If you are reluctant to go to confession remember God’s mercy and compassion.

“Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall become white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall become white as wool.” (Isiah 1:18)

Remember, Christ came into the world to save sinners!

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LITURGICAL COLORS FOR CHASUBLE IN CATHOLIC CHURCH

LITURGICAL COLORS FOR CHASUBLE IN CATHOLIC CHURCH

  15:43    Catholic Channels

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Liturgical Colors for Chasuble, Dalmatic and Stoles

 GreenGreen - Worn during "Ordinary Time." Ordinary does not mean ordinary in the sense of common or normal. Ordinary means counting, as in the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

RedRed - Worn on Passion (Palm) Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost Sunday, and on the Feast Days of Martyrs including the Apostles and Evangelists.

VioletViolet - Worn during Advent and Lent or at Masses for the dead.


  WhiteWhite - Worn during the Christmas, Easter seasons and celebrations of Mary, the Angels, Saints who were not martyrs, All Saints, Birth of John the Baptist, Chair of Peter, Conversion of Paul, St. John the Evangelist and is the preferred color for Masses for the dead..

RoseRose - Worn on the 3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) and the 4th Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday).

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OBJECTS USED IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND THERE NAMES WITH PICTURES REPRESENTATIONS

OBJECTS USED IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND THERE NAMES WITH PICTURES REPRESENTATIONS

  15:14    Catholic Channels

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OBJECTS USED IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND THERE NAMES WITH PICTURES REPRESENTATIONS

Chalice (CHAL-is)


The large cup used at Mass used to hold the wine which becomes the Blood of Christ












Paten (PAT-en)
A saucer-like disk which holds the bread which becomes the Body of Christ..

Ciborium 

(si-BORE-ee-um)

A vessel used to hold the Hosts which will be used for communion. They are also used to reserve the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.

Decanter or Flagon (FLAG-un)

The bottle or pitcher like vessel used to hold the wine which will be consecrated at mass for the communion of the people. It is brought forth with the gifts.

Communion Cups

Chalice like vessels used at communion when the people receive from the cup. They are kept on the Credence Table and brought to the Altar at communion time.

Corporal A white linen cloth on which are placed the vessels containing the bread and wine during Mass which will become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Purificator

A white cloth use to cleanse the chalice. It resembles a napkin

Pall (PAHL)

The stiff, square, white cover that is placed over the paten when it is on the chalice.

Tabernacle

The shrine or receptacle either round or rectangular that serves as a place for the exclusive reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. It should be of solid material, opaque, secure and inviolable, fitting the architecture of the church in a preeminent place.

Censor & Boat
The Censor, also known as the Thurible, is used at solemn occasion to incense the bread and wine after the offertory, the priest, and congregation. The Boat holds the incense until it is place in the censor by the celebrant.















Monstrance
A sacred vessel designed to expose the consecrated Host to the congregation either for adoration in church of carrying in procession, particularly on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Sanctuary Lamp
An oil lamp or wax candle that burns near the tabernacle. It is always lit whenever the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in churches or chapels as a sign of honor shown to the Lord

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DUTIES OF THE DEACON DURING THE MISSAL IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

DUTIES OF THE DEACON DURING THE MISSAL IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

  13:10    Catholic Channels

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DUTIES OF THE DEACON DURING THE MISSAL IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 Entrance:

1. When the Book of Gospels is carried:

Carry the book (slightly elevated), walking in front of the presiding priest. (When there are concelebrating priests, the deacon with the Book of Gospels precedes them.)
At the altar, without bowing, go up and place the book on the altar. (from behind, facing the people).
Then, along with the priest, kiss the altar.
2. When the Book of Gospels is not carried:

Walk at the priest's side.
At the altar, bow deeply before the altar along with the priest.
Go up to the altar and kiss the altar together with the priest.
See "Sign of Reverence" on page 6 for notes about veneration when the Blessed Sacrament is in the sanctuary.
B. Introductory Rites
3. If incense is used, assist the priest.
4. Go to your chair (next to the presiding priest).
5. In Form C of the penitential rite, the deacon normally leads the invocations. (This may also be done by the cantor, or even the priest.)
6. When the rite of sprinkling is used, the deacon assists (perhaps carrying the Holy water).

Liturgy of the Word

7. Sit next to the priest. (If no other minister is available for the readings, the deacon reads them. This is preferable to the priest reading the texts. But the deacon should not read when another minister is available to do this.)
8. Proclaim the Gospel:
During the Gospel acclamation:

(If incense is used, assist the priest as he places incense in the thurible.)
Bow low before the priest and — in a low voice — ask for the blessing. Make the sign of the cross as you receive the blessing and answer Amen to it. Then stand up straight.
If the Book of Gospels is on the altar, bow to the altar, pick up the Book of Gospels, and carry the book (slightly elevated) to the ambo (preceded by the incense and accompanied by candles, if these are used.)
At the ambo, with hands joined, greet the people, and then announce the Gospel as you make the sign of the cross with your thumb first on the book and then on your forehead, mouth, and breast.
If incense is used, incense the Book of Gospels (deep bow; three swings of the thurible; deep bow). Then proclaim the Gospel. In order to stir the hearts of the faithful and convey the importance of the Gospel itself, the greeting, the announcement of the reading, the concluding acclamation and even the entire Gospel may be sung. Musical settings should be easily understood and enhance rather then obscure the meaning of the sacred text." (Book of the Gospels, Introduction, n. 19, see also Lectionary for Mass n.17, 14)
At the end (without showing the book to the people) say, "the Gospel of the Lord."
After the response of the people, kiss the book saying inaudibly, "May the words of the Gospel wipe away our sins."
(If assisting a Bishop, unless instructed otherwise, take the book to him without kissing it yourself. Hold it open to the Bishop so that he can kiss the book. On solemn occasions the Bishop may take the book to bless the people. Then he will return it to you or to another minister.)
Go to your chair (unless you are going to offer the homily or [when there is no homily or Creed] the General Intercessions follow immediately from the ambo).
9. If you should be called upon to offer the homily, do so from the ambo, or standing at your chair (taking care not to obscure the priest) or from some other convenient place.
10. When the Profession of Faith (Creed) is used, bow deeply at the words, "By the power of the Holy Spirit…became man." (On the solemnities of Christmas and the Annunciation, genuflect during these words.)
11. After the priest introduces the General Intercessions, announce the petitions, as a rule from the ambo. (These may also be led by the cantor [especially if sung], or, if the occasion warrants, by other ministers.)

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Preparation of the Altar and Gifts

12. While the priest remains at the chair, prepare the altar (corporal, Sacramentary, chalice, purificator). Servers may assist as needed.
13. Help the priest receive the gifts from the people (at the altar, at the chair, or at another place). The deacon never receives the gifts on behalf of the priest.
14. At the altar, offer the paten of bread to the priest to set upon the altar.
15. Pour wine into the chalice. Add a few drops of water. Pass the chalice to the priest to set upon the altar. (The preparation of the chalice may also take place at the side table.) Water is only to be added to the chalice of the principal celebrant.
16. If incense is used, assist the priest in the incensation of gifts and altar. Afterward, the deacon (or another minister) may incense the priest and the people (deep bow; three single swings; deep bow).
17. Step aside so that the priest may wash his hands. (If only one server is present, the deacon presents the towel.)
18. [Note: There is no "Amen" after the people say, "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands …all his Church."]

Eucharistyeric Pra

19. Stand next to but somewhat behind the priest. (This is the case also when concelebrants are present. The deacon should have access to help with Sacramentary and chalice, but not appear as a concelebrating priest.)
20. [If helpful for the priest, turn the pages of the Sacramentary.]
21. If the chalice and / or paten with bread is / are covered with a pall, remove the pall before the epiclesis (i.e., the prayer for which the priest extends his hands over the gifts).
22. As a general rule, kneel from the epiclesis through the elevation of the chalice.
23. If several deacons are present, one of them may fill the thurible and incense the Blessed Sacrament at the two elevations. (The movement of the deacon must not distract from the action at the altar.)
24. [The "Memorial Acclamation" is introduced by the priest.]
25. At the final doxology, lift up the chalice as the priest lifts the paten until after the people have sung the Amen. (Only priests say / sing the doxology itself.)

Communion Rite

26. After the priest offers the peace greeting ("The peace of the Lord be with you…"), call for the sign of peace, then receive the sign from the priest and share with others nearby.
27. Assist with the fraction rite, as needed (i.e., by breaking portions of the consecrated bread, filling extra patens.) Chalices of the Precious Blood are never to be poured into other chalices.
28. [The prayers, "May the Body (Blood) of Christ bring me to everlasting life" are said inaudibly by the priest. There is no "Amen" spoken by the deacon or anyone else.]
29. After the priest receives Holy Communion, you receive from the priest under both forms and then help the priest in giving Holy Communion to the people.
30. When Holy Communion is offered under both forms — even with a number of ordinary and extraordinary ministers — the deacon normally ministers the chalice.

After Communion:

31. Return to the altar with the priest. There, consume any of the Blood of Christ which remains.
32. At the altar, any remaining fragments of the consecrated bread are collected. (They are taken quietly to the tabernacle by the deacon or other minister of communion.) The priest returns to his chair. (In cases of need, the fragments may be collected at the tabernacle itself.)
33. The chalice and other Communion vessels are taken to the side table. They are purified there in the usual manner or they are left to be purified after the people have gone. (The deacon never purifies vessels at the altar.)
34. Go to your place at the priest's side.

Concluding Rite

35. If there are any announcements, they follow the Prayer After Communion and are given by the deacon — or by the priest or other minister.
36. If there is a Solemn Blessing or Prayer Over the People, the deacon first invites the people, saying "Bow your heads and pray for God's blessing."
37. Immediately after the blessing, the deacon gives the dismissal according the Sacramentary. (Note that for the entire octave of Easter and again at the Masses of Pentecost, the dismissal includes the double Alleluia and should certainly be sung.)
38. Along with the priest, the deacon kisses the altar, then bows deeply to it, and leaves.
39. The Book of Gospels is not carried out in procession.

General Notes

Signs of Reverence
A genuflection is made by bending the right knee to the ground. As an act of adoration, it is reserved:

to the Blessed Sacrament and
to the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration in the liturgy of Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.
If there is a tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament in the sanctuary, the priest, deacon and other ministers genuflect to it when they approach or leave the altar, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.
For the entrance: genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament, bow deeply before the altar, then kiss the altar.
For the exit: kiss the altar, bow deeply before the altar, genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament.(Otherwise, all who cross before the Blessed Sacrament genuflect unless they are involved in a procession.)(Ministers who carry things like cross or candles bow their heads instead of genuflecting.)
Those who pass before the altar make a deep bow to it. (Never lean on the altar or place anything upon it except what is called for in the various rites.)
Distribution of Diaconal Roles

When several deacons are present and vested, the functions are normally distributed among them, while maintaining the integrity of the rite. e. g.:

the deacon who proclaims the Gospel carries the Book of Gospels in the procession;
the deacons at the chair (not more than 2) give announcements or petitions associated with the Liturgy of the Word or the Dismissal;
the deacons assisting at the altar (not more than 2) make the appropriate invitations.
Other deacons remain in their places and do not gather at the altar until the time for Communion (unless provision is made for them to receive in some other way). If needed, they may assist with the distribution of Holy Communion

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KNOW WHY SACRAMENTARY IS FOR CATHOLIC CHURCHES ONLY

KNOW WHY SACRAMENTARY IS FOR CATHOLIC CHURCHES ONLY

  12:41    Catholic Channels

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SACRAMENTARY FOR CATHOLICS

Sacramentary
This is the Vatican-approved book containing a priest's complete instructions for celebrating the Mass. Spoken lines are printed in black and prescribed gestures in red
Contains the opening prayer, prayer over the gifts, prayer after communion, and solemn blessings, Eucharistic prayers and prefaces for all of the Masses, including special occasions.
Even if a priest sometimes adds his own words to a Mass prayer, no priest can get through the entire Mass without reading from a sacramentary. This, however, was not always the case. Worshipers at early Christian liturgies needed only one written text, the Torah. Then, as now, every Mass included readings from the Jewish Bible. Priests also shared oral traditions about Jesus, chanted memorized prayers and improvised some of their own prayers. By the end of the fourth century, bound collections of Mass prayers began appearing in the Christian West. No two volumes were exactly alike and it remains unclear how they were used. Some priests at Mass may have recited these prayers directly from the book. Others may have used the prayers simply as models for their own improvisations.

By the beginning of the eighth century, the first complete sacramentary appeared. Known today as the "Old Gelasian Sacramentary," it reflected a growing trend toward standardizing the Mass. As church councils continually refined Christian doctrine, bishops began asking that liturgical prayer reflect those refinements. The ultimate act of standardization happened in 1562 at the Council of Trent. The council commissioned the pope to produce a single Catholic sacramentary in a single language -- Latin -- for universal use. The result was the Roman Missal of 1570. Its Tridentine Rite remained in effect until 1962, when the Second Vatican Council called for changes. The council's single greatest reform was requiring the translation of the old Latin Mass into the contemporary languages of Catholics worldwide.
Recent Sacramentaries
 In 2002 Pope John Paul II established the Vox Clara Committee to help create a new English sacramentary.
By 1970 the Vatican gave official approval to "Order of Mass," an English-language sacramentary for use in U.S. churches. Translators tried to take from the original Latin "basic thoughts rather than words." In 1985 the Vatican approved a new expanded edition simply called "U.S. Sacramentary." Soon after that, however, a number of U.S. bishops began raising objections to both the 1970 and the 1985 Mass translations. Pope John Paul II sympathized with their concerns.
Newest Version
 A priest follows the sacramentary from the Mass's opening prayers to its closing prayers.
What followed was a series of steps that led to a new U.S. sacramentary. Called "The Roman Missal, Third Edition," it was formally adopted late in 2012. Its translators reversed the direction taken by earlier translators. They favored words and sentence structures that adhere as closely as possible to the original Latin. The revised English creed, for example, expresses the belief that God the Son is "consubstantial with the Father." The former translation had called the Son "one in being with the Father." Other changes similar to this characterize the newest U.S. sacramentary.

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HOLY BOOKS AND THERE FUNCTIONS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

HOLY BOOKS AND THERE FUNCTIONS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

  12:19    Catholic Channels

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BOOKS USED IN CATHOLIC HURCH

1           Sacramentary
Contains the opening prayer, prayer over the gifts, prayer after communion, and solemn blessings, Eucharistic prayers and prefaces for all of the Masses, including special occasions.

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2     Book of the Gospels


This book contains the gospel reading for each Sunday of the three-year cycle, plus all solemnities, feats, and ritual Masses that are celebrated throughout the liturgical year. Carried in procession by the deacon if it is used.

















3    Lectionary
Contains the scripture readings for Mass. It is carried in the procession by the lector and placed on the ambo.

4   Hymnal/Missalette

Contains all the parts of the mass for a specific season in the liturgical year including instructions on when to stand, sit, or kneel.

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ABORTION GREAT EVIL?

ABORTION GREAT EVIL?

  11:18    Catholic Channels

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Catholic Church opposes and condemns any and all direct abortions. Even pregnancies that result from rape, incest, and present a danger to the life of the mother aren’t reasons for abortion. The Church teaches that human life is created and begins at the moment of conception. The Catholic Church sees abortion as the termination of an unborn life, and therefore, it’s always wrong, sinful, and immoral. The circumstances by which that life was conceived are considered irrelevant.

Catholics believe that willingly, knowingly, and deliberately committing evil is never justifiable — no matter how good the intention and no matter how noble the cause. This is a moral absolute for Catholics, and it can’t be diluted or altered. The Church believes that if in even one circumstance, someone is allowed to knowingly and willingly commit evil so that good may come from it, then Pandora’s box is opened for anyone to claim he was merely doing a so-called necessary evil for the greater good in the long run. So the Church teaches that one innocent life can’t be taken even if it would save hundreds, thousands, or millions.

VALUING THE LIVES OF BOTH MOTHER AND CHILD
Often, people say that the Catholic Church opts for the child over the mother. Not the case at all. If a pregnant woman has a heart attack and needs emergency surgery, it’s considered morally permissible to put her under anesthesia and operate, even though it’s likely that she’ll spontaneously abort the unborn fetus as a consequence.

The distinction is that her body is doing the act of ejecting the fetus as an effect of the primary action of the doctors who are trying to save both lives — the mother and the baby. If the baby dies naturally, the Church believes that no sin has been committed. But if the doctor or nurse directly kills the baby, that’s considered murder, the taking of an innocent life.
ACTING QUICKLY IN THE CASE OF RAPE
Even the horror and tragedy of rape or incest isn’t considered cause to kill an innocent unborn life. If possible, the woman — who is also considered an innocent victim — can get treatment as soon as possible to try to prevent conception from occurring immediately after the rape or incest.

Moral theologians and doctors say that it takes several hours to a day for the sperm to reach the egg, so the Church permits a female rape victim to be given a contraceptive only if ovulation or conception haven’t yet taken place and the drug given isn’t an abortifacient — a so-called contraceptive that doesn’t prevent fertilization and conception but rather removes, destroys, or prevents implantation of the embryo.
The Church’s stand is that even though she’s an innocent victim of a horrible evil, the unborn child is also an innocent victim. No matter what the circumstances that led to the conception, once conceived, that child has an immortal soul and has a right to live as much as the mother.

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WHY DATING IS NOT TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE BY CHRISTIANS

WHY DATING IS NOT TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE BY CHRISTIANS

  10:03    Catholic Channels

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Dating and courtship are often used interchangeably, depending on which one the person feels most comfortable using. A Christian person uses the word “courtship”. You never hear a non-Christian use this term at any time. So courtship, just as a term, has meaning and value to a Christian. However, among Christians, you still hear “courtship” and “dating” used interchangeably; indicating that many single people find the terms to mean the same thing. Why would anyone use the term “courtship” when they are simply “dating”?

I believe it is a “feel good” kind of word. Some Christians find the word “dating” to be a negative term due to their secular counterparts using the term excessively. I think a single Christian person using “courtship” to describe their dating life wants to psychologically believe they are doing something a little better, a bit more nobler than merely “dating”.

These two words, however, should NOT be used interchangeably. They are two very different words, with different meanings, and indicate two different places in the process towards marriage. In fact, with regards to “dating” I should not be too quick to say that this term necessarily included in the process towards marriage.


There is a fundamental different between courtship and dating. Dating does not necessarily mean the persons are interested in marriage at all, let alone interested in determining if this person they are dating might be the person they should marry one day. For many, dating is a form of entertainment, something to do with one’s free time. It is completely possible to date someone with absolutely no intention of considering them for marriage.

Courtship, on the other hand, absolutely does have marriage in mind. To say that you are courting someone or are in a courtship is basically to say “I am moving toward potential marriage with this person, and we shall see how it goes.” It also absolutely implies exclusivity with the person. To enter into courtship means to put a hold on considering any other person for marriage in order to focus on determining if this person you are courting is the one to become engaged to marry.

Notice that courtship is not engagement. To become engaged to a person is to make a decision to marry. Courtship wants to focus only on the person you “think” might be the one you want to spend the rest of your life with.

Those who enter into courtship are pretty sure they have found the one. They are not going into courtship with any thought that it is not the one. Otherwise, they would not be exclusive. It is quite a big step to become formally exclusive with someone. It is a practice run of making the formal decision to forsake all others on the day you exchange vows. In courtship, you do forsake all others, but not as a vow, but rather as a trial run.

Because it means exclusivity, courtship needs to be a short period of time, and have a definitive end. It cannot be open ended. Otherwise, you risk hurting each other in a way you do not wish to, but can simply because you are not yet married. It risks looking like and acting like you are married, when you have not formally made the commitment. It risks giving in to the temptation to do that one thing reserved ONLY to married couples because you become so used to each other and, what the heck, you love each other and are practically married anyway, so why not?

At the practical level, you want to be in courtship for a short time, with the agreement to get engaged or end the relationship at the end of that time period. This ensures that hearts are not too invested beyond repair, and that both persons are able to become available to new persons.

Another reason courtship is usually entered into when both are pretty certain they have found the one is because the reality of starting over from scratch with a new person and going through the process again is draining and deflating. It’s very similar to building a house. When you have done it once, you are not inclined to do it again. It is much too involved and comes at a high price.

So courtship should not be used interchangeably with dating, and should not be entered into lightly. However, if it the courtship does not work out, you have avoid rushing into a marriage that you may likely have regretted later. Courtship, as a process, ensures that all the right steps have been taken and all the right things have been talked about in order to come to the closest conclusion possible that you are in love and want to spend the rest of your life with this person. I usually advise couples in courtship to make sure they have taken a good, long road trip together so they can experience all the sides of each other, which a long road trip seems to bring out. If you can endure each other’s faults, quirks, and negatives sides, and still say “I love you!”, then you have what you are looking for.

I assume at this point my focus on courtship has provided some insight into what dating is. First, dating is NOT courtship. The best way to describe dating is that it is a sampling process. You date in order to sample the person. You spend non-commitment time with the person in order to see if there is an all around attraction to that person enough to move on to “serious dating.” Serious dating is no longer a sampling process. You have realized you want to be married and have learned more about yourself and the kind of person you are attracted to from your dating experience.


Some people never stop sampling. In fact, they unfortunately allow themselves to cheapen their offering by showing they only want to sample, and never purchase. You know the many sample food stations in Costco? I know a man who told me he goes in there to have lunch by partaking in all the sample stations, and then leaves. As if Costco is in business to hand out free lunches. What is Costco’s goal with these sample stations? To “sell” the product they are allowing people to sample.

Single persons who want to get married are in this same situation. They are putting themselves out there to sample in hopes to find a buyer. This particularly pertains to women, since men are the purchasers (the ones who propose).

Dating today has sadly become a free-for-all of perpetual samplers, which no intention to buy (make a permanent commitment). Worse, they naturally are inclined to want to sample the marriage-only goods as well, proving further they don’t want the commitment and responsibility that comes with the dating process toward marriage. I think these persons should be made to where a tag that says “Samples Only” so the single people serious about finding the right person and ready to make a commitment can avoid wasting time with the sample-only people.

Dating is a great thing, as long as people are willing to make commitment moves. Move on to serious dating, and then to being willing to be exclusive, and then to courtship, and then engagement, and then marriage. Otherwise, it is just socializing with friends. True, serious dating seeks to find your best friend. Courtship confirms that you found that best friend.

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STEPS TO A GOOD CHRISTIAN COURTSHIP

STEPS TO A GOOD CHRISTIAN COURTSHIP

  08:41    Catholic Channels

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 Be completely available to date. No strings attached. Make sure you have a decree of nullity from your tribunal that states you are free to marry in the Church. But more than that, make sure there are no burdens of anger and resentment toward your ex-spouse. Forgiveness frees your heart and prepares it for the excitement and fulfillment of love. Also, make sure your children, if you have them, are ready for this step. Kids need a lot of security to help them heal. If they aren’t ready to see you with someone else, there will be difficulties and that will take away from your excellence in dating experience.


 It’s not me, it’s you. Don’t go into the date thinking, “Is this the one that will make me happy?” Think, “Is this the one I can make happy?” Of course, you want to be with someone who makes you happy, but too many people have the Janet Jackson syndrome: “What have you done for me lately?” That’s a recipe for disaster, my friends. What do you bring to the table? What makes you the right one? Let your desire to love translate directly to how much you listen to and how well you respond to the needs of the other person.


 Accept your date for who he is, not what you think he can be nor what you wish he would be. A big mistake women make is believing they can change a man. This should not be criteria for choosing a spouse. Be yourself, and let your date be authentic as well. In doing so, you’ll know whether or not you are right for each other much sooner than later.


 Be romantic. Romance might mean walking on the beach together for one person or dinner by candlelight for another, but what is really romantic are words. They way you communicate with each other should be the key to romance. Physical affection is good in appropriate amounts, but love each other with your words and actions. Don’t be afraid to let your date know what it is about her you find attractive. Don’t hesitate to give a genuine compliment or do something nice for him. When my husband and I were long-distance dating from Connecticut to Atlanta, I called a near-by pizza joint one evening and ordered him a pizza for dinner when he was swamped with work and couldn’t take a break to eat. (By the way, I successfully talked the pizza guy into making it a heart-shaped pizza!) It’s OK, you can laugh, but from a distance, it was the best I could come up with.


Ladies, gentlemen, let’s bring class and integrity back to the dating game. Sex is easy.

Getting to know and really love someone takes effort, but doesn’t everything that’s worth having take effort? Saving the honeymoon for after the wedding is not only classy, but smart. By the time you walk together to the altar, you’ll know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, gifts and faults, and just how compatible you are together. There’s no smoke and mirrors, just a lifetime to spend with your best friend.

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MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN NOT BETWEEN MAN AND MAN NOR BETWEEN WOMAN AND WOMAN JUSTIFIED

MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN NOT BETWEEN MAN AND MAN NOR BETWEEN WOMAN AND WOMAN JUSTIFIED

  08:27    Catholic Channels

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Marriage Among Catholics

Who made marriage?
God made marriage and the laws concerning marriage.
When did God make marriage?
When He created Adam and Eve.

Why did God make marriage?
For two purposes:

For bringing children into the world and rearing them...
For the mutual help of the husband and wife.
How do you know the first purpose of marriage is children?
The Bible says so:
"Increase and multiply." (Gen. 1:28) "I will therefore that the younger should marry, bear children, be mistresses of families." (1 Timothy 5:14)
Does not common sense show that the first purpose of marriage is children?
Yes, the very differences, both physical and mental, between man and woman show the first purpose of marriage to be the bringing of children into the world. A woman's body is made for the bearing and nursing of children; whereas, a man's body is stronger so that he can protect his family and give them food and shelter. A woman is kinder, more sympathetic, more emotional than man. She needs these qualities to care for and instruct her children.

How do you know that mutual love and help are the second purpose of marriage?
The Bible says so:

"And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone: let us make him a help like unto himself...  Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam: and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it. And the Lord God build the rib which he took from Adam into a woman: and brought her to Adam." (Gen. 2:18, 21-22)
Does not common sense indicate this too?
Yes, common sense shows that men and women are incomplete without one another but find their physical and spiritual completion in marriage.
What is the purpose of sexual pleasure?
To attract husband and wife to have children and to foster love for each other.

Who are the only ones that may enjoy sexual pleasure?
Husband and wife who are validly married to each other.

"but I say to the unmarried, and to the widows:  It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.  But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry.  For it is better to marry than to be burnt." (1 Corinthians 7:8-9)
How many wives did God create for Adam?
Only one wife; God wanted this marriage to be the model for all marriages -- one man and one woman.

"Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:  and they shall be two in one flesh."    (Genesis 2:24)
How long does God intend husband and wife to stay together?
Until the death of one of the partners.

"A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at liberty:  let her marry to whom she will; only in the Lord."    (1 Corinthians 7:39)
Why does God command husband and wife to stay together until death?
Because the lifetime welfare of the children and of the married couple themselves requires that they be permanently united. Divine law requires the couple to stay together until death, even if they have no children.  In special cases separation is permitted, but the bond of marriage remains.

What is a valid marriage?
A union that is a real marriage in the eyes of God and therefore can be broken only by death.  No power on earth, therefore, can break a valid marriage.

"What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." (Mark 10:9).
This includes the civil government.
What is an invalid marriage?
A union that was never a marriage in the eyes of God.  A couple invalidly married must either separate or have the marriage made valid.   Otherwise they are living in adultery or fornication.

"Neither fornicators... nor adulterers... shall possess the kingdom of God."   (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
What is necessary for a valid marriage?  

A single man and a single woman
Who are of age
Free to marry
Capable of sexual intercourse
Who intend to live together
Who intend to be faithful to each other until the death of one of them
Who intend to have a family
Who are in no other way prohibited by the law of God from marrying. For example, it is forbidden to marry close relatives, such as uncles, aunts, nieces or nephews.
Did God make these laws only for Catholics?
No, all human beings have to obey these laws. However, Catholics are also bound by Church laws. For example, a Catholic cannot marry validly except in the presence of a priest and two witnesses (unless there is a special dispensation from the local bishop for a particular case and that for a sufficiently grave reason).
Does the state have authority to change God's laws?
No.  God's law comes before man's law. But the State can make laws requiring a license and registration, and concerning health, property rights, and so on, as long as these laws are not against God's laws.

Can men and women find real happiness in marriage?
Yes, if they follow God's plan for marriage.

"Happy is the husband of a good wife:  for the number of his years is double.  A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband and shall fulfill the years of his life in peace.  A good wife is a good portion, she shall be given in the portion of them that fear God, to a man for his good deeds.  Rich or poor, if his heart is good, his countenance shall be cheerful at all times."    (Ecclesiasticus 26:1-4)
What is the greatest source of happiness in marriage?
Raising children in the fear and love of God. Court records show fewer marriage breakups among couples with large families.
PRACTICAL POINTS:

All laws, both human and divine, are made for the good of society. Once in a while, a law will work a hardship on an individual, and this is sometimes true of God's laws on marriage.  But you marry "for better or for worse."  Therefore, if through no fault of yours, your married life is unhappy, or if your partner has left you, or if you find God's laws hard to observe, ask God for the strength to do His will; ask your crucified Savior for the courage to carry your cross. The Sacrament of Matrimony gives married people special graces to live their lives according to God's laws.  In any case, God made no exceptions to His laws on marriage; to break them for any reason is a serious sin.

Do not try to judge whether your marriage or anybody else's is valid or invalid.  That can be done only by one who is skilled in the knowledge of these laws.  The priest who is instructing you will tell you whether your marriage is valid or not. An "annulment" is not the dissolving of an existing marriage, but rather a declaration that a real marriage never existed in the eyes of God on account of some dire defect or impediment that was present at the time the couple exchanged their vows.  For example, if one of the two parties did not intend to enter a permanent union until death, no marriage would take place, despite the appearances. An annulment is more properly termed a "declaration of nullity."

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THE PROCEEDINGS OVER JESUS AT HEROD'S COURT

THE PROCEEDINGS OVER JESUS AT HEROD'S COURT

  00:58    Catholic Channels

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Often in the story of Jesus we see conflict: in how King Herod responded to the news of Jesus’ birth (the slaughter of the innocents); in how the people in his hometown sought to throw him over a cliff; in his conflict with religious leaders throughout his ministry; when Jesus was executed by the Roman empire as a political criminal labeled “king of the Jews.”

Why did Jesus’ way of life–one from all accounts peaceable and loving–lead to such conflict?

At the time of Jesus’ birth, wise men from the East visited King Herod (Matthew 2).  They asked, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?”

When Herod heard this, he was frightened.  He summoned the religious leaders to ask where the “anointed one” was to be born.  Herod knew he was not the divinely anointed king of the Jews, even though he publicly claimed that role.

Herod knew his status as ruler was tenuous.  He gained and maintained his power through brute force and political manipulation.  He had little support from the common people around Jerusalem.  Discontent with his rule was so high that a small spark could create a firestorm of revolution.  Herod lived in constant fear–no matter how many enemies he tortured and executed, he knew their number continued to grow.

Herod asked the wise men to stop on their way back and let him know where this special child was so he could “also go and pay him homage.”  The wise men found Jesus and gave him gifts. Then they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. Jesus’ father Joseph also was warned, so he took Jesus and Mary away. They fled to Egypt and stayed there several years, until Herod died.

When Herod realized the wise men had tricked him, he was furious. “He sent for and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under” (Matthew 2:16). This was only the latest of his extraordinary acts of brutality. Earlier he had his two oldest sons murdered because he feared they were plotting against him.

This tragic story is an introduction to the entire story of Jesus.

Jesus exposed the violence of power politics. He exposed the violence that lies all too close to the hearts of all of us. He goes on to show us that God’s merciful kingdom is available right now to break this spiral of violence.

The story of Jesus is about the presence of God’s healing mercy in human history. This mercy enters a world of conflict. It is because we have so much conflict that we so desperately need God’s mercy.

Jesus, even at his birth, exposes the violence of King Herod. Alongside Jesus’ birth story, the joyful song of God-with-us, comes another song, a terrible song: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more” (Matthew 2:18). Such lamentations have too often been a part of human history before and since Jesus’ birth. His birth, though, signals a new hope that Herod’s violence may be overcome.

Scarcity and Abundance

Do we think of the basic stuff of life–from food and shelter to a sense of competence and of being loved–as scarce, something we have to fight for, grasp for, hoard, protect at all costs? Or is the basic stuff of life abundant? Can we trust in God’s provision for our needs? Can we be generous and peaceable, holding onto things loosely and with an attitude of sharing?

In his life and teaching, Jesus showed that scarcity is an illusion. He showed that abundance is real, that we may, like the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, trust God for our needs in life. Jesus rejects the scarcity assumption and assumes abundance.

The tidings of Jesus’ birth are tidings of a new expression of God’s abundant mercy and healing. Herod’s response is fear (Matthew 2:3). Out of fear, people with brute power do brutish things.

Most conflicts accept the assumptions of scarcity. We fight to protect our scarce resources. We justify all sorts of violence in the name of protecting something we are afraid to lose–prestige, wealth, purity, God’s acceptance. But when we rely on force, on winners and losers, we end up with a series of battles, an eye taken for an eye until every eye is blind.

For Jesus, conflict is different. It arises when those assuming scarcity cannot accept abundance. Jesus’ way of abundance threatened those who thought in terms of scarcity. When we assume scarcity, we simply won’t know the generosity of God for what it is.

Jesus proclaimed that love is abundant in the very nature of things. That is how God has made and sustains the universe. We need only accept God’s love and trust in God’s abundant mercy. This simple trust, though, requires a radical change in our consciousness, a conversion–from the fearful, clenched-hand world of scarcity to the courageous, open-handed world of abundance.

Several years ago, I was eating lunch with a friend whose office was located in a rough part of town, not too far from the railroad tracks. A hobo had come by to see my friend a few days earlier with a tape deck he had found and wanted to sell for $20. My friend said maybe, but first he’d check to make sure it wasn’t stolen. When I was there, the hobo stopped by to see if my friend could buy the deck. My friend said the deck was okay, and he gave the fellow the money. The guy’s face lit up and he left, heading for a nearby grocery store. He came back a few minutes later with a gift for each of us, a bottle of soda and a pastry he had bought with his new store of wealth. He could not think of hoarding, only sharing.

Two Kinds of King

King Jesus taught that abundance means rejecting dividing people into insiders and outsiders or limiting God’s mercy and love. God’s kingdom is for all people. Jesus ate with tax collectors and other “sinners,” forgave the woman caught in adultery and promised paradise to the criminal on the cross next to him. Jesus received all who wanted to come.

Jesus was a genuine threat to King Herod, to the religious leaders, and to the Roman empire. He approached life with an entirely different script from that of scarcity and grasping and fearfulness. Jesus wrote a revolutionary script of trust, acceptance, openness, and mercy. Anyone who genuinely hears Jesus’ word will no longer find it possible to accept Herod’s definition of reality but will give homage to an altogether different kind of king: the peaceable king, Jesus.

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YES, SOME SOULS ARE YET TO ENTER HEAVEN

YES, SOME SOULS ARE YET TO ENTER HEAVEN

  00:12    Catholic Channels

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All who die in God’s grace, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (1030).

This seems so simple. Its common sense. Scripture is very clear when it says, "But nothing unclean shall enter [heaven]" (Rev. 21:27). Hab. 1:13 says, "You [God]... are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wrong..." How many of us will be perfectly sanctified at the time of our deaths? I dare say most of us will be in need of further purification in order to enter the gates of heaven after we die, if, please God, we die in a state of grace.

In light of this, the truth about Purgatory is almost self-evident to Catholics. However, to many Protestants this is one of the most repugnant of all Catholic teachings. It represents “a medieval invention nowhere to be found in the Bible.” It's often called "a denial of the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice." It is said to represent "a second-chance theology that is abominable." We get these and many more such charges here at Catholic Answers when it comes to Purgatory. And most often the inquiries come from Catholics who are asking for help to explain Purgatory to a friend, family member, or co-worker.

A Very Good Place to Start



Perhaps the best place to start is with the most overt reference to a “Purgatory” of sorts in the Old Testament. I say a “Purgatory of sorts” because Purgatory is a teaching fully revealed in the New Testament and defined by the Catholic Church. The Old Testament people of God would not have called it “Purgatory,” but they did clearly believe that the sins of the dead could be atoned for by the living as I will now prove. This is a constitutive element of what Catholics call “Purgatory.”

In II Maccabees 12:39-46, we discover Judas Maccabeus and members of his Jewish military forces collecting the bodies of some fallen comrades who had been killed in battle. When they discovered these men were carrying “sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear” (vs. 40), Judas and his companions discerned they had died as a punishment for sin. Therefore, Judas and his men “turned to prayer beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out… He also took up a collection... and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably… Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.”

There are usually two immediate objections to the use of this text when talking with Protestants. First, they will dismiss any evidence presented therein because they do not accept the inspiration of Maccabees. And second, they will claim these men in Maccabees committed the sin of idolatry, which would be a mortal sin in Catholic theology. According to the Catholic Church, they would be in Hell where there is no possibility of atonement. Thus, and ironically so, they will say, Purgatory must be eliminated as a possible interpretation of this text if you’re Catholic.  


The Catholic Response:

Rejecting the inspiration and canonicity of II Maccabees does not negate its historical value. Maccabees aids us in knowing, purely from an historical perspective at the very least, the Jews believed in praying and making atonement for the dead shortly before the advent of Christ. This is the faith in which Jesus and the apostles were raised. And it is in this context Jesus declares in the New Testament:

And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come (Matthew 12:32, emphasis added).

This declaration of our Lord implies there are at least some sins that can be forgiven in the next life to a people who already believed it. If Jesus wanted to condemn this teaching commonly taught in Israel, he was not doing a very good job of it according to St. Matthew’s Gospel.

The next objection presents a more complex problem. The punishment for mortal sin is, in fact, definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed in Hell according to Catholic teaching (see CCC 1030). But it is a non-sequitur to conclude from this teaching that II Maccabees could not be referring to a type of Purgatory.

First of all, a careful reading of the text reveals the sin of these men to be carrying small amulets “or sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia” under their tunics as they were going in to battle. This would be closer to a Christian baseball player believing there is some kind of power in his performing superstitious rituals before going to bat than it would be to the mortal sin of idolatry. This was, most likely, a venial sin for them. But even if what they did would have been objectively grave matter, good Jews in ancient times—just like good Catholics today—believed they should always pray for the souls of those who have died “for thou [O Lord], thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men” (II Chr. 6:30). God alone knows the degree of culpability of these “sinners.” Moreover, some or all of them may have repented before they died. Both Jews and Catholic Christians always retain hope for the salvation of the deceased this side of heaven; thus, we always pray for those who have died.

A Plainer Text

In Matthew 5:24-25, Jesus is even more explicit about Purgatory.

Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny (Matthew 5:25-26).

For Catholics, Tertullian for example, in De Anima 58, written in ca. AD 208, this teaching is parabolic, using the well-known example of “prison” and the necessary penitence it represents, as a metaphor for Purgatorial suffering that will be required for lesser transgressions, represented by the “kodrantes” or “penny” of verse 26. But for many Protestants, our Lord is here giving simple instructions to his followers concerning this life exclusively. This has nothing to do with Purgatory.

This traditional Protestant interpretation is very weak contextually. These verses are found in the midst of the famous “Sermon on the Mount,” where our Lord teaches about heaven (vs. 20), hell (vs. 29-30), and both mortal (vs. 22) and venial sins (vs. 19), in a context that presents “the Kingdom of Heaven” as the ultimate goal (see verses 3-12). Our Lord goes on to say if you do not love your enemies, “what reward have you” (verse 46)? And he makes very clear these “rewards” are not of this world. They are “rewards from your Father who is in heaven” (6:1) or “treasures in heaven” (6:19).

Further, as St. John points out in John 20:31, all Scripture is written “that believing, you may have [eternal] life in his name.” Scripture must always be viewed in the context of our full realization of the divine life in the world to come. Our present life is presented “as a vapor which appears for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away” (James 1:17). It would seem odd to see the deeper and even “other worldly” emphasis throughout the Sermon of the Mount, excepting these two verses.

When we add to this the fact that the Greek word for prison, phulake, is the same word used by St. Peter, in I Peter 3:19, to describe the “holding place” into which Jesus descended after his death to liberate the detained spirits of Old Testament believers, the Catholic position makes even more sense. Phulake is demonstrably used in the New Testament to refer to a temporary holding place and not exclusively in this life.

The Plainest Text

I Corinthians 3:11-15 may well be the most straightforward text in all of Sacred Scripture when it comes to Purgatory:

For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble—each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

No Christian sect I know of even attempts to deny this text speaks of the judgment of God where the works of the faithful will be tested after death. It says our works will go through “fire,” figuratively speaking. In Scripture, “fire” is used metaphorically in two ways: as a purifying agent (Mal. 3:2-3; Matt. 3:11; Mark 9:49); and as that which consumes (Matt. 3:12; 2 Thess. 1:7-8). So it is a fitting symbol here for God’s judgment. Some of the “works” represented are being burned up and some are being purified. These works survive or burn according to their essential “quality” (Gr. hopoiov - of what sort).

What is being referred to cannot be heaven because there are imperfections that need to be “burned up” (see again, Rev. 21:27, Hab. 1:13). It cannot be hell because souls are being saved. So what is it? The Protestant calls it “the Judgment” and we Catholics agree. We Catholics simply specify the part of the judgment of the saved where imperfections are purged as “Purgatory.”

Objection!

The Protestant respondent will immediately spotlight the fact that there is no mention, at least explicitly, of “the cleansing of sin” anywhere in the text. There is only the testing of works. The focus is on the rewards believers will receive for their service, not on how their character is cleansed from sin or imperfection. And the believers here watch their works go through the fire, but they escape it!

First, what are sins, but bad or wicked works (see Matthew 7:21-23, John 8:40, Galatians 5:19-21)? If these “works” do not represent sins and imperfections, why would they need to be eliminated? Second, it is impossible for a “work” to be cleansed apart from the human being who performed it. We are, in a certain sense, what we do when it comes to our moral choices. There is no such thing as a “work” floating around somewhere detached from a human being that could be cleansed apart from that human being. The idea of works being separate from persons does not make sense.

Most importantly, however, this idea of “works” being “burned up” apart from the soul that performed the work contradicts the text itself. The text does say the works will be tested by fire, but “if the work survives... he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss.” And, “he will be saved, but only as through fire” (Gr. dia puros). The truth is: both the works of the individual and the individual will go through the cleansing “fire” described by St. Paul in order that “he” might finally be saved and enter into the joy of the Lord. Sounds an awful lot like Purgatory.

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