What’s the difference between a ‘Feast Day’ and a ‘Solemnity’?
A feast day is a day set aside for special honour God, Mother Mary, the Saints or even angels. A solemnity bears a slight difference, in that it is a festival of higher observance. In other words, a Solemnity is a ‘higher’ form of a feast.
Showing posts with label Published article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Published article. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Do angels really exist?
Do angels really exist? Or are they symbols of God's love?
They only exist if you believe in the Word of God.
It may be hard to believe in the existence, but numerous accounts of angels from the very beginning (Genesis!) show that they do!
Yet, some may say that the Old Testament is not proof enough. Then what about Jesus? The Lord Himself taught about angels! In the Gospel of Matthew, He said things like, “At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven” (22:30), and “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (18:10), and “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct” (16:27).
The Catechism contains several paragraphs on angels. CCC#332, for example, tells us that “angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan”. Another is CCC#336: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession”.
“Angel” is the Greek word for “Messenger”, yet it seems that they do more then sending messages. Believe it or not, angels actually help take care of us! If Jesus said so, it must be so!
- Updated 31 Jan 2008
References:
They only exist if you believe in the Word of God.
It may be hard to believe in the existence, but numerous accounts of angels from the very beginning (Genesis!) show that they do!
Yet, some may say that the Old Testament is not proof enough. Then what about Jesus? The Lord Himself taught about angels! In the Gospel of Matthew, He said things like, “At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven” (22:30), and “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (18:10), and “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct” (16:27).
The Catechism contains several paragraphs on angels. CCC#332, for example, tells us that “angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan”. Another is CCC#336: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession”.
“Angel” is the Greek word for “Messenger”, yet it seems that they do more then sending messages. Believe it or not, angels actually help take care of us! If Jesus said so, it must be so!
- Updated 31 Jan 2008
References:
- CCC#328: The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.
- CCC#329: St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'" With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word" (see Mt 18:10; Ps 103:20).
- CCC#330: As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness (see Lk 20:36; Dan 10:9-12).
- CCC#331: Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him" (see Mt 25:31). They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him" (see Col 1:16). They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"(see Heb 1:14)
- CCC#332: Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples (see Job 38:7; Gen 3:24; 19; 21:17; 22:11; Acts 7:53; Ex 23:20-23; Judg 13; 6:11-24; Isa 6:6; 1 Kings 19:5). Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself (see Lk 1:11,26).
- CCC#333: From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: 'Let all God's angels worship him'" (see Heb 1:6). Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church's praise: "Glory to God in the highest!" (see Lk 2:14). They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been (see Mt 1:20; 2:13,19; 4:11; 26:53; Mk 1:13; Lk 22:43; 2 Macc 10:29-30; 11:8). Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection (see Lk 2:8-14; Mk 16:5-7). They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgement (see Acts 1:10-11; Mt 13:41; 24:31; Lk 12:8-9).
- CCC#334: In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels (see Acts 5:18-20; 8:26-29; 10:3-8; 12:6-11; 27:23-25).
- CCC#335: In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .["May the angels lead you into Paradise. . ."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).
- CCC#336: From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession (see Mt 18:10; Lk 16:22; Ps 34:7; 91:10-13; Job 33:23-24; Zech 1:12; Tob 12:12). "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.
Monday, 2 July 2007
Get involved in church or get the grades?
I know that between my life and God’s work, the latter is much more important. But between God’s work and studies (to play my part as a student), which is more important?
This is a matter of balance, really. There are two key questions we all need to ask ourselves when it comes to balancing our lives across the various roles we each have to play. The first question is: why do I do church work? The second is: why do I study? The reasons that drive us in our lives play an extremely important role in our perspective.
Of course God’s work is extremely important, but they’re not very different to begin with. In a very big way, your studies are part of doing God’s work – it is your offering to Him! If you do well in school, God can be glorified.
The problem lies in the reason for getting good grades. Many students study hard to get into a good Junior College or a great Diploma course, work towards a degree, so that they can get a job that pays well, in order to get lots of money. They are driven by ‘financial freedom’. That's not a bad reason to do well in school, but it should never be the number one reason.
As Christians, we should be motivated by far more than that. God reminds us to see the big picture when we plan our lives: “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt 6:33).
If that’s our perspective, when we do well at work or in school, God is glorified, because all “may see your deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16). Our study and our work can be and should be driven by God and by the love for God.
With the very same breath, we must not be overly indulgent in our secular life. Service in church is just as important. In church, we join the rest of God’s family for a common purpose – to grow and to give.
Let’s face it, life is not easy. We are each one person, but never just one role. In one lifetime, we are a son/daughter, a brother/sister, a cousin, a student, a teacher, a friend, a father/mother. We get more roles with age! Everything must be balanced out. The most important thing is that we must each live our roles under the one most important role we each: as a child who belongs to God. This means every other role we play, every task you do, we should do for God.
If you are not in a church ministry, I’d suggest you join one. Being in a church group is important because it gives us a community to belong to. We have, in the group members, new channels through which we can share our thoughts, feelings, uncertainties and joy. Being in a group reminds us that we were never meant to be many individuals in a church – we are called to be one holy, apostolic community.
The Book of Proverbs tells us that “the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord” (21:31). Ultimately, we must firstly acknowledge God’s role in our lives, do our very best for Him in everything we do, and then leave the outcome to Him.
- Updated 8 Jul 2007
This is a matter of balance, really. There are two key questions we all need to ask ourselves when it comes to balancing our lives across the various roles we each have to play. The first question is: why do I do church work? The second is: why do I study? The reasons that drive us in our lives play an extremely important role in our perspective.
Of course God’s work is extremely important, but they’re not very different to begin with. In a very big way, your studies are part of doing God’s work – it is your offering to Him! If you do well in school, God can be glorified.
The problem lies in the reason for getting good grades. Many students study hard to get into a good Junior College or a great Diploma course, work towards a degree, so that they can get a job that pays well, in order to get lots of money. They are driven by ‘financial freedom’. That's not a bad reason to do well in school, but it should never be the number one reason.
As Christians, we should be motivated by far more than that. God reminds us to see the big picture when we plan our lives: “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt 6:33).
If that’s our perspective, when we do well at work or in school, God is glorified, because all “may see your deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16). Our study and our work can be and should be driven by God and by the love for God.
With the very same breath, we must not be overly indulgent in our secular life. Service in church is just as important. In church, we join the rest of God’s family for a common purpose – to grow and to give.
Let’s face it, life is not easy. We are each one person, but never just one role. In one lifetime, we are a son/daughter, a brother/sister, a cousin, a student, a teacher, a friend, a father/mother. We get more roles with age! Everything must be balanced out. The most important thing is that we must each live our roles under the one most important role we each: as a child who belongs to God. This means every other role we play, every task you do, we should do for God.
If you are not in a church ministry, I’d suggest you join one. Being in a church group is important because it gives us a community to belong to. We have, in the group members, new channels through which we can share our thoughts, feelings, uncertainties and joy. Being in a group reminds us that we were never meant to be many individuals in a church – we are called to be one holy, apostolic community.
The Book of Proverbs tells us that “the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord” (21:31). Ultimately, we must firstly acknowledge God’s role in our lives, do our very best for Him in everything we do, and then leave the outcome to Him.
- Updated 8 Jul 2007
Friday, 22 June 2007
More than just a number
Youth is not always defined by age.
It won’t be surprising the very mention of ‘youth’ will make many parishioners sit up and say, “Yes, we have a dynamic movement here at Christ the King”. Having been heavily involved with youth ministry for all my teenage years, I’ve personally heard many church-goers – from CTK and also from other parishes – complimenting the kind of young people we have here. I’ve been guilty of doing so a few times myself!
It’s no exaggeration that the youth movement in CTK has had a colourful and decorated history. Since it started in the early 1990s, our youths have come a long way, with the number of youth ministries hitting 11 at one point. For the record, no other parish has come remotely close to this number of groups. Indeed, God has blessed us in CTK with young diligent workers for His Kingdom.
Ready to be used
The Bible has accounts of young people who have followed the way of God closely. And while many of them are not perfect, we can easily see why they are remembered in Scripture, and why they make good examples for us all.
One person who comes to mind almost immediately is our Blessed Mother Mary. When we place ourselves in her story (Lk 1:26-38), we begin to comprehend what she had to go through as a teenager. To have an angel appear in front of us might be enough to shock us stone cold. But more than that, she had to hear shocking news that she was going to give birth (never mind that it was God Himself who would be her son’s Father).
Then she had a decision to make.
In our culture today, a 15-year-old who walks into school one day big bellied, will be stared at by friends, condemned as silly by teachers, and even sent for counselling. That’s bad. But in those days, it was even worse! Pre-marital intimacy was taken a lot more seriously then. News of her pregnancy might have been enough to get her banned from any worship service. It might have even have warranted death by stoning.
“Woah. Are you crazy, angel Gabe? I have a whole life ahead of me, you know?” would have been my reaction. Thank goodness I’m not Mary. Her decision to be available for God was pivotal in our salvation. She would go through months of staring and gossip before giving birth in a measly stable. We won’t even go to the part where she watches Him die.
Another example was Joseph (not to be mistaken as Mary’s betrothed), of Technicolor Dreamcoat fame. He was the eleventh son of Jacob, and was despised by his brothers for his apparent arrogance. Of course, when we read the stories about his dreams and his attitude, we know that was not true. In fact, it was quite the opposite. After he was sold to the Egyptians, and wrongly put in jail, he continued to stay close to God, giving the Father glory for his own good deeds (Gn 37, 39-45).
Here’s how a writer of Days Of Our Lives would have plotted Joseph’s life: After all he goes through, Joseph comes out the most successful of the 12 brothers. Upon meeting them, he gives them a tongue-lashing and throws them into the streets.
But Joseph was not like that. Instead, seeing his brothers in need many years after what they did to him, Joseph welcomed them into his house with open arms.
Compare Mary’s and Joseph’s behaviour with 80-year-old Moses, who repeatedly refused to work for God (Ex 3-4), and the apostle Peter’s constant superficial bragging before his Pentecostal experience (Mt 26:33-34), and you’ll see quite plainly that we have a bit to learn from the youths in the Bible.
Not restricted by age
Still, to define youth strictly based on age will do the very meaning of the word much injustice. A dictionary will define ‘youth’ as ‘the condition of being young’ or ‘an early period of development’. To say that Mary and Joseph, among many other young people in Scripture, acted out of their age would be silly. ‘Youth’ also means ‘[to have] the appearance, freshness, vigour [and] spirit’ of one who is young. Being youthful is more than a number – it’s to have the characteristics of someone who is young. And there are many youthful, though not necessarily young, people who were obedient to the Lord, and close to God as well. Abraham (Gn 22), Noah (Gn 6:9), Job (Jb 1-2), Joshua and Caleb (Nm 32:12), just to name a few, were all enthusiastically loyal and faithful to God.
A call to youthfulness
We are all called to youthfulness in our lives as Christians as well. Just as defined, we need to approach our faith with freshness and enthusiasm. How many of us talk about God so much that it would surprise people if we didn’t talk about Him for a day? In fact, many of us are guilty of talking too little about God, that people don’t even know we’re Christians!
We also need to be ready to spend time and effort, and be vigorous in our evangelisation. Most of us put in aggressive effort in our studies so that we can bag the A’s. Just as many of us work hard, overtime even, to get that promotion and bonus. That’s all very good. But why are we not working hard for our place with God? It’s clear we love our grades and our pay cheque. Is it clear that we love God?
When we look at new Christians or returning Catholics, we see good examples of youthfulness in faith. The desire of these ‘young’ Catholics to be part of the church is commendable. When I got confirmed, I had the desire to attend mass every day. I had the urge to be with Christ. The desire never died, but I must confess that a year later, I wasn’t intending to attend mass every day anymore. I know many newly baptised and newly confirmed Catholics who share the same experience. Maybe you do too.
Perhaps what we need is to think of ourselves as ‘baby’ Catholics again. Like we’ve just joined the Church, and we don’t know anything. We need to look forward to talking about our faith and attending every event there is to attend, so that we can constantly learn more about our faith, and bind ourselves closer to the community. We have to have ‘the appearance, freshness, vigour [and] spirit’ of those who are young, or new, in the Church. We need to treat our faith like a long journey, with the attitude of “we’ve only just begun”.
Time for action
To begin with, we could read the Word of God regularly, and understand it. Some might say that’s the job of the priests, but that could not be further from the truth. It takes more time than many think, but it is possible for even lay Christians to understand what God wants for us. It’s not right to say, “I pray in my own words every day, and that’s enough”, because as St. Jerome puts it, “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”.
We could also share our faith more with the people around us. Of course, that would also mean we’ll have to live by the example of Jesus. Start by smiling at the neighbour, and saying “thank you” when the bus driver waits for you. There is no better way to show our gratitude to the Father, than to love others around us so much, that people start to take notice of our behaviour. Acting out of love is an effective way of glorifying God.
James’ letter makes it clear that our faith in God must be demonstrated:
“What good is it … if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (2:14-18).
The truth is prayer cannot stand without action. In order to live fully in God’s ways, we also need to be part of the Body of Christ – the Church.
In CTK, we’re blessed to have many communities to share in. There are plenty of roles for every believer in church. Even for those who lead busy lives, there are Bible studies, worship sessions, spiritual talks and social events open to all. We have no excuse to say that we have no opportunity to serve and share.
“Confirmed! Chopped! Guaranteed!”
Last month, 68 teenagers received the sacred sacrament of confirmation. At every confirmation I attend, I evaluate my own journey of faith as the confirmands start theirs. It might be useful for all of us to see where we each stand in our faith too. The church teaches that “by Confirmation … those who are anointed share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that their lives may give off ‘the aroma of Christ’” (CCC#1294).
Confirmation is God’s blessing on us, but it is also our agreement to share in Jesus’ mission for all Christians to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Mt 28:19). It means we “advance toward the perfection of charity” (CCC#1212), giving not just money to the poor, but, perhaps more importantly, giving our time to God – to learn about and to understand the Word of God, to pass on what we learn from the Church to those around us. We need to do this both in church (participating in activities, community prayer and holy mass) and outside the church (spending quality time in prayer and making a conscious effort to love all around us).
When we see how the examples in the Bible have lived their lives, and start to fully see how youthfulness really encompasses freshness and enthusiasm, vigour and spirit, we see clearly, that youth goes far beyond the number of years we have lived. More importantly, it is defined by our attitude towards our faith and in our works for God.
- Updated 12 Jul 2007
References:
It won’t be surprising the very mention of ‘youth’ will make many parishioners sit up and say, “Yes, we have a dynamic movement here at Christ the King”. Having been heavily involved with youth ministry for all my teenage years, I’ve personally heard many church-goers – from CTK and also from other parishes – complimenting the kind of young people we have here. I’ve been guilty of doing so a few times myself!
It’s no exaggeration that the youth movement in CTK has had a colourful and decorated history. Since it started in the early 1990s, our youths have come a long way, with the number of youth ministries hitting 11 at one point. For the record, no other parish has come remotely close to this number of groups. Indeed, God has blessed us in CTK with young diligent workers for His Kingdom.
Ready to be used
The Bible has accounts of young people who have followed the way of God closely. And while many of them are not perfect, we can easily see why they are remembered in Scripture, and why they make good examples for us all.
One person who comes to mind almost immediately is our Blessed Mother Mary. When we place ourselves in her story (Lk 1:26-38), we begin to comprehend what she had to go through as a teenager. To have an angel appear in front of us might be enough to shock us stone cold. But more than that, she had to hear shocking news that she was going to give birth (never mind that it was God Himself who would be her son’s Father).
Then she had a decision to make.
In our culture today, a 15-year-old who walks into school one day big bellied, will be stared at by friends, condemned as silly by teachers, and even sent for counselling. That’s bad. But in those days, it was even worse! Pre-marital intimacy was taken a lot more seriously then. News of her pregnancy might have been enough to get her banned from any worship service. It might have even have warranted death by stoning.
“Woah. Are you crazy, angel Gabe? I have a whole life ahead of me, you know?” would have been my reaction. Thank goodness I’m not Mary. Her decision to be available for God was pivotal in our salvation. She would go through months of staring and gossip before giving birth in a measly stable. We won’t even go to the part where she watches Him die.
Another example was Joseph (not to be mistaken as Mary’s betrothed), of Technicolor Dreamcoat fame. He was the eleventh son of Jacob, and was despised by his brothers for his apparent arrogance. Of course, when we read the stories about his dreams and his attitude, we know that was not true. In fact, it was quite the opposite. After he was sold to the Egyptians, and wrongly put in jail, he continued to stay close to God, giving the Father glory for his own good deeds (Gn 37, 39-45).
Here’s how a writer of Days Of Our Lives would have plotted Joseph’s life: After all he goes through, Joseph comes out the most successful of the 12 brothers. Upon meeting them, he gives them a tongue-lashing and throws them into the streets.
But Joseph was not like that. Instead, seeing his brothers in need many years after what they did to him, Joseph welcomed them into his house with open arms.
Compare Mary’s and Joseph’s behaviour with 80-year-old Moses, who repeatedly refused to work for God (Ex 3-4), and the apostle Peter’s constant superficial bragging before his Pentecostal experience (Mt 26:33-34), and you’ll see quite plainly that we have a bit to learn from the youths in the Bible.
Not restricted by age
Still, to define youth strictly based on age will do the very meaning of the word much injustice. A dictionary will define ‘youth’ as ‘the condition of being young’ or ‘an early period of development’. To say that Mary and Joseph, among many other young people in Scripture, acted out of their age would be silly. ‘Youth’ also means ‘[to have] the appearance, freshness, vigour [and] spirit’ of one who is young. Being youthful is more than a number – it’s to have the characteristics of someone who is young. And there are many youthful, though not necessarily young, people who were obedient to the Lord, and close to God as well. Abraham (Gn 22), Noah (Gn 6:9), Job (Jb 1-2), Joshua and Caleb (Nm 32:12), just to name a few, were all enthusiastically loyal and faithful to God.
A call to youthfulness
We are all called to youthfulness in our lives as Christians as well. Just as defined, we need to approach our faith with freshness and enthusiasm. How many of us talk about God so much that it would surprise people if we didn’t talk about Him for a day? In fact, many of us are guilty of talking too little about God, that people don’t even know we’re Christians!
We also need to be ready to spend time and effort, and be vigorous in our evangelisation. Most of us put in aggressive effort in our studies so that we can bag the A’s. Just as many of us work hard, overtime even, to get that promotion and bonus. That’s all very good. But why are we not working hard for our place with God? It’s clear we love our grades and our pay cheque. Is it clear that we love God?
When we look at new Christians or returning Catholics, we see good examples of youthfulness in faith. The desire of these ‘young’ Catholics to be part of the church is commendable. When I got confirmed, I had the desire to attend mass every day. I had the urge to be with Christ. The desire never died, but I must confess that a year later, I wasn’t intending to attend mass every day anymore. I know many newly baptised and newly confirmed Catholics who share the same experience. Maybe you do too.
Perhaps what we need is to think of ourselves as ‘baby’ Catholics again. Like we’ve just joined the Church, and we don’t know anything. We need to look forward to talking about our faith and attending every event there is to attend, so that we can constantly learn more about our faith, and bind ourselves closer to the community. We have to have ‘the appearance, freshness, vigour [and] spirit’ of those who are young, or new, in the Church. We need to treat our faith like a long journey, with the attitude of “we’ve only just begun”.
Time for action
To begin with, we could read the Word of God regularly, and understand it. Some might say that’s the job of the priests, but that could not be further from the truth. It takes more time than many think, but it is possible for even lay Christians to understand what God wants for us. It’s not right to say, “I pray in my own words every day, and that’s enough”, because as St. Jerome puts it, “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”.
We could also share our faith more with the people around us. Of course, that would also mean we’ll have to live by the example of Jesus. Start by smiling at the neighbour, and saying “thank you” when the bus driver waits for you. There is no better way to show our gratitude to the Father, than to love others around us so much, that people start to take notice of our behaviour. Acting out of love is an effective way of glorifying God.
James’ letter makes it clear that our faith in God must be demonstrated:
“What good is it … if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (2:14-18).
The truth is prayer cannot stand without action. In order to live fully in God’s ways, we also need to be part of the Body of Christ – the Church.
In CTK, we’re blessed to have many communities to share in. There are plenty of roles for every believer in church. Even for those who lead busy lives, there are Bible studies, worship sessions, spiritual talks and social events open to all. We have no excuse to say that we have no opportunity to serve and share.
“Confirmed! Chopped! Guaranteed!”
Last month, 68 teenagers received the sacred sacrament of confirmation. At every confirmation I attend, I evaluate my own journey of faith as the confirmands start theirs. It might be useful for all of us to see where we each stand in our faith too. The church teaches that “by Confirmation … those who are anointed share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that their lives may give off ‘the aroma of Christ’” (CCC#1294).
Confirmation is God’s blessing on us, but it is also our agreement to share in Jesus’ mission for all Christians to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Mt 28:19). It means we “advance toward the perfection of charity” (CCC#1212), giving not just money to the poor, but, perhaps more importantly, giving our time to God – to learn about and to understand the Word of God, to pass on what we learn from the Church to those around us. We need to do this both in church (participating in activities, community prayer and holy mass) and outside the church (spending quality time in prayer and making a conscious effort to love all around us).
When we see how the examples in the Bible have lived their lives, and start to fully see how youthfulness really encompasses freshness and enthusiasm, vigour and spirit, we see clearly, that youth goes far beyond the number of years we have lived. More importantly, it is defined by our attitude towards our faith and in our works for God.
- Updated 12 Jul 2007
References:
- CCC#1294: "Anointing with oil has all these meanings in the sacramental life. The pre- baptismal anointing with the oil of catechumens signifies cleansing and strengthening; the anointing of the sick expresses healing and comfort. The post- baptismal anointing with sacred chrism in Confirmation and ordination is the sign of consecration. By Confirmation Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that their lives may give off 'the aroma of Christ'."
- CCC#1212: "The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."
Monday, 11 June 2007
Mass understanding, mass appreciation (Book review: We worship: a guide to the Catholic Mass)
If you've been attending Mass all your life, but haven't experienced Jesus' presence all these years, you're not alone. Neither are you, if you've been guilty of treating the Mass as mere obligation.
The irony is that the Mass was never meant to be a burden. Rather, it has always been meant to help unite us with Jesus and the community of Catholics around the world!
In We worship: a guide to the Catholic Mass, Fr Oscar Lukefahr, C.M., a religious educator with over 40 years of experience, describes the Mass as a ritual, and compares it to the ritual of a baseball game: "Those who understand the rules and the rituals of baseball can have a great time at the game. Those who don't know baseball, on the other hand, will likely experience much confusion."
In a light-hearted, simple-to-read manner, Lukefahr gives good reasons to attend Mass, as well as a brief history showing how the Mass we celebrate goes way back to Jesus' time. He also takes a step-by-step walkthrough of the Mass, explaining along the way the significance of each part.
He also gives practical suggestions for participation at Mass in order to get more out of it, and then reveals why the Eucharist is key to the Mass, and the centre of all other sacraments of the Church (CCC# 1324).
To add value to the read, questions for reflections and activities for personal growth at the end of each chapter will help keep us engaged. A full chapter is devoted to addressing Frequently Asked Questions, which will likely satisfy most, if not all, of your own curiosity.
Not once during the read was I tempted to put the book down as dull or boring. In fact, the further I read, the more I wanted to know! Lukefahr provides a refreshing perspective on the Mass we attend each week, and promises to help the reader with the open heart to experience more fully the meaning of the Mass and the Eucharist.
For Catholics who want to deepen their knowledge on the Mass, or those who have lost the meaning of it, or those simply never understood it, We worship: a guide to the Catholic Mass makes a good read to help you appreciate and love the weekly hour-long devotion as the pinnacle of Christian prayer, where we come in full union with Jesus and the Church.
Book review: We worship: a guide to the Catholic Mass
Author: Fr Oscar Lukefahr, C.M.
Publisher: Liguori Publications
Year of publication: 2004
This review can also be found on Amazon.com and was published in G! Magazine, the official community magazine of the Church of Christ The King, Singapore, in July 2007.
The irony is that the Mass was never meant to be a burden. Rather, it has always been meant to help unite us with Jesus and the community of Catholics around the world!
In We worship: a guide to the Catholic Mass, Fr Oscar Lukefahr, C.M., a religious educator with over 40 years of experience, describes the Mass as a ritual, and compares it to the ritual of a baseball game: "Those who understand the rules and the rituals of baseball can have a great time at the game. Those who don't know baseball, on the other hand, will likely experience much confusion."
In a light-hearted, simple-to-read manner, Lukefahr gives good reasons to attend Mass, as well as a brief history showing how the Mass we celebrate goes way back to Jesus' time. He also takes a step-by-step walkthrough of the Mass, explaining along the way the significance of each part.
He also gives practical suggestions for participation at Mass in order to get more out of it, and then reveals why the Eucharist is key to the Mass, and the centre of all other sacraments of the Church (CCC# 1324).
To add value to the read, questions for reflections and activities for personal growth at the end of each chapter will help keep us engaged. A full chapter is devoted to addressing Frequently Asked Questions, which will likely satisfy most, if not all, of your own curiosity.
Not once during the read was I tempted to put the book down as dull or boring. In fact, the further I read, the more I wanted to know! Lukefahr provides a refreshing perspective on the Mass we attend each week, and promises to help the reader with the open heart to experience more fully the meaning of the Mass and the Eucharist.
For Catholics who want to deepen their knowledge on the Mass, or those who have lost the meaning of it, or those simply never understood it, We worship: a guide to the Catholic Mass makes a good read to help you appreciate and love the weekly hour-long devotion as the pinnacle of Christian prayer, where we come in full union with Jesus and the Church.
Book review: We worship: a guide to the Catholic Mass
Author: Fr Oscar Lukefahr, C.M.
Publisher: Liguori Publications
Year of publication: 2004
This review can also be found on Amazon.com and was published in G! Magazine, the official community magazine of the Church of Christ The King, Singapore, in July 2007.
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Confession of sins
I was reading my Bible and I came across Lk 7:36-48 (Jesus’ feet are anointed by a sinful woman). The story helped me understand that Jesus will forgive my sins, no matter how bad they are, if we really repent and if we want to change for the better. However, if God forgives all our sins, why do we even need to go for confession? Why should I go to a priest to confess when I can confess to God directly?
That’s a good question, which many people may have, but dare not ask. Your asking is a sign of trying to understand your faith and tradition. That’s good! There are several reasons for the need to confess our sins regularly.
Firstly, the priest is a representative of God in the community of believers. In the Church, many rituals are done with an appointed mediator. In Matthew’s gospel, God empowered St Peter, our first pope – he was just a man – to forgive sins. Jesus said to him, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (16:19). In Jn 20:23, Jesus is more explicit: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”.
Next, we need to understand that God does not need our confession; we do. Whenever we commit a sin, our first response should be to appeal to God for mercy and forgiveness, not because He doesn’t already know. He’s God! God is omnipresent - this means He is everywhere. Whether we confess within ourselves or to a priest, we are not telling Him anything that He doesn’t already know. Rather, we are acknowledging our own sin and taking responsibility for our actions. We are the ones who need to confess. Sometimes we do something terrible and don’t realise how bad it is until we voice it out. That’s human. Confession serves as a reminder of our weakness, and helps us see a need to change. God’s gift of the forgiveness of sins is tailored to meet our needs.
Thirdly, we need to shame the devil that lives in us. The Lord spoke through Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (55:8), and again through Jeremiah: “The [human] heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure...” (17:9).
While God created us perfect and pure, in His image and likeness, original sin has made sin a big part of our human nature – it has become our inclination, to sin (CCC#405). That’s why it’s dangerous to follow what the world encourages: “Be yourself. Don’t care what people think.” We don’t, in fact, belong to ourselves. Jesus came to us, gave His life up to redeem ours. We were purchased by His body and blood, and thus belong to Him. We must stop doing what we think is right and start doing what God thinks is right.
It might be worth noticing we don’t usually question the need for priests for Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, or even the Anointing of the Sick? But we seem to be extra cautious over the need for a human mediator in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Why? Because it hurts our pride! Understandably, confessing our sins to another human being is difficult, and often embarrassing. Part of the power of sacramental reconciliation is that it makes us shame the evil one (provided we confess honestly). More importantly, regular confession keeps us humble before God.
Lastly, we can take consolation in the fact that confession frees us from the slavery of sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Can you begin to see the beauty in the idea of confession? Confession is a gift; it helps us become aware of our failures as humans, and plays a vital role in freeing us from the trap of sin. Confession is done for our good, not for God’s good! When you go for your next confession, be 100% honest. Confess wholeheartedly and be truly remorseful for your sins. You will come out feeling a load lighter, and ready to love the Lord fully again!
- Updated 8 Apr 2007
References:
That’s a good question, which many people may have, but dare not ask. Your asking is a sign of trying to understand your faith and tradition. That’s good! There are several reasons for the need to confess our sins regularly.
Firstly, the priest is a representative of God in the community of believers. In the Church, many rituals are done with an appointed mediator. In Matthew’s gospel, God empowered St Peter, our first pope – he was just a man – to forgive sins. Jesus said to him, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (16:19). In Jn 20:23, Jesus is more explicit: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”.
Next, we need to understand that God does not need our confession; we do. Whenever we commit a sin, our first response should be to appeal to God for mercy and forgiveness, not because He doesn’t already know. He’s God! God is omnipresent - this means He is everywhere. Whether we confess within ourselves or to a priest, we are not telling Him anything that He doesn’t already know. Rather, we are acknowledging our own sin and taking responsibility for our actions. We are the ones who need to confess. Sometimes we do something terrible and don’t realise how bad it is until we voice it out. That’s human. Confession serves as a reminder of our weakness, and helps us see a need to change. God’s gift of the forgiveness of sins is tailored to meet our needs.
Thirdly, we need to shame the devil that lives in us. The Lord spoke through Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (55:8), and again through Jeremiah: “The [human] heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure...” (17:9).
While God created us perfect and pure, in His image and likeness, original sin has made sin a big part of our human nature – it has become our inclination, to sin (CCC#405). That’s why it’s dangerous to follow what the world encourages: “Be yourself. Don’t care what people think.” We don’t, in fact, belong to ourselves. Jesus came to us, gave His life up to redeem ours. We were purchased by His body and blood, and thus belong to Him. We must stop doing what we think is right and start doing what God thinks is right.
It might be worth noticing we don’t usually question the need for priests for Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, or even the Anointing of the Sick? But we seem to be extra cautious over the need for a human mediator in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Why? Because it hurts our pride! Understandably, confessing our sins to another human being is difficult, and often embarrassing. Part of the power of sacramental reconciliation is that it makes us shame the evil one (provided we confess honestly). More importantly, regular confession keeps us humble before God.
Lastly, we can take consolation in the fact that confession frees us from the slavery of sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Can you begin to see the beauty in the idea of confession? Confession is a gift; it helps us become aware of our failures as humans, and plays a vital role in freeing us from the trap of sin. Confession is done for our good, not for God’s good! When you go for your next confession, be 100% honest. Confess wholeheartedly and be truly remorseful for your sins. You will come out feeling a load lighter, and ready to love the Lord fully again!
- Updated 8 Apr 2007
References:
- CCC#405: "Although it is proper to each individual, original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants. It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, suffering and the dominion of death, and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that is called concupiscence". Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to spiritual battle."
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