I hear people talking about meditation and contemplation. Are they the same thing? Is there a difference? What are they talking about? - Jenny

Dear Jenny,

"Some people do use [those words] interchangeably.  But in the more precise language of spiritual theology, they are distinct.   
"Meditation is a type of prayer wherein our experience of God is [facilitated] in some way, usually by means of a text, a work of art or simply our memory or imagination interacting with our understanding.  We think about something that then inspires our affections for God.   
"Contemplation describes a prayer that is deeper and more directly attentive to God without the [help of special] words or images or ... thinking.  It is ... heart speaking to heart.   It is a loving, simple and fixed attention of the soul on God. ..."Our Sunday Visitor, Vol 104, No 31, November 29, 2015, Pastoral Answers by Msgr. Charles Pope, page 15 

What does it mean that the Church follows Scripture and tradition? - Lana

Lana;

As Catholics, we believe that Scripture is the sacred and inspired Word of God.  We believe that the Holy Spirit used people and allowed them to use their talents and their ways of writing in order to give us the Divine Word.  Scripture is God's text message to us!

Tradition is the other part of what we believe.  That is Tradition with a capital T.  It is not the small t - tradition which looks at things like where we put our Christmas tree or what we eat at Thanksgiving.  It is the capital T  - Tradition. 

Along with the Bible, we Catholics have a long line of teaching which has been handed down from the Apostles and which continues to be handed on by the Church.  It has been protected by the Magisterium - which is the teaching body of the Church.  Tradition is as much a part of our Catholic heritage as the Scripture.  As a matter of fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it like this:   "the oral preaching of the Apostles, and the written message of salvation under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Bible), are conserved and handed on as the deposit of faith through the apostolic succession in the Church.  Both the living Tradition and the written Scriptures have their common source in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ."  (CCC - Glossary)

"Though languages differ throughout the world, the content of the Tradition is one and the same.  The Churches established in [other countries ] have no other faith or Tradition."  (CCC 174)

Hope this helps some.

We are learning the precepts of the Church. I don't really get what they ARE. Can you explain? -G

"The word 'precept' comes from the Latin praeceptum, meaning to 'warn, admonish or instruct.'  As such, the precepts of the Church specified historically a kind of bare minimum that Catholics must observe in living the Catholic Faith. ... 
"The precepts focus on Church life and the minimal requirements of the faithful related to that."
"The number and specifics of the precepts have varied a bit over the centuries."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five precepts:  "1.   You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor; 2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year; 3.  You shall receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season; 4.  You shall observe days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church; 5.  You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church."

In a quick summation, the precepts are not formal doctrine, but are the bare minimum obligations which Catholics must observe in order to be Catholics.  As people who love Christ, we should aim higher than the minimum and live a life which Christ would approve.  (Our Sunday Visitor:  October 18, 2015,  p 15,  Pastoral Answers:  by Msgr. Charles Pope)

Why do we have a wreath with candles before Christmas? - Karen

Karen:

A perfectly timed question!  That special wreath is called an Advent wreath.  Advent is the season that marks the beginning of our Church year.  It begins 4 Sundays before Christmas.  It is a season of hope and joyful anticipation of the coming of Jesus.  We prepare to celebrate not only the birth of Jesus, but also we anticipate His 2nd coming.

During advent we remember how the people of Israel waited for Messiah.  It's the time we revisit the stories of the Annunciation and the Visitation. 

Now, about the wreath: Traditionally "an Advent wreath consists of a circle of evergreens and four candles that represent each of the four Sundays of Advent.  The greenery ... reminds us of the new life that Jesus will bring to us."  The evergreen also reminds us that God is ever constant and ever present.  The "circle ... represents God's unending love."  No beginning to that love.  No end to that love.   "The candles on the wreath are usually purple, the liturgical color for Advent, or white.  A pink candle ordinarily is used for the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  [Pink] reminds us to rejoice because the Lord is near.  The light from the candles represents the light that came into the world at Jesus' birth.  A new candle is lit each week."  ("Finding God:  Following Jesus, Loyola Press, 7th grade Parish Catechist Guide. (c) 2014, Loyola Press, Chicago, Ill.  p 225)

That 3rd Sunday of Advent is called "Gaudete" Sunday.  Gaudete is latin for joyful.  We are joyful because Advent is 1/2 over.  Jesus is coming quickly!  Pink is the color that represents joy.

Notice that the colors of the liturgical calendar, the colors of the priest's chasuble, and the colors of the candles match!  The priest wears purple and the cloths of the altar are purple.  That 3rd week He wears a pink chasuble.  (The only other time in the liturgical year the priest wears pink is on the 4th Sunday of Lent - called Laetare Sunday - Laetare also means Joyful.)

Sometimes you will see a large white candle in the center of the Advent wreath.  That is the candle that represents the birth of Jesus, the Light of the world.  It is lit on Christmas. 

What a lovely way to wait for Jesus!!

Can Roman Catholics fulfill their sunday obligation by attending a Byzantine Catholic Mass and receiving the Eucharist there? TB

TB:  

Yes!  That's the short answer.  

Now for an explanation:  Roman Catholics may "fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending Mass in any Catholic rite ... which is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church."  The Byzantines are in full communion with us, so yes! Vatican II said this was ok because " ' such individual Churches,whether of the East or of the West, although they differ somewhat among themselves in what are called rites (that is, in liturgy, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage), are, nevertheless, equally entrusted to the guidance of the Roman Pontiff, the divinely appointed successor of St. Peter in  supreme governance over the universal Church.  They are consequently of equal dignity, so that none of them is superior to others by reason of rite. They enjoy the same rights and are under the same obligations, even with respect to preaching the Gospel to the whole world (cf. Mk 16:15) under the guidance of the Roman Pontiff.  (Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches, n. 3)."
from Catholic Replies by James J. Drummey  CR Publications, Norwood MA 

I know Jesus said we won't be married in heaven, but what does that mean for me and my husband? That makes me sad and a little scared. What will our relationship be in heaven? Will he still love me? Will I still even know him? -- Katherine

Katherine,

What a lovely caring question you ask!  You are right: Jesus told the Sadducees who asked him whose wife a woman would be who had married seven brothers, each one after the one before him had died.  Jesus told them that they did not understand Scripture or the power of God.  He said that when people rise from the dead they will neither marry nor be given in marriage but will live like the angels do - in unmarried status.  (Matthew 22:23-32)

This is not something to be afraid of, because Jesus promises us that He has a wonderful place for us in heaven (John 14:2 - 3).  He also promises that there will be no tears, death, mourning, or crying out in pain (Rev 21:4) in heaven.   Heaven will be like nothing we have seen or heard before (1 Cor 2:9).

So, if I take all those promises and think about what that means for me, and I know that I don't want to forget my husband or have him forget me in eternity, and that I still want to love the spouse I so dearly love on earth, then I need to think deeper into what Jesus must really be saying to me.   ...

First of all, I know that God IS love.  In heaven I will be with God, in the presence of LOVE at all times.   I know that God is relational and wants us all to love each other (remember the Golden Rule:  Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:34) and that the 2nd greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37 - 39) ).   So, I am guessing that God will bless us in our heavenly place by permitting us to mingle with and continue to love the people we already love.  

Because no one has come back and explained the details of heaven I am guessing that if I apply what Jesus has said, I will recognize my beloved spouse in heaven.  We will be happy to see each other and happy to be with each other, but we will have no need for the sexual intimacy we had on earth because the LOVE of God will be way more than sufficient to meet our intimacy needs.  The lovemaking act will not be necessary.  I would guess we would recognize each other as someone we dearly loved, and we will be very happy, and we will still be fabulous and close friends.  But, friends in an even more special way than we were as spouses.   I also think that our love for God will overshadow all other relationships and we won't have to worry about what our prior relationship was on earth.  

I don't know how much I answered your question, but I do know that God always keeps God's promises and that heaven will be better than we can imagine!  Hope this helps soothe your worries.
Remember:  God knows everything.  God knows more that we can even imagine with our human brains.  God has it all figured out and God will take care of us!

I got Confirmed this year and I heard someone say that the Bishop who came was the Auxiliary Bishop. What does that mean? - Catherine

Catherine,

Congratulations on being Confirmed!   That means that you now have the mission to spread the Good News!  You are called to stand up and proclaim yourself as a Christian - in whatever way that looks like for your life!  That doesn't mean that you have to run around handing out Bibles and quoting scripture.  (though those things aren't bad ideas in some cases!)  ...

That means that the way you live your life should proclaim that you believe in our good and generous God.   The decisions you make should let the world see you as different in some way - a way they want - a way which demonstrates understanding, knowledge, courage, reverence, self-control, modesty, joy, peace, hope, wonder and awe, and all those other gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. That is a journey you should grow into every day more and more! 

Now, to your question:  What does Auxiliary Bishop mean?  
That takes a bit of explanation first:   Every Diocese has a Bishop who is in charge of everything; the financing, the educating his flock (ie all the Catholics in his diocese), the recruitment and formation of priests, ensuring that the Sacraments are being administered - including ordaining new priests, assigning and guiding already ordained priests, and continue to grow in his faith life too.  On top of that, he has to keep in contact with the Pope and keep the Pope informed of how things are going in the Diocese - and more things which I haven't listed.

That Bishop is called the "Ordinary" of the Diocese.   So, Bishop Zubik is our Ordinary Bishop.
  
The other thing you need to know is that the primary person to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation is a Bishop.  In special circumstances a priest is allowed to confer the Sacrament - like at the Easter Vigil  when new people join the Faith,  or in a case I know when the Bishop got stuck in a snow storm on his way to a Confirmation and after two hours and still no luck getting through he called the priest at the church where all the people were gathered and told the priest to do it.  

Because he is so very busy, the Pope will often station another Bishop alongside the Ordinary.   These Bishops may be close to retirement, or young Bishops who are need mentoring before taking on a Diocese of their own etc.  Those Bishops are graced with priestly duties to help the Ordinary - and may be in charge of a committee or two.  They also assist the Ordinary with conferring the Sacrament of Confirmation at the parishes in his Diocese.   

I like to think of it as an associate - though we don't use that word.  We use the word "Auxiliary."  
One how is an extension of the Ordinary Bishop.   

In our Diocese, we have two Auxiliary Bishops:  Bishop Winter and Bishop Waltersheid.  

All Bishops are holy men and need our prayers.  So, when you pray for our Bishop, remember too to pray for his Auxiliaries!  

I know it's wrong to tell a lie, even a white lie, but when I'm asked a question that isn't anyone else's business, I don't want to be mean and say, "It's none of your business," so I just say, "I don't know." or "I forget." But that's lying and I feel bad. How could I handle it without being mean or sinning with a lie?

Fr. Charles Bober of St. Kilian Parish in Cranberry Township actually spoke to this in the Pittsburgh Catholic in the June 19, 2015 edition.   He was discussing the idea  of our obligation to be people of integrity and the lack of boundaries in our world today which makes people feel that they are supposed to know everything about everybody.
     Think about all that people tell online in forums like Facebook and Twitter, and in interviews, editorials, in the tabloids, and with reporting styles called "investigative"  where grieving families are interrupted by reporters asking for their comments or where the lives of people accused of a crime are dug into and sifted through so that every fact and issue they ever experienced is laid bare to the world. 
     Fr. Bober said, " ' the people's right to know' seems to have become not only the chief value but the only value."  He continued, saying, "While the 'right to know' is an important principle in our democracy, ... should we not also consider why a person needs to know something or how a matter is known and under what conditions the information was made known?  .... From a theological point of view, the Catholic Church upholds the Ten Commandments' teaching about the error of 'bearing false witness.'  The clear positive directive is that we should tell the truth.  ... But, [must] every truth ... be shared?   Are there any boundaries left?
     "We know well that there are prohibitions against unlawful searches.  So then, are there limits on one's privacy, and what are they? ...It seems that some think that if one feels the need for privacy there must be some secret, and secrets are bad, and so must be that person.  How doe we distinguish secrecy from privacy, especially in a free society?  does everyone who invokes the presumed right to privacy automatically become an evil-doer?  does it mean that anyone who doesn't like living in a fish bowl is likely hiding something?"
     He said that he thinks the "difference between secrecy and privacy lies in the relevance of the information to the welfare of the other.  If withholding information from another places them in any danger (physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual), then the information must be disclosed."

While I think he is mostly right in his thinking, I think I should expand a bit more to complete the answer to your specific question by discussing the virtue of prudence.  Prudence, per the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) paragraph 1806 is the "virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it;"  Prudence sets the bar for applying our moral principles.  
     By praying for the help of the Holy Spirit for Prudence, we can gain prudence.  In the meantime, I have been in your situation and am often stumped on my response.  I strive to be kind, change the subject, and give very short answers when I don't want to share information.   It is also ok to say that
this information is not public knowledge and you are not in a position to share it at this point.  
    I often figure that if the person is bold enough to ask for information which he/she has no need/right/reason to know, then I can be bold enough to say, it's none of your business - in a nicer way.  Am I good at doing that?   Not always; especially when the person is relentless and doesn't read between the lines!  When that happens, I often extricate myself from the situation and get away from that person.  If that person is a friend, that person, as a friend, should grant you the permission to NOT share the information.  If not, I'd question whether it's time have a heart to heart talk about that character trait with that friend.  If no changes happen, maybe it's time to get a new friend! 

Hope this helped.  Good luck!

Happy Birthday, MDSJfaithtalk!

Oh, my goodness, I am so excited!  I just looked back at our blogsite history and see that we are celebrating our very first Birthday on the blogsite!! Woo woo. 

Our first blogs were posted just over a year ago.  They were pieces of information we were learning in our Bible Study, and some Faith News.  Within six weeks it became primarily a place for questions and answers about the faith.  Isn't that cool!  Most of our 72 blogs are questions and answers. 

In the past year, as of the moment I write this,  we have had over 1800 page views!  Even more exciting is that people from 10 different countries have viewed our questions and answers!  Do you realize what this means?   It means that people all around the world have some of the same questions we do.  It means that people all around the world want to chat about their faith!  It means that we are all connected!  It means so much more, but mostly it means that WE have a responsibility to continue talking about what's on our minds regarding the faith! 

Here's a rundown of the number of hits and the nations from which the people come who are looking at our site!

United States  1526
France   145
Switzerland  45
Russia  27
Germany  22
Poland  22
Mexico  7
Ukraine  6
India  4
Canada  2

Thank you to all who have emailed or verbally presented questions for the blog.  Keep them coming!  And, please pray for all the people who are using our conversations to build their connection with God! 
(Thank You, God for allowing us to reach out to one another and to grow in our faith through this means.  May we continue to honor You by our participation in it.  We pray for all those who enter our blogsite and ask that You will guide us all to know Your ways.  Amen.)

Please feel free to comment on this blog in order to encourage all our readers!

xxoo

Hi, I don't know if u can clear something up for me or not. But here goes..... Scenario: Catholic person. Leaves church and marries in a non-Catholic Christian church with no priest present. ... divorces ... Can't that person get remarried int the Catholic Church without an annulment and return to being Catholic just like they were never married the first time? This subject really confuses me and upsets me. I hope I can get some light on this complicated subject. Thank you. - Lana

Lana,

The whole topic of divorce and Catholic teaching is something which seems to always bring up a lot of emotions.  Don't feel bad because you are upset.  Marriage (and in turn, divorce) deals with our love, our heart, betrayal, and hurt from people who made promises that weren't kept.   Very importantly, it deals with reconciling with ourselves and forgiving ourselves for our part in the hurt too.   During this time of intensity, it is often difficult to come humbly before God in prayer. ... As you said perfectly, it is a complicated subject.  There are many layers involved in this process.  ...

I am not a Canon Lawyer, so I can only respond partially to your specific question. A trained tribunal priest would be the one to ask for a more complete explanation of the elements listed in your scenario.  However, I can share with you what I know and understand because I have learned about it  in my time as a Catechetical Administrator and, I can provide some firsthand insight because I went through the annulment process myself.  So, please allow me to share some of my experiences and maybe guide you to others who can provide more!

Some of the reasons for the annulment process is to help the Catholic stay connected to the Church, to protect divorced Catholic from making same mistakes in other, future marriages, and to help the people involved with the failed marriage to heal. 

We Catholics accept marriages from other Christian denominations as valid, so I don't see that the person in your scenario could pretend that the marriage to the non-Catholic Christian never happened.  Even though there was not a priest present, a Christian marriage occurred.  We Catholics also believe that once Catholic, always Catholic - ie; when one would leave the faith and return later, that person would not have to go through instructions to become a Catholic again.  That person would just have to go to confession.  So, in your scenario, that person, even though not practicing Catholicism, would still have been Catholic when he/she got married but would have been married outside the auspices of the Church.  Should she/he have stayed married to that non-Catholic Christian and returned to practicing the Faith, she/he would have been asked to have the marriage 'validated' - which is a special type of ceremony which blesses the union.

My guess is that in the case you present, the person who married the non-Catholic Christian would not have had a 'validated' marriage, but a determination of its status would require some research by the Canon and Tribunal Lawyers.  They have the details of the Church regulations regarding what the Church sees as Christ's mandate to us for marriage.  It would be a sort of annulment process, however, I don't think it would be long and drawn out.

On a personal note, the annulment process was very healing for me - and although at times I resented that they were "telling me what I could or couldn't do," I discovered that I had a bad pattern in some of my decision making.  By bringing this to my attention I was able to get some counseling and re-train my thinking so that I didn't follow the same bad pattern in the future.  It truly helped me become a better person:  it drew me closer to God, and allowed me to choose a man I would never have dreamed possible for me.  We have a wonderful marriage and are just entering our 8th year of bliss! 

I would guess that the healing and awareness I experienced is what the Church also desires for that re-turned Catholic. If the scenario you presented is a real case about someone you know and care for, you could call the Office for the Tribunal in Pittsburgh 412-456-3033 and ask them for guidance.    Their email is tribunal@diopitt.org

For more information, you can also look on the Diocese of Pittsburgh's website at diopitt.org and type in Office for the Tribunal.
More information on what Catholics believe about the Sacrament of Matrimony can also be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Faith paragraphs  1601 -1666.

Oh, and one more thing ... this is very timely ... As recently as the last couple of months, our bishop of the Pittsburgh Diocese, Bishop David Zubik, in response to the request of Pope Francis to the Bishops of the world to do what they could to make it easier for divorced Catholics to more fully participate in the Faith, has waived all fees to the partners involved in current and future annulment proceedings!  It is a process involving many mailings, copies, hours of scrutiny etc ... (just like any court case) and the Bishop is paying the fees from the parish share monies!  What a generous offer to those who may not have the resources to follow what the Faith asks of her children!

I hope this helped.  Thanks for your thoughtful question.
 

How about a discussion of the implements of the Crucifixion?

  

What is all that stuff displayed for Lent at Mater Dolorosa?  It is a reminder to us of all Jesus suffered so that we could be saved.  The things depict the instruments of torture used on him during the course of preparing for and crucifying him

There’s a whip to remind us of his scourging.  The one the Romans used was called a flagrum, or flagellum.  It was a connection of two or three not real long ox-hide thongs attached to a handle.  Along the strips of hide they knotted little pieces of metal and bone.  Sometime they would add a hook to the end of each thong.  They called this the “scorpion.”  [We see this in 1 Kings 12:14 when King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, threatened to be harsher to the people than his father was so that they would follow him without question.  He said, "My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions."  (It backfired and the kingdom divided into two.)]    

During a scourging, the criminal was made to stoop so that the lashes from the shoulder to the waist would go deeper into the body.  Deep cuts tore the flesh and exposed the muscles.  Severe bleeding would occur through this torturous action.  The Roman Centurion in charge of the scourging would order a stop before the criminal died, as it was to be punishment to a criminal before being humiliated even more by his public crucifixion.

                  

The railroad ties are reminders of the large nails which were pounded into the lower hands – near the wrists.  They had to be inserted into that area of the hand/wrist/forearm where all the bones meet so that they could hold the body to the cross.  If they were pounded into the middle of the hand, the weight of the body on those small hand-bones would break and tear and the person would fall off the cross.  The Romans had Crucifixion down to a science.  They made the convicted person bend his legs and nailed all the nails into a spot where the nerves would be agitated.  This was to cause the maximum amount of pain they could.  Because of the hanging weight, the victim could not breathe well and in order to do so, he would have to push himself up with his feet to fill his lungs.  That would further irritate the nerves and cause even more pain.  So, every time Jesus took a breath, it hurt like crazy!  And think, he did this for three hours!

           
The crown of thorns we display is nowhere near being the object of pain that it was.  I have read that in the holy land area there grows shrubby type of evergreen with thorns as long as a person’s hand.  It is called "Christ's Thorn Jujube."  (Zizyphus Spina Christi - is its botanical name.)  It grows a fruit which was often made into bread - which I think is really interesting as Jesus was the Bread of Life!  Although there are many thoughts about what actual plant was used, the information surrounding why it could have been this tree has a ring of truth to it and I venture to say that it was what they used to make his crown.  When the soldiers put it on his head, they thrust it into his head and those thorns pierced into it.  Think of when you get caught in the briers and how the bushes scratch your arms and legs.  It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?  What if those thorns were five or six inches long and pierced your body and stayed inside it?  That’s what Jesus suffered!
 

The dice and money represent the soldiers’ gambling for his clothing at the foot of the cross.  They actually “cast lots” to see which item each person would get.  We often think of throwing dice when we talk about casting lots.  However, they actually had a cup of smooth stones.  All were white except for one, which was black.  My understanding is that when they cast lots, each person took a stone out after they shook the cup and the person who received the black one was “out.”  (We have the term ‘being black-balled’ which is of this same ilk.)  They would continue casting the stones until there was one person left in the group and that person would be the winner of the item.  They’d start again on the next item. Imagine that Jesus has been literally beaten to a pulp then hung up in a torturous way so that he had to struggle for each breath.  His blood was probably dripping on the ground right next to them.  Most likely they could hear him groaning.  People all around them would have been crying for him, jeering him, or encouraging him.  But the soldiers were indifferent and kept gambling for their prize.  That lack of concern was another humiliation to Jesus - and yet another sin on their part.

           
Lastly, why the bread on the little shelf?   Because Jesus is the bread sent from heave; the bread of life. 


The display of these items is for us to think about how much LOVE Jesus had for us, and for God.   He could have called upon the angels to take him away from all this at any time.  He could have come down from the cross and said he was finished, that he didn't like what was going on, that he'd had enough.  He could have called lightning from heaven to sizzle his executors.  But he didn’t.  He knew that in order for us to be able to walk again with God as Adam and Eve did before the fall we had to be redeemed.  The only one who could redeem us had to be fully human – because Adam and Eve were fully human and it had to be a human to repay a human debt.  But, the person who redeemed us had to be fully God because the only one who could pay a God-type debt would be someone who could deal with ‘God-type currency’ (so to speak).  That someone had to be divine.  Jesus, fully human and fully divine was the only one who fit that bill. 


He suffered.  He felt the pain.  But he loved us so much that he endured it so that our debt to God would be paid.  Thank you, Jesus!

How many slaves do you have working for you? take this survey!

As you might know, I am taking a Social Justice course this semester.  (It's the last class I have before I graduate!  Pray for me!!)   This past week I had a very interesting assignment and want to share part of it with you:


We were told to go to the following website and take a survey which would tell us how many “forced laborers” ( ie: SLAVES) we have working around the world for us so that we can live our current lifestyle.  I was appalled at my score.  Although I live what I think is simply, ie:  I don’t have a cell phone; I don’t have cable TV; I recycle; I drive a vehicle with over 200,000 miles on it etc … I scored a not nice looking number.   :(


Now I am trying to discern what I need to do so that I can better that score and make it fewer than before.  … God gave us all a dignity which no other creature He made has.  We are His Image!  We are made to commune with Him.  We are made to reflect Him to others.   How can we travel this journey better?  


Take the survey.  See how you are moved.  And if you so desire to chat with me about it, feel free to do so.   We’re all on this journey together.  Let’s ease someone else’s load if we can! 


http://slaveryfootprint.org/#where_do_you_live.   

remember to look at the links page and the about us page too!

What is another good site to find answers to Catholic/faith questions? - Missy

Missy
I love that you asked for "another good site" for answers!! That means that you like some of the things here.  Yay!!  (Make sure you tell your friends about this site!!)

Depending on the type of question I have determines where I go for research to answers for my questions.  I often go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (USCCB site).  I think I go there more than anywhere.  However, we do have a link page on this blog site.  I use any number of the links for information regarding the faith.  As you continue to ask questions and look for answers, you will find the places that touch your intellect in the way you need/want.  My suggestion is to use those links and build from there.   Many of those links came from the Our Sunday Visitor Catholic Newspaper.  When I read something and it recommends a site, I check it out and go from there.  Do the same and pretty soon I'll be asking you for answers instead of the other way around!!

 

Thanks, Missy.

 

I am honored that you are using this site for your research.  Thanks. 

 

 

I have a couple of students in my Religious Ed class who have asked me what the first prayer was. - Missy

Missy,

I love the question your kids asked!  It shows they are thinking about their faith in more ways than just "what the rules are."  They are trying to figure out how things fit together!  That means you are stimulating their thoughts about God too!  Kudos to both you and your students!!

So, in response to the first part of your question.  What was the first prayer?  ... Let me respond in the manner Jesus does:  He responds to a question with another question!   What is prayer? ...
Yes, it's conversation with God.   So ... it can be any type of talk with Him, right?   My answer would be that whatever Adam's first conversation with God was would have been the first prayer!  It could have been, "Wow, God, what an awesome thing you have done!  Look, I was mud/dirt/earth before You breathed life into me.  Now I'm the spittin' image of YOU!" 

I am assuming that this makes you a little frustrated.  That there is no clear answer to that question.  I can tell you that the Jews, God's chosen people from the very beginning have a special prayer they teach their children before they teach them others.  It is called the Shema  (pronounced SHAY  MA - accent on the second syllable)  It is the central prayer of their prayer book and many Jews pray it twice a day, morning and evening.  It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 which stresses the command to Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and might.    It is so revered that they often put parts of it in their mezuzahs (those little prayer boxes next to their doorways - which they touch when entering)

The Shema goes like this:  "Hear oh, Israel the LORD is our God; the Lord is one.
You can read more about this on  Hebrew4christians.com by John J. Parsons  www.hebrew4christians.com/scripture/Torah/The_Shema/the_shema.html

Hope this helps you some!  Keep the questions coming!!

I heard there was a religious origin behind the song, "Twelve Days of Christmas." Is that so? ... wondering

Dear Wondering,
I heard that too.  Thank you to our parish secretary, Ina, for finding and typing out the answer to your question! 

Here is a site that explains the meaning. http://www.articleseen.com/Article_the-meaning-of-the-twelve-days-of-christmas_119672.aspx

 

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree - The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . ." (Luke 13:34)

 

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

 

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Three French Hens -  The Three Theological Virtues:

1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

 

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Four Calling Birds - The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

 

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Five Gold Rings - The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

 

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Six Geese A-laying -  The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

 

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Seven Swans A-swimming - The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in Paul's letters: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)  ** Traditionally, we Catholics celebrate wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.  This is derived from Isaiah 11:1-3.

 

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eight Maids A-milking - The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

 

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Nine Ladies Dancing - The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit which are listed in Galations: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness, 6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)  

 **  We Catholics traditionally celebrate 12 fruits, to include goodness, modesty, and chastity with those nine fruits. 

 

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Ten Lords A-leaping - The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not take God's name in vain; 3) Keep the Sabbath Day Holy; 4) Honor your father and mother; 5) Do not murder; 6) Do not commit adultery; 7) Do not steal; 8) Do not bear false witness; 9) Do not covet your neighbor's things. 10) Do not covet your neighbor's spouse.  (Exodus 20:1-17)

 

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eleven Pipers Piping  - The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.  ** Judas was later replaced by Matthias in the book of Acts of the Apostles, bringing the number of apostles back up to 12.

 

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Twelve Drummers Drumming - The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of power. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the Holy catholic (small c meaning 'universal') Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.

Priorities for 2015

     At the beginning of a New Year it is common for people to make resolutions.   A wonderful article in the Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) talked about resolving to have a less stressful 2015.  How so?  By setting priorities, turning off our devices, clearing our calendars, and limiting our time on social media sites.   Here's the gist of the article: 

People are extremely stressed in America.  Between 42 – 52% of them claim they don’t sleep well because they are stressed.  Why?  Because they feel so overwhelmed.   They feel like they are sooo busy they don’t have time to do everything. Well, this is actually an illusion we live with here in our fast paced lives.   In his book “The Time Management Workbook:  A Catholic Approcah” (Pauline Books and Media, $9.95) author Marshall Cook reminds us that we aren’t really busier than our counterparts from the 1950s & 1960s.  They spent 14 hours a day working at the factory.  

A recent survey sound that we actually work fewer hours and watch more tv than they did.  So why do we perceive ourselves as so busy?  Because we live in a “culture of distraction.”  It’s due in large to technology. 

Americans are so busy developing their resumes.  ( Captain of the X club, member of the Y team, etc).  Much blame goes to the sue of social media.  Social media usage takes time, time which could be used to do other things.  There’s an urgency to check one’s emails, check ones text messages, respond to them, answer the ring, ensure that they take a photo of whatever they are doing, post it on their sites.   So much is a stressful waste of time.  People are just reacting to those little electronic devices. 

What are they missing out on?  True relationships, commitments which satisfy.  The ones they make online are shallow and perhaps not even with  ‘real’ people.  How can we help ourselves slow down?   Take breaks from the electronics.  Put them away while eating.   Go Exercise.  Enjoy an activity.   Better yet, enjoy a relationship.  How about one with God?!  That doesn’t mean one has to totally forget about FaceBook or Twitter.  It means one should schedule the time for them.  Limit the number of times you check your email in one day. 

“For the chronically overscheduled, Cook also recommends not taking on new commitments without dropping old ones, plus leaving more time between scheduled activities — essentially planning on things taking more time than expected. Lastly, he said, it’s important to leave time for things that aren’t important — watching television, working on crossword puzzles and just doing nothing — all of which can help lower stress levels and stimulate creativity. “Being bored isn’t a bad thing,” he explained. ‘Boredom is where a lot of creativity comes from.’  In the end, perhaps the best advice comes from St. Paul in Ephesians 5, who urges Christians to ‘look carefully then how you walk ... making the most of the time.’ ‘It all comes back to intentionality and an eternal perspective,’ ” ... Sarah Christmyer, co-developer of the Great Adventure Bible study program says. “We only have so much time. How are we going to spend it? What are we here for? How are we going to be Christ to those around us? That’s what matters.”

New year, new priorities For a less stressful 2015, clear your calendars, turn off your devices and tune into what matters most Emily Stimpson OSV Newsweekly - See more at: https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/ByIssue/Article/TabId/735/ArtMID/13636/ArticleID/16638/New-year-new-priorities.aspx#sthash.EJTlLDgU.dpufT