Copyright 1950
DIDDE PRINTING COMPANY
Emporia, Kansas
Nihil obstat:
Rev. Lambert Brockman, O.F.M.
Imprimi potest:
Very Rev. Romuald Mollaun, O.F.M., S.T.D.
Nihil obstat:
Rev. Louis S. Hauber, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:
Most Rev. George J. Donnelly, S.T.D.
Bishop of Kansas City in Kansas
February 20, 1950
INTRODUCTION
Most Catholics, and non-Catholics, too, want to know about the
SACRAMENTALS. This book aims to give a simple, interesting
explanation of them.
It is gratifying to learn that many priests are finding homiletic
help in the author's previous works, listed on the title page. As
always, your suggestions, hints, and criticisms are welcome and
deeply appreciated.
It is high time that gratitude be offered to the official censors, the
Rev. Lambert Brockman, O.F.M., representing the Province of St.
John the Baptist, and to the Rev. Louis S. Hauber, representing the
Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and to an unofficial censor, the
Rev. J. Forest McGee, O.F.M., former editor of St. Anthony
Messenger, for their many searching suggestions.
Enclosed you will find a list of proposed publications. Your
choice in this matter will be seriously considered. With God's
grace and blessing, the next volume will be TALKS ON THE MASS.
A prayerful remembrance will be appreciated by
The Author.
Feast of St. Scholastica. February 10, 1950.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Sacramentals In General
2. Agnus Dei
3. Agriculture, Sacramentals Of
4. Angelus
5. Ashes
6. Asperges
7. Baptism, Ceremonies Of
8. Bells
9. Benediction
10. Breviary
11. Candles
12. Cemetery
13. Churching Of Women
14. Confession, Ceremonies Of
15. Confirmation, Ceremonies Of
16. Cords, Blessed
17. Crib
18. Cross, Sign Of
19. Crucifix
20. Devotions
21. Eucharist, Ceremonies Of
22. Extreme Unction, Ceremonies Of
23. Forty Hours
24. Funeral Service
25. Habit, Religious
26. Holy Oils
27. Holy Water
28. Home Sacramentals
29. Incense
30. Industry, Sacramentals Of
31. Lilies
32. Litanies
33. Marriage, Ceremonies Of
34. Meal Prayer
35. Medals
36. Missal
37. Palms
38. Paschal Candle
39. Persons, Blessing Of
40. Pictures
41. Pilgrimages
42. Pope's Blessing
43. Prayerbooks
44. Priesthood, Ceremonies Of
45. Relics
46. Rings
47. Ritual
48. Rosary
49. St. Christopher
50. Salt
51. Sanctuary Lamp
52. Scapulars
53. Stations
54. Statues
55. Tabernacle
56. Things, Blessing Of
57. Three Kings' Blessing
58. Vessels
59. Vestments
60. Vigil Lights
Topical Index
SACRAMENTALS IN GENERAL
"Waters are broken out in the desert, and streams in the
wilderness. And that which was dry land shall become a pool, and
the thirsty land springs of water." Isaias, 35:6.
Some years ago two women were touring a desert region of our
southwest. They wandered off from their party and were lost. For
two full days they tramped and tramped in search of a road or
dwelling. They found none. Completely exhausted, aching with
thirst and hunger, they could not walk another step. One of them,
in true womanly fashion, took out her compact to repair the
damage done by sun and dust. The sun flashed off the mirror.
She got an idea. Someone might see the reflected light. They
flashed the mirror in all directions. Rescuers saw the flashes,
hurried to the source, and saved the two ladies.
Who would have thought that such a simple thing as a mirror
could save human lives? This essential piece of female
equipment did not directly save their lives, but it was the means,
the instrument for attracting attention and bringing help.
The sacramentals are something like that. Of themselves they do
not save souls, but they are the means for securing heavenly help
for those who use them properly. A sacramental is a sacred
object or religious action which the Catholic Church, in imitation
of the sacraments, uses for the purpose of obtaining spiritual
favors especially through her prayer. A sacramental is anything
set apart or blessed by the Church to excite good thoughts and to
help devotion, and thus secure grace and take away venial sin or
the temporal punishment due to sin.
Let us compare and contrast the sacraments and the
sacramentals:
1. The sacraments were instituted by Christ Himself; the
sacramentals were founded by Christ's Church.
2. The sacraments are limited to the seven instituted by Christ,
namely, Baptism, Confirmation, Confession, Holy Eucharist,
Extreme Unction, Holy Orders and Matrimony; the sacramentals
are numerous and varied, according to the directions of Mother
Church.
3. The sacraments produce grace directly in the soul, if there is
no obstacle on the part of the recipient; the sacramentals do not
produce grace directly and of themselves--they produce grace
indirectly by disposing and preparing the soul for this divine gift.
4. The words used in the sacraments, except in Extreme Unction,
positively declare that God is producing certain effects in the
soul; the prayers used in the sacramentals merely ask God to
produce certain effects and to grant certain graces.
5. The sacraments give or increase sanctifying grace; and the
sacramentals are the means to actual graces.
We might divide the sacramentals into prayers, pious objects,
sacred signs, and religious ceremonies. Some sacramentals are a
combination--they fall into two or more classes. The Rosary, for
example, is a pious object and a prayer. The sign of the cross is a
prayer and a sign. The crucifix, pictures and statues are pious
objects. The ceremonies performed in the various sacraments are
also sacramentals, like the extending of the hands in
Confirmation.
How can mere material things help us on the way to heaven? How
can water, metal, or a piece of cloth help save our souls? You
must ever remember that these objects in themselves have no
power to save or help us. It would be superstitious to say they
had any such power. But things like a crucifix, a holy picture, a
statue, a candle, do excite spiritual thoughts and feelings in those
who use them correctly. They excite the fear and love of God;
they arouse trust and hope in His mercy; they awaken sorrow and
joy in the Lord. Their value lies in the fact that they have been set
aside by the Church for sacred purposes, by the power of the
Church's official prayer, and by the merits of Christ, preserved
and distributed by His Church.
That Church not only sets things aside for a sacred use, she also
attaches definite benefits and blessings to certain objects and
good works. Many sacramentals have indulgences attached. An
indulgence is the taking away, outside of confession, in whole or
in part, of the temporal punishment due to sin which is already
forgiven.
The sacramentals also try to express the supreme beauty and
goodness of Almighty God. The words and language of the
blessings are beautiful; the form and art of statues and pictures
is of the best very often; the ceremonies of the sacraments are
adapted to express the graces given.
Do we have to use sacramentals? Does a Catholic have to wear a
scapular, or use holy water, or pray the Rosary? Strictly speaking,
no. The sacraments are necessary for salvation; the sacramentals
are not necessary. Nevertheless, the prayers, pious objects,
sacred signs and ceremonies of Mother Church are means to
salvation.
If you were lost in a desert, as were the two women of our story,
you don't have to have a mirror to be saved. But that lifeless,
senseless object was the means of saving their lives.
In a similar way the sacramentals, lifeless, helpless in
themselves, are helps to winning life-giving graces. They must
never take the place of the sacraments. You will find Catholics
who place more confidence and trust in these material objects
than they do in the reality of the sacraments.
For example, you may see a Catholic enter Church and go directly
to the vigil light stand without seeming to pay any attention to
our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. That Catholic does not
appreciate the difference between a sacrament and a
sacramental.
It is with a desire and holy ambition to make you appreciate
these aids to spiritual life, the sacramentals, that we propose to
explain some of them on succeeding Sundays.
In the desert of daily life they are mirrors that will lead us to the
fountains of spiritual help and spiritual life. Amen.
AGNUS DEI
"Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
St. John, 1:29.
Elizabeth reigned as queen of England from 1558 until 1603. In
the fifteenth year of her reign Bloody Bess had the parliament
pass a law that "if any person shall bring into the realm of
England any token or tokens, thing or things called or named by
the name of Agnus Dei (which said Agnus Dei is used to be
specially hallowed and consecrated, as it is termed, by the Bishop
of Rome in his own person), and shall deliver the same to any
subject, he shall incur the penalty of Praemunire."
This was a very severe punishment placing the offender out of
the king's protection, and his lands and tenements, goods and
chattles forfeit to the king: and his body shall remain in prison at
the king's pleasure.
After passing such a senseless law aimed at the Apostolic See one
would hardly expect the quick-tempered queen to give in to silly
superstition. Yet, an historian tells us that is exactly what she
did. One of her close counsellors presented her with a piece of
gold, marked with small characters, which an old woman in Wales
bequeathed to the queen. The Welsh woman maintained that this
gold coin had kept her alive for over one hundred years, that the
queen could not die as long as she wore it upon her body. What
did the queen do but accept the piece of gold and wear it upon
the ruff or collar of her dress. As we know, the queen died just
the same.
What was this Agnus Dei, which Queen Elizabeth forbade to be
brought into her country, and which she forbade to be worn by
any Englishman? Agnus Dei means Lamb of God. The Agnus Dei is
a sacramental. It is a small piece of wax, impressed with the
figure of a lamb bearing a banner, blessed by the Pope. It is a
symbol and reminder of our blessed Lord, "The Lamb of God."
The wax typifies the Body of Christ. The lamb is a symbol or
figure of the Victim of Calvary. The banner reminds us of the
victory of our Lord over sin and death.
The Agnus Dei is blessed only by the Pope. It may be round, oval,
or oblong, and may vary in size from one inch to six inches in
diameter. The name and coat-of-arms of the Holy Father, or some
emblem like a cross or flag may be stamped upon it. It is usually
enclosed in a leathern or silken cover, and is intended to be hung
about the neck, or displayed with respect in the home.
The use of Agnus Dei or Lamb of God sacramentals probably goes
back to the fifth century or earlier. The Empress Maria Augusta,
wife of the Emperor Honorius, died in the fourth century. In her
tomb a waxen amulet was found resembling the Agnus Dei. It was
customary in her day for the people to secure fragments of the
paschal candle and to keep them as safeguards against tempest
and epidemic. The use of the Agnus Dei may have begun from
this practice. About the ninth century the Popes began to bless
them and send them to various parts of the world.
They are now blessed in the first year of the Pope's reign and
every seventh year thereafter, on the Wednesday of Easter week.
On the following Saturday, the Vigil of Low Sunday, they are
solemnly distributed to the cardinals and others. After the Agnus
Dei of the Mass the Pope puts a packet of these Agnus Dei into
the inverted miter of each cardinal and bishop who comes up to
receive them.
The prayers used in this blessing show that the Agnus Dei is
intended as a protection against the spirits of evil, against
sickness, tempests, temptations, and sudden death. They are also
intended to help women expecting motherhood.
The Agnus Dei may be worn suspended from the neck or carried
in any other way. There are no indulgences attached to it. Nor is
there any obligation to use it. The manufacture of counterfeits,
and even the painting and ornamentation of genuine Agnus Dei,
has been strictly prohibited by various papal bulls.
The meaning of the Agnus Dei is best gathered from the prayers
used in blessing them. It has two particular meanings:
1. Agnus Dei means Lamb of God. Christ is the Lamb of God.
Often in the Old and the New Testaments the lamb is a figure of
Christ. His meekness is frequently compared to that of the lamb.
Like a lamb, Christ was sacrificed for all of us.
These discs of wax typify the virgin flesh of Christ; the cross with
the lamb suggests the Victim in the sacrifice; and, as of old the
blood of the paschal lamb protected each household from the
destroying angel, so these consecrated medallions protect those
who wear them from many evil influences.
2. The second purpose of the Agnus Dei refers to the newly
baptized. These have put on Christ, as St. Paul tells us. They have
been taken into His Mystical Body; they have become new lambs
of His flock. As such they are bound to imitate His virtues,
especially meekness and humility, as Christ Himself said:
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and
humble of heart." St. Matthew, 11:29.
Meekness and humility are characteristic of the lamb. In his
triumph over the powers of darkness our Lord is indeed the Lion
of the tribe of Juda, but among His followers He is the Lamb,
model of meekness and humility, model of purity like the
spotless whiteness of the wax, model of sacrifice and penance
like the lamb slain for the sins of men.
St. John pointed to Jesus and declared:
"Behold the Lamb of God."
Many do not understand. Many make fun of such material helps
to remind us of the Lamb of God. Many, like Queen Elizabeth, go
to other extremes in the way of superstition.
May you and I behold the Lamb of God constantly. May we keep
Him ever in our thoughts and in our living. As with many other of
the sacramentals, that is the principal purpose of the Agnus Dei.
May the thought of the Agnus Dei help us ever to keep the Lamb
of God in mind. Amen.
AGRICULTURE, SACRAMENTALS OF
"I have planted, Appollo watered, but God has given the growth." I
Cor., 3:6.
St. Isidore, who was born near Madrid, Spain, about the year
1070, and who died May 15, 1130, is the patron saint of farmers.
All his life he worked for a certain Juan de Vargas on a farm near
Madrid.
Every morning before going to work he would hear Mass in the
nearby city. His fellow workers were jealous of the esteem which
their employer had for Isidore. They complained to their master
that Isidore was always late for work in the morning. The owner
decided to find out for himself. He hid in the hollow of a tree to
watch. Sure enough, Isidore actually started working much later
than the others. The employer was walking toward the late-comer
to rebuke him and tell him to come on time, when he was
surprised to see a second team of oxen, snow-white and led by
unknown individuals, plowing beside Isidore. Even as he stood
watching the team and drivers disappeared, proving that
supernatural help had supplied all that was lacking. Others
reported they saw angels assisting Isidore in the field. By
attending daily Mass he had won God's special blessing.
Who, more than the farmer, needs the blessing of God on his
work? So much depends on favorable weather--on the rain and
sunshine and the miracle of growth, that the man who tills the
soil needs constantly the help of the Almighty.
Christ chose many of His parables and illustrations from the field
and the farm. Until recent times, tilling the soil was the principal
occupation of men everywhere. Even today it occupies millions of
people. For these reasons Mother Church gives special attention
to the farmer's needs and offers a blessing for lands, seeds,
harvests and animals. The Sacramentals of Agriculture are among
the most numerous and necessary in the ceremonies of the
Church. We do well to think about them.
1. Four times a year Mother Church asks us to observe Ember
Week. In December, in Lent, after Pentecost, and in September the
Church sets aside a week, asking us to fast and abstain on
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, principally for abundant and
successful crops.
2. She sets aside the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before
Ascension Thursday as Rogation Days, to beg, which is the
meaning of Rogation, God's protection over people and crops.
3. In the Litany said on these days we offer this fitting prayer:
"We beg of Thy goodness, O Almighty God, that the fruits of the
earth...may be penetrated by the dew of Thy blessings; grant to
this people always to thank Thee for Thy gifts; that the fertility of
the earth may enrich the hungry.. and that the poor and the
needy may celebrate Thy glory.... May the blessing of Almighty
God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, descend in plenty on the fields
and on all these good things, and remain there forever."
4. Mother Church also blesses grain from the moment of planting
to the day of harvest. She prays: "We beg of Thee, O Lord, deign
to bless these seeds, to foster them with the mild breath of a
serene heaven, to render them fertile by dew from above, and to
bring them unharmed to fullest maturity for the use of souls and
bodies."
She blesses the growing grain; she blesses the crops; she offers
the first fruits to God; she blesses the granary, the mill and their
contents; she asks God to appoint an angel to watch over the
crops and their owners.
5. Farm animals, their barns and their food have a blessing. In
blessing a stable Mother Church recalls the ox and ass at
Bethlehem. She blesses hay and salt and pasture lands.
True and tender Mother that she is, the Church blesses animal
pets like dogs and cats, canaries, parrots and monkeys. At Rome
she blesses the horses of the cabmen, and in 1939 along with the
horses she blessed two circus elephants.
6. Especially interesting are the blessings of bees and silkworms.
The prayer for bees refers to the beeswax candles used in divine
worship. It asks God to bless "these bees and this beehive...so
that their fruits may be dispensed unto Thy glory, and that of Thy
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
The Church asks God "to bless these silkworms, to foster and
multiply them by kindness," so that the silk may be used to adorn
the altar and glorify God.
7. There are numerous blessings for products of the earth and
farm--for bread, fruits, eggs, oil, butter, cheese, lard, for beer and
wine. Each blessing asks health for soul and body of those who
eat the food.
Here is part of the blessing for bread: "O Lord Jesus Christ...Thou
living Bread of eternal life, deign to bless this bread...that all who
partake thereof may obtain the desired health of body and soul."
There is even a special benediction for colored Easter eggs, as
symbols of creation and resurrection.
These and many other blessings for things on the farm are what
we call the Sacramentals of Agriculture, the Sacramentals of the
Farm. These sacramentals set aside the things which God has
created, the things which God has caused to grow, that we may
use them for the glory of God, that we may use them for our own
health of soul and body.
Every man who tills the soil, and every thinking person who to
any extent has an understanding of the life of the farmer, will see
at once the value, the need, the beauty, and the inspiration of
these farm blessings.
Just as St. Isidore prayed for the blessing of God every day at
Mass, and visibly had the help of God's angels in his work, so
every tiller of the soil should ask God's blessing, the blessing of
God's Church on his work and the fruits of his work. Amen.
ANGELUS
"The Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God." St. Luke,
1:35.
Around 1870 there lived in the hamlet of Goellheim, Germany, a
fine Jewish family by the name of Moser. Their youngest son,
Maurice, was a buddy of a Catholic lad by the name of Christian
Behlen. Christian's father was chief trustee of the village and
entrusted his boy with ringing the Angelus three times a day.
Naturally the eleven-year old Jewish lad envied his pal's privilege
of ringing that bell which could be heard for miles around. He
watched wistfully as Christian proudly and piously counted out
three strokes, paused, three more strokes, again paused, and
finally after another three strokes and a slight pause, rang the
bells joyfully for a minute or two.
Maurice lent a hand with the rope, knelt down beside his friend,
and later joined in the prayers when Christian said them aloud.
The Jewish lad began to slip into church at other times, as he had
seen Christian doing, especially to kneel before the statue of the
Immaculate Mother. One day Christian found him there in tears.
Maurice told him that he was asking Mary to be his Mother too,
that he had pledged her eternal love and loyalty. When Christian
made his First Communion at the age of 13 and Maurice did not,
the latter was deeply disappointed.
"I know," he said, "that the dear Lord is present in the Blessed
Sacrament."
Years passed. Their paths separated. Maurice was sent to a school
for rabbis, but the young man turned to business instead. He
worked for a time in South America and finally settled in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
One Sunday, attracted again by the church bells, he went to High
Mass at St. Anthony Church there. The sermon seemed aimed at
him. He called on Father Becker, the pastor. In due time he took
instructions and became a Catholic, June, 1886, at the age of 22,
taking the name of Valentine.
Many of his fellow Jews, learning of his conversion, made life
miserable for him. His own sister led the persecution. But he
persevered. He married a splendid Catholic woman, who helped
him rear a large family. All of them are now happily married.
The greatest delight of the grandfather is to teach his
grandchildren the Angelus, and to take them to Mass which he
attends daily. He is an active, zealous Catholic.
What happened to Christian, the Catholic boy? He became Brother
Christian Behlen, of the Society of Mary. Often the boyhood
friends exchanged letters filled with admiration of the wonderful
ways of God and filled with devotion to Mary and the Angelus.
The Angelus is a devotion in honor of the Incarnation of our Lord,
recited morning, noon and evening, to the sound of a bell. It
consists of three little verses each followed by a Hail Mary. After
the third Hail Mary there is a response and a prayer.
The Angelus takes its name from the first word of the Latin form
of the prayer: "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae," which means,
"The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary." That angel
announced the most important news ever brought to earth. That
angel spoke of the greatest fact in all history, the fact that the
Son of God became man, was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the
womb of the Virgin Mary. Mother Church wants us never to forget
that fact. She wants us to think of it at least three times every
day. From Catholic steeples throughout the land she calls to her
children to remember prayerfully this Greatest event of all time.
The Angelus devotion developed gradually. Most likely it began
to form in the ancient monastic custom of reciting the "Little
Office of the Blessed Virgin." In that office they often repeated
the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary. The people began
to use these words as a daily prayer.
St. Bonaventure, the Seraphic Doctor, in the general chapter of
the Franciscan Order in Paris in 1226, and later at Assisi, ordered
the triple salutation of the Blessed Virgin, called the Angelus, to
be recited every evening at 6 o'clock in honor of the incarnation.
Finally, after several changes, the Angelus took the form which it
has today. If you want the biblical background of this devotion
and the words of this prayer, read the Gospel story as found in
the first chapter of St. Luke from verse 26 to 42. From this
passage the first half of the Hail Mary and the first and second
versicles and their responses are taken, while the third versicle
and response are from the Gospel according to St. John, 1:14.
The Angelus brings an indulgence of 10 years for each recitation,
and a plenary indulgence once a month for those who say it three
times every day. It may be said standing or kneeling. The whole
Angelus, as commonly printed, has to be recited. Those who do
not know the prayers by heart, or who are unable to read them,
may say five Hail Marys in their place.
Calling to mind the presence of God is one of the best means to
perfection. The Angelus helps us to remember that God is near,
by raising our thoughts to Him morning, noon and night. It
revives our remembrance of the principal mysteries of our
religion. In particular, it helps us recall the thrilling fact that the
Son of God became man, and it helps us remember the virginal
motherhood of Mary, His Mother.
The Angelus keeps us in contact with Jesus and Mary. It revives
our remembrance of the basic truths of our faith. It enlivens
hope. It enkindles love. It awakens gratitude.
Say the Angelus every time you hear the church bells, no matter
where you are or what you are doing. It was a means of bringing a
Jew into the Church. It can be a means of growing in the love of
God and His Mother for you. Amen.
ASHES
"And the men of Nivive believed in God: and they proclaimed a
fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least." Jonas,
3:4.
A certain French nobleman who had led a wicked life was moved
by grace to change his ways. As he was too well known in France,
he went to Rome to make his confession to the Holy Father
himself. Pope Pius VI, who reigned from 1775 to 1799, received
him kindly, and heard his confession. But when it came to
imposing a penance, nothing seemed to suit the sinner's tastes or
strength. He was too weak to fast. He was too busy to read or
pray much. He could not make a pilgrimage. He was too tired to
keep prayerful watch. No penance seemed suitable.
Wise guide that he was, Pope Pius finally gave the penitent a gold
ring on which were engraved the words, Memento mori, which
mean, Remember thou shalt die. His penance was to wear this
ring and read the words on it at least once a day.
At first this was easy, but as he read those terrifying and
prophetic words day after day, the nobleman gradually realized
that death would one day come to him. He reasoned:
"If I have to die, what else can I do better on this earth than
prepare for death? Why pamper this body which will one day rot
in the ground?"
He began to carry out not only one or two but all of the penances
which the Holy Father suggested. He lead a virtuous life and died
a happy death.
On Ash Wednesday of every year Mother Church gives to each
one of us not a gold ring but a few ashes. The purpose of the
ashes is the same as the purpose of the ring which Pope Pius VI
gave to his penitent, namely, to remind us of death. The ashes
tell us what the ring told the nobleman: Remember thou shalt die.
The blessing of the ashes begins with an antiphon and a verse of
a psalm imploring the mercy and grace of God. Then come four
prayers which express the meaning of the ashes:
1. To be a spiritual help for all who contritely confess their sins.
2. To secure for those who receive the ashes, the pardon of all
their sins.
3. To fill everyone with the spirit of sorrow for sin.
4. To give us courage and strength to do penance bravely.
After the priest sprinkles the ashes with holy water and incenses
them, he puts some on his own head and on the heads of those
present. He says another prayer for protection in the coming
combat. Ashes, a sacramental, are a symbol of penance:
1. Their color is gray, the color of penance. Ashes have a gritty,
cleansing value; penance cleanses our hearts and removes the
stains of sin. Ashes are a good fertilizer; penance helps us grow
in virtue and bring forth fruits of justice.
2. In the Old Law ashes were a figure of penance:
a. When Jonas proclaimed to the Ninevites the destruction of
their city, "they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth." Jonas,
3:4.
b. King David put ashes on his bread that even at meals he
might remember his sins and the need of penance.
3. Ashes are a figure of penance in the New Law also:
a. In the early ages of the Church ashes were put on the
heads of public sinners. At the beginning of Lent they came
before the bishop, barefoot and in mourning garments to have
the Penitential Psalms and the Litany of the Saints recited over
them. All during Lent they performed the most rigorous
penances.
b. Public penance is no longer practiced, but the practice of
putting ashes on the head has been retained. Since 1091, the date
of the Council of Beneventum, ashes are distributed to all, to
sinner and saint alike, throughout the Church. All are sinners in
some way or other. In some way or other all need penance.
Ashes spur us on to religious sacrifice:
1. Where do we get the ashes? They are secured by burning the
palms blessed the Palm Sunday of the previous Lent.
a. The ashes of palms are used because the palm is an
emblem of peace, which comes after combat and victory. The
palms were carried as Christ entered Jerusalem, to show his
claim to leadership and to victory. The burnt palms call upon us
to win a victory over sin.
b. The ashes also remind us of Christ whom we must keep in
mind all during Lent.
2. What are the ashes? They are the remains of burnt things--a
picture of the emptiness and nothingness of temporal goods and
pleasures.
3. When are the ashes distributed? At the beginning of Lent, a
season of sorrow and suffering for sin, a season of preparation
for the passion and death of Christ.
4. How are they distributed?
a. They are put on the head, which is the seat of pride.
Mother Church thus points out to us that we have no reason to be
proud, since we are nothing but dust and ashes.
b. They are put on in the form of a cross to remind us that
Jesus died on a cross for us, and that we must take up the cross
and follow Him.
5. Finally, while placing the ashes the priest says: "Remember,
man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."
The ashes may disappear from our foreheads, but their meaning
and lesson must penetrate and grow in our hearts. As the ring
reminded the nobleman of death, of the emptiness of material
things and the value of spiritual things, so the ashes, eloquent
sacramental of penance, must remind us of the nothingness of
the things of this world and the value of things eternal. Amen.
ASPERGES
"And a man that is clean shall dip hyssop in them (the living
waters), and shall sprinkle therewith all the tent, and all the
furniture, and the men that are defiled with touching any such
thing." Numbers, 19:18.
One day a small boy wandered down to the brink of a gurgling
brook. He watched the dancing waters and tried to talk to the
jumping waves. But nobody wanted to stop and talk. He asked
them where they came from, but there was no answer.
At last a tiny water-drop, splashed upon a near-by rock, looked
up and smiled at the little fellow, who immediately asked:
"Say, where did you come from?"
"A long time ago," answered the water-drop, "I lived with
countless sisters and brothers in the wide, deep ocean. We had
lots of fun. We went high up on mighty waves and then tumbled
down into deep, dark troughs. We splashed on boats and played
with the fish.
"But one day I decided to see what there was in the world beside
the ocean. I grasped a sunbeam and clung fast to him as he
carried me up, up, way up above the clouds. There he shook me
off and I began falling, right into a big, black cloud which floated
over a mountain peak, settled down, and spread itself on the
mountain side in a million drops of rain. I was one of them. I
slipped on a rock and tumbled from pebble to rock, from rock to
pebble, until I rolled into a tiny spring trickling into a valley.
There I joined this little brook, which leads, I hope, back to the
great ocean where I can play again with my brothers and sisters."
Just as the water-drop said this, a for-get-me-not reached out its
root and drew in the water-drop to make it part of a beautiful
flower.
Like the water-drops drawn up from the ocean by the rays of the
sun and carried up to form clouds, so the water-drops blessed by
the priest before Mass have, as it were, been carried up on the
beams of God's love to His heavenly home there to receive a
special power of helping the soul and body of those who use
respectfully and receive with devotion the drops sprinkled over
them in church.
If a simple flower can take a drop of water and turn it to its own
uses, if all of nature can turn drops of water into a million uses,
then surely the Almighty Creator of all flowers and all rain can
turn drops of water to His supernatural uses.
Of Holy Water in general and of its blessing we will speak on
another Sunday. Today we would like to speak of one of the uses
of Holy Water, namely, the Asperges. The sprinkling of the
congregation with Holy Water before the principal service on
Sunday is called the Asperges, a Latin word meaning "sprinkle,"
because the prayer in that sacramental begins with the word
"Asperges."
That prayer reads in English:
"Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be
cleansed: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than
snow."
Usually just before the High Mass the priest blesses water. Vested
in alb, cincture, stole and cope, he enters the sanctuary, and
intones the words:
"Thou shalt sprinkle me..."
He sprinkles himself, the front of the altar and the altar platform.
He genuflects and proceeds down the main aisle to the door
sprinkling the people on either side. Meanwhile the choir sings
the Asperges, adding:
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy."
After the "Glory be" the first part is repeated. At the altar the
priest sings:
"Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy."
The choir answers:
"And grant us Thy salvation."
Priest: "O Lord, hear my prayer."
Choir: "And let my cry come unto Thee."
Priest: "The Lord be with you."
Choir: "And with thy spirit."
"Let us pray: Hear us, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, everlasting
God; and vouchsafe to send Thy holy angel from heaven, to
guard, cherish, protect, visit, and defend all those who are
assembled together in this house. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen."
This striking ceremony has many meanings and purposes:
1. The altar is a symbol of Christ. The union between Christ and
the people is brought out by the priest going among the people.
2. As the place of sacrifice, the altar brings many blessings. This
ocean of grace is expressed by the drops of water sprinkled over
the people.
3. Priest, altar, and faithful must come to the sacrifice as pure
and clean as possible. The Holy water shows this.
4. The Asperges reminds us to renew every Sunday the
remembrance of our baptism.
5. Still another purpose of this ceremony is to drive away all evil
thoughts and distractions, all evil influences and hindrances. The
evil spirits flee before the flood of water laden with God's grace.
You should bless yourself and genuflect on one knee as the priest
walks by you down the aisle. It is not necessary that everyone be
touched by one of the drops, because you all belong to the body
of the congregation.
As you see the droplets fall over you of a Sunday morning, as you
feel them gently touch you, remember that they have been
blessed by God's representative, the priest, and that by the merits
of Christ they have the power to help you if you receive this
sacramental with proper devotion and thought.
Take these drops of grace into your heart as the for-get-me-not of
our story reached out with its root and took the tiny drop of
water from the brook. It is a means of God's grace and help for
you. Amen.
BAPTISM, CEREMONIES OF
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." St.
Matthew, 28:19.
A distinguished looking elderly gentleman walked into a florist
shop one day.
"I want a beautiful corsage," he said, "not too large, but just about
the prettiest one you can make."
He smiled proudly and added:
"It's for my granddaughter; she's having her first date tomorrow."
The florist was interested and cooperative.
"What color are her eyes?" he asked.
"Blue," answered the old gentleman.
"And what kind of dress will she be wearing, do you know?"
"I think it will be a pink one," replied the grandfather.
"How old is the young lady?" asked the florist, as a matter of
course.
"Two weeks," replied the grandfather.
"Two weeks?" echoed the dumbfounded florist. "Did I understand
you right? A date--a corsage--and only two weeks old?"
"Exactly," smiled the old gentleman. "And I want a corsage that is
exactly right. She will never have a more important date than she
has tomorrow. My little granddaughter is going to be baptized."
Baptism is indeed the most important date any person will ever
have. It is interesting and inspiring to know what takes place on
that date and why. The ceremonies of Baptism are some of the
most expressive and impressive sacramentals in the Church.
1. After meeting the child at the door of church to show that the
doors of heaven are still closed against him, the priest asks:
"John, what dost thou ask of the Church of God?" The sponsors
answer: "Faith." "What doth faith bring thee to?" continues the
priest. The sponsors answer: "Life everlasting." The priest says:
"If, therefore, thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself."
2. Three times the priest breathes on the face of the infant, to
show that the Holy Spirit is giving the child the power to breathe
the supernatural life. It is done three times to show that Baptism
is given in the name of the Holy Trinity.
3. With his right thumb the priest makes the sign of the cross on
the forehead to show that the child ought never to be ashamed of
Jesus Christ; and on the breast to show that he must love Christ
crucified.
4. The priest lays his hand on the infant's head and prays that
God bend over the child with His protection, that the blessings of
heaven descend upon him, and that Satan be driven out.
5. The priest puts a little salt on the tongue of the child. Salt
preserves, gives taste to things, and represents wisdom. Here it
means that the child is to be preserved from sin, is to have a
taste for spiritual things, and is to be fed with divine wisdom.
6. God's minister recites several prayers driving out the devil,
making the sign of the cross a number of times to deliver the
child from the power of the evil one.
7. Again the priestly hand is laid on the head of the infant, asking
God to enlighten the child with His wisdom and cleanse him by
divine grace.
8. The stole is placed on the child to admit the little one to the
baptismal font. Priest and sponsors recite the Apostles' Creed to
show that the child professes the faith of Christ, and the Our
Father, to show that only by Baptism does one have the right to
call God Father. It is also a reminder to say these prayers often.
9. The priest wets his thumb with spittle and touches the ears
and nose of the infant, reminding us of the cure worked by Christ
on the deaf and dumb man. (St. Mark, 7:32) For a just cause this
ceremony may be omitted.
10. After asking the child to give up Satan, his works and his
pomps or boastings, the priest dips his thumb in the oil of
catechumens and with it makes a small sign of the cross on the
breast and between the shoulders, that the child may love Christ
and carry His cross. Oil is a symbol of strength and suppleness.
11. Through its sponsors the child professes his belief in the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the Catholic Church and
everything the Church teaches. In answer to the question: "Wilt
thou be baptized?" the child answers: "I will."
12. The priest takes baptismal water, pours it three times on the
infant's head in the form of a cross, and says: "John, I baptize
thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost." The sponsors must hold or touch the child meanwhile.
13. The priest dips his thumb in holy chrism and anoints the
crown of the child's head, the most excellent part of its body,
consecrating the little one as a child of God.
14. He lays on the infant a small dress or white linen cloth, which
represents the glory of the resurrection, the beauty of a soul
cleansed of all sin, and especially the innocence and purity which
the baptized should preserve throughout life.
15. He also offers a lighted candle to be held by child or sponsor,
reminding the newly baptized that the burning faith which he
received in Baptism should be kept and increased. The
concluding words of the priest to the child are:
"John, go in peace and the Lord be with thee."
The great majority of you were made children of God with these
significant ceremonies. You remember nothing of that first and
most important date of your life, that meeting between you and
Almighty God, when He took you, adopted you as His own child.
That is why at First Communion, on missions and retreats, and
other outstanding spiritual occasions, we renew our baptismal
vows or promises. That is why I advise you this morning to recall
these ceremonies and their rich, religious meaning. Realize their
importance, their beauty, their inspiration. Resolve again this
morning to live up to your Baptism. Amen.
BELLS
"The voice of the Lord is in power; the voice of the Lord in
magnificence." Psalm, 28:4
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, the great English writer, was received
into the Catholic Church on July 30, 1922. From then on he was
an outstanding apologist for the Church he had come to love. On
June 14, 1936, he passed away--rather suddenly. He was buried
in the graveyard of Beaconsfield Catholic Church, toward the
construction of which Chesterton and his wife, also a convert,
had been generous contributors. A few years after his death the
Republic of Ireland gave a great bell for the Chesterton Memorial
Church. On the bell is this inscription:
"Presented to the parish of Beaconsfield by friends and admirers
of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, to ring the call to faith, which he so
chivalrously answered in song, in word, and in example, to the
glory of God and of England."
A similar inscription might be carved on every bell in every
Catholic steeple throughout the world, for those bells are ever
calling to faith and worship. And all true Catholics, like
Chesterton, answer that call every time they hear it.
Bells have been used for religious purposes from very ancient
times especially in Egypt and among the Jews. All these bells
were of small size. It is said that Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, in
Italy, introduced bells into Christian Churches. Bells grew to their
present large size, great variety, and beautiful tone solely under
the inspiration of the Catholic Church. The churchmen and saints
of the faith founded by Christ made laws for their use, drew up a
beautiful ceremony for their blessing, gave them a Christian
meaning and name and provided shelter and honor for them in
glorious towers, steeples and belfries. Bells are beautiful
sacramentals.
As such, Mother Church blesses them, christens them, in a
ceremony that is unusually impressive and solemn. The bishop
and clergy assemble around the bell placed in the middle of the
church. The group recites psalms asking God for His mercy and
help and promising to adore and serve Him faithfully. Holy water
is blessed in the usual manner, with the addition of a particular
prayer for the purpose intended. With this holy water the bishop
and priests wash the inside and outside of the bell as psalms of
praise and thanksgiving are recited. "Sing ye to the Lord a new
canticle: let His praise be in the church of His saints. Let Israel
rejoice in Him that made him: and the children of Sion be joyful
in their king." Psalm 149.
"Praise ye the Lord in His holy places: praise ye Him in the
firmament of His power. Praise ye Him for His mighty acts: praise
ye Him according to the multitude of His greatness. Praise Him
with sound of trumpet: praise Him with psaltery and harp. Praise
Him with timbrel and choir: praise Him with strings and organs.
Praise Him on high sounding cymbals: praise Him on cymbals of
joy: let every spirit praise the Lord. Alleluia." Psalm 110.
Then the bishop asks God that when the bell sounds it may
kindle in the hearts of the faithful true love and devotion for His
blessed service. He asks that disturbances in the weather may be
calmed and that the air be free of all diseases and evil spirits.
After this comes a psalm inviting all to praise and glorify
Almighty God and remember His mighty works. (Psalm 28)
The bishop anoints the bell with oil of the sick making the sign of
the cross with it seven times on the exterior and four times on
the interior praying that God may consecrate and sanctify it
within and without, and make the sound of it fruitful in grace,
blessing and protection for all the faithful.
Then is read the Gospel of our Lord's visit with Martha and Mary.
You remember how Martha complained that Mary did not help her
with serving, and how our Lord exclaimed:
"Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many
things; and yet only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the
best part, and it will not be taken away from her." St. Luke, 10:41,
42.
The thought is that everyone who listens to the Lord's voice is
pleasing to the Lord. The church bell is in many ways the voice of
the Lord. It calls us to rejoice and it calls us to mourn. It calls us
to seek and find consolation in distress, and direction in danger.
It calls us to adore and worship the Creator and Redeemer.
Who can describe our feelings as we hear the bells on Christmas
night and Easter morning? Who can picture our sorrow as we hear
those bells sad and solemn, telling us of the passing of a dear
one, and reminding us that they will toll for us? Like the voice of
the Lord, the bell calls us to holy Mass and evening services.
Three times a day the bell's peaceful, soothing, measured tones
remind us of the great mystery of the incarnation, and invite us
to bow our hearts and heads to adore the Word made flesh and to
ask the protection and assistance of our Lord and His sweet
Mother. That is the Angelus bell.
And when on Holy Thursday the bells tumble joyfully in their
sturdy cradles we remember the great gift of the Eucharist, and
we are warned to prepare for the terrible hours to come, the
hours of our Lord's passion and death, when the bells are sadly
silent.
Holy Saturday morning they burst forth again, it seems just a
little ahead of time, but they cannot keep silent when there is
such glorious news as that of the Resurrection to be announced.
Truly the church bell is the voice of God.
The smaller bells used in the church need not be blessed. They
are generally used to remind us of the principal parts of the
Mass, and the solemn moment of Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament.
Listen to your church bells. Heed their call. Obey their
commands. Answer their call as did that valiant Catholic convert,
Chesterton, as did all the great followers of Christ. May the
church bell be a helpful sacramental to you--to the glory of God
and the good of your soul. Amen.
BENEDICTION
"Sir, we wish to see Jesus." St. John, 12:21.
In the June, 1942, issue of the Victorian Magazine, Josephine
Quirk tells the following incident in an article entitled: "Peace
Must Be Earned." One Sunday afternoon she went to a reception at
the home of a friend in Paris. Among the guests were the select of
the social, artistic and political world in France. All were
prominent, brilliant and wealthy, but a little soft in their ethics
and morals.
At 5 o'clock Miss Quirk told her hostess that she was leaving--to
attend services at Notre Dame Cathedral. When the hostess
announced this to the guests, laughs and jeers and wisecracks
followed:
"Don't tell me you'd leave a grand party to go to church!"
"How delightfully old-fashioned!"
"I thought nobody went to Notre Dame but tourists!"
The good-bye of her hostess included this remark:
"Going to Benediction at Notre Dame! How quaint!"
When Paris fell in World War Two Miss Quirk remembered that
day and those people. She wondered, too, if its fall had not been
God's way of bringing those moral softies to their senses. In 1941
she received a letter from her hostess friend, who was still in
Paris, practically a prisoner of the Nazis, who had stripped her of
everything she held dear. After telling of the difficulties of
getting bread, the once wealthy friend wrote:
"I spend hours every day in Notre Dame Cathedral. I find peace
there and it helps me to bear all this. When I'm kneeling before
the altar, the hunger passes and I feel that I can go on and take
whatever they force on us. Something gives me strength that I do
not get--even from food."
That Parisian woman had learned the hard way the meaning and
value of the Eucharist and especially of Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament. I hope it will not take a war to make you
realize the value of this simple yet sublime, this short but
thrilling ceremony of Benediction. The actions performed are
beautiful and expressive sacramentals. Some of these, like
incense and candles, will be explained more fully in particular
talks during this series. Today we would like to explain some of
the ceremonies of this simple but significant service.
The altar is adorned with lights and flowers. The flowers are
beautiful fragrant and pleasant to the senses. They represent the
virtues we should bring to the worship of the Lord, virtues which
are pleasing to Him. Flowers are an attractive part of creation and
should pay their tribute of adoration to their Creator.
The lighted candles are made of beeswax a symbol of the pure
body of Christ. The light is a sign of Christ, the Light of the
world. The flames show our faith and our love spending
themselves for Him.
The priest puts on surplice, stole and cope. The surplice is an
abbreviated form of the alb. the long, white linen garment worn
by the priest at Mass, and covering the entire body. It was part of
the ordinary dress in the time of the apostles, and is worn today
to remind us how old are devotions to the Eucharist.
The stole is a long narrow band of silk worn over the neck and
adorned with three crosses, one at each end and one in the
center. The priest kisses the latter cross as he prepares to place it
over his shoulders. The stole is worn whenever he administers
the sacraments.
The stole is symbolic of the cords with which Christ was tied; of
the cross on which Christ died; and of the yoke which Christ
makes sweet. The priest's burden is heavy and responsible;
Christ makes it light and sweet.
The stole is also a badge and symbol of priestly authority. At one
time it was part of priestly dress not only at the altar, but also on
the street, much as the Roman collar is today.
The cope, from the Latin "casa," which means a little house, is a
mantlelike cloak reaching to the ankles and fastened at the neck
with a clasp. It was originally the Roman overcoat with a hood
that could be drawn up over the head in cold or rainy weather.
Clothed in these vestments, the priest enters the sanctuary,
genuflects, and kneels on the lowest step for a moment of
adoration. He ascends the altar, unfolds the corporal, a square
linen cloth, and places it upon the altar table. He places a similar
cloth on the place where the monstrance is to rest.
He unlocks the tabernacle, takes out the Sacred Host, inserts it in
the monstrance, which is set in a conspicuous place above the
altar or tabernacle so that all can see it.
As the choir and people sing the "O Salutaris," or similar hymn,
the priest puts incense on the burning coals carried in a censer
by the servers, and offers fragrant clouds to the King of heaven
and earth. Incense is a symbol of respect and loyalty and
adoration. Formerly burned before kings and rulers, it is here a
sign of prayer and love rising in tribute to the King of kings.
When the choir has sung the "Tantum Ergo," the priest sings a
prayer beseeching God that we might ever venerate Him here in
order to feel forever the fruits of His redemption. Then he takes
the monstrance containing our Lord, turns to the people and, in
the form of a cross, gives the blessing of Christ Himself.
The priest covers his hands with a shoulder veil to show that this
is not his own priestly blessing, but the blessing of Christ
Himself.
Here is the answer to the ache in the heart of the world--to see
Jesus, to adore Him, to honor Him, the ache expressed by the
Gentiles, the strangers, to the Apostle Philip when they
exclaimed:
"Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
Don't you wish to see Jesus? Don't you wish to adore Him in
person? Don't you wish to honor Him on our altar? Above all,
don't you wish to receive His very own blessing? Then attend
Benediction as often as possible, as lovingly as possible.
You will experience, as did our Parisian woman, a peace and a
help and a strength that you get nowhere else and from nothing
else. You are seeing the Lord and receiving His blessing. Amen.
BREVIARY
"Seven times a day I have given praise to Thee." Psalm 118:164.
The story is told of a priest who was visiting New York. He took a
ride in a sight-seeing bus, finding a cool, pleasant seat on the
open upper deck. As the bus whirled along he decided to say
some of his Breviary or daily Office. He took out the book and
began to pray.
But not for long. Some loud-mouthed bigot among the passengers
noticed the padre praying, and he shouted for everyone to hear:
"When I pray I do what the Bible says, I go into my room and close
the door and pray in secret."
The priest could not help hearing. Reverently and slowly he
closed his Breviary, turned around to face the loud-mouth, and in
a voice everyone could hear said slowly:
"And then you get up on the top of a bus and tell the whole world
about it."
Not only are bigots ignorant about the Breviary, its contents and
its meaning, but many Catholics also look upon it as a mysterious
book. They know little or nothing about it. Yet, that little black
book which you see so often in the hands of your priest is of
immense concern and benefit to you.
Breviary means that it is an abridgement or shortening of much
longer prayers. It is also called divine Office, because office
means a duty or service. The Office is a priest's daily duty and
service to God.
The Breviary is the priest's official prayer-book. When he is
ordained sub-deacon, he receives the obligation of saying these
prayers every day.
The Breviary comes in four volumes, one for each season of the
year. A large part of it is made up of the 150 psalms, most of
which the priest prays in the course of each week.
The daily Office is composed of the following parts: Matins,
Lauds, Prime, Tierce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline. Matins
really means morning prayers, but it can be said the night or even
the afternoon previous. It consists of three parts called nocturns.
The first nocturn has three psalms and three readings from the
Old and the New Testaments. The second nocturn likewise has
three psalms with three readings usually from the lives of the
saints. The third nocturn has three psalms and three explanations
of the Gospel or some other devotional treatise.
Lauds or The Praises has five psalms, a short reading, the
Canticle or Song of Zachary, and the proper prayer for the day.
The little hours are short in comparison. They are made up of a
hymn of three or four verses, three psalms, a very short reading,
and again the proper prayer of the day, which is the same as that
said at Mass.
Vespers is like Lauds, and Compline, the night prayer of Mother
Church, is like one of the little hours of the morning in structure.
Sprinkled throughout and between all these psalms and readings
are various introductory and concluding verses.
In monasteries and religious houses where the Office is said in
common, definite parts are recited at more or less definite hours.
The individual priest, however, has great leeway as to the time
for saying his Breviary. He may say it at one sitting or break it up
through the day. Only a very grave reason can excuse him from
this daily spiritual task.
There are two points which I would like to impress upon you
good people: first, the excellence of this prayer which the priest
says every day; and second, the benefits which you lay people
receive from the priest's Office. In regard to its excellence I
would point out:
1. The greater part of the priest's daily prayer is made up of the
inspired Word of God, the Bible. There are parts from the Old and
the New Testament. The psalms, as I mentioned, are said every
week at least.
2. Short lives of the saints are read throughout the year, with
their inspiration and their consolation.
3. There are hymns of high poetic value as well as deep, religious
thought.
4. There are prayers which cannot be excelled in their brevity,
their comprehensiveness and their tenderness.
5. The Breviary is excellent because it is recited by the ministers
of God, His priests and His religious. These have been chosen,
trained, ordained or professed for the greatest work of man--the
worship of God.
6. The Office is recited in the name and by the authority of the
Church. No other prayer has the same value. It is official; it is
universal; it is unending. It is the official public prayer of the
Church, just as the Mass is the official sacrifice of the Church.
What is a public prayer? Not necessarily one said on the top of a
bus with dozens of people looking on or even taking part. If the
priest of our story had been saying his prayer alone in his room,
it would be a public prayer, because it was the official prayer of
the Church. On the other hand, were he to say the Rosary before
five thousand people it would not be a public prayer.
And how do you good people share in this world-wide prayer? In
many ways:
1. The priest prays for you and in your name. Every priest has
two important duties: he must first praise and glorify God
himself, and then he must beg the mercy of God upon all
Christian people, and even on those who are not Christian or
Catholic.
2. This prayer for you goes on night and day. The Church divides
the priest's office into seven portions as King David sang the
praises of God seven times a day, so that at every moment in
darkness and light, on land and sea, individually and in groups,
priests are praying for you.
3. Priests are not ordained for themselves. They are ordained for
the people: to serve them, to help them, to lead them, to correct
them, to encourage them, and above all to pray for them.
The next time you see your priest or any priest with that little
black book, know that he is busy praying for you.
Surely, that does not free you from the duty of praying. Rather,
knowing that your priest is daily praying for you about one full
hour, you should return the favor and pray for him. Amen.
CANDLES
"It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the
world."
St. John, 1:9.
The story of Erna Bilkau and her so-called Mystic Candles is a
tragic yet triumphant one. Born in Russia, she moved to Germany,
where she married a German boy. They honeymooned in America,
learning to love the land of hope and freedom. Back in Germany
she was separated a few years later from her husband by the war.
With her two-year-old son she fled to America. She was making a
modest living for herself and her son when he suddenly became
seriously ill and passed away at the age of thirteen.
The shock almost drove the mother insane. For months she
walked the streets every night, peeking with aching agony into
homes where there were children. Friends tried to console her. To
no avail.
At last she took refuge with God. She knelt by her bed, and with
folded hands asked the Almighty to assist her. Peace and courage
came with her prayer. She put up a crudely constructed altar to
the memory of her dead boy, and put upon it two lighted candles.
They seemed to give her new hope.
The candles, however, burned down too quickly. She recalled
some secrets of candle-making learned from her father. She
experimented until she developed a candle that would burn down
the center and not burn the outer shell. It gave off a strange
mystical glow. She called them her Mystic Candles.
A young couple across the street accepted a few of the candles
and found in them the courage to make up the differences that
were slowly driving them to divorce. Others wanted candles like
them. Others found peace and quiet and courage in having those
candles in their homes. She was swamped with orders. A thriving
business developed. In this work she found a release from her
overwhelming grief. Today thousands find inspiration and help
in the Mystic Candles of Erna Bilkau, the mother who lost a son.
Inspiring as this story may be, it pales before the ageless, world-
wide story of the Catholic candle, which you see glowing upon
our altars, which you see in every sacrament except Confession.
Allow me to point out that the candle is one of the oldest and
most widely used sacramentals in the Church. It is one of the
richest religious symbols or instruments used to express spiritual
ideas. What does the candle mean? Why do we use them?
The wax, produced by virgin worker bees, is a beautiful figure of
the pure body of Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. The wick
represents the soul of Christ; the flame represents His divinity,
the fact that He was God. The lighted candle reminds us of
Christ's gospel, the Holy Bible, which dispels the darkness of sin
and ignorance; the lighted candle also stands for the Church of
the living God, the pillar and ground of truth. For the individual
Christian the candle's flame means the faith that makes us
"children of the light"; its warmth and heat show us the fiery
tongues of Pentecost, "which does not consume but enlightens."
When given to the Church, candles signify Christian self-sacrifice.
As the burning taper consumes itself, so the Christian should
burn up his energies in serving God.
Light is one of the most fitting and appropriate symbols of God,
who is absolutely pure light. Light is pure in itself; light
penetrates long distances and into farthest corners; light moves
with unbelievable speed; light awakens and nourishes life in the
organic kingdom; light brightens with its brilliance all that comes
within its influence.
1. Holy Scripture makes frequent use of this symbolic meaning:
a. The wisdom of the Son is spoken of as "the brightness of
his glory." Hebrews 1:3.
b. And the psalmist exclaims: "Thou art clothed with light as
with a garment." Psalm 103:2.
2. Light also represents the mission of our divine Lord upon
earth. The prophet Isaias (9:2) calls Christ a great light and
foretells that "to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of
death light is risen." The saintly Simeon declared that He is "a
light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israel." To this St. John added that Christ "was the true light that
enlightens every man who comes into the world." St. John, 1:9.
And Christ says of Himself, "I am the light of the world." St. John,
8:12.
3. Lights are also symbols of respect. They are used on occasions
when we wish to show more than ordinary deference to
distinguished personages or to holy things. Even the pagans used
lights to show honor to their gods and to prominent personages.
The Catholic Church uses blessed beeswax candles at the
administration of all the sacraments that are given publicly,
except Confession and in private Baptism, when only water is
available. She uses them at Mass and Benediction and in other
church services like blessings and processions. She gives a
lighted candle to the newly baptized with these solemn words:
"Receive this burning light so as to keep thy Baptism without
blame. Keep the commandments of God, so that when our Lord
shall come to His nuptials thou mayest meet Him together with
all the saints...."
And when that Christian is dying we place a candle in his hand. It
is not that we need their light, although in the early centuries
that was their practical use, in the catacombs, in the caves and
underground passages where the first Catholics had to conduct
their services.
Mother Church has a higher and a deeper reason than that. She
uses every possible means for raising our minds to heaven.
Among the sacramentals the candle is outstanding. We love to
look at a candle and see in its soft white wax the pure flesh of our
Infant Savior. We see the wick penetrating the wax, and
representing the soul of Christ.
Let our candles be true spiritual inspirations to us, even more
than the candles of Erna Bilkau were to her friends. Have them in
your home. Use them in times peaceful and times perturbed.
They represent the true light of the world. Amen.
CEMETERY BLESSING
"The hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear
the voice of the Son of God. And they who have done good shall
come forth unto resurrection of life; but they who have done evil
unto resurrection of judgment." St. John, 5:28, 29.
In August of 1949 the Associated Press reported that all was well
in the Gibson Tomb at Sutton, England. Every August 12 since
1793 an official of the village makes an authorized inspection of
this tomb to see that the bodies are undisturbed.
It all started 156 years ago in the day of grave robbers, so-called
resurrection men, who dug up corpses without permission and
sold the bodies to medical schools for students to dissect. When
a certain James Gibson wealthy London merchant, passed away,
his daughter Elizabeth feared this might happen. She had heavy
railing set up around the tomb and sealed the entrance with a
thick door and two massive locks.
When she died in 1793 she left a trust fund to pay for an
inspection of the tomb "every August 12 forever." On that day in
1949 the vicar of Sutton unlocked the door, walked in, inspected
the seven coffins, and found everything in order. It is generally
believed that the Gibson family died out long ago.
The concern of Elizabeth Gibson for the body of her father is in
line with the reverence of all civilized mankind for the remains of
loved ones. It is very much in line with the spirit of the Church
Christ founded. Mother Church even blesses the ground where
they are buried.
On the eve of the dedication five crosses are planted on the place
to be blessed, so arranged that they form a cross. The one in the
center is taller than the other four. Before each cross is a stake
with three candles.
1. These crosses, symbols of Christianity, indicate that in this
new cemetery only Catholics are to rest. The Church forbids the
burial there of Jews, pagans, and all who are not Catholic. The
reason is that those who do not belong to the Church during life
cannot be recognized by her after death.
The cross also indicates that those whose bodies rest there
expect their salvation from Christ who died on the cross. They
trust in His merits, and in the shadow of His cross they await the
day of resurrection.
The cross in the center signifies Christ crucified, the center of
life and death. This large, central cross must be mounted
accordingly near the middle point of the burial ground. The other
four crosses at the sides remind us of the consoling fact that the
doctrine of Christ's death and resurrection has been spread to the
four corners of the world.
2. The candles, lighted on the day of dedication, remind us that
we owe the light of the Gospel, and especially the glad tidings of
the first Easter, to our divine Savior, the Light of the World. They
remind us of that light eternal which we beg for the departed:
"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let the perpetual light
shine upon them."
On the day of dedication the bishop, vested in pontifical robes,
goes to the principal cross, says a prayer and the Litany of the
Saints. He asks God to bless, sanctify, and dedicate the cemetery
that the human bodies resting there may merit, together with
their souls, the joys of life everlasting. These prayers are said
before the principal cross which represents Christ, through whom
we expect the granting of our prayers.
The bishop blesses water, intones the Asperges, and goes from
cross to cross sprinkling the ground with holy water. Meanwhile
the choir chants psalms for the dead. At each cross he offers a
prayer, incenses the cross, takes the three candles from the
stakes, and puts them on the cross, one on the top, the other two
on the arms. After a solemn preface he concludes the dedication
with the following prayer:
"Holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God, Sanctifier and Restorer
of all places, from whom and through whom all benediction
descends from heaven upon earth, bless this place that it may be
a place of peace, a sweet refreshment and a place of rest for the
dead, whose souls, whilst their bodies are buried here, or are to
be buried here, may enjoy the sweetness of Thy love and joy and
exultation, and remain in the heavenly Jerusalem until, on the
great Day of Judgment, they receive again their bodies out of the
graves, and thus hasten with the fruit of good works to meet the
Lord, coming to judgment. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our
Lord. Amen.
Then he gives his blessing to all present and returns to the
church, where either he or another celebrates Mass. These
ceremonies are full of instruction and meaning. They are
inspiring to recall especially during the month of the holy souls.
The holy water reminds us of the penance we must do if we wish
to die happily. It also reminds us to help the departed souls. As
ordinary water refreshes the thirsty, so holy water reminds us to
refresh the Poor Souls with Mass, prayer, penance and works of
charity.
The lighted candles represent eternal truths and especially Truth
Himself, the Light of the world. They are attached to the cross
because Christ, whom they represent, was nailed to the cross.
The incense reminds us that our prayers should be rising up to
God for the souls of those dwelling in our place of peace.
Not all cemeteries are consecrated. In some communities part of
the burial ground is consecrated; another part is not. In such
cases the individual grave is blessed just before the burial.
Your cemetery is a place of honor. It is God's acre, it is a place of
rest, a place of peace, a place of sleep. It is the blessed bed-room
of our beloved. The Gibson grave was inspected once a year. But,
you must go to the grave of your beloved every day, at least in
prayerful thought. Also try to keep it neat and clean. The blessing
of a cemetery is an inspiring sacramental. May it be inspiring to
us. Amen.
CHURCHING OF WOMEN
"I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt
thou bring forth children." Genesis. 3:16.
Queen Victoria of England was one day visiting some soldiers
who had been wounded in South Africa. One young man, broken
by shot and shell, deeply distressed her.
"Is there anything, son, that I can do for you?" she asked in her
motherly way.
"Nothing, Your Majesty," answered the soldier, "unless you would
thank my nurse for her kindness to me."
The queen turned to the nurse and with tears in her eyes said
warmly:
"With all my heart I do want to thank you for your kindness to
this poor, wounded son of mine."
What a delicate and beautiful sense of gratitude on the part of
that young man! He forgot himself. He thought only of giving
pleasure and praise to the woman who was waiting on him so
faithfully.
It is with an even more delicate and charming sense of gratitude
and self-forgetfulness that a Catholic mother comes to church
after the birth of her child to ask the blessing of the priest and to
thank God for her safe delivery. Every mother is a soldier. Like a
soldier she endures heroically the discomforts of child-bearing.
Like a soldier she sacrifices the unimportant for the great task
that is hers. Like a soldier she goes down into the valley of
suffering, even into the valley of death, ready and willing to give
life itself to perform her duty.
One would think that all the gratitude should be given her. Yet,
though we honor mothers for what they have done and endured,
it is mother herself who realizes her debt of gratitude to Almighty
God for the high honor which He has given her.
All the peoples of the world kept a memory of the sentence of
suffering which God pronounced on the first mother and all
mothers:
"I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions; in sorrow shalt
thou bring forth children."
Among the Jews it was ceremonial law that a woman was
considered unclean after childbirth, because woman had been the
first to transgress the law of God. Sin came through a woman,
Eve; redemption came through a woman, Mary.
Churching is an outgrowth and perfection of the Mosaic rite.
However, there are essential differences. The Jewish rite
presumed legal defilement; the Catholic ceremony presumes
honorable motherhood. The Jewish rite was necessary before a
mother could assist at religious services; the Christian rite is an
act of thanksgiving. The Jewish rite was of obligation; the
Catholic ceremony does not bind even under pain of venial sin.
In a spirit of humility, and because Mary did it, Christian women
of the early centuries began to ask the blessing of the priest,
began to make their first visit to the altar one of thanksgiving for
a safe delivery.
This blessing may be given only to those whose children were
born in lawful wedlock. The Church urges, but does not oblige,
mothers to receive it. The mother need not bring her child with
her; many do. The blessing may be given to those whose baby
died, even without Baptism.
Ordinarily the pastor or his representative has the right to give
this blessing. Churching may take place wherever Mass can be
celebrated.
The woman shall kneel at the door of church, holding a lighted
candle. In surplice and white stole the priest sprinkles her with
holy water, and recites the twenty-third psalm. He presents her
the end of his stole which hangs from his left shoulder, which
she takes with her right hand. They march up to the altar, as the
priest prays:
"Enter into the temple of God, adore the Son of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, who has given thee fruitfulness of offspring."
After certain verses and responses, and the Our Father, the priest
offers this prayer:
"Almighty, everlasting God, who through the delivery of the
Blessed Virgin Mary hast changed the pains of childbirth into joy,
look mercifully on this Thy handmaid, who comes in gladness to
Thy temple to offer thanksgiving; and grant that, after this life,
through the merits and intercession of the same Blessed Mary,
she may be found worthy to attain, together with her offspring, to
the joys of everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen."
In the United States the priest does not generally meet the woman
at the church door, but at the altar rail. He stands at the inner
side of the railing to perform the ceremony. Often more than one
woman is blessed at the same time.
The churching of women is done in imitation of the Blessed
Virgin who presented herself in the temple for purification. Mary
made an offering at that time. It is customary, though not
necessary, to make one at the time of churching. Many priests
turn the money back to the mother with the words:
"Get something for the baby."
Our Blessed Mother is interested in all mothers. You mothers
want to be as much like Mary as possible. Like her go to God's
temple and receive the blessing of Mother Church on yourself
and your child.
What a contrast between the woman who shuns childbirth, the
woman who shuns by sinful means her sublime dignity of
motherhood, what a contrast between her and the woman who
has her baby and then asks God to bless her joy and her
privilege. What a contrast between the woman who complains
against God when He asks her to share in His powers of creation,
and the woman who comes to thank God for that high honor.
You guess which of the two will be more favored of God in this
life, and especially which of the two will be more favored of God
in the life to come. Amen.
CONFESSION, CEREMONIES OF
"There is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that
bringeth glory and grace." Ecclus., 4:25.
Under Louis XIV France was at war with Holland. A young officer
of the French army called upon Fenelon, the saintly archbishop of
Cambrai.
"Your Lordship," said the soldier, "I am ordered to the front to
engage in a battle that will soon take place. I feel urged to make a
confession of my sins. Before doing so, however, I would like you
to prove to me the divine institution of the Sacrament of
Penance."
"I am at your service," His Grace replied, "and since the shortest
way is the best way, I advise you to go to confession first of all."
The officer objected that it would be just like trying a thing in
order to understand it. How could he learn that God established
confession by trying it?
"My son," explained the archbishop, "theoretically that is true, but
let me assure you with all the weight of experience that this is
nevertheless the surest and shortest way."
The fellow, persuaded by the tone of authority, made a
confession. When it was over the churchman offered to instruct
him further.
"It is not necessary, Your Grace," smiled the soldier, "I am not
only convinced of the necessity of confession, I feel it."
That is the experience of everyone who has ever made a sincere
confession. The reason is two-fold: first, the penitent knows
positively that his sins are forgiven; secondly, he finds in the
ceremonies of confession spiritual helps and inspiration. Those
simple ceremonies, consoling sacramentals that they are, bring
many graces. Let us consider their meaning and keep them in
mind:
1. As you enter church you genuflect to our Lord in the Blessed
Sacrament. You kneel before the same Jesus who forgave sins
Himself, and who gave the power of forgiving sins to the leaders
of His Church. Give Him a thought.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make a good confession. When
Jesus gave the power of forgiving sins He said:
"Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are
forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are
retained." St. John, 20:23.
The priest needs the help of the Holy Spirit to guide you and
absolve you; you need the help of the Holy Spirit to make a good
confession. It is enough to say:
"Holy Spirit, help me make a good confession."
3. You may examine your conscience or think of your sins in
several ways:
a. Think of all Ten Commandments of God and the Church
Laws.
b. Think back to your last good confession and your serious
sins will stand out.
c. Examine yourself on those commandments which you
generally violate. You must confess all mortal sins, their number
and their kind. You are advised to confess also your venial sins.
4. Next comes the most important part of your confession,
namely, contrition or sorrow for sin. Kneeling before Jesus who
died for your sins, you should be able to excite true sorrow for
your disobedience.
5. It is also necessary to tell God that you will try to avoid that
sin or those sins in the future. This firm purpose of amendment
is another essential.
6. While preparing and waiting for confession stay at a distance
to avoid hearing anything from the confessional. Should you hear
anything, you are bound to absolute secrecy.
7. In the confessional kneel down. That is a ceremony of
humility. You are kneeling before God's representative. As you
enter the priest blesses you:
"May the Lord be in thy heart and on thy lips, that thou mayest
make a sincere and entire confession of all thy sins. In the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
Making the sign of the cross, remember that through the death of
Christ on the cross your sins are forgiven.
8. Begin your confession with some simple, clear sentence like
this:
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned...." Or, "I confess to Almighty
God, and to you, father, that I have sinned...my last confession
was two weeks ago." Then mention your sins.
9. It is not necessary to say that you received absolution, said
your penance, and received Holy Communion. If you did not
receive absolution or did not say your penance, mention that and
tell the priest why. If you did not receive Holy Communion
mention the reason.
10. Tell your sins simply, clearly, briefly. You must tell all your
mortal sins--the kind of mortal sins and the number of times, at
least about how often. You are advised to confess also your
venial sins. When you are finished let the priest know by saying
something like this:
"For these and all my sins I am heartily sorry."
In general don't drag out your confession with useless details. On
the other hand, there is no need for rushing or hurrying. If you
want advice, ask for it. If you want or need help, ask for it.
11. Listen attentively to the advice of the priest, and answer
simply and clearly any questions he may ask. He is guided by the
Holy Spirit.
12. The priest recites four short prayers as he gives you
absolution. During the third prayer, he makes the sign of the
cross over you as he says the words:
"I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
13. On leaving the confessional say your penance immediately.
Any time before your next confession is permitted, but say your
penance at once, lest you forget it.
14. Again direct your gaze and your heart to our Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament and thank Him for this great gift of grace and
mercy.
Like that French officer, anyone who has ever made a good
confession knows from experience that it is something divine,
something out of this world. Some of these ceremonies are
sacramentals; others are customs. They help to put us into the
proper spiritual disposition for this great boon of forgiveness.
Amen.
CONFIRMATION, CEREMONIES OF
"Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy
Ghost." Acts of the Apostles, 8:18.
Before being elected head of the Catholic Church, Pope Pius IX
was the bishop of Imola. One day he was in a great hurry to begin
a long journey on some urgent business. As he was about to step
into his carriage, a poorly dressed and weeping woman stopped
him.
"Come quickly, Your Lordship," she cried. "My little boy is dying,
and he has not yet been confirmed."
When the bishop learned that the lad had already gone to
confession, had received Viaticum and Extreme Unction, he
answered:
"I am sorry, little mother. I must make this journey at once. Don't
worry. Your boy will go to heaven even if he has not been
confirmed."
Clinging to the bishop's cloak, the woman persisted: "I know all
that, my Lord. But for all eternity his soul will lack the beauty
which Confirmation would give it. For all eternity he will go
unadorned by the sign that marks the soldier of Christ."
The saintly bishop was convinced. He called for the holy chrism.
His business, however urgent, must wait. Here was business for
eternity.
That mother knew her religion. She knew the value and benefits
of Confirmation. She knew that this sacrament gave a special
mark and strength and beauty to the soul. All these she wanted
for her son--here and hereafter.
The ceremonies of this wonderful sacrament are true
sacramentals. They go back to the very time of Christ and the
Apostles. We read of them in the Bible. We read of them in early
Christian times. They are some of the most expressive in all
liturgy.
1. The person to be confirmed must have already received
Baptism, because Confirmation is to Baptism what growth is to
birth. Just as one must be born before he can attain full growth,
so one must have spiritual life before he can be strengthened and
grow in that life.
2. There are two other important dispositions for the recipient of
this sacrament:
a. He must be instructed in the principal truths of religion,
especially on the nature of Confirmation.
b. He must be in the state of grace, because Confirmation is
a sacrament of the living.
3. There are several important conditions for the sponsor, but
time will not permit our mentioning them.
4. After the singing of the "Veni Creator," the bishop vests, and
with his hands joined begins:
"May the Holy Ghost come upon you, and the power of the Most
High keep you from sins. Amen."
5. He extends his hands over the candidates and prays: 30
"Almighty and eternal God, who has vouchsafed to regenerate
these Thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given
them forgiveness of all their sins: send forth from heaven upon
them Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Holy Comforter . . .The Spirit of
wisdom and understanding . . . The Spirit of counsel and
fortitude . . . The Spirit of knowledge and piety . . . Fill them with
the Spirit of Thy fear, and sign them with the sign of the cross of
Christ, in Thy mercy, unto life eternal. Through the same Lord
Jesus Christ, etc."
6. Seated at the altar, or moving along the rail, the bishop dips
his right thumb in the holy chrism, places the outstretched
fingers of his right hand on the head, and with the oil makes the
sign of the cross on the forehead, saying:
"John (or whatever name the person has chosen) I sign thee with
the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of
salvation. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen."
He anoints the forehead because:
a. It is the most conspicuous part of the body. It is open and
visible to the world.
b. It is on the forehead that false shame, as well as true
modesty and conviction of principles, show themselves. The
Christian must glory in his title, wear it, as it were, upon his
forehead.
7. The sign of the cross shows that Confirmation, like all the
other sacraments draws its power from the cross, the standard,
the banner of the one confirmed, the new soldier of Christ.
8. The extending of the hands over the candidates, and the
stretching out of the fingers over each candidate's head, show
that the Holy Ghost is covering with His graces the souls of those
being confirmed. The Holy Spirit is taking possession, taking
control and command.
9 The bishop gives the one confirmed a slight blow on the cheek
to teach him:
a. That this sacrament gives him courage and strength to
suffer insult and injury for the sake of Jesus Christ.
b. That patience in trials brings peace to the soul.
10. The bishop concludes the ceremony by turning to the altar
and praying:
"O God, who didst give to Thine Apostles the Holy Ghost, and
didst ordain that by them and their successors He should be
given to the rest of the faithful; look mercifully upon our
unworthy service; and grant that the hearts of those whose
foreheads we have anointed with holy chrism and signed with the
sign of the holy cross, may by the same Holy Spirit coming down
upon them and graciously abiding with them, be made the temple
of His glory."
In these ceremonies the Christian becomes a soldier of Christ. He
receives strength to know and profess his faith. He receives the
grace and help to work for God and the things of God. He receives
the heavenly help we all need to walk in the footsteps of Christ.
He receives a new indelible character, a new spiritual beauty,
which the mother in our story appreciated very deeply, a beauty
the confirmed will treasure in this life, a beauty you must
treasure now, a beauty that will brighten the soul of the
confirmed through all eternity. Amen.
CORDS, BLESSED
"They drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth out
of the dungeon." Jeremias. 38:13.
Jeremias was one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. God
had made known to him many of the misfortunes that were to
come upon the Jewish people. The prophet was pathetic in his
appeal to the chosen people to be true to their God. He saw the
holy city of Jerusalem overrun with vice which he knew would
ruin his country. Again and again he warned his fellow citizens of
the calamities that would come upon them. His zeal displeased
the wicked and angered those in power. He saw the gathering
storm of persecution. But, undaunted, he continued to preach in
even more animated and vigorous terms.
The wicked princes could stand him no longer. They asked King
Sedecias for permission to throw the prophet into a cistern of
deep mud. Though he admired Jeremias, the king weakly yielded.
The preacher was thrown into a cistern where he surely would
have stifled to death in a short time, had not an officer of the
king by the name of Abdemelech begged the king to free the
prophet. How they drew him out is interesting. Let Scripture tell
it:
"So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king's
house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence
old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to
Jeremias into the dungeon.
"And Abdemelech said to Jeremias: Put these old rags and these
rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and
Jeremias did so.
"And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him
forth out of the dungeon." Jeremias, 38:11-13.
Who would have thought that old rags and rotten things and
cords could be the means of saving the life of a great man of
God? Yet, by means of those material things the prophet was
drawn forth from the dungeon of death.
In a similar but more spiritual way the Church uses cords to help
save the souls of her children. A cord may seem a trifling,
insignificant thing, but if it can save a prophet of God from
physical death, it can also save a child of God from spiritual
death. Blessed cords are sacramentals. They are cinctures or
ropes worn by the members of certain pious associations in
honor of some saint, to keep in mind some special grace or favor
which they hope to obtain through that saint's intercession. Four
such cinctures have been approved and indulgenced by Mother
Church.
1. One is the black leathern belt of the Archconfraternity of Our
Lady of Consolation, or of the Black Belt of St. Monica, St.
Augustine, and St. Nicholas of Tolentino. According to tradition
St. Monica in a vision received a black leathern belt from the
Blessed Virgin, who assured the holy widow that she would take
under her special protection all those who wore it in her honor.
St. Ambrose girded St. Augustine with it at the latter's Baptism.
After the canonization of St. Nicholas it came into general use
among the faithful. All confraternities of the black leather belt
must be affiliated with the archconfraternity at Bologna in order
to share its privileges and indulgences. The members are obliged
to wear this black leather belt, to recite daily thirteen Our Fathers
and Hail Marys, and the Salve Regina. They must fast on the vigil
of the feast of St. Augustine, August 2. The general of the
Augustinians has the faculties for this archconfraternity.
2. The Archconfraternity of the Cord of St. Francis of Assisi is
perhaps the most wide-spread and well-known. After his
conversion the Little Poor Man of Assisi girded himself with a
rough cord over a rough habit in memory of the cords with which
Christ had been bound during His passion. Later a white cord
with three knots came to form a part of the Franciscan habit. As
such, it is worn by more than four million members of the three
orders of St. Francis.
Besides the ordinary requirements for the gaining of all plenary
and partial indulgences, the wearing of the cord and enrollment
in the archconfraternity are the only conditions imposed on
members. Membership in one does not require membership in
the Third Order.
3. Regarding the Archconfraternity of the Cord of St. Joseph we
recall the miraculous cure of an Augustinian nun at Antwerp in
1657 through the wearing of a cord in honor of St. Joseph. This
gave rise to the pious practice of wearing it to obtain the grace of
purity through his intercession. Members must wear a cord with
seven knots, and are urged to recite seven times daily the Glory
Be. They must be affiliated with the church of San Rocco at Rome.
4. The Confraternity of the Cord of St. Thomas took its start from
the incident in his life when the Angelic Doctor resisted a
temptation to impurity. As a reward angels girded him with a
cord that protected him against all such temptations in the
future. To obtain a similar grace of purity many wear the cord of
St. Thomas. Members must have their names enrolled, must wear
a cord with fifteen knots and recite daily fifteen Hail Marys in
honor of St. Thomas.
When any of these four types of religious cords is blessed it
becomes a helpful sacramental, helping the wearer to rise from
the dungeon of despair and doubt and indifference to new graces
and spiritual blessings.
A cord was the means of saving the prophet Jeremias. Every day
cords and ropes are used to save people who are drowning,
people in burning buildings, people in dangerous situations.
Likewise, religious cords are the means of helping millions to
remember the thrilling example of the saint they honor. By that
remembrance they are helped spiritually.
One might say, for example, that the Franciscan cord encircles
the globe, in the sense that the members of the three orders and
the works and missions of all three orders encircle the world.
May that cord help pull the world up closer to God. Amen.
CRIB
"You will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in
a manger." St. Luke, 2:12.
It is Christmas midnight at the church of St. Mary Major in Rome.
The tremendous basilica is bulging with eager pilgrims and
knowing natives. As a procession crawls snail-pace toward the
sanctuary the congregation is all eyes. The clergy are carrying the
relics of the crib in which our Lord rested at Bethlehem, carrying
it to the main altar where it will remain during the midnight
Mass.
Is it really the crib of Christ? Yes, it is at least a part of the crib.
Some call it "the relics of the crib"; others call it "the remains of
the crib." Actually there are five pieces of board identified as
coming from a species of sycamore tree common in the Holy
Land. Of the five pieces at St. Mary Major two originally stood
upright in the shape of an X. The other three pieces rested upon
these two and were supported by the sixth piece, which is now
missing. These were the supports of the manger in which Christ
lay at Bethlehem.
St. Helena, discoverer of the true cross, also found the true crib.
With womanly care she covered it with silver plates and
surrounded the sacred cave with slabs of precious marble. There
it was venerated until the year 624 when the Mohammedans
invaded Palestine and endangered all such holy relics. The crib
was brought to Rome and placed in the church of St. Mary Major,
which since has been called St. Mary at the Crib.
Knowing this, the stranger and the native experience an
understandable thrill when at Christmas midnight those precious
relics of the manger are carried affectionately to the high altar,
where they remain during the midnight Mass.
Mother Church wants similar sentiments in the hearts of all the
rest of us who do not have the privilege of visiting the grotto of
the Nativity at Bethlehem or the church of St. Mary at the Crib.
The Catholic Church, with a growing number of non-Catholics
imitating her, has the beautiful custom of reproducing the scene
at the birth of Christ. We call it simply the crib. When blessed it is
one of our most attractive sacramentals.
In general there are two types of Christmas crib. One is a simple
form consisting of a shed under which are grouped statues of the
principal characters of that first Holy Night. The other, more
complete, represents not only the stable and the people who were
in it, but also the surrounding--the sky, the star, the angels, the
shepherds, the animals, the sleeping city.
This more complete type of crib was developed and made
popular by St. Francis of Assisi in the first quarter of the
thirteenth century. He did not originate the custom, but with his
life-like stable at Greccio and by the zeal of his Franciscan
followers, he has done more to spread this beautiful Christmas
practice than any other single person or group.
The manger must be in our Christmas planning. More than trees
or holly or Santa Claus himself, a crib expresses the meaning and
spirit of Christmas. Set one up in your home by all means. At
least visit the crib in your parish church, kneel before it, and
listen to what the crib will tell you.
It tells you that the Lord of heaven and earth chose to be born not
to a life of silver and silk, not in the palaces of the powerful, nor
in the mansions of the mighty, but in the poorest of poor places--
a stable. He entered this world in that way as a rebuke to the
pride and greed and craving for comfort that make men forget
God.
Christ was born in a barn at Bethlehem
--to teach us humility. Those who know not and follow not Christ
are continually seeking honors and fame and publicity. Here at
the crib is the cure for that empty and worm-eaten yearning.
--to teach us poverty of spirit. Not that we are to seek poverty as
a good or end in itself, but as the means to a higher good. The
poor in spirit are not attached to bank-books and bill-folds. They
give their attachments to the Creator of all these things. Ask the
Infant Christ for a true spirit of poverty.
--to show us how to deny ourselves for the sake of God and for
the sake of our soul. It was cold and uncomfortable in that stable.
It was smelly and cramped. What a correction for our constant
quest of creature comforts I
But the most important reason Christ chose to be born as a
helpless Babe is to draw us to Himself, to win our love. What is
more lovable than a child? What human being creates more
confidence than a baby? What calls out our affection and the best
in us more than a helpless infant? God wants our love. He wants
our attention and our affection. He knew He would get it as a
little child. He knew that was the best way to draw us closer to
the source of all true joy and peace--Himself.
The crib of Christ has been set up in every corner of the earth, in
every city and hamlet. Those who kneel before it may be of
different color and tongue, but they all know that the crib has but
one purpose--to teach the real meaning of Christmas, to teach us
in a way we can see and understand, that the Son of God became
a tiny Child to win our love.
We need not travel to St. Mary Major in Rome to hear the lessons
of the crib. Hear them in the scene beneath your Christmas tree,
and in your parish church. See there a little Infant with arms
outstretched, outstretched with longing for your heart and your
devotion. Give Him your love this Christmas. It is the gift He
wants.
And His gifts? Oh, I cannot tell you about them. You must receive
them yourself. You must experience them. Kneel before the crib
and you will receive those gifts. Amen.
CROSS, SIGN OF
"God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ." Galatians, 6:14
In April of 1945 American artillery in the town of Siegburg,
Germany, was shelling a nearby village, in which there were
about 20 German soldiers. The natives were in constant danger of
being hit by bullets from either side. Toward evening of April 12
the people persuaded the German soldiers to cease fire.
Next morning the village priest carried a white flag to the
American outpost to inform the commander that the German
soldiers had gone and the civilian population had no desire to
resist further. Instructions were given to fly white flags from all
the houses.
The question uppermost in the minds of the towns-people was:
How will the Americans treat us? They had heard terrible tales of
cruelty on the part of the Russians. How would these conquerors
act?
The Americans began a thorough search for weapons and German
soldiers. Two soldiers armed with pistols came to a certain three-
room home. They stopped short in the living room before a hand-
carved family altar. Into the bedroom they went, to find there a
beautiful crucifix.
The soldiers noticed the cross. They stopped, took off their steel
helmets, changed their automatics from right hand to left, and
respectfully made the sign of the cross. As a member of the
family related, the members of that household feared no longer.
Yes, the sign of the cross is the salute of the true follower of
Christ whether he is conqueror or conquered, whether he is
German, Chinese, American or Australian. It is the countersign of
the Christian. In particular, it is the special salute of the Catholic.
The sign of the cross is one of the most important and one of the
most frequently used of the sacramentals. It is the sacred sign
first taught to the feeble fingers of the child at its mother's knee;
it is the sacred sign traced by the faltering fingers of the dying
Catholic. From birth to death it is the holy sign, the holy
ceremony that continually reminds the Catholic of the source
from which all spiritual blessings come--the cross.
The two most common forms of this sacramental are the large
sign of the cross made by touching the forehead, the breast, and
the left and right shoulders. The cross thus covers the body--at
least the most important members--the head and heart. The
smaller sign of the cross is traced upon the forehead, lips, and
breast.
1 Why do we make the sign of the cross?
a. To remind us of the Blessed Trinity--Father, Son and Holy
Ghost. We repeat their names.
b. To remind us that the Son of God died on a cross for all
men. Before Calvary it was a sign of disgrace. Christ made it a
thing of glory and power.
c. To stir up our faith. It recalls that God is one and God is
three; it recalls that the Second Person of the Trinity died for all
men; it professes our faith; it identifies the Catholic. That is why
the family of our story felt so secure, so much safer, as soon as
they saw those American soldiers make the sacred sign.
d. To strengthen our hope. By making this sacred sign we
express the hope that through the cross all blessings will come to
us.
e. To kindle and feed our charity. Making this sign recalls
the limitless love of Him who died upon the cross. We determine
to return love for love.
2. The uses of this sacred sign in the Catholic Church are
practically without limit:
a. According to many our Lord and the Apostles used it.
Many affirm that our Lord blessed the Apostles with the sign of
the cross on the day of His Ascension. Certainly the early
Christians used it constantly.
b. It is used in all the public worship of our Church:
i. The sign of the cross in some form or other is
made about 54 times during Holy Mass.
ii. It is used frequently in the Divine Office or daily
prayer of the priest.
iii. It is used in all blessings bestowed by bishop and
priest. iv. It is used in all the sacraments: 14 times
in Baptism; 17 times in Extreme Unction. Yes, even
in the semi-darkness of the confessional the priest
makes the sign of the cross over you.
v. It is used in everything blessed for the service of
God--altars, linens, holy water, etc.
c. It is used frequently in personal devotions:
i. In the morning and evening to seek God's help.
ii. Before and after prayer, against distractions.
iii. Before and after meals, asking God's blessing.
iv. In dangers of soul, like temptation and occasions
of sin.
v. In dangers of body like storms, sickness, travel.
vi. Before our chief actions and undertakings, to make
them pleasing to God and to obtain God's help in
performing them properly.
Let me quote the instructive words of St. Gaudentius:
"Let the sign of the cross be continually made on the heart, on the
mouth, on the forehead, at table, at the bath, in bed, coming in
and going out, in joy and sadness, sitting, standing, speaking,
walking--in short, in all our actions. Let us make it on our breasts
and all our members, that we may be entirely covered with this
invincible armor of Christians."
An indulgence of 100 days is granted for making the sign of the
cross and saying the words. An indulgence of 300 days for
making the sign of the cross, with holy water.
A love and devotion toward this sacred sign is the mark of a true
follower of Christ. Just as it identified those two American
soldiers as genuine Catholics, so the sign of the cross will
identify you. Use it frequently, use it thoughtfully, use it lovingly.
It will bring you countless blessings. Amen.
CRUCIFIX
"Truly he was the Son of God." St. Matthew, 27:54.
Mrs. Clare Sheridan, the famous sculptress, is a cousin of Winston
Churchill. Her renown is international. Recently she staged her
first exhibition in Ireland. It featured a crucifix carved from a
three-branched cherry tree. This crucifix was instrumental in
bringing her into the Church two years before.
When the idea of carving a crucifix came to her, she asked her
brother a soldier on furlough, to serve as the model. Clad in a
loincloth, he hung for a few painful minutes at a time with his
hands thrust through ropes fixed to the cross-bar. She hastily
made a small clay model. With this model before her she labored
for months on her crucifix. Later she related:
"It almost seemed as if He breathed. I found myself asking: 'Is it
true? Did it really happen?'"
The sculptress declared that she learned more through carving
that figure than in all the years of her life. It was then she
decided to become a Catholic. She was received at Assisi, Italy.
She later chose to locate in Galway, Ireland, at the encouragement
of Bishop Browne, who wished to place her famous crucifix in his
future cathedral.
Everyone who thoughtfully looks at a crucifix will find himself
asking the same questions:
"Is it true? Did it really happen?"
The representation of our Lord upon the cross is one of the oldest
and most widespread of the sacramentals. In every type of
material, in every form and color sculptors and painters have
represented the death of the God-man. In every size and shape
Catholics carry a crucifix, place it in their homes and schools and
institutions. Never do we want to forget that Jesus died for all of
us. Never do we want to forget that He went to the lengths of love
by dying for us. The crucifix tells us three things:
1. Who suffered for us?
2. What He suffered for us?
3. Why He suffered for us.
1. Who is it hanging upon this cross?
a. It is the all-good Son of God who became Man for our
redemption. It is the Creator of all things suffering for the
creature. It is Holiness Himself hanging there. It is Love Himself
hanging there.
b. That He was "truly the Son of God" is proven from the
wonders that accompanied His death:
i. Darkness covered the earth from the sixth to the
ninth hour. It was not an ordinary eclipse of the sun,
because the moon was then at the full, because such
an eclipse can last eight minutes at the most, and
because there is no record in astronomy of an eclipse
that year.
ii. The veil of the temple was rent in two. (St. Matthew,
27:51.)
iii. The earth quaked, rocks were rent, graves were
opened. (Same passage)
All these terrible happenings make us exclaim with the centurion:
"Truly he was the Son of God."
2. What did Christ suffer?
a. His torments were so severe that the mere anticipation of
them caused a sweat of blood.
b. Our Lord suffered torture in every part of His body:
i. He was scourged unmercifully.
ii. He was crowned with thorns.
iii. He was forced to carry His cross over a stony street.
iv. He was nailed through hands and feet.
v. He suffered agonizing thirst.
c. His mental sufferings also were extreme:
i. There was the sense of love unreturned.
ii. There was ingratitude for His many favors
and miracles.
iii. There was aching sympathy for His bereaved
mother.
3. Why did Christ suffer?
a. He suffered in order to deliver us from our sins, from our
deep debt of punishment.
b. He suffered to reconcile us to God and to reopen the gates
of heaven.
c. He suffered to make for us a satisfaction full and
complete and most acceptable to God.
d. He suffered to leave us an example of every virtue.
e. To save man from the state of sin it was not absolutely
necessary that God should demand such suffering. Christ could
have saved us by a mere act of His all-powerful will. But He
endured those terrible tortures to show us how precious we were
to Him, and to give us a divine example which we could imitate.
4. All these thoughts we read in every crucifix. No wonder we
treasure the Figure on the cross. No wonder we place it
everywhere to remind us continually of the things it teaches:
a. We place it above our altar to remind us that the holy
sacrifice of the cross is repeated thereon.
b. We place it in our homes and bedrooms to remind us to
live continually in the light of its lessons.
c. We hang the crucifix in our classrooms and buildings of
mercy to show that all we undertake is done in and for Him who
died on it.
d. We place it in our sickrooms and in the hands of our
dying to remind us of the patience and forbearance of Christ
crucified.
e. We carry it on our persons that we may carry out what it
signifies.
f. We hang it on our Rosaries, we etch it on our books and
doorways, we reach up and place it on the steeples of our
churches, we place life-giving lessons.
Make the most of this sacramental. Ask yourself, as did Mrs.
Sheridan while carving her crucifix:
"Is it true? Did it really happen?"
Then also ask yourself:
"What does it mean?"
"Who is that hanging there?"
"Why did He suffer so?"
Your crucifix will answer those questions for you, and bring you
with the answers a more abundant spiritual life. Amen.
DEVOTIONS
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no change or
shadow of alteration." St. James, 1:17.
Back in May of 1891 a crew of men began drilling for gas on the
property of an orphan home at Lackawanna, New York, the site of
the famous institutions of mercy under the protection of Our
Lady of Victory.
"Father Baker must be mad."
"This is folly, sheer folly."
Many remarks like these were made, because no one expected to
find gas in that region, no one except good Father Baker, the
saintly founder of these institutions. His fuel bill had mounted
beyond his financial abilities. He decided to drill for gas.
Weeks ran into months. They were down 600 feet, and still no
gas. Father Baker and his charges made one novena after another.
They were attending Benediction on the eighth day of the novena
before the Assumption of our Blessed Mother. A boy suddenly
burst into the chapel, tiptoed up to the kneeling priest, and
whispered something into his ear.
There was a thrill in father's announcement that gas had been
discovered at a depth of 1,145 feet. The flow was so plentiful that
it supplied not only the buildings and needs of Father Baker, but
also those of many neighbors.
Instances like this, of answer to prayer in the form of novenas
and other religious practices could be multiplied by the
thousands. Such a novena to our Blessed Mother is one of many
popular devotions in the Church. Each of these devotions taps the
well of God's blessings in a material and a spiritual way. Such
devotions are sacramentals; they are religious practices approved
by Mother Church and calculated to nourish piety. They are so
varied and numerous that it would be impossible to mention all
of them in one talk. We will, therefore, give some general
divisions, with emphasis upon those which are more popular and
appealing. We might divide all devotions into three classes
according as they refer to our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, or to the
Saints.
1. Among the principal devotions to our Savior we mention:
a. Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament:
i. Frequent Communion aims to give the Eucharistic
Christ love for love by cooperating with His burning
desire to give Himself to us.
ii. Communion of Reparation attempts to make amends
to Him for the indifference, ingratitude, and insults
offered to the Eucharist.
iii. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament offer Him adoration,
thanks, petitions and reparation.
iv. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament brings us the
blessing of our Lord Himself.
v. Perpetual Adoration is an effort to have someone
continually before the Blessed Sacrament.
vi. Forty Hours tries to do the same thing throughout a
diocese.
vii. The Holy Hour is a time spent with others before
the exposed Blessed Sacrament.
b. Devotion to the Holy Childhood refers to the Child Jesus
in His birth, circumcision, Epiphany, Presentation, and among the
doctors of the temple.
c. Devotion to the Passion of Christ takes the form of:
i. Honoring the mysteries and phases of his passion
and death.
ii. Recalling His passion every Friday, the day on which
He died for us.
iii. Honoring His Precious Blood.
iv. Venerating the cross.
v. Making the Way of the Cross or the Stations.
d. Devotion to the Sacred Heart, especially by making the
Nine First Fridays.
2. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin expresses itself in:
a. Celebrating her feasts and privileges.
b. Consecrating every Saturday to her.
c. Keeping the month of May and October.
d. Reciting her Rosary or her Little Office.
e. Saying the Angelus.
f. Wearing the scapular and the miraculous medal.
g. Belonging to some confraternity or congregation in her
honor, like the Sodality.
h. Honoring her sorrows.
i. Honoring her joys. This is a Franciscan devotion which we
followers of St. Francis keep by honoring the seven principal joys
of Mary in the Franciscan Crown or Rosary of seven decades.
3. Devotion to the saints:
a. St. Joseph is honored as the foster-father of the Son of
God, spouse of the Blessed Virgin, and universal patron of the
Church.
b. The Apostles Peter and Paul as co-founders of the Church.
c. St. Francis of Assisi as the closest follower of Christ.
d. St. Anthony of Padua as the Wonder-worker.
e. Each religious order or group has its favorite devotion to
its favorite saint.
f. Devotion to one's patron saint or the patron of one's
church.
g. Devotion to the Guardian Angels.
h. Remembrance of the Poor Souls.
4. These devotional practices take the form of wearing emblems,
attending novenas, saying special prayers, keeping certain feasts,
joining associations, making pilgrimages, etc. Such practices feed
and develop devotion, when they are approved and encouraged
by Mother Church.
Yes, they bring the good and perfect gifts from above, from the
Father of all. They open up the well of God's goodness, just as the
novena of Father Baker opened up an actual gas well on his
property.
Do not attempt to adopt all these practices. Choose one or the
other and be faithful to it. It will nourish your piety. It will
nourish your love of God, His mother and the saints. Amen.
EUCHARIST, CEREMONIES
"He had opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down Manna
upon them to eat, and had given them the Bread of Heaven." Psalm
77:24.
In the early eighteenth century there were only three families in
the mission station of Inverness-Shire, Scotland. Persecution, the
murder and outlawing of priests, constant war and discord had
forced the once Catholic community to take to other parts. Those
who remained were indifferent to religion.
A zealous priest, Father John MacDonald, tried to bring them back
to the faith. His efforts seemed in vain. They would neither listen
nor follow. He decided to go to another field.
The very day chosen for his departure he was called to a sick
person in a mountain village. When he arrived at the house he
was not a little angered to find the patient seemingly not sick at
all, for she was sitting in a chair dressed in her finest clothes.
The priest expressed his impatience for making such a tedious
journey apparently with no purpose. His surprise, however,
turned to admiration, when the patient explained:
"Is it anything but right that I who so often tried to please the
world in dress should do my best in ornament and attire to honor
and welcome my Savior, the living God, when He comes to visit
me? Please hurry, Father, hear my confession and give me the
sacraments. My last hour is near."
Still unconvinced, the priest gave her the last sacraments. A few
minutes later she died. Father MacDonald took this incident as a
sign from God that he was to remain there. God blessed his forty
years of effort. The mission became one of the most flourishing
in Scotland.
This story offers several inspiring lessons. The one I would like
to emphasize is the spirit which prompted that dying woman to
show honor and respect to our Lord when He was brought to her
sick room. That same spirit of reverence is the reason behind all
the ceremonies of the Eucharist. We want to give our Eucharistic
Lord the best we have, the best we can afford. According to our
means we purchase the best altar linens, vestments, monstrance,
chalice and ciborium. We want to worship our Lord in the
Eucharist in the most fitting way by surrounding every ceremony
with the most beautiful, the most precious, the most becoming
adornment possible. In another series, TALKS ON THE MASS, we
will speak of the ceremonies and articles used at Mass. Today we
would like to explain some of the other ceremonies which honor
Christ in the Eucharist:
1. At Benediction, as the priest and servers enter the sanctuary,
we should stand in reverence to God's minister. Kneel when the
priest kneels. Look up to the Sacred Host when It is enthroned.
Bow your head with the priest when the choir sings, "Down in
adoration falling." When the priest makes the sign of the cross
with the monstrance, make the sign of the cross over yourself--it
is our Lord's own blessing. Some strike the breast out of humility
and in adoration. But do look up at the Host for a moment. An
indulgence of 7 years is granted for looking at the Sacred Host at
Benediction and saying, "My Lord and my God." That is why It is
held up to your gaze. Join in the singing and in repeating the
divine praises.
2. At the Communion of the Mass, after you have made as worthy
a preparation as possible, look up and receive the blessing of the
priest. When he holds up the Sacred Host, look up, because he is
saying:
"Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sins of
the world."
Pray with the priest the words:
"O Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter into my heart,
say but the word and my soul shall be healed."
When your turn comes to receive, raise your head, put out your
tongue on your lower lip, as flat as possible. Don't reach for the
Host. Remain steady and calm. The priest will place the Host on
your tongue as he says:
"May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep your soul unto life
everlasting."
Don't be a snapper and pull your tongue back quickly. Slowness
helps reverence. Follow the custom of your parish. And do keep
your eyes closed while receiving. In some places the
communicants genuflect before leaving the rail. The more
common practice is to rise, walk down the steps, and return to
your pew. Going and coming do keep your hands folded and eyes
cast down.
In your pew cover your face with your hands, or close your eyes,
bow your head, and with folded hands talk to our Lord and listen
as He talks to you.
3. Holy Communion is brought to the home as a Communion of
devotion or as Viaticum. When you call the priest to the dying, let
the priest know whether the patient is able to receive Holy
Communion or not. When the priest brings Communion, meet him
at the door with a lighted candle and greet him with the words:
"Praised be Jesus Christ."
Near the sick person prepare a table with a clean, white cloth
spread upon it, two lighted, blessed candles, holy water, and a
glass filled almost to the brim with hydrant water, and a spoon
and a towel. The priest purifies the fingers which have touched
the Host in a spoonful of water and gives it to the patient. The
patient should have a white cloth under his chin to catch the Host
in case it falls. Members of the household should kneel nearby.
You may place flowers or other suitable decorations upon the
table. As much as possible avoid unnecessary talk with the priest
as he enters or leaves, and with the sick person immediately after
Communion. Often the priest is taking Communion to others and
is carrying our Lord with him as he leaves.
Holy Communion is truly Bread from heaven. And when the priest
brings Holy Communion to you, whether at the Communion rail
or to your sick bed, the gates of heaven are truly opened and the
Lord comes to you.
Surround that glorious coming with all the cleanliness of soul and
body, all the reverence, all the thoughtfulness possible.
These little ceremonies are sacramentals. They help us to keep
our thoughts upon the great Sacrament--our Lord Himself. Amen.
EXTREME UNCTION, CEREMONIES
"Is anyone among you sick? Let him bring in the presbyters of the
Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord." St. James, 5:14.
In his young life as a soldier he had many narrow escapes from
dangerous accidents. Brushes with death he called them. His
plane had been riddled with flak. He had thrown himself into a
ditch to escape a rain of machine gun bullets. Another time a
bullet had whistled through his helmet But his most terrifying
experience happened in an army hospital.
He was lying in a coma after his plane had cracked up. He was
paralyzed. He could not move his lips or his eyes or a single
muscle. He heard the doctors tell the nurse:
"He's finished. There's nothing more to do."
He heard them pronounce him dead. Yet, he was not dead.
Fortunately, someone had summoned the chaplain. The priest
took a last chance. He pronounced conditional absolution and
quickly administered the sacrament of Extreme Unction. There
might be a spark of life in this man.
And there was. Hardly had the priest completed the rite when the
apparently dead man twitched a muscle. He revived. He
recovered. It was just another of the countless proofs of the life-
giving, strength-giving powers of the sacrament of the dying. Too
numerous to question are the cases where a patient has been in a
coma or unconscious only to revive upon the administration of
Extreme Unction.
St. James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has promised this:
"Is any one among you sick? Let him bring in the presbyters of
the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick
man, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he be in sins, they
shall be forgiven him." St. James, 5:14, 15.
The ceremonies connected with such a marvelous sacrament are
interesting sacramentals. They help to put the patient and the
people present in the proper disposition for the graces which the
sacrament offers. These actions console, strengthen and uplift.
1. By the Last Sacraments we mean Confession, Communion and
Extreme Unction. Should a Catholic suddenly take seriously ill,
the priest is called. If possible, the patient makes a confession,
receives Viaticum, and then the sacrament of the dying. On the
table covered with a white linen cloth there should be a crucifix.
holy water, two lighted candles, a glass of water, a spoon and a
dish with a few snatches of bread, and a slice of lemon, and a
dish of water and a towel. These are to cleanse the oil from the
fingers of the priest. There should also be at least six small
pieces of cotton on a dish.
2. As the priest enters the sick room, he prays:
"Peace be to this house....
"And to all who dwell therein."
He places the oil of the sick on the table. After confession and
Viaticum he offers the sick person a crucifix to kiss, and
sprinkles the patient and those in the room with holy water in the
form of a cross.
3. After several beautiful prayers in which our Lord is begged to
grant peace and health to the household and to defend everyone
from evil, the priest proceeds to anoint the five senses.
4. He dips his thumb in the Oil of the Sick and traces the sign of
the cross on the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, the closed lips, the
open hands, and the feet. As he anoints each sense he says a
prayer like this:
"Through this holy unction and of His most tender mercy, may
the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by
sight. Amen."
5. Immediately after each anointing the priest wipes off the oil,
taking a fresh piece of cotton for each sense. It is proper for
someone to hold the clean pieces of cotton on a plate and to
receive on a plate the used pieces, so that later the cotton,
together with the lemon, bread and water used in washing may be
thrown into a fire. The priest will dispose of it, if you wish.
6. There follow several beautiful prayers, each one beseeching
God to grant good health to this sick child of His.
7. In cases of emergency the priest may use a much shorter form
for anointing. He simply anoints the forehead of the dying
person. This is done when the circumstances prohibit the
carrying out of the full rite.
8. Following this are a number of touching prayers for a dying
person which the priest says when there is time for it.
9. At the hour of death the priest imparts the Apostolic Blessing
with a Plenary Indulgence.
Again I urge that you call the priest in plenty of time to
administer this consoling and strengthening sacrament while the
dying person is still conscious. Don't wait until the patient in
unconscious or scarcely able to know what is going on.
Should you be sick, have your relatives and friends, your doctor
and nurse instructed to call a priest in ample time. You want to
be fully conscious when these beautiful ceremonies and prayers
are performed over and for you. You want to share fully in their
power to lift your heart to heavenly things, their power to
strengthen your soul, their unquestioned power to help you
physically when God sees fit.
Think about this sacrament during today's Mass. The time for you
to receive it may be a short or a long way off. Try to realize in
your days of health the meaning and beauty and helpfulness of
the sacrament you will receive before or on the day of your death.
Amen.
FORTY HOURS
"I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house, and the place
where Thy glory dwelleth." Psalm 25:8.
Pope Pius XI called St. John Vianney "the little and humble, the
poor and simple, but wholly glorious parish priest of Ars."
His outstanding devotion was to our Lord in the Eucharist. St.
John Vianney loved our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament so
intensely and so generously that he made amends for the many
insults offered to Jesus on the altar. One day he met some server
boys who were practicing for a procession of the Blessed
Sacrament. They were throwing flowers along the aisle where our
Lord was to be carried. You have noticed that done in some
churches. With a saintly smile the Cure of Ars said to the
youngsters:
"When you throw flowers before the Blessed Sacrament, my boys,
hide your hearts in your baskets, and send them to Jesus Christ
among the roses."
In that same spirit of love for our Lord in the Eucharist we are
going to put our hearts into every act, every prayer, every
ceremony of the Forty Hours Devotion which begins in our
church next Friday.
Are you a good Catholic? The way you make the Forty Hours is a
true measure of your Catholic faith. The spiritual condition of our
parish, and of you individually will be gauged by our devotion
during those Eucharistic days. Put your heart into the Forty
Hours.
The ceremonies are impressive and rich in meaning. Why just
forty hours? The devotion recalls the forty hours that our Lord
rested in the tomb. It grew out of the Eucharist procession of the
middle ages. The custom of continuous adoration began in Milan,
Italy, in May, 1537. This round of prayers by all the faithful by
day and by night was established to appease the anger of God
provoked by the sins of Christians, and especially to drive back
the Turks who were bent on the destruction of Christianity.
Today you can put the Communists in place of the Turks.
1. In preparation for Forty Hours every opportunity is given for
Confession, so that everyone can receive Holy Communion. The
servers and school children are trained for their part in the Mass
and procession. The choir practices the songs required. The altar
is decorated as beautifully as possible.
2. On the morning of the first day we celebrate the Mass of
Exposition, the formal opening of these days of grace. Read in
your missals the votive Mass of the Blessed Sacrament. Those
prayers will thrill you and enlighten you. They will tell you much
of what the Bible says about the Blessed Sacrament. They will
give you the grounds for our faith in the Eucharist.
3. At Communion time the celebrant places the sacred Host in the
monstrance that It may be exposed to the gaze of all.
4. After Mass the celebrant takes off the chasuble, puts on the
cope, and incenses the Blessed Sacrament. The clouds of incense
show our prayers rising to our Redeemer.
5. Over his shoulders the priest receives the veil and with it takes
the monstrance, covering his hands to show that it is our Lord
Himself he is carrying. He bids the procession begin by singing
the 'Pange Lingua':
"Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
"Of His flesh the mystery sing."
6. As the procession files through the church everyone should
kneel. When our Lord walks past you, look at Him a moment and
then bow your head in adoration. In many places the children or
servers strew little flowers as a fragrant path for our Lord to trod.
It was this little ceremony to which St. John Vianney referred
when he told those boys to put their hearts in their flowers as
they threw them before our Savior. We will do the same thing,
especially during the procession.
7. Back at the altar the priest places the monstrance on the
throne. While the choir sings Tantum Ergo, he incenses the
Blessed Sacrament.
8. He then chants the Litany of All Saints, calling upon the angels
and saints, the blessed of all time, to join with us in adoring the
Creator of heaven and earth. We beg for protection from all
evils...through the merits of Jesus Christ. We beseech blessing
upon every group in the Church and outside the Church. Pray this
Litany with us.
9. On the second day of Forty Hours we celebrate the solemn
Mass for peace, peace of heart and peace in the world. Attend
that Mass with meaning and affection.
10. On the third day the Mass of Reparation to the Blessed
Sacrament is again offered. In the afternoon or evening the Forty
Hours close with the singing of the Litany, procession, Tantum
Ergo, chanting of the orations, and Benediction, the blessing of
our Lord Himself, and Holy God.
11. On entering and leaving church during Forty Hours genuflect
on both knees as special adoration to our Lord visible on the
altar. Try to spend as much time as possible with Him. Come
alone and come with your friends, and your family, especially
bringing the children. Be sure to join your particular parish
group. See that your children and your boys who serve are here
for their appointed hours. They are the official guards of honor to
our Lord. Use your prayerbook and your Rosary, but be sure also
to speak to our Lord in your own words, and then listen as He
speaks to you.
Enter into the spirit of these days of blessing, peace and love. Put
your heart into every moment, as St. John Vianney told those
boys to put their hearts into every flower they threw before our
Lord's path. Make these days with faith and affection and you will
receive graces and joys no man can tell you. Amen.
FUNERAL SERVICE
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so with him God
win bring those also who have fallen asleep through Jesus." I
Thess. 4:14.
The Boxer Rebellion in China was a time of terror and dread.
Many Christians lost all their property; many were killed. Among
those who escaped few had a more thrilling experience than a
missionary priest by the name Father Stephen Stette of Hing Shu
station.
He attributes his escape to the reverence of the Chinese for the
dead. When word came that his station was in danger, his
Chinese friends hid him in a box that looked like a coffin. They
shouldered the box and carried it over 300 miles to Lien Chen.
During the seven-day trip the Boxers permitted the carriers to go
their way, thinking the box contained a corpse. At last they
reached a port, where they had to pay the boatman $50 to take
the "coffin" aboard. Later more money was demanded at the
threat that the box would be thrown overboard. The Christians
had to make known their trick. They paid another 300 pieces of
silver before the sailors consented to take the priest to another
port where he could embark for America. He arrived home August
31, 1900.
The inborn reverence of the Chinese for the body of a dead man
helped save that priest. Every civilized people, and even many
uncivilized, have a deep respect for the remains of the deceased.
But the Catholic raises that reverence still higher, making it
something spiritual and religious.
From birth to life Mother Church takes care of her children. And
when the soul has departed she continues to show attention and
respect to the lifeless clay, remembering that during life it was
the temple of the Holy Spirit and the living tabernacle of Christ in
Communion. She knows that this body is destined to rise again to
be united to its spiritual companion, the soul.
Accordingly the Church directs that the body shall be decently
prepared for burial, and that every respect be shown it. She wants
candles burning beside the casket. She wants holy water handy to
be used prayerfully for the departed. She permits flowers at the
funeral home, as a reminder of the resurrection, but asks that
there be none on the coffin in church, so that all attention may be
directed to the prayers for the deceased. The ceremonies of a
Catholic funeral service are simple yet sublime. As sacramentals
they remind us of great truths, they spur us to pray for the
deceased.
1. Strictly the burial service should begin at the home. In this
country, however, the priest meets the coffin at the door of
church, sprinkles it with holy water, and recites Psalm 129, which
begins with the appropriate and appealing words:
"Out of the depths have I cried to thee, O Lord."
"Lord, hear my prayer."
2. After this prayer, the priest, preceded by servers with cross
and candles, leads the corpse to the gates of the sanctuary,
reciting Psalm 50, which begins:
"Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to thy great mercy."
3. The corpse is placed with the feet toward the sanctuary. A
priest or bishop is placed with head toward the altar, to show
that they were shepherds facing the flock in their spiritual work.
On each side of the casket are three lighted candles, emblems of
the faith that tells us there is a resurrection.
4. Holy Mass is then offered for the deceased whose given name
is repeated several times as the priest prays to Almighty God. The
Mass is the most important part of the funeral service, doing the
deceased more good than all the flowers, tears and other
trappings of mourning. Christ dies again upon the altar for that
soul, dies that our loved one may live.
5. Immediately after Mass the priest stands at the opened
sanctuary entrance in black cope and offers a prayer with this
beseeching beginning:
"Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord."
6. Then the celebrant recites and the choir sings the Libera,
soulful and solemn, yet uplifting, as its opening words indicate:
"Deliver me, O Lord, from everlasting death in that dread day,
when heaven and earth shall quake; when thou shalt come to
judge the world by fire."
7. The priest then sings: "Have mercy on us," and intones the Our
Father, saying it silently as he sprinkles the corpse three times on
each side with holy water and then incenses it in the same way.
Several beautiful prayers follow.
8. As the body is carried out of church the choir sings:
"May the angels lead thee into paradise."
9. If the cemetery has not been blessed, the priest blesses the
grave with incense and holy water.
10. After the body is laid in the grave he prays:
"I am the resurrection and the life," and intones the song of
Zachary with the words:
"Blessed be the God of Israel; because he hath visited and
wrought the redemption of his people."
11. Again the corpse is sprinkled with holy water and incensed,
as brief petitions and a few longer, loving prayers are offered.
12. Often the priest adds several prayers in English, particularly
the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Eternal Rest.
Mother Church has laid her child to rest. She has reverently and
solemnly put the body to bed to sleep until the dawn of
resurrection day. She respects that body. Her respect helps that
departed soul by the prayers she offers. Like a true mother she
continues to watch over her sleeping child. She continues to beg
God's mercy and forgiveness. She continues to help the departed.
Amen.
HABIT, RELIGIOUS
"Put on the new man, which has been created according to God in
justice and holiness of truth." Ephesians, 4:24.
St. Elizabeth, princess of Thuringia, was the first in Germany to
wear the Third Order habit. Although she lived during the time of
St. Francis himself, the two never met in this world. However, the
saint of Assisi was so delighted with reports of her holiness and
heroic devotion to the Crucified One that he wished to give her
some special mark of fatherly favor.
Before he died St. Francis requested the brethren to send his very
own mantle to her after his death, as a token of esteem and
affection. The friars carried out the Poverello's wish.
Picture the joy of this saintly woman when she received the
mantle that had been worn by one who was known as the closest
follower of Jesus Christ, the mantle reddened with blood from the
stigmata, the mantle that meant so much to the many who
followed the Little Poor Man.
In a similar sense everyone who puts on the habit of St. Francis,
whether in the First, Second, or Third Order, is really receiving
the garb from the saint himself. It is his very own uniform. It is
the dress of those who follow him in following Christ.
The same can be said of every religious habit, whether it is that
of the followers of St. Benedict, St. Dominic, St. Francis or any of
the many religious founders. It holds for the sisterhoods and
brotherhoods too. To don the habit means to put on the garment
that identifies some great spiritual leader.
Religious habits are sacramentals. They help the wearer and they
help the beholder to remember the heroic life of some saintly
founder, to remember the spirit of his or her religious family, and
to remember the work and program of those who profess that
particular rule of life.
The religious habit is the distinctive uniform of some group who
devote themselves to the work of God in this world. It is like the
uniform of a nurse, a policeman, a soldier, a chief justice, or even
a king. When you see someone dressed in the uniform of the
United States Army you know he is a soldier sworn to defend the
United States, one who is following to the best of his ability a
certain set of regulations which govern the life of a soldier. To
the uninformed a particular religious habit may seem fantastic
and meaningless. Yet, it has a fascination and a meaning.
We might briefly explain some of the more common parts of
religious garments, especially of women. The veil is worn to
cover the head and often part of the face. A woman's hair is her
adornment, a source of pride and vanity. Sisters cut their hair to
remove this possible cause of pride.
Cutting the hair is also a means to cleanliness and comfort. The
prayer said in putting on the veil helps us to understand:
"I have despised the riches and adornments of this world for the
love of my Savior Jesus Christ, the sole object of my faith, my
hope, and my love. Guard Thou, O Lord, my eyes that they may
not give way to vanity."
Some groups wear headbands and some do not. In putting it on
the nun prays:
"My Bridegroom has placed a mark upon my forehead, which will
not permit me to regard a friendship other than His own.
The scapulars or panels and the cowl are a carryover from the
church gowns of the doctors of the church, just as the cap and
gown are for the graduates of today. Placing it on the shoulders,
the religious prays:
"My yoke is sweet and my burden is light. Grant that I may so
carry it, as to obtain Thy holy grace."
As the religious puts on the holy cord this prayer is said:
"Gird me, O Lord, with the girdle of virginity and purity so that
with the wise virgins I may have access to Thee, my heavenly
Bridegroom."
The three knots represent the three vows--poverty, chastity, and
obedience. The five turns in each knot remind us of the five
wounds of our Lord.
Most religious ensembles include the Rosary, either the five or
fifteen decade, or the seven decade Franciscan Rosary or crown,
honoring the seven principal joys of our Blessed Mother.
The habit proper is the principal garment. Putting it on, the
religious prays:
"Clothe me, O Lord, with the robe of salvation, and adorn me with
the garment of righteousness."
Generally it is simple in color and design, reminding everyone of
the poverty of Christ and the poverty of His followers.
To the religious every part of his habit is soaked with inspiration.
It sings the spirit of his founder. It recalls the rule he has
professed to follow. It brings to memory the many thousands,
nay, millions who have worn that habit with honor and glory.
To those who behold the habit comes the thought that there is
one who follows St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Benedict, or some
other holy founder. The habit represents a rule of life that
requires every grace and help, including the inspiration of a
special garb. The religious uniform is more of a help than a
handicap. It sets the religious apart. It points him out as one
devoted to a special work, a special way of life.
One mark of the genuine Catholic is reverence for the religious
habit whether worn by priest, sister or brother. It is not easy to
wear that habit and live up to what it means. But the great
majority are trying their best to do that very thing. The respect of
lay people is an encouragement to us.
One, for example, who has the glory of wearing the garb of St.
Francis can feel just pride and deep humility at remembrance of
the long line of kings and queens, saints and scholars, preachers
and penitents, missionaries and martyrs, who have honored that
uniform through the centuries. That is the case with every
religious.
Like St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, we say that it was given to us by
our founder himself. Amen.
HOLY OIL
"But I, as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in
the mercy of God forever, yea for ever and ever." Psalm 51:10.
The best news picture of 1948 had the title, "Comfort For The
Afflicted." It showed a young woman lying on a Brooklyn street,
spattered with blood, agony on her face. She had been struck
down by an automobile. Kneeling on one knee beside her is a
priest, the Rev. James Scott, assistant pastor of St. Augustine
Catholic Church, Brooklyn. He is administering Extreme Unction
to the victim, Miss Jenny Dalpiaz.
Just as the padre was anointing the left hand with holy oil a
newspaper photographer, Jesse Strait, snapped the picture and
won with it the coveted award. "The Best Picture of the Year." The
judges described his photo as "a study of solace reaching out,
gently, to give hand to agony."
To Catholics such ministrations of the priest have an even deeper
significance. They are spiritual helps as well as physical.
Incidentally, the young lady so critically injured recovered.
Anointing with oil the seriously sick and the critically injured is
just one of the many uses of holy oils in the Catholic Church. Oils
are sacramentals spoken of in Sacred Scripture. They consist
mainly of olive oil, blessed by the bishop. They are used in the
administration of certain sacraments, and in various
consecrations and blessings of persons and things.
1. There are three kinds of oil:
a. The oil of catechumens is also simply called holy oil. It is
used in Baptism, in blessing the baptismal water on Holy
Saturday, in the consecration of churches, in the blessing of
altars, in the ordination of priests, and in crowning Catholic kings
and queens.
A catechumen means an instructed convert who is about to
receive Baptism. In this sacrament of Baptism the sign of the
cross is made with oil on the breast and between the shoulders to
show that the catechumen must henceforth profess his faith
before all men and carry on his shoulders the cross and yoke of
Christ.
b. The holy chrism is olive oil mixed with a small portion of
balm or balsam. It is used in Confirmation.
Holy chrism is also used in Baptism when the priest makes a
small sign of the cross with it on the crown of the head. It is used
in the consecration of a bishop and of a church and in the
blessing of chalices, patens, baptismal water and church bells.
c. The oil of the sick is used in Extreme Unction and also in
the blessing of bells.
2. The blessing of the holy oils for each diocese takes place on
Holy Thursday in the cathedral. Only the bishop can confer this
blessing, which is surrounded with elaborate ceremony. Assisting
him are twelve priests wearing priests' vestments. seven others
vested as deacons, and seven others again vested as sub-deacons.
Acolytes and chanters help in the solemnity.
3. The greatest care is prescribed in keeping the oils. They are
kept in metallic or glass bottles which are placed in an ambry or
locked box fixed to the wall of the sanctuary. You can see our
ambry right there beside the high altar. On the door are the
words Olea Sancta, which mean, holy oils. A small quantity of the
oil of catechumens and of holy chrism is kept at the baptismal
font for Baptism. Each priest also has what is known as an
oilstock. This has a section for each of the three holy oils. After
each Holy Thursday the oils of the previous year are burned. Lay
people are not to handle the holy oils, or even to carry them,
except in extreme necessity.
4. The spiritual meaning of oil is deep and rich. Through the
centuries oil has provided food, medicine, heat and light for man.
This is particularly true in the East, where great use is still made
of the juice of olives.
a. Olive oil entered into the preparation of most foods. Just
as it is a source of physical nourishment, so its spiritual use is a
source of spiritual nourishment.
b. It was used as medicine both internally and externally.
Oil, for example, was rubbed on the limbs of athletes to make
their muscles supple and their bodies more slippery and hard to
hold. Spiritually oil helps the Christian to resist the enemies and
opponents of his soul.
c. Oil gives heat, a symbol of God's love which is fed
through the sacraments and sacramentals.
d. Oil is used for light, showing forth the light of God's truth
and God's grace brought to us through the saving sacraments of
His Church.
e. The balsam mixed in holy chrism is sweet-smelling.
Formerly it was used as a medicine and preservative, especially
for embalming the dead. Fittingly Mother Church uses it to
preserve the soul from corruption and decay. The sweet odor of
balsam also represents the fragrance of a virtuous life.
No wonder Mother Church makes such a devoted use of oil in her
ceremonies and sacraments. Among the sacramentals few receive
the honor and care given to the three sacred oils--the oil of
catechumens, the oil of the sick, and of holy chrism.
No wonder the psalmist sang of himself as a fruitful olive tree in
the house of God, as the source of many hopes and blessings.
May the best picture of 1948 impress itself upon your mind, so
that you may always understand the deep meaning of the holy
oils, that you may always reverence and respect them as means, a
material means, it is true, but a significant and symbolic means
of many graces and blessings. Amen.
HOLY WATER
"Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow."
Psalm 50:9.
In ancient days those who were to receive Holy Communion did
not receive the Host upon the tongue, as now, but in their hands.
The communicant stood with his right hand extended, supported
by his left. Into the right hand the priest placed the Sacred Host,
which the communicant himself placed in his mouth.
If the one receiving was a woman, she covered her right hand
with a linen cloth, out of special respect. After the ninth century
this custom of giving Holy Communion to oneself was
discontinued. But we have a reminder of it today.
In those early days people who were to receive Holy Communion
would stop and wash their right hand in a large font in the
church vestibule. It was ordinary water, and the washing was
merely a matter of cleanliness and respect for the Host. Often
these fonts had texts inscribed upon them reminding the user
that more important than physical cleanliness was a pure soul.
Washing the right hand was to make them as worthy as possible
of the great act of Communion.
All this gave rise to the custom of blessing this water. It thus
became a sacramental, giving the user grace according to his
dispositions. The need for washing the right hand has ceased, but
Catholics still take holy water and bless themselves with it.
This bit of history will help us appreciate the sacramental, holy
water. Even in the Old Testament the Jews used blessed water. It
has been a practice in all Christian times.
1. Holy water is water blessed by a priest with solemn prayer, to
beg God's blessing on those who use it, and protection from the
powers of darkness. In itself it is just ordinary water. Its nature is
not changed by the blessing of the Church. But the Church does
have and does use the power to give ordinary water certain
spiritual benefits.
2. There are four kinds of holy water, each with its own blessing:
a. Baptismal water is blessed on Holy Saturday, and on the
eve of Pentecost. In this latter blessing the oil of catechumens
and holy chrism are mingled in the water which is used only for
Baptism.
b. Water of consecration or Gregorian water is so called
because its use was ordered by Pope Gregory IX. It is used in the
consecration of churches, altars, and altar stones. During its
blessing wine, ashes and salt are mingled with it.
c. Easter water receives its name from the fact that it is
distributed to the faithful on Holy Saturday, the day before
Easter. Part of this water is used to fill the baptismal font and is
to be blessed as baptismal water. The remainder is dispensed to
the faithful. In some countries priests use this water for the
solemn blessing of homes on Holy Saturday.
d. Ordinary holy water is blessed by the priest to sprinkle
the people before Mass and for use at the door of church. It is
also used to bless persons and things in the church and at home.
Salt is mingled with it.
Holy water and Easter water are the two kinds which concern the
faithful. They have different blessings, but their value and use
are much the same.
3. When is holy water used? It is used in nearly all the blessings,
in all ceremonies, in the sacraments of Marriage and Extreme
Unction, in bringing Holy Communion to the sick, and in services
for the dead.
Most frequent and striking use of holy water is the Asperges, or
sprinkling of the people before the principal Mass on Sunday in a
parish.
The holy water fonts at the door of church are very ancient, as we
pointed out. The Jews had a ceremony of purification before
entering the temple. In the Middle Ages it was customary to use
holy water only on entering church, and not when leaving--to
show that purification was necessary on entering. Today holy
water is used both entering and leaving, especially since an
indulgence of 300 days is granted for making the sign of the
cross with blessed water. It still has the symbolic thought of
washing away distractions and imperfections.
4. Holy water is usually blessed before the principal Mass on
Sunday, but it may be blessed at any time. The priest reads
several expressive prayers, begging God to free persons and
things from the influence of the evil one. Blessed salt is mingled
with the water in the form of a cross.
5. Why is water set aside for a sacred use? Water cleans and puts
out fires. Salt keeps things from decay. The two combined
express washing away sin, putting out the fires of passion, and
keeping our souls from the decay of sin.
6. An indulgence of 300 days may be gained thus:
a. The sign of the cross must be made with holy water.
b. We must say the words: "In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
c. We must have contrition for our sins.
d. We must be in the state of grace.
Try to realize the helpfulness of this sacramental. Determine to
use holy water more frequently, more reverently. Begin as you
leave church. Dip your finger in the font and then thoughtfully
make the sign of the cross. Always make that holy sign
reverently.
Have some holy water in your home. A holy water font is part of
the equipment of a complete Catholic home. Use this powerful
help to remind you of your determination to keep clear of sin,
your desire to serve God in the name of the holy sign of the
cross. Amen.
HOME SACRAMENTALS
"Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that built it."
Psalm 126:1.
Van Meter is just a small town in Iowa, but it boasts one of the
finest rural homes in the entire state. It is the home built in 1940
by Bob Feller, pitching ace of the Cleveland Indians. Although
Fire-ball Feller was only 22 years old at the time, he already had
made enough money to put up a $25,000 home for his father,
mother and younger sister.
The building boasts every modern convenience--electrical
equipment of all kinds, ventilating and heating systems, venetian
blinds, casement windows, plenty of cupboards and drawers,
ceiling-high bookcases, and especially an all-metal, all-electric
kitchen.
There are gadgets galore, like a floor switch to call the maid,
musical chimes, and an electric eye which automatically opens
the garage door when a car comes up the driveway.
All these conveniences are for the physical comfort of those who
live there. They make house-keeping easier. They save time and
energy. Desirable and helpful as such gadgets are, we cannot
help thinking that homes would be much more precious if the
same effort were taken to provide spiritual helps and spiritual
equipment.
From the material standpoint the home of Bob Feller is ideal.
What is needed to make a home ideal from the spiritual
standpoint? The sacramentals of the home are varied and
numerous. They help make home a holy place. They are not
essential, but they contribute to spiritual health and vigor. Some
of these sacramentals will receive a more complete treatment on
other Sundays. How make our homes holy?
1. There are several blessings for a home. One is given on the
Epiphany, one on Holy Saturday. There is a common blessing that
can be given a home at any time, and another special blessing for
a new home. The common blessing includes sprinkling the rooms
with holy water, offering several short Bible verses, and reciting
an appropriate prayer.
The blessing for a new house begs God to grant to those who live
therein "the abundance of the dew of heaven, and food of the
fatness of the earth, and let their desires and their prayers find
fulfillment in Thy mercy."
2. Of the numerous blessings of individuals we will speak on
other Sundays. Let me merely mention them:
a. The Church blesses an expectant mother.
b. She blesses the mother after childbirth.
c. She blesses small children.
d. She has a blessing for an older child.
e. And still another for sick children.
3. Prayers in the home are important sacramentals:
a. Family prayer is the most helpful religious practice in the
home. At some time each day parents and children should pray
together. Some do this right after the evening meal, right at the
table or kneeling beside it.
b. Individual morning and evening prayer should be an
everyday practice. Let father and mother give the example and
the reminder to their children.
c. Meal prayer should never be omitted. In addition to
thanking God for the food and asking His blessing upon it, the
meal prayer serves as a point of pause and spiritual refreshment
in a busy day. It is good for the body as well as the soul.
4. Let me mention some other family devotions:
a. The Rosary does not take too long. Try it and discover the
peace and powerful helps it will bring your family.
b. There are devotions for different seasons of the year; a
crib at Christmas; a May altar; Sacred Heart prayers during June.
c. Remembering the feasts of patron saints of the different
members of the family in some way, however small, is an
inspiring practice.
d. Some little family celebration at spiritual milestones like
First Communion, Confirmation, graduation from a Catholic
school, is inspiring.
5. Each member of the family should have a prayer-book and a
Rosary. Best of all is a missal. Keep these in a respectable place.
Both children and adults should have medals, scapulars, Sacred
Heart badges, and whatever helps spiritual life at home.
6. A Catholic home is marked with religious furnishings and
adornment.
a. There should be a crucifix in every bedroom at least.
b. Somewhere in every home there should be at least one
picture of our Lord and of our Blessed Mother.
c. There should be holy water, and, if possible, a holy water
fount which is kept clean and filled, and honored with regular,
reverent use.
d. There should be blessed candles.
e. There should be all the necessary equipment if a priest is
called to bring Holy Communion or to assist the dying.
f. Many homes have a little altar, which serves as the center
of family prayer, the meeting place for spiritual practices like the
Rosary, May devotions, and Sacred Heart devotions.
Bob Feller's home for his parents and sister may be ideal from the
physical and material standpoint. Many a home is ideal from that
viewpoint. But all too many homes are poorly equipped,
miserably arranged from the spiritual standpoint.
The sacramentals will help to bring the thought of God into your
little kingdom of love--your home. Do make yours an ideal home
by using the sacramentals of Mother Church. Amen.
INCENSE
"Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight." Psalm 140:2.
Read the Bible, especially the second book called Exodus, and you
will find directions from God as to how He wants to be
worshipped. In Exodus, Chapter 30, we read, for example, that
God commanded the use of incense. The first verse reads:
"Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense...."
The chapter concludes with these verses:
"And the Lord said to Moses: Take unto thee spices, stacte, and
onycha, galbanum of sweet savour, and the clearest frankincense,
all shall be of equal weight.
"And thou shalt make incense compounded by the work of the
perfumer, well tempered together, and pure, and most worthy of
sanctification.
"And when thou hast beaten all into very small powder, thou
shalt set of it before the tabernacle of the testimony, in the place
where I will appear to thee. Most holy shall this incense be unto
you.
"You shall not make such a composition for your own use,
because it is holy to the Lord." Exodus, 30:34-37.
Surely what God commanded for divine worship in the Old Law
must be pleasing to Him in the New Law. Incense is a material
used to produce a fragrance when burned. It is a mixture of
spices and gums burned during religious rites to produce a
fragrant smoke. These grains of spices are obtained from trees in
Eastern and tropical countries. When blessed, incense becomes a
sacramental.
The priest sprinkles a few spoonfuls of incense on the burning
coals in the censer, the covered metal vessel hanging from
chains, which the server swings to and fro. The incense is kept in
a boat-shaped vessel, from which it is transferred to the censer
with a little spoon. Incense is from the Latin word, 'incensum'
which means burnt. Its beautiful meaning is seen in its uses:
1. Incense used at Mass and Benediction represents:
a. Adoration or the worship paid to God alone, present in the
Eucharist. The burning of the fragrant spices shows the
unimportance of all creatures before their Creator.
b. Prayer, which rises to God like smoke, as the Psalmist
sang: "Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight." Psalm
140:2.
c. Grace, which God pours into our souls as incense pours
fragrance throughout the church.
2. Mother Church incenses relics, statues and images of the
saints:
a. To honor God who crowned the saints in heaven, who
worked wonders through them here on earth, who sanctified and
glorified their bodies.
b. To show respect and devotion to the special friends and
servants of the Almighty.
3. The Church incenses her ministers, her bishops and priests, in
order to honor in their person Jesus Christ, whom they represent
and with whose sacred character they are clothed.
4. The Church incenses the faithful in order to honor in them the
likeness to Christ which was imprinted upon them in Baptism.
5. Mother Church incenses the bodies of the departed:
a. To honor the bodies which were sanctified and made holy
by Baptism.
b. To beg God to receive the prayers and petitions we offer
for the deceased.
6. The Church directs that five grains of incense, each enclosed
in a piece of wax shaped like a nail, be inserted in the Paschal
Candle on Holy Saturday in the form of a cross, to represent the
five wounds of our Lord.
7. When an altar or an altar-stone is consecrated, grains of
incense are burned upon it, and other grains are put into the so-
called 'sepulchre' or cavity within the stone where the relics of
the saints are preserved.
8. After the very beginning of Mass the altar and priest are
incensed. First the celebrant offers the fragrant smoke to the
cross, or to the Blessed Sacrament if It is enthroned. He incenses
the relics of the saints, and then the entire altar. Lastly the priest
himself is incensed by the deacon.
The altar represents the God-man whose divinity was hidden as
the altar is hidden by the perfumed clouds. These clouds are
today, as they were on Sinai and in the desert, a figure of the
glory of the Lord. At the altar the priest is another Christ; his
heart should be like a fire burning with love of God. All this is
represented by the incensing.
At the Offertory the priest swings the censer over the bread and
wine, the things to be sacrificed to Almighty God.
Incense shows forth several things:
1. Its burning represents zeal in the service of the Lord. Think of
that as you see the sacred smoke rising in the sanctuary. Recall
that you are to give of your time and talent, your service and
means to the worship of God. Are you going to let a mere material
creature like incense outdo you in divine service? The incense is
burnt for the glory of God. How about you?
2. Its fragrance represents virtue, pleasing to God as it always is.
How pleasing is your life and your service? Can you feel that your
devotion in church, your thoughtfulness of God, your keeping of
His law, is of a kind that will please Him?
3. The rising smoke represents prayer:
a. The smoke rising shows that your prayers are rising.
b. The smoke rising reminds you to pray, if you are not
praying.
c. The fragrance of the smoke shows that our prayer and
service are pleasing to God.
God commanded Moses and His chosen people to use incense.
Mother Church uses it in her service. Think of what this
sacramental means, and it will be a source of grace and spiritual
strength to you. Amen.
INDUSTRY, SACRAMENTALS OF
"Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it."
A German prince, so the story goes, was showing a foreign
ambassador through his palace. The owner was particularly
proud of its sturdy walls. its firm foundation, its classic
architecture, and tasty decorations. With pride he pointed these
out to his distinguished visitor.
In that day it was the custom for the court fool to accompany his
master everywhere. This official jester was allowed perfect
freedom of speech even to the point of correcting and criticizing
his master. This particular court fool was far from being a fool.
"Your Highness," he remarked quietly, "please do not boast too
much about your palace. It may stand sturdy and strong. Its
foundations may be firmly fixed. Its lines of beauty may stir our
admiration. But--take a look at the heavens. The Lord needs
neither stones nor timbers to hold up the limitless dome He has
erected. He holds it up by His almighty power alone. One has to
respect such power."
Truly, the most magnificent works of man are weak and unsteady
compared to the works of God. The most excellent edifice in the
world pales before the edifice of the universe. And the best built
structure on earth is erected in vain unless the Lord be one of the
builders, nay, the Chief Builder.
This is one reason Mother Church has a blessing for almost every
modern invention, especially for those used in industry. She
wants these creations to be used for the glory of God. She wants
these things built with human hands and brains to have God as
their Chief Engineer and Chief Mechanic. She calls down God's
favor upon machinery of all kinds. She blesses typewriters,
libraries, fishing-boats, railroads, automobiles, airplanes,
bridges, fire engines, seismographs, dynamos, printing presses,
and blast furnaces, to mention merely a few of her sacramentals
of industry. We might describe some of these blessings:
1. The printing press is one of the greatest forces for good and
evil. In the blessing of Mother Church Christ is asked "to fill the
writers, managers, and workmen with the spirit of knowledge,
counsel and fortitude, and imbue them with the spirit of Thy fear,
so that . . . they may properly serve Thee . . . Bless this place and
grant that all dwelling therein may happily arrive at the
imperishable crown of glory."
2. In her prayer for libraries Mother Church asks God to protect
them from fire and other dangers and to increase their stock of
books "that all who gather here . . . may grow in the knowledge of
both human and divine things and by the same measure in Thy
love."
3. In blessing a telegraph instrument we pray:
"O God, who walkest upon the wings of the wind . . . grant that,
when by the power given to this metal in the flash of an eye Thou
dost transmit most swiftly things absent to this place and things
present to another place, we, instructed by new inventions, may
by the help of Thy grace more promptly and easily come to
Thee."
4. The Church blesses the seismograph, an instrument for
recording earthquakes:
"Almighty, eternal God, who regardest the earth and makest it to
tremble, flood this seismograph with Thy blessing: and grant that
the signs of the trembling earth be properly registered in it and
correctly understood for the benefit of Thy people and for the
greater glory of Thy name."
5. The blessing for an automobile is beautiful and expressive:
"O God, vouchsafe to hear our prayers and bless this car with Thy
right hand; bid Thy angels to stand by it; save and protect from
all danger those who travel in it. Just as, through Thy levite,
Philip, Thou didst grant faith and grace to the Ethiopian who was
sitting in his chariot and reading Thy sacred words, show
likewise to Thy servants the way of salvation, that, helped by Thy
grace and ever striving to do good, they may, after all the
changes of fortune in their life and journey here below, rejoice
forever."
6. In blessing a railroad we ask God to help us also travel
speedily and happily in the way of His law.
7. The ocean liner is compared to Noah's ark in its blessing. God
is asked to protect it.
8. Airplanes are blessed by asking God to remove injury and
danger, and to foster heavenly desires in those using this
machine.
9. The dynamo reminds us of the light eternal.
I have given you only a few of the Church's blessings of machines
and instruments. We call them the sacramentals of industry,
because they raise our minds to the true purpose of every new
discovery in God's wonderful world. They make us remember that
the power of these machines comes first and also finally from
God.
In our day of industrial progress, our day when men are inclined
to forget the One who put the power into the machines we use, it
is well to recall these sacramentals, to understand the spirit
behind them, and whenever possible to use them.
We don't want to build a house without God, however sturdy and
splendid. We don't want to print books or send messages or
travel on planes and trains or embark on a boat or travel in an
automobile without the protecting and strengthening hand of God
guiding and leading us. Amen.
INDUSTRY, SACRAMENTALS OF
"Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it."
Psalm 126:1.
A German prince, so the story goes, was showing a foreign
ambassador through his palace. The owner was particularly
proud of its sturdy walls. its firm foundation, its classic
architecture, and tasty decorations. With pride he pointed these
out to his distinguished visitor.
In that day it was the custom for the court fool to accompany his
master everywhere. This official jester was allowed perfect
freedom of speech even to the point of correcting and criticizing
his master. This particular court fool was far from being a fool.
"Your Highness," he remarked quietly, "please do not boast too
much about your palace. It may stand sturdy and strong. Its
foundations may be firmly fixed. Its lines of beauty may stir our
admiration. But--take a look at the heavens. The Lord needs
neither stones nor timbers to hold up the limitless dome He has
erected. He holds it up by His almighty power alone. One has to
respect such power."
Truly, the most magnificent works of man are weak and unsteady
compared to the works of God. The most excellent edifice in the
world pales before the edifice of the universe. And the best built
structure on earth is erected in vain unless the Lord be one of the
builders, nay, the Chief Builder.
This is one reason Mother Church has a blessing for almost every
modern invention, especially for those used in industry. She
wants these creations to be used for the glory of God. She wants
these things built with human hands and brains to have God as
their Chief Engineer and Chief Mechanic. She calls down God's
favor upon machinery of all kinds. She blesses typewriters,
libraries, fishing-boats, railroads, automobiles, airplanes,
bridges, fire engines, seismographs, dynamos, printing presses,
and blast furnaces, to mention merely a few of her sacramentals
of industry. We might describe some of these blessings:
1. The printing press is one of the greatest forces for good and
evil. In the blessing of Mother Church Christ is asked "to fill the
writers, managers, and workmen with the spirit of knowledge,
counsel and fortitude, and imbue them with the spirit of Thy fear,
so that . . . they may properly serve Thee . . . Bless this place and
grant that all dwelling therein may happily arrive at the
imperishable crown of glory."
2. In her prayer for libraries Mother Church asks God to protect
them from fire and other dangers and to increase their stock of
books "that all who gather here . . . may grow in the knowledge of
both human and divine things and by the same measure in Thy
love."
3. In blessing a telegraph instrument we pray:
"O God, who walkest upon the wings of the wind...grant that,
when by the power given to this metal in the flash of an eye Thou
dost transmit most swiftly things absent to this place and things
present to another place, we, instructed by new inventions, may
by the help of Thy grace more promptly and easily come to
Thee."
4. The Church blesses the seismograph, an instrument for
recording earthquakes:
"Almighty, eternal God, who regardest the earth and makest it to
tremble, flood this seismograph with Thy blessing: and grant that
the signs of the trembling earth be properly registered in it and
correctly understood for the benefit of Thy people and for the
greater glory of Thy name."
5. The blessing for an automobile is beautiful and expressive:
"O God, vouchsafe to hear our prayers and bless this car with Thy
right hand; bid Thy angels to stand by it; save and protect from
all danger those who travel in it. Just as, through Thy levite,
Philip, Thou didst grant faith and grace to the Ethiopian who was
sitting in his chariot and reading Thy sacred words, show
likewise to Thy servants the way of salvation, that, helped by Thy
grace and ever striving to do good, they may, after all the
changes of fortune in their life and journey here below, rejoice
forever."
6. In blessing a railroad we ask God to help us also travel
speedily and happily in the way of His law.
7. The ocean liner is compared to Noah's ark in its blessing. God
is asked to protect it.
8. Airplanes are blessed by asking God to remove injury and
danger, and to foster heavenly desires in those using this
machine.
9. The dynamo reminds us of the light eternal.
I have given you only a few of the Church's blessings of machines
and instruments. We call them the sacramentals of industry,
because they raise our minds to the true purpose of every new
discovery in God's wonderful world. They make us remember that
the power of these machines comes first and also finally from
God.
In our day of industrial progress, our day when men are inclined
to forget the One who put the power into the machines we use, it
is well to recall these sacramentals, to understand the spirit
behind them, and whenever possible to use them.
We don't want to build a house without God, however sturdy and
splendid. We don't want to print books or send messages or
travel on planes and trains or embark on a boat or travel in an
automobile without the protecting and strengthening hand of God
guiding and leading us. Amen.
LILIES
"See how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I
say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like
one of these." St. Matthew, 6:28.
Some years ago a young lady from Montreal, Canada, joined the
Franciscan Sisters at Assisi, Italy. After some time in the convent
there she was sent to America. On arriving at New York she felt a
severe pain in her tongue. The pain grew until she had to call a
doctor. Examination revealed that the poor nun had cancer of the
tongue. A specialist said an operation was necessary. The day
was set.
The good sister was frightened about the ordeal. She prayed that
she might find relief some other way. She prayed in particular to
St. Anthony. While praying she suddenly recalled that she still
had a leaf of a lily blessed on the feast of St. Anthony. The night
before the operation she knelt for a long time in prayer, and then
laid the leaf of the lily on that part of the tongue where she felt
the pain.
Next morning her tongue gave no pain. The surgeon, a non-
Catholic, said there was no sign of cancer. When the sister told
him she was cured through prayer to St. Anthony, the doctor
declared:
"You are completely cured; such a cure could be worked only by a
miracle."
The blessed lily is a very attractive and appealing sacramental.
On account of its spotless whiteness the lily stands for purity. We
find it in pictures of the Annunciation to show the purity of our
Blessed Mother. Generally St. Joseph is pictured with a lily
because legend says his staff blossomed with lilies. Other saints
like Aloysius and Anthony are represented holding a lily because
of their purity.
St. Anthony lilies are well known. They are blessed in numerous
places throughout the world and in the United States, notably in
St. Anthony Shrine, Cincinnati, Ohio, the novitiate of the
Cincinnati Franciscans. By a special privilege the followers of St.
Francis bless lilies--white ones--on the feast of St. Anthony of
Padua, June 13, as a tribute to his spotless purity.
Before solemn Mass on his feast the sacred ministers stand at the
Epistle side, as the celebrant blesses the lilies placed on a nearby
table. The deacon of the Mass sings the Gospel of the birds and
lilies, as it is called, in which we read the well-known words:
"See how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet
I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed
like one of these." St. Matthew, 6:28.
The priest recites this expressive prayer: "O God, who art the
Creator and Preserver of all mankind, the Lover of spotless
purity, the Giver of all grace and of everlasting life, sanctify by
Thy holy benediction these lilies, which in thanksgiving, and in
honor of St. Anthony, Thy Confessor, we humbly present to
receive Thy blessing. Pour down upon them by the sacred sign of
the Holy Cross, Thy heavenly dew, Thou, who didst so kindly
create them for man's use, to spread around the fragrance of their
odor, and to drive away all sickness; enrich them with such
power, that to whatsoever disease they may be applied, or, in
whatsoever home they may be kept, or, on whatsoever person
they may be borne with devotion, through the intercession of Thy
servant Anthony, they may put to flight the evil one, preserve
holy chastity, cure all sickness, and bring peace and grace to all
who serve Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Several times the celebrant makes the sign of the cross over the
lilies and then distributes them to the religious who march in
procession through the church. Upon returning to the high altar,
another brief prayer is said, and the solemn Mass begins.
There is a shorter form for the private blessing of lilies to be
found in the Franciscan Ritual.
The purpose and use of these lilies is clearly expressed in the
prayer I just gave you. We want to honor God and His servant St.
Anthony. We ask the Lord that these lilies may cure disease,
protect homes and individuals, and help those who carry them to
live in purity, peace and God's grace.
Some people carry portions of blessed lilies sewn in a small bag,
to recover from sickness and to preserve holy purity. Others keep
these sweet-smelling sacramentals in some place of honor at
home. Others press them in their Bible or prayer-book.
You are free to use the blessed lily in any reverent way that faith
and piety might prompt. Many cures, like that of the nun with
cancer of the tongue, are reported every year.
Some prayer should accompany every use of the blessed lily. The
Responsory of St. Anthony, beginning with the words, "If miracles
thou fain wouldst see," is an ideal prayer.
The blessed lily, remember, is not a charm or sure remedy for
every ill and evil. It is a sacramental. The nature of the lily is not
changed by the blessing. It is set apart to remind us of the virtues
and the wonder-working influence of St. Anthony at the throne of
God.
Christ Himself told us to look at the lilies of the field, that we
might learn from them. May blessed lilies help us to think of God
who made them. May they help us to practice the virtue of purity
which they represent. May they help us to overcome evils of body
and soul. May they remind us to ask for things which are in line
with the holy will of God.
We might repeat the words of the poet Longfellow:
"Bear a lily in thy hand;
Gates of brass cannot withstand
One touch of that magic wand." Amen.
LITANIES
"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." Philippians, 4:13.
A father and his eight-year-old son were working together in their
garden, preparing it for spring planting. In addition to a lot of
spading and raking and leveling of ground, they had to remove
quite a few stones. As the father found them in his digging, he
threw them upon a pile, and asked his son to carry them over to a
little ditch. The boy worked like a little man for some time, but
suddenly he cried out:
"Daddy, here's one stone I can't lift. I've tried with all my might
but I can't lift it."
"No, my boy," answered the father, "you have not tried with all
your might, for I am here as part of your might, and you didn't
ask me to help you."
The person who never prays or who prays but seldom and feebly,
is like that little boy trying to move a heavy rock without the help
of his father, who is nearby waiting to be asked to help. The
prayers of Mother Church are composed in that spirit, in the
spirit of St. Paul who wrote to the Philippians:
"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."
Among the official prayers of the Church litanies are very popular
and very powerful. They call upon God in every possible way to
come to our assistance. They fit every possible need. We appeal
to God in terms that are pleasing to Him. We also call upon His
Blessed Mother under a variety of attractive titles to pray for us
to God. We ask the saints, the special friends of God, to do the
same thing. In every way we can think of we ask God and His
saints to assist us.
A litany is a prayer in which greetings and petitions are repeated
again and again in varying forms. They are powerful
sacramentals. From early Christian times the Church has used
them. In fact, prayers that resemble our litanies were used in the
Old Testament. For example, Psalm 135, which was chanted in
the public worship of the Jewish temple, has twenty-seven
verses, each ending with the words: "for his mercy endureth
forever."
The song of the three youths in the fiery furnace, found in Daniel
3, ends each verse with the words: "praise and exalt Him above
all forever."
In the public services of the Church today there are five approved
litanies: The Litany of the Saints, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin,
the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Litany of the Sacred
Heart, the Litany of St. Joseph, and the Litany for the Dying.
1. The Litany of the Saints is made up of petitions to saints of
different classes--to the Blessed Virgin, to the apostles, the
martyrs, virgins, and confessors. There are three forms of this
litany:
a. The most common form is used for private devotion. It is
prayed at the laying of a corner-stone of a church, the blessing of
a church or cemetery, at Forty Hours, on the feast of St. Mark,
April 25, and on the Rogation days, the three days before the
Ascension.
b. The second form of this litany, somewhat shorter, is used
on Holy Saturday and the vigil of Pentecost.
c. The third form, known as the Litany of the Dying, is used
in the prayers for the dying.
2. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin consists of a number of her
favorite titles, some from the Old Testament, some from the New.
After each we ask her to pray for us. It is also called the Litany of
Loreto because it was used for many years at the Italian shrine of
that name. At different times new titles and new petitions have
been added.
3. The Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus is composed of
salutations addressed to our Savior under titles and attributes
expressing His mercy in redeeming us. It is believed that St.
Bernardin of Siena and St. John Capistran, those great Franciscan
missionaries, those zealous originators and promoters of
devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, began this particular prayer.
4. The Litany of the Sacred Heart gives special honor to the loving
Heart of Christ. Its thirty-three petitions remind us of the thirty-
three years Jesus lived and labored on this earth. It is one of the
most popular of the litanies, especially for the Holy Hour, for
Benediction, and for First Friday devotions.
5. The Litany of St. Joseph has twenty-five prayerful greetings to
the foster-father of the Son of God, the spouse of the Blessed
Mother, the patron of the universal Church. It breathes the
atmosphere of the tiny home at Nazareth, the humble, hard-
working spirit of the man closest to Christ, the spirit of a really
holy head of a household.
The variety, the expressiveness, the simplicity and depth of the
greetings in our litanies are a continual source of sweetness and
strength in our devotions both public and private. They offer an
effective and appealing means of obtaining special spiritual
strength, and physical assistance too.
Like that little boy we have not tapped all the power available
until we have asked the heavenly Father and His special friends
to come to our assistance.
May I suggest that you find one of these litanies in your prayer-
book and pray it devoutly, thoughtfully. Another time pray
another of those litanies. Vary them in your devotions from time
to time, especially in your morning, evening and family prayers.
You will realize and receive new spiritual strength. Amen.
MEAL PRAYER
"Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks,
distributed them to those reclining" St. John, 6:11.
A Catholic Army chaplain of World War Two was relating some of
his experiences. Speaking of starvation in war-torn Europe, he
described what he saw in an American Army camp in France.
Every day a group of boys and girls of all sizes and ages, but with
one common longing for food, would search among the empty
food cans thrown out from the Army kitchen. With painstaking
perseverance the children would scrape every speck of food from
the cans. After they had gathered whatever they could find, each
child placed his precious findings on the ground, knelt down,
made the sign of the cross, and said a prayer before his miserable
meal. Many of the soldiers were touched to tears.
Millions of people are starving to death in the world today.
Millions do not know where their next meal is coming from.
Millions cannot remember when they had their last fully
satisfying dinner. Yes, millions are like those famished French
children--they pick up every scrap and speck of food, no matter
where or when they find it. And many of them are grateful to the
point of thanking God for these miserable scraps.
In the midst of all this starvation you and I have plenty to eat.
Once in a while we may go hungry, but we always know that in
time we will have something to eat. The Lord has been
boundlessly good to us Americans. He has spared us the
sufferings of starvation. He has made our fields and gardens
yield bounteously. How many of us thank Almighty God for every
meal? How many of us remember to repeat a meal prayer three
times a day? How many of us show appreciation to the Lord who
provides for us?
Strictly speaking, it is not a sin to omit your meal prayer.
However, it is sinful never to say a prayer at meals. It is
thoughtlessness and ingratitude of the rankest kind.
The Old and the New Testaments are full of examples of God's
people praying for God's blessing on what they were about to eat,
thanking God for the food which He made to grow. We read that
even the pagans would pause to think of their gods before they
sat down to eat. But the best example is that of our Lord, who
gave thanks when He multiplied food to feed the crowd in the
desert. The early Christian centuries are filled with reports of this
pious practice.
"Prayer," writes Tertullian, "begins and ends the meal."
"When we sit down to the table," St. Anthanasius tells us, "and
take the bread to break it, we make the sign of the cross over it
three times, and return thanks. After the repast we renew our
thanksgiving by saying thrice: 'The good and merciful Lord has
given food to them that fear Him. Glory be to the Father, to the
Son and to the Holy Ghost.'"
Why should we pray at all our meals?
1. It is the intelligent and thoughtful thing to do. It shows that we
realize where food comes from. It shows that we think of Him
who has made this meal possible. It distinguishes us from the
mere animal. The story is told of a seven-year-old boy who was
invited to lunch at the home of a playmate. As soon as everyone
was seated, and the food was served, the family began to eat--
without a prayer.
"Don't you pray before you eat?" asked the guest.
"We just don't take time for it," admitted the mother as she
flushed a deep purple.
The visitor thought a moment and then blurted out:
"You're just like my dog--he starts right in."
2. Saying grace at meals is common courtesy. What would you
think of a person to whom you gave a meal, who would not take
time to thank you for it? After all, every meal we eat is a gift of
God.
3. Saying a meal prayer is good hygiene; it is good for the health.
The benefit of a meal depends almost entirely upon the condition
of your stomach, a very sensitive organ. If you are angry, over-
excited, hurried or worried, the stomach becomes tense. Its
glands do not function properly. It cannot digest food properly.
Blessing yourself and your food, however briefly, has a calming
effect upon the entire system, especially upon the stomach. It
soothes the nerves and the digestive organs. And that is good for
the health.
4. Praying at meals is often the only chance and the only time we
have in the busy day to direct our thoughts to God. We are
supposed to "pray always." Since we cannot and do not at all
times think of God during the work-a-day hours, we should be all
the more thoughtful about remembering the Lord at definite
times. Meal times are particularly precious.
5. Offering thanks at meals is the best way to incline God to grant
further blessings of soul and body. We are eager to do another
favor for the person who expresses his thanks. We are hesitant to
go out of our way for one who never shows gratitude. So with
God. He will continue to bless those who express their thanks for
the blessing of food. He will withdraw His favors from those who
never thank Him.
Meal prayers are a daily sacramental, a means of grace and
heavenly help, an assistance to health of soul and body, a source
of blessing throughout the day.
Picture yourself scraping your meal bit by bit from cans on a
garbage pile. Picture yourself, picture your children searching
among the leavings and garbage of other people for a bite or
handful to eat.
Then remember that God has spared us this suffering, this
disgust. He has been bounteously good. Be sure to bless Him, be
sure to thank Him, be sure to pray to Him every time you sit
down to that thrice-daily blessing--a meal. Amen.
MEDALS
"For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected
that is accepted with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word
of God and prayer." I Timothy, 4:4.
The magazine, Ave Maria, of May 2, 1942, reported a human
interest story sent in by a war correspondent. It concerned a
certain Second Lieut. Clarence Sanford, a pursuit pilot, whose life
was saved by the medal he wore. When he became separated
from five other American fighter planes, he lost his way in the
South Pacific. His fuel ran low, and he was forced down into the
gulf of Carpentaria which indents Australia on the north. He was
over two miles from the closest island. He stripped off his
clothes and began to swim. He made the beach but fell exhausted
in a sound slumber. He awoke to see two natives leaning over him
with the points of their spears aimed at his chest. Suddenly their
expressions changed; they noticed the medal about Sanford's
neck. In difficult English one of them declared:
"All right, Jesus No. 1 Man."
The natives helped the exhausted flyer to a mission nearby, the
only civilized spot within 500 miles. From there he finally made
his way back to his squadron.
A medal saved that soldier's life. Similar instances of physical
protection secured through the wearing of a religious medal are
so numerous that one cannot question the heavenly aid which
they secure for the body of man.
Much more important, however, is the spiritual aid which they
give to those who wear them devoutly and thoughtfully. That is
the principal reason Mother Church approves and fosters the
wearing of them. It is putting another creature--metal from the
earth--to a sacred use.
Religious medals are pieces of metal resembling coins of various
sizes and shapes. They are designed to increase devotion, to
commemorate some religious event, to protect the soul and body
of the wearer, and to serve as a badge of membership in some
society, sodality, or other spiritual group. When they are blessed,
they become sacramentals. Some blessed medals also bring
indulgences to the one who uses them.
Religious medals have been used from the dawn of Christianity.
Many have been found in the catacombs, with the name of Christ
and figures of the saints upon them. In the Middle Ages certain
souvenirs in the form of medals were brought home as keepsakes
by pilgrims to famous shrines and places of devotion. In 1950
many who visit Rome will bring home some such reminder of
their pilgrimage.
The variety of medals is almost without limit as to size, shape,
color, weight, type of material, and especially purpose. We might
divide them into three principal groups:
1. Those in honor of our Lord, like the medal of the Sacred Heart,
the Savior of the World, the Holy Childhood, the Infant of Prague,
and the Ecce Homo or Behold the Man medal. We even have a
medal representing the Holy Spirit as a dove.
2. Those in honor of the Blessed Virgin are numerous: The
Sorrowful Mother, Our Lady of Victory, Mount Carmel, Good
Counsel, Perpetual Help, Lourdes, Guadalupe and Fatima.
The Miraculous Medal is perhaps the best known and most widely
worn. In 1830 our Immaculate Mother appeared several times to a
young French nun, Sister Catherine Laboure. She appeared as if in
an oval picture, standing on a globe, half of which was visible.
Mary was clothed in a white robe and a mantle of shining blue.
Her hands seemed covered with diamonds. Rays shone from
these diamonds upon the earth. A voice explained:
"These rays are symbolic of the graces Mary obtains for men, and
the point upon which they fall most abundantly is France."
Around the picture in golden letters were these words: "O Mary!
conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."
On the reverse is the letter "M" surmounted by a cross, having a
bar at its base. Beneath the "M" are the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Mary asked that medals be struck from this model. These
miraculous medals are highly treasured.
3. We also wear medals in honor of the saints--St. Joseph, St.
Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, St. Anthony, St. Aloysius, St. Agnes,
St. Ann, St. Christopher, the Little Flower, St. Benedict and many
others.
4. Another group includes those in honor of religious events like
First Communion, Confirmation, jubilees, Eucharistic Congresses,
and the Holy Year.
These coin-like sacramentals have three meanings: for the person
who wears them; for the person who sees them; with regard to
Christ, Mary and the saints represented.
1. For the wearer--
a. A medal is a means of power. It helps the wearer to share
in the rich treasures of prayer and good works of the Church.
Definitely there is no superstition in this. We do not expect that
piece of metal to save us, but we do expect, and rightly, that
when we honor those represented, we will share in their good
works.
b. It is a reminder that the wearer must be worthy to carry
the representation of such holy people.
c. It prompts the one using this sacramental to perform
every act in way worthy of it.
2. For those who see it--
a. If Catholics, they recognize the wearer as one of their faith,
just as the natives with their menacing spears recognized the
pilot of our story.
b. If non-Catholics, they know this Catholic is not ashamed
of his faith.
3. For those whose image it bears, the medal--
a. Is a source of honor and veneration.
b. A reminder of the virtues and influence of that individual.
Again we emphasize that you don't have to wear a medal or
medals to be a Catholic, no more than you had to wear a dog-tag
or identification disc as a soldier during the war. But--the medal
identifies you. It wins for you the heavenly help of the one
pictured upon it. It tells others about your faith. It reminds you
constantly that you must be worthy to wear it.
Make the most of this sacramental. Amen.
MISSAL
"Through him, therefore, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise
always to God, that is, fruit of lips praising his name." Hebrews,
13:15.
Have you ever wondered what is in this big book here on the
altar? A certain Protestant writer traveling in Europe happened to
drop in for services at a Catholic cathedral. He, too, wanted to
know what was in that big book. Somewhat of a student, he
searched the book stores for a copy. Finally he found a large
Missal. It was expensive, but his curiosity was aroused. He took
the big book to his room and poured over it for hours and days.
He knew enough Latin to figure out the various parts and
divisions. He found it entrancing and enlightening. He asked
Catholic friends and priests one question after another about the
Mass book, until the grace of God told him to go all the way. He
entered the Catholic Church.
Just what did he find in that big book? Perhaps I can give you
some idea of what is in it. Our Franciscan Missal has this official
title: ROMAN-SERAPHIC MISSAL, which means ROMAN-
FRANCISCAN MISSAL.
1. On the first few pages are five letters from the Popes on the
importance of true church worship.
2. After the papal letters is a calendar of movable and immovable
feasts entitled CONCERNING THE YEAR AND ITS PARTS.
3. Next come the rubrics or rules guiding the priest in offering
the adorable Sacrifice. There are other rules sprinkled among the
prayers of the Mass and written in red. "Ruber," in Latin, means
"red"; hence the word rubric."
4. There follows a minute and painstaking chapter on the rite to
be observed in the celebration of Mass.
5. After that comes a section on accidents and defects that might
occur during Mass.
6. This is followed by a chapter on the priest's preparation for
Mass, and his thanksgiving afterwards.
7. You will then find several pages of illustrated directions on
how the priest is to incense the altar.
8. Following this are 208 pages of Sunday Masses, taking us from
the first Sunday of Advent to Holy Saturday.
9. Next comes the Ordinary of the Mass, that part of the prayers
which is ordinarily the same, down to the section of Prefaces.
10. There are sixteen different Prefaces, each with its own
musical setting.
11. On page 295 begins the Canon or unchanging part of the
Sacrifice, printed in larger type, with tabs on the edges for
convenience in turning the pages.
12. On page 313 the Missal again takes up the Sunday Masses,
extending from Easter to the twenty-fourth or last Sunday after
Pentecost.
13. The next few pages contain prayers for special intentions,
prayers, for example, in honor of the Holy Spirit, our Blessed
Mother, and for the Pope.
14. Pages 413 to 808 are devoted to proper Masses for the saints,
from November 27 to November 26 of the next year.
15. Then you find Masses for each class of saints. These are
called the Commons of the saints.
16. There are 40 pages of Votive Masses. Votum, in Latin, means
free choice. Votive Masses are left more or less to the free choice
of the celebrant. In this section we find among others the Votive
Mass for a groom and bride, the Mass for a wedding.
17. From page 93 to 103 of this Appendix you will find 35
prayers for particular intentions reaching from the Pope down
through every grade of the Church to kings, emperors, and
prelates. You will find a prayer against persecutors, against
famine, against earthquakes, and for rain. There is a prayer to be
said in trials and troubles, and against evil thoughts, a prayer for
friends and a prayer for enemies, a prayer for prisoners and one
for sailors, a prayer for the health of the living and a prayer for
the living and deceased.
18. Masses for the dead start on page 104 of the Appendix and
include several pages of prayers for the Poor Souls; for a dead
Pope, for a dead bishop, for a dead priest, for deceased parents,
for everyone who rests in a particular cemetery.
19. On page 127 you will find the prayers for the blessing of Holy
Water, which takes place every Sunday before the High Mass, and
on page 130 several blessings frequently used.
20. The consecration of the paten and chalice are found on page
134 of the Appendix.
At the end of the book there is a complete alphabetical index of
Masses in honor of our Lord, our Blessed Mother, and of the
saints. The large colored ribbons are used to mark the Proper
Mass for the day, the Preface, the commemorations, and so forth.
This brief summary merely hints at the almost inexhaustible
treasures of the Missal. A deeper study of it will repay you richly.
Many of you have a shortened form of this large Missal. You have
the Sunday Missal, which gives you the Masses for the Sundays of
the year and a few other parts of the large Missal. Some of you
may even have a daily Missal in English. That gives you in English
the proper parts peculiar to each day, each feast and each saint.
The Missal is one of the greatest works of literature in all history.
It is a mine of pointed and prayerful thought. It is, above all, the
official prayer of Mother Church offered up by millions
throughout the world every moment of every day and night.
Learn to use the Missal. Have one of your own. Look up, before
you start to Mass, or as soon as you arrive in Church before the
Mass begins-look up the Mass for that day and then follow the
priest at the altar.
That is the modern, up-to-date, intelligent way of attending Mass.
May the Missal lead you closer to God as it led that Protestant
writer to the very bosom of God's Church. Amen.
PALMS
"And most of the crowd spread their cloaks upon the road, while
others were cutting branches from the trees, and strewing them on
the road." St. Matthew, 21:8.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century there lived in Vienna
an able artist named Philip Veit. He was a convert from the Jewish
to the Catholic Church. Among his many pictures is one inspired
by his new-found faith. He calls it Christianity. He has painted a
beautiful lady sitting calm and serene amid the ruins of the
Colosseum at Rome, the scene of so many martyrdoms in the
early centuries. In her left hand she holds a cross; in her right,
the palm of victory. At her feet lie instruments of torture together
with blooming flowers. At her side is a covered vessel that looks
like a chalice.
The outstanding impression of this picture is the absolute air of
undisturbable calmness of the woman who represents
Christianity. The cross and the palm explain that expression. She
knows for sure that the cross will ever be hers. And with equal
certainty she knows that the palm is proof that she will ever win
out. Christianity will always win, always did.
That is why it was most appropriate to represent Christianity, the
religion of Christ, which means the Catholic Church, sitting
calmly confident in the ruins of the Colosseum. In this day of
football bowls--Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl--it is well to
remember the Martyrs' Bowl, the ancient ampitheatre or outdoor
showplace where thousands of Christians won a victory by dying
for Christ. The palm is an emblem, a symbol of that victory.
The palm is a treasured sacramental of Mother Church. It is
distributed to the faithful on Palm Sunday. Its principal purpose
is to remind us of the triumphal entry of our Savior into
Jerusalem when a great crowd met Him, cutting down palm
branches to strew on the street before Him.
Carrying palms in procession goes way back into the Old
Testament. It was not only approved but even commanded by
Almighty God at the very foundation of the Jewish religion. In the
fall of the year, after the harvest, when the people gathered for
the Feast of Tabernacles God said:
"You shall take to you on the first day the fruits of the fairest
tree, and branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and
willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord, your
God." Leviticus, 23:40.
Again we read of palms in the Second Book of Machabees, 10:7. In
the Apocalypse, Chapter 7, the martyrs are represented carrying
palms.
Nor was bearing palms limited to religious victory. Philo tells us
that Agrippa carried palms and flowers on his entry into
Jerusalem; Josephus relates the same of Alexander the Great.
The palm is an expressive symbol. It is one of the most useful of
Oriental trees; that shows the overshadowing protection of Divine
Providence. Its foliage offers a delightful shade, symbol of
supernatural grace. It supplies dates, delicious and useful fruit,
and oozes a kind of wine from its bark. This symbolizes the
nourishment which our Lord gives us in the Holy Eucharist.
The palms are blessed before the High Mass on Palm Sunday.
Vested in purple cope and standing at the Epistle corner of the
altar, the celebrant recites a short prayer, and then reads a lesson
from the book of Exodus which tells of the children of Israel
coming to Elim on their way to the Promised Land, where there
was a fountain and seventy palm trees. Here they murmured
against Moses, their leader; and here God promised and gave
them food from heaven--manna.
After a few verses from the New Testament, the priest reads the
story of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem the Sunday
before His death--how the people were aroused to a high pitch of
enthusiasm, how they cut down branches and strewed them, with
their garments, along the way, and how they sang joyous
hosannas.
There follows a prayer begging God that we may in the end go
forth to meet Christ, bearing the palm of victory and laden with
good works, that we may enter with Him into the eternal
Jerusalem. The preface that follows is especially beautiful, as are
the five succeeding prayers, all of which ask God to bless the
palms, that they may be sanctified and may be a means of grace
and divine protection to the soul and body of those who carry
them and treasure them with faith and devotion. One prayer
refers to the olivebranch brought by the dove to the ark of Noe
after the flood had subsided, as a mark of peace between heaven
and earth.
The palms should be distributed to the people at the Communion
rail, but the custom is more common to have altar boys or ushers
give them to the congregation in their pews. Certain verses of
Scripture are then read, together with a prayer. There is a
procession of clergy and servers through the church.
During the Mass the palms are to be held in the hand at the
singing or reading of the Passion and the Gospel. Treat with
respect the piece of palm you receive. Place it in a prominent
place in your home, hanging over a crucifix or a holy picture.
Let it be a continual reminder of the victory which was won by
our Redeemer, a victory won only by His humbling Himself to
death, the death of the cross. Remembering that, we will also
remember that all true victories, especially those in our spiritual
life, will be won by triumphing over ourselves, our wayward
passions and evil inclinations.
The fact that the palms of one year are burned to secure the
ashes for the next Ash-Wednesday brings out this connection
between suffering and victory.
May your life be a duplicate of that picture by that great convert
Jewish artist, another picture of one with a cross in the left hand
and a palm in the night. May you be faithful to the cross and to
Him who hung upon it. Then you can be sure that the palm some
day will be placed in your hand also, the palm of eternal victory.
Amen.
PASCHAL CANDLE
"I am the light of the world. He who follows me does not walk in
the darkness, but will have the light." St. John, 8:12.
About forty miles west and a little south of Denver, Colorado, is
the famous Gray's Peak. It is over 14,000 feet high and is part of
the Rocky Mountain Range. A traveler at the turn of the century
described his experience in climbing that mountain. He and his
party started out early in the morning before the sun was up. He
had heard so much of the glorious gorges, the snow-capped
summits, the sparkling streams, the limpid waters of Green Lake,
fringed with flowers of every hue and fragrance. On they
climbed, higher and higher, but the beauties he had hoped to
behold, could not be seen. Heavy clouds, hanging low over the
slopes, threw blankets of mist over the valleys below. He was
disappointed, weary and chilled to the bone.
Suddenly he saw a golden shaft of light pierce the clouds. Soon
the sun scattered the clouds entirely, uncovering crag and chasm,
unveiling lake and stream, bathing the entire valley with a golden
glow. As if by magic, darkness turned to light, cold to warmth,
night to day.
The life of man is something like climbing a mountain. Especially
is the life of a Catholic during Lent like climbing a misty
mountain. It is desolate, chilling and wearying. But when the first
light of the Easter Candle casts its Holy Saturday light into the
darkness of Holy Week, we begin to see the beauties of our faith,
we begin to see what Christ meant when He declared:
"I am the light of the world."
The Paschal Candle represents Christ, the Light of the world. Its
wax is a "mysterious virginal production" of "the cleanly bees." It
represents the virginal flesh of Christ, formed in the virginal
womb of His Mother Mary. The wick symbolizes His human soul;
the flame shows forth His divine nature. In the body of the candle
you will notice five grains of incense--the five wounds of our
Lord, arranged in the form of a cross. The grains of incense recall
the spices used to prepare His sacred body for burial.
The blessing of the Paschal Candle on Holy Saturday morning is a
strikingly beautiful ceremony. After the blessing of the new fire
and the procession up the aisle to the sanctuary, during which
the triple candle is lighted with the triple announcement to the
world:
"Lumen Christi"--"The Light of Christ," the celebrant goes to the
Epistle side of the altar. The deacon takes the book, asks and
receives a blessing, and then sings the glorious "Exultet" whose
opening words give the theme and spirit of its message:
"Let the angelic choirs of heaven rejoice."
Toward the end of the Preface which follows, the deacon fixes the
five blessed grains of incense in the Candle in the form of a
cross.
After asking the heavenly Father to accept the sacrifice of this
incense, the deacon lights the Paschal Candle with one of the
triple candles which had been lighted from the new fire using a
taper to transfer the light. Then the lamps and candles on the
altar are lighted. The deacon sings on. Here is part of his song:
"We beseech Thee, therefore, O Lord, that this candle,
consecrated in honor of Thy name, may continue to burn to
dissipate the darkness of this night. And being accepted as a
sweet savor, may it be mixed with the lights of heaven. May the
morning star find its flame alive; that star, which knows no
setting, that star which returning from hell or limbo, shone
serenely upon mankind."
The column of wax has become an inspiring sacramental.
Standing at the Gospel side of the altar, it puts us in mind of
Christ, the Light of the world. Lighted first during the early
morning darkness of Holy Saturday, it represents our divine
Redeemer Himself, who was dead, but is now risen to a new life,
never to die again. The forty days during which we see the
Paschal Candle in the sanctuary represent the forty days our Lord
remained upon this earth after His resurrection, to further
instruct and inspire His apostles and followers.
It is lighted at the solemn Mass and Vespers of Easter Sunday,
and on all the Sundays to the Ascension. It is not to be lighted on
other days or feasts within the Easter time, unless in churches
where such a custom exists. The custom most generally followed
in the United States, though by no means universal, is to have the
Paschal Candle burn on Sundays during Easter time at all the
Masses and at Vespers.
With the coming of Ascension Thursday we behold a simple,
stirring ceremony after the Gospel of the Mass, when the server
extinguishes the Paschal Candle. Christ, whom it represents, has
ascended into heaven.
Seldom is this waxen pillar entirely consumed before Ascension.
In the early centuries the faithful secured small portions to keep
in their homes as protection against evils of soul and body. From
this pious practice the Agnus Dei took its origin.
Try to be present for the blessing of the Paschal Candle on Holy
Saturday morning. Follow in your missal the beautiful ceremonies
with which this emblem of Christ is set up in the sanctuary. Let
the Paschal Candle keep continually before your mind that Christ
is the Light of the world, Christ is the Light of your life.
There is so much darkness in the world. There is so much
darkness in the minds and hearts of men. There is so much
darkness in our lives--darkness of ignorance, darkness of
unkindness, darkness of sin. Only Christ, the true Light, can
dispel that darkness.
Climbing up to God is like climbing up a difficult mountain, like
climbing up Gray's Peak. Mists of misunderstanding and doubt
and sadness oppress us. In such times of darkness turn to Christ,
the true Light. Amen.
PERSONS, BLESSING OF
"The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the
name of the Lord." Psalm 128:8.
During a mission I was giving in Sacred Heart Church, Webb City,
Missouri, from January 5 to 12, 1947, Father Bray the pastor, and
I were invited to dine at the home of Larry (Moon) Mullins, All-
American fullback of Notre Dame during the late twenties. The six
Mullins children, ranging at the time from 13 to 5, were some of
the best-behaved youngsters I have ever met. Not one argument
or quarrel or correction during our two-hour stay.
After the meal each child took turns singing for us--capably and
naturally, even happily. As we prepared to leave, Mary, Larry's
splendid wife, asked me to bless the children. They flopped on
their knees about me as I blessed them:
"May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
descend upon you and remain with you forever."
They made the sign of the cross over themselves and thanked me
heartily. They seemed to have a sincere appreciation of a priest's
blessing.
Mother Church provides a number of such blessings of persons.
They are so numerous and varied that we cannot even mention all
of them. A blessing given by the Church or in the name of the
Church is a sacramental. It has a special power, not of itself, but
from the prayers of God's Church. In the Old Testament the word
"to bless" had many meanings, but chiefly two:
1. When God blessed someone or something He showered His
benefits upon that person or thing. Thus God blessed Noe and his
sons after the flood; He blessed lifeless objects like bread, water,
houses and lands.
2. When man blessed something it meant that the blessing drew
down the favor of God. Usually an external sign accompanies a
blessing given by man. Thus we read that Jacob blessed the sons
of Joseph by placing his hands upon their heads. (Gen. 48:13).
The usual manner of blessing is by placing the hands over or on
someone, but sometimes it is given by mere word, or with water,
oil, or salt.
Accordingly, a blessing is a church ceremony which calls upon
God to give a certain person, either for a time, or for all the
future, a religious right to divine protection or to the exercise of
worship. We can merely refer to a few general divisions of such
blessings:
1. a. Blessings of invocation mean calling down God's
protection upon some person, asking God to deliver or preserve
someone from certain evils, or to obtain spiritual or material
benefits for him.
b. A constituting blessing raises a person from the profane
to the sacred state.
2. Blessings can be simple or solemn:
a. Simple blessings are given without any solemnity, as the
blessing at meals.
b. Solemn blessings have certain ceremonies, like the
blessing of candles on candlemas day.
3. Still another division is based on the person giving the
blessing: certain are reserved to the Pope; others to bishops, to
priests, to religious superiors. Even lay people may bless. We
might explain such a lay blessing first:
a. A parental blessing may be given by a father or mother to
their children. This was common in the Old Testament and in
early Christian times. The lives of the saints offer many
examples.
The simplest method is to make the sign of the cross over all the
children or over each one singly, often with holy water. In the
more solemn blessing the parent places his hand on the head of
the kneeling child and prays:
"God bless you," or "I bless you my boy (my girl.)"
Often he makes the sign of the cross with holy water on the
child's head, praying:
"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen."
Sometimes parents bless their children at a distance, by adding a
blessing to their letters. The occasions at home when parents
might bless their boys and girls are without number. It should be
done every evening and on the occasion of important events, like
First Confession, First Communion, marriage, and going on a
journey.
b. In the beautiful blessing of an expectant mother the priest
prays:
"O Lord God...accept the sacrifice of a contrite heart and the
fervent desire of Thy handmaid (here he mentions her name) who
beseeches Thee for the preservation of the offspring which Thou
hast granted her to conceive; take care of her and guard her
against all stratagem and injury from the wicked enemy; so that,
by the assisting hand of Thy mercy, her offspring may come
prosperously to the light of day, and may be preserved for holy
regeneration (Baptism) that it may serve Thee in all things and
merit everlasting life." The other prayers are equally expressive.
c. The nuptial blessing of a bride is particularly complete
and helpful.
d. Among the prayers for a sick child the priest asks:
"O God, on whom we all depend for strength, both in youth and
maturity, extend Thy right hand upon this Thy servant, who at
this tender age, is ill, that, being restored to health and vigor, he
(she) may come to the fullness of all his allotted years, and all the
days of his life ever thank Thee and serve Thee faithfully."
e. There is a blessing for infants and for those at death's
door, for mothers after childbirth. In short, there is a blessing for
every type of person and for every kind of need and desire.
The simple blessing of the priest is one highly treasured by the
faithful. It is proper to ask for it frequently, particularly in your
home and in the hospital.
To appreciate blessings as did the children of All-American Larry
Mullins, is to appreciate one of the most commonly used and
most highly helpful sacramentals of Mother Church. The blessing
at the end of this sermon is a sacramental. Accept it devoutly and
treasure it lovingly. Amen.
PICTURES
"Whose are this image and the inscription?" St. Matthew, 22:20.
One of our American missionaries to China was telling some
years ago of the difficulties in keeping convert Catholics faithful
to the Church, and how laborious a task it was to keep some in
the fold and bring others back in. He told this incident.
One of their best catechists was traveling to a village in the
interior. A catechist is a layman trained to teach the
fundamentals of the faith. This lay teacher called on a friend
named Peter, who was mayor of his little village. Peter was a
practical Christian. One proof of this was found in the many
beautiful religious pictures which he had hanging in his home. As
the two friends talked, a third friend from a neighboring town
dropped in to discuss some business with Peter. As he entered
the house he caught sight of a striking picture of our Savior on
the far wall. He dropped to his knees bowed his head, struck his
breast, and repeated the Act of Contrition in a clear, ringing
voice. His sincerity and devotion impressed the two men who had
never suspected that this fellow was a Catholic.
Later they learned that he had joined the Church over thirty years
before, but had drifted away, mainly because he was too far from
a Catholic church. A few weeks after this incident he made his
confession, received Holy Communion, and expressed his
determination to live a full Catholic life from then on.
A picture of our Savior was the means, under God, of bringing a
soul back into the fold. It is also the means of keeping many in
the fold and of winning many to it. Religious pictures are
sacramentals, in use since the dawn of Christianity. They are
prints or paintings representing some Christian character or
truth:
1. Pictures of our Lord are of almost limitless variety. He is
pictured in every condition and situation: in the crib; on the
cross; in the garden; on the mountain; in the tomb; at work; at
prayer; preaching and working miracles; laboring at the
carpenter's bench and teaching in the temple. What an inspiration
are these paint and canvas portraits of our Redeemer!
2. And who could ever know even one part of all the Madonnas,
paintings of our Blessed Mother under every possible title, and in
every phase of her sweet and selfless life!
3. We also represent the saints and martyrs, who were of every
age, of every trade, profession and walk of life.
4. Religious pictures also represent certain religious truths. In the
December, 1949, issue of "Life Magazine" we find several full- and
double-paged reproductions in color of many masterpieces of
Michelangelo, especially his murals in the Sistine Chapel. There
we see, for example, the creation of the world, the judgment, and
similar truths graphically told with the artist's brush.
5. Religious art also expresses spiritual symbols, common things
used to express spiritual truths.
All such pictures of our Savior, His Mother, His saints, and His
teachings, are not contrary to Sacred Scripture or the express law
of God. Rather, they have been commanded by God and fostered
by God's Church.
Even the most poorly instructed Catholic will tell you that in
honoring a picture we do not believe that any divine power is in
the picture itself. Every Catholic knows that we do not pray to
these pictures, or worship them, as though they had power in
themselves. Why, then, do we make so much of religious
pictures?
1. They remind us of our Lord and of the many inspiring
incidents in His holy life. A picture will often bring out ideas,
instill devotion, stir the soul, when words would fail.
2. A picture will fix our attention and keep away distraction. With
a representation of our Lord before you, your prayer is more
likely to continue its direction toward the Lord to whom you are
praying.
3. Kneeling before a painting of our Blessed Mother or of the
saints, we indirectly honor the person represented. Who would
foolishly maintain that the little flower placed before the picture
a man might keep of his mother, is offered to the paper and
cardboard of the picture?
4. Pictures are blessed by Mother Church. They are sacramentals;
that is, of themselves they are powerless, but they serve to stir
up spiritual thought and determination, they serve to concentrate
our attention, they serve to inspire our better selves. Sometimes
God makes the occasion of their use the means or instrument of
bestowing great blessings.
Look at a fine picture every day, look at a portrait of the best
people who ever lived every day, and by degrees, definite
degrees, it will become a part of you. The life of that person will
weave itself into your life. His virtues, his good deeds, will be
models for you.
It was Hazlitt, the great English writer, I believe, who wrote that if
a man were contemplating some wicked or disgraceful deed, and
stopped for a moment to look at some fine picture which had
inspired him before, he would be turned from his crime. Proof of
that is an everyday happening in the Catholic Church and the
Catholic home. That was what a picture did for the Chinese
convert of our story.
Again we repeat that religious pictures are not essential to
Catholic life, but they are extremely helpful. Accordingly I want
to make a few suggestions:
1. Have a number of carefully selected pious pictures in your
home, in your prayer-book and other books.
2. Get into the practice of looking at these pictures regularly and
whispering a prayer to the person represented.
3. Teach your children from youngest years to look upon these
pictures of our Lord, His Mother, and His saints with respect and
devotion.
4. Take notice of the pictures in our church and in other places
you visit. Let them keep you in touch with Christ and His own.
Religious pictures will be powerful helps in following Christ.
Amen.
PILGRIMAGES
"And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem
according to the custom of the feast." St. Luke. 2:42.
During the seventeenth century there lived in Bavaria a certain
Raimondo Giuliano. He made an exceptionally difficult
pilgrimage to Rome during the Holy Year. On April 1, 1650--that
was three hundred years ago--he started out from his Bavarian
home carrying a wooden cross that weighed 160 pounds. Day
after day, week after week, month after month, he dragged that
heavy cross over rocky roads, through rivers, and over the Alps.
At last on August 31--five months later--he carried the cross into
the Eternal City. He wanted to share in the graces and blessings
of a pilgrimage to the Holy City during the Holy Year.
Through the centuries hundreds of thousands like him have
made the journey from all parts of the world to the center of
Christianity, the headquarters of Catholicity, with the fervent
desire of gaining the blessed benefits of such a journey. Today,
with our swift planes, our speedy trains, and our luxurious ocean
liners, a trip to Rome is a comparatively easy task. But the spirit
behind it, the motives and reasons are the same.
In this Holy Year of 1950 it might be well for us to think about
pilgrimages--their value and purpose and the proper method of
making them. A pilgrimage is a sacramental, unusual, to be sure,
but a definite means of winning definite graces. As with the other
sacramentals, Mother Church does not command them, but she
does declare them good and helpful spiritually.
1. Deeply rooted in the heart of everyone is the desire to visit
places where a famous person lived, or where some important
event happened. Proof of this is found in the crowds one meets at
Mount Vernon, the home of Washington, and at the tomb of the
Unknown Soldier. Our newspapers during the Christmas season
of 1949 told us that hundreds of automobiles with out-of-state
licenses drove by the home of President Truman during his brief
visit at Independence, Missouri.
With nobler and deeper sentiments the intelligent Catholic longs
to visit the outstanding centers and monuments of his faith.
Where is the Catholic who does not long to live for a day or two at
least in that land made holy by our loving Redeemer? Where is
the Catholic who does not wish to visit Rome and the Vatican and
see the Pope in person? Where is the Catholic who does not wish
to travel to the spots where our Blessed Mother appeared to men
and children?
2. Pilgrimages are the answer to that desire. They are journeys
made to shrines, holy places, and centers of religious interest for
the purpose of practicing penance, of performing certain
devotions, and of gaining certain spiritual helps. Even the ancient
pagans had their so-called holy places. The Jews traveled to
Mount Moriah and to the temple at Jerusalem. Yes, we read that
the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph made a long and
taxing trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of
the Pasch. It was a distance of seventy-five miles, over
mountainous country and miserable roads. Their poverty limited
them to a few conveniences and necessities. Christ was only
twelve years old, hardly strong enough for such a taxing trip,
which must have taken at least five or six days. Yet, the Holy
Family most probably made that pilgrimage not only once, but
every year as long as they lived in Nazareth. They teach us that
making a pilgrimage is a praiseworthy exercise.
3. Pilgrimages are not only praiseworthy and commendable, they
are also very helpful spiritually and physically:
a. It is good for a man to get away for a while from his
worldly cares and worries, and to think of God and the things of
God. Pilgrims do that. A pilgrimage is to the soul what a vacation
is to the body; it renews, refreshes, and recreates the spirit.
b. Every pilgrimage has some disagreeable features,
although not all are as toilsome as that of the young man of our
story who carried a heavy cross all the way from Germany to
Rome. Bearing these difficulties can be a precious penance.
c. Making a journey to a holy place tends to promote prayer
and devotion and pious thoughts.
d. Ordinarily Confession and Communion are conditions of
such a visit. They are received with renewed fervor and
thoughtfulness.
4. Blessings of soul and body are often obtained. The conversion
of a friend or relative, graces for every day living, great spiritual
favors, often result. Likewise, countless physical cures and
wonders are worked. Medical science admits this. Experience
proves it.
5. One must have a good intention to gain the benefits. Such
would be the desire to honor God in some special way, to honor
God's Mother, or His special friends, the saints. One may have
some special favor to ask for, but the final purpose, aim and
intention should be to honor God, to obtain His pardon, or to
thank Him for past favors.
6. The Church does not command pilgrimages. They are not
essential. Accordingly, one should go only at the proper time, and
only when one is able to do so without neglecting more serious
and urgent duties. No doubt millions would love to travel to
Rome during the Holy Year, but their work, their family
responsibilities, their finances make it impossible. The Church
has made it possible to gain these blessings in our own diocese.
We might suggest that your annual vacation be made sometime to
one of the shrines in or near our country, to some place of special
piety and devotion, to some center of spiritual life where your
soul will be renewed and strengthened.
At least we will henceforth appreciate the benefit, the value, the
reasonableness of such journeys to spots of spiritual interest and
help. Amen.
POPE'S BLESSING
"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith may not fail; and do
thou, when once thou hast turned again, strengthen thy brethren."
St. Luke, 22:32.
Some years ago the papers reported an unusual audience and an
unusual blessing granted by Pope Pius XII. One of the principals
was Vivian Blaine, the lovely screen star and singer, who is a
devout Catholic. She has a sister who is a nun. All her life Vivian
had the ambition to be received by the Pope.
At last the opportunity came, when she took a trip to Europe with
her husband, Manny Franks, who is a Jew. When they arrived in
Rome the audience was arranged. Her husband went along.
Someone had told His Holiness that Vivian's sister was a
religious. The Holy Father conversed about her family and her
work in Hollywood, and then graciously gave her his blessing in
Latin.
"And your husband?" the Pope gently asked.
"My husband is of the Jewish faith," explained Vivian.
The Pope smiled and, turning to her husband, the Holy Father
gave his Jewish visitor his fatherly blessing--in perfect Hebrew.
There are many truths and lessons in this little incident: the
desire of all Catholics, and of others too, to visit the Holy Father
and receive his blessing; the scholarly knowledge which His
Holiness has of languages. But the point I would like to
emphasize is the fatherly interest of the head of the Catholic
Church in the members of all religions, and his eagerness to
extend his blessing and the blessings of Mother Church to
everyone--Catholic, Protestant, Jew and pagan.
That is why the Holy See has granted to missionaries and to
retreatmasters, and to bishops on certain occasions, the power to
bestow the blessing of the Holy Father. The Pope's Blessing, best
known as being given at the end of retreats and missions, is a
sacramental that stirs our interest and our affection.
It is usually given at the closing service. The priest kneels before
the altar in surplice and stole, as he offers the following prayers:
P. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
P. O Lord, save Thy people.
R. And bless Thy inheritance.
P. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
The priest rises and continues:
Let us pray:
Almighty and merciful God, give us help from Thy holy place,
and graciously hear the pleadings of Thy people who with
contrite hearts beg forgiveness for their sins, and who eagerly
await Thy blessing and Thy favor. Kindly raise Thy right hand
over them, and pour upon them the fulness of Thy divine
blessing, so that, filled with all good things, they may reach
everlasting happiness and life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Then, standing on the Epistle side of the altar, the priest makes
over the people the sign of the cross with the crucifix in his right
hand, saying solemnly:
A few prayers are then said for the intention of the Holy Father.
There is a variation of the words used in the actual blessing:
"May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
descend upon you, and remain with you forever. Amen."
There is a special thrill in receiving the blessing of the Holy
Father from him personally in Rome. But next to that is the
spiritual thrill of receiving the Pope's blessing from one who has
been given the power to grant it in the name of the Pope.
As we all know, Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church and
continues to be its Head. Even after He ascended into heaven,
Christ continues to rule, govern, and preserve His Church:
"Behold I am with you all days even unto the consummation of
the world." St. Matthew, 28:20.
However, Christ chose one of His Apostles, St. Peter, to be the
visible head of His Church. Succeeding St. Peter in a line
unbroken for twenty centuries is the present Pope, Pius XII. He is
the bishop of Rome; he is the Vicar of Christ; he is the successor
of St. Peter; he is the servant of the servants of God. He is the
head of our Church.
The word Pope is from the Italian, "papa," which means father. A
true spiritual father the Pope has always been. In his world-wide
plans and efforts for a permanent and just peace, as well as in
every-day incidents like that of blessing Vivian Blaine and her
Jewish husband, His Holiness has proven himself a Holy Father in
every sense of the term.
In his call to the world to celebrate and keep the Holy Year he has
told us some of the intentions which are close to his heart,
intentions which are close to the Heart of Christ, whose place he
takes on earth. The Pope is interested in peace, in feeding and
clothing and housing the world, in converting all to the true faith,
in winning Russia and others to the side of Christ, and in
establishing economic justice for all. For these intentions we pray
after we have received his blessing, saying one Our Father, Hail
Mary and Glory be.
We should and do treasure that blessing, whether given
personally or through his representative the bishop, the
missionary, or the retreat-master. We appreciate the graces
granted with it. We will make this blessing the occasion to renew
our devotion to the head of our Church, the occasion to thank
God for such a splendid spiritual leader in these troubled times.
Amen.
PRAYER BOOKS
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened to you." St. Matthew, 7:7.
A sailor had died at sea. His burial was unusual in a way. The
chief cook of the S.S. Green Wave, on which the sailor died, wrote
of the funeral in the Catholic Maritime News, a publication of the
National Conference of the Apostleship of the Sea:
"We did all we could," he related, "The mate was looking all
through the Bible for the part that is read at a Requiem Mass.
Luckily I had a Missal. I read the Mass for the Dead. One of the
crew put a rosary in his hands and another seaman put a scapular
on him. The captain said a few words and I also spoke."
Then the chief cook added:
"Whenever you put any books or magazines on a ship, throw in a
few prayer books."
The incident highlighted one of the most valuable and necessary
of the sacramentals--a prayer book. Books of prayer are almost
without limit as to size, color, shape, contents and also price. We
are not speaking today of the official books of the Church--the
Missal, Breviary, and Ritual particularly. We are speaking of those
books of devotions, those collections of prayers and spiritual
readings, which every Catholic from the Pope on down to the
most recent convert, will use to help him talk to God and think
about God. Again let us emphasize that it is not absolutely
necessary for a Catholic to have a prayer book. But with even
greater emphasis let me point out to you that a prayer book is of
immense help in our spiritual life.
The story of our sailor and his burial at sea bears that out. His
fellow sailors were looking for words, preferably the inspired
words of Sacred Scripture and the divinely approved words of
Mother Church, words that might express their appeals for the
soul of their deceased comrade. They wanted to hear at that hour
the words of Him who said:
"I am the resurrection and the life."
A prayer book with these specific words was their greatest need.
It is a need we all experience from time to time. To meet that
need Mother Church approves, promotes, and blesses books of
devotion. In general we might divide these books into three
groups: those with prayers to our Lord; those with devotions to
our Blessed Mother; and a third group in veneration of the saints.
1. Every good prayer book will naturally contain prayers to the
Holy Trinity--to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. But
because the second Person of the Blessed Trinity became the
God-man, we have many particular forms of devotion to Him:
a. There are numerous collections in honor of our Lord in
the Blessed Sacrament, with prayers for Mass, Holy Hour,
Benediction and Forty Hours.
b. The sufferings of our Savior, His passion and death, are
the topics of many prayer books.
c. Other volumes emphasize Christmas, Easter, the Sacred
Heart, and Christ as Teacher, Preacher, and Worker.
d. There are booklets of prayers for every phase of our
Lord's life.
e. There also are manuals of devotions to the Holy Spirit,
whom we neglect too much.
Since Christ wants us to honor His Blessed Mother, we have a
limitless list of collections of prayers to her:
a. Here are entreaties to her as the Mother of God, as the
Mother of men, as the Queen of heaven, as the Virgin of virgins.
b. We find forms of petition with emphasis on her principal
joys and on her principal sorrows.
c. There are May devotions, October devotions, novenas of
all kinds, like the one before the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception.
d. Still other volumes are devoted to the titles with which we
address her in the Litany of Loretto.
3. As for the saints, we have entire books of prayers to individual
heroes and heroines of God. Different nationalities, localities,
classes and races have their favorite saints and their favorite
forms of devotion to them.
We might also divide prayer books according to the person for
whom they are written and published:
1. Prayer books for priests and religious, as you might expect, are
adapted to every phase of priestly and religious life.
2. Some sets of devotion are compiled with parents in mind;
others with children or young people as their readers.
3. We have books for children making their First Communion;
others for their first Confession.
4. There are marriage and funeral prayer books, and books for
soldiers and sailors.
We should say a special word about the Missal. Though it is the
official prayer book of the Mass, it is coming more and more to be
used also as the principal book of private prayer by many
Catholics. It often includes the common devotions a Catholic will
use regularly.
May I urge everyone of you to have a prayer book, or even several
prayer books. Try various ones from time to time until you find
the book which suits your spiritual life the best. Use your prayer
book to vary your daily devotions. Don't say the same prayers
every morning and evening, or even the same prayers every time
you go to Mass or to Confession or to the Holy Hour. Naturally
certain prayers will appeal to us and we will love to repeat them,
but variety is healthy in this matter. Different prayers may fit
different needs.
Be an intelligent Catholic. Be a wide-awake Catholic. Have your
prayer book with you and use it.
Browse through the prayer books of others occasionally. Learn
and realize that there is some way of approaching God in every
need and emergency, in every trial and victory, in every sorrow
and joy. Amen.
PRIESTHOOD, CEREMONIES
"Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech."
Psalm 109:4.
This happened at a dinner way back in the fourth century. At the
table were several famous people, notably the holy bishop, St.
Martin, who later died in the year 400, and the Emperor Maximus.
With the bishop was his secretary, a priest. In the course of the
meal, as was the custom in those days, the royal goblet or chalice
was brought in to the emperor. His Majesty, out of respect to his
holy guest, passed the goblet untasted to St. Martin. The holy
bishop drank to the honor of the emperor, but then, instead of
returning the goblet to the ruler, the bishop handed it to his
priest secretary, as being the next in order of honor and
precedence, even before the emperor himself.
We can almost picture the saintly bishop explaining to his royal
host that the priest, because of his ordination, was higher in
dignity than the ruler.
One expressive part of the ceremony of ordination, namely, the
handing over by the bishop of a chalice with wine and water in it,
to the one ordained was perhaps also intended to be recalled by
St. Martin. The ceremonies of Holy Orders are expressive
sacramentals, as are the ceremonies of all the sacraments. What
is done in that rite raises our thoughts and inspires our hearts. By
that sacrament of Holy Orders a character or mark is imprinted
on the soul forever. By that sacrament five powers are conferred:
1. The power to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
2. The power to bless any person or thing.
3. The power to rule a portion of Christ's flock.
4. The power to preach the word of God.
5. The power to administer the sacraments of Baptism, Penance,
Holy Eucharist, and Extreme Unction, and to unite in Marriage.
Two of the sacraments are reserved to the bishop, namely,
Confirmation and Holy Orders.
We hope that a consideration of the ceremonies of Holy Orders,
however brief it may have to be, will help everyone of you to
appreciate more deeply the dignity and honor of the priesthood,
a dignity greater than that of any emperor, king, or president. We
also hope that this explanation will awaken in the hearts of some
of our boys and young men the ambition, the holy ambition, to
aspire to that high honor.
1. The ceremonies of ordination to the priesthood begin just
before the Gospel of the Mass. The candidates are presented to
the bishop by the archdeacon or religious superior, who gives his
word that they are worthy. The bishop addresses the candidates,
comparing them to the seventy priests of the Old Law, and to the
seventy-two disciples whom Christ sent to preach His word. He
reminds them that they are an important part of the Mystical
Body of Christ, the Catholic Church. He urges them to be chaste
and holy, and to preach both by word and example. The
candidates prostrate themselves in the sanctuary.
2. Then the bishop imposes both of his hands on the head of each
candidate. All the priests present do the same. The imposing of
hands represents the giving of grace. This, with its prayer, is the
essential part of the sacrament. The bishop chants a long preface,
thanking God for the priesthood and begging God's blessing on
those about to receive it.
3. He then moves the stole from the candidate's left shoulder to
his neck, saying:
"Receive the yoke of Christ, for His yoke is sweet and His burden
light."
The chasuble is placed on the shoulders, but folded at the rear. It
means protection from evil--a sort of spiritual suit of armor.
After a hymn to the Holy Ghost, the palms of the hands of each
candidate are anointed with the oil of catechumens on the palms,
which become especially consecrated. The hands are tied with a
strip of white linen, and remain bound until the Offertory of the
Mass.
4. A chalice with wine and water and a paten with an
unconsecrated host are placed in the hands of the candidate for
the priesthood with the words:
"Receive the power to offer sacrifice to God and to celebrate
Masses, for both the living and the dead, in the name of the Lord.
Amen."
During the remainder of the Mass the newly ordained priests
speak every word of the Mass along with the bishop. They
celebrate with him. This is called concelebration or co-
celebration.
At Communion they receive the Sacred Host but they do not
receive the Precious Blood from the chalice.
5. After Communion the bishop places his hands on the head of
each, repeating the words of Christ to His Apostles:
"Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall forgive, they are
forgiven them; whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained."
At this point the bishop unfolds the chasuble, saying:
"May the Lord clothe thee with the mantle of innocence."
Each newly-ordained priest places his hands in those of the
bishop and takes an oath of obedience. The bishop again
admonishes and blesses the group and imposes a penance. The
ordained are obliged to say three Masses for his intention. When
religious are ordained they do not take the oath of obedience to
the bishop.
You realize that this is a brief and sketchy picture of the glorious
and thrilling rite which changes a human being into a Roman
Catholic priest, another Christ, a spiritual servant of God. The
preparation was long and exacting. The honor and dignity of the
priesthood demand that.
If you ever have a chance be sure to attend an ordination.
Meanwhile pray for more priests, pray that more young men may
prepare for and receive this sacrament which makes a man
another Christ.
All other ordinations to the ministry are of no avail; they are
worthless. Only in the Catholic Church does the true power come
down through lawful succession from the very time of Christ.
Thank God this morning for the priesthood and beg God to bless
your priests. Amen.
RELICS
"And God worked more than the usual miracles by the hand of
Paul; so that even handkerchiefs and aprons were carried from his
body to the sick and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went
out." Acts, 19:12.
Copernicus, the discoverer of the solar system, lived from 1473
to 1543 He was a member of the bishop's council in the Cathedral
of Frauenberg in East Prussia. As in most cathedrals, many relics
are preserved there. One day an official of the bishop was
showing some tourists through the building. He stopped before
one altar to mention the relics that were preserved and honored
there.
In the group was a man who began to object. He wanted to know
how one could be sure that these were the relics that were
preserved and honored there.
"We have the Church's assurance," replied the guide, "and that
excludes all doubt."
The skeptic was not satisfied, but he continued with the group as
they visited the sacristy. There the guide threw open a cupboard
that contained a lot of odds and ends. He took out a long tin tube,
and said solemnly:
"Ladies and gentlemen, here is something of intense interest.
This is the tube of the telescope used by Copernicus."
With evident veneration the tube was passed from one to another.
At last it came to the same fellow who had doubted about the
relics. He blurted out:
"How is it possible that so important an object of historic value
can be left lying here so carelessly?"
"My good sir," laughed the guide, "the telescope was not invented
until sixty years after the death of Copernicus. This tube is used
to make tapers for lighting the candles. You believed without
question my joking statement that it was part of Copernicus'
telescope. Yet you called in question the trustworthiness of the
Church's testimony regarding the relics kept on the altar. Please,
ladies and gentlemen, excuse me for playing a joke to bring out
this fact."
The doubter disappeared in a short time. He realized his
unreasonable position. Like many another he was ready and
willing to believe in any souvenir or antique outside the realm of
religion, while he called in doubt the treasured keepsakes of
Mother Church.
We Catholics honor and respect religious relics. They are
sacramentals. The fact that they were related to Christ, and His
saints raises our thoughts to these holy people, and helps us to
imitate and follow them.
1. A relic means the body or any part of the body of some holy
person. It may mean something that belonged to or was used by a
saint: a book, rosary, article of clothing, or piece of furniture. It
may also mean something that has merely touched the body of a
saint. Our text from the Acts of the Apostles speaks of the
handkerchiefs and aprons which were touched to the body of St.
Paul, and then carried to the sick, resulting in many cures from
all forms of disease. There are various classes of relics.
The instruments of torture or martyrdom are also relics, like the
Crown of Thorns, the chains of St. Peter, the gridiron of St.
Lawrence, and other objects of penance and sacrifice.
2. It is perfectly in line with the law and wish of God for us to
venerate such objects. This was done in the Old Testament. Read
about the rod of Aaron (Numbers 17); the mantle of Elias (4 Kings
2); and the bones of Eliseus (4 Kings 13:12).
Reason assures us that it is lawful to honor these religious
souvenirs. Whatever is holy deserves veneration. For this reason
we honor a church, a Bible, and the ministers of God.
Furthermore, it is a universal instinct and practice to honor the
personal belongings of great men--the sword of the soldier, the
pen of the writer, the books of the scholar, the tools of the
inventor. What son or daughter does not treasure some lock of
hair from mother, some ring or watch she wore or used?
The bodies of the saints were the temples of God, destined one
day to share in the eternal glory of their souls. Their bodies
shared in the holiness of their hearts. Those bodies are to share
in their glory, yes, even in this life. God has made relics the
means of arousing pious thoughts, desires and determinations.
God has even worked many miracles through devotion to the
keepsakes of His saints.
3. The methods of honoring relics are numerous and varied:
a. We burn lamps and candles before them.
b. We build shrines and reliquaries to show them honor.
c. We carry relics in solemn procession.
d. We make pilgrimages to their shrines.
e. We make offerings before them either by way of begging
God for favors or by way of thanking Him for favors granted.
f. We apply them to the sick and to the well, to the tempted and
to the troubled.
Always remember that we do not pray to relics. They are mere
material things. They cannot see or hear or even move
themselves, much less can they, of themselves, do anything for
us in either a spiritual or material way. Nevertheless, we often
pray before a relic, privately or publicly, begging the saint whose
relic it is to obtain from God the favor we ask, begging that saint
to secure the help we need to practice the virtues he practiced.
Again I insist, possessing a relic or venerating one is not essential
to Catholic life. But it is a big help and inspiration. Make the most
of these material means to following the saints in their service of
God.
Should anyone make fun of our practice, tell him the story of
Copernicus and the doubter. Tell him what a relic is and why we
venerate these keepsakes of the saints.
Above all, show veneration to the relic of some saint, like St.
Anthony. It will help you to grow in the virtues he possessed.
Amen.
RINGS
"And Pharao said to Joseph: 'Behold, I have appointed thee over the
whole land of Egypt.'
"And he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his
hand." Genesis, 41:41, 42.
The ring which the Pope wears is called "the ring of the
Fisherman." On it is engraved the name of the Pope and the figure
of St. Peter pulling a fishing net up into his boat. Hence the name.
At the death of each Pope his ring is destroyed and another is
made for his successor. This often requires a few months of
tedious work.
When Pope Pius VII was elected in 1800 it took a year and a half
for the Vatican ring-maker to engrave "the ring of the Fisherman."
It was one of the most beautiful ever produced.
Two months later, Angelo Tarintino, the engraver, lost his sight.
When the Pope heard of it, he ordered another ring made exactly
like his own, and presented it to the Tarintino family.
In World War Two an American chaplain was called to assist a
dying Italian civilian. In his last moments the man gave the
chaplain a ring, which today can be seen in the chapel of an
American cemetery in Italy. Beneath it is the sign:
"A duplicate of the papal ring of Pope Pius VII, presented to the
American forces by Donus Tarintino."
For over one hundred years that family had treasured the
duplicate of a ring worn by a Pope. With similar respect we look
upon "the ring of the Fisherman," no matter what Pope is wearing
it. For that ring represents the authority which the Supreme
Pontiff has over the flock of Christ.
There are various kinds of religious rings, each with its particular
meaning and purpose. Blessed by the Church, they are
sacramentals, means of reminding us of certain powers and
promises. In every case a ring is regarded as an emblem of
faithfulness. It has other rich meanings:
1. The Pope's ring is made of gold. Engraved on it are his name
and the picture of St. Peter pulling up a net. The meaning is clear.
To the Popes from Peter to Pius is given the care of the entire
flock of Christ. As Pharao said to Joseph:
"I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt," and as the
Egyptian king gave his own ring to Joseph as a pledge of that
appointment, so God's Church presents the Fisherman's ring to
the one with supreme authority.
The papal rings also had a practical purpose, to stamp and seal
important documents. Even today many papal papers still
conclude with the phrase "given under the ring of the Fisherman."
2. At his consecration a bishop receives a ring, which has the
symbolism of a wedding ring. The bishop is wedded to his
diocese. He takes the place of Christ as the bridegroom of His
Church. This meaning is brought out in the words of the
consecrating prelate as he places the ring on the finger of the
newly consecrated bishop:
"Receive the ring, which is the seal of faith, in order that, adorned
with spotless faith, thou mayest keep inviolately the spouse of
God, namely His Holy Church."
The bishop expresses this symbolism in the prayer he says as he
puts on his ring:
"Cover the fingers of my heart and my body, O Lord, with the
beauty of virtue and with the sanctity of the seven gifts of the
Holy Ghost. '
3. Nuns at their profession and some male religious also, receive
a plain gold ring. Why? The ring is endless. It symbolizes the
promise until death to serve God in poverty, chastity, and
obedience. For religious it is also a symbol of their wedding to
Christ.
4. Most of you are no doubt interested especially in the wedding
ring. It also becomes an important sacramental when blessed by
the Church, as it is during the marriage service. That blessing is
as follows:
P. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
P. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray:
"Bless, O Lord, this ring, which we bless in Thy name, that she
who shall wear it, keeping true faith unto her husband, may abide
in Thy peace and according to Thy will, and ever live in love
given and taken. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
The priest sprinkles the ring or rings with holy water in the sign
of the cross. As the groom places the ring on the finger of his
bride, he repeats these words: "With this ring I thee wed and I
plight unto thee my troth."
If it is a double-ring ceremony the bride says the same words as
she places the ring on the finger of the groom.
These words differ in other lands and languages, but the meaning
and symbolism is the same. May that wedding ring be a constant
reminder of the promise made at the altar of God. May that ring
represent, as it should constant endless faithfulness of husband
and wife. May that ring bring to both the round, endless fullness
of wedded joys.
5. There are miraculous medal rings, St. Christopher rings, rings
for men, women, for young ladies, rings with a crucifix and other
insignia upon them.
There is a special indulgence granted to those who kiss the ring
of the Holy Father and the ring of the bishop. Yes, and there is
special spiritual help and inspiration for all who wear a blessed
ring and for all who regard such rings with reverence and
devotion. Amen.
RITUAL
"Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name. Ask, and you
shall receive, that your joy may be full." St. John, 16:24.
In the first months of his administration as president of the
United States George Washington was much disturbed by
questions of ceremony. How should he appear in public? How
often? What kind of entertainment and parties should he give?
What title should he take? How should he be introduced? On the
one hand he did not want to act like a king, surrounded with
peers and courtiers; on the other hand he did not want to degrade
his high office by a total lack of ceremony that might render the
person of the president ridiculous and the office of president
contemptible.
Washington sought the advice of Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton and
others. Adams thought there should be much ceremony. Jefferson
said there should be none at all. Hamilton favored a simple and
moderate formality. This suggestion Washington adopted.
Today there is a great deal of ceremony connected with the
presidency of the United States. His inauguration is an elaborate
affair. His appearance before congress, his meeting of individuals
and delegations, his travels, social and state engagements are
surrounded with ceremony. We expect that.
How much more necessary is it that there be some ceremony in
our relations and dealings with God? In the Old Testament God
personally gave definite directions about divine worship and
everything connected with it. In the New Testament Christ has
left this up to His Church, although He himself used ceremonies
at times. As a result, the Catholic Church has several official
liturgical books. Chief among them are the Missal, which contains
the prayers and ceremonies of the Mass; the Breviary or divine
office which all in sacred orders are obliged to say every day; the
Pontifical which describes the functions reserved to bishops,
such as the blessing of holy oils, the consecration of churches,
altars and so forth, and the administration of Confirmation and
Holy Orders; the Ceremonial of Bishops, which sets forth the
ceremonies to be observed in cathedrals, collegiate churches, and
to a certain extent in other churches; the Martyrology which
contains a catalogue of the saints of each day with a short
summary of their virtues; and the Ritual which gives the sacred
rites to be observed in the sacraments and other church
functions.
Of this Ritual I would like to speak today. It is the priest's Book of
Rites. It gives the words and ceremonies of those sacraments that
can be given by a priest, and the blessings which the Church
authorizes him to bestow on persons and things.
Emily Post tells us the proper thing to do and say on social
occasions. Mother Church, in her Ritual, tells her priests what to
do, tells them what is proper and prescribed in their work as
mediators between God and man. The Ritual contains the rites of
the sacraments of Baptism, Penance, Extreme Unction,
Matrimony, and of Holy Communion outside of Mass; it has
prayers for the visitation of the sick; it contains about 140 forms
of blessing--for persons, religious articles, animals, food,
machinery--for almost everything man needs and uses.
You generally see the smaller edition of the Ritual, which
contains those portions most frequently used by the priest. This
smaller book can be more conveniently carried on frequent and
distant sick calls, and on other occasions when the complete
volume would be unwieldy. I would like to give you some idea of
the divisions and contents of the complete Ritual:
1. It begins with certain decrees of the Popes and a short chapter
of general remarks on the administration of the sacraments. How
to give the sacraments is then explained, with the prayers and
ceremonies for each. There is a chapter on the visitation of the
sick, with appropriate prayers and selections from the Gospels.
The last blessing and the funeral service are then given. This first
section closes with the sacrament of marriage and the churching
of women.
2. Next come the blessings, some by the bishop only, others by
the priest also. Following these are ceremonies, prayers, psalms
and hymns for various feasts and processions, held for some
particular need. There is an exorcism or ceremony for driving the
devil out of those possessed. Then come directions for recording
marriages, confirmations, baptisms, in the proper parish books.
3. To this Ritual proper are added two appendices and a
supplement. First is a short form for blessing baptismal water;
the ceremony when a priest is permitted to confirm, and to
celebrate more than one Mass on the same day; a number of
Litanies and blessings.
4. The second appendix comprises additional blessings, and a
short supplement for priests in this country.
Although we have described on other Sundays many of the
blessings bestowed by the Church, we would like to point out the
variety and suitableness of the Ritual prayers. So numerous are
these blessings that we must make a general classification:
a. The blessings of persons includes, for example, the
blessings of pilgrims, of throats, of sick adults, of expectant
women, and of happy young mothers. There are blessings of
children of all ages and conditions.
b. Several of the blessings refer to religious articles: for a
cross, a church, an organ, for bells, cords, pictures, statues and
rosaries.
c. Another class of blessings is given to buildings: churches,
schools, libraries, printing presses, homes--old and new.
d. There are prayers for bread, birds, beer, and almost every
article found on the table.
e. We find blessings against tiny mice and tornadoes, for
automobiles and typewriters. And then, to be sure that nothing is
overlooked, Mother Church provides a blessing for all things,
which can be used for anything not listed in her official books.
Try to understand and respect these official prayers of Mother
Church. Amen.
ROSARY
"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." St. Luke, 1:28.
Dr. Recamier was a celebrated surgeon and society leader, who
died in 1849. One day he called upon the Count Malet, a cavalry
officer who had become a priest. The Abbe Malet was slightly ill
and the doctor prescribed for him. As Recamier was about to
leave he suddenly replaced his hat and cane on the table and
exclaimed:
"I almost forgot something important."
"What is that?" asked the priest.
"I met with a misfortune," answered the doctor, "a misfortune that
you can remedy."
"Well, let us hear it," said the sick priest.
"It is a fracture," exclaimed Recamier, "that you will know
perfectly how to mend--a slight operation I beg you to perform."
With that the illustrious physician drew from his pocket a Rosary.
A young medical student present at the time could not conceal
his consternation at this proof of Recamier's piety. Recamier--the
trusted physician of kings and princes, Recamier--whose
reputation reached every corner of Europe--did he say the
Rosary?
The doctor noticed the youth's amazement. He turned to the
young man, smiled, and explained:
"Why, of course I say the Rosary. The Pope recites it. When I am
uneasy about one of my cases, when I find that drugs are
powerless, I address myself to Him who can cure anything and
everything. Only I have recourse to diplomacy. The number of my
occupations leaves me no time to pray as I should, so I take the
Blessed Virgin for my intercessor. On my way to my patients I say
a decade or two of the beads. There's nothing more easy, you see.
I'm seated quietly in my carriage, I slip my hand into my pocket
and I begin a conversation. The beads are my interpreter. Now, as
I employ this interpreter somewhat often, he is weak and worn;
so I have requested the Abbe Malet here to examine him, to
diagnose his case, to perform an operation--in a word to cure him
for me."
The priest laughed and took charge of the broken beads.
The practice of counting prayers on beads is as old as
Christianity. St. Paul, the first hermit, who lived in the fourth
century, recited three hundred "Our Fathers" daily, using little
pebbles to count them. In time these counters were strung on a
cord for convenience, and were called Pater Nosters.
The Rosary is also called the beads. The word "bead" is from the
Anglo-Saxon word "bead" which means prayer. Beads are of
different color, material, shape and size. The variety of Rosaries
is almost without limit. Can we not see in this a spiritual
significance? Just as the graces and blessings won through
devotion to this powerful and popular sacramental are practically
unlimited, so the form of the Rosary is greatly varied.
May we tell you again how to say this prayer. Strictly speaking, all
that is essential is to say an Our Father and ten Hail Marys for
each decade. In the full Rosary that would mean fifteen decades;
in the five-decade, which is more common, the Our Father and
ten Hail Marys are to be said five times.
In our country the more common method is to make the sign of
the cross over oneself with the crucifix of the Rosary. After the
Apostles' Creed, one recites an Our Father and three Hail Marys,
usually announcing: "For an increase of faith, hope and charity."
These preliminaries are not essential. And now for the essentials
and a word about various methods:
1. After the first mystery is announced, pray one Our Father and
ten Hail Marys, thinking about that scene from the life of our
Blessed Mother. Often 'Glory be to the Father, etc.' is added; it is
not essential.
2. Instead of the mere names of the mysteries, many use books
with prayers before and after each mystery. This little meditation
at the announcement of each mystery is helpful to those who
have difficulty in getting a clear picture of the scene from
Scripture, or in keeping it in mind.
3. In some countries, especially among the Germans, there is the
custom of adding a few words to explain the mystery after the
Holy Name of Jesus in the Hail Mary. Thus they will add after the
word Jesus in each Hail Mary: "Whom thou, O Virgin, didst
conceive of the Holy Ghost." "Who didst rise from the dead."
To gain the Rosary indulgences the prayers must be said on a
blessed set of beads, held in the hand, in the usual way. When
said by a group, with some saying one part of each prayer and
others answering, it is sufficient if one person, the leader, hold a
Rosary. Those saying the Rosary together may perform light
handwork in the meantime. Religious often do this.
I recall one woman asking whether she could say the Rosary
while milking cows. We know it is impossible to hold the beads
while milking. Rome answered that problem by declaring:
"If on account of manual labor or any other reasonable cause the
faithful are hindered from holding the Rosary in their hand
according to the prescribed form, they can gain the indulgences
attached to it provided that when saying the prescribed prayer
they carry the Rosary in any manner on their person."
Accordingly, you can say your Rosary while driving or washing
the dishes or cleaning house. In fact, you can and should say the
beads anywhere and everywhere.
This rich sacramental of Mother Church, this favorite devotion to
our Blessed Mother, is the source of many spiritual favors. Mary
has promised that the Rosary will save the world. Pray it alone;
pray it in groups; pray it as a family. Wear out your beads by
frequent use of them, as did the famous Dr. Recamier. Amen.
ST. CHRISTOPHER
"The steps of man are guided by the Lord." Proverbs, 20:24.
You would hardly expect a salty sea captain, especially a non-
Catholic skipper, to gush over a saint. Yet, the master of the giant
liner, Queen Mary, gave St. Christopher the lion's share of credit
for docking the huge steamship at New York in October of 1938,
without the help of tugs.
With no tug available, because of a strike, Commodore Robert
Irving, master of the Queen Mary, brought the mammoth ship to
dock in a thrilling display of what the newspapers called
"judgment, seamanship and nerve."
Non-Catholic Irving explains it:
"The weather conditions were ideal. It was high water and there
was no wind. Even then I did not feel so certain about it, when I
was swinging the Queen Mary toward the pier from the middle of
the river. Then I took out my little gold medal of St. Christopher,
the patron saint of travelers, which I always carry in my pocket
on a small chain. I looked at his kindly face and asked:
'Shall I do it?'
"And it seemed the saint smiled at me and replied:
'Carry on, old man, and you'll do it.'
"And I did."
New York papers praised the prowess of the daring captain, but
he himself gave the credit to St. Christopher, a little statue of
whom he has in his cabin, whose medal he carries with him
always.
This is just one of so many notable instances of heavenly help
obtained through the influence of this third-century saint, that we
cannot question his power to help those who travel. According to
tradition Christopher longed to serve "the greatest prince that
was in the world." His search led him to an old hermit who
assured the big-bodied and big-souled youth that the greatest
prince was Jesus Christ, and that an ideal service would be to
carry people over a dangerous river that had taken the lives of
many.
Among those he carried across was Jesus Himself, who appeared
to our saint in the form of a little child, a Child who became
heavier and heavier as He was carried through the waves. When
the stalwart saint told the little One how terribly heavy He was,
Jesus answered:
"Christopher, marvel not; for thou has not only borne all the
world upon thee, but thou hast borne Him who created and made
all the world, upon thy shoulders. I am Jesus Christ, the King
whom thou servest in this work."
In these legendary words of Christ we see the reason for devotion
to St. Christopher as the Patron of Travelers the heavenly
protector of those who must journey from place to place. This
story explains why he is pictured carrying a Child on his
shoulders. All the assistance which the saints secure for us is
merely part of their service of the Sovereign of heaven and earth.
Just as the wonders which St. Anthony performed on earth,
continue from heaven, so the work of this faithful ferryman
continue from heaven.
He is the special helper of those who ride in automobiles. With
millions more cars on the highways, with millions more drivers,
and millions more chances of crippling and killing crashes, we
need some sort of celestial safety director to keep us from harm.
With the mounting toll of accident and death on our highways,
heaven has to take a hand.
We recommend St. Christopher for the role. In his own right this
third-century martyr has no power to help us, but as a special
friend of God he receives from the Almighty the duty and
privilege of guiding motorists. He who served Christ on this earth
by transporting travelers across a turbulent torrent, continues to
serve Christ by protecting those who place their trust in Christ
and this Christ-bearer.
But do not indulge the too-common presumption that once we
have pinned or sewed a medal or badge of St. Christopher in our
car, or about our necks, or on our watch chain, we can flaunt the
rules of safety and defy the dictates of motoring reason. Someone
has said: "As soon as you speed more than sixty miles an hour, St.
Christopher gets out of the car."
He will not be responsible for needless speeding. Neither will he
be concerned about reckless drivers and road hogs. Sitting beside
you in your car, St. Christopher tells you:
"Observe the traffic rules. Watch the 'Stop' and 'Slow' signs. Be
careful on curves. Watch what you are doing. Know the rules of
the road and keep them. As for the rest, I'll keep you from harm."
Do accidents ever happen to those who carry a St. Christopher
medal? They do. At the same time we know positively of many
miraculous escapes from injury and death, escapes which can be
explained only by some supernatural protection. World War Two
witnessed many such marvelous examples of his protection,
given not only to Catholics, but to Protestants and Jews also.
To those of you who travel, especially by car, I recommend
devotion to this helper on the highway. Place his medal in a
secure place where you can see it--in your machine, about your
neck, on your key or watch chain. Give him a thought and a
prayer as you start on your journey. Pray his protection. Heed his
directions.
Let me give you a snatch from the prayer for blessing an
automobile.
"O God . . . hear our prayers, and bless this car with Thy right
hand; bid Thy angels stand by it, to save and protect from every
danger all those who travel in it."
If you travel much you will do well to honor St. Christopher. His
medal is a sacramental. On that medal is Christ being carried on
St. Christopher's shoulders. Show love and devotion to Christ and
this sturdy saint will be concerned about you. Amen.
SALT
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its strength, what
shall it be salted with? St. Matthew, 5:13.
The Bible records many wonders performed by the Prophet
Eliseus. Among them is one worked in the city of Jericho. There
the prophet healed the waters of a well with salt. Let the sacred
writer tell it:
"And the men of the city said to Eliseus: 'Behold the situation of
this city is very good, as thou, my lord, seest; but the waters are
very bad, and the ground barren.'
"And he said: 'Bring me a vessel, and put salt into it.'
"And when they had brought it, He went out to the spring of the
waters and cast the salt into it, and said: 'Thus saith the Lord: I
have healed these waters, and there shall be no more in them
death and barrenness.'
"And the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word
of Eliseus which he spoke." 4 Kings, 2:19-22.
The people of the Orient also used salt to clean and toughen the
skin of a new-born child, as we read in Ezechiel, 16:4. Strewing
salt upon land meant that it was being dedicated to the gods. The
Jewish law prescribed salt for the sacrifices and for the loaves of
proposition, according to Leviticus, 2:13. In the New Testament
salt symbolizes wisdom, as we read in St. Matthew, S:[13].
Blessed salt is a sacramental of the Church, one rich in meaning
and symbolism. There are two kinds of blessed salt--baptismal
salt and the blessed salt. We might mention five uses of salt in
the ceremonies of the Church:
1. In Baptism the priest blesses some salt and puts a small
amount into the mouth of the child with these words: "Receive
the salt of wisdom; let it be to thee a token of mercy unto life
everlasting."
There follows a prayer in which we ask God graciously to look
upon the person to be baptized--"who tastes this first nutriment
of salt, suffer him no longer to hunger for want of being filled
with heavenly meat."
2. Another salt is exorcised and blessed in the preparation of holy
water for the Asperges that precedes the High Mass on Sunday,
and for use in homes, at weddings and funerals, in blessing
religious articles, and in other ways. Baptismal salt and blessed
salt may both be used repeatedly without a new blessing.
3. The appendix of the Roman Ritual gives a blessing of salt for
the use of animals.
4. Salt is also blessed and mixed in the water, together with ashes
and wine, used in the consecration of a church.
5 Salt may also be used, although it need not be blessed, for
cleansing holy oil from the fingers.
From a material standpoint salt is practically a necessity. The
Roman army allowed each soldier a portion of salt. Later he
received an allowance of money to buy salt. From this comes our
English word 'salary.' In certain parts of Africa and Tibet cakes of
salt have been used as money. In by-gone days salt was offered to
a guest before all other foods; it was a symbol of friendship. That
may be the origin of the superstition that spilling salt is a bad
sign.
Such an important element will also have deep spiritual
symbolism. We will first note its meaning in the baptismal
ceremony:
1. Salt is pungent and biting: this reminds the person being
baptized that as a Christian he must be prepared for sufferings
and trials.
2. Salt dissolves quickly in the mouth: these sufferings will be of
short duration.
3. Salt gives a pleasant taste to food: the one being baptized must
relish, must have a taste for spiritual things.
4. Salt preserves things from decay and corruption: the
corruption of the soul is sin, which is taken away completely by
Baptism.
5. Salt is also a symbol of wisdom: that is what Christ meant
when He said to His apostles:
"You are the salt of the earth." St. Matthew, 5:13.
That is what St. Paul meant when he wrote:
"Let your speech, while always attractive, be seasoned with salt,
that you may know how you ought to answer each one." Col. 4:6.
6. Since it cannot corrupt and even keeps from corruption, salt is
a sign of everlasting life. One can understand how the devil hates
salt, since it is an emblem of eternity and immortality. This
thought is brought out in the blessing of salt for holy water. It
speaks of "salt from which the evil spirit has been cast out for the
health of the faithful, and that there may be banished from the
place in which thou hast been sprinkled, every kind of
hallucination and wickedness, or craft of devilish deceit, and
every unclean spirit."
How fittingly that holy water is used to drive out, by the power of
God, all the evil spirits. That is why you take holy water upon
entering church and make with it the holy sign of the cross upon
yourself. You are washing away, driving away all evil thoughts,
all influence of the evil one, especially while you are adoring the
Holy One in His temple.
Just as that faithful man of God, Eliseus, purified the waters of
the well at Jericho by putting salt into it, so your man of God.
your priest, by blessing holy water with salt and by sprinkling it
on the people as he marches down the aisle of church, drives
away the devil.
This humble yet helpful sacramental of salt must make us realize
anew that Mother Church, guided by God, makes use of the
simplest of God's creatures to be the instruments of God's graces
and helps. Amen.
SANCTUARY LAMP
"Command the children of Israel that they bring thee the purest oil
of the olives . . . that a lamp may burn always, in the tabernacle of
the testimony." Exodus, 27:20.
In one of the wild wastelands of Arizona some years ago there
stood a tiny cabin. In it lived a man who was a friend of man. His
well contained the only drinkable water for miles around. Every
night this friendly fellow would light a lantern and hang it high
on a post before this door, just in case someone needed water.
"Why such waste of time and oil and energy?" people wondered
as they journeyed by.
One sizzling summer night, however, there was a feeble knock at
the cabin door. The owner opened to find a traveler near
exhaustion for want of water. From far away the man had caught
sight of the lantern. With what strength remained he had
struggled toward the light and to the life-giving liquid that let
him live.
Nineteen hundred years ago at a certain Last Supper in a second-
story room the greatest Friend man ever had lighted a lamp
whose flame has been caught up and carried around the world.
That lamp was to lead men to an exhaustless well of spiritual
help and blessing--the Holy Eucharist. Wandering through the
wastelands of the world, men, seeing that light, the light of the
sanctuary lamp, know that there they will find strength and
refreshment for the journey. There the Giver and the Gift are one.
For almost twenty centuries that light has been burning. Mother
Church did not always require a light before the altar where
Christ was tabernacled, but always the symbolism and deep
religious meaning of the light was evident--it stood for Christ.
Where was Christ? In the tabernacle. What could be more
significant of that Presence than the sanctuary lamp?
Here is a sacramental of the Church which has inspired glorious
prose and uplifting poetry. Here is a sacramental that has led
many a soul-thirsty wayfarer to the richest source of spiritual
help. Here is a sacramental that has consoled the sad, spurred the
discouraged, lifted the sinful, and encouraged the virtuous. Here
is a sacramental that deserves particular attention because it
stands sentinel beside the dwelling of the Divine Guest in our
parish church. Here is a sacramental that should be especially
attractive to one who loves his parish church, and loves the One
who makes His home there. That sanctuary lamp represents
Christ, the Light of the world, who has told us:
"I am the light of the world. He who follows me does not walk in
the darkness, but will have the light of life." St. John, 8:12.
Mother Church demands that a lamp burn perpetually before the
tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is preserved. Never,
neither day nor night, may that light remain extinguished. It is
kept there in imitation of the perpetual fire which God ordered to
burn always upon the altar. (Lev. 6:13). It is a perpetuation, with
richer meaning, of the lamp which God commanded to be kept
burning at all times. (Exod. 27:21). It is not only an ornament; it is
a means of worship. It is a mark of honor, a reminder, living,
loving and inspiring, of the presence of Christ. This sanctuary
lamp is so important that Mother Church has very definite rules
regarding it.
One rule is that, if the income of the church permits, more than
one light should burn before the altar of the Blessed Sacrament,
but always in uneven numbers, like three, five, seven or more. In
most churches there is only one. Usually the lamp is suspended
from the ceiling by a chain or rope, or it is hung from a bracket or
placed in a bracket beside the altar. Any kind of durable material
may be used for the lamp.
Because of its rich meaning olive oil is prescribed for this altar
light. Olive oil is a symbol of purity, peace, and godliness. Where,
more than in the presence of Christ, do we find the strength for
purity, the breath of peace, the means to godliness? Conditions of
climate in our country often make it impractical to use pure olive
oil. Accordingly it is permitted to use a mixture containing
between 60 and 65 per cent of pure oil. For good reasons the
bishop may permit the use of some other vegetable oil or even
petroleum. Gas and electric lights are not permitted as
substitutes.
It would be a grave sin for the priest or one responsible for
keeping the light, to leave the lamp unlighted for any
considerable time, say a day or several nights. Should you notice
that the lamp is not burning, tell the pastor or the sisters, or
those in charge. But first be positive that it is not burning.
Much more important is it that you keep the sanctuary lamp
burning in your heart, that you feed and fan the flame that leads
you to the altar, the flame that reminds you of the blessed
Presence.
With St. Augustine we will see in the sanctuary lamp an image of
the three Christian virtues:
1. The clearness of that light is the clearness of faith, which
enlightens our minds, clears up our doubts, and answers all the
questions of concern to man.
2. The dancing flame, reaching ever upward, is an image of
Christian hope, stretching up toward God, aspiring toward
heaven.
3. The warmth of that flame is an image of love, love for the God-
man present on the altar, love toward our fellow human beings,
for love of whom He died, for love of whom He arranged to stay
in all the tabernacles of the world.
Next time you enter your church look long at the lamp in the
sanctuary. Look back to the night when it was lighted. Look
lovingly to the tabernacle whose beacon it is. Look at our Lord. It
is the light in His house. Amen.
SCAPULARS
"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my
God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation."
Isaias, 61:10.
On July 21, 1906, Bill Reilly, an eighteen-year old Catholic
soldier, was decorated by the President of the United States. He
owes his decoration to the scapular which he wore constantly. On
the night of April 10 of the previous spring the two regiments of
General Wood were resting after routing a band of Filipinos. After
this short rest they were to resume the march. They were already
folding their tents, when a wounded horse galloped into the
camp. They examined the animal and found under the saddle a
message:
"Don't depart before daybreak; the Filipinos are lying in ambush."
General Wood took the advice. In the morning his men found
fourteen of his messengers horribly mutilated. Among them was
Bill Reilly. He was still living, though unconscious. His life had
been spared by the Filipinos. Why?
About his neck Reilly wore his scapular. The Catholic Filipinos
out of respect for the scapular spared his life. Reilly was thus
enabled to get the message through that saved the entire
regiment of 2,500 Americans.
The scapular is much more important as a means of saving souls.
It is a popular and powerful sacramental. The scapular is a badge
of religious membership. It consists of two pieces of cloth, one of
which is worn on the breast and the other on the back. The two
pieces are joined by bands or strings passing over the shoulders.
The word is derived from the Latin "scapula" which means
shoulder-blade.
A scapular gives its wearer a share in the merits, prayers and
spiritual benefits of the group whose badge it is. In some cases it
makes the wearer a sort of lay member of some great religious
order.
In some religious orders like the Benedictines and Carmelites an
outer or additional garment is worn. It is called a scapular. It is a
long, wide piece of cloth hanging from the shoulders before and
behind to the shoetops. In the Middle Ages devout lay people
were allowed to become oblates of these orders. That meant they
remained in the world but assisted in many of the monastic
services and shared in the benefits of the order. As a pledge of
this privilege they were permitted to wear the scapular. With
time, and for convenience, this was made smaller.
Today we have the large and small scapular. The former is about
5 by 2-1/2 inches and is worn, for example, by the world-wide
Third Order of St. Francis. The small scapular is about 2 by 2-1/2
inches. The scapular of Mount Carmel is about that size.
There are many general regulations with regard to the wearing of
this spiritual garment:
1. The scapular may be given to any Catholic, even to a baby.
2. It may be given in any place, even in a sick room.
3. It must be worn in such a way that one part hangs on the
breast, the other part on the back. Over the shoulders must be
bands connecting the two pieces of cloth. If worn or carried in
any other way, the indulgences are not gained. It may be worn
under or over all the clothing, or between the under and outer
clothing.
4. When a person has been invested, it is not necessary to bless a
new scapular in case the old one is worn out or lost. The wearer
simply secures a new one and puts it on. However, one usually
has it blessed.
5. The scapular must be worn constantly to share in certain
spiritual benefits. Putting it aside for a short time, like an hour or
a day, will not deprive of the blessings. If put off for a longer
time, one loses all the benefits during that time. The scapular
medal has the same indulgences.
There are about sixteen approved scapulars. The more common
are the white, representing the Most Holy Trinity; the red,
emblematic of the Passion of our Lord; the brown or Mount
Carmel scapular in honor of our Blessed Mother; the black, in
honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary; the blue of the Immaculate
Conception; the brown of the Franciscan Third Order.
Aptly has the scapular been called "The Queen's Uniform." If
earthly kings and queens honor their deserving subjects by
investing them in special orders and companies, if membership
in these orders carries with it special privileges and the right to
wear the distinctive badge of that group, and if that badge or
uniform is respected by all the king's men and all the queen's
women, surely it is most proper and reasonable that the glorious
Queen of heaven and earth, our Blessed Mother, should have
special groups of her faithful children on earth who become
members officially and thus obtain the right to many spiritual
privileges and the right to wear some distinctive garb.
Some idea of the favors possible can be gathered from the prayer
as the priest invests with the scapular of Mount Carmel:
"Receive this blessed habit; praying the most holy Virgin that by
her merits thou mayest wear it without stain; and that she may
guard thee from all evil, and bring thee to life everlasting.... By
the power granted me, I admit thee to the participation of all the
spiritual good works, which through the gracious help of Jesus
Christ are performed by the Religious of Mount Carmel.... May the
Creator of heaven and earth. Almighty God, bless (cross) thee;
who hath deigned to unite thee to the confraternity of the Blessed
Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. We beseech her, in the hour of thy
death, to crush the head of the old serpent; so that thou mayest
in the end win the everlasting palm and crown of the heavenly
inheritance. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
May many of you be like Bill Reilly. May you wear the Queen's
uniform--the scapular--faithfully and thoughtfully. May it be a
means of many graces, the means also of the greatest grace
everlasting life. Amen.
STATIONS
"And bearing the cross for himself, he went forth to the place
called the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him."
St. Mark. 19:17
The French call it "The Holy Road." Not very long, it runs from the
tiny town of Bar de Duc to the mighty fortress of Verdun, Verdun-
-which the German army in World War One wanted to capture at
any cost, Verdun--which the French were determined to hold at
any cost.
When the battle began the railroads were wrecked, and supplies
for the French had to be hauled over the road from Bar de Duc to
Verdun. Day and night for three cruel months 12,000 trucks
rumbled up to Verdun, loaded with soldiers, food, guns and
ammunition. And daily 12,000 trucks rumbled back, loaded with
wounded and weary Poilus. It is said that over this highway, more
soldiers traveled never to return, than over any other road in the
world. It was a road to death; it was a road to sacrifice; but it was
a road to victory. France calls it "The Holy Road."
Christianity also has its holy road, the path over which Christ
carried His cross to Calvary. It is a road to sacrifice, a road to
death, but decidedly a road to victory. At the end of that road
Christ won a complete victory over the enemies of our souls. He
saved us. We Catholics like to think about the holy way that Jesus
walked. The Way of the Cross is our holy road.
Just as the French recall the sacrifices of their heroes whenever
they think about "The Holy Road," whenever they walk along it, so
we think of the sacrifices of our Hero when we stop to think and
pray before the fourteen scenes which mark the principal points
along the path where Christ carried His cross. This devotion is
also called The Stations of the Cross from the stations or crosses
before which it was made. These are usually attached to the
inside walls of every Catholic church. These wooden crosses are
the essential part of the Stations; they must be blessed before one
can gain the indulgence.
The story of the Way of the Cross goes back to the first Good
Friday, when Christ's followers began to tread the very steps He
trod for them. In the early centuries Christians from all over the
world traveled to the Holy Land to visit the spots hallowed by the
footsteps of our Lord, Particularly they wanted to walk along the
holy road where Jesus walked. But when Jerusalem fell into the
fanatical hands of the Moslems, this devotion became dangerous,
difficult, and often impossible. Mother Church decided that the
same devotion could be performed in one's own parish church.
From the very beginning the Franciscans promoted this practice.
It was soon indulgenced by the Holy See, at first only for
Franciscans and groups attached to our Order. In 1726 Pope
Benedict XIII extended the indulgences to all the faithful.
Because for the past seven centuries the followers of St. Francis
have been the official guardians of the holy places, they alone
were permitted for several hundred years to erect the Stations
officially. Today all bishops have this power. With a very special
permission bishops may delegate it to their priests. However, it is
still customary to ask a Franciscan to bless each newly erected
Way of the Cross. There are two reasons for this: the burning love
of St. Francis for the passion of Christ, and the seven centuries of
labor, service, suffering and martyrdom render by the followers
of the Little Poor Man as official keepers of the sacred spots in
Palestine.
Although the number varied through the years, today there are
fourteen stations Most of these are described in the Gospels. A
few are not, like our Savior's falls, His meeting with His Blessed
Mother, and the story of Veronica. These incidents have been
handed down by tradition, a sound source of history.
The Stations may begin on either side of the church. If the figure
of Christ faces the right, the Stations move toward the right. If
Christ faces the left, they start to the left. Sometimes Stations are
erected in the open air.
The indulgences of the Way of the Cross are some of the richest
in the gift of Mother Church. Every time you make the Stations
you may gain a plenary indulgence. A further plenary indulgence
may be gained if the Stations are made on the same day one
receives Holy Communion. Or this plenary indulgence is gained if
the Stations are said ten times in a month, with Holy Communion
received once after completing the ten times.
To gain these graces one is not bound to read a meditation or
prayer at each Station. The following is necessary:
1. One must move from station to station.
2. One must stop at each Station and think for a brief time about
the passion of our Lord in general, or about the scene pictured or
represented.
3. If, on account of the crowd or physical inability, one cannot
move about, it suffices to turn toward each Station slightly. In our
country it is customary for the priest to go around the stations
while the people remain in their pews.
So eager is Mother Church that everyone think of the Way of the
Cross and gain its blessings, that she permits certain priests to
attach the Station Indulgence to a crucifix of solid material. With
such an indulgenced crucifix in hand, when for any reason one
cannot make the Stations in church, the faithful may gain the
indulgences by saying the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be
twenty times--fourteen for the Stations, five in honor of the five
wounds of our Lord, and one for the intention of the Holy Father.
Printed pictures in a prayer book or on a chart cannot be used for
the Way of the Cross.
This Holy Road is a holy sacramental. It gives the spiritually
thrilling experience of walking with our Lord along the road to
Calvary. It helps you think of what He went through for you. It
helps you realize some of the love He showed in dying for you. It
helps you return some of that love. Amen.
STATUES
"Render to all whatever is their due; tribute to whom tribute is due;
taxes to whom taxes are due; fear to whom fear is due; honor to
whom honor is due." Romans, 13:7.
A pastor in the Middle West recently bought a two-foot statue of
St. Joseph for the sisters' convent. When the statue was delivered
he placed it on top of the ice-box temporarily, until he would
have a chance to present it to the good sisters.
The colored housekeeper at the rectory, who is not a Catholic,
was entranced with the beauty of the statue. The assistant pastor
took it upon himself to explain who was represented.
"That is a statue of St. Joseph," he told her. "It is for the sisters'
home. They are especially devoted to St. Joseph, who was the
protector and guardian of the Blessed Mother, the model of all
women religious."
"And is that Jesus he is holding?" asked the housekeeper.
"Yes, that is the Christ-Child," the priest explained.
"St. Joseph was his foster-father. Notice the kindly but strong
features of the saint. Everybody likes St. Joseph."
And then with sincerity she exclaimed:
"I like him, too, even though I just met him."
That image of the head of the Holy Family was serving one of its
principal purposes--to teach, to help instruct. Images have many
other purposes, which we will point out after we have shown the
foundation or reason for having statues at all. They are
sacramentals blessed by Mother Church We have statues of our
Lord, our Blessed Mother and of the saints. These figures in stone
and bronze and marble and even plastic remind us of the holy
people they represent. St. Paul told the Romans to render honor
to whom honor was due. Honor certainly is due to Christ. In a
different and lower degree honor is also due to those heroic men
and women who tried to follow Christ. That is the basis, the
principle for our veneration of the sculptured likenesses. Let me
explain some of the purposes of this practice:
1. With statues we adorn our churches and homes. Go from any
Catholic to any non-Catholic church building, or vice versa, and
immediately you notice the difference. Beauty, a feeling of
companionship and company, are experienced in the Catholic
house of worship. This homelike feeling is due principally to the
Presence of Christ, but the warm life-like statues add to that
considerably.
Even your non-Catholic and your pagan ornaments his dwellings
with products of the chisel. Yes, we even find statues of Catholics
embellishing some Protestant Churches. In the church of St. John
the Divine in New York stands a statue of our own St. Francis of
Assisi.
2. Then we use these sculptorings to instruct. The state and the
city erect statues of Washington and Lincoln to teach patriotism
and loyalty. The Church erects statues of Christ, His Mother and
the saints to teach her citizens loyalty to God.
During the many ages before the invention of printing, from what
did the Catholic study but from the figures of the saints and holy
scenes? My little story of the non-Catholic housekeeper who
learned in a few minutes to appreciate and even to be attracted to
St. Joseph by means of an expressive statue of him, is an example
of the instructiveness of such images.
3. Furthermore, statues spur us on to put in to practice what we
have learned about the people represented. Don't you want to be
more big-souled, more honest, more unselfish, every time you
look at a statue of Lincoln or Washington? Don't you feel a surge
of loyalty to and pride in your glorious United States? Just so,
don't you want to be more modest and pureminded, more
thoughtful of God and of others, every time you see a carving of
Christ and His saints? Who can gaze upon a marble reproduction
of the crucifixion without experiencing the same feeling as the
penitent thief hanging by the dying God-Man? Who ever cast his
eyes upon the sweet face of a Madonna, chiselled in immaculate
marble, and did not wish to share the priceless purity that beams
from her motherly countenance?
Were it not so often repeated we would feel it useless to answer
the charge that the veneration of statues is idolatry. The simplest
Catholic will tell you that he does not worship or adore or in any
way honor the actual marble or stone of that figure. He honors
the one represented. Let Mother Church explain her stand
officially. We quote from the Council of Trent:
"The images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and the other
saints, are to be kept especially in churches. Due honor and
veneration is to be paid to them, not that we believe there is any
divinity or power in them, not that anything is to be asked of
them, not that any trust is to be placed in them, as the heathens
of old trusted in their idols...on the contrary, the honor we pay to
images is referred to the originals whom they represent; so that
by means of images which we kiss and before which we bow, we
adore Jesus Christ and we venerate His saints."
Mother Church stresses the importance of religious atmosphere
and environment, not only in the house of God, but also in the
homes of the children of God. Yet, how many Catholic homes are
barren, totally barren of religious images of any kind. What is the
cause?
It is not ignorance, for you know full well that a little Catholic air
in your home is good for your spiritual health. Catholic
atmosphere makes the home peaceful and happy. The cause is
indifference and thoughtlessness.
Perhaps these few remarks on the usefulness and reasonableness
of statues will induce you to put one or the other in your home,
will lead you to appreciate the beautiful statues we have here in
church, will prompt you to remember more often and more
devoutly the holy people they represent. Amen.
TABERNACLE
"How terrible is this place! This is no other but the house of God,
and the gate of heaven." Genesis, 28:17.
In the history of the Catholic Church in Australia we read this
inspiring story. The first priest to have full ecclesiastical
faculties there was the Very Rev. Father O'Flynn. Bigotry,
promoted by British dislike of the Church, lead to his expulsion.
On the morning he had to leave he gathered all the Catholics in
the home of William Davis at Sidney to offer Mass for the last
time. He was forced to hurry his departure, and as a result left
the Blessed Sacrament behind in a cedar tabernacle.
Day after day for two years the Catholics came to that house to
visit and adore their Eucharistic God. The little house was cared
for like a sanctuary. There was no priest within 6,000 miles, no
priest to give them Communion, no priest to absolve them from
their sins. Daily they prayed for a priest.
After two years their prayer was heard. Two priests finally were
able to come. They found the Sacred Species still in that house--
incorrupt. Today on the site of the Davis home stands the
imposing St. Patrick's Cathedral. In 1928 this edifice was the
center of the World's Eucharistic Congress.
The tabernacle is the center of all Catholic life and worship. No
matter where it is set up, whether in the lowly mission chapel or
in the lofty cathedral, it is the house of our Lord and we honor it.
The Catholics of Sidney loved their Lord in the simple cedar
tabernacle as much as in the costly cathedral.
The tabernacle is the receptacle, the case or cupboard-like box in
which the Blessed Sacrament is kept on the altar. It is made of
wood or steel, with a door or doors opening toward the people.
Its inside is lined with silk, with gold or silverplate, or at least
gilded.
On the outside the tabernacle must be completely covered, if
possible, with a canopy or veil, or at least with a veil hung before
the door. This covering veil gives the appearance of a tent.
Tabernaculum means tent.
1. That meaning goes back into the Old Testament. There the
tabernacle meant the movable tent-like sanctuary of the Hebrews
before the building of Solomon's temple. It is sometimes spoken
of as 'the tent of meeting,' 'the tent of testimony,' 'the dwelling,'
'the house of God,' and 'the sanctuary.'
We must distinguish the tabernacle proper from the tent in which
it was enclosed. The larger enclosure was about 170 feet long and
85 feet wide. In it was the tabernacle proper which was about 50
feet long and about 17 feet wide. These are approximate figures
to give some idea of the proportion. Both the larger and smaller
enclosures were hung with curtains. The tabernacle proper
contained two sections: the western section, called the "Holy
Place," contained the altar of incense, the golden candlestick, and
the table of shewbreads. The eastern section, called the "Holy of
Holies," contained the Ark of the Covenant with the propitiatory
and the cherubim.
The original tabernacle, built by skilled workmen selected by
God, was dedicated on the first day of the second year after the
flight from Egypt. Henceforth, under the special care of the
Levites, it accompanied the Israelites through their wanderings in
the desert. It disappeared about 600 years before Christ.
2. Its place was taken by the much more precious Christian
tabernacle. As late as the Middle Ages there was no universal
custom as to where the Blessed Sacrament was kept. Two things
were always demanded: that the Sacred Host be kept in a secure
place, that it be a clean place. The Sacred Host was kept either in
the sacristy; in a wall cupboard of the choir; in a dove-like pyx
hanging over the altar by a chain; or in a cupboard-like box
placed above the altar.
From the sixteenth century it became more general to keep the
Blessed Sacrament in a receptacle that rose above the altar table.
Today our tabernacles vary in size, shape, color, material and
design. More and more bishops are requiring a solid, burglar-
proof, safe-like box. The key to the tabernacle is the special
charge and care of the priest, who is personally responsible for
its safe-keeping. He is also responsible for the regulations
regarding the decoration and adornment of the tabernacle.
But all tabernacles, no matter how they vary in size and value, are
precious in this that they contain the Lord of heaven and earth.
Here lives the God-Man, body and blood, soul and divinity,
waiting to pour out His blessings upon those who approach Him.
Here is the same Jesus who lived, labored, suffered and died for
all of us. Here is the same Jesus who said the night before He
died:
"This is my body--this is my blood."
Here is the same Jesus who said He would give us Himself as our
food, the same Jesus who said He would be with us to the end of
time.
He has chosen to stay with us in that narrow home. It is a holy
place, It is the most sacred place on earth. It is precious to us in
every way. We can prove our appreciation in two ways
particularly:
1. By visiting our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament as often as
possible. Just as the tabernacle is the architectural center of our
church structure, just as the tabernacle is the center and focus of
all our ceremonies, so it should be the center of our lives. A life
centered about the Eucharist is a godly life.
2. We can show our appreciation of Him who lives here by
deeming it a privilege to contribute to the maintenance of His
church, to the decoration and adornment of His altar home.
May the tabernacle be the center of our thoughts, the center of
our attention while we are in church, especially during Mass, yes,
the very center of our life as Catholics. Amen.
THINGS, BLESSING OF
"And I will make them a blessing round about my hill: and I will
send down the rain in its season, there shall be showers of
blessings." Ezechiel, 34:26.
One of the most impressive and picturesque pageants of the
South is the Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet, held each year at the
beginning of the shrimp-seining season. The ceremony is held in
late July or early August. Hundreds of shrimpers and oystermen
who live and labor along the beautiful bayous and bays of
Louisiana bring their ships to some central point for the blessing
of Mother Church.
The quaint custom goes back to the banks of old Brittany where
the women and children would gather on the shore to pray for
their men-folk as they launched out to sea on their hazardous
tasks. The dangers in Louisiana are less than those of Brittany,
but the custom remains.
On the morning of the big day, as I recall it, the flagship
"Jitterbug" was transformed into an altar of God. On the decks of
their own boats clustered around, hundreds of fishermen and
their families knelt devoutly during the entire Mass celebrated by
Father Ambrose Kroger, a Franciscan priest, superior at the time
of the many missions of the Franciscan Fathers along the levee
from New Orleans to the gulf. From the deck of the "Jitterbug"
Father gave his blessing to all the ships, between 200 and 300 of
them. This same custom is carried out in many other fishing
communities of the French South.
The blessing of ships is just one of many blessings of things
provided by Mother Church. We might tell you something about
this particular ceremony which is a rather elaborate and lengthy
one. The Ritual has a blessing for a ship of any kind and then a
special blessing for a fishing-boat. After reciting Psalm 8, the
priest says this prayer:
"Graciously hearken to our prayers, O Lord, and with Thy holy
hand bless this boat and all who sail hereon, as Thou didst deign
to bless Noah's ark in its course during the deluge. Stretch forth
to them, O Lord, Thy right hand, as Thou didst reach out to Peter
when he walked upon the sea. Send Thy holy angel from heaven
to guard this boat and ever keep it safe from every peril, together
with all on board. And when threatened dangers have been
removed, comfort Thy servants with a calm voyage and the
desired harbor. And having successfully transacted their
business, recall them again when the time comes to the
happiness of country and home. Thou who livest and reignest
forevermore. Amen."
The priest then reads a lengthy excerpt from the Gospel
according to St. John, Chapter 21, verses 1 to 24. The ceremony
concludes with another short appropriate prayer.
This solemn blessing of a fishing-boat will give you some idea of
the pointed beauty of the Church's blessing of things, of
irrational things, if you will, but the things which God has
created, the material things which we are to use in working out
our salvation.
There is a blessing for animals in general, and two blessings for
sick animals; a blessing for bees, for silkworms, and another for
the salt and the oats for animals. Mother Church even calls down
God's favor upon the stable, reminding us that the Son of God
was born in a stable.
Are you interested in the sick? We have a blessing for the linens
they use, for a stretcher, an ambulance, a wheelchair, another for
wine that the sick may need, and still another for medicine.
Are you concerned about the gifts of the table? Mother Church
blesses bread and cakes; she blesses beer and ale; she blesses
cheese and butter and lard. She blesses grapes and meat.
Are you a farmer? You will recall that we spoke about the
Sacramentals of Agriculture. The Ritual calls down a benediction
upon seed, upon fire, upon young crops and vineyards, upon
fields and pastures, upon the granary and the harvest, upon the
mill, the well and the fountain.
You may be interested in industrial things. The Church provides a
prayer for a bell that is not destined for the church or sanctuary,
for a bridge, for a lime-kiln and a blast-furnace, for a railway and
even a special blessing for railway cars.
We have a beautiful blessing for an airplane, for an automobile,
for a fire-engine and for a dynamo. Mother Church goes into the
library and blesses it; she goes into the print shop and blesses
the presses, the typewriters, and the tools we use. The blessing
for telegraph instruments is a lengthy one.
And then, lest she may have overlooked something which her
children use, some object that is unimportant to some, but
valuable and necessary in the eyes of her sons and daughters,
Mother Church provides a blessing for all things, a blessing
which may be used by any priest for the blessing of anything
which has no special prayer in the Ritual. That blessing of all
things is as follows:
"Our help is in the name of the Lord."
"Who made heaven and earth."
"The Lord be with you."
"And with thy spirit."
"Let us pray--
O God, by whose word all things are made holy, pour out Thy
blessing on this creature. And grant that whoever uses it in
accordance with Thy will and Thy law, and with a spirit of
thanksgiving, may experience by Thy power health of body and
protection of soul, as he invokes Thy most holy name. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen."
The priest makes the sign of the cross during this prayer, as he
does in the blessings of the Church, and then sprinkles the article
or articles with holy water.
What thoughtfulness on the part of Mother Church to set aside
these unthinking things, these irrational things, for the sole
service of God! Learn to appreciate and to use intelligently and
lovingly these bountiful blessings of the Church. Amen.
THREE KINGS, BLESSING OF
"All kings of the earth shall adore Him: all nations shall serve
Him." Psalm 71:11.
Boy kings you might call them. They take part in an expressive
ceremony in the city of Cologne, Germany, on the Feast of the
Epiphany, January 6. You will recall that the relics of the Three
Kings who came to worship our Lord are preserved in the
Cathedral of Cologne. Their venerated remains are carried in
solemn procession through the aisles.
After this devotional service, directed to honor the royal three
who honored our Infant Savior, three little boys are dressed in the
traditional garb of the Magi, in all the colors and trappings of the
East. Staff in hand, the trio trudge from home to home,
serenading each with sacred hymns, reminding those within that
thousands of years ago three wise men journeyed over land and
sea to visit and adore the Infant Christ. In return the people load
these little fellows with gifts of sweets and good things of all
kinds. The gifts are in reverse, as it were, but they serve to recall
the precious gifts offered to the Infant Son of God by these men
from afar.
This is a childlike custom. Mother Church also has her official
way of recalling the coming of the wise men. In addition to her
solemn office and Mass of the day, she has provided what is
called the Three Kings' Blessing, also known as the Blessing of
Homes on Epiphany.
This blessing is a significant sacramental, source and means of
many graces and spiritual helps. In certain communities and
among certain nationalities the priest blesses each home. In most
religious houses he blesses each room. At the top of the door in
places thus blessed the celebrant or an assistant writes the
following legend:
19-C-M-B-50
This testifies that on the Feast of the Three Kings who
traditionally are known as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, this
house, this room was blessed. Here is the ceremony:
The priest first blesses the chalk:
"Our help is in the name of The Lord."
"Who made heaven and earth."
"The Lord be with you."
"And with thy spirit."
"Let us pray--
Bless, O Lord God, this creature of chalk, that it may be helpful to
mankind; and grant that through the invocation of Thy holy name
those who use it or who write with it over the doors of their
homes the holy names of Caspar. Melchior, and Balthasar, may
obtain health of body and safety of soul. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen."
As the priest enters the home, he says:
"Peace be to this house."
"And to all who dwell therein."
He continues with this antiphon:
"Wise men came from the East to Bethlehem, to adore the Lord:
and opening their treasures they offered Him precious gifts, gold
for the great king, incense for the true God, and myrrh for His
burial, Alleluia."
Sprinkling the room with holy water and incensing it, the priest
recites the Magnificat--"My soul doth magnify the Lord." After the
Magnificat the priest repeats the Antiphon above. He then prays
aloud the first two words of the Our Father, continuing quietly
until the petition:
"And lead us not into temptation."
"But deliver us from evil."
"All they from Saba shall come,
"Bringing gold and frankincense."
"O Lord, hear my prayer;
"And let my cry come unto Thee."
"The Lord be with you;
"And with thy spirit."
"Let us pray--
O God, who on this day by the leading of a star didst manifest
Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles: mercifully grant that we
who know Thee by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of
the beauty of Thy majesty. Through the same Lord Thy Son Jesus
Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, world without end. Amen."
He recites this antiphon:
"Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy Light is come, and the glory
of the Lord is risen upon thee, Jesus Christ of the Virgin Mary."
There follow the liturgical response to the antiphon just recited:
"And the Gentiles shall walk in Thy light, and kings in the
brightness of Thy rising;
"And the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee."
"Let us pray--
Bless, O Lord, Almighty God, this home, that in it there may be
health, chastity, strength of victory, humility, goodness, and
industry, a fulness of law and the action of graces through God
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that this
blessing may remain on this home and on those who frequent it.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Enter into the spirit of this blessing. Become companions of the
holy kings. All of us would like to have been with them when they
reached Bethlehem and adored our Lord. That joy, that privilege
can be yours on Epiphany, can be yours every day.
The distance to your parish church is not long in miles, but it is
long in excuses and obstacles--real or imagined. Journey there on
January 6, journey there at every opportunity, and you will have
the joy of adoring the same Christ the wise men worshipped. Be
companions of those kings. Amen
VESSELS
"Thou shalt take the oil of unction and anoint the tabernacle with
its vessels, that they may be sanctified." Exodus, 50:9.
Back in 1912 there were labor troubles in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. The National Guard was called to control the situation.
Chaplain of the Guard was Monsignor Dunigan, who said Mass
daily for the Catholic soldiers.
One morning he noticed two elderly Indians in the back row close
to the wall. Next morning they took seats a little closer to the
altar. Next morning they were still closer. They never took their
eyes off the priest. Finally they came to the sacristy after Mass
and asked Monsignor Dunigan if he was the same kind of priest
as the fathers who had come to the Indians long ago. Was his
Church the same Church as theirs? When he assured them that he
was the same kind of priest, they asked him to go with them
alone into the woods. They had a treasure which they wanted to
turn over to him.
They stopped under a large tree, as one Indian explained that
many years before Father Marquette had to leave them to go to an
unfriendly group of Indians. Before leaving he called the elders of
the tribe and entrusted to them his chalice, which was in a case
of cypress wood. If he returned, well and good. If not, they were
to guard it with their lives until they could hand it over to some
father of his Church.
The heroic missionary did not return. That was in 1675. For the
next 237 years those Indians kept their treasure. The chief would
appoint three trustworthy men who alone would know where the
chalice was buried. When one died, the chief appointed another
three, who would hide it anew. Thus the chalice was kept for over
two centuries. Monsignor Dunigan gladly took charge of the
precious treasure.
The faithful respect of those Indians for the chalice which the
saintly and courageous Father Marquette had used, is a model for
the respect which you and I must have for the chalice and all the
other sacred vessels in which we keep the Blessed Sacrament.
Those vessels, whether consecrated or blessed, are sacramentals.
The principal containers for the Eucharist are six: the chalice, the
ciborium, the paten, the monstrance, the lunula, and the pyx. We
would like to say a word about them:
1. The most sacred and important of all is the chalice, the cup in
which the Precious Blood is consecrated during Mass. The priest
uses a chalice because our Lord used one at the Last Supper. In
the early days of Christianity chalices were often made of glass,
crystal, or some precious stone. A chalice is usually from eight to
eleven inches high. It consists of a wide base, a stem with a knob
at the middle, and a cup. The whole may be of gold or silver, or
the cup only. If the church is poor, the cup may be of inferior
metal. In every case, however, at least the interior of the cup
must be gold-plated. It must be consecrated by the bishop.
2. The paten is a round, saucer-like dish of the same material as
the chalice. It is used to hold the bread at the Offertory, and later
to hold the Sacred Host. At least its upper surface must be gold-
plated. It also must be consecrated by the bishop.
A Communion paten is held under the chin of the communicant,
in case some pieces might fall. It does not require a blessing.
3. The ciborium is a vessel which contains the small Hosts used
for the Communion of the people. The word 'ciborium' is from the
Latin word 'cibus' which means food. The ciborium contains the
Food of life. It is shaped like a chalice, but usually larger. The
interior is gold-plated. It must be blessed.
4. The monstrance is used to hold the Host during Benediction of
the Blessed Sacrament, and in processions. The main part is
made up of rays in a circle, coming forth from the center where
the Sacred Host is encased. The rays represent beautifully the
shafts of love coming from our Lord in the Eucharist to the whole,
round world. They also represent the limitless graces that come
to us from the Eucharist.
The word monstrance is from the Latin 'monstrare' which means
to show. It is sometimes called the ostensorium, from the Latin
word which also means to show. The idea is that this vessel
shows the Lord to those who are present.
5. In the center of the monstrance is a receptacle called the luna
or lunula. Luna is the Latin for moon. Lunula means little moon.
This round receptacle is designed to hold the large Host. It is
often glass-encased, or it may be a gold clip which holds the Host
within the permanent glass case in the center of the monstrance.
This is inserted at the beginning and removed at the close of
Benediction.
6. The pyx is a small vessel used in carrying Communion to the
sick. It is really a small ciborium, shaped like a watch case. The
word pyx is from the Latin 'pyxis' which means a box. This pyx,
which can hold several Hosts, is kept in a silk-lined case called a
burse, with a corporal and purificator.
The ciborium, pyx and lunula are blessed. In our country this
may be done by a priest.
In general any and all of these sacred vessels must not be
touched by anyone but a priest or a deacon, except in serious
necessity. If the vessel is empty it may be handled by clerics even
though not in sacred orders, and by those who have obtained
permission, such as those who repair and plate these articles. All
others should use a cloth to prevent direct contact.
From all this we can see the reverent regard we have for these
sacred vessels. As the Indians treasured the chalice of Father
Marquette for two hundred years, so must we treasure the vessels
of the altar all the days of our life. Church support is one means
of showing your respect for the vessels you help to procure.
Above all, you are a vessel, a sacred vessel, when you receive
Holy Communion. Regard your body as something sacred. It will
contain our Lord. Amen.
VESTMENTS
"There they shall lay their vestments wherein they minister, for
they are holy, and they shall put on other garments, and so shall
they go forth to the people." Ezechiel, 42:14.
Among the islands of the southern Philippines is one called
Mindanao. In one of the villages on that island during the late war
there was a Columban missionary by the name of Father J. Noone.
One day Father Noone found an American flyer who had been
shot down over Mindanao, and had parachuted safely into a
swamp. Father brought him to the village and took care of him.
The American airman, a young man from Philadelphia by the
name of Lieutenant Kenneth Dries presented his parachute to the
padre in gratitude for his kindness and hospitality.
From the silk of that parachute some Filipino women in Father's
parish made him a complete set of white vestments for Mass,
together with a cope and humeral veil. These are Father's prize
war souvenirs. Of them he says: "Just the thing for this Philippine
weather."
The sacrifice of that soldier made those vestments particularly
significant, for the garments which the priest wears at Mass carry
us back to the Last Supper and the supreme sacrifice of Calvary.
The vestments are sacramentals. Mother Church prescribes their
color and design, the manner in which the priest puts them on,
and the prayers he must say while doing so. All the vestments for
Mass--the amice, alb, cincture, maniple, stole and chasuble--must
be blessed before they may be used.
1. In preparing for Holy Mass the priest first puts on the amice, a
rectangular piece of white linen with strings attached to hold it in
place. In the middle is a cross which he kisses as he dons and
doffs the amice. The amice reminds us of the veiling of the eyes
and face of Jesus by the Jews when they struck Him and cried:
"Prophesy to us, O Christ! Who is it that struck Thee?"
Another meaning is seen in the words of the priest as he puts it
on:
"Place, O Lord, on my head the helmet of salvation, so that I may
resist the assaults of the devil."
Historically the amice was a covering for the head and neck, worn
like a hood. Indoors it was lowered and thrown over the
shoulders. For the priest it is a sort of spiritual helmet.
2. The alb is a white and wide linen robe reaching from the
shoulders to the feet and covering the entire body. Putting it on
the priest prays:
"Make me clean, O Lord, and purify my heart; that being made
white in the blood of the Lamb, I may deserve an eternal reward."
The alb or tunic was worn in ancient times by all who enjoyed
any dignity. Symbolically it reminds us of the white garment with
which Herod clothed our Lord. It also signifies purity of
conscience demanded for God's priest.
3. The cincture is the cord of linen tied about the waist to hold
the alb in place. The priest prays:
"Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my
heart the fires of concupiscence, that the virtue of chastity and
continence may abide in me.'
This cincture had a practical purpose in the days when long
flowing garments were worn--to tuck it up for working, walking
and running. It also symbolizes the cord that bound our Lord to
the pillar, and the modesty and readiness the priest must ever
show for the service of the Lord.
4. The maniple is a strip of silken cloth worn on the left arm. In
former times it was used to wipe perspiration from the face and
brow. It reminds us of the rope whereby our Lord was led, and
the chains that bound His sacred Hands. It is an emblem of the
tears of penance, and of the beads of perspiration resulting from
the work of the priest and their joyful reward in heaven. This is
the prayer for the maniple:
"May I deserve, O Lord, to bear the maniple of weeping and
sorrow in order that I may joyfully reap the reward of my labors."
5. The stole is a strip of silken material about eighty inches long.
It is three inches wide at the neck and widens toward the ends. It
is worn round the neck and crossed on the breast. Taking it up,
the priest prays:
"Restore to me, O Lord, the state of immortality which I lost
through the sin of my first parents and, although unworthy to
approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I deserve nevertheless to
possess eternal joy."
It was formerly a neck-piece or kerchief, a part of the dress of the
upper classes. Gradually it became the mark of authority for
higher clerics. It represents the cords with which Jesus was tied,
and the cross that was laid on His shoulders. It is the yoke which
Christ said we must take up, the priest's burden of heavy
responsibility. Our Lord promised to make it sweet. The priest
wears it at most official functions.
6. The chasuble is the outer vestment of the celebrant. Originally
it was a cloak completely covering the priest. It was shortened for
freedom of movement, by cutting away the sides. The prayer for
putting it on:
"O Lord, who hast said, 'My yoke is sweet and My burden light,'
grant that I may carry it so as to merit Thy grace."
It is an emblem of the purple cloak worn by our Lord before
Pilate, an emblem of love, which must encircle us completely.
In general Mother Church has retained the form and design of
these garments of the past to remind us continually of the
antiquity of the Mass. It goes back to the time of Christ.
The vestments of Father Noone on Mindanao, made from the
parachute that saved an airman's life, are a continual reminder of
his sacrifice. The vestments of the priest, carrying us back
through twenty centuries, remind us continually of the sacrifice
of Christ upon the cross. How fittingly the priest wears them as
he celebrates the continuation of that sacrifice upon the altar!
Amen
VIGIL LIGHTS
"Watch, then, praying at all times, that you may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that are to be, and to stand
before the son of Man." St. Luke, 21:36.
At the end of this Mass you will notice the server come from the
sacristy and put out the candles on the altar. Puff, and out goes
the light. But do you know that the light of a candle never goes
out? What do I mean? I mean that when you snuff out a candle the
flame disappears, you cannot see it anymore.
But the light of that flame is not out. The light of that candle is
still going on and on and on into space. That is hard to believe,
isn't it? Nevertheless, that is what science tells us.
Let me quote to you the words of an eminent American scientist,
one of the very best in his field, Professor Arthur Compton. He
uses some pretty big words, but we can get the general idea:
"Puff, and the flame is out! Is this the end? What is happening to
the light? The flame was material, made up of atoms and
molecules; but the light is a different kind of thing--
electromagnetic radiation, flying away at tremendous speed. We
know that if the candle was out under the open sky, its light was
streaming into interstellar space, where it will keep going
forever."
Mark those words of this man of science--the light of that candle
will keep going forever. It goes up to join the stars in space. It
never dies.
All the more, if the light of that candle and of every candle will
never die, so the love that lit that candle will never die. There is
one reason for the Catholic practice of using Vigil Lights. You will
notice some of them before the altar of our Blessed Mother, and a
few before the statue of St. Anthony. So often we are asked:
"What are those little red lights burning for?"
Vigil means watch or watching or guarding. A Vigil Light is a
watching light, a light that keeps watching for us while we are
away. A Vigil Light symbolizes the continuance of the prayers
made before the Blessed Sacrament, or before the statue or shrine
of some saint, after the worshipper has been called away by the
demands of daily life.
For example, suppose your mother is sick. Before school or work
in the morning you come here to church to pray for her. You stay
for some time begging our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament to make
your mother well. Then you must hurry off to your books or to
your office. Before leaving you light one of those little Vigil
Lights, after paying for it, of course. Your nickel or dime helps us
keep a supply of these candles. Some burn for 12 or 14 hours.
Those large ones before the altar of Mary will burn for 7 or 8
days. That burning light, that watching light expresses the idea
that you would like to stay and keep on praying God to help your
mother. You can't stay. The Vigil Light stays in your place. It
represents you and your petition. It keeps jumping up and down
and stretching toward God, just as your heart did while making
your prayer.
1. Most of those Vigil Lights are red--red like the warm blood that
is coursing through your veins and heart, red like roses that you
have presented and left with a friend, red like the praying lips of
an innocent child. That light is red like your heart, for it
represents your heart, your heart that throbs with love for Christ
in the Eucharist your heart this is wrung with sorrow or aching
with anxiety or sick with sin.
2. Those Vigil Lights burn continuously. They keep on burning
just as the desire and prayer of our hearts keep on burning. They
burn when the church is crowded with people and they burn
when there is no one present to love our Lord on the Altar. They
burn during the day as the sun streams in through the windows,
and they burn when the lights of the city have been almost
entirely extinguished. Through the long hours of the night they
keep our Lord company. They are a partial fulfillment of our
Lord's command:
"Watch, then, praying at all times." St. Luke, 21:36.
3. Those lights are eloquent. They tell our Lord that the one who
lit them really loves Him. They tell our Blessed Mother that you
want her to watch over you and over your loved ones as
constantly and as lovingly as your little light burns before her.
They tell the saints that we are thinking of them hour after hour.
Those flickering flames are the voices and the lips of the adoring,
the thanking, the begging and the sinful.
4. Vigil Lights are symbols of faith, the faith which tells us that
Christ lives here, the faith which assures us that His Mother and
His saints will intercede for us.
5. Were Vigil Lights able to talk to us they would tell us tales like
these: A sorrowing widow placed me here, when she hurried off
to work in a restaurant to support herself and children. An
anxious mother placed me here to plead God to protect her teen-
age daughter. A sinner put me here to beg God's grace and
strength for a comeback. An expectant mother set me here to ask
God's blessing on herself and her child.
You will find every need of body and soul, every worthwhile
desire of the human heart represented here. Those Vigil Lights
grouped near the sanctuary of Christ remind me powerfully of
the varied crowds that elbowed their way close to Christ when He
walked this earth, each with some request, each with some need,
each with some prayer.
Yes, their light never goes out. Even though the little flame will
die down and disappear, it goes on. Every light in the Catholic
Church is a symbol of Christ, the Light of the World. When He
died on the cross His light did not disappear. It kept going. Father
Faber has put some of these thoughts into poetry:
"O happy lights! O happy lights!
Watching my Jesus livelong nights;
How close you cluster round His throne,
Dying so meekly one by one,
As each its faithful watch has done.
Could I with you but take my turn,
And burn with love of Him and burn
Till love had wasted me like you,
Sweet lights! What better could I do?"
Amen.
TOPICAL INDEX (Sacramentals)
Agnus Dei
Agriculture, Sacramentals of
Altar of Incense, story
Angelus
Angelus Bell
Apostles' Creed
Apostolic Blessing
Arthur Compton, story, Vigil Lights
Ascension and Paschal Candle
Ashes
Asperges
Automobile, blessing
Baptism, Ceremonies of
Baptismal Water
Bells
Benediction
Bill Reilly, story, Scapulars
Bishop Paulinus and Bells
Bishop's Ring
Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Virgin
Blessing Shrimp Fleet, story
Blessings for Home
Bob Feller, story, Home Sacramentals
Boxer Rebellion, story, Funeral Services
Breviary
Candles
Cemetery Blessing
Chesterton, story, Bells
Christ, Passion of
Churching of Women
Cologne, story, Three Kings' Blessing
Colosseum, story, Palms
Commodore Irving, story, Medals
Communion
Confession, Ceremonies of
Confirmation
Copernicus' Telescope, story, and Relics
Cords, Blessed
Corsage, story, Baptism
Crib
Cross, Sign of
Crucifix
Death
Devotions
Devotions, Family
Easter Water
Empress Augusta, story, Agnus Dei
Eucharist, Ceremonies of
Expectant Mother, Blessing of
Extreme Unction, Ceremonies of
Farm Sacramentals
Father Baker, story, devotions
Father Faber, poem, Vigil Lights
Father McDonald, story, Eucharist
Father Marquette's Chalice, story, Vessels
Father Noone, story, Vestments
Father O'Flynn, story, Tabernacle
Font in Church, story, Holy Water
Forty Hours
Franciscans and Way of Cross
French Children, story, Meal Prayer
Funeral Service
German Prince, story, Industry
Gibson Tomb, story, Cemetery
Gray's Peak, story, Paschal Candle
Gregorian Water
Habit, Religious
Hazlitt and Fine Pictures
Holy Childhood
Holy Family and Pilgrimages
Holy Bible
Home Sacramentals
Holy Road, story, Stations
Holy Saturday and Bells
Holy Thursday and Bells
Holy Water
Holy Year, Pilgrimage
Last Supper and Sanctuary Lamp
Libraries, blessing
Life Magazine and Pictures
Lilies
Litanies
Madonna
Marriage Ceremonies
Mary and Churching of Women
Medals
Missal
Mission, Pope's Blessing
Moon Mullins, story, Priest's Blessing
Mount Carmel Scapular
Mystic Candles, story, Candles
Oil of Catechumens
Our Father
Our Lady of Consolation
Palms
Parental blessing
Paschal Candle
Peace, Mass for
Penance
Persons, Blessing of
Peter, story, Pictures
Philip Veit, story, Palms
Picture of Year, story, Oils
Pictures
Pilgrimages
Pope's Blessing
Pope Pius VI, story, Ashes
Pope Pius VII, story, Papal ring
Pope Pius IX, story, Confirmation
Pope Pius XII, story, Blessing
Prayer, Meal
Prayerbooks
Priesthood, Ceremonies of
Priest on bus, story, Breviary
Priest's Blessing
Printing Press, Blessing
Profession, Ring
Prophet Eliseus, story, Salt
Protestant writer, story, Missal
Pursuit pilot, story, Medals
Queen Elizabeth, story, Agnus Dei
Queen Victoria, story, Churching
St. Anthony Lilies
St. Anthony of Padua
St. Athanasius and Meal Prayer
St. Augustine and Sanctuary Lamp
St. Bonaventure and Angelus
St. Christopher
St. Elizabeth Thuringia, story, habit
St. Francis Assisi
St. Francis and Crib
St. Francis and Religious Habit
St. Francis' Statue in Prot. Church
St. Helena and Crib
St. John Vianney, story, Forty Hours
St. Joseph 41; Cord, 33; statue
St. Martin, story, Priesthood
St. Mary Major, story, Crib
St. Thomas, Cord of
Sacramentals, Kinds
Sacramentals and Sacraments
Sacraments, Last
Sailor, story, Prayerbook
Salt
Sanctuary Lamp
Scapulars
Seismograph, Blessing
Seven-year-old, story, Meal Prayer
Sheridan, Mrs., story, Crucifix
Sick, Blessing of
Soldier, story, Extreme Unction
Soldiers, story, Sign of Cross
Stations
Statues
Superstition, story
Tabernacle
Telegraph, Blessing
Tertullian and Meal Prayer
Things, Blessing of all
Third Order Scapular
Three Kings' Blessing
