In This Issue:
December, 2007
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
100 Oak Dr. South
Lake Jackson, Texas
LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
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In This Issue: |
Part Five: Reformation and Counter-Reformation
Reacting to what he felt were abuses in the church, Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. He had hoped to initiate a debate on the sale of indulgences, which he held to be wrong, but was disappointed when no one accepted his challenge. However, copies of his papers were circulated throughout Germany, which gained great attention and helped usher in the Protestant Reformation.
Twenty eight years later, in 1545, 30 bishops gathered in Trent, Italy for an ecumenical council to address the results of the Reformation that had divided the church worldwide. Lasting 18 years, Trent created reforms affecting the pastoral life of the Church. They sought to clarify church teachings and declared that Scripture and Tradition are foundational for the church, denying that faith alone is sufficient for salvation - that hope and charity are also necessary. The Council reaffirmed the number of Sacraments at seven, the Real Presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist and that the sacrifice of Christ is made present in the Mass, among many other issues that were addressed. The bishops also called for a renewal of the liturgy and in1570, Pope Pius V published the new Roman Missal which would become a standard book for the celebration of Mass for the Western Church. With the Mass text in Latin, the Tridentine Mass (named for Trent) would be the norm until the Second Vatican Council. The rules for liturgical behavior of the priest (rubrics) were clear and not subject to misinterpretation, while the people were not expected to participate, and became reverent spectators.
The altar was placed against the wall that was lavishly decorated, with the Tabernacle resting on the altar and above it was a niche provided for exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. An altar railing separated the people from the sanctuary and a pulpit was often situated near the middle of the church indicating the importance of a sermon, which usually was not about the readings of that day.
Receiving Holy Communion became less and less frequent and it was often not distributed during Mass and sometimes totally apart from Mass, making it seem that Communion was not an integral part of the celebration of Eucharist. The inadequacy of the reform seemed to be because of insufficient knowledge of the history of the Mass and how it evolved from apostolic times, through the age of the early Fathers, when active participation by the people was essential and expected. The Tridentine Mass, however, gave millions of Catholics a sense of identity and of belonging to the universal Church.
Part Six will conclude this series in the next issue.
Monstrance (Latin monstrans, from Monstrare: to show. Also has been referred to as an Ostensorium).
The monstrance is a symbol of the Blessed Sacrament, since it is the sacred vessel which contains the consecrated Host when exposed for Eucharistic Adoration outside of Mass, or carried in procession.
They are usually made of gold- or silver- plated metal with a glass section into which the lunette, containing the Host, is placed so the Host can be seen. Monstrances vary in shape, size and ornamentation - some round, some tower-shaped, and some encrusted with jewels. Extending out from the glassed circle can be a cross or “rays” or both. The Book of the Prophet Malachi, 3:20 (which is read on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, C Cycle) says, “…there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.”
Eucharistic adoration is a devotional expression of faith in the Real Presence. Because the consecrated Host contains the Real Presence, out of respect, the priest's hands do not touch the monstrance as he carries it in procession or for blessing in Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Instead, he uses the Humeral Veil, a long oblong vestment worn over the shoulders and covering the priest's hands while holding the monstrance.
QUIZ
(TRUE/FALSE)
Q. The altar bread dough may not include ingredients other than flour and
water.
(Click here for answers, or scroll down)
That since the Second Vatican Council, Christmas and Easter are the only two feasts remaining on the Church Calendar that have Octaves?
Octaves are the seven days following a feast, with the feast day itself included, thus making it 8 days, which is what octave means. So, Dec. 26th - the Feast of the first to be martyred for the Christian faith, St. Stephen - is the second day of the Octave of Christmas.
Because the 25th of December falls on a different day of the week each year, the Octave days also differ, but there is always a Sunday that falls within the 8 days, and that is how it is referred to; the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas. This year, that Sunday will be the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
The eighth day – which is actually one week from Christmas – is the Octave Day of Christmas, and falls on January 1st and on the secular calendar is New Year’s Day. The Liturgical Calendar refers to it as the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, and is a Holy Day of Obligation.
“When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak
to Him about your spiritual life, gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence.” St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
THE LITURGICAL YEAR
If someone wishes you a “Happy New Year” on Dec. 2nd this year, you might think they are a bit premature, but the Liturgical –or Church- Year begins on the First Sunday of Advent, which is on that date in 2007. The four weeks of Advent prepare us for December 25th, the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Unlike the commercial establishments, the Church does not bring out decorations or Christmas Hymns or Carols until the Vigil Mass of Christmas, and then does not discontinue them on Dec. 26th Christmas is not just one day, but has its own season to celebrate so important an event as the Incarnation.
Even though the exact date of the birth of Jesus is not known, the fact of his birth is what is cause for celebration. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us…” (John 1:14) is one of the most jubilant verses in all of Sacred Scripture, the gospel, the “Good News” and forms part of the prologue of John’s Gospel that is proclaimed on Christmas Day.
The Christmas Season extends through Epiphany – the manifestation of God’s presence to the whole world – and can last about two to three weeks, depending on the dates of the main feasts. The Sunday following Epiphany is usually the observance of the Baptism of the Lord, which forms a kind of bridge that closes the Christmas Season and begins Ordinary Time. By the end of the Christmas Season, we have heard all the recorded events of the Nativity as well as Jesus’ Baptism, which prepared him for his Ministry. The Liturgical color for Christmas is gold or white.
Main Feast Days of Saints
December 2007
December 3 St. Francis Xavier.
December 6 Saint Nicolas
December 7 St. Ambrose
December 8 Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (Holy Day of Obligation)
December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe*
December 13 St. Lucy
December 14 St. John of the Cross
December 25 Birth of our Lord (Holy Day of Obligation)
December 26 Saint Stephen, Proto-martyr
December 27 St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
December 28 Holy Innocents
December 29 St. Thomas Beckett (Fifth Day, Octave of Christmas)
December 30 Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
December 31 Seventh Day, Octave of Christmas
*Although the Blessed Virgin Mary is patroness of the United States under the title Immaculate Conception, she has been named patroness of all of the Americas as Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531, she appeared four times to a poor Indian man, Juan Diego, just outside Mexico City, asking for a shrine to be built there in her honor. As a sign so the Bishop would believe the request came from our Blessed Mother, he brought roses wrapped in his cloak, as she had instructed. When he removed the roses, a painting – of unknown origin - remained on his cloak and can still be seen in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Juan Diego was beatified in 1990 by Pope John Paul II.
ANSWER:
A. True - only unleavened bread made from wheat flour and water in the
preferred form of round wafers may be used. (Code of Canon Law, 924).
Q: How many times in a day may a "Catholic in good standing" receive holy
Communion?
A: Since Vatican II, the Church has allowed Catholics in the state of grace to
receive Holy Communion a second time on the same day, but has
carefully noted the instances when this is allowed.
Although somewhat lengthy, the following is the document where the listing
can be found.
FROM IMMENSAE CARITATIS (Jan. 25, 1973)
2. A MORE EXTENSIVE FACULTY TO RECEIVE COMMUNION TWICE IN ONE DAY
The discipline now in force permits the faithful to receive Holy Communion a second time on the same day:
Over and above those listed, there are other situations of the same type that favor a second communion. The reasons for granting a new faculty therefore must here be set out in detail.
Like a provident mother, the Church has established from centuries-old practice and has received into its Canon Law a norm according to which it is lawful for the faithful to receive communion only once a day. That norm remains unchanged and is not to be disregarded simply for reasons of devotion. Any ill—advised desire to repeat communion must be countered by the truth that the more devoutly a person approaches the Holy Table the greater the power of that sacrament which feeds, strengthens, and expresses faith, charity, and the rest of the virtues. For the faithful are to go forth from the liturgical celebration to do works of charity, religion, and the apostolate “so that what they have received by faith and sacrament in the celebration of the Eucharist, they will hold to by the way they live.”
There may, however, be special circumstances in which the faithful who have already received communion on the same day or in which priestswho have celebrated Mass, attend some community’s celebration. It will be lawful for these faithful and these priests to receive communion a second time in the following situations:
1. at ritual Masses in which the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of
the sick, Orders, and Marriage are administered, as well as at Masses in which
there is a First Communion.
2. at Masses for the Consecration of a Church or an altar, for a religious profession,
for the conferral of a “canonical mission’’
3. at the Masses for the dead on the occasion of the funeral, news of the death, the
final burial, or the first anniversary.
4. at the principal Mass celebrated in a cathedral or parish church on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and on the day of a pastoral visitation; at a Mass
celebrated on the occasion of a major religious superior’s canonical visitation to
a particular religious house or chapter.
5. at the principal Mass at a Eucharistic or Marian Congress, whether international
national, regional or diocesan.
6. at the principal Mass of any kind of meeting, pilgrimage, or people’s mission.
7. at the administration of Viaticum, when communion may be given to the
members of the household and the friends of the sick person who are present.
8. Over and above the cases already mentioned, the local Ordinary is allowed to
grant for a single occasion the faculty to receive Holy Communion twice on the
same day whenever, because of truly special circumstances, a second reception
is warranted on the basis of this Instruction.
(To submit any question on the Mass (Liturgy)
or Eucharist (Sacrament),
click here:
Questions will be answered in next
month’s issue)
Featured
book of the month
The Blessed Eucharist- Our Greatest Treasure
by Michael Mueller, C.S.S.R.
BX 2220-M83 298 Pages Paperback
The object of this book is to make Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist more generally known and better loved. Father Mueller covers every aspect of the Great Mystery of the Altar and sprinkles fascinating stories throughout, describing famous Eucharistic miracles, quoting from Scripture and the Saints, and exposing phony excuses for not communicating frequently.
Brought to you monthly by The Envision Priority Area Team:
Understanding The Mass and Eucharist