The 24th and Last Sunday After Pentecost

Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year!  Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent! What are some of your Advent family practices?

In the Extraordinary Rite, the Gospel is a lesson and teaching of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. So we end the year with the end of the world, and next week we start the new year with anticipation of His First Coming.

In the Ordinary Rite, today was the celebration of Christ the King, which is similar to the ancient tradition since with the Second Coming, He will return in glory and as King!

Shavuot Ends

Today marks the end of Shavuot - the Celebration of Weeks on the Jewish calendar which is directly tied to Passover. We commonly refer to this as "Pentecost" which is "50 Days" (7 weeks) after Passover, or for Christians - Easter. The Jewish Shavuot had as one of its original meanings - the feast of the harvest - the first fruits. Also, in the oral tradition of the Jews Shavuot, being 50 days after the Passover, was celebrated as the day Moses presented the people of Israel with the Torah - or perhaps the 10 Commandments.

The bottom line for Christians is, it was for Shavuot that Jews from all over the world were gathered in Jerusalem. When the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles and they began speaking in other tongues, it was in the native tongues of all these people from around the world! They all heard the Apostles speaking in THEIR language!

Thousands would convert to the Catholic Church that day as the Apostles, filled with the courage of the Holy Ghost preached, fearlessly, the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church!

 It is Pentecost! The birth of the Catholic Church! Come Holy Ghost, Creator blessed, and in our hearts take up Thy rest!

Scripture of the Week

From my professor:

 Here is some scripture for motivation this week!

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." -1 Corinthians 16:13

I reply:

With this Sunday being Pentecost Sunday, we are reminded of the Holy Ghost descending upon the Apostles, filling them with the courage to speak to the crowds whom they had previously been hiding from. When we stand firm in the faith, we have security in knowing the Holy Ghost is with us too, so we need to be courageous and strong, as St. Paul encourages us.

Thank you for this verse and the encouragement to remain courageous and strong!

As we reflect upon how we spent our Eastertide, now that it is drawing to a close, ponder on what we accomplished, and what we could have done better so that we can be better prepared for next Eastertide. Some of that preparation we need to incorporate into our daily walk as we go into ordinal time. It is all part of the process of becoming more Christlike - or saints.

 

AMDG,

Scott<<<

Pentecost Sunday - The Birth of the Catholic Church

 

It was on this Sunday, in 33 A.D., the Catholic Church is born! The Apostles gathered together to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Weeks (50 days after Passover - which is where we get the name "Pentecost" as in pente = 50) and the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary, witnessed as tongues of fire upon their heads.

So Why Red Vestments for Pentecost?

It is widely known that red is the color of martyrdom, and is the color of the vestments for the feast day of a martyr, but why red on Pentecost? Well, there are at least two reasons red is the appropriate color for Pentecost, first and foremost - red is also the color for fire, and the fire of the Holy Ghost is represented in the red vestments. Secondly, it is truly an apostolic holy day (holiday) and since most of the 12 Apostles (all but St. John) died as martyrs, the red color of martyrdom is also appropriate.

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church! 

Nearly 2000 years strong!

The Season After Pentecost

 ...is drawing to a close! Well, we still have nearly 2 months to go - but it's already October! Advent, the start of the liturgical year, is right around the corner. I know - it's a bit early, but it is this time of year I do start thinking and prepping for Advent (the season BEFORE Christmas) and then the Christmas season, which begins on December 25th and runs through at least Candlemas (Feb. 2nd). 

Still in school here - but will try to post more as I can. Some of my papers I think will also make good articles for Qui Locutus - so maybe school work will have some double-duty in the near future!

Also - Yahoogroups, where we have hosted our email forums, is shutting down completely in December. I know it hasn't been very busy in the forums - but that is something I do not want to let go of - and when school is finished, I want to put more effort into rejuvenating them. If you have any suggestions for good solid forum discussions - post a comment and let me know.

Cordially,

Scott (CathApol) Windsor<<<

PS - I have restarted the forums, and they are getting quite a few visitors (stats at the bottom of the home page) but not many posts from guests. Please check out the new host of the Catholic Debate Forum:

https://catholicdebateforum.freeforums.net/

Happy Birthday Catholic Church!

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church!

How Old Is Your Church?

Year -- Church --- Started by ----- Where?
33 -- Catholic -- Jesus Christ -- Jerusalem

1054 - Orthodox - Catholic Bishops - Constantinople

1517 - Lutheran - Martin Luther - Germany

1521 - Anabaptist - Storch & Munzer - Germany

1534 - Anglican - Henry VIII - England

1536 - Mennonites - Menno Simons - Switzerland

1555 - Calvinist - John Calvin - Switzerland

1560 - Presbyterian - John Knox - Scotland

1582 - Congregational - Robert Brown - Holland

1609 - Baptist - John Smyth - Amsterdam

1628 - Dutch Reformed - Michaelis Jones - New York

1648 - Congregationalist -Pilgrims/Puritans - Massachusetts

1649 - Quakers - George Fox - England

1693 - Amish - Jacob Amman - France

1717 - Freemasons - Mason from 4 lodges - London

1739 - Methodist - John & Charles Wesley - England

1774 - Unitarian - Theophilus Lindey - London

1784 - Methodist Episcopal - 60 Preachers - Baltimore, Maryland

1789 - Episcopalian Samuel Seabury - American Colonies

1800 - United Brethren - Otterbein & Boelin - Maryland

1827 - Disciples of Christ - Thomas & Alexander Campbell - Kentucky

1830 - Mormon/LDS - Joseph Smith - New York

1836 - Church of Christ - Alexander Campbell & Warren Stone - Kentucky

1844 - Seventh Day Adventists - Ellen White - Washington, NH

1844 - Christadelphian (Brethren of Christ) - John Thomas - Richmond, VA

1865 - Salvation Army - William Booth - London

1867 - Holiness (Methodist) - United States

1874 - Jehovah's Witnesses - Charles Taze Russell - Pennsylvania

1879 - Christian Science - Mary Baker Eddy - Boston

1895 - Church of God in Christ - Various Church of God groups - Arkansas

1850-1900 - Church of Nazarene - Various - Pilot Point, TX

1901 - Pentecostal - Charles F. Parham - Topeka, KS

1906 - Pentecostal - Azusa Street Revival (Seymour) - Los Angeles, CA

1902 - Aglipayan - Gregorio Aglipay - Philippines

1914 - Assembly of God - Pentecostalism - Hot Springs, AZ

1914 - Iglesia ni Christo - Felix Manalo - Philippines

1917 - Four Square Gospel - Aimee Semple McPherson - Los Angeles, CA

1961 - United Church of Christ - Reformed and Congregationalist - Philadelphia, PA

1965 - Calvary Chapel - Chuck Smith - Costa Mesa, CA

1968 - United Methodist - Methodist/United Brethren - Dallas, TX

1972 - Harvest Christian Greg Laurie - Riverside, CA

Last Day of Eastertide

Happy Easter!

Though Eastertide ends with Pentecost, you have one more week to fulfill your Easter Duty*, this week is your last chance this year!

Pentecost, 

the birthday of the Catholic Church!
(see Sunday's blog entry).

There is some confusion on "the end of Eastertide" and when is the last time we can fulfill our "Easter Duty" (to receive Eucharist at least once during Eastertide). The Easter Season officially ends with the Vigil of Pentecost on the Saturday before Pentecost Sunday. However, in the United States, and perhaps elsewhere, there is an indult (special permission) which extends the time period to receive Eucharist through Trinity Sunday (the First Sunday after Pentecost).   (See Fr. Gantley's answer on EWTN site.)

Precepts of the Catholic Church

Keep in mind, these are the MINIMUM requirements...

1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor. 
   
   We must “sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord” (Sunday), as well as the principal feast days, known as Catholic holy days of obligation. This requires attending Mass, “and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.”
2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year. 
   
   We must prepare for the Eucharist by means of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). This sacrament “continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness.”
3. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season. 
   
   This “guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.”
4. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church. 
   
   “The fourth precept ensures the times of ascesis (rigorous self discipline) and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.” See below for more about fasting & abstinence.
5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church. 
   
   “The fifth precept means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.”

Fasting is reducing the amount of food you eat below normal levels. Specifically, on fast days you may eat one full meal and two smaller meals, but those two smaller together should not exceed the amount of the normal meal. Snacking is also prohibited on fast days.

All Catholics age 18 to 59 are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. You are excused from fasting if you have a legitimate need to eat a normal amount of food on fast days. This includes:

• The sick or infirm, including handicapped or mentally ill people who need the nourishment or cannot make a free choice to fast
• Pregnant or nursing women
• Some manual laborers

Abstinence means not eating meat (fish is not considered meat in this case). All Catholics 14 and older are required to observe abstinence on these days:

• Ash Wednesday, Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), and all Fridays in Lent.
• Outside the U.S., this is required on all Fridays of the year, in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday.
• In the U.S., it is still strongly recommended to observe Friday abstinence outside of Lent, but Catholics may choose to substitute another penitential practice or act of charity for these days. 
• The point to remember is this is not optional to either abstain or choose another penitential practice or act of charity. 
• Be consistent! It doesn't mean much if you change the practice every week.

Do I need to make confession as part of my Easter Duty?

Well, not if you are already in the state of grace. Canon 988 does not state a timeframe for going to confession - only that it must be done if one is in mortal sin. Canon 989 while providing the timeframe of "at least once a year" does not explicitly state during Eastertide. Receiving the Eucharist, however, is mandated by Canon 920.2 at least once per year and during Eastertide (paschal time). Again, if one is already in the state of grace (no unconfessed mortal sins) then reception of the Eucharist during Eastertide (Easter Duty) does not require confession. If one is in mortal sin then they must go to confession before receiving the Eucharist - SO - if one has not kept up with all the other precepts of the Church (which is a mortal sin) or is outside the state of grace, then in order to fulfill the Easter Duty of receiving the Eucharist they would have to go to confession first.

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church!

Pentecost Sunday marks the birth of the Catholic Church!  The day the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles in the Upper Room (Acts 2:1-12). From this event forward, the Apostles began their "Great Commission" (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 14:23) to "go forth into the whole world making disciples of all nations..." with a newfound courage and fury.  They came out from the Upper Room speaking the languages of all who were there for the Jewish celebration of Pentecost. Jews were in Jerusalem from all around the world for this pilgrimage and they each heard the Apostles preaching in their own languages! Truly remarkable for a bunch of men who never left the Palestine area. 

This feast day is celebrated in both the Eastern and Latin Churches in much the same way:

The holiday - or "holy day" - actually is rooted in Jewish tradition. The Festival of Weeks, or Shavuot, which was originally a harvest festival. It was to be celebrated fifty days after the celebration of unleavened bread (Passover) when a new grain offering was to be made. 

We get the name "Pentecost" from Greek speaking Jews who used the term "pentekostos" for the fiftieth day.

The Irony
While many other Christian churches/communities celebrate Pentecost NONE can claim the direct apostolic succession which can be found in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Churches. Most non-Catholic Christian groups were born sometime after 1517AD (October 31, 1517 is when Luther nailed the 95 Thesis to the door of the Catholic Church in Wittenberg and most Protestants view this as the birth of Protestantism) or shortly thereafter when King Henry VIII separated the Catholic Church of England from the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Protestantism took Europe by storm though several bastions of Catholicism remained and still remain to this day. The point of irony here is that if Catholicism is false then Jesus would have waited over 1500 years to build His Church, as He promised He would do (Matthew 16:18-19). He also promised the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, would come to His Church and stay with His Church until He returned again in glory (John 14:15-19). Well again, on Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles. So, either Catholicism is true - or Jesus was a liar. 

It Is Pentecost Sunday!

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church!

It is today that we celebrate the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin, and they go forth into the world, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  From the time of the Resurrection (Easter) until the Ascension Jesus remained with the Apostles, teaching them what they needed to build His Church, upon which they were the foundations.  Of all the "churches" of the world, only Catholicism and Orthodoxy can trace their roots all the way to the Apostles and Christ through valid bishopric succession.  No other "church" can validly make this claim!

"Ever Ancient, Ever New", Happy Birthday to the Church!

What a wonderful celebration of our Faith and the awesome gift of the Holy Spirit.  We trace the beginning of the one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to this moment in time.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.  And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.  Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.  At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.  They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?  Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?  We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”  (Acts 2:1-11; NAB)

[Courtesy:  Catholic Global Network--https://www.facebook.com/CatholicGlobalNetwork
and Catholic Memes--https://www.facebook.com/CatholicMemebase]

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church!

Today we celebrate Pentecost - the birth of the Catholic Church!  

The Holy Ghost descends upon the Apostles on Pentecost - and as they "went out" and preached, starting with this day, the Lord added to the number of believers daily (Acts 2:47).  St. Peter, our first pope, stood out as the leader and spokesman for the Church that first Christian celebration of Pentecost (Acts 2:14).

Pentecost also marks the end of Eastertide and begins the ordinal (counting, not "ordinary") days between Pentecost and the "New Year" of the Church - which is Advent.

If you have not made your "Easter Duty" by this time, all is not lost.  Get yourself to Confession as soon as you can (you do not want to remain in mortal sin - separated from Saving Grace) and continue to observe the "Sunday Obligation" from here on out.

Godspeed, my friends.
Scott<<<