Palestine

This is a great little video putting the Palestinian, Jewish, Arab conflict over a small patch of land in the Middle East which several religions refer to as "The Holy Land."

Second Week of Advent

The Second Sunday of Advent - and our theme for this week is FAITH.  The Traditional Lectionary has for today's Gospel Matthew 11:2-10 - where St. John the Baptist, from prison through some of his disciples, asks Jesus if He is the Messiah - or are we waiting for another.  Strangely, in my opinion, Jesus does not give a direct answer to St. John's disciples. He merely states: 

"Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me." 

Then after they leave, He turns and confirms He is the One in whom they have been waiting when He says: 

"What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind? But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings. But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold I send my angel before my face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.' " (Giglio, 2017)

So, St. John the Baptist was the one who prepared the way for the Messiah. Blessed are those who are not scandalized by the truth of our Faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

I hope you're having a wonderful Advent Season and if one of your traditions is an "O Tree" (for the O Antiphons, see below), then don't forget to get your tree out this week!  The traditional remembrance of the O Antiphons (and the verses in the Advent Hymn, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel") begins next Sunday, December 17th.

Resources:

Giglio, Deacon John. Second Sunday of Advent. Retrieved            on December 10, 2017 from:  
               http://tridentine-mass.blogspot.com/2017/12/second-sunday-of-advent.html 

O Antiphons:  http://www.traditionalcatholicliving.com/o-antiphons-advent/

Lead Us Not Into Tempation

Pope Francis Asking For A Change to the Our Father?

Pope Francis has stated that the words we say, "...lead us not into temptation," is a poor translation. He favors what the French, Spanish and Italians have already begun changing to, "Do not let us fall into temptation" (Spanish), "Do not abandon us to temptation" (Italian), "Do not let us enter into temptation" (French).

The key word here in the Greek is "eisenènkes" - which literally translates to "do not take us inside." So, while what Pope Francis is proposing may be theologically desirable - it would not be quite accurate to say "lead us not into temptation" is a poor translation - literally speaking, "lead us not into temptation" is the more literal translation. (Kington, 2017).


Found on http://www.lords-prayer-words.com, (n.d.) we find these translations:

The Lord's Prayer 

(Greek)

ΠΑΤΕΡ ΗΜΩΝ Ο ΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΟΥΡΑΝΟΙΣ

ΑΓΙΑΣΘΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΟΝΟΜΑ ΣΟΥ 

ΕΛΘΕΤΩ Η ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ ΣΟΥ

ΓΕΝΗΘΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΘΕΛΗΜΑ ΣΟΥ,

ΩΣ ΕΝ ΟΥΡΑΝΩ ΚΑΙ ΕΠΙ ΤΗΣ ΓΗΣ

ΤΟΝ ΑΡΤΟΝ ΗΜΩΝ ΤΟΝ ΕΠΙΟΥΣΙΟΝ

ΔΟΣ ΗΜΙΝ ΣΗΜΕΡΟΝ

ΚΑΙ ΑΦΕΣ ΗΜΙΝ ΤΑ ΟΦΕΙΛΗΜΑΤΑ ΗΜΩΝ,

ΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΗΜΕΙΣ ΑΦΙΕΜΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΟΦΕΙΛΕΤΑΙΣ ΗΜΩΝ

ΚΑΙ ΜΗ ΕΙΣΕΝΕΓΚΗΣ ΗΜΑΣ ΕΙΣ ΠΕΙΡΑΣΜΟΝ,

ΑΛΛΑ ΡΥΣΑΙ ΗΜΑΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΝΗΡΟΥ.

ΑΜΗΝ.

Transliteration

Pater hêmôn ho en toes ouranoes;

hagiasthêtô to onoma sou; 

elthetô hê basileia sou; 

genêthêtô to thelêma sou,

hôs en ouranô, kae epi tês gês. 

ton arton hêmôn ton epiousion dos hêmin sêmeron; 

kae aphes hêmin ta opheilêmata hêmôn, 

hôs kae hêmeis aphiemen toes opheiletaes hêmôn;

kae mê eisenenkês hêmas eis peirasmon, 

alla rhysae hêmas apo tou ponerou. 

hoti sou estin hê basileia kae hê dynamis kae hê doxa eis tous aeônas; 

amên.

While we can speculate on what an original Aramaic, primary source, may look like - the fact is, we do not have any Aramaic autographs available to us. Eusebius does quote there was such a version in the Early Church, we just have no copies of an original Aramaic version.

From Catholic Answers we find these quotes:

Around 180 Irenaeus of Lyons wrote that

Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching in Rome and laying the foundation of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon his breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia. (Against Heresies 3:1:1)

Fifty years earlier Papias, bishop of Hieropolis in Asia Minor, wrote, 

"Matthew compiled the sayings [of the Lord] in the Aramaic language, and everyone translated them as well as he could" (Explanation of the Sayings of the Lord [cited by Eusebius in History of the Church 3:39]).

Sometime after 244 the Scripture scholar Origen wrote,

"Among the four Gospels, which are the only indisputable ones in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the first was written by Matthew, who was once a publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was prepared for the converts from Judaism and published in the Hebrew language" (Commentaries on Matthew [cited by Eusebius in History of the Church 6:25]).

Eusebius himself declared that

"Matthew had begun by preaching to the Hebrews, and when he made up his mind to go to others too, he committed his own Gospel to writing in his native tongue [Aramaic], so that for those with whom he was no longer present the gap left by his departure was filled by what he wrote" (History of the Church 3:24 [inter 300-325]).

The bottom line here, while the existence of an Aramaic original for the Book of Matthew is quite likely, the oldest extant versions of Matthew we have are in Greek. Speculation on what an Aramaic original might say is purely that - speculation.  According to the Greek, the more literal translation, where St. Jerome translated the Latin "Pater Noster" and the word in Latin is  “inducere,” which means “bring in.” It is from here that we get the English translation we're most familiar with:

Matthew 6:9-13Douay-Rheims 9 Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our (daily) bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.  (BibleGateway, n.d.)

The Douay-Rheims was first published in 1582 and the popular King James Version (KJV) came out 29 years later in 1611. The two versions are virtually identical, except the KJV adds "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever" which was actually a copyist/scribe addition, not found in the Greek (modern and more accurate versions leave this part out).

Taking this all into consideration - one of the reasons stated, "in a TV interview this week, Pope Francis said that the line asking God to “Lead us not into temptation,” or in Italian, “non indurci in tentazione,” should be changed because it has been translated badly" (Kington, 2017). This is not really a good justification for the translation we're all accustomed to is quite literal and accurate.

Another reason Pope Francis gives is the theological meaning. "It is Satan who leads us into temptation - that's his department" (Kington, 2017). I can handle that sort of rationalization, but why? Why would we change the wording which is so widely accepted throughout Christendom (Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant)? 

Can the Pope Unilaterally Change the Mass?

Does the pope have the right/authority to change the wording used in the Mass?  Certainly he does. Wording has been changed many times throughout history, most recently under Pope Benedict XVI where the wording of the Consecration and the Credo were changed (back) to the more literal, accurate and traditional translations (The Consecration went back to "for many" instead of "for all" in the Consecration of the Blood of Christ; the Credo went back to "I believe..." instead of "We believe..."). There were other changes too under Pope Benedict XVI. Even the Novus Ordo Missae itself was not a product of the Second Vatican Council, rather it was a product of Pope Paul VI, several years after the council had concluded. There are several debating points here which I will not get into at this time - the point is, the pope does have the authority to make changes to the liturgy. That being said, local bishops still have authority within their respective jurisdictions to determine which form of the Mass has their licit permission to be said. 

My concluding thought here...  

Even though the pope does indeed have this authority, should he invoke it here on the widely accepted form of the Our Father?

And from a fellow apologist, Jimmy Akin, he has a few choice words on this subject too...  that the media has blown this all out of proportion and that Pope Francis is not calling for a change to the Our Father - it was simply a comment he made in a television interview (in Italian, and he has it linked on his site). Jimmy's point is that we don't need to be all worked up about this. It is largely (false) media hype. (Akin, 2017). I will add though, while Pope Francis may not have made a call to change the Our Father, he has stated his approval for such a change and, as it has been pointed out, the Italian, French and Spanish have already implemented the change he approves of.

---

References:

Akin, Jimmy. (December, 2017). No, Pope Francis is Not
        Changing the Lord's Prayer. Retrieved December 10, 
        2017 from http://jimmyakin.com/2017/12/no-pope-francis-is-not-changing-the-lords-prayer.html 

BibleGateway. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2017, from
         https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2B6%3A9-13&version=DRA

Catholic Answers, (August 4, 2011). Was Matthew's Gospel 
         First Written in Aramaic or Hebrew? Retrieved on 
         December 9, 2017 from                               https://www.catholic.com/qa/was-matthews-gospel-first-written-in-aramaic-or-hebrew

Kington, Tom. Pope Francis suggests rewording the Lord's
         Prayer. The problem? 'Lead us not into temptation'. 
         LA Times, December 8, 2017. Retrieved on December 
         9, 2017 from http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-vatican-our-father-20171208-story.html

lords-prayer-words.com, n.d.. The Lord's Prayer. Retrieved 
         on December 9, 2017 from http://www.lords-prayer-words.com/lord_greek_transliteration_text.html 

Cheeseburger Friday

This Friday, December 8, 2017, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Since this day is a solemnity, the required Friday penance is waved - for there is no penance on a solemn feast day.

Wait, you say? There is no longer a requirement for abstaining from meat on Fridays, right? Well, yes and no. ALL Catholics are still bound by Canon Law to observe penance on ALL Fridays throughout the year, but it doesn't HAVE to be meat anymore. IF you're not going to abstain from meat, then you MUST give up something else equivalent -OR- do a corporal act of mercy, in accordance to what your local ecclesial authority has set forth for your jurisdiction. 

On my pulpit again...  While it doesn't HAVE to be meat that we abstain from on ALL Fridays, it still HAS to be something equivalent. For some cultures fish is more of a staple than other forms of meat, so to give up meat for them is no real penance - and while fish is an acceptable alternative, for such a culture - there is no penance at all in eating fish over beef (or pork, or chicken, etc.). Now, while our penance does not HAVE to be from meat anymore, I say WHY NOT MEAT?! Meatless Fridays have LONG been a badge of honor for Catholics - and pretty much something only Catholics did or do, so unless you have a good reason to abstain from something else, then it should still be abstinence from meat that we observe - EVERY FRIDAY... well again, not THIS Friday, due to the solemnity.

1983 Code of Canon Law (currently in force)

Can 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
Can 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Can 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

Is It a Mortal Sin to NOT Do Penance on ALL Fridays (except when there is a solemnity on Friday)?

The answer here is quite simple - YES!  It is a mortal sin!  Now before you read this article you might be able to claim ignorance, and for it to be a mortal sin you have to first KNOW it is a sin and second, do it anyway. To knowingly and willfully reject a precept of Canon Law IS a mortal sin. Well, now you have read the article - there's no way around this - so for the sake of your own soul, if you have not been observing the Friday penance EVERY Friday, it's not too late to start - and start with meat - but again, not THIS Friday.  Enjoy a cheeseburger, or steak, or pork chops, etc. this week, but NEXT week, be sure to observe that which is REQUIRED of ALL Catholics (those over 14 and under 60).

Happy New Year!

Yes!  It is the First Sunday of Advent - and the first day of the liturgical year!  So, Happy New Year!

This is the the season we prepare for Christmas which was the First Coming of the Messiah... the readings for Mass prepare us for the Second Coming of Christ.

Advent is not Lent, but it is still a time of penance and offering up and mortification. As we make little sacrifices we draw our minds to Christ and can meditate on both the First and Second Coming.

Sacrament and Sacramental

This can be a confusing topic...

Sacraments

What is a Sacrament?  That's a fairly easy one to define as Catholic theology books and catechisms cover it quite well. One such definition we find in the Baltimore Catechism:

Q. 574. What is a Sacrament?
A. A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.
(Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, Lesson 13, 1891)

Sacramentals

However, when it comes to a Sacramental, the definition is a bit harder to pin down. Using the same source as above, we find:

Q. 1052. What is a sacramental?

A. A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and through these movements of the heart to remit venial sin.
(Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, Lesson 27, 1891)

However, the modern Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us this definition:

1667 "Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy."
(CCC 1667,  1992)

Vatican II (1963) puts it this way:

These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments: they signify effects, particularly of a spiritual kind, which are obtained through the Church's intercession. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.

And a more traditional view:

The sacramentals were not instituted by Our Lord, like the Sacraments, but by the Church in order to increase our respect for the latter or to give us special favors. The sacramentals do not produce grace by themselves, but they prepare our spiritual dispositions to receive it.
(Fitzgerald, n.d.)

We can take a bit of an issue with this one since some sacramentals clearly were divinely instituted (by Christ), such as the use of objects/things such as the hem of his garment was used to heal the sick (Matthew 9:20) and exorcism - while the full rite was not explicitly defined by Christ, clearly He did exorcise demons (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-17).

Perhaps the best way to define is to go to the Latin. A Sacrament, according to the Council of Trent, the Latin phrase is: "ex opere operato." The literal translation being, "the work, worked." In other words, it is agent independent for its efficacy - it works automatically (Byrne, 1990, p. 134). Whereas with a sacramental the Latin phrase is "ex opere operantis," which literally means "from the work of the doer." In short, a Sacrament is not dependent upon the state of the recipient. If the proper matter, form and intent is used through the appropriate minister - the Sacrament happens. On the other hand, a sacramental is based on the act of the doer. Blessing ones self with holy water, for example is efficacious, but not necessarily sprinkling someone else with holy water who is not accepting of it (you can chase those "door knockers" all you want and sprinkle them with holy water - the "effect" in that case is - they get wet).

The Sacramentals - a St. John's University Film Strip

   References:

Byrne, E. F. (1990). Work, Inc.: a philosophical inquiry.
        Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

CCC 1667. (1992, October 11). Paragraph 1667. 
        Retrieved November 27, 2017,  from 
        http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1667.htm  
        Promulgated by Pope St. John Paul II

Fitzgerald, C. (n.d.). Don't Forget Sacramentals. 
        Retrieved November 27, 2017, from 
        http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d012rpSacramentals_Fitzgerald.html

Sacramentals - a 1960's Film Strip from St. John's 
        University, retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxBjkin-mBE 

Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. (1891). BALTIMORE        CATECHISM - ON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 
        Retrieved November 27, 2017, from 
        http://www.baltimore-catechism.com/lesson13.htm    
        and from
        http://www.baltimore-catechism.com/lesson27.htm

Vatican II. (1963, December 4). SACROSANCTUM 
         CONCILIUM Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,
         Chapter III, Paragraph 60. Retrieved 
         November 27, 2017, from 
         http://www.ewtn.com/library/councils/v2litur.htm 
         Promulgated by Pope Paul VI


 

No Photos During Mass, Per Pope Francis

Pope Francis expresses his displeasure with those who insist upon taking pictures during Mass.

OK, have I ever taken a photo during Mass?  Yes, I have, but I also try to do so discreetly, and not flaunt my cell phone or camera my head.  Pope Francis has a point. So many times when we should see hands held high in praise of our Lord - we see cell phones held high, snapping pictures or taking videos. Like Pope Francis said, "the Mass is not a show, it is to go and meet the passion and resurrection of our Lord."

Now, I can understand if you're in an historic church and you want to get a picture documenting your trip - but we should refrain from doing so during Mass. Take a picture or two before or after Mass, but during Mass - remember why you are there. If you really want a video of the Mass, there are hundreds of places you can get those. No, it likely will not be THE Mass which you participated in, but it will be the Mass in that same church - and the video was taken discreetly and professionally (and likely not as shaky or out of focus as cell phone videos often are!).

Will you go to hell if you take pictures during Mass? No, not likely, at least not for that reason. However, if your actions are distracting and perhaps even causing another to sin (because now they are angry you for the distraction). In that way, you may be a near occasion of sin for others - which may be a sin for yourself - especially if you are knowingly distracting and/or continue after someone makes you aware of the distraction you're causing.

Article from Catholic Apps:  https://catholicapptitude.org/2017/11/16/pope-francis-no-photography-during-mass-please/