The Fathers Speak

The Fathers Speak – Confession

          In the past, I have occasionally run a feature called “The Fathers Speak.”  This has included quotes taken in context from the Fathers of the Church that demonstrate Catholic doctrine.  I have compiled these and many more such quotes from the first 500 years of Christianity.  The Fathers of the Church are powerful witnesses to Christianity’s Catholicism right from the start.  I hope it will be a powerful apologetic and ecumenical tool.  The document is available for a donation of any size to Aquinas Academy.  It can be accessed by clicking here, or on the image of St. Athanasius near the top of this blog.

Local synod (council) in Antioch – A.D. 341

All who enter the church of God and hear the Holy Scriptures, but do not communicate with the people in prayers, or who turn away, by reason of some disorder, from the holy partaking of the Eucharist, are to be cast out of the Church, until, after they shall have made confession, and having brought forth the fruits of penance, and made earnest entreaty, they shall have obtained forgiveness

St. Athanasius – Letter dating A.D. 338

Therefore let us, performing our vows to the Lord, and confessing our sins, keep the feast to the Lord, in conversation, moral conduct, and manner of life…

St. Augustine – Letter 185 – A.D. 415

But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England – A.D. 731

Note: Cuthbert died in the previous century

And such was Cuthbert’s skill in speaking, so keen his desire to persuade men of what he taught, such a light shone in his angelic face, that no man present dared to conceal from him the secrets of his heart, but all openly revealed in confession what they had done, thinking doubtless that their guilt could in nowise be hidden from him; and having confessed their sins, they wiped them out by fruits worthy of repentance, as he bade them...

Cyprian of Carthage – A.D. 200-270 – Epistle 2

You see, then, brethren, that you also ought to do the like, so that even those who have fallen may amend their minds by your exhortation; and if they should be seized once more, may confess, and may so make amends for their previous sin…

Cyril of Jerusalem – A.D. 315-386 - Catechetical Lecture 1

Put off, by confession, the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit, that ye may put on the new man, which is renewed according to knowledge of Him that created him...

The present is the season of confession: confess what thou hast done in word or in deed, by night or by day; confess in an acceptable time, and in the day of salvation receive the heavenly treasure...

The Didache – circa A.D. 80

…gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that you may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.

St. Jerome – Letter 41 against the Montanists – A.D. 385

Their strictness does not prevent them from themselves committing grave sins, far from it; but there is this difference between us and them, that, whereas they in their self-righteousness blush to confess their faults, we do penance for ours, and so more readily gain pardon for them...

Pope St. Gregory the Great – A.D. 540-604 – Pastoral Rule, Book II (Of the Life of the Pastor)

Yet, when they prepare the patience of their condescension for cleansing the sins of their neighbors in confession, they support, as it were, the laver before the doors of the temple; that whosoever is striving to enter the gate of eternity may shew his temptations to his pastor's heart, and, as it were, wash the hands of his thought and of his deed…

The Baptism of the Lord

The Baptism of the Lord

 

Image from uploads0.wikipaintings.org

This Sunday was the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and liturgically ended the Christmas season.  There is much to be contemplated upon during this feast.  The first is, in looking at the baptism of Jesus, what does it reveal about our own baptism?  The second is the question, Why was Jesus baptized at all?

When we examine the baptism of the Lord, as presented in Matthew Ch. 3, verses 13-17, which we heard at Mass yesterday, we see some telling similarities to our own baptism.  The most obvious, of course, is that it is a water baptism.  When Jesus is baptized, the Spirit comes down in the form of a dove, and the Father’s Voice is heard to say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  (This is also a beautiful early hint at God’s revelation of the Trinity.)

When we are baptized, we receive the Holy Spirit; we become, in fact, temples of the Holy Spirit.  He lives in our souls and brings with Him the gifts that will be strengthened at our Confirmation.  We also become children of God, with souls perfectly pure, containing no stain of original or actual sin.  God at that time could say of us, “This is my beloved son (or daughter), in whom I am well pleased.”

A question that my students sometimes ask is, “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?  John was baptizing people for the repentance of their sins, and Jesus had no sin.  John was telling them to prepare for the Kingdom of God; Jesus was bringing the Kingdom of God.”

John himself, in verse 14, gives voice to this very objection.  I have found two answers to it in the writings of the Fathers of the Church.  The first is that Jesus was not purified by the water, but He purified the water for us.  By His baptism, Jesus sanctified the waters of baptism.  Remember that John’s baptism was not the Sacrament of Baptism.  Jesus would leave that to His Church Himself.

The second is contained to Jesus’s response to John’s objection, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”  John’s baptism was of God.  People would certainly be interested to see whether Jesus would endorse it.  Not to mention that Jesus was the leader of His disciples, and He has left us the perfect example of how to live.  It may not have been necessary for Jesus to be baptized, but it is necessary for us.  He was setting the example for us to follow. 

Imagine the humility of God on display in the act of being baptized.  John was baptizing sinners.  Who was coming to him?  Prostitutes and tax collectors…and the Son of God.  He got into those same waters and underwent the same baptism as we who are sinners.  There is no depth to the humility of God when it comes to love of us.

 

Note:  As always, when I reflect on Scripture, I am forced to remember my own limitations of knowledge and wisdom.  I ask for emails from anyone who has something to add.  

Preparing for Holy Matrimony

Preparing for Holy Matrimony

There was a heart-breaking call recently on Catholic Answers from a woman who wanted to get married, but she and her fiancé had both had previous marriages.  As a practicing Catholic, she wanted to be married in the Church and fully participate in the sacramental life.  However, though her marriage had been annulled, her fiancé was tired of the long and involved process and was unwilling to continue pursuing an annulment for his previous marriage.

The distress in this caller’s voice was clear, and it couldn’t help but elicit sympathy from the hosts or listeners.  It got me thinking about my own marriage preparation.  I knew very well what the sacrament of Matrimony is, and know that my marriage is sacramental, and unbreakable.  But I thought back to my engaged encounter weekend.

There was a lot of talk about communication, finances, conflict resolution, in-laws, etc., but there was almost no talk about what the sacrament of Matrimony is all about, none of the Church teaching on divorce, and nothing on artificial contraception.

Many of the couples were mixed, with one partner a non-Catholic, clearly there for the sake of the Catholic partner.  And yet the weekend did nothing to help them understand what the commitment they were about to make really means.  I wonder how many of the Catholic partners even knew.  They all hoped for a sacramental marriage, but did any understand that such a bond can not be dissolved?  Perhaps this is why there are so many annulments these days. 

I have a priest friend who tells me couples routinely get annoyed at him for the rigors of his marriage preparation.  Oftentimes people simply want to be married in a church.  He says, however, that if someone comes to him to be married in the Church, he is determined that they will have a sacramental marriage and understand what it means.  His goal is to never have any of his marriages annulled. 

That should be, and probably is, every priest’s goal.  And yet, people are routinely coming to the altar of God with no idea what they are really doing.  And often our marriage prep is little help to them.  I remember one couple, in a discussion period, asking about artificial contraception on my weekend, and being told that the discussion that session was about planning the wedding.  Apparently the marriage itself was of little importance.

Now please don’t misunderstand me.  I know there are many very good marriage prep programs.  And often these programs are run by lay people who are doing their best.  They may not really understand the Church’s position, or fear they won’t be able to defend it.  Often I think they fear they might drive a non-Catholic partner away from a Church wedding, and so leave such issues to be dealt with by the Catholic partner in the way he or she finds most prudent.  The intentions, I’m sure, are good, but I fear the results are often disastrous.

This of course brings me back to the caller.  She now, later in life and understanding the sacrament of Matrimony, wants to do it right, but faces a laborious annulment process, which can be very emotional if it brings up old wounds.

Thanks be to God the Church has such a process in order to defend the clear teaching of Christ on marriage (Mt. 5: 31, 32), and ensure people that their subsequent marriages are indeed sacramental.  It is a very difficult role for priests to have to play, though, both emotionally and pastorally, and I’m sure many Catholics are faced with the burden of finding their partner unwilling to persevere.

One should, of course, not get involved until it is clear that both parties are free to marry, but I certainly can not judge anyone on that point. 

As we are sidetracked by the issue of same-sex “marriage,” our attention must not be taken off the catechetical need in the Church to educate people, especially young couples, on the sacrament of Matrimony.  Once we as a Catholic culture reclaim that, we will be a much more powerful voice on the marriage issue to the rest of the world.

12 Reasons Why I Quit Attending Sporting Events

12 Reasons Why I Quit Attending Sporting Events
Something to think about from catholicmemes.com

1. The coach never came to visit me.
2. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
3. The people sitting in my row didn't seem very friendly.
4. The seats were very hard.
5. The referees made a decision I didn't agree with.
6. I was sitting with hypocrites—they only came to see what others were wearing!
7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled on my only day to sleep in and run errands.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches, anyway.
12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

Priests Threatened with Arrest for Celebrating Mass

Priests Threatened with Arrest for Celebrating Mass

 

The military has a shortage of Catholic chaplains.  While 25% of the armed forces are Catholic, only 8% of the chaplains are.  To bridge the gap, the military has contracted with Catholic priests to serve the enlisted men and women.  This has become a problem with the government shutdown, however.

Yesterday was the first Sunday since the shutdown and contracted priests were told they may not administer the sacraments (the Mass, Confession, Weddings, Baptisms, etc.) because their pay had not been funded.  Naturally, the priests offered to perform their duties for free, on a voluntary basis, but were told that if they tried to do so, they faced arrest.

Why this unreasonable and uncharitable position by our government?  I will not speculate on the why, but that the policy is unreasonable seems clear. 

Active duty priests are scrambling as much as possible to fill the gaps, and parishes near military bases are opening their doors to service men and women to ensure their spiritual needs are met.  But the situation has caused plenty of strain, and this article from Catholic Vote details.

It is important that we Catholics contact our members of the Senate (see below) and ask them to put an end to this madness.  It is not even necessary that the activities of the contract priests be funded, only that they be allowed to serve their flock voluntarily without threat of arrest.  Please support our men and women in the military with this simple act of charity.

Update: The House of Representatives has voted (400-1) to allow the priests to celebrate Mass; we await a vote in the Senate.

http://www.catholicvote.org/breaking-news-house-of-representatives-voting-today-to-allow-contract-priests-to-celebrate-mass/

St. John Bosco on Confession

St. John Bosco

on Confession

Image from http://www.papalartifacts.com/saint/77

The following is part of an excerpt written by St. John Bosco about the Sacrament of Confession, recently published by Crusade Magazine, the publication of America Needs Fatima.

There is not the slightest doubt that our faith is being bitterly attacked in these tragic times.  Since the forces of evil will fail unless they can first persuade Catholics to give up Confession, they will direct their major attacks against this wholesome practice.  One who abandons Confession, if left to himself, will sink deeper in sin; like a frail plant exposed to the fury of the winds, he will fall into most deplorable excesses…

Meanwhile, deeply grieved by the harm daily perpetrated against the Church, I urge all Catholics to be brave and steadfast in the Faith.  Yes, dear fellow Catholics, be brave!  Let us cling firmly to the Church founded by Jesus Christ, and to his Vicar, the Pope.  Let us hold fast to the Church that has been persecuted through the centuries but has always triumphed.

'The Greatest Miracle' on DVD

The Greatest Miracle 
on DVD

          An English-language version of The Greatest Miracle is finally available for pre-order on DVD.  Here’s the review I wrote of the film during its brief run in theaters.

          The Greatest Miracle, from Dos Corazones Films (makers of Guadalupe), hit theaters last Friday, December 9.  It is unlike anything else you have seen in a movie theater.  This animated film (also available in 3D) is a theological walk through the Mass.

          The movie follows the story of three main characters, each dealing with personal struggles, who all find themselves at Mass one Saturday thanks to the help of their guardian angels.  It then progresses through the Mass and the characters are inspired to delve into it more deeply as their angels open the doors to an amazing spiritual world they had never really contemplated before.

          The beautiful thing about this movie is that it not only tells the viewer what each of the parts of the Mass is about, it also reveals invisible realities that we are often unaware of when we come to Mass.

When we come to Mass, we don’t just sing a few songs, say a few prayers, and try to think about God for an hour.  We take one step into Heaven.  The Communion of Saints is there, Our Lady is there, the Choirs of Angels are there, and most importantly, Our Lord is there, truly present.

The Greatest Miracle does a beautiful job illustrating all this.  As the Mass progresses, the characters learn how to truly prepare for the Sacred Mysteries, and offer themselves at Mass.  They see angels guiding souls to the Lord.  They watch as Jesus Himself, through the priest, forgives sins in Confession, and offers Himself to the Father, and then to us in Holy Communion.  The connection between the Eucharist and the Cross is powerful.  They see the elevation of a soul from Purgatory as it benefits from a worthy Communion offered by a pure heart.

The format the film uses keeps the audience engaged and successfully integrates the Mass with the stories of the main characters.  It challenges adults to approach Mass with wonder and love, and be conscious of everything that happens there, both seen and unseen.  It will also be an incredible teaching tool for parents and religious educators.  I will certainly be awaiting its video release, but it is worth seeing in the theater while you have the chance.  However, it may be difficult to do with a child, at least a young one, because it would probably need a lot of explaining and lead to a lot of discussion.  Perfect, of course, for home or in a classroom.

The film is not without its flaws.  First, considering we are just adopting the new translation of the Roman Missal, it would have been nice had that been in the movie.  But if you’re already nostalgic for “and also with you,” or “Lord, God of power and might,” you’ll find them here.  Also, there is a part in which we see little devils trying to distract people and keep them from making good Confessions.  That may be a little scary for younger kids.  In one instance a devil even becomes a voluptuous, scantily clad woman in order to tempt a man to lust.  Even with an animated film, those of us trying to guard our senses won’t really appreciate that.  A priest friend of mine pointed out that it was slightly inaccurate demonstrating the moment of transubstantiation, as well.

Still, it is an enjoyable and edifying film.  What’s even more beautiful is that a film whose main purpose is to explain and inspire devotion for the Mass is being shown at mainstream movie theaters.  We can all pray that more Catholic filmmakers will use their talents to honor and serve the Lord.