Author: yuengerwv

I was reading a book that referred to Feminist Theology, what is that?

Over the years there have been various ways scholars have used for reading and interpreting what the Bible says.  These are often called types of criticism or theologies.  Textual criticism, Source criticism, Form criticism, Redaction criticism, Socio-historical criticism, Rhetorical criticism, Liberation criticism, Tradition history criticism, and Narrative criticism are just some of more common methods for scholars to examine the Bible to better understand it.

Feminist theology is typically a form of liberation or socio-historical
criticism which focuses on the opinion that the bible was written by men living in a patriarchal culture to support male dominance.  This was done, they argue, by using male language for God, male language for all humans, making males positive figures while making females unsavory figures who keep men from being holy.  Some argue that historically interpretations of the bible were done in a way that oppressed women, and that the Bible has been used by males as nothing more than a form of gender discrimination and used to suppress women and to eliminate women from positions of authority keeping men in a position of power and dominance.

Feminist theologians, as with practitioners of any of the criticisms, by the way they have challenged previous understandings and have had a generally positive effect on our understanding of Sacred Scripture.  Each of the various forms of criticism has positives and negatives.  As with any particular methodology for interpreting scripture there are those who do a better job than others.  Just as each journalist writing about something they observed, theologians will come away with very different stories, partly based on their agenda, or their personal experiences which flavor how they view what they observed.

As with any art or skill, the quality of the craftsmanship is not usually based on the tool, but on the person who wields the tool.  We need to keep in mind, that while many people have opinions about many things, especially the Bible, not all opinions are created equal.  As with all forms of communication, we need to listen, read, observe and exercise prudent judgment.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven (immediately or through a purification) or immediate and everlasting damnation. (1022)

In the gospel of John, Chapter 6, [New American Bible, revised edition] we read, “Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?””  

This is in reference to the passage where, “Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”

Then we hear that, “As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.”

A person walking away from Jesus is not a new occurrence.  As a pastor, I am always concerned when people walk away from the Catholic faith; some to attend other faith communities, some to simply do nothing.  I am also puzzled that if they truly believed that Jesus is present in the Most Holy Eucharist, how they could go to another faith community that doesn’t have such, or, how they could just walk away from that great gift.  I would pray that anyone with difficulties with me as the pastor, with anyone in the community, or with what our faith teaches, would first come to me and talk so that perhaps the issues they may be experiencing can be resolved.

Where are we in our acceptance of the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist?  Studies have said that up to 50% of Catholics do not believe such.  We have no way of knowing if that is the 50% that never go to church or the 50% that do go to church.  As we celebrate the great gift of the mass, let us ask God to pour into our hearts a greater appreciation for the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.  Let us always treat His body and Blood with the respect it deserves.

I did not write this story but was told it by someone many years ago, hence I am not able to provide credit to the author. I do however think it worth reflecting on.

While walking down the street one day a Senator was tragically hit by a car and died.  His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.  “Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”  “No problem, just let me in,” says the Senator.  “Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”  “Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the Senator.  “I’m sorry, but we have our rules,” says St. Peter.

With that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.  The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course.  In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.  Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.  They played a friendly game of golf and then dined on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.  Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.  They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.  Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, “Now it’s time to visit heaven.”  So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”  The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”  So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.  He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls to the ground.  The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.  “I don’t understand,” stammers the Senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil smiles at him and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning, today, you voted.”

Whenever or wherever or for whomever you cast your votes, please vote wisely.

Why does it take so long, a year or sometimes more,  to obtain an annulment from the church so that I can get married?

I can appreciate the concern and the time issue.  When people decide they want to get remarried, they usually have no desire to wait; they want to do it NOW.  Like healing from a surgery or learning a new language, it has always taken time to process annulment requests.  Unfortunately the number of divorces, even among Catholics, has increased over the years.  This means there are more people requesting a Declaration of Nullity — the proper term — which adds to the volume of work for the tribunal judges.

To understand the time it takes one must understand four things: the first is that in most cases those who serve as tribunal judges do so only part time – most are pastors or have other duties.  For example the head of our Tribunal is also the rector of the Cathedral parish and has the daily duties of anyone serving as a pastor.  Other judges likewise are serving the faithful in multiple capacities.  Thus the time that they spend reading petitions, making requests for additional information, and responding to petitions is in addition to the other duties which also take time.

The second is that there is no “meeting” like in civil tribunals, all of the correspondence takes place through the mail and some people are less swift at responding to letters requesting information.  This is why it is important that all the addresses for everyone involved be accurate.  Returned letters add time.  This is also why it is important for a petitioner to communicate with the witnesses so they will respond in a timely manner.  Sometimes people put the tribunal’s requests for information on the back burner which adds time. In my diocese, to avoid the emotional issues that can happen, the tribunal does not mail out information requests during the Advent season.

The third is the Church’s position on, and support of, valid marriages.  The Church highly values the sacrament of marriage, thus the presupposition in all cases is that ALL marriages are valid until proven otherwise.  This means that the petitioner has to show  moral certitude that a given marriage was not valid.  As with civil judges, tribunal judges use great caution while reading the cases so as to make proper judgments as to the truth of the case.  While everyone has the right to petition for an annulment, no one has a right to receive one. 

The fourth is that if a local judge gives an affirmative ruling the case is sometimes appealed to the next level tribunal.  This means that another judge must review the case, which also adds time.

For more information you are invited to contact me or to contact the tribunal or chancery directly in your diocese. 

Why do we have candles burning in the back of the church by icons and statues?

First it is important to remember that the Church practices use many rich signs and symbols.  Rather than rewrite what someone else has done well, I will defer to Rev. William Saunders. “The History of Votive Candles” from Arlington Catholic Herald in 2003. [I believe the specific link is no longer active]

Before addressing the use of votive candles in particular, we have to appreciate the symbolism of light and the general usage of candles in religious practice. In Judaism, a perpetual light was kept burning in the Temple and the synagogues not only to insure the ability to light other candles or oil lamps in the evening but also to show the presence of God (cf. Ex 27:20-21 and Lv 24:2-4). Later, the Talmud prescribed a lit lamp at the Ark, where the Torah and other writings of Sacred Scripture were kept, to show reverence to the Word of God. (This practice probably influenced our own tradition of having a lit candle near the Tabernacle to indicate the presence of and to show reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.)

Here, as in early Christian times, we light a candle before a statue or sacred image of our Lord or of a saint. Of course, we do not honor the statue or the image itself, but whom that statue or image represents. The light signifies our prayer offered in faith coming into the light of God. With the light of faith, we petition our Lord in prayer, or petition the saint to pray with us and for us to the Lord. The light also shows a special reverence and our desire to remain present to the Lord in prayer even though we may depart and go about our daily business. 
Original source – http://www.catholiceducation.org

When someone becomes a minister in the church is it for life?

The answer depends on what kind of minister you are speaking of, as the Church has many ministries.  In a typical parish there are LITURGICAL ministers: ushers, sacristans, extra-ordinary ministers of Most Holy Communion, lectors, acolytes, altar servers, music ministers, master of ceremonies, deacons, priests, and let us not forget our bishops.  Each liturgical minister serves a particular function in the liturgy, and normally one does not usurp the ministry of another if they are available to serve.  In a small parish one person might supply for several ministries, while in a larger parish there may be sufficient numbers for one person per ministry.

Bishop – consecrated for life
Priest – ordained for life
Deacon – ordained for life
Acolytes – instituted for life by a bishop
Lector – instituted for life by a bishop
Lector (or Reader) – commissioned by the pastor (men and women) most often for as long as willing to serve (must be at least 16 years of age)
Extra-ordinary ministers of Most Holy Communion – commissioned (for 3 years) (must be at least 16 years of age)
Altar servers – are typically commissioned yearly for as long as willing to serve
Music ministers – for as long as willing to serve
Master of ceremonies – for as long as the pastor or bishop desires
Ushers – for as long as willing to serve
Greeters/Hospitality – for as long as willing to serve
Sacristans – for as long as willing to serve

Please be aware that there are many other people involved in NON-LITURGICAL Church ministries: catechists, instructors, youth ministers, home bound visitors, maintenance/janitorial, decorators, office staff, health care, and on and on depending on the size of the faith community and the gifts of the individual person.  Each one could be called a ministry to the greater faith community.

Why do we not say the Creed and Gloria at the daily mass?

The reason is what we call the hierarchy of celebrations.  Just as a 25^th wedding anniversary typically is more of a celebration that the 23^rd anniversary, so too the liturgical year has days that have greater solemnity.  It doesn’t mean that any given mass is less than another; it just means certain ones celebrate something of more significance than others.  Our highest or most solemn celebration is Easter, followed by Christmas.  From there we go to regular solemnities, of which Sunday is always a solemnity.  Going down the ladder we then have Feast days, obligatory memorials, optional memorials, and filial or ordinary days.
Typically on Feast days the Gloria is added to the mass and on Solemnities the Gloria and the Creed are both added.  In addition on weekdays normally there is only the first reading and the psalm before the Gospel, while on Feast days and Solemnities there are two readings plus the psalm before the Gospel.  So like anniversaries, while all are of value and best not forgotten, some of the Church’s celebrations have greater significance or solemnity.

I am confused about Mortal sins versus Venial sins versus Capital sins can you help?

I will do my best.  The confusion is a common one as we struggle with adult decisions in today’s world and the various moral opinions voiced by those in Church leadership.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves.”  It further states: “Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.” (1033)
Mortal sin is a sin that, “destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.” (1855)

“For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.””(1857)  “Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice.” (1859) 
“Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: “Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.”[132] The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.” (1858)
Thus a mortal sin is different from a venial sin.
“Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul’s progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. “Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.” (1863)
2539 Envy is a capital sin. It refers to the sadness at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly. When it wishes grave harm to a neighbor it is a mortal sin:
1866 Vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose, or also be linked to the capital sins which Christian experience has distinguished, following St. John Cassian and St. Gregory the Great. They are called “capital” because they engender other sins, other vices. They are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

According to the Church’s command, “after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.” Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession. (1457)

I was recently upgrading my computer and am amazed how quickly things have changed and certain things that were once NEW are now OLD.  Such can be the case with our faith life.  How well do you know your faith?  While the Faith has not changed, sometimes how it is articulated can change for better clarification of what we believe.  Periodically checking the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) can be a wonderful way of updating ourselves by increasing our knowledge and our ability to articulate our faith when people ask us questions.

The CCC aims at presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church’s Tradition. Its principal sources are the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the liturgy, and the Church’s Magisterium. It is intended to serve “as a point of reference for the catechisms or compendia that are composed in the various countries”. (CCC 11)

While the CCC is intended primarily for those responsible for catechesis: first of all the bishops, as teachers of the faith and pastors of the Church. It is offered to them as an instrument in fulfilling their responsibility of teaching the People of God. Through the bishops, it is addressed to redactors of catechisms, to priests, and to catechists. It will also be useful reading for all other Christian faithful. (CCC 12)
The plan of the CCC is inspired by the great tradition of catechisms which build catechesis on four pillars: the baptismal profession of faith (the Creed), the sacraments of faith, the life of faith (the Commandments), and the prayer of the believer (the Lord’s Prayer).