This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

Politics and the Devil - (speech from Archbishop Chaput) "...if a citizen fails to bring his moral beliefs into our country’s political conversation, if he fails to work for them publicly and energetically, then the only thing he ensures is the defeat of his own beliefs." 

Veiling in the New Translation - "The last two weeks before Easter are known as 'Passiontide,' and it has been a long standing tradition to place veils over crosses and statues." 

Those Overzealous New Converts - "Overcome with emotion about the upcoming big day, she gushed about how much the Church has already enriched her life."

Love, Sex, and the Cross - "What I had assumed were restrictions on freedom, especially in sexual matters, were actually signposts along the way that marked off dangerous territory, that guided our desires away from those things that are always seductively appealing, but are fleeting, distracting -- and damaging -- so that we could be free to seek the only thing that truly fulfills our desires: union with God." 

 

Girl Altar Servers? - "I think having only boy altar servers is best. Here's why: boys and girls like to do things separately...Boys doing things with other boys and men help them to become men. Girls doing things with other girls and women help them to become women."

Blessed John Paul II: Feast Day and Collect - "October 22 has been chosen as the Feast Day of the soon-to-be-Blessed Pope John Paul II.  The date is the anniversary of his formal inauguration to the papacy in 1978."

Of Saints Celebrities and Superheroes - "In getting to know the saints it seems to me that they are the perfect antidote to the celebrity culture (or should I say cult) that so many in our world fall prey to."

What's a Baby Cost? - "You spend what you’ve got. If you have more, you’ll spend more — and you’ll think you need more. But if you have less, you’ll spend less and you’ll need less. You find other ways to do things besides money...What’s really important in parenting is to let the light of love shine through us as we care for our kids..."

Obama Administraton Castigates Vatican Over Family Planning - "..many medical clinics in Africa...are empty of essentials like penicillin but overflowing with condoms – so many that children have taken to blowing them up like balloons and playing with them as toys."

Holy See to U.N. on Population Control - "This distorted world-view regards the poor as a problem to be commoditized and managed as if they were inconsequential objects rather than as unique persons with innate dignity and worth who require the full commitment of the international community to provide assistance so that they can realize their full potential."

The Mass of Vatican II - "With regard to the Mass we have now two extremes and a moderate position. One extreme position is the kind of informal Mass, all in English, facing the people, with contemporary music, which does not at all correspond with what the Council had in mind. But it is legitimate, it is permitted; it is not wrong. And we have on the other extreme those who have returned, with permission, to the Mass of 1962 and, as others have noted, it is thriving and growing. But it is not what the Council itself specifically had in mind, although it is the Mass of the ages. Then you have the moderates." [I highly recommend this article. It is lengthy...but well worth the read.]

Primitivism and Progressivism - "Instead of judging something by it's age we should judge it according to the greater criteria of whether it is beautiful, good and true."

America the Literal - "...Protestant practicality was woven into the political soul of America." [It's not easy reading a criticism of your own country, but there is truth written here.]

Top choral director calls modern Church music 'ecclesiastical karaoke'  - "Joseph Cullen, choral director at the London Symphony Orchestra, says that since the 1960s there has been a 'glaring lack of sympathy' for 'worthy sacred music.'

God Works Wonders With Wood – A Meditation on the Cross and How God Prefigured It In the Old Testament - "As we draw near to Holy Week, and on this Friday when many of us pray the Stations of the Cross, we do well to meditate on the wood of the cross."

7 Reasons Obama and The Easter Bunny Are Frighteningly Similar - Funny 

For even more reading enjoyment, here's a roundup of posts at Father Z's blog.

Liturgical Thoughts: Praying to the East

If there are two things that stand out most concerning the changes to the Mass after Vatican II, they would have to be the use of the vernacular in place of Latin, and that the priest now faces the people at the consecration. In this post I would like to examine the latter of these…

I grew up post-Vatican II. The only Mass I have ever known is the Novus Ordo, said in English, with the priest facing the people (versus populum). I have never attended a Mass where the priest offered the Holy Sacrifice ad orientem, that is “to the east” – meaning the “liturgical east” or towards the risen Christ who is represented by the rising sun. Traditionally (that is before the Second Vatican Council) Catholic worship had always been conducted with the priest and the people facing Christ together, in the same direction, so that the prayers spoken by the priest are directed to God – not to the people. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, in his book Spirit of the Liturgy, explains briefly this traditional form of worship:

“In the early Church, prayer toward the east was regarded as an apostolic tradition. …[I]t is certain that it goes back to the earliest times and was always regarded as an essential characteristic of Christian liturgy (and indeed private prayer). This “orientation” of Christian prayer has several different meanings. Orientation is, first and foremost, a simple expression of looking to Christ as the meeting place between God and man. It expresses the basic Christological form of our prayer.

“The fact that we find Christ in the symbol of the rising sun is the indication of a Christology defined eschatologically. Praying toward the east means going to meet the coming Christ. The liturgy, turned toward the east, effects entry, so to speak, into the procession of history toward the future, the New Heaven and the New Earth, which we encounter in Christ. It is a prayer of hope, the prayer of the pilgrim as he walks in the direction shown us by the life, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ. Thus very early on, in parts of Christendom, the eastward direction for prayer was given added emphasis by a reference to the Cross. …[T]he symbolism of the Cross merges with that of the east. Both are an expression of one and the same faith, in which the remembrance of the Pasch of Jesus makes it present and gives dynamism to the hope that goes out to meet the One who is to come. But, finally, this turning toward the east also signifies that cosmos and saving history belong together. The cosmos is praying with us. It, too, is waiting for redemption. It is precisely this cosmic dimension that is essential to Christian liturgy. It is never performed solely in the self-made world of man. It is always a cosmic liturgy. The theme of creation is embedded in Christian prayer. It loses its grandeur when it forgets this connection That is why, whenever possible, we should definitely take up again the apostolic tradition of facing the east, both in the building of churches and in the celebration of the liturgy.” [pages 68-70]

Not surprisingly, as Pope Benedict XVI, Ratzinger has been known to occasionally celebrate Mass ad orientem. It seems that the Holy Father strongly encourages (in his writing as well as in his own actions) the celebration of the Mass with the priest facing away from (or more correctly with) the people. It is, as he points out, a part of apostolic tradition and brings a rich symbolism into our worship.

Also it is important to note that Vatican II did not forbid Mass to be celebrated ad orientem. In fact, in this very helpful article on the Liturgy after Vatican II by Fr. Joseph Fessio, publisher of Ignatius Press, we read the following:

“The Council did not say that Mass should be celebrated facing the people. That is not in Vatican II; it is not mentioned. It is not even raised in the documents that record the formation of the Constitution on the Liturgy; it didn’t come up. Mass facing the people is not a requirement of Vatican II; it is not in the spirit of Vatican II; it is definitely not in the letter of Vatican II. It is something introduced in 1969.”

(I encourage everyone to read the entire article for more details about this and other liturgical distortions that came about after the Council.)

Now, none of this means that the typical Mass of today, with the priest facing the people, is illegitimate or not allowed. But it appears that the complete abandonment of ad orientem worship, in favor of versus populum was not the intention of the Fathers gathered at Vatican II. It seems that our current practice constitutes an abrupt break with the traditional form and it removes much of the symbolic richness of the liturgy as celebrated facing with the people.

As far as I can tell, there is nothing standing in the way of any parish priest, on any given Sunday, turning to face away from the people during the parts of the Mass (specifically the consecration) which are addressed to God. If the congregation is properly informed beforehand, it may prove to be an uplifting and spiritually enriching event for him and for the congregation. I read recently of a priest who tried just that. He immediately realized that in facing away from the people he no longer felt like a “performer” with an “audience.” The Mass felt more like prayer to the Almighty, rather than a staged drama in front of spectators. He could more freely pray to God instead of engage a gathered assembly. In other words, the Mass became what it was designed to be…an act of worship.

Put yourself in the place of the priest. It is inevitable when all eyes watch your every move that a priest feels a certain burden to “perform” when celebrating versus populum. But much of that feeling melts away when the priest faces with the people, in solidarity with them, toward the symbolic east…toward the risen Christ. Then Jesus becomes the focal point rather than the priest.

Unfortunately many people react negatively the first time they witness an ad orientem This could certainly be remedied through proper catechesis and by selecting the right Sunday Mass to introduce this practice. Many parishes (such as the one I attend) have more than one service on Sundays, with at least one service featuring a more traditional liturgy. The ad orientem celebration could be limited to this Mass. celebration of the Mass.

Catholic parishes that have re-instituted this ancient practice often report a renewed sense of sacredness among parishioners. When the celebrant turns his back and approaches the altar (facing away from the congregation) there is a palpable sense that something solemn and out-of-the-ordinary is about to occur. The readings and the homily are still proclaimed facing the people, but the moment of consecration is distinctly set apart by the priest’s orientation. He is united with them (all facing one direction) in reverence before God, rather than “putting on a show” as a performer on a stage.

I do not mean to suggest that every Catholic parish ought to revert back to ad orientem worship. A less radical compromise, in congregations where such a switch would not be pastorally prudent, might be to place an altar crucifix on the altar in front of the priest, so that an image of Christ is between him and the people. In this way, all will be facing Christ rather than each other. The image of Christ becomes the “east” to which we look in worship. The important point here being that our worship is directed to God, not to the priest or to the people gathered there. In re-thinking our orientation during Mass, I believe we can all benefit if we realize that God is the focus, and not our fellow parishioners or the priest.

Liturgical Thoughts

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I plan to post a few of my own thoughts on some liturgical matters that I think could be improved upon with some prayerful reflection. To a certain extent, I suppose some of these may be matters of opinion or personal taste. On the other hand, I do believe that there is a solid argument in favor of the positions that I advocate in each of these cases. With the issuance of the new liturgical translations due out this Advent, this may be a good time to reevaluate some of our current liturgical practices. Besides just the words that we speak, there are also gestures, symbolic actions, and music that may be in need of reform. As we adopt the new translation this Fall we may take this as an opportunity to ensure that other areas of liturgy comply with the rubrics and reflect a profound reverence for Sacred Tradition.

Here is a list of the topics I plan to address:

• The orientation of the priest during worship
• The use of Latin
• Holding hands during the Our Father
• Proper musical selections
• Art and architecture

These are just a few topics that immediately come to mind. I may add to this list or change the order, and I may post on other topics outside of this series in the meantime. But each topic from this list will have its own brief post under the title Liturgical Thoughts (which will serve as a title for this series of posts). I do not intend any of these to be exhaustive treatments of the topics at hand, but they will at least give a brief account of what I think could be improved or how we might approach these issues differently than we do now.

I tend to think along "traditional" lines on these matters, but I am in no way an advocate of a complete return to the pre-Vatican II, Tridentine form of the Mass (however, I do favor greater access to this form). As I stated above, these are largely a matter of taste and opinion (though I think the case could be made that some opinions do weigh more heavily than others). As I am not trained in liturgy, I do not have the authority to say what is the correct path to follow. But I do have a pretty strong opinion on these issues, and I would like to convince fellow Catholics to rethink some of the practices we have come to accept as the norm.

For now, check out this post from the blog Roma locuta est. Blogger Jake Tawney tends to agree that the new Missal translation may spur a renewal of the liturgy in general. When the new translation is issued, the rubrics will be published more prominently, in the Sacramentary, where priests are more likely to read and obey:

"Many of these rubrics exist in General Instruction of the Roman Missal in one form or another, which is why I said that the rubrics themselves will not be changing with the new translation.  However, and here is the point, they do not exist in the Sacramentary.**  Having these rubrics printed in the Roman Missal, the very book from which the priest will read the Mass texts, will inevitably bring them to the forefront of his attention.  In this sense, perhaps the new translation will bring a change, not in the rubrics themselves, but in the degree to which they are followed."

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...
 

Do Our Children Belong to Us, or to God? - "...the insidious message at the core of the culture of death: The worth of a new human being is determined entirely by his or her parents. An unborn child is does not have dignity until her parents say she does."

It's a Crying Shame When Babies Aren't Welcome in Church - "...I know there’s the old saying that children should be seen and not heard, but when it comes to church, I disagree."

Parents of Children: Love Them and Let Them Learn Latin - "...children who study Latin outperform their peers when it comes to reading, reading comprehension and vocabulary, as well as higher order thinking such as computation, concepts and problem solving." 

My Advice to Catholic Parents: Don’t Let Your Kids Date Non-Catholics - "...more often than not, mixed marriages (i.e., when a Catholic marries a non-Catholic) are a recipe for serious problems down the road..."" 

On Biblical Interpretation - "...[T]he Bible is not a Book, it is a library of many books from different periods and using different genres. Christians sometimes get asked, “Do you read the Bible literally?” But this is like asking, “Do you read the Library literally?”

 

The Real History of the Crusades - "...the Crusades to the East were in every way defensive wars. They were a direct response to Muslim aggression -- an attempt to turn back or defend against Muslim conquests of Christian lands." See also: Four Myths About the Crusades

The Truth about the Spanish Inquisition -  "From the perspective of secular authorities, heretics were traitors to God and king and therefore deserved death. From the perspective of the Church, however, heretics were lost sheep that had strayed from the flock. As shepherds, the pope and bishops had a duty to bring those sheep back into the fold..."

Friar Who Evangelizes in the Mall - "Many shoppers asked who he was and that led to encounters, some brief, some lengthy. Everyone seemed impressed that a man representing deep matters had set up in a place devoted to fashion, skin products and fast food."
  
New Media Meet-Up - "A meeting for bloggers will take place in Rome on the afternoon of Monday 2 May 2011."


Crunchy Catholicism - "Faith is a trampoline not an easy chair. It's a risk and an investment in which you give all and receive more than you bargained for in return." 
Choosing a Feast Day for John Paul II - "Most beatified popes’ feast days are chosen to commemorate the date they entered Heaven (in John Paul II’s case, that would be April 2nd) and this has applied to almost all beatified popes. "
 

Church demands reforms to Cuban health-care system - [Calls for more privatization - America Beware!] "According to the editor of Palabra Nueva, the depth of Cuba's health-care crisis can be diagnosed from the death of 26 mental patients suffering cold and malnutrition in 2010 at a Havana psychiatric hospital, a case he believes is only the 'tip of the iceberg.'"

On World Health Day Government Wants You to Fund Abortions - "Planned Parenthoodhood is currently receiving over $350,000,000of your hard earned dollars to help them carry out the eugenic dream of their founder, Margaret Sanger,  once a partner to Adolf Hitler’s pre-Nazi regime."


Beyond Pink Ribbon Blues - "...three of the most protective things a woman can do to reduce breast cancer risk: have children earlier in life, refrain from artificial contraception, and avoid induced abortions."


Full page ad exposing Sanger’s racist, eugenic roots - "a full page print ad by the Susan B. Anthony List...highlighting PP founder Margaret Sanger’s roots in the eugenics movement and making the case that the business model of the organization is centered on abortion, not women’s health."


6 of the Most Unexpected Converts - These are pretty surprising...Includes John Wayne(?)


Episcopal Church: Littering is Just Like Crucifixion - "I think it's about time someone took away the fax machine from the Episcopal Church’s office of Economic and Environmental Affairs."

US birthrate falls below replacement level; 41% of births to single mothers

 

On Burning Books - "By burning a Koran, we tell the Muslim radical, 'Here I stand. You shall not pass.' It may not be prudent, it may not be useful, but it is a stand worthy of respect." [I'm not entirely sure what my opinion is on this, but I must admit this is a bold and well argued point presented in this piece.] 

 

Who Portrayed the Best/Worst Jesus? - A review of some of the more famous (and infamous) portrayals of Christ in film and television.
 

Newly 'Discovered' Lead Codices: Fake

The Four Marks of the Church, Part IV

In Parts I, II, and III we have focused on one line from the Nicene Creed which reads:

“I believe in one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic church.”

These are the Four Marks of the Church – One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Thus far we have noted that these identifying characteristics reflect a biblical understanding of the Church and we can use these Marks as a scripturally-based guide to lead us to the true Church of Christ. Scripture tells us we should “test every spirit” to see whether it is from God (1John 4:1). Therefore to discover which church is from God, we must test each church to see whether it fits the description of the authentic Church that Christ established. Applying what we know of the Four Marks we should be able to study the various Christian churches to discover which church fits this ancient description.

1) The Church is ONE

Many Christian denominations claim to be the true Church, yet also insist that any denominational divisions that have happened throughout the centuries are of no consequence to the unity and oneness of the Church. They say that the Church is a “spiritual” reality that transcends the denominational or sectarian differences found between various groups. The problem with this line of thinking is that the differences between the denominations is more than just a matter of style or opinion – there exists serious doctrinal disagreements that have caused harm to the Body of Christ. As we previously concluded, Christ established only one Church, and if that Church is truly one then the Church must be united on matters of doctrine. The division into denominations is opposed to the biblical notion of unity. Any idea of “church” that glosses over denominational divisions or that claims the Church is one in “spirit” but not in “truth” is a false concept of Church.

So where do we find a church that teaches the biblical truth about the one Church?

In matters of Christian unity the Catholic Church is the most outspoken defender. It seems that no other church is more adamant about doctrinal conformity and uniformity. The Catholic Church herself can truly be called one since she is united in her teaching and in her structure (her hierarchy). The Catholic Church is united under one earthly leader, the pope, and maintains a body of teaching that is adhered to by all the local churches in communion with Rome. The Catholic Church is not a loose association of local independent congregations, but truly one Body of Christ, just as we see described in the Bible and the Nicene Creed.

2) The Church is HOLY

As we stated previously, the Church is called holy because Jesus left the Holy Spirit to guide her to all Truth. He said that the Spirit would remain with the Church until the end of time. This means that the Church is assured of teaching correct doctrine. The Spirit will not lead the Church into error; rather Jesus prayed that the Church be “sanctified in Truth.” Furthermore, the Bible describes that Church as “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of truth.” (1Timothy 3:15) And Jesus says that not even the “gates of hell” will overcome the Church. (Matthew 16:18)

Strangely, many Christian denominations claim that the original Church did fail, apostatized, and had to be restored. Some Christian churches claim that the Church does not have authority from the Spirit. They believe in individual interpretation of the Bible, so that each person is a “church” unto him or her self. This is clearly not the biblical understanding of the Church. The Spirit was given to the whole Church so that the Church (not the individual) is the “pillar and bulwark of truth.”

Again we find that the Catholic Church is the staunchest defender of Spirit-led holiness.

3) The Church is CATHOLIC

Many Christian churches have a very limited presence in the world. Some have only one or just a few congregations. While some may have thousands of local congregations, these are often concentrated in one nation or in one region, and are obviously tied to a certain place or culture. Groups like the Southern Baptist Church (which takes its name from a region in the United States) or the Lutheran Church (which is named for its German Protestant founder) are obviously outgrowths of a particular religious movement that is narrow in scope and can be traced to a particular people or nation. They are at best a subset within Christianity.

However, the Catholic Church is truly catholic, not only in name, but in her presence throughout the world and across social and cultural barriers. The word “catholic” means universal. And the Catholic Church has shown herself to be a global Body that seeks followers in all cultures and among all people. There are nearly 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide (far more than any other Christian group) and there is a Catholic presence on every continent (even in countries where being Christian is a crime punishable by death). Just as Jesus said to “go out into all the world,” so the Catholic Church has made herself known in every land and continues to do so.

4) The Church is APOSTOLIC

The Apostles were Jesus’ closest friends and pupils. To them He entrusted His teachings so that they could teach others. In the Bible we read that the Apostles passed on their authority as teachers and leaders to other men who then taught the next generation, and so on. We call this Apostolic Succession. Through Apostolic Succession the Church remains one (since her teachers are bound together in one teaching office); she remains holy (because the authority to teach in the Spirit is passed from one teacher to the next through the laying on of hands); and she remains catholic (as the local churches around the world are ensured that their leaders will be rightly ordained for teaching and administering the Sacraments).

Any church that ordains ministers outside of Apostolic Succession must admit that this vital link has been broken. We must ask: Who has the authority to ordain, except those to whom it has been given? And to whom did Jesus first give that authority? – the Apostles. It is necessary that the Church be Apostolic so that we can be sure that it is the same Church that Jesus established in the First Century with the Apostles as the first bishops.

The only Church that can truly claim this kind of Apostolicity is the Catholic Church. One exception would be the Orthodox Churches. But then we must question the extreme nationalism of the Orthodox. So closely linked are they with particular nations and regions, that while they certainly bear Apostolicity, they lack the Mark of catholicity. Only the Catholic Church bears all four “Marks” of Christ’s true Church, just as Scripture and the Nicene Creed describes them.

In conclusion…

The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has been led by the successors to Peter (the popes), together with all the bishops, in an unbroken chain of leadership throughout history, preaching to all people, and guided by the Holy Spirit, as the one true Church established by Christ. To become a member of the Catholic Church is to share in the fullness of God’s Revelation and be united to Christ as a member of His Holy Body. If the Nicene Creed is a unifying statement of faith for all Christians, then it is in the Catholic Church that this unity is truly realized this side of heaven

The Four Marks of the Church, Part III

In Parts I and II we began examining the Nicene Creed as a fundamental statement of Christian belief and source of doctrinal unity among Christians in the world today. Specifically we have focused on one line from the Creed – “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church.” This passage identifies “Four Marks” of the Church as described by the early Christians who composed the Creed.

Having reviewed the meaning of the first two Marks (that the Church is One and Holy) we now consider the Church as Catholic and Apostolic…

3) The Church is CATHOLIC

The word catholic means “universal” (from the Greek katholikos). By saying that the Church is “catholic” we are recognizing that Christ intended His message for the whole world: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15) So Church is meant to be universal – that is, for all peoples, at all times, and in all generations. Christ’s Church, if she is to be true to Jesus’ command, must actively seek followers around the world: “...make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you...” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus’ Church cannot remain isolated in one nation or region or among only one cultural group, cutting herself off from the rest of creation. This would not reflect the universal (catholic) mission that Christ commanded. The true Church of Christ should be focused on actively carrying out the mission of evangelizing all of creation just as Christ commanded. The true Church must be catholic.

Thus far in our study of the Four Marks, we have a Church that is One, Holy and Catholic. So how do the various Christian denominations stack up?

Well, most of the thousands of Christian denominations we find today do not have a global reach. How can an independent mega-church in Anytown, U.SA., with only one or two locations and a few thousand members be the same universal Church referred to in the Bible and the Creed? Such a church may be one (even as small as it is) and they may certainly strive to be holy (as we all do), but they are definitely not catholic (universal) as Jesus established His Church to be. How can we call a church “catholic” in the truest sense of the word, when it is so exclusively identified with only one nation or one region or even one city or neighborhood and is not striving to “make disciples of all nations”?

Frankly there are many denominations today that have grown up within a certain cultural setting or among a particular people, churches that are rooted in a spiritual movement or even a political movement. Most of these churches are so narrow in scope that it would be impossible to call them universal. Such churches can only represent a very limited expression of Christianity. For this reason it would seem doubtful that any of these are the same Church referred to in the Creed.

In their defense, it might be argued that most of these Christian denominations have sprung up relatively recently, and so have not had sufficient time to reach a global (or catholic) scale. Given enough time they may reach other cultures and peoples and be more truly universal. But therein lays the final blow against them. They are so very new that they cannot possibly represent the true Church. The fourth Mark of the Church demonstrates this point…

4) The Church is APOSTOLIC

By Apostolic we mean that the Church can trace itself to the Apostles, in an unbroken chain of believers throughout history. What began with Christ and His unique mission as God’s Son was passed on in an uninterrupted line of succession, like a torch handed from one to another, down through the centuries, until today. It is the “torch” of Christ’s own Light…

Christ came as a Light to the World. When He ascended into heaven, He established His Church on earth to be the continuing presence of His own divine Light: “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others…” (Matthew 5:14-16) Jesus promised that this Light will not fade or disappear. His light will not be hid beneath a bushel basket, but rather placed on a lamp stand. (Mark 4:21)

The first to bear the Light of Christ were the Apostles. They received it from Jesus Himself and they passed this Light on to the next generation…and then to the next, and so on, throughout history. In every century, from the time of the Apostles to our own time, we should see the same Church, a Light to the world, as a continuous chain of believers in the one Body of Christ. Jesus promised this Church would not fade or be destroyed, but would be passed on from Apostolic Times. Jesus said,  “…I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) Nothing – not even the powers of hell – can destroy the Church.

So to whom did the Apostles “hand on” this Light of Christ? Was a line of succession established for the leaders who came after the Apostles?

As an answer we read Paul’s command to Timothy: “The things which you have heard from me through many witnesses you must hand on to trustworthy men who will be able to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2) We see here that the ministry of authority and leadership in the Church was handed on since New Testament times. The Apostles immediately set about organizing Jesus’ Church, installing trustworthy teachers who would continue their ministry of leadership. Paul instructs Titus in this way: “I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you…” (Titus 1:5) And Paul says that these leaders deserve obedience for “they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing – for that would be harmful to you.” (Heb 13:17)

Now certainly, every Christian denomination has some form of leadership (ministers, preachers, elders), but how many can claim that their leadership traces directly to the Apostles themselves? Most of the thousands of Christian churches can only trace their existence back to some split with another Christian group or denomination. The founders of these churches lived centuries after the Apostles and had no direct link to Apostolic teaching. In fact some churches have only been in existence for ten years, or five years, or even less. Can a church claim to be Christ’s true Church if it was not founded by Christ Himself? Can a church be called the true Church, as described in the Creed and the Bible, if it does not have the mark of Apostolicity?

So now we see that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. In Part IV we will conclude by demonstrating which church bears all four of these Marks as found in the Nicene Creed and Holy Scripture.

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

No Divine Person? No definable personhood. - "What about intrinsic human dignity? If there really is a purely reason-based and natural argument for such a thing — which I personally doubt — the idea at least has never, anywhere, dawned upon a whole nation except through Christianity."

Bringing the Whole Family to Mass - "Before I had children, I would spend silent, focused time in prayer. Holy Mass was a sweet time where I could savor and delight in God’s Presence. It was confusing to me at first to find the situation so altered. I was still to get to Heaven but God was allowing a lot of gooey and colorful distractions to complicate my journey to that final goal..."

Vatican Tells United Nations Human Sexuality Not an 'Identity', Defends Moral Truth - "The Archbishop insisted that 'denying the moral dimension of sexuality leads to denying the freedom of the person in this matter, and undermines ultimately his/her ontological dignity.'"

Dem: Medical Choices Must "Come From Government" - Control is the end goal. It always was and always will be for big government thugs."

The Index of Forbidden Books - "The guidance that the Church gives the faithful today is couched in terms that are not only broader; they are also worded positively rather than negatively. In other words, instead of telling us which books we cannot read, the code contains several canons explaining who has the right to authorize the publication of books that we can."

The Court of Paris. An Assessment - "...in order to understand better the vision of Benedict XVI that lies behind the Court of the gentiles, one must reread the final part of the speech that he gave on September 12, 2008 in Paris, at that same Collège des Bernardins which was the setting of one of the encounters in recent days"

Thirty Years Ago: When President Reagan Was Shot - "Ronald Reagan’s religion was at the crux of his crusade for freedom and against a very real evil. And for Reagan, it was a bullet fired 30 years ago this week, March 30, 1981, that provided sharp clarity to that sense of direction and purpose."


How Modern Art Led Me to God - "What I sensed in my soul is that there is indeed a scale of objective beauty. Some works of art are more beautiful than others; therefore, there must be some ultimate source of beauty that the more beautiful works are more like than the less beautiful ones."
 
The Myth of Religion "Shoved Down Throats" is Busted! - "There are not real instances of religion being shoved down someone's throat in our modern Western culture. Rather, it is a saying that the non-religious have made up to reject religious dialogue."


Is GLEE Promoting Planned Parenthood's Sexual Education? - "If you don't believe the episode in question is promoting Planned Parenthood - then why would Planned Parenthood hype the episode on their Facebook page?" [Very important to read this follow-up piece: Behind Hollywood Shows are Advocates of Radical Agendas - which exposes a group that pushes abortion and contraception through the media.]

British Museum to Display 'Thorn' from Jesus' Crown - "A relic claimed to be a thorn from Jesus' crown is to go on display at the British Museum, after having been kept safely in a British Jesuit school for 200 years. "

Secret Veil Illustrates Christ's Resurrection - "It is, in fact, "the napkin" or "handkerchief" (in Greek: soudarion), to which St. John the Evangelist is referring in his report of the discovery of the empty tomb by St. Peter and himself, that they saw "apart" from the cloths (including the shroud of Joseph from Arimathea) in which Jesus had been buried."

Could the Discovered Codices Mention Christ's Final Days? - "Seventy lead codices turned up five years ago in a remote cave in eastern Jordan, a region where early Christian believers may have fled after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE." [Proceed with caution. See this follow-up article: More on the Lead Codices]


Marian Messenger - "A scary encounter with the New Age and an unknown Marian apparition led apologist to use his talents for the Church"


Can We Stop Pretending Now? - "This years Easter Egg Roll at the White House has nothing to do with the resurrection of Our Lord from the dead, but is absorbed with Planet as Idol and children as zealots in formation"


A Short History of the "Left Behind" - Premillennial dispensationalism, especially in popular forms such as the Left Behind books, seemingly offers biblical answers about the near future for Christians who are convinced that things are going from bad to worse. However, it is based on a flawed Christology that leads to a deficient ecclesiology and ultimately results in a severely skewed eschatology.

Eulogies not Allowed at Funeral Masses - "The Church's liturgical law, which the bishop cannot change or disobey or ignore, says that eulogies at funerals are not permitted." 

 

The Traditional Latin Mass in seminaries? - "The ramifications of an instruction to seminaries to teach students the Extraordinary Form – and enough Latin to know what they’re saying – are enormous."

Why I Wear My Biretta - "I wear the biretta for Luigi."

 

The New Mass Translation - The Power of Fancy  - "...I like the idea that the language will be fancier. I like fancy language. Fancy makes things seem special."

 

Pastors: This Is the Time to Fix Your Music Program  - "The new Missal integrates English chant into the structure of the Mass to a much greater degree than the past editions. The Bishops are pushing for the Missal chants to become precisely what we have always lacked in the post-1970 world: a national body of music that has been approved by the Church that is known by everyone."
 

If you are one of those Catholics who is still wondering why we need a new English translation for the Mass, read this post by Father Z.

Video of Catholic Converts - Names and faces of prominent people who have joined the Catholic Church. [I didn't care for the musical selection, but you can turn the sound down and just read the captions.]

Is Hell Crowded or Empty?