Theotokos: Mary, Mother of God

Some rights reserved by wordcat57

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This teaching is one of the four Marian Doctrines of the Catholic Church.

Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who is fully man and fully God, "was born of a woman" (Gal 4:4). Mary is that woman. In fact, in Luke's gospel this is revealed in Mary's visit to see Elizabeth. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth proclaimed, ""Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:42-43).

In 431, the Council of Ephesus confirmed Mary as Mother of God, Theotokos.  This was proclaimed to answer a heresy denying Jesus’ dual nature as both human and divine. The Council declared:

"We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her" (Formula of Union [A.D. 431]).

Note, the language used by the Council and how that is reflected in our liturgy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also teaches:

Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord." In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). (CCC 495)

Pope John Paul II expanded the Church's understanding of the doctrine in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater:

The Second Vatican Council prepares us for this by presenting in its teaching the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and of the Church. If it is true, as the Council itself proclaims,[8] that "only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light," then this principle must be applied in a very particular way to that exceptional "daughter of the human race," that extraordinary "woman" who became the Mother of Christ. Only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully made clear. Thus has the Church sought to interpret it from the very beginning: the mystery of the Incarnation has enabled her to penetrate and to make ever clearer the mystery of the Mother of the Incarnate Word. The Council of Ephesus (431) was of decisive importance in clarifying this, for during that Council, to the great joy of Christians, the truth of the divine motherhood of Mary was solemnly confirmed as a truth of the Church's faith. Mary is the Mother of God (= Theotokos), since by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived in her virginal womb and brought into the world Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is of one being with the Father.[9] "The Son of God...born of the Virgin Mary...has truly been made one of us,"[10] has been made man. Thus, through the mystery of Christ, on the horizon of the Church's faith there shines in its fullness the mystery of his Mother. In turn, the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary was for the Council of Ephesus and is for the Church like a seal upon the dogma of the Incarnation, in which the Word truly assumes human nature into the unity of his person, without canceling out that nature. (Redemptoris Mater, 4)

Mary is our Holy Mother too. Although He was on the verge of death, Christ called out to John from the cross, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:27).  Furthermore, since Mary is the mother of Christ, who is head of the Church, she is also Mother of the Church. 

I will conclude with this simple, logical syllogism: Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God.

Recommended Reading:

Redemptoris Mater, Pope John Paul II

Hail Holy Queen, Scott Hahn

Theotokos: Woman, Mother, Disciple, Pope John Paul II 

How Can Mary Be God's Mother, Tim Staples

Saint Talk: Holy Family

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Today's Gospel reading is the basis for the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary.  Instead of giving you my thoughts on the subject of the earthly trinity, I have included some excerpts from the writings of Pope Benedict XVI and Blessed Pope John Paul II.

In the Gospel we do not find discourses on the family but an event which is worth more than any words: God wanted to be born and to grow up in a human family. In this way he consecrated the family as the first and ordinary means of his encounter with humanity. 

In his life spent at Nazareth, Jesus honoured the Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph, remaining under their authority throughout the period of his childhood and his adolescence (cf. Lk 2: 41-52). In this way he shed light on the primary value of the family in the education of the person.

This Gospel episode reveals the most authentic and profound vocation of the family: that is, to accompany each of its members on the path of the discovery of God and of the plan that he has prepared for him or her. 

Mary and Joseph taught Jesus primarily by their example: in his parents he came to know the full beauty of faith, of love for God and for his Law, as well as the demands of justice, which is totally fulfilled in love (cf. Rom 13: 10). 

From them he learned that it is necessary first of all to do God's will, and that the spiritual bond is worth more than the bond of kinship. 

The Holy Family of Nazareth is truly the "prototype" of every Christian family which, united in the Sacrament of Marriage and nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, is called to carry out the wonderful vocation and mission of being the living cell not only of society but also of the Church, a sign and instrument of unity for the entire human race. (Pope Benedict, Angelus, 12/21/06) 

Pope John Paul II repeatedly emphasized that "the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family." I particularly like what he had to the role of the father was in Familiaris Consortio:

In revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God, a man is called upon to ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family: He will perform this task by exercising generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother, by a more solicitous commitment to education, a task he shares with his wife, by work which is never a cause of division in the family but promotes its unity and stability, and by means of the witness he gives of an adult Christian life which effectively introduces the children into the living experience of Christ and the church.

Catechesis and evangelization starts at home with the family. This is our responsibility and not one we can delegate. We cannot simply dump our children off at the church on Sunday Youth Night or Wednesday CRE and think we have fulfilled our duty as parents. Certainly, formal religious ed has its place, but formation must take place at home. As a school teacher, I can tell you that children don't care so much about what you say as they care about what they see you do. Formation at home means we have to live our faith every day. An integral part of this includes family prayer. Father Peyton was on the mark when he coined the phrase: "The family that prays together, stays together."

Feast of the Holy Innocents

Today the Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Innocents. King Herod feared the birth of the new "king of the Jews" so he "ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi" (Matt 2:16).

Rather than focus on the theological implications of the feast day (others have done a great job of that already), I'd like to propose we use this day to reflect on our modern massacre of the innocents - abortion.

Over 40 Million innocent babies have been killed in the United States since 1973 when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in this country. These numbers do not even reflect the U.S. government's efforts to export abortion to other countries. In January 2009, President Obama overturned the Mexico City policy which had prohibited U.S. funding of international groups that provided abortions.  The Obama administration has implemented a systematic, anti-life agenda which it continues to pursue.

It's not enough to just say we are pro-life, we have to act. First, we must pray. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of unborn children. We should ask for her intercession and offer up Holy Hours before the Blessed Sacrament for an end to abortion. We can ask our parishes to make sure that pro-life prayers are incorporated into the Prayers of the Faithful.

Next, we need to get formed and informed. We need to form our consciences in conformity with the teachings of Christ handed down by the Church. Then we need to act on that formed conscience. In the last presidential election too many people, Catholics included, voted with their pocket books and left their consciences at home. In addition to voting with our consciences we should support the efforts of organizations like 40 Days for Life, Priests for Life, Rachel's Vineyard and Pro Life Across America.

We need to attack the culture of death with a culture of authentic love. We don't pass judgement, we provide compassion. We don't reject, we comfort.  We don't take, we give. We don't lie, we share the Truth.

PRAYER

God of power and mercy,
you blessed the Americas at Tepeyac
with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
May her prayers help all men and women
to accept each other as brothers and sisters.
Through your justice present in our hearts
may your peace reign in the world.
O Lady of Guadalupe, pray for the Church in America
and walk with us in the third millennium of faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Basic Catholic Tech Tools

This last Tuesday Tech Talk I thought I would list out the basic tech tools every Catholic techie should have in his toolbox.

Bible - The mobile app created by Olive Tree is the still the best functional way to read and access the Bible when on the go. They have a New American Bible Catholic version available for $20. I wish they would make an RSVE edition; the Kindle version is difficult to maneuver.

Blog - There a number of great Catholic blogs from which to choose. If you are just starting to read Catholic blogs, I recommend adding Father Z's Blog written by Father John Zuhlsdorf. He consistently writes insightful and witty posts. While he is easy to read, he writes frankly and does not water down the truth.

Catechesis - Catholic Answers provides a great deal of accessable resources for learning, sharing and defending the faith. 

Catholic Calendar - The best way to keep track of feast days and holy day of obligation is the Universalis Roman Catholic calendar app. When you have Internet access you can also download the Liturgy of the Hours and Daily Readings for that day, the previous and the following.  It is free.

Daily Missal - Although the iBreviary (reviewed here) provides a decent missal app for free, I believe the iMissal app is simpler to use. I recently reviewed the iMissal for Tuesday Tech Talk.

e-Book - Recently the number of authentic, Catholic e-books available has increased. The release of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in e-book format makes it the hands down winner. The price is set at $18.99, but you need to view that as an investment.

Liturgy of the Hours - The iBreviary app will provide the most affordable and efficient way to pray the "official prayer of the Church." 

Lives of the Saints - Saint of the Day narrowly edges out Saint a Day because it has an audio component and a cleaner look. It also has a social media link which allows you to share with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Mass Times - If you travel quite a lot or need to find a church, the Mass Times app is must. The app not only provides you with a list of the nearest parishes to your location, but it is integrated with Maps so you can get directions. In addition to mass times, it provides times for the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Media Library - EWTN maintains a large library archive of audio and document files. Additionally, the site streams live shows. If it's on EWTN you know it's going to be doctrinally sound.

Prayer Book - There are a number of prayer apps available but none as comprehensive as the iPieta app. This is the mobile app version of the little blue book you see daily mass attendees carrying with them. This app is more than a prayer book; it also contains a vast library of writings from saints, church fathers and the popes.

Rosary - I debated including a Rosary app, but in the end I had to go with the free CD's provided by CatholiCity. I copied my Rosary CD to my iPhone and use it to pray the rosary on my commute to or from work.

Merry Christmas

The Nativity, El Greco

The following is a reflection on the Nativity written by St. Josemaria Escriva. 

“Jesus is still looking for shelter”

Jesus was born in a cave in Bethlehem because, Sacred Scripture tells us, ``there was no room for them in the inn.'' I am not departing from theological truth when I say that Jesus is still looking for shelter in your heart. (The Forge, 274)

I am not at all stretching the truth when I tell you that Jesus is still looking for a resting‑place in our heart. We have to ask him to forgive our personal blindness and ingratitude. We must ask him to give us the grace never to close the door of our soul on him again.

Our Lord does not disguise the fact that his wholehearted obedience to God’s will calls for renunciation and self‑sacrifice. Love does not claim rights, it seeks to serve. Jesus has led the way. How did he obey? “Unto death, death on a cross” [1]. You have to get out of yourself; you have to complicate your life, losing it for love of God and souls. “So you wanted to live a quiet life. But God wanted otherwise. Two wills exist: your will should be corrected to become identified with God’s will: you must not bend God’s will to suit yours” [2]. 

It has made me very happy to see so many souls spend their lives — like you, Lord, “even unto death” — fulfilling what God was asking of them. They have dedicated all their yearnings and their professional work to the service of the Church, for the good of all men. 

Let us learn to obey, let us learn to serve. There is no better leadership than wanting to give yourself freely, to be useful to others. When we feel pride swell up within us, making us think we are supermen, the time has come to say “no”. Our only triumph will be the triumph of humility. In this way we will identify ourselves with Christ on the cross — not unwillingly or restlessly or sullenly, but joyfully. For the joy which comes from forgetting ourselves is the best proof of love. (Christ is passing by, 19)
[1] Phil 2:8 usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis
[2] St Augustine, Enarrationes in psalmos, Ps 31:2, 26 (PL 36,274)

Pope Benedict's Midnight Mass & Homily

If like me, you weren't able to make your way to Rome for this Christmas, I have provided the links to Pope Benedict's Midnight Mass Video and Homily text.

Merry Christmas.

Peanuts & The True Meaning of Christmas

I saw this video clip from A Charlie Brown Christmas on OSV Daily Take and thought I would share it with you. Linus' monologue is actually a reading of Luke's account of the Nativity.

The author of the OSV blog post points out that Father James Martin, S.J. noted on Facebook that Linus drops his security blanket at the exact point he mentions Christ the savior.

My wife Stacey loves this movie. Our daughter Tiffany recently shared it with her co-workers in Slovakia. By the way, Starbucks is currently selling a CD/DVD set of the movie for less than $15.

UPDATE (9:55AM) Amazon is providing the Charlie Brown Christmas storybook to Android owners free. Today only.

Christmas Family Traditions

Vintage Lefton Santa Mug
All rights reserved by atomicmidcentury

Rightfully, Christmas is a time for being with family. Just take look at a nativity scene and you will see the Holy Family, certainly the model for us all to follow. When I think about getting together with my family, I think about some of the Christmas family traditions we had when I was a boy and how Stacey and I have carried those on with our family.

Midnight Mass - There was never any debate about which mass we were going to for Christmas. It was always the Midnight Mass and in those days it was actually celebrated at midnight. Nowadays, parishes have so-called midnight mass as early as 10pm. This is one tradition that has been difficult for us to maintain. Stacey's mom always has a big Christmas Eve party at her house. We have incorporated that as our tradition and most years we leave in time to still make Midnight Mass.

Santa Mugs - When I was a kid, my brother Tony and I would join our parents on their bed Christmas morning to have hot chocolate in our own Santa mugs. Only after we finished the chocolate did we open the gifts. As empty nesters, Stacey and I start the morning by drinking coffee out of our mugs.  A few years ago we gave each of our grown children their own Santa mugs to carry on the tradition.

One Gift - After Midnight Mass we would all come home. At some point, Tony and I convinced our parents to let us open one small gift when we got home from Mass.

Gag Gifts - In addition to the socks, fruits and nuts we found in our stockings, my mother would give each of us a gag gift. Most of the time these had something to do with our personalities. My mother continues to give us gag gifts when we meet at her house for Christmas lunch.

Funny Stories - My brothers and I are notorious story tellers. My mom says we probably got that from our grandfather Pops. The thing is, my brothers tell the same worn out stories every year.  Some how they still manage to be funny to us. Our wives have a different opinion.

What family Christmas traditions do you have?  Please share in the comments.

Tuesday Tech Talk: Last Minute, Low Cost Christmas Gift Ideas

For this final Tuesday Tech Talk entry before Christmas, I thought I would share my last minute low cost, gift ideas to give your Catholic techie.  Most of the items I recommend are priced under $20 and can be downloaded instantly or picked up at a local office supply or electronics store.

Amazon Gift Card - We love gift cards in our family because you can buy what you want, when you want. We often wait for after-Christmas sales to use our gift cards. The Amazon gift card provides the techie with a number of flexible options. He can purchase apps, media content or even electronic hardware. By the way, Amazon has a large number of Catholic eBooks, including the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I recommend using this link with a discerning eye as not all the content is guaranteed to be loyal to the Church magisterium.

iTunes Gift Card - OK, I promise this will not turn this into a list of gift cards, but this time of year you can often find deals to purchase iTunes cards at reduced rates. That means FREE money. The iTunes store has the largest app library and lots of media content too, including the iMissal app.

Surge Protector - I think it's crazy that we will invest a large sum on a quality laptop or other electronic device and skimp on a surge protector (if we even get one). I recommend doing some research for the appropriate surge protector for your needs.

Screen Cleaners - I like to use the iKlear products for cleaning my iDevices and laptop screens.  The cloths that come with the kit are good to carry in a laptop bag to clean up before a meeting.  The larger cloths are great to keep in your desk.

Catholic e-Books - I mentioned above that Amazon carries a number of Catholic e-Books.  If you don't want to worry about the fidelity of the content, I recommend purchasing your e-Books at Aquinas and More. Wherever you choose to make your purchase, I recommend  Be a Man! by Father Larry Richards and The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt.

Saint Talk: Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha

The oldest known portrait of Kateri Tekakwitha, painted by Father Chauchetière

The oldest known portrait of Kateri Tekakwitha, painted by Father Chauchetière

Today the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI approved a series of decrees by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, including one which would clear the way for the canonization Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Blessed Kateri, known as the Lilly of the Mohawks was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980.  

She was the first Native American to be declared blessed and when she is canonized will become the first Native American to be canonized. 

Fiat: Your Will Be Done

On this the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we read about the Annunciation of our Mother Mary. The gospel reading of the Annunciation is juxtaposed with the first reading which tells the story of David seeking to build a proper temple for the Ark of the Covenant. Together today's readings demonstrate a connection between the Old and the New Covenants.

"With her generous 'fiat' (Mary) became, through the working of the Spirit, the Mother of God, but also the Mother of the living, and, by receiving into her womb the one Mediator, she became the true Ark of the Covenant and true Temple of God" (Paul VI, "Marialis Cultus", 6).

Additionally, we are given a perfect example of how we are to respond to God's calling - fiat.

It's A Wonderful Life

My favorite Christmas movie is It's a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.  This 1946 classic, I believe, portrays an essential element of the laity's call to universal holiness.

The movie chronicles the life of George Bailey as he faces a life crisis. While on the edge of contemplating suicide, George makes a simple prayer asking God to help. His prayer is answered in the form of an angel in training named Clarence. Clarence, through God's intervention, grants George the opportunity to see the lives of his friends and family if he had never lived. George gets to see how he impacted the lives of many people by simply being a caring and loving friend. These encounters make him realize that his life had meaning.

I believe this goes to the heart of what we, the lay faithful, are called to do in our everyday ordinary lives. We are called to live our lives as living examples of Christ's love (see Lumen gentium, Chapter 4). In this way others will know we are followers of Christ (John 13:35).

What's your favorite Christmas movie and why?  Enjoy the movie trailer below.

World AIDS Day

"If it infects one of us...it affects all of us."

Today is World AIDS Day. Many of us have been directly affected by AIDS, losing family, friends and other loved ones to the disease. Today, let us take time to remember those we have lost and pray for those who are suffering, those who care for them and for a cure.

HIV/AIDS Prayer

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears O Good and gracious God, You are the God of health and wholeness In the plan of Your creation, You call us to struggle in our sickness and to cling always to the cross of Your Son. Father, we are Your servants. Many of us are now suffering with HIV or AIDS. We come before You and ask You, if it is Your holy will, to take this suffering away from us, restore us to health and lead us to know You and Your powerful healing love of body and spirit. We ask you also, to be with those of us who nurse Your sick ones. We are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children and friends of Your suffering people. It is so hard for us to see those whom we love suffer. You know what it is to suffer. Help us to minister in loving care, support, and patience for your people who suffer with HIV and AIDS. Lead us to do whatever it will take to eradicate this illness from the lives of those who are touched by it, both directly and indirectly. Trusting in You and the strength of Your Spirit, we pray these things in the Name of Jesus. Amen

Prayer by National African American Catholic HIV/AIDS Task Force

Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. (Matt 25:45)

Tuesday Tech Talk: Advent App

What better way to reflect on this Advent Season then by using a Magnificat published app?  The Magnificat Advent Companion application is available for download at iTunes for 99¢ and is built to work on iPad and iPhone.  The application is organized in a day-to-day format. Modeling the Liturgy of the Hours the app includes opportunities to pray morning, evening and night.  It also contains the daily readings and prayers.

It includes a number of extras: meditations, essays, Advent Penance Service, art work (that can be used for meditation) and Advent Stations.

Favorite Christmas Song

Some rights reserved by pedrosimoes7

A few years ago, I began teaching a lesson with my high school debate students (around this time of the year) in which I asked them to name their favorite holiday song. Part of the lesson required that the students explain why they chose the song. The kids enjoy the lesson and they learn how to structure a simple argument.  In the process they also learn a little  about themselves.

A couple of years ago one of the students put me on the spot and asked me to name my favorite song. To the extreme pleasure of my students, I had been stumped. I didn't know. I gave it some thought and reviewed by my iTunes library, discovering I had a number of versions of the Little Drummer Boy.  Apparently the Little Drummer Boy was my favorite Christmas song.

As I listened through Joan Jett, Bing Crosby/David Bowie and Jose Feliciano, I determined that the reason I so enjoyed that song is that the little drummer boy gives the only gift he has, his one talent. For me, this embodies our response to universal call to holiness. Like the little drummer boy we can sanctify our daily ordinary lives by offering our Lord our work and our simple talents.

Anyway, I now make it a tradition to search out new versions of the song and I am now up to 27 on my special playlist.  This year I have added Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond and Johnny Cash.

What's your favorite Christmas song and why?

Free Missal Worship Aid

Today (actually last night's Vigil Masses) marks the beginning of the use of the 3rd Edition of the English translation of the Roman Missal.

Thanks to  Catholic Mom and Sadlier, Inc. I was able to download a worship aid to print at home. For those not using an app like iMissal, this makes a great low tech way of learning the portions of the Mass prayers that have changed, especially our responses.

Tuesday Tech Talk: iMissal Update

iMissal has issued a number of updates just in time for the new translation of the Roman Missal. Most notable of these updates, is the recent inclusion of the Blackberry platform.  The new Blackberry version is $6.99.

iMissal has added some few new features since I last reviewed it. First, the settings tab now also includes the option to switch to the new translation. The app now has a Catholic news feed that links to Catholic News Agency. The designers of the app have added more prayers and an email subscription to get information about new develops in the app. Additionally, they have included the ability to purchase the Saint a Day app within iMissal. Interestingly, the app does not recognize the Saint a Day app within its menu if you have previously purchased it separately.

At $4.99, iMissal remains one of the more expensive Catholic apps, but I still think it is worth it. I actually prefer using the iMissal to iBreviary (still the best value for praying the Liturgy of the Hours) because I do not have to worry about syncing it before mass and the font is easier to read.

Catholicism Mini-Series Debuts on EWTN

Tonight, EWTN will begin airing episodes from Father Robert Barron's epic mini-series Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of Faith. Based on the previews running on EWTN, these are episodes that did not run on PBS. I don't know about you, but our local PBS station, KERA, is not carrying the series and is yet to respond to my email asking if they intend to air it. Maybe we can nudge them a bit with some calls or emails.

For now, enjoy the series on ETWN. Roll that DVR to make sure you get them all!

Tuesday Tech Talk: Ignio

Thanks to my cousin Lupe, I discovered this new Catholic app. The best way I can describe Ignio is that is a hybrid scripture and prayer app with a social media twist. Ignio means ignite in Latin, and your virtual candle gets bigger as you share your prayers with friends (up to only 11 others) who also have the app. In some ways, it has the potential to be an accountability tool with prayer partners or in a small faith sharing group. Ignio opens with a daily scripture for reflection (and memorization if you like) and it also has the daily readings. You can also post your prayers on a wall to share.

The app is available for free download on the Apple App store. Bishop Kevin Ferrell, the shepherd of the Dallas Diocese, blessed the launch of the app.

RCIA Talk Part 2: My Life with the Saints

I shared a few stories of saints who have helped me in my journey to answer God's call.  Here I will only mention three: St. Paul, St. Josemaria, and Blessed John XXIII.

St. Paul

My earliest recollection of admiring a saint involves St. Paul. When I was a freshman in high school ABC aired a two-part mini-series entitled Peter and Paul, starring Anthony Hopkins as St. Paul. Hopkins portrayed St. Paul as a remarkable preacher. This inspired me to read the epistles of St. Paul. 

Later I would volunteer to be a lector at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Dallas. I would always try and get the second reading so I could read a letter from St. Paul. Now as an adult, I still find myself thinking of Anthony Hopkins' St. Paul when I read one of St. Paul's letters at mass.

St. Josemaria Escriva

About seven years ago I experienced a reconversion that led me through a significant formation process. I truly experienced the awareness, renewal and dialogue found in the teaching of Ecclesiam suam, Pope Paul VI's encyclical written during Vatican II. I had become conflicted about living my "Sunday life" separate from my every-other-day-life. I mistakenly thought I needed to leave my profession as a teacher to serve God in a greater capacity. I was also looking for a saint to help me find congruence in my work and spiritual life. 

The entire time I was searching for this saint, I kept stumbling upon the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. Ironically this coincided with the popularity of the Brown's DaVinci Code, which painted the Catholic Church and Opus Dei in a false negative light. Eventually I read The Way, St. Josemaria's most famous written work. In it, I found the precise message I was looking for: we are all God's children and we are ALL called to holiness, even in our ordinary work. I had found the saint I was looking for. Since then, I have become a Cooperator of Opus Dei and I begin each day of prayer reading a passage from St. Josemaria's writings.

Blessed John XXIII

For the last fifteen years, I have struggled with my weight. I went from being a fit cyclist to an obese couch potato (you are indeed what you eat).  Recently, I had a series of events which inspired me to take a more spiritual approach to my weight loss. Like my search for a saint of the ordinary, I was looking for a patron saint for obese people or weight loss. I could not find one recognized by Church tradition. Other suitable candidates like St. Maximillian Kolbe (because the Nazi's tried to starve him to death) and St. Thomas Aquinas (because he may have been a large man) came to mind. 

Instead, I decided Blessed John XXIII would be the patron I ask for intercessory help. I even took a picture of a statue of him we have in our sanctuary and use it as my iPhone wallpaper. I have lost over 50 pounds since I incorporated prayer into my weight loss plan (Weight Watchers has helped too). I must admit I have not read much about him, but what I do know, I have enjoyed. He was funny, friendly and, most importantly, he convoked the Council of Vatican II.

These are just a few of the saints who have helped me along the way. Some have inspired me by their writings. Others have been role models and still others I have asked for intercessory prayer.

Part 3 of this series will include a discussion of Fun Facts about the saints.

RCIA Talk Part 1: Communion of Saints

 Some rights reserved by Zeetz Jones

This Sunday I spoke on the Communion of Saints to the RCIA group at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Carrollton, Texas.  This is one of my favorite topics to teach because by reflecting on the lives of saints, we draw inspiration and hope from these living examples of faith.  In addition to their intercessory prayer, this is precisely why they are helpful to our own spiritual development.  What follows are the highlights from the talk.


CCC
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that the Communion of Saints is the Church (#946). More specifically, the CCC teaches that the Communion of Saints is made up of the souls in heaven (Church Triumphant), those on Earth still fighting the fight - sometimes with ourselves (Church Militant) - and the purifying souls in Purgatory (Church Suffering).


Role Models 
The Saints - the Holy Ones - are our spiritual role models. They provide us with real life examples of people who faced similar challenges and overcame them through the grace of God. Although there are a number of saints who lived the totality of their lives has "holy people" most did not. Most were like me and you - every day sinners trying to make their way through life. This is why it important to read  the lives of the saints, to get the complete before and after picture. For me, reading about someone like St. Augustine - the Charlie Sheen of his day - gives me hope. What makes the saints different is that they humbled themselves to accept the will of God and live is His love.  This is what we are called to do right now: submit to will of God, answer His call to holiness and share His love with others.  This does not mean we have to be preachers on street corners. What it really means (and I think this is more difficult) is to be friends to those we work and live with. They will know we are Christians by our love! "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)


This post was getting lengthy so I am going to break it up into three parts. Part Two will be My Life with the Saint, in which I talked about a few of the saints that have helped me in my spiritual journey.


For now, we pray for the intercession of St. Augustine, St. Joseph and all Holy Men and Women of God. Amen!

Purgatory - One of the Lord's Greatest Mercies

So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire...1 Peter 1:7

The Catholic Church's teaching on Purgatory is commonly misunderstood by non-Catholics and Catholics alike. First, it important to note that the Catholic Church teaches that in the end, there are only two places a soul ends up: Heaven or Hell.  Properly understood, Purgatory is a state of cleansing and purification for souls who are on their way to heaven. You could think of it as a triage station or even a decontamination chamber before you enter the clean room of Heaven.


We don't earn our way into heaven and we have done nothing to deserve God's divine mercy. Instead, Purgatory is a loving gift from the Father which prepares us for the beatific vision. Even though not explicitly referred to by name (by the way neither is the Trinity), the Bible does allude to it, especially in terms of purging fire because nothing unclean can enter heaven (see Isaiah 35:8).

There are are several Biblical passages to support the teaching on purgatory. Here are just a few:

Mal 3:2-3

2 Mac 12:46

1 Pet 3:19

Rev 21:27


Please also review the sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that address the teachings on Purgatory: CCC 1030-1031

FOR FURTHER READING:

Catholic Answers provides an online article with a detailed explanation and answers to common objections.

Books for Further Reading

Purgatory, Fr. Frederick Faber

A Pocket Guide To Purgatory, Patrick Madrid