In his recent apostolic letter entitled Misericordia Dei released on May 2, 2002, Pope John Paul II stated quite succinctly, “It is clear that penitents living in a habitual state of serious sin and who do not intend to change … Continued
To approach this question fairly and adequately, we need to understand some of the liturgical laws through history surrounding tabernacles. Actually the first norms governing tabernacles were promulgated in the Middle Ages. Until this time, no uniform custom regarding where … Continued
The Rosary is one of the most cherished prayers of our Catholic Church. Introduced by the Creed, the Our Father, three Hail Mary’s and the Doxology (“Glory Be”), and concluded with the Salve Regina, the Rosary involves the recitation of … Continued
The role of the godparent for baptism is rooted in the role of the sponsor in the catechumenate, which originated in the early Church. Recall that until the year 313, the Church was under the persecution of the Roman Empire … Continued
In answering this question, we will restrict our answer to the role of Eucharistic Ministers. Here we must keep in mind two premises: First, the most precious gift our Lord entrusted to His Church is the Most Holy Eucharist, the … Continued
A religious medal is usually metallic, cast either in a round or oval shape, depicting the image of our Lord, the Blessed Mother, or another saint. Medals have also commemorated places (e.g. shrines), very important spiritual events in one’s life … Continued
The sign of the cross is a beautiful gesture which reminds the faithful of both the cross of salvation while invoking the Holy Trinity. Technically, the sign of the cross is a sacramental, a sacred sign instituted by the Church … Continued
On Good Friday, we celebrate the Liturgy of the Passion. Since the earliest times of the Church, no Mass has been offered on Good Friday. Instead the service has consisted of a solemn procession, readings (including the Passion in the … Continued
Quite simply, the liturgical year is the celebration of a series of religious feasts and seasons. In so doing, we make sacred the ordinary time of a twelve-month calendar. Actually, we inherited this notion from our Jewish ancestors of the … Continued
The Church punctuates the liturgical year by celebrating various events important to the mystery of our salvation. During the course of the liturgical year, the Church celebrates the whole mystery of Christ, from His incarnation and birth to His ascension, … Continued
The Forty Hours Devotion is a special forty-hour period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. Of course, the focus of this devotion is on the Holy Eucharist. As Catholics, the words of our Lord burn … Continued
Following the mandate of Vatican Council II, the Pope Paul VI promulgated the Decree on the Rite of Penance (1973) which affirmed, “Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God … Continued
Exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is not only a very old devotion in our Church, but one that highlights the fundamental mystery of the Holy Eucharist– that our Lord is truly present, body and blood, soul and divinity … Continued
Before addressing the issue of an annulment, we must first have a clear understanding of marriage. When the Pharisees questioned our Lord about divorce, He replied, “Have you not read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and … Continued
Succinctly, a novena is a nine day period of private or public prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or make special petitions. (Novena is derived from the Latin novem, meaning nine.) As the definition suggests, the novena … Continued
Blessings come under the category of sacramentals. A sacramental is a special prayer, action, or object which, through the prayers of the Church, prepares a person to receive grace and to better cooperate with it. For example, we make the … Continued
As Catholics, we are accustomed to having religious objects “blessed.” Here a bishop or a priest imparts a blessing which signifies the permanent sanctification and dedication of an object for some sacred purpose. This blessing is technically termed “a constitutive … Continued
The revelation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is rooted in the prophecy of Isaiah about the coming Messiah: “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit … Continued
The scapular originates in the habits worn by the monastic orders, beginning with the Benedictines, and later adapted by many other religious communities. Basically, the scapular is a piece of cloth, about chest-wide from shoulder to shoulder, and drapes down … Continued
Both the Feast of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls evolved in the life of the Church independently of paganism and Halloween. However, elements of pagan practices were perhaps “baptized” by some cultures or attached themselves to the … Continued