A Rite for Wrongs: The Penitential Rite

Welcome to Part 2 of my series on the Mass, Guided Missal, where we examine the most fundamental sacrament of the Church piece by piece.

Part 1: Opening the Doors

In Part 1, I discussed how the Sign of the Cross was like our oath. But an oath to what? If it's a trial, who is the defendant? We are.

Opening the Doors: The Introductory Rites

Sunday Mass. Statistically, 24% of Catholics in America experience it every week, or about 16.4 million people. Over sixteen million people sharing in the Eucharist every single week. Of that "great multitude", how many do you think actually understand (or make an effort to understand) what is happening? How many  are just going through the motions without realizing the supernatural drama unfolding right in front of them?

That's my goal with this new series, Guided Missal. A step-by-step walk-through of your typical Sunday Mass, uncovering twenty centuries of symbolism, meaning and grace.

All You Can Eat

As I am writing this, it is just after 11:00 Thursday morning, and I am hungry. So, I decided to distract myself by writing a post...but about what? I turned to my tried-and-true method of picking topics; that is, I opened the Bible randomly and committed to write about whatever passage I opened to. In a wonderful display of God's poignant sense of humor, I opened to Mark 6:34, commonly known as the "Feeding of the 5000".

Okay, God. I can dig it.

Also, apparently one of my regular readers did not realize that only the introduction , and that you do in fact have to click "Read More". If you're reading this, you've been missing out friend.

Thirsting for God

Thirst is one of those human experiences that is universal. From the mightiest king to the lowliest slave, everybody gets thirsty. In a broader sense, we can even apply thirst to other human needs as well. Is not hunger just a thirst for food? Is not exhaustion a thirst for rest?

But there is something in the connotation behind "thirst" that goes deeper than being hungry or tired. When we say "hungry", we could easily be referring to our stomachs rumbling before lunch. "Tired" could mean the sleepy feeling we get in the afternoon.

But "thirst"...thirst is desperate. Thirst is a burning desire.

"I thirst for you like a parched land" - Psalm 143:6

We thirst like a parched land. We're crying out for water in desperate need.

We're thirsty for God.

Time Travel

What do we all have, but can never gain more of? What is incredibly precious and limited, but wasted so haphazardly?

It's the most valuable thing we can give. It's the most valuable thing we can receive. It is the most precious thing we can ever give somebody.

It's time.

Gone Fishin'

"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

It's a line we've heard a hundred times. It's a line we don't really give too much thought to. It's a line that seems simple but implies a lot. It's a line that, looking through fresh eyes, can sound a bit weird.

It's also a line from today's Gospel. So, like the "fishers of men" we are called to be, let's put out into the deep. 

Duc in altum.

(Also, if you have yet to see the vocations video of the same name, I'd highly recommend it.)

Washed Clean

Today, we celebrate Jesus' baptism. At first, this seems a bit odd - just last week we were celebrating Epiphany, and now we've fast-forwarded over almost thirty years of Jesus' life. As with any gospel reading (any Scripture, really) there are a lot of ways to look at it. You can look at it from a "faith and works" standpoint (which I've discussed before) and say Baptism is not what makes somebody a good Catholic.

 In the meantime, let's look at one of the crucial elements of baptism - any baptism. Its symbolism pops up throughout the Bible, and it's one of the four classical elements: water.

Fire Power: Part 2

So I have just come from Sharers of the Word, a praise and worship/charismatic prayer group here on campus...and I thought it would be relevant to sort of take a look at some practical applications of what I talked about earlier today. If you haven't already, I'd strongly encourage you to check out part 1 (not that I'm biased or anything).

This will be like the "real world application" of sorts, along with a great experience I had of this first-hand not too long after publishing Part 1.

Fire Power

Fire. It's often regarded as a foundation of the universe. It was so important to the Ancients, it was regarded one of the Four Elements along with earth, air and water. So monumental is fire to humanity, its discovery is often regarded as the "starting point" for civilization itself.

We live in a world dominated by electricity in the form of lights, computers, cell phones, appliances and any number of objects so common to us we hardly pay them notice. But, even in an environment where everything has to have a blinking LED, we still get lost in a flickering flame. There is something about fire that captivates us, even today; just as it captivated our first ancestors.

All Things New

"Behold, I make all things new." 

Revelation 21:5

Well, it's now the second day of the spring semester, meaning I've officially had all my "first" classes. Things on campus are starting to get back into the swing of things, and overall there's a sense of a fresh start.

That's a very attractive idea for a lot of people, for a lot of reasons - a fresh start. A chance for us to look back and realize that, contrary to popular opinion, we're not perfect. We make mistakes. We procrastinate (and I'm definitely not procrastinating right now by writing this). As we say in the Confeitor, "I have greatly sinned...through what I have done, and what I have failed to do." 

That's why so many people make New Years resolutions. As a side note, if you have made a resolution and are still keeping with it, good job! Statistically, over 25% of you will have already "given up" by now.

Either way, that's why we like the idea of "New Years" so much - it's a chance to step back and start fresh. Personally, this week is a great time of change for me. New classes, new schedules and new opportunities - change is on the mind. 

All for One

By show of hands, how many of us had a "Catholic" childhood? Chances are at some point we were told "Jesus died for you." For many of us, this was one of those cliche things that (for the most part) went in one ear and out the other, like "Peace be with you." But, when we start to think of it a bit closer, it can become quite unnerving.

It can be easy to "rationalize away" the implications of this by saying, "Well, Jesus died for all of us!" While this is true, it's not doing justice to a vital truth - Jesus died for you. You, specifically. Yes, you. This isn't "Catholic guilt" coming into play...it's one of the most beautiful truths of creation: God loves you.

Truth and Dare

What does it mean to be Christian? It is perhaps one of the most fundamental questions to come out of the last two millenia, and throughout those twenty centuries many have put forth their own answers. Is it enough to believe that Jesus was the Son of God? What if we believe all that Jesus taught? If we follow all the "rules" of Christianity without any sort of belief, is that good enough? 

I say that none of those are valid in their own right. Being a Christian is more than holding an abstract philosophy. A true follower of Christ is filled with faith, but living through works. 

The First Knot

I decided to title this post after the first "knot" of a religious vow - poverty. Will I eventually get to the others? Will there be a post in the future called "The Second Knot" or maybe even "Return of the Knot"? Maybe...maybe knot. See what I did there? Now stop asking questions and let me do my thing.

Anyway, today I came across a passage from Matthew 6 about depending on God. I think that passage can be a great "explanation" for poverty. We'll get to that, and a few other verses, in a second. But, in the meantime, a picture.