“Jesus shows us the real face of God, for whom power does not mean destruction but love, and for whom justice is not vengeance but mercy.” @Pontifex 28 March 2016
“If we open ourselves up to welcome God’s mercy for ourselves, in turn we become capable of forgiveness.” @Pontifex 30 March 2016
On Easter Sunday Matt Drudge was carrying the following headline:
POPE: Defeat ISIS with ‘weapons of love’ . . .
The link was to this story by the UK’s Mirror, which itself carried the headline:
Pope Francis says defeat Islamic State ‘with weapons of love’ during Easter message
The headline is utterly false—as well as an example of incompetent journalism.
The headline makes it look like the pope was advocating some kind of nonviolent approach to ISIS, and that’s simply not what he was doing.
Here are the facts . . .
1) What message was the story referring to?
Although the story did not say so, it was the pope’s Easter Urbi et Orbi message.
Every Christmas and Easter, pope release an Urbi et Orbi (Latin, “to the city and the world”) message. It addresses concerns in the city of Rome and the world at large.
The official English translation of this message is not yet out, but the Italian original is here.
Yes. He mentioned it twice, first saying that he hoped the “message of life” would “promote a fruitful exchange between peoples and cultures in other areas of the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Yemen and Libya.”
Then he expressed closeness to the victims of terrorism “in different parts of the world, as has happened in recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Iraq.”
3) But he didn’t mention the Islamic State?
Nope. Not once.
4) Does he say anyone should defeat anybody with “weapons of love”?
Nope. Not once.
4) Does he mention “weapons of love”?
Yes. He says that “With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death.”
5) Are you quoting from Google Translate for that?
Nope. I’m quoting from the Mirror article itself.
6) Wait. You mean the Mirror article itself quotes the pope saying God (not humans) has (not should) defeated evil and selfishness (not the Islamic State) and in the past (not the future)? That’s completely different than what its headline says!
That’s right.
7) Who writes newspaper headlines?
They can be suggested by the authors of the pieces, but ultimate control of them is in the hands of editors—who frequently write them.
8) Who wrote and edited this piece?
The piece was written by John Shammas, whose Twitter profile describes him as “Half Irish, Half Iraqi.”
I have not yet been able to establish who edited the piece or whether the author or editor wrote the headline.
9) Can we let the author off on the grounds that the editor may have written the headline?
Unfortunately, no. The first paragraph of the article reads:
Pope Francis has urged the world in his Easter message to use the “weapons of love” to combat the evil of “blind and brutal violence” following the tragic attacks in Brussels.
That is not what the pope said. The only time he referred to anyone using “weapons of love” was when he applied this metaphor to God’s action in the past.
10) Regardless of how the blame should be apportioned between the reporter and the editor, can this be chalked up to anything less than journalistic incompetence?
No. Both the article and the headline lead the reader to think that the pope said something which he did not say.
They both take a phrase that the pope used to describe God’s past action and made it appear that the pope applied it to man’s future actions.
2. Was Jesus’ Resurrection a real, historical event or something else?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
639 The mystery of Christ’s resurrection is a real event, with manifestations that were historically verified, as the New Testament bears witness.
In about A.D. 56 St. Paul could already write to the Corinthians:
“I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. . .”
The Apostle speaks here of the living tradition of the Resurrection which he had learned after his conversion at the gates of Damascus.
3. What is the significance of the empty tomb?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
640 . . . The first element we encounter in the framework of the Easter events is the empty tomb. In itself it is not a direct proof of Resurrection; the absence of Christ’s body from the tomb could be explained otherwise.
Nonetheless the empty tomb was still an essential sign for all. Its discovery by the disciples was the first step toward recognizing the very fact of the Resurrection.
This was the case, first with the holy women, and then with Peter. The disciple “whom Jesus loved” affirmed that when he entered the empty tomb and discovered “the linen cloths lying there”, “he saw and believed”.
This suggests that he realized from the empty tomb’s condition that the absence of Jesus’ body could not have been of human doing and that Jesus had not simply returned to earthly life as had been the case with Lazarus.
4. What significance to the post-Resurrection appearances of Christ have?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
641 Mary Magdalene and the holy women who came to finish anointing the body of Jesus, which had been buried in haste because the Sabbath began on the evening of Good Friday, were the first to encounter the Risen One.
Thus the women were the first messengers of Christ’s Resurrection for the apostles themselves. . . .
642 Everything that happened during those Paschal days involves each of the apostles – and Peter in particular – in the building of the new era begun on Easter morning.
As witnesses of the Risen One, they remain the foundation stones of his Church. the faith of the first community of believers is based on the witness of concrete men known to the Christians and for the most part still living among them.
Peter and the Twelve are the primary “witnesses to his Resurrection”, but they are not the only ones – Paul speaks clearly of more than five hundred persons to whom Jesus appeared on a single occasion and also of James and of all the apostles.
643 Given all these testimonies, Christ’s Resurrection cannot be interpreted as something outside the physical order, and it is impossible not to acknowledge it as an historical fact.
5. What significance does Christ’s Resurrection have for us?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
651 “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
The Resurrection above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ’s works and teachings.
All truths, even those most inaccessible to human reason, find their justification if Christ by his Resurrection has given the definitive proof of his divine authority, which he had promised.
658 Christ, “the first-born from the dead” ( Col 1:18), is the principle of our own resurrection, even now by the justification of our souls (cf Rom 6:4), and one day by the new life he will impart to our bodies (cf Rom 8:11).
6. How do we commemorate this day?
The big celebration of Easter was on the evening of Holy Saturday. It was the Easter Vigil Mass. Consequently, Easter Sunday celebrations–at least as far as the Church is concerned (as opposed to all the egg hunts and baby ducks and marshmallow peeps)–is more restrained.
According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschalis Solemnitatis:
97. Mass is to be celebrated on Easter Day with great solemnity.
It is appropriate that the penitential rite on this day take the form of a sprinkling with water blessed at the Vigil, during which the antiphon Vidi aquam, or some other song of baptismal character should be sung.
The fonts at the entrance to the church should also be filled with the same water.
7. What is the role of the “Paschal [i.e., Easter] candle”?
Paschales Solemnitatis explains:
99. The paschal candle has its proper place either by the ambo or by the altar and should be lit at least in all the more solemn liturgical celebrations of the season until Pentecost Sunday, whether at Mass, or at Morning and Evening Prayer.
After the Easter season the candle should be kept with honor in the baptistry, so that in the celebration of Baptism the candles of the baptized may be lit from them.
In the celebration of funerals, the paschal candle should be placed near the coffin to indicate that the death of a Christian is his own passover.
The paschal candle should not otherwise be lit nor placed in the sanctuary outside the Easter season.
8. Is Easter a pagan holiday?
Absolutely not!
Here’s a video I did on precisely that subject:
Looking for Something Good to Read?
May I suggest my commentary on the Gospel of Mark?
It goes through the whole text and provides fascinating information that you may have never heard before.
It also comes with a verse-by-verse study guide with questions that you or your study group can use.
And it comes with a lectionary-based study guide, so you can read along with Mark in the liturgy and ponder its meaning before or after Mass.
On Holy Saturday the earth waits in stillness for the Resurrection of the Lord. Here are 9 things you need to know about it.
Everytime we say the creed, we note that Jesus “descended into hell.”
Holy Saturday is the day that commemorates this event.
What happened on this day, and how do we celebrate it?
Here are 12 things you need to know.
1. What happened on the first Holy Saturday?
Here on earth, Jesus’ disciples mourned his death and, since it was a sabbath day, they rested.
Luke notes that the women returned home “and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56).
At the tomb, the guards that had been stationed there kept watch over the place to make sure that the disciples did not steal Jesus’ body.
Meanwhile . . .
2. What happened to Jesus while he was dead?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” – Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.
Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”:
“It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Saviour in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.”
Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
634 “The gospel was preached even to the dead.” The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment.
This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
3. How do we commemorate this day?
According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
73. On Holy Saturday the Church is, as it were, at the Lord’s tomb, meditating on his passion and death, and on his descent into hell, and awaiting his resurrection with prayer and fasting.
It is highly recommended that on this day the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer be celebrated with the participation of the people (cf. n. 40).
Where this cannot be done, there should be some celebration of the Word of God, or some act of devotion suited to the mystery celebrated this day.
74. The image of Christ crucified or lying in the tomb, or the descent into hell, which mystery Holy Saturday recalls, as also an image of the sorrowful Virgin Mary can be placed in the church for the veneration of the faithful.
Fasting is also encouraged, but not required, on this day.
4. Are the sacraments celebrated?
For the most part, no. Paschales Solemnitatis explains:
75. On this day the Church abstains strictly from the celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass.
Holy Communion may only be given in the form of Viaticum.
The celebration of marriages is forbidden, as also the celebration of other sacraments, except those of Penance and the Anointing of the Sick.
The prohibition on saying Mass applies to the part of the day before the Easter Vigil Mass (see below).
Baptism in danger of death is also permitted.
5. What is the Easter Vigil?
A vigil is the liturgical commemoration of a notable feast, held on the evening preceding the feast.
The term comes from the Latin word vigilia, which means “wakefulness,” and which came to be used when the faithful stayed awake to pray and do devotional exercises in anticipation of the feast.
Easter Vigil is the vigil held on the evening before Easter.
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
80. From the very outset the Church has celebrated that annual Pasch, which is the solemnity of solemnities, above all by means of a night vigil.
For the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith and hope, and through Baptism and Confirmation we are inserted into the Paschal Mystery of Christ, dying, buried, and raised with him, and with him we shall also reign.
The full meaning of Vigil is a waiting for the coming of the Lord.
6. When should Easter Vigil be celebrated?
Paschales Solemnitatis explains:
78. “The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes place at night. It should not begin before nightfall; it should end before daybreak on Sunday.”
This rule is to be taken according to its strictest sense. Reprehensible are those abuses and practices which have crept into many places in violation of this ruling, whereby the Easter Vigil is celebrated at the time of day that it is customary to celebrate anticipated Sunday Masses.
Those reasons which have been advanced in some quarters for the anticipation of the Easter Vigil, such as lack of public order, are not put forward in connection with Christmas night, nor other gatherings of various kinds.
7. What happens at the Easter Vigil?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
81. The order for the Easter Vigil is arranged so that
after the service of light and the Easter Proclamation (which is the first part of the Vigil),
Holy Church meditates on the wonderful works which the Lord God wrought for his people from the earliest times (the second part or Liturgy of the Word),
to the moment when, together with those new members reborn in Baptism (third part),
she is called to the table prepared by the Lord for his Church—the commemoration of his death and resurrection—until he comes (fourth part).
8. What happens during the service of light?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
82. . . . In so far as possible, a suitable place should be prepared outside the church for the blessing of the new fire, whose flames should be such that they genuinely dispel the darkness and light up the night.
The paschal candle should be prepared, which for effective symbolism must be made of wax, never be artificial, be renewed each year, be only one in number, and be of sufficiently large size so that it may evoke the truth that Christ is the light of the world. It is blessed with the signs and words prescribed in the Missal or by the Conference of Bishops.
83. The procession, by which the people enter the church, should be led by the light of the paschal candle alone. Just as the children of Israel were guided at night by a pillar of fire, so similarly, Christians follow the risen Christ. There is no reason why to each response “Thanks be to God” there should not be added some acclamation in honor of Christ.
The light from the paschal candle should be gradually passed to the candles which it is fitting that all present should hold in their hands, the electric lighting being switched off.
9. What happens during the Easter Proclamation?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
84. The deacon makes the Easter Proclamation which tells, by means of a great poetic text, the whole Easter mystery placed in the context of the economy of salvation.
In case of necessity, where there is no deacon, and the celebrating priest is unable to sing it, a cantor may do so.
The Bishops’ Conferences may adapt this proclamation by inserting into it acclamations from the people.
10. What happens during the Scripture readings?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
85. The readings from Sacred Scripture constitute the second part of the Vigil. They give an account of the outstanding deeds of the history of salvation, which the faithful are helped to meditate calmly upon by the singing of the responsorial psalm, by a silent pause and by the celebrant’s prayer.
The restored Order for the Vigil has seven readings from the Old Testament chosen from the Law and the Prophets, which are in use everywhere according to the most ancient tradition of East and West, and two readings from the New Testament, namely from the Apostle and from the Gospel.
Thus the Church, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets” explains Christ’s Paschal Mystery.
Consequently wherever this is possible, all the readings should be read so that the character of the Easter Vigil, which demands that it be somewhat prolonged, be respected at all costs.
Where, however, pastoral conditions require that the number of readings be reduced, there should be at least three readings from the Old Testament, taken from the Law and the Prophets; the reading from Exodus chapter 14 with its canticle must never be omitted.
87. After the readings from the Old Testament, the hymn “Gloria in excelsis” is sung, the bells are rung in accordance with local custom, the collect is recited, and the celebration moves on to the readings from the New Testament. An exhortation from the Apostle on Baptism as an insertion into Christ’s Paschal Mystery is read.
Then all stand and the priest intones the “Alleluia” three times, each time raising the pitch. The people repeat it after him.
If it is necessary, the psalmist or cantor may sing the “Alleluia,” which the people then take up as an acclamation to be interspersed between the verses of Psalm 117, so often cited by the Apostles in their Easter preaching.
Finally, the resurrection of the Lord is proclaimed from the Gospel as the high point of the whole Liturgy of the Word.
After the Gospel a homily is to be given, no matter how brief.
11. What happens during the baptismal liturgy?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
88. The third part of the Vigil is the baptismal liturgy. Christ’s passover and ours is now celebrated.
This is given full expression in those churches which have a baptismal font, and more so when the Christian initiation of adults is held, or at least the Baptism of infants.
Even if there are no candidates for Baptism, the blessing of baptismal water should still take place in parish churches. If this blessing does not take place at the baptismal font, but in the sanctuary, baptismal water should be carried afterwards to the baptistry there to be kept throughout the whole of paschal time.
Where there are neither candidates for Baptism nor any need to bless the font, Baptism should be commemorated by the blessing of water destined for sprinkling upon the people.
89. Next follows the renewal of baptismal promises, introduced by some words on the part of the celebrating priest.
The faithful reply to the questions put to them, standing and holding lighted candles in their hands. They are then sprinkled with water: in this way the gestures and words remind them of the Baptism they have received.
The celebrating priest sprinkles the people by passing through the main part of the church while all sing the antiphon “Vidi aquam” or another suitable song of a baptismal character.
12. What happens during the Eucharistic liturgy?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
90. The celebration of the Eucharist forms the fourth part of the Vigil and marks its high point, for it is in the fullest sense the Easter Sacrament, that is to say, the commemoration of the Sacrifice of the Cross and the presence of the risen Christ, the completion of Christian initiation, and the foretaste of the eternal pasch.
92. It is fitting that in the Communion of the Easter Vigil full expression be given to the symbolism of the Eucharist, namely by consuming the Eucharist under the species of both bread and wine. The local Ordinaries will consider the appropriateness of such a concession and its ramifications.
Looking for Something Good to Read?
May I suggest my commentary on the Gospel of Mark?
It goes through the whole text and provides fascinating information that you may have never heard before.
It also comes with a verse-by-verse study guide with questions that you or your study group can use.
And it comes with a lectionary-based study guide, so you can read along with Mark in the liturgy and ponder its meaning before or after Mass.
Good Friday is the most somber day of the Christian year.
It is the day our Savior died for us.
It is the day we were redeemed from our sins by the voluntary death of God Himself at the hands of man.
Here are 9 things you need to know.
1. Why is this day called “Good Friday”
It’s not for the reason you might think.
Despite the fact that “good” is a common English word, tempting us to say the name is based on the fact that something very good (our redemption) happened on this day, that’s not where the name comes from.
Precisely where it does come from is disputed. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains:
The origin of the term Good is not clear. Some say it is from “God’s Friday” (Gottes Freitag); others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag, and not speciallyEnglish.
It is also argued that the name is based on a Medieval use of the word good where it meant “holy.” Thus “Good Friday” would have come from “Holy Friday,” the same way we have Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday.
2. What happened on the first Good Friday?
Quite a number of things. During the night, Jesus had been arrested and taken before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. It was during this time that Peter denied him.
According to the gospels, Jesus:
Was taken before Pilate in the morning
Sent to Herod
Returned to Pilate
Was mocked and beaten
Saw Barabbas released in his stead
Was crowned with thorns
Was condemned to death
Carried the crushing burden of his cross
Told the weeping women what would happen in the future
Was crucified between two thieves
Forgave those who crucified him
Entrusted the Virgin Mary to the beloved disciple
Assured the good thief of his salvation
Said his famous seven last words
Cried out and died
In addition:
There was darkness over the land
There was an earthquake
The veil of the temple was torn in two
Many saints of the Old Testament period were raised
A soldier pierced Christ’s side and blood and water flowed out
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body
He was buried in Joseph’s own tomb
A guard was set over the tomb
All Jesus’ friends and family grieved at his death
If you’d like to read the gospel accounts themselves, you can use these links:
According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
58. On this day, when “Christ our passover was sacrificed,” the Church:
meditates on the passion of her Lord and Spouse,
adores the cross,
commemorates her origin from the side of Christ asleep on the cross,
and intercedes for the salvation of the whole world.
4. Are fast and abstinence required on Good Friday?
Yes. Paschales Solemnitatis notes:
60. Good Friday is a day of penance to be observed as of obligation in the whole Church, and indeed through abstinence and fasting.
For more information on the requirement of fast and abstinence, you should click here.
5. Are the sacraments celebrated on Good Friday?
For the most part, no. Good Friday is the only day of the year on which the celebration of Mass is forbidden.
Paschales Solemnitatis notes:
59. On this day, in accordance with ancient tradition, the Church does not celebrate the Eucharist.
Holy Communion is distributed to the faithful during the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion alone, though it may be brought at any time of the day to the sick who cannot take part in the celebration.
61. All celebration of the sacraments on this day is strictly prohibited, except for the sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick.
Funerals are to be celebrated without singing, music, or the tolling of bells.
Baptism in danger of death is also permitted.
6. What liturgical celebrations occur on this day?
The principal one is known as the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. It includes:
A liturgy of the word
The adoration of the cross
A Communion service using hosts already consecrated.
Paschales Solemnitatis notes:
63. The Celebration of the Lord’s Passion is to take place in the afternoon, at about three o’clock.
The time will be chosen which seems most appropriate for pastoral reasons in order to allow the people to assemble more easily, for example shortly after midday, or in the late evening, however not later than nine o’clock.
7. How is the cross venerated?
Paschales Solemnitatis notes:
68. For veneration of the cross, let a cross be used that is of appropriate size and beauty, and let one of the forms for this rite as found in the Roman Missal be followed.
The rite should be carried out with the splendor worthy of the mystery of our salvation: both the invitation pronounced at the unveiling of the cross, and the people’s response should be made in song, and a period of respectful silence is to be observed after each act of veneration—the celebrant standing and holding the raised cross.
69. The cross is to be presented to each of the faithful individually for their adoration since the personal adoration of the cross is a most important feature in this celebration; only when necessitated by the large numbers of faithful present should the rite of veneration be made simultaneously by all present.
Only one cross should be used for the veneration, as this contributes to the full symbolism of the rite.
During the veneration of the cross the antiphons, “Reproaches,” and hymns should be sung, so that the history of salvation be commemorated through song. Other appropriate songs may also be sung (cf. n. 42).
8. What happens after the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion?
Paschales Solemnitatis notes:
71. After the celebration, the altar is stripped; the cross remains however, with four candles.
An appropriate place (for example, the chapel of repose used for reservation of the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday) can be prepared within the church, and there the Lord’s cross is placed so that the faithful may venerate and kiss it, and spend some time in meditation.
9. Are other devotions appropriate to Good Friday?
Paschales Solemnitatis notes:
72. Devotions such as the “Way of the Cross,” processions of the passion, and commemorations of the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary are not, for pastoral reasons, to be neglected.
The texts and songs used, however, should be adapted to the spirit of the Liturgy of this day.
Such devotions should be assigned to a time of day that makes it quite clear that the Liturgical celebration by its very nature far surpasses them in importance.
Looking for Something Good to Read?
May I suggest my commentary on the Gospel of Mark?
It goes through the whole text and provides fascinating information that you may have never heard before.
It also comes with a verse-by-verse study guide with questions that you or your study group can use.
And it comes with a lectionary-based study guide, so you can read along with Mark in the liturgy and ponder its meaning before or after Mass.
“… That families in need may receive the necessary support and that children may grow up in healthy and peaceful environments.” @Pontifex 12 March 2016
“The Sacrament of Reconciliation allows us to draw near to the Father with trust to have the certainty of his forgiveness.” @Pontifex 14 March 2016
“God is truly “rich in mercy” and extends it abundantly upon those who appeal to Him with a sincere heart.” @Pontifex 15 March 2016
“As we exit the confessional, we will feel his strength which gives new life and restores ardor to the faith. After confession we are reborn.” @Pontifex 16 March 2016
“No one can be excluded from the mercy of God. The Church is the house where everyone is welcomed and no one is rejected.” @Pontifex 17 March 2016
“The greater the sin, the greater the love that must be shown by the Church to those who repent.” @Pontifex 18 March 2016
“I am beginning a new journey, on Instagram, to walk with you along the path of mercy and the tenderness of God.” @Pontifex 19 March 2016
“Let us come to Him and let us not be afraid! Let us come to Him and say from the depths of our hearts: “Jesus, I trust in You!”” @Pontifex 20 March 2016
“Let us take our Christian calling seriously and commit to live as believers.” @Pontifex 21 March 2016
“I entrust to God’s mercy all those who lost their lives. #Brussels” @Pontifex 22 March 2016
“With how much love Jesus looks at us! With how much love He heals our sinful heart! Our sins never scare Him.” @Pontifex 23 March 2016
2. Why is Holy Thursday sometimes called “Maundy Thursday”?
The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word mandatum, or “mandate.”
This word is used in the Latin text for John 13:34:
“Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos.”
Or, in English:
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”
Holy Thursday is thus sometimes called Maundy Thursday because it was on this day that Christ gave us the new commandment–the new mandate–to love one another as he loves us.
3. What happens on this day liturgically?
Several things:
The bishop celebrates a “Chrism Mass” with his priests (usually).
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is held in the evening.
At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the priest (often) performs the washing of feet.
The Tabernacle is empty and the Eucharist is put in a place of repose.
The altar is stripped.
The faithful are invited to spend time in Eucharistic adoration while the Sacrament is in repose.
4. What is the “Chrism Mass”?
According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
35. The Chrism Mass which the bishop concelebrates with his presbyterium and at which the holy chrism is consecrated and the oils blessed, manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop in the same priesthood and ministry of Christ.
The priests who concelebrate with the bishop should come to this Mass from different parts of the diocese, thus showing in the consecration of the chrism to be his witnesses and cooperators, just as in their daily ministry they are his helpers and counselors.
The faithful are also to be encouraged to participate in this Mass, and to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Traditionally the Chrism Mass is celebrated on the Thursday of Holy Week. If, however, it should prove to be difficult for the clergy and people to gather with the bishop, this rite can be transferred to another day, but one always close to Easter.
The chrism and the oil of catechumens is to be used in the celebration of the sacraments of initiation on Easter night.
5. Why is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper significant?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
45. Careful attention should be given to the mysteries which are commemorated in this Mass: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and Christ’s command of brotherly love; the homily should explain these points.
6. Is the Eucharist in the Tabernacle during this Mass?
No. According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
48. The Tabernacle should be completely empty before the celebration.
Hosts for the Communion of the faithful should be consecrated during that celebration.
A sufficient amount of bread should be consecrated to provide also for Communion on the following day.
7. What does the rite of foot washing signify, and is it to be done for men only?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
51. The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve. This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained.
Although some have interpreted the rite as reflecting the institution of the institution of the priesthood or being unique to the apostles, this interpretation is not found in the Church’s official documents, such as Paschales Solemnitatis, which interpret it as a sign of service and charity.
The rite is optional. It does not have to be performed.
Although until 2016 the Church’s official texts used language that indicated only men (Latin, viri) could have their feet washed on Holy Thursday, the Holy See had permitted individual bishops to wash the feet of females and younger males (vir means “man,” not “male”) for some time.
Pope Francis himself had been doing so, and in 2016 he had the Congregation for Divine Worship revise the law to bring it into alignment with contemporary practice.
8. What happens at the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
54. After the post-Communion prayer, the procession forms, with the crossbar at its head. The Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by lighted candles and incense, is carried through the church to the place of reservation, to the singing of the hymn “Pange lingua” or some other eucharistic song.
This rite of transfer of the Blessed Sacrament may not be carried out if the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion will not be celebrated in that same church on the following day.
55. The Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a closed tabernacle or pyx. Under no circumstances may it be exposed in a monstrance.
The place where the tabernacle or pyx is situated must not be made to resemble a tomb, and the expression “tomb” is to be avoided.
The chapel of repose is not prepared so as to represent the “Lord’s burial” but for the custody of the eucharistic bread that will be distributed in Communion on Good Friday.
9. Is there to be Eucharistic adoration at this time?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
56. After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the faithful should be encouraged to spend a suitable period of time during the night in the church in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament which has been solemnly reserved.
Where appropriate, this prolonged eucharistic adoration may be accompanied by the reading of some part of the Gospel of St. John (chs. 13-17).
From midnight onwards, however, the adoration should be made without external solemnity, because the day of the Lord’s passion has begun.
10. What happens to the decoration of the Church at this time?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
57. After Mass the altar should be stripped.
It is fitting that any crosses in the church be covered with a red or purple veil, unless they have already been veiled on the Saturday before the Fifth Sunday of Lent.
Lamps should not be lit before the images of saints.
Looking for Something Good to Read?
May I suggest my commentary on the Gospel of Mark?
It goes through the whole text and provides fascinating information that you may have never heard before.
It also comes with a verse-by-verse study guide with questions that you or your study group can use.
And it comes with a lectionary-based study guide, so you can read along with Mark in the liturgy and ponder its meaning before or after Mass.
“Open your heart to mercy! Divine mercy is stronger than the sins of men” @Pontifex 3 March 2016
“Jesus Christ, with his closeness and tenderness, leads sinners into the place of grace and pardon. This is the mercy of God.” @Pontifex 4 March 2016
“May the Lord free us from all temptation that separates us from what is essential in our mission and help rediscover the beauty of faith.” @Pontifex 5 March 2016
“The Jubilee of Mercy is a propitious occasion to promote in the world ways to respect life and the dignity of each person.” @Pontifex 6 March 2016
“My life, my attitude, the way of going through life, must really be a concrete sign of the fact that God is close to us.” @Pontifex 7 March 2016
“Small gestures of love, of tenderness, of care, make people feel that the Lord is with us. This is how the door of mercy opens.” @Pontifex 8 March 2016
“God has caressed us with his mercy. Let us bring God’s tender caress to others, to those who are in need.” @Pontifex 9 March 2016
Have you ever felt someone was preaching at you under the guise of praying to God?
Did it turn you off?
Make you feel manipulated?
You were right.
That We May What?
Many dioceses are currently conducting their annual Catholic appeal for various diocesan needs.
Fine. They need to do that.
But the way this works out at the parish level can leave something to be desired.
For example, at St. Nameless the Ambiguous’s Parish they’ve been having an entry in the prayers of the faithful which goes like this:
Petition: That we may respond generously to the annual Catholic appeal . . .
Response: Lord, hear our prayer.
I cringe when I hear this—and other prayers like it
“Preachy Prayers”
The thing that makes me cringe is the fact that the petition isn’t really directed to God.
It’s directed to those listening to the prayer.
It’s encouraging them do to something, and only in the most implicit way does it envision God doing anything.
We might call such petitions “preachy prayers,” because they are really preaching to the congregation under the guise of praying to God.
To the extent preaching to the audience is the goal, that makes this a kind of sham prayer.
Unfortunately, preachy prayers are common.
Everybody Does It
Catholics have no monopoly on this kind of prayer. They get made by all kinds of people on all kinds of subjects.
For example, I remember people commenting on the phenomenon when I was an Evangelical.
Sometimes an Evangelical minister—knowing that he was in front of people who weren’t religious (say, at a wedding or funeral)—would take the opportunity to preach the gospel at his audience in the form of a prayer.
While making a rather lengthy oration—ostensibly to God—he would run through the high points of an evangelistic message (sin, judgment, Christ’s atoning death on the cross, grace, forgiveness, justification, eternal life, etc.) and conclude with something like:
Lord, we turn to you—knowing that we have nothing of our own to bring, only to your Son’s cross we cling—and ask you to forgive our sins, so that though they be as scarlet, they may be made white as snow, and we trust only in you and your grace by faith alone, without any works on our part, that we may be with you forever in heaven. Amen.
Or words to that effect.
Preachy prayers can even turn up in formal, memorized prayers, like this mealtime prayer from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer:
For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful.
This one has an advantage over the first one I mentioned (about the annual appeal) in that it at least mentions God, but it’s fundamentally the same. The person who announces it to a group is telling the group what kind of attitude it should have (true thankfulness of food).
If we don’t notice this, it is likely because we aren’t small British children who are about to be told, after the prayer, to stop being picky and eat what is on our plates.
The kids notice it, though.
Why It’s So Easy to Fall Into
Preachy prayers frequently arise from good motives:
people need to contribute to charitable causes,
they need to find forgiveness and salvation,
and they need to be thankful that God has provided for the needs of this life
All those are good things.
And it can be really tempting, when you’re praying in front of a group of people, to forget that you’re really talking to God and, instead, start directly encouraging your hearers toward what ever good is on your mind.
The Problem
The problem is that this isn’t what you’re supposed to be doing in a prayer.
You’re supposed to be talking to God.
What’s more, if you’re leading a group of people in prayer then you’re supposed to be representing their thoughts to God.
At least for the moment, you’re acting as the group’s representative to God.
And the group is meant to agree to what you are saying to God on their behalf. That’s why they are expected to say “Amen” or “Lord, hear our prayer” or whatever the local custom is as soon as you stop praying.
This means that the group is giving you a sacred trust. They are letting you talk to God on their behalf.
You thus have a responsibility to represent the group in a way they approve of and not go off promoting your agenda rather than theirs.
There is some give an take here. After all, you’re not a mind reader, and you don’t know what everybody in the group thinks. But you do have a responsibility, as the group’s representative, to represent its petitions.
Any time the representative of a group starts promoting his agenda over that of the group, it’s bound to cause resentment.
Particularly when you have a captive audience.
Captive Audiences
There are certain social conventions that apply in prayer settings. One of them is that the person leading prayer gets to talk and the others stay quiet.
If the prayer leader asks God for something one of the group disagrees with, it would be a serious breach of etiquette for that person to shout, “Hey! I don’t buy that! Don’t go asking God for that on my behalf!”
Similarly, the group is expected to vocally express its assent at the end of the prayer.
There is thus social pressure on the group both to let you speak to God for them and to publicly agree with what you said once you’ve finished.
That means—due to the social dynamics of the situation—that you have something of a captive audience, which in turn means that you need to be extra respectful of their views and sensibilities.
The Scandal of Preachy Prayers
If you aren’t sensitive to the group in this way, you alienate them.
Of course, prayer leaders aren’t perfect, and they sometimes say things that various people in the group don’t agree with—or fully agree with.
To cover such possibilities, I have a standing intention whereby I ask God to accept whatever is good in a prayer being made by someone on my behalf. Even if I don’t fully agree, there’s always something good buried in the prayer leader’s intentions, and I ask God to accept that.
However, if I get the sense that the prayer leader isn’t really talking to God—but to me—my attitude changes.
“Hey! You’re supposed to be talking to God right now, not preaching at me,” I think. “If you want me to do something—donate, get saved, be thankful—then say it to me straight out, and I’ll be happy to consider it. But don’t go preaching at me under the guise of talking to God.”
Even if they can’t articulate it, group members recognize that something phony is happening. It’s not sincere. It’s not authentic.
And since it’s happening during prayer—which is sacred—it’s both phony and profane, a kind of holy hypocrisy.
Preachy prayers thus come off as sanctimonious and, since they encourage good behavior on the part of the listeners, as moralizing.
Also, since there is social pressure for the listeners to agree with what is being said, they come off as manipulative.
Sanctimonious, moralizing, and manipulative.
That’s a combination that will alienate people.
Thus, despite the good intentions behind them, preachy prayers can actually push the listener away from the intended goods rather than drawing him closer to them.
This makes them a scandal in the proper sense—something that pushes people away from the good.
They Have Already Received Their Reward
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has important things to say about how we should perform prayer and other acts of piety. Among them are these:
Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.
And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward (Matt. 6:1-2, 5, 16).
Here Jesus is concerned with one specific form of hypocrisy—performing an act of piety in a showy fashion in order to gain the approval of other people rather than of God.
He indicates that the approval of others is all the reward that such people will get. The person may succeed in winning the approval of men, but God will not reward such actions, because they are not really directed to him.
The same applies to preachy prayers.
They may be done out of selfless motives (like encouraging people to seek God’s forgiveness) or they may be done out of selfish motives (like encouraging kids to stop complaining about their food), but don’t expect them to be further rewarded.
Like self-aggrandizing acts of piety, they aren’t—at their core—directed to God but to men, so don’t expect God to reward them.
Think Before You Pray
All of this is a way of encourage prayer leaders—which most of us are at one time or another—to think about what they are saying.
Put yourself in the position of those you are representing in prayer.
Does what you are about to say really represent something they would have you say to God on their behalf? Or are you about to preach at them under the guise of praying to God?
If it’s the latter, don’t say that prayer.
If you want to encourage them toward some good, do them the courtesy of talking to them directly. Don’t wrap your exhortation in the holy cloak of prayer.
You can pray for all kinds of goods, but some of them you may need to pray on your own rather than as a group prayer leader.
Remember: These people are letting you perform a sacred task on their behalf, and you need to avoid abusing that role.
You especially don’t need to come off as sanctimonious, moralizing, or manipulative.
Most importantly, you need to remember what your real focus is when you’re praying: God.
Just imagine how God must view such prayers: “Hey! If you’re going to talk to me then talk to me! Don’t sham talk at me while you’re really talking to someone else.”
If you’re going to talk to God then talk to God—don’t preach at your listeners.
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 24 March 2016 to 30 March 2016.
