Category: +Religion

The Church Year: Mar. 1, 2012

Today is Thursday of the 1st week of Lent. The liturgical color is violet.

 

Saints & Celebrations:

On March 1, there is no special fixed liturgical day in the Ordinary Form.

There is no special fixed liturgical day in the Extraordinary Form.

For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.

 

Readings:

To see today’s readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.

Or you can click play to listen to them:

 

Devotional Information:

According to the Holy See’s Directory on Popular Piety:

Via Crucis [The “Way of the Cross”]

131. Of all the pious exercises connected with the veneration of the Cross, none is more popular among the faithful than the Via Crucis. Through this pious exercise, the faithful movingly follow the final earthly journey of Christ: from the Mount of Olives, where the Lord, “in a small estate called Gethsemane” (Mk 14, 32), was taken by anguish (cf. Lk 22, 44), to Calvary where he was crucified between two thieves (cf. Lk 23, 33), to the garden where he was placed in freshly hewn tomb (John 19, 40-42).

The love of the Christian faithful for this devotion is amply attested by the numerous Via Crucis erected in so many churches, shrines, cloisters, in the countryside, and on mountain pathways where the various stations are very evocative.

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The Church Year: Feb. 29, 2012

Today is Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent. The liturgical color is violet.

In the Extraordinary Form, it is Wednesday of Ember Week in Lent.

 

Saints & Celebrations:

For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.

 

Readings:

To see today’s readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.

Or you can click play to listen to them:

 

Devotional Information:

According to the Holy See’s Directory on Popular Piety:

Reading of the Lord’s Passion

130. The Church exhorts the faithful to frequent personal and community reading of the Word of God. Undoubtedly, the account of the Lord’s Passion is among the most important pastoral passages in the New Testament. Hence, for the Christian in his last agony, the Ordo untionis informorum eorumque pastoralis curae suggests the reading of the Lord’s Passion either in its entirety, or at least some pericopes from it.

During Lent, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays, love for our Crucified Savior should move the Christian community to read the account of the Lord’s Passion. Such reading, which is doctrinally significant, attracts the attention of the faithful because of its content and because of its narrative form, and inspires true devotion: repentance for sins, since the faithful see that Christ died for the sins of the entire human race, including their own; compassion and solidarity for the Innocent who was unjustly condemned; gratitude for the infinite love of Jesus for all the brethren, which was shown by Jesus, the first born Son, in his Passion; commitment to imitating his example of meekness, patience, mercy, forgiveness of offenses, abandonment to the Father, which Jesus did willingly and efficaciously in his Passion.

Outside of the liturgical celebration of the Passion, the Gospel narrative can be “dramatized”, giving the various parts of the narrative to different persons; or by interspersing it with hymns or moments of silent reflection.

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Why Don’t Bishops Excommunicate Bad Politicians? Autistic Children at Mass, Female Pope, Planned Parenthood, and More!

On Catholic Answers Live (2/16/12), Jimmy Akin answers:

  • Have you heard about a female pope?
  • In regard to the HHS mandate, why don’t the bishops resort to excommunication of politicians?
  • I’m thinking about becoming a Catholic, but I’ve been divorced and remarried – what steps should I take?
  • What do the Masons believe?
  • Where do Protestants get the notion that they can attend or belong to any type church, whereas we believe that Jesus founded the one true Catholic Church?
  • Is it a sin to not take my autistic child to Mass on Sunday because she may misbehave?
  • Are those who commit mortal sins without knowing it at risk of not being saved?
  • Is there a difference between how Protestants and Catholics view missionary work?
  • How powerful is Planned Parenthood within the government given the danger of contraception and the fight that is currently going on for our religious liberty?

Click Play to listen . . .

or you can . . .

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CLICK HERE!

. . . or subscribe another way (one of many ways!) at JimmyAkinPodcast.Com.

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The Church Year: Feb. 28, 2012

Today is Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent. The liturgical color is violet.

 

Saints & Celebrations:

On February 28, there is no special fixed liturgical day in the Ordinary Form.

There is no special fixed liturgical day in the Extraordinary Form.

For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.

 

Readings:

To see today’s readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.

Or you can click play to listen to them:

 

Devotional Information:

According to the Holy See’s Directory on Popular Piety:

129. The Gospel texts of the Passion are especially detailed. Coupled with a tendency in popular piety to isolate specific moments of the narrative, this has induced the faithful to turn their attention to specific aspects of the Passion of Christ, making of them specific devotions: devotion to the “Ecce Homo”, Christ despised, “crowned with thorns and clothed in a purple cloak” (John 19, 5), and shown to the multitude by Pilate; devotion to the five sacred wounds of Christ, especially to the side of Christ from which flowed blood and water for the salvation of mankind (John 19, 34); devotion to the instruments of the Passion, the pillar at which Christ was scourged, the steps of the Praetorium, the crown of thorns, the nails, the lance that pierced Him; devotion to the Holy Shroud.

Such expressions of piety, often promoted by persons of great sanctity, are legitimate. However, in order to avoid excessive fragmentation in contemplation of the mystery of the Cross, it is always useful to emphasize the whole event of the Passion, as is the case in biblical and patristic tradition.

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Can Catholics Be Buried in Non-Catholic Cemeteries?

A reader writes:

As a practicing Catholic, can I be buried in a non-Catholic cemetery. No one in my family is Catholic except me and I would like to be buried with my family.

It’s a logical question, and an understandable desire.

It’s a logical question because many Catholic parishes and dioceses have cemeteries, and it would seem natural–as a Catholic–to be buried in one of these.

It’s an understandable desire to want to be buried with one’s family, where after your death your loved ones may still visit your grave, take care of it, and remember you. It’s a way of maintaining a connection with those you have left behind.

I could imagine someone saying, “Well, if your family isn’t Catholic, they won’t pray for you when they visit your grave. But if you were buried in a Catholic cemetery, then people would, and that would help you out even more after your death.”

Maybe.

You might get some extra prayer if you’re in a Catholic cemetery, but the Church prays for all of the departed, regardless of where they are buried. Also, you might get more prayer from non-Catholic relatives than you think. The heart knows things about the way to the dead that the head sometimes doesn’t, and I’ve seen non-Catholic members of my own family talk (i.e., pray) to departed loved ones–out loud–even though this isn’t part of their theological tradition. It’s only natural to also ask God to help, be merciful to, etc., one’s departed loved one, and the same thing happens in non-Catholic families, simply because the heart demands it, even if there is no theological rationale for it that they hear preached in church.

There’s also the fact that not being buried with one’s family could send a very confusing signal to them. In at least some cases it could be taken as a rejection of the family. That might not be rational, but–trust me–people get irrational at funeral time. And I can see a person judging that, in their own family’s case, it would be evangelistically unwise to set up a Catholic Church vs. the family paradigm in the minds of the bereaved.

I think it’s fair to say, then, that this is a complex and sensitive subject, with decisions being best made by those most involved, with the most knowledge of their own family situation.

Here is what the Code of Canon Law has to say

Can. 1180

§1. If a parish has its own cemetery, the deceased members of the faithful must be buried in it unless the deceased or those competent to take care of the burial of the deceased have chosen another cemetery legitimately.

§2. Everyone, however, is permitted to choose the cemetery of burial unless prohibited by law.

The statement that if a parish has its own cemetery then the faithful “must” be buried is not intended to restrict the ability of the faithful to choose where they will be buried. Rather, it is meant to ensure that they will be able to be buried in the parish cemetery (i.e., the pastor is to grant permission for and preference to parishioners over non-parishioners if room is limited, etc.). That it is not meant to limit the ability to of the faithful to choose their place of burial is made explicit by the remainder of this canon, in which the ability of each person to choose the cemetery in which he will be buried is expressly protected as long as no other law is being violated.

The reference to other prohibitions by law appears to refer to particular laws that may exist in specific countries or dioceses. The Church’s universal law does not appear to contain any such prohibitions.

So the faithful have the ability to chose their place of burial, and it doesn’t have to be a Catholic cemetery. They are free to be buried in their family plot unless something else intervenes, which is highly unlikely if you’re just wanting to be buried with your family.

What happens in that case?

Sometimes people are concerned about whether they will be buried in “consecrated ground,” such as is found in a Catholic cemetery. While there graves can be blessed, and while this is desirable, it is not a sacrament and will not affect one’s eternal destiny. It is a way that the Church intervenes on behalf of the dead to implore God’s blessing on them. It is not, however, something available only in Catholic cemeteries. In another place, the Code of Canon Law provides:

Can. 1240 §1. Where possible, the Church is to have its own cemeteries or at least areas in civil cemeteries that are designated for the deceased members of the faithful and properly blessed.

§2. If this cannot be achieved, however, then individual graves are to be properly blessed.

So, in the case of a Catholic being buried in a family plot that belongs to a non-Catholic family, the thing to do would be to simply have that person’s grave blessed (the rite for this is found in the Order of Christian Funerals—the Church text used in this case). So one need not scruple on this point.

If the reader feels that it is best to be buried with the family, the Church’s law provides for this.

Why Did Jesus Descend into HELL? Does the Bible Say Not to Wear Mixed Fiber Clothing?

Why does the Apostles Creed say that Jesus descended into Hell? Why would he do this? Wasn’t the Crucifixion enough? Did he have to suffer even more?

What did he do while he was “down there”? Did he preach to the dead? Which dead? Why? Do we have a second chance at salvation after death? What did the Church Fathers say about this? How about the teaching of the Church today?

Why does the Law of Moses say not to wear clothes made from two kinds of fibers? Can we wear cotton/polyesther blends? What’s the reason for this commandment? Who was bound by it? Does the commandment really forbid mixing any two types of fiber? Should we take this literally?

These are just some of the questions we answer in this week’s episode of the Jimmy Akin Podcast!

Click Play to listen . . .

or you can . . .

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CLICK HERE!

. . . or subscribe another way (one of many ways!) at JimmyAkinPodcast.Com.
SHOW NOTES:

JIMMY AKIN PODCAST EPISODE 031 (02/26/12)

1) JIMMY MAKES AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE PODCAST

He needs your help raising funds to enable the podcast to help even more people, in more ways, by making transcripts of it available. If he can raise $3000 then he can keep the podcast going and provide *a year’s worth* of transcripts (52 episodes) at the same time!

Please visit www.JimmyAkin.com to learn more about this project and how you can help!

God bless you, and thank you for your generosity!

 

2) LUCIA ASKS WHY THE APOSTLES CREED SAYS THAT JESUS “DESCENDED INTO HELL.” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, AND WHY DID HE DO IT?

 

3) LUCIA ASKS ABOUT THE LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THAT SAYS NOT TO WEAR CLOTHING WITH TWO KINDS OF FABRIC. ARE WE TO TAKE THIS LITERALLY?

 

ONLINE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAW OF SHA`ATNEZ

Shatnez

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatnez

Ask Rabbi Simmons: Clothing Worn by Jews

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_clothing.htm

The Mysteries of Shaatnez

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/381831/jewish/The-Mysteries-of-Shaatnez.htm

Clothing Mixtures: The Commandment of Shatnez

http://www.beingjewish.com/mitzvos/shatnez.html

 

THOMAS AQUINAS ON LAW

Summa Theologiae I-II (see questions 98-103)

http://newadvent.org/summa/2.htm

 

Today’s Music: Fresh Country Air (JewelBeat.Com)

 

WHAT’S YOUR QUESTION? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ASK?
Call me at 512-222-3389!
jimmyakinpodcast@gmail.com
www.JimmyAkinPodcast.com

 

Join Jimmy’s Secret Information Club!
www.SecretInfoClub.com
Copyright © 2012 by Jimmy Akin

Get the Jimmy Akin Cast app for Android at Amazon.com:

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Can You Help Me Help *MORE* People?

Dear Friend,

If you’re a regular reader of one of my blogs, or a Facebook friend, or if you encounter me in other ways, you know that I have a podcast–what you might think of as an Internet radio show.

Every week I sit down in my home studio and record a new episode. I do this because I believe in the show and because I believe in using the New Media to spread God’s word.

Since launching the program, I’ve received regular inquiries about whether there are transcripts available. People who listen to it find the content very valuable, but they recognize that it would be even better if there were written versions as well.

  • Some people would like to refer back to particular parts of the show without having to listen to the whole thing.
  • Some people would like to quote it in in email or through sites like Facebook for their friends, co-workers, and family.
  • Some people have slow Internet connections that can’t handle the requirements of audio.
  • Some people are deaf–or want to share it with those who are deaf.
  • Some people aren’t comfortable working with audio and find using text much easier.

There are a host of reasons–and they are good ones!

The truth is: The show would be even more effective if it were available in text as well as audio format.

That’s why I’m writing this post today. I’d like to ask your help in taking the show “to the next level” by making it available in text format.

Unfortunately, there is a problem: How can I make this pay for itself?

You see, I do the show on my own time. Nobody is paying me, and I don’t charge for it. In fact, I pay in order to be able to present it. I pay for the equipment costs, the service providers that allow me to deliver the show, the music you hear on the show, and more. I also spend a lot of time on the program. Between researching each episode and editing it, I usually spend at least three hours preparing each one hour episode of the show.

I’d love to provide transcripts, but I need to find a way for the transcriptions to at least pay for themselves, and hopefully cover some of the additional costs of producing the podcast every week.

After researching the issue, I’ve determined that if I could raise just $3000, I’d be able to keep the podcast going and provide a year’s worth of transcripts.

That is not a huge amount of money!

  • I know that there are some people in the show’s audience who could donate the whole $3000.
  • Or three people who could donate $1000.
  • Or six people who could donate $500.
  • And there certainly are 30 people who could write $100 checks.
  • And most definitely 100 people who could write $30 checks.

This is a very doable, very achievable amount. Or I think it is, based on my knowledge of my show’s audience.

And so I want to ask you to help me take the show to the next level.

I’ve already spoken with a transcription service (a good one–the kind that will be able to handle the technical terms from Catholic theology and the Bible that I use on the show). As soon as I’m able to raise the needed $3000, I will give them the “go order,” and we will begin producing a year’s worth of transcripts. For example, if we have the needed funding by episode 35 of the show then I’ll use it to produce transcripts for the next 52 shows (a whole year’s worth), which would carry us through episode 87!

Bear in mind that these will be transcripts of my own podcast–not my appearances on other radio shows or podcasts. (I’m not the rights-holder for those.)

Whether you can help by donating $3000, $1000, $500, $100, $30, $10 or some other amount, I hope that you’ll be able to help with this effort, because it’s really all about making the show more effective by making it available to more people, in more ways.

You can donate by Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), by PayPal, or by check.

To donate by Credit Card or by Pay Pal, here’s all you need to do:

1) Click the “Donate” button below (or in the right hand margin of this page).

2) Enter the amount you want to donate and click “Update Total.”

3) Enter your Credit Card information or sign in to PayPal (if you have a PayPal account) and complete process.

HERE’S THE DONATION BUTTON (CLICK THIS . . .)

You can also mail a check to:

Jimmy Akin
9625 Mission Gorge Rd, Ste 2B (PMB 354)
Santee, CA 92071 

Thanks again, and God bless you for your generosity!

Your pal,

Jimmy

P.S. In the interests of full disclosure, I should point out that I am not a 501(c)3 organization, and so I’m afraid that I can’t offer you a tax deduction. You will, however, be helping to spread God’s word to people all over the world, and that should count toward having treasure in heaven.

The Church Year: Feb. 27, 2012

Today is Monday of the 1st week of Lent. The liturgical color is violet.

 

Saints & Celebrations:

On February 27, there is no special fixed liturgical day in the Ordinary Form.

In the Extraordinary Form, we celebrate St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, confessor, who died in A.D. 1862. It is a Class III day.

If you’d like to learn more about St. Gabriel, you can click here.

For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.

 

Readings:

To see today’s readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.

Or you can click play to listen to them:

 

Devotional Information:

According to the Holy See’s Directory on Popular Piety:

Devotions to the crucified Crist contain many elements usually found in popular piety: hymns and prayers, acts such as the unveiling and kissing of the Cross, processions and blessing with the Cross. These can lead to the development of pious exercises often containing many valuable formal and material elements.

Devotion to the Cross, however, sometimes requires a certain enlightenment. The faithful should be taught to place the Cross in its essential reference to the Resurrection of Christ: the Cross, the empty tomb, the Death and Resurrection of Crist are indispensable in the Gospel narrative of God’s salvific plan. In the Christian faith, the Cross is an expression of the triumph of Christ over the powers of darkness. Hence, it is adorned with precious stones and is a sign of blessing when made upon one’s self, or on others or on objects.

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Prayers for Leah

I would like to ask for prayers for my colleague, Leah Darrow. Today at a speaking event she experienced an unexpected health issue and went to the emergency room. No word on what it is yet, but she has been admitted to the hospital. Thank you for your prayers and concern!