The Weekly Francis – 8 December 2013

PopeFrancis-fingerThis version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 24 November to 7 December 2013.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

  • “Your sins are great? Just tell the Lord: Forgive me, help me to get up again, change my heart!” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “We are all called to be friends with Jesus. Don’t be afraid to love the Lord.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “Fifty years ago, Vatican II spoke of communications. Let us listen to, dialogue with, and bring to Christ all those we encounter in life.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “Holiness doesn’t mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “The cross is the price of true love. Lord, give us the strength to accept and carry our crosses!” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “Dear young people, put your talents at the service of the Gospel, with creativity and boundless charity.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013

The Immaculate Conception: 8 things to know and share . . .

Dec. 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. What is the Immaculate Conception and how do we celebrate it?

December 8th is ordinarily celebrated as the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, but this year in the U.S., it’s being celebrated on Monday, December 9th.

It celebrates an important point of Catholic teaching, and it is a holy day of obligation.

Here are 8 things you need to know about the teaching and the way we celebrate it.

 

1. Who does the Immaculate Conception refer to?

There’s a popular idea that it refers to Jesus’ conception by the Virgin Mary.

It doesn’t.

Instead, it refers to the special way in which the Virgin Mary herself was conceived.

This conception was not virginal. (That is, she had a human father as well as a human mother.) But it was special and unique in another way. . . .

 

2. What is the Immaculate Conception?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it this way:

490 To become the mother of the Saviour, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”.  In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace.

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. 

 

3. Does this mean Mary never sinned?

Yes. Because of the way redemption was applied to Mary at the moment of her conception, she not only was protected from contracting original sin but also personal sin. The Catechism explains:

493 The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia), and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature”.  By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long. “Let it be done to me according to your word. . .”

 

4. Does this mean Mary didn’t need Jesus to die on the Cross for her?

KEEP READI

2nd Sunday of Advent: 9 things to know and share

winnowThis Sunday’s readings take us from Old Testament prophecies of the future Messiah to the union of Jew and Gentile in God’s kingdom.

They also bring us to the herald of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the mysterious image of Jesus’ “winnowing fan.”

Here are 9 things to know and share . . .

 

1) What does the first reading this Sunday say?

The first reading is Isaiah 11:1-10 (you can read it here).

This reading contains the famous Messianic prophesy which begins:

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

It continues by describing how the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him.

The passage stresses that the “shoot” (a future king of the line of David) will judge righteously. It also uses language that will be applied to Jesus in the New Testament, stating:

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Then comes the famous passage:

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The prophecy concludes:

They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

2) What does this mean?

This prophecy may have had an initial fulfillment in the days after it was first given, in Isaiah’s time. If so then, like many prophecies, it has another, greater fulfillment, which is in the Messiah.

The text depicts the ideal king—the Messiah—who will come as a shoot or branch from the stump of Jesse. That is, he will belong to the line of King David, the son of Jesse.

The Hebrew word for “branch” is netser, and this is part of the background to Matthew’s statement that “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matt. 2:23), playing on the similarity in sound between netser and nazoraios (an inhabitant of Nazareth).

The language this passage uses to describe how the Spirit of the Lord rests upon the king was later used by the Church to describe the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Endowed with the Spirit as he is, the Messiah will be the ideal king. He will have powerful authority (“he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth”), but he will use his kingly authority wisely and in the service of justice (“and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked”).

He will not oppress his people. Far from it! Rather, he will inaugurate an era of peace and justice such that it can be depicted as reconciling predators and prey, so that “they will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain.”

This will lead to knowledge of the true God spreading all over the world “as the waters cover the sea” and in that day the Messiah—the root of Jesse—shall be a beacon to all peoples, who will turn to him and inquire of him and his wisdom.

These prophecies are fulfilled, in an anticipatory way, with the first advent of the Messiah and the spread of the Christian faith, and they will be definitively fulfilled with the second advent and the eternal order.

 

3) What does the responsorial Psalm for this Sunday say?

KEEP READING.

How do the non-canonical gospels compare to the biblical ones (and more!)

microphoneJimmy appears on Catholic Answers Live in this episode of the podcast and answers these questions:

  • What does Jimmy think of the pope’s new apostolic exhortation? (2:35)
  • Why do the early Church Fathers know best? Why are they authoritative? (6:15)
  • Is there evidence that the apostolic Fathers carried over the deposit of faith? (9:00)
  • Did the Reformers educate the people, whereas the Catholic Church deprived people of knowledge? (14:45)
  • Is it okay to lie the way Rahab did? (22:05)
  • Does the existence of non-canonical Gospels diminish the authority of the ones in the Bible? (27:35)
  • Were the four canonical gospels established at the Council of Carthage? (32:40)
  • What resources review Catholic books and movies in light of Catholic teaching? (34:30)
  • Can people do things pleasing to God before they know Jesus? (40:05)
  • Do conceptions have to occur through a sexual act? (48:40)
  • Is it morally permissible to contribute to a fund that your job requires you to permit to if it’s pro-abotion? (51:45)

(Original Airdate: November 26, 2013)

 

YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE.

Or use the player below at JimmyAkin.com . . .

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

St. Ambrose: Strangest Life Story Ever? (8 things to know and share)

St_AmbroseSt. Ambrose’s memorial is December 7th.

He was one of the four original doctors of the Church, and he baptized St. Augustine.

He also had perhaps the strangest life story of any of the Church Fathers!

Here are 8 things to know and share . . .

 

1) Who was St. Ambrose?

St. Ambrose of Milan was born around A.D. 338 and died in 397.

He was the bishop of Milan, Italy.

 

2) What makes is his life story so strange?

Originally, he was a government official, he became bishop in a most extraordinary way.

After the death of the local bishop, the Catholics and Arians got into a vehement conflict about who should be the new bishop.

Ambrose was trying to keep the peace and settle the two groups down when someone—allegedly a small boy—began chanting “Ambrose, bishop!”

Soon the two groups began chanting together that Ambrose should be the new bishop.

(The Arians, apparently, felt that although Ambrose was Catholic in belief he would be a kinder bishop than they otherwise would likely get.)

This set of circumstances is extraordinary enough, but what’s even more extraordinary is that Ambrose wasn’t even a Christian yet. He was an unbaptized catechumen!
3) Can it get any stranger?

Yes it can!

KEEP READING!

The Weekly Francis – 1 December 2013

pope-francisThis version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 16 November to 30 November 2013.

Angelus

Apostolic Exhortations

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

Pope Francis’ new document, Evangelii Gaudium: 9 things to know and share

francis-windowPope Francis has just released a new document titled Evangelii Gaudium.

It is his first apostolic exhortation, and it is devoted to the theme of the new evangelization.

Here are 9 things to know and share . . .

 

1) What does “Evangelii Gaudium” mean?

It’s Latin for “The Joy of the Gospel.”

 

2) What is an apostolic exhortation?

It’s a papal document that, as the name suggests, exhorts people to implement a particular aspect of the Church’s life and teaching.

Its purpose is not to teach new doctrine, but to suggest how Church teachings and practices can be profitably applied today.

Some apostolic exhortations are devoted to the pastoral challenges faced in particular parts of the world (Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas). Others are devoted to particular themes.

Previous apostolic exhortations include:

  • Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi (on evangelization today)
  • John Paul II’s Christifideles Laici (on the role of the laity)
  • John Paul II’s Redemptoris Custos (on St. Joseph)
  • Benedict XVI’s Sacramentum Caritatis (on the Eucharist)
  • Benedict XVI’s Verbum Domini (on the Word of God)

 

3) How much authority does an apostolic exhortation have?

It is one of the more important papal documents—more important, for example, than a Wednesday audience or a homily.

As it is of a pastoral nature rather than a doctrinal or legal nature, though, it is ranked lower than an encyclical or an apostolic constitution.

As with everything official that the pope writes, it is to be taken very seriously.

 

4) What leads a pope to write an apostolic exhortation?

KEEP READING.

The Weekly Francis – 24 November 2013

PopeFrancis-fingerThis version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 10 November to 24 November 2013.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Messages

Motu Proprio

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

  • “Confessing our sins may be difficult for us, but it brings us peace. We are sinners, and we need God’s forgiveness.” @pontifex, 18 November 2013
  • “The Saints were not superhuman. They were people who loved God in their hearts, and who shared this joy with others.” @pontifex, 19 November 2013
  • “To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.” @pontifex, 21 November 2013
  • “The Kingdom of Heaven is for those who place their trust in the love of God, not in material possessions.” @pontifex, 22 November 2013
  • “The Sacraments are Jesus Christ’s presence in us. So it is important for us to go to Confession and receive Holy Communion.” @pontifex, 23 November 2013

Do our souls go to sleep when we die?

soul-sleepThere are passages in the Bible that speak of the dead as if they are asleep.

As a result, some Christians have adopted a view known as “soul sleep,” which holds that we are not conscious between our death and resurrection.

This would mean that the intercession of the saints would go out the window.

But are these verses meant to be taken literally?

What evidence do we have?

I go into that in the following video . . .

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE.

By the way, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel so that you’ll get a shiny new email whenever I post a video!

Also . . .

 

What Now?

If you like the information I’ve presented here, you should join my Secret Information Club.

If you’re not familiar with it, the Secret Information Club is a free service that I operate by email.

I send out information on a variety of fascinating topics connected with the Catholic faith.

In fact, the very first thing you’ll get if you sign up is information about what Pope Benedict said about the book of Revelation.

He had a lot of interesting things to say!

If you’d like to find out what they are, just sign up at www.SecretInfoClub.com or use this handy sign-up form:

Just email me at jimmy@secretinfoclub.com if you have any difficulty.

In the meantime, what do you think?

10 Things You Need to Know About Advent

advent-wreath-1

Advent begins on Sunday, December 1st.

Most of us have an intuitive understanding of Advent, based on experience, but what do the Church’s official documents actually say about Advent?

Here are some of the basic questions and (official!) answers about Advent.

Some of the answers are surprising!

Here we go . . .

 

1. What Is the Purpose of Advent?

Advent is a season on the Church’s liturgical calendar–specifically, it is as season on the calendar of the Latin Church, which is the largest Church in communion with the pope.

Other Catholic Churches–as well as many non-Catholic churches–have their own celebration of Advent.

According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar:

Advent has a twofold character:

  • as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ’s first coming to us is remembered;
  • as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time.

Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation [Norms 39].

We tend to think of Advent only as the season in which we prepare for Christmas, or the First Coming of Christ, but as the General Norms point out, it is important that we also remember it as a celebration in which we look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

Properly speaking, Advent is a season that brings to mind the Two Comings of Christ.

 

2. What Liturgical Colors Are Used in Advent?

Particular days and certain types of celebrations can have their own colors (e.g., red for martyrs, black or white at funerals), but the normal color for Advent is violet. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal provides:

The color violet or purple is used in Advent and Lent. It may also be worn in Offices and Masses for the Dead [346d].

In many places, there is a notable exception for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday:

The color rose may be used, where it is the practice, on Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and on Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent) [GIRM 346f].

 

3. Is Advent a Penitential Season?

We often think of Advent as a penitential season because the liturgical color for Advent is violet, like the color of Lent, which is a penitential season.

However, in reality, Advent is not a penitential season. Surprise!

According to the Code of Canon Law:

Can.  1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Although local authorities can establish additional penitential days, this is a complete listing of the penitential days and times of the Latin Church as a whole, and Advent is not one of them.

 

4. When Does Advent Begin and End?

KEEP READING.