Blogger Priest

Faith & Values in the News

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Father Joe

Jesus’ “Crown of Thorns” shown at Notre Dame

Last placed on display in 1939…

A Journalist’s Plea On 10th Anniversary Of ‘The Passion Of The Christ’: Hollywood, Take Mel Gibson Off Your Blacklist

Powerful article.

Permission for the public celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass has been revoked at Fisher More College by the newly appointed Ordinary, Bishop Michael Olson in Fort Worth, Texas. On top of this, the school’s president, Michael King, made expansion efforts that have left the college in dangerous financial straits. The former school chancellor, Dr. Taylor Marshall, states that it is all a reaction to the college president “politicizing” the old Mass to distract from his financial scandal and to avoid personal fault should the college close in coming months. The bishop, himself, has shown support for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in his diocese.

A professor attacked Vatican II. The renegade priest Fr. Gruner and purportedly others without faculties have been allowed to offer Mass. The FSSP withdrew some time back. The chancellor resigned and certain Catholic students complained about the situation. Suspension of the old Latin Mass was in reaction to these serious matters. The bishop is a friend of the old Latin Mass and directed them to a parish where it is regularly offered. The president cancelled ALL MASSES and will not allow the revised Missal to be offered– showing the lie about respecting the validity of the ordinary form! The president has said he would sooner have the school close than offer the reformed liturgy. As for the bishop’s authority, he is on solid ground since it is a school chapel or oratory.Canon 1225 states that “All sacred celebrations can be performed in legitimately established oratories except those which the law or a prescript of the local ordinary excludes or the liturgical norms prohibit.”

Alligator OK to eat on Lenten Fridays, archbishop clarifies

Yippee! Catholics are permitted to eat alligator meat during Lent!

Knights in Maryland keep the home fires burning by providing firewood to the needy

More Maryland Knights in action! Good work brothers in Calvert Council (North Beach)!

Pastor Ulf Ekman to be accepted into the Catholic Church

Mega-church pastor becoming a Catholic!

Filed under: Catholic, News | 1 Comment »

Can a Priest Deny Sacraments to a Gay Man in the Hospital?

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Father Joe

The news was on fire this morning about a DC priest who purportedly refused to give Last Rights to a gay heart-attack patient at the Washington Hospital Center.

Oh boy, here we go again! This man condemns the priest but we only have his side of the story.

I suspect there is a lot more to the story than what we are hearing. A priest was requested and Father Brian Coelho came to the bedside of the patient, Ronald Plishka. The priest followed the ritual by offering the Sacrament of Penance prior to the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion. If a patient is unconscious, the priest will often presume contrition and a desire for the sacraments, giving absolution even without auricular confession. In this case, the patient was alert and responsive. The patient seemed to want to make small talk and remarked about how as a homosexual person he was so happy that the Pope was accepting of gay people. But he next asked if this admission bothered the priest, almost as if he were baiting him. The priest said it did not but offered to pray with him. Nothing more was said about Extreme Unction and Viaticum. While left unsaid in the article, this intimates that this dialogue took place as part of a Confession.

Because the disagreement probably happened during Confession, the priest is silenced by the seal and cannot share his side of the story. Indeed, he would face automatic excommunication if he says anything… something I hope that Church authorities appreciate. Even they cannot question the priest.

Instead of a civil conversation, the patient rejects the offer of prayer and tells the priest “to get the [deleted] out of here!” That in itself probably demonstrates an improper disposition for God’s mercy. Then the doctors came in to calm him down.

We should pray for all the parties involved.

Filed under: Anointing of the Sick, Anti-Catholicism, Archdiocese, Catholic, Church, Commandments, Confession, Conscience, Faith, Forgiveness, Hell, Holy Communion, Homosexuality, Morality, News, Politics, Pope Francis, Prayer, Priests, Prophets, Religion, Religious Liberty, Repentance, Sacraments, Salvation, Sexuality, Sin, Social Justice | 4 Comments »

Can We Tolerate Civil Marriage over a Church Wedding?

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Father Joe

QUESTION: Dear Father, I am seeking for advice that comes from my religion. I am a Catholic and a Filipino. I want to get married but my girlfriend and I don’t have enough money budgeted for a church wedding. We are looking for a civil wedding but based on our faith, this wedding doesn’t have a blessing from our Lord God. Is it possible that we can get married through a civil wedding and after that go to our parish priest to bless us as a couple? Can we have our honeymoon then? Please give me advice. Thank you and God bless.

ANSWER:

You seem to already know the answer. I cannot tell you anything different. It might sound harsh, but I will keep you both in prayer.

Some countries require a dual ceremony, even Italy, since priests do not function as magistrates of the state. In the United States, parish priests are authorized to witness weddings that are recognized both by the Church and by the state. You are right that the Church gives no weight to a strictly civil wedding. It must be witnessed by a priest and at least two witnesses.

I have heard your plight before and I am not very sympathetic. You could still have a church wedding because the sacraments are free. You do not need the expensive window dressing. My father got married in his blue suit, the only suit he owned. My mother wore her prettiest dress. The family had a picnic afterwards. They lived happily as man and wife until my father died 40 some years later. They had seven children and went to Mass every Sunday.

Get your priorities straight. Marriage outside the Church would place your beloved in serious sin and cut you both off from absolution in Confession and the reception of Holy Communion. A fancy gown and reception is not worth your immortal soul. Any children conceived deserve a mother and mother who are truly married in the eyes of God. Otherwise, what would it make you?

A priest could con-validate a civil wedding, but this does NOT bless the prior secular bond. The con-validation would be your true wedding. What came before was play-acting. You would have to repent, receive marriage preparation and receive the sacrament of Penance before the con-validation. Many priests today refuse to give large church weddings for couples civilly married and/or with children. Instead, they insist upon small con-validations with a few family and no music and no Mass. The reason for this is simple, so that other couples would not imitate such shameful and sinful acts. It is a proper punishment and/or penance for couples who are more interested in “show” and “money” then in “truth” and “virtue.”

God gives helping graces to couples who share the sacrament of marriage. Believers who reject the covenant of marriage for a secular contract forfeit divine help, cause scandal, and threaten each other with the prospect of perdition. That does NOT say love in my book.

Filed under: Catholic, Discipleship, Family, Forgiveness, Marriage, Modesty, Morality, Religion, Sacraments, Sexuality, Sin | 6 Comments »

Re-established Parish Council at Holy Family

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Father Joe

The following are the members of the re-established Pastoral Council here at Holy Family: Mrs. Ida Belinky, Miss Cheryl Blake, Mrs. Cynthia Bowie, Mrs. Eleonora Foronda, Mrs. Marsha Hansen, Mr. Joseph Hebron, Mrs. Melissa Hicks, Mrs. Laurel McDonald, Mr. James Murry, Mr. Andres Padilla, Mr. Brian Payne, Mrs. Janet Renze, Mrs. Monette Roxas, and Mr. Michael Turner. This is the maximum number of members permitted by the new Archdiocesan guidelines (15 counting the pastor). The presentation and installation of members was held on Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM on January 26, 2014. Absent on Sunday were Ida, Ellie, Marsha and Joe.

Pictured here with me after Mass are Andres, Cheryl, Brian, Melissa, Laurel, and Jim.

Filed under: Archdiocese, Church, Parish | Leave a comment »

What is with the Angels in the Cherubic Hymn?

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Father Joe

QUESTION: The Catholic Melkites include in their liturgy a Cherubic Hymn where the Cherubim are called “many eyed” and the Seraphim are “six winged” and soaring on their “pinions”. Can you please take some time and explain some of the meaning?

ANSWER:

As for the Cherubic Hymn, the emphasis is that we enter into the angelic praise and glory to Almighty God. The Sanctus serves a similar purpose in the Roman Catholic liturgy: Holy, Holy, Holy. The more traditional Trisagion is found in our Good Friday Liturgy and is a component of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

“We, who mystically represent the Cherubim, and chant the thrice-holy hymn to the life-giving Trinity, let us set aside the cares of life that we may receive the King of all, who comes invisibly escorted by the Divine Hosts.”

Holy God, Holy [and] Mighty, Holy [and] Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy [and] Mighty, Holy [and] Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy [and] Mighty, Holy [and] Immortal, have mercy on us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us.

While the gravity is with God and not the angels, the description of the angels is taken from Isaiah 6:1-3.

“In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, a with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they hovered. One cried out to the other: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!’”

The references to wings and eyes are all symbolism. Seraphim are pictured with six wings and are associated with the purification that comes from fire. Cherubim are imaged as with four wings and many eyes or faces. They are understood as all seeing. Catholic tradition places seraphim at the first rank of the angelic hosts and cherubim at the second. St. John of the Cross writes that the seraphim covering its face with its wings symbolize “the darkness of the intellect in God’s presence.” He continues that the covering of the feet symbolizes “the blinding and quenching of the affections of the will because of God.” It thus constitutes humility of the creature before the Creator.

“With the two remaining wings they flew, indicating both the flight of hope toward things that are not possessed and the elevation above all earthly or heavenly possessions that are not God” (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, 6.5).

Filed under: Angels, Bible, Catholic, God, Liturgy, Questions, Religion | Leave a comment »

What Does 1 John 5 Mean?

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Father Joe

QUESTION: The reading 1 John 5:14-21 has come up again in the liturgical readings (January 11, 2014) and it confuses me. What does it mean not to pray for the sin that leads to death?

ANSWER:

What we ask should be in conformity with the divine will. Divine providence cannot be circumvented.

We can intervene for the venial sins of our brothers and sisters. That is a basic component of intercessory prayer. If the person is disposed to mercy, then God hears and answers such prayers.

Mortal sin is more serious and requires the immediate contrition of the sinner. The Church also employs the mediation of priestly absolution in the sacrament of Penance.

The one who belongs to God is in genuine friendship with him. Mortal sin signifies a breech. It forfeits the life of grace.

We are commissioned to abide in God and to spread the Good News.

Filed under: Catholic, Discipleship, Prayer, Questions, Redemption, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »

What to Do about Fleeting Bad Thoughts?

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Father Joe

QUESTION: I have horrible fleeting thoughts against God, Jesus, the Holy Mother, and the Holy Spirit– of cursing and blasphemy. It makes me very anxious and I have no peace. What can I do?

ANSWER:

I would recommend that you speak with your local priest. There are too many details not available to me: (1) your age and state of life; (2) the culture and influences to which you are exposed; (3) the level of your religiosity; (4) life experiences and possible trauma; (5) your health and mental stability; and (6) the possibility of spiritual oppression or obsession.

We are constantly afflicted with fleeting bad thoughts and urges but we can redirect our attention and quickly dismiss them. If they are not directly intended and do not reflect our core preoccupation then I would just quickly disregard negative thoughts and images as insignificant. Scrupulosity about them gives them a certain negative hold upon us.

Filed under: Catholic, Questions, Religion, Sin | 1 Comment »

Is Cursing Christ an Unforgivable Sin?

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Father Joe

QUESTION: What kind of sin is it if one curses Jesus as Satan? Is it an unforgivable sin?

ANSWER: Sin is only unforgiveable if we are unrepentant when we die. The condemnation of the divine as satanic is a serious sin: “The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘By the prince of demons he drives out demons.’ Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, ‘How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.’ For they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit’” (Mark 3:22-30).

Filed under: Catholic, Jesus, Religion, Sin | 1 Comment »

Why is the Foot Washing Not a Sacrament?

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Father Joe

QUESTION: Given that the washing of the feet (Holy Thursday) was instituted by Jesus and employs the elements of water and ritual, can you give a good theological reason why it is not considered as a sacrament?

ANSWER: Actually, there were ancient authorities who thought it might be, but the difficulty was as to what it signified. St. Augustine made a connection with baptism (and yet there was already a formula for that sacrament). Most authorities and the Church associated it with ordination to the priesthood. Indeed, it plays something of this role in the (spiritualized) Gospel of John. There too the apostles adopted the laying on of hands upon the head of a man as the manner in which he was called to holy orders. Today, the foot washing increasingly refers to our commission as servants or disciples. That is already sufficiently signified in our baptism and confirmation. So I guess the short answer is that the sacraments are not capricious. There was no need for an eighth sacrament. However, once a year it does function as a “sacramental” that emphasizes both the importance of the priesthood and our call to live out our Christianity with humility and charity.

Filed under: Baptism, Catholic, Discipleship, Priests | 5 Comments »