SAVE THE DATES

 February 26^th 7pm

February 27^th  7pm

February 28^th  7pm

 Join Father John Weber, Saint Stanislaus Parish in Lansdale as we host the Archdiocesan Forty Hours Devotion.

 This is the ‘hour’ to spend with Jesus and thank Him for His Presence among us.

12:05pm

7:00pm

Join us; you are most welcometo enter the Holy Season of Lent with us as we

Repent and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ

“They were astounded and glorified God saying: We have never seen anything like this.” 

I hope you paid close attention to Sunday’s readings because this is one of those weeks when each reading clearly reveals the depth of God’s love for us. In the gospel we just heard, Jesus uses a miracle at Capernaum to show us his unconditional love and the promise of new possibilities.  Jesus’ healing of the paralytic gave the man a fresh start and a chance to experience again the goodness of life.  

Of course I’m not speaking about the physical healing that came through the word of Jesus.  I’m talking about the miracle of the spiritual and emotional healing of the paralyzed man as Jesus forgave his sins and, in doing so, revealed the mercy and love that is God.  

The scribes in Sunday’s Gospel were right in saying that only God alone can forgive sins. Jesus didn’t perform this miracle just for the benefit of a paralyzed man lying on a mat in some far-away place over 2,000 years ago.  He did it for us… here in King of Prussia, and for all people throughout the centuries.    By physically healing the paralytic Jesus gave us a visible sign of the invisible reality that he truly is the Son of God with the authority to forgive sins. 

Our Lord gave his apostles and their successors the power to do the same for us. Our priests bring the miracle of God’s divine forgiveness to us every day in the sacrament of confession.  With faith and a contrite heart, we too receive the grace of God’s forgiveness and the gift of a fresh start in our relationship with Him and our brothers and sisters.                                                                                 

Each of today’s readings shows us how to experience that miracle for ourselves.  Acknowledge our sins – ask for forgiveness — and trust in God’s mercy and love. When we prayed the responsorial psalm we admitted that we are sinners saying : “Lord heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.”  

That’s often the hardest part in reconciling with someone: asking for their forgiveness.  Maybe we’ve become distant and separated by the pressures of work or have been preoccupied with worldly concerns.  Perhaps we got so caught up in chasing our own ambitions that we ignored our responsibilities to family and friends. In all honesty, each of us knows our own sins.  We know why we need to be forgiven. Admitting that we’ve done something wrong that damaged our relationship with God (or others) takes a lot of courage and humility. 

As a worshiping community we have the courage to ask for God’s forgiveness at everyday at Mass.  In the Eucharistic prayer, we pray to God the Father affirming our trust in His mercy and the certainty that he will welcome us back no matter what our offense. Listen to a part of that prayer: 

“To us also, your servants, who though we are sinners hope in your abundant mercies, admit us, we beseech you, into the company of your saints…not weighing our merits but granting us your pardon.” 

The weight of sin sometimes leads us to question our own self-worth – believing we are not “holy” enough to be forgiven. You know, Jesus never asked anyone if they were “holy enough” before he forgave them their sins. He didn’t heal the paralytic on the condition that he change his life and become more “holy.”  Our Lord always forgives unconditionally. It’s the realization of having been forgiven – having been spiritually healed- that prompts us to be holy and change our life for the better.    

1. What are the sacrament(s) of initiation?

a. Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.

The sacraments of Christian initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist—lay the foundations of every Christian life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life.

2. True or false: After Baptism takes away original sin, our will is no longer inclined toward evil.

False. Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ’s grace, erases original sin and turns man back toward God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to spiritual battle.

3. True or false: Original Sin is a personal sin for which we are responsible.

False. Although it is proper to each individual,original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam’s descendants. It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it; subject to ignorance, suffering, and the dominion of death; and inclined to sin—an inclination to evil that is called “concupiscence.”

4. True or false. Baptism is necessary for salvation.

True. Baptism is birth into new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord’s will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.

5. Which is the following are the essential elements for Baptism?

d. Immersion or sprinkling of water and invocation of the Trinity.

The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water on his head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

6. True or false: Baptism cannot be repeated.

True. Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot be repeated.

7. Which of these statements regarding the Eucharist are true?

a. In the Eucharist we unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life.

b. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.

c. All of the ministries and sacraments of the Church are bound up with the Eucharist.

d. As the source of one’s spiritual life, the Eucharist must be the first sacrament to be received.

e. a, b and c.

e) The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.

8. True or False: Since the Catholic Church teaches that Christ is really present in the bread and wine, the sacrifice of the Eucharist is then a re-sacrifice of Christ on the altar.

False. The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.”

9. True or False: In the celebration of the Eucharist with the apostles and his commandment to them to celebrate it until His return, Jesus constitutes the apostles as priests of the New Testament.

True. The Lord, having loved those who were his own, loved them to the end. Knowing that the hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father, in the course of a meal he washed their feet and gave them the commandment of love. In order to leave them a pledge of this love, in order never to depart from his own and to make them sharers in his Passover, he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return; “thereby he constituted them priests of the New Testament”

10. The Eucharistic celebration always includes: (Pick any combination of the following:)

a. the singing of a psalm of praise.

b. the proclamation of the Word of God.

c. thanksgiving to God.

d. consecration of the bread and wine.

e. reception of the Lord’s body and blood.

b, c, d, and e. The Eucharistic celebration always includes: the proclamation of the Word of God; thanksgiving to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration of bread and wine; and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord’s body and blood. These elements constitute one single act of worship.

11. True or false: In the Mass it is Christ who both offers the sacrifice and is offered as the sacrifice.

True. It is Christ himself, the eternal high priest of the New Covenant who, acting through the ministry of the priests, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. And it is the same Christ, really present under the species of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice.

12. Which of the following is true regarding the Eucharist? (Pick any combination of the following.)

a. The Church encourages the reception of Communion, even in the state of mortal sin.

b. A Catholic is obligated to receive Holy Communion during both Advent and Lent.

c. The Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins.

d. One is required to be in a state of grace to receive communion.

e. The Eucharist wipes away venial sins.

c, d, and e. Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance.

13. The one to receive the sacrament of Confirmation must:(Pick any combination of the following.)

a. be confirmed only by the local Ordinary.

b. be in the state of grace.

c. have the intention of receiving the sacrament.

d. have received the sacrament of Reconciliation prior to confirmation.

e. be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ.

b, c, and e.: A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs. To receive Confirmation one must be in a state of grace. One should receive the sacrament of Penance in order to be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. . .

14. Which of the following are the essential elements of the Roman rite of Confirmation?(Pick any combination of the following.)

a. The words: “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

b. The laying on of the minister’s hand.

c. A symbolic slap on the cheek.

d. The anointing of the forehead with sacred chrism.

e. The reception of Holy Communion.

a, b, and d.: The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptized with sacred chrism (in the East other sense-organs as well), together with the laying on of the minister’s hand and the words: “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.”

15. Which of the following real or symbolic uses of oil parallel the symbolism of anointing in the rite of Confirmation? (Pick any combination of the following.)

a. It is a sign of abundance and joy.

b. It cleanses.

c. It heals, since it is soothing to bruises and wounds.

d. It signifies beauty, health, and strength.

All of the above. In treating the rite of Confirmation, it is fitting to consider the sign of anointing and what it signifies and imprints: a spiritual seal. Anointing, in Biblical and other ancient symbolims, is rich in meaning: oil is a sign of abundance and joy; it cleanses (anointing before and after a bath); oil is a sign of healing, since it is soothing to bruises and wounds and it makes radiant with beauty, health, and strength.

Come back next week as I begin to cover the sacraments of Healing.  Until then, may you be blessed in all that you do.

Deacon Mark

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20111103_lent-2012_en.html

Even though this leper who had no right to speak to Jesus without a certificate of cleanness, broke the law; Jesus does not drive him away.  Jesus welcomes him by confronting his desperation with understanding and compassion. He stretches out his hand and touches him. Jesus breaks through the fear filled conventions of the time and touches the humanness of this individual to declare a universal truth about the dignity of the human person. Jesus did not see a man who was unclean, but rather a simple human soul in desperate need.

Jesus sets in motion the long-awaited Kingdom of God where love replaces hatred, compassion replaces apathy, and light replaces darkness. If a leper of our time were to approach us, would we reach out to them? Would we touch them?  Would we bring them light or allow them to stay in the dark, do you think?

“Moved with pity, Jesus stretches out his hand and touches us and says: BE MADE CLEAN!”

http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-026.cfm

Over the last three months I’ve commented on the Church’s Sacraments of Initiation.  Now it’s time to test your knowledge of them with a brief quiz.  Let’s see how well you do!  (Hint:  If you get stuck, all of the answers can be found in The Catechism of the Catholic Church. )

1. What are the sacraments of initiation?

a. Baptism

b. Baptism and Confirmation

c. Baptism and Eucharist

d. Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist

e. Baptism, Reconciliation and the Eucharist

2. True or False: After Baptism takes away original sin, our will is no longer inclined toward evil.

3. True or False: Original sin is a personal sin for which we are responsible.

4. True or False: Baptism is necessary for salvation.

5. Which of the following are the essential elements of Baptism?

a. Immersion in water and invocation of the Trinity

b. Immersion or sprinkling of water, presence of a priest, and invocation of the Trinity

c. Immersion or sprinkling of water, presence of a priest, and invocation of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity

d. Immersion or sprinkling of water and invocation of the Trinity

e. Immersion or sprinkling of any clear liquid and invocation of the Trinity

6. True or False: Baptism cannot be repeated.

7. Which of these statements regarding the Eucharist are true?

a. In the Eucharist we unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life

b. The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life

c. All of the ministries and sacraments of the Church are bound up with the Eucharist

d. As the source of all spiritual life, the Eucharist must be the first sacrament to be received

e. a, b and c above

8. True or False: Since the Catholic Church teaches that Christ is really present in the bread and wine, the sacrifice of the Eucharist is then a re-sacrifice of Christ on the altar.

9. True or False: In the celebration of the Eucharist with the apostles and his commandment to them to celebrate it until His return, Jesus constitutes the apostles as priests of the New Covenant.

10. The Eucharistic celebration always includes (pick any combination of the following):

a. the singing of a psalm of praise

b. the proclamation of the Word of God

c. thanksgiving to God

d. consecration of bread and wine

e. reception of the Lord’s body and blood

11. True or False: In the Mass it is Christ who both offers the sacrifice and is offered as the sacrifice.

12. Which of the following is true regarding the Eucharist? (Pick any combination of the following):

a. The Church encourages the reception of Communion even in the state of mortal sin

b. A Catholic is obligated to receive Holy Communion during both Advent and Lent

c. The Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins

d. One is required to be in a state of grace to receive communion

e. The Eucharist wipes away venial sins.

13. To receive the sacrament of Confirmation one must: (Pick any combination of the following)

a. Be confirmed only by the local bishop

b. Be in a state of grace

c. Have the intention of receiving the sacrament

d. Have received the sacrament of Reconciliation prior to confirmation

e. Be  prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ.

14. Which of the following are the essential elements of Confirmation in the Roman Rite (pick any combination of the following;)

a. The words: “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

b. The laying on of the minister’s hands

c. A symbolic slap on the cheek

d. The anointing of the forehead with sacred chrism

e. The reception of Holy Communion

15. Which of the following real or  symbolic uses of oil parallel the symbolism of anointing in the Rite of Confirmation?

a. It is a sign of abundance and joy

b. It cleanses

c. It heals, since it is soothing to bruises and wounds

d. It signifies beauty, health and strength

e. All of the above

So, how did you do?  Come back to this page next week and I’ll post the answers to these questions or, if you can’t wait to check your knowledge of these sacraments, you can find the answers in the Catechism.

Until next time, may God’s abundant blessings be with you and your family.

Deacon Mark

Dear Friends,

For so many years the Catholic Community in Philadelphia and her suburbs have traditionally held the Catholic Charities Appeal as their primary focus for giving to the needs of the poor and underpriviledged, for her priests, retired persons and those with disabilties. Each year, it seems, the needs of these people, especially children, has grown, so then must our willingness to help in charitable ways as best we can.

Please review the Catholic Charities Web Site and familarize yourself with the good work done in your name and for our collective mission in Christ!

Father Cioppi