Debt To Our Jewish Ancestors of Faith

'And he (the other criminal) said, "Jesus remember me when you come in your kingly power."  And he (Jesus Christ) said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."'           (Luke 23:42-43)

The above is a most comforting scene from the Passion of Jesus.  This criminal's prayer sums up the Faith so many of our Jewish benefactors have passed on to us.  As many of us begin Holy Week today recalling the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior; we may wish to reflect on those  who during the pre-Christian era received and protected the Faith in the One, True God--our Jewish ancestors in Faith.  We must not forget that after Adam's fall that it was through these People of Faith; trusting in God's promise in the coming Messiah--Christ--the Faith was transmitted.  The early part of this week is a good time to meditate on Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, the Prophets and all those Jewish (Old) Testament figures to whom we owe so much.  This Faith that motivated John the Baptist and the Faith and Trust that allowed the young Virgin Mary and the humble Joseph to respond to God's call.  All this culminating in the Incarnation of God, Jesus, Our Lord and Savior--a Jew--redeeming the World.

If we have any Jewish friends or acquaintances, wouldn't the next couple of days be the ideal time to thank them for preserving the Faith in the True God and gently invite them to be open to the greatest wonder of God, i.e., that being that the One True God is a "Triune God".

May the graces that burst from Heaven during this most holy week of the year penetrate the hearts of all of us, those we love, those we don't know and those we do not love.

I pray that we all hear Jesus' comforting voice say,  "Truly, I say to you, today you are one with Me and soon you will be with Me in Paradise!"     

The 21st Century is a great century to be alive and to be Catholic!

This may sound like a surprising comment with the economic condition of many of the advanced countries including the United States, the deterioration of the Judo-Christian culture in the United States and other Western cultures, the deterioration of many families, the displacement of Christian traditions and practices by pagan and secular substitutes, etc.  And within the Catholic Church clerical sex scandals and the poor catechesis of the Catholic laity. 

Despite the above the 21st century is a great century in which to live! It is true that on the secular side the economy of our country as many others is in a poor situation  Yet on the religious side, as tragic as the clerical sex scandal is and the great damage so many of the victims have incurred, this situation has made the Church better prepared to preclude further harm.  Also,  if a person reflects on the popes that shepherded the Church over the 20th-21st centuries, one discovers what great popes occupied the Chair of Peter.  The Second Vatican Council has been invigorating for the Church, and though there were a few stumbles implementing the Council's resolutions,  today the Church is stronger.  There hasn't been a time in the Christian era where the Church had better communication tools and greater involvement by both the clergy and the laity in evangelizing. 

The world today, as "pagan" as it is, is not much different from the world in which the early Christians lived.  Like those early Christians,  Catholics today are living in many cases in "societies of death" and corruption, i.e., unbridled abortion, endorsement of euthanasia and infanticide in certain places.  Promiscuous sex is also encouraged in much of popular culture, violence permeates much of the entertainment, homosexual relationships are being advocated as being on the plain of  heterosexual relationships thus equating them as both being equally qualified as candidates for marriage, etc. etc.

As bleak as this may sound, Catholics today are facing many of the obstacles to a Christian life as the early Christians faced.  Therefore today we have the same opportunities as those early Christians had to show their love for God, each other and their fellow men and thus convert the world to Christ.  Yes this is a great time to be alive as like our predecessors we today can once again, through the grace of God, make others aware of the promise and love of God, showing the love, peace and joy that fills a person who recognizes the dignity of each person--from the unborn to the senile--that is a "person of life".
  

A Short reflection in prparation for Lent which for Latin rite Catholics begins this Wednesday, February 13th.

As we prepare to enter the sacred season of Lent it's a good time to reflect on one of the most common of prayers recited by Catholics as well as by many of the other Christian faiths; specifically "the Sign of the Cross".

Blessed Alcuin who lived from around 730 a.d. and died in 804 a.d. notes:

"Infinite Wisdom has chosen the cross because a slight motion of the hand is sufficiant to trace upon us the instrument of the divine torture--the bright and powerful sign that teaches us all that we have to know and serves as a sign against our enemies."

A few years ago I read the book "The Sign of the Cross" by Bert Ghezzi, copy written in 2004 and published by Loyola Press. I learned from this book that the making and praying this prayer is one of the most ancient in Christiandom; in another publication I read that reportedly the early Christian martyrs made the sign of the cross just preceding their executions in the various arenas
differentciating themselves from the non-Christians being executed.

A close reading of two of Saint Paul's letters (Ephesians 1:13 and Galatians 6:17) indicates to some the existance of this prayer in his lifetime. I understand that the earlist specific description of the Sign of the Cross was by Tertullian whose approximate dates of birth and death are 160 and 225 a.d. respectively.

The Sign of the Cross was a common prayer throughout Christandom up to the Protestant Reformation when it was discouraged as superstition. The misuse of this prayer is at fualt. As early as the 5th-6th century Saint Caeserius (ca. 470-543 a.d.), the bishop of Arles (modern day France) warned against abusing the pray/sign. Martin Luther however, retained the prayer and encouraged in his "The Small Catechism" "As soon as you get out of bed in the morning, you should bless yourself with the sign of the Holy Cross and say: 'May the will of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done. Amen.'"

In the Latin rite Catholic Church when a person makes the Sign of the Cross today the short prayer is: "In the Nanme of The Father, and The son and The Holy Spirit. Amen." This is a profound prayer and we may wish to pray it often throughout the day, especially during the Sacred Season of Lent. Another short prayer warranting reflection and recitation is "The Glory Be". This short prayer is: "Glory be to The Father, and to The Son and to The Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen"

(Some of the above thoughts are my own though most were prompted by Bert Ghezzi's book--which I recommend reading, it's only 120 pages long--The the quotes of Blessed Alcuin and Martin Luther are found in his book.)