All Hallowed Tide

 All Hallowed Tide refers to the three days: Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. It is a feast to remember the dead.  In fact, the month of November has an indulgence, at least for this year, that if you visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased, all month, you may gain an indulgence.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and related health and safety measures, the Apostolic Penitentiary – in response to requests from bishops around the world – is once again extending opportunities to gain indulgences for the benefit of the faithful departed.

By means of the decree, the Apostolic Penitentiary “confirms and extends for the entire month of November 2021 all the spiritual benefits already granted on 22 October 2020” – that is, it allows the faithful to gain plenary indulgences for the souls in purgatory by visiting a cemetery on every day in November and praying for those who have died; normally, the indulgence is limited to the first eight days of the month.

The Penitentiary notes in the decree that “from the renewed generosity of the Church, the faithful will certainly draw pious intentions and spiritual vigour to guide their lives according to the Gospel law, in filial communion and devotion to the Supreme Pontiff, the visible foundation and Pastor of the Catholic Church.”

The present Decree, like the one issued last year in the midst of the pandemic, is intended to meet the need to avoid gatherings, a potential cause of the spread of Covid-19, which still affects the world's population to varying degrees.

Plenary Indulgence for January 1

Ha!  I was disappointed that Veni Creator Spiritus was not sung at Mass, today.  A plenary indulgence may be gained by publically saying or singing the Veni Creator Spiritus on the first day of the year, January 1.

But, I HAVE A BLOG!!  What's more public than that? 

Veni Creator Spiritus is an invocation to the Holy Spirit to bless the New Year. 

Indulgences are defined as "the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned." The first thing to note is that forgiveness of a sin is separate from punishment for the sin. Through sacramental confession we obtain forgiveness, but we aren't let off the hook as far as punishment goes.

Indulgences are two kinds: partial and plenary. A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment due for sins. A plenary indulgence removes all of it. This punishment may come either in this life, in the form of various sufferings, or in the next life, in purgatory. What we don't get rid of here we suffer there." For a plenary indulgence, it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent."

So, here on January 1 is Veni Creator Spiritus:

Latin text	English version
Veni Creator Spiritus, mentes tuorum visita, imple superna gratia, quae tu creasti, pectora.	Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come from thy bright heav'nly throne; come, take possession of our souls, and make them all thine own.
Qui diceris Paraclitus, altissimi donum Dei, fons vivus, ignis, caritas, et spiritalis unctio.	Thou who art called the Paraclete, best gift of God above, the living spring, the living fire, sweet unction and true love.
Tu septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae, tu rite promissum Patris, sermone ditans guttura.	Thou who art sevenfold in thy grace, finger of God's right hand; his promise, teaching little ones to speak and understand.
Accende lumen sensibus, infunde amorem cordibus, infirma nostri corporis virtute firmans perpeti.	O guide our minds with thy blest light, with love our hearts inflame; and with thy strength, which ne'er decays, confirm our mortal frame.
Hostem repellas longius pacemque dones protinus; ductore sic te praevio vitemus omne noxium.	Far from us drive our deadly foe; true peace unto us bring; and through all perils lead us safe beneath thy sacred wing.
Per te sciamus da Patrem noscamus atque Filium, te utriusque Spiritum credamus omni tempore.	Through thee may we the Father know, through thee th'eternal Son, and thee the Spirit of them both, thrice-blessed three in One.
(In some instances, a doxology follows)[2]
Deo Patri sit gloria et Filio, qui a mortuis surrexit, ac Paraclito in saeculorum saecula.	All glory to the Father be, with his coequal Son; the same to thee, great Paraclete, while endless ages run.
Amen. Credit to  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veni_Creator_Spiritus	Amen.

Indulgence for Passing through Holy Doors

On Wednesday, October 26, parishioners in my parish are invited to make a pilgrimage to La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, to pass through the Holy Doors of Mercy.

Why should we walk through the Holy Doors of Mercy?  Because Our Holy Father has granted a special indulgence for those pilgrims who pass through the designated doors.

What!!!!!!!  Are there still such a thing as indulgences?  Didn’t the church do away with them?

Yes there are still indulgences.  No the church would not do away with a tried and true way of forgiveness.  God is always ready to forgive, especially for us sinners who go out of our way to seek God’s mercy.

Jubilee years are celebrations which have been well recorded in history.  Slaves were freed and debts forgiven, during jubilee years. The pope is carrying on the tradition.  Pope Francis explains this in his decree (Misericordiae Vultus.)  Essentially, the decree states that through the mediation of the church the conflicting consequences of sin are forgiven.  Yes, the sacrament of Reconciliation works—our sins are truly forgiven.  However, those sins, though forgiven, have left negative thoughts.  Haven’t you also forgiven spouses, friends and children, yet still feel the negative effects? Well, the mercy of God is stronger than sin.  It becomes an indulgence from God, through the Church to pardon and free the sinner from all residues left by the consequence of sin.  With an indulgence, we can freely grow more in love than fall into sin.

When pilgrims consciously pass through the Holy Doors of Mercy with the intent of gaining an indulgence, they gain God’s indulgent mercy. One must also be repentant and receive Communion, at least a spiritual communion, to wish to receive the indulgence. 

For more information regarding indulgences visit the following references: Father Ron Rolheiser’s article in the Pilot, http://www.thebostonpilot.com/opinion/article.asp?ID=177488,  http://www.catholic.com/tracts/myths-about-indulgences and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm

Indulgence for Passing through Holy Doors

On Wednesday, October 26, parishioners in my parish are invited to make a pilgrimage to La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, to pass through the Holy Doors of Mercy.

Why should we walk through the Holy Doors of Mercy?  Because Our Holy Father has granted a special indulgence for those pilgrims who pass through the designated doors.

What!!!!!!!  Are there still such a thing as indulgences?  Didn’t the church do away with them?

Yes there are still indulgences.  No the church would not do away with a tried and true way of forgiveness.  God is always ready to forgive, especially for us sinners who go out of our way to seek God’s mercy.

Jubilee years are celebrations which have been well recorded in history.  Slaves were freed and debts forgiven, during jubilee years. The pope is carrying on the tradition.  Pope Francis explains this in his decree (Misericordiae Vultus.)  Essentially, the decree states that through the mediation of the church the conflicting consequences of sin are forgiven.  Yes, the sacrament of Reconciliation works—our sins are truly forgiven.  However, those sins, though forgiven, have left negative thoughts.  Haven’t you also forgiven spouses, friends and children, yet still feel the negative effects? Well, the mercy of God is stronger than sin.  It becomes an indulgence from God, through the Church to pardon and free the sinner from all residues left by the consequence of sin.  With an indulgence, we can freely grow more in love than fall into sin.

When pilgrims consciously pass through the Holy Doors of Mercy with the intent of gaining an indulgence, they gain God’s indulgent mercy. One must also be repentant and receive Communion, at least a spiritual communion, to wish to receive the indulgence. 

For more information regarding indulgences visit the following references: Father Ron Rolheiser’s article in the Pilot, http://www.thebostonpilot.com/opinion/article.asp?ID=177488,  http://www.catholic.com/tracts/myths-about-indulgences and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm

Indulgences = Good Time

Usually, when talking about indulgences, I have a hard time explaining what they are:  

What is an indulgence? The Church explains, "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain defined conditions through the Church’s help when, as a minister of redemption, she dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions won by Christ and the saints" (Indulgentarium Doctrina 1).

Got that?  It's as clear as mud.

I even know a priest who doesn't believe in indulgences.  It is very hard to understand.

But not for my candidates in RCIA.  They immediately connected indulgence with good time.  You see, I do RCIA in a prison, and the inmates understood indulgences, almost instinctively.  It's call good time:

Good time is remission before the state, courts, and legal authorities of the temporal punishment due to crimes where time has already been served, which the inmate who is duly disposed gains under certain defined conditions through which the correctional institution's help when, as a minister of justice determination, she dispenses and applies with authority the power of satisfactions given to her by the state's courts.*

 I'm going to call this frame of reference cognitive intelligence.

* Book of Faith ;-)

Sunday in Penance

Pic from MEK's Pencil in the Hole

Last night was one of the worst nights I've had in a long time.  We were babysitting overnight.  My granddaughter woke up crying too many times to count.  I felt that I had no choice but to get into her bed and sleep with her.  Well, I didn't sleep.  I kept my ears open for my alarm to ring at 6:00 because I was scheduled to Lector the first Mass for the Second Sunday in Easter.  I certainly didn't want to wake her up so early.

I had a lack of sleep headache most of the day. I was back from Mass and she was still asleep--lucky!

She was gone by noon, so I went to the Divine Mercy services.  I was so tired.  I planned to go to Confession and come home.  A nap was in my future.

The lines for Confession were long.  I almost fell asleep waiting.  My confessor was good and I liked him, but the penance he gave me made my jaw drop.

My penance was to stay for ALL the Divine Mercy services:

Exposition/Adoration of the Eucharist
Confession
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy
and the relic of St. Sr. Faustina
and Mass  (I said I had already been and he told me I could go again and receive Communion again, since this was a special occasion.)

Today was a very special occasion.  Today was:
Divine Mercy Sunday
Canonization of two popes--John Paul II, and John XXIII
Second Sunday of Easter
Thomas Sunday
Quasimodo Sunday  (read Fr. Gerald Souza's blog for explanation)

For doing all this, I received a plenary indulgence.  I can use all the indulgences I can get.  I feel I really earned it today.

I was so tired that I'll admit that I dozed off during Adoration.  But the Mass and everything else Fr. Romanus Onyekuru, SMA presided over, woke me up.  He is an excellent homilist.  In fact, I didn't want his homily to end.  He saw things in John 20: 19-31 that I never saw before.  He also had a wonderful voice.

One of the themes he mentioned, that resonated with me, was "community."  He talked about how important community is:

where two or three are gathered  Matt 18: 20
living in community Acts 2: 44-47
be united 1Cor 1:10

And there's many, many more references in the Bible.  Well Father Romanus said the reason Thomas doubted, was because he was alone.  If he had been with the others, he would have felt what had moved them.  Community offers support.

Also, Thomas is known as Didymus, meaning the "twin."  Who's his twin?

You and me.  We have doubts, too.  Anyone who has ever doubted is Thomas' twin.

Of course, Jesus treats Thomas mercifully and that theme was expanded on too, since today is Mercy Sunday.

For a penance, I admit I enjoyed myself.  And I got a plenary indulgence, too.

Criticizing the Catechism

Earlier today I found myself defending my Face Book Status.  I don't get reading the Catechism, which some seem to be doing for the Year of Faith. Isn't the Catechism a reference tool? Isn't it like reading a telephone book or dictionary? Catholicism for Dummies is more my style.  

Many friends (mostly my Dominican brothers and sisters) were all over me for that.  Well, of course; what was I thinking?  (See why I love my "cloistered brothers?"  They're not from the same mold.  Don't worry.  When you've met one Dominican, you've met one Dominican)  A Dominican doesn't criticize the Pope, doesn't pull on Superman's Cape, doesn't criticize Magisterium, doesn't spit in the wind, doesn't break Tradition, doesn't pull the mask off the Lone Ranger, or bother a friar in prayer with his Capuce up, or criticize the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Let me explain:

Is it lawful to criticize using the CCC as appropriate reading material during the Year of Faith?

Objection 1.  It seems that reading the CCC is not appropriate because if it doesn't make sense to you, then it is as worthless as straw.  Thomas Aquinas said,  "All that I have written seems like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me."  Hence he stopped writing.

Objection 2.  Besides, the Psalmist says, "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me."  (Ps 23:4)  Forcing yourself to read a telephone book, dictionary, catechism is not comforting.  Hence, it would not be comfortable to push yourself to read something so distasteful.

Objection 3.  Furthermore, St. Jerome said that ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.  By this insight we learn that there are other means, (scripture is one of many others) to be used to gain knowledge of our Faith.  Hence, there are other appropriate reading materials to be used.

On the contrary: Educators recognize that there are different learning styles.

• Visual (spatial):You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
• Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.
• Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
• Physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.
• Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.
• Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
• Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Therefore, it is lawful to criticize a learning style that is not appropriate for you.

I answer that, one may criticize the appropriateness of the CCC for oneself.  This country still has the First Amendment to the Constitution (so far), which claims freedom of speech, as a right.  The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law ...  abridging the freedom of speech,...    Consequently, one has the right to not read what I write.

Reply to the First Objection.  Here the Angelic Doctor expresses his opinion on his written word.  I also express my opinion on written word.  The Angelic Doctor didn't have the protection of the First Amendment, and he could still feel free to express his thoughts.  Hence, I do likewise.

Reply to the Second Objection.  Life if too short to waste time reading something that one finds not very interesting.  1 Thessalonians 5:2  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  Hence, parcing through the CCC would be a waste of valuable time.

Reply to the Third Objection.  The CCC style does not appeal to my type of poetical, verbal, learning style.  Pope Benedict has granted an Indulgence for certain activities during the Year of Faith. http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en/news/indulgentia.html  Hence I am not confined to plowing through the CCC to fulfill the Indulgence requirement.  (Deo Gratias) 

Provisions to gain the Indulgence:
 (A) Each time they attend at least three sermons during the Holy Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of the Council or the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in church or any other suitable location.
"(B) Each time they visit, in the course of a pilgrimage, a papal basilica, a Christian catacomb, a cathedral church or a holy site designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith (for example, minor basilicas and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Apostles or patron saints), and there participate in a sacred celebration, or at least remain for a congruous period of time in prayer and pious meditation, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, depending on the circumstances, to the Holy Apostles and patron saints.
"(C) Each time that, on the days designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith, ... in any sacred place, they participate in a solemn celebration of the Eucharist or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding thereto the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form.
"(D) On any day they chose, during the Year of Faith, if they make a pious visit to the baptistery, or other place in which they received the Sacrament of Baptism, and there renew their baptismal promises in any legitimate form.
"Diocesan or eparchal bishops, and those who enjoy the same status in law, on the most appropriate day during that period or on the occasion of the main celebrations, ... may impart the papal blessing with the Plenary Indulgence".
The document concludes by recalling how faithful who, due to illness or other legitimate cause, are unable to leave their place of adobe, may still obtain Plenary Indulgence "if, united in spirit and thought with other faithful, and especially at the times when the words of the Supreme Pontiff and diocesan bishops are transmitted by television or radio, they recite ... the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers that concord with the objectives of the Year of Faith, offering up the suffering and discomfort of their lives".

Indulgences for Year of the Priests

For laypeople:

The Plenary Indulgence is granted to all the faithful who are truly repentant who, in church or in chapel, devoutly attend the divine Sacrifice of Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, for the priests of the Church, and any other good work which they have done on that day, so that he may sanctify them and form them in accordance with His Heart, as long as they have made expiation for their sins through sacramental confession and prayed in accordance with the Supreme Pontiff’s intentions: on the days in which the Year for Priests begins and ends, on the day of the 150th anniversary of the pious passing of St John Mary Vianne (August 4) and on the first Thursday of the month or on any other day established by the local Ordinaries for the benefit of the faithful.

It will be most appropriate, in cathedral and parish churches, for the same priests who are in charge of pastoral care to publicly direct these exercises of devotion, to celebrate Holy Mass and to hear the confession of the faithful.

The Plenary Indulgence will likewise be granted to the elderly, the sick and all those who for any legitimate reason are confined to their homes who, with a mind detached from any sin and with the intention of fulfilling as soon as possible the three usual conditions, at home or wherever their impediment detains them, provided that on the above-mentioned days they recite prayers for the sanctification of priests and confidently offer the illnesses and hardships of their lives to God through Mary Queen of Apostles.

Lastly, the Partial Indulgence is granted to all the faithful every time they devoutly recite five Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glorias, or another expressly approved prayer, in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to obtain that priests be preserved in purity and holiness of life.


Remember every first Thursday we have the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence. And obtain lots of the partial indulgences too!

HT to the blog, Practicing Catholic.

Indulgences

Cardinal O'Malley, in explaining the Portiuncula Indulgence, which is August 2, gives us a good anecdote in explaining indulgences.
"I want to mention something about indulgences, which are often misunderstood. Indulgences are not forgiveness for sin but forgiveness for temporal punishment due to sin.

I like to explain it to people with the following story:

As a child, once I came home very late for dinner. My mother was very upset, and seeing how upset she was, I felt very repentant and I told her that it would never happen again. She told me she forgave me, but as my punishment I would have to do the dishes.

So there was repentance and forgiveness, but there was still punishment.

But, as I started doing the dishes, my nana came in and said, “I will help you.”

That is an indulgence."

And I think I should start paying more attention to indulgences!

Amen.