Christ-Centered Lives
At the beginning of his homily, the Holy Father highlighted the American people's "great vitality and creativity" and their generosity towards the poor and needy, which also finds expression in "the many forms of humanitarian assistance provided by American Catholics through Catholic Charities and other agencies".
"America is also a land of great faith" said the Pope, noting how its people are well-known for "their religious fervor" and "do not hesitate to bring moral arguments rooted in biblical faith into their public discourse". At the same time, "respect for freedom of religion is deeply ingrained in the American consciousness".
"People today need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of their lives", said Pope Benedict. "Without God ... our lives are ultimately empty. ... The goal of all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish and nurture that living relationship with 'Christ Jesus, our hope'".
He went on: "At a time when advances in medical science bring new hope to many, they also give rise to previously unimagined ethical challenges. This makes it more important than ever to offer thorough formation in the Church's moral teaching to Catholics engaged in healthcare". In this context he told the bishops that "yours is a respected voice that has much to offer to the discussion of the pressing social and moral questions of the day. ... It falls to you to ensure that the moral formation provided at every level of ecclesial life reflects the authentic teaching of the Gospel of life".
In this regard, the Pope identified a "matter of deep concern to us all" as being "the state of the family within society. ... Divorce and infidelity have increased, and many young men and women are choosing to postpone marriage or to forgo it altogether". At the same time there exists "an alarming decrease in the number of Catholic marriages in the United States together with an increase in cohabitation, in which the Christ-like mutual self-giving of spouses, sealed by a public promise to live out the demands of an indissoluble lifelong commitment, is simply absent".
"It is your task to proclaim boldly the arguments from faith and reason in favor of the institution of marriage, understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, open to the transmission of life. This message should resonate with people today, because it is essentially an unconditional and unreserved 'yes' to life, a 'yes' to love, and a 'yes' to the aspirations at the heart of our common humanity, as we strive to fulfill our deep yearning for intimacy with others and with the Lord.
"Among the countersigns to the Gospel of life", the Pope added, "found in America and elsewhere, is one that causes deep shame: the sexual abuse of minors" by the clergy. "It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged".
"While it must be remembered that the overwhelming majority of clergy and religious in America do outstanding work in bringing the liberating message of the Gospel to the people entrusted to their care, it is vitally important that the vulnerable always be shielded from those who would cause harm".
Children, said the Holy Father, "have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. ... We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. ...Indeed, every member of society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it".
Turning his attention to priests, the Pope highlighted the fact that they too "need your guidance and closeness during this difficult time. ... At this stage a vital part of your task is to strengthen relationships with your clergy, especially in those cases where tension has arisen between priests and their bishops in the wake of the crisis. It is important that you continue to show them your concern, to support them, and to lead by example".
"We
need to rediscover the joy of living a Christ-centered life, cultivating
the virtues and immersing ourselves in prayer", the Pope concluded his
homily. "Time spent in prayer is never wasted, however urgent the
duties that press upon us from every side".
During the course of his meeting with the U.S. prelates, three bishops posed questions to the Holy Father.
In the first question, the Holy Father was asked to give his assessment of the challenges of secularism and relativism, and his advice on how to confront these challenges more effectively.
"Perhaps", he replied, "America's brand of secularism poses a particular problem: it allows for professing belief in God, and respects the public role of religion and the Churches, but at the same time it can subtly reduce religious belief to a lowest common denominator. Faith becomes a passive acceptance that certain things 'out there' are true, but without practical relevance for everyday life. The result is a growing separation of faith from life. ... This is aggravated by an individualistic and eclectic approach to faith and religion: far from a Catholic approach to 'thinking with the Church', each person believes he or she has a right to pick and choose". "What is needed, I am convinced, is a greater sense of the intrinsic relationship between the Gospel and the natural law on the one hand, and, on the other, the pursuit of authentic human good, as embodied in civil law and in personal moral decisions. In a society that rightly values personal liberty, ... the Gospel has to be preached and taught as an integral way of life, offering an attractive and true answer, intellectually and practically, to real human problems. ... I believe that the Church in America, at this point in her history, is faced with the challenge of recapturing the Catholic vision of reality and presenting it, in an engaging and imaginative way, to a society which markets any number of recipes for human fulfillment".
The second question put to the Pope concerned Catholics' abandonment of the practice of the faith, sometimes by an explicit decision, but often by distancing themselves quietly and gradually from attendance at Mass and identification with the Church.
"It is becoming more and more difficult, in our Western societies, to speak in a meaningful way of 'salvation'", said Benedict XVI. "Yet salvation - deliverance from the reality of evil, and the gift of new life and freedom in Christ - is at the heart of the Gospel. We need to discover, as I have suggested, new and engaging ways of proclaiming this message. ... It is in the Church's liturgy, and above all in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that these realities are most powerfully expressed and lived in the life of believers; perhaps we still have much to do in realizing the Council's vision of the liturgy as the exercise of the common priesthood and the impetus for a fruitful apostolate in the world".
Finally, answering a question on the decline in vocations, Pope Benedict recalled how "the ability to cultivate vocations to the priesthood and the religious life is a sure sign of the health of a local Church" and he reaffirmed the importance of prayer. "Nor am I speaking only of prayer for vocations", he added. "Prayer itself, born in Catholic families, nurtured by programs of Christian formation, strengthened by the grace of the Sacraments, is the first means by which we come to know the Lord's will for our lives".
Before concluding the Pope also acknowledged "the immense suffering endured by the people of God in the archdiocese of New Orleans as a result of Hurricane Katrina, as well as their courage in the challenging work of rebuilding". He also presented Archbishop Alfred Hughes of New Orleans with a chalice, "as a sign of my prayerful solidarity with the faithful of the archdiocese".
PV-U.S.A./VESPERS BISHOPS/WASHINGTON VIS 080417 (1400)
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Confirmation: What is your mission? :: Catholic News Agency
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/sacraments/confirmation/confirmation-what-is-your-mission/
May 24, 2013
Confirmation: What is your mission?
By Brian Pizzalato
“All should hasten without delay to be born again
unto God, and afterwards to be signed by the Bishop, that is, to receive
the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit…as has been handed down to us
from St. Peter, and as the other Apostles taught in obedience to the
command of our Lord…,” So says the church’s fourth pope, St. Clement
(88-97 AD).
The Father prepared his people throughout the Old
Testament for the coming of the Son, the Messiah. In the New Testament
the Son prepared his people for the coming of the Holy Spirit. “God sent
the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying our, ‘Abba, Father!’
(Ephesians 4:6). The Trinity desires to dwell in the very depths of our
souls, thus making us temples of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians
3:16-17).
In baptism we are born from above through water and
the Spirit (cf. John 3:3-5). God the Father wishes to strengthen that
gift of divine life/grace. He longs for us to share in the anointing of
the Son, through the laying on of hands, so that we might be anointed
ones, little christs. He desires to anoint us for a special mission.
This is where the sacrament of confirmation comes in.
“For those who have been made Christians by
Baptism, still have in some sort the tenderness and softness, as it
were, of new-born infants, and afterwards become, by means of the
Sacrament of chrism, stronger to resist all of the assaults of the
world, the flesh and the devil, while their minds are fully confirmed in
faith to confess and glorify the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…it also
increases divine grace…” (“Catechism of the Council of Trent,” p. 209).
Like the Apostles “so weak and timid were they
before, and even at the very time of the Passion, that no sooner was our
Lord apprehended, than they instantly fled…and after the Resurrection
they all remained shut up at home for fear of the Jews. But, on the day
of Pentecost, so great was the power of the Holy Spirit with which they
were filled that, while they boldly and freely disseminated the Gospel
confided to them, not only through Judea, but throughout the world, they
thought no greater happiness could await them than that of being
accounted worthy to suffer contumely, chains, torments and crucifixion,
for the name of Christ” (ibid., p.210)
Confirmation is an often misunderstood sacrament.
It is looked at as a Catholic Bar Mitzvah, a sort of rite of passage
into a mature faith. However, it is the case that a baptized Catholic
infant can receive confirmation. (This is what is done in Eastern Rite
Catholic churches). Any child 7 years old and up who wants to be
baptized in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church will also receive
confirmation and Eucharist immediately following baptism.
Confirmation can also be seen as the end of the road in terms of religious education.
Confirmation is one of three sacraments of
Christian initiation. It means the beginning, not the end. We are now
called to go deeper and deeper into our faith so as to grow in our
relationship with Christ and the church. We are supposed to move further
away from sin, and closer and closer to the Most Holy Trinity, while
becoming witnesses of what it means to live an authentically Christian
life.
In confirmation we are anointed for a special
mission, like the priests, prophets and kings of old, and Jesus in the
new covenant. Every person is called to share in the priestly, prophetic
and kingly role of the anointed one, Christ.
“…Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to
be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The laity shares in the priesthood
of Jesus Christ, although in a different way than those who receive the
sacrament of holy orders (cf. CCC, 1546-1547). All who are baptized and
confirmed share in Christ’s priesthood, and the primarily role of any
priest is to offer sacrifice. St. Paul makes
it clear that part of this spiritual sacrifice Peter speaks of is to
“…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). The whole of
who we are, body and soul, everything we do and say, every moment of
every day, is meant to be offered to the Father in union with the
once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, made truly present in
the Eucharist.
“But you are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’
of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter
2:9). The anointing we receive allows us a share is the kingship of the
King of kings. The priesthood we share with Christ is to be a royal
priesthood. As Adam was given a royal priestly dominion over the world,
so we are called to “…govern the world in holiness and justice, and
render judgment in integrity of heart” (Wisdom 9:3). We are called to be
little Christ the kings, by first giving Christ reign as king and
center of our own hearts and homes, and bring Christ’s royal dominion
into every part of the world, and every aspect of life.
All of this can be done by sharing in Christ’s role
as prophet, by announcing “…the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful life” (1 Peter 2:9). We are called, “to
proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or
inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and
teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). All those who share in the anointing of
Christ through confirmation have a duty and obligation, as well as the
grace, to “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you
for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who
defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For
it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than
for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17).
St. Ambrose exhorts us to, “Guard what you have
received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord
has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your
hearts.”
Printed with permission from the Northern Cross, Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota.
Brian Pizzalato is the Director of Catechesis, R.C.I.A. & Lay Apostolate for the Diocese of Duluth. He is also a faculty member of the Theology and Philosophy departments of the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England. He writes a monthly catechetical article for The Northern Cross, of the Diocese of Duluth,
and is a contributing author to the Association for Catechumenal
Ministry's R.C.I.A. Participants Book. Brian is currently authoring the
regular series, "Catechesis and Contemporary Culture," in The Sower,
published by the Maryvale Institute and is also in the process of
writing the Philosophy of Religion course book for the B.A. in
Philosophy and the Catholic Tradition program at the Maryvale Institute.
Brian holds an M.A. in Theology and
Christian Ministry with a Catechetics specialization and an M.A. in
Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
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From the Rule of St Benedict:
Chapter 4 - The Instruments of Good Works
(1) In the first place to love the Lord God with the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole strength...
(2) Then, one's neighbor as one's self (cf Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27).
(3) Then, not to kill...
(4) Not to commit adultery...
(5) Not to steal...
(6) Not to covet (cf Rom 13:9).
(7) Not to bear false witness (cf Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20).
(8) To honor all men (cf 1 Pt 2:17).
(9) And what one would not have done to himself, not to do to another (cf Tob 4:16; Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31).
(10) To deny one's self in order to follow Christ (cf Mt 16:24; Lk 9:23).
(11) To chastise the body (cf 1 Cor 9:27).
(12) Not to seek after pleasures.
(13) To love fasting.
(14) To relieve the poor.
(15) To clothe the naked...
(16) To visit the sick (cf Mt 25:36).
(17) To bury the dead.
(18) To help in trouble.
(19) To console the sorrowing.
(20) To hold one's self aloof from worldly ways.
(21) To prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
(22) Not to give way to anger.
(23) Not to foster a desire for revenge.
(24) Not to entertain deceit in the heart.
(25) Not to make a false peace.
(26) Not to forsake charity.
(27) Not to swear, lest perchance one swear falsely.
(28) To speak the truth with heart and tongue.
(29) Not to return evil for evil (cf 1 Thes 5:15; 1 Pt 3:9).
(30) To do no injury, yea, even patiently to bear the injury done us.
(31) To love one's enemies (cf Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27).
(32) Not to curse them that curse us, but rather to bless them.
(33) To bear persecution for justice sake (cf Mt 5:10).
(34) Not to be proud...
(35) Not to be given to wine (cf Ti 1:7; 1 Tm 3:3).
(36) Not to be a great eater.
(37) Not to be drowsy.
(38) Not to be slothful (cf Rom 12:11).
(39) Not to be a murmurer.
(40) Not to be a detractor.
(41) To put one's trust in God.
(42) To refer what good one sees in himself, not to self, but to God.
(43) But as to any evil in himself, let him be convinced that it is his own and charge it to himself.
(44) To fear the day of judgment.
(45) To be in dread of hell.
(46) To desire eternal life with all spiritual longing.
(47) To keep death before one's eyes daily.
(48) To keep a constant watch over the actions of our life.
(49) To hold as certain that God sees us everywhere.
(50) To dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which rise in one's heart.
(51) And to disclose them to our spiritual father.
(52) To guard one's tongue against bad and wicked speech.
(53) Not to love much speaking.
(54) Not to speak useless words and such as provoke laughter.
(55) Not to love much or boisterous laughter.
(56) To listen willingly to holy reading.
(57) To apply one's self often to prayer.
(58) To confess one's past sins to God daily in prayer with sighs and tears, and to amend them for the future.
(59) Not to fulfil the desires of the flesh (cf Gal 5:16).
(60) To hate one's own will.
(61) To obey the commands of the Abbot in all things, even though he himself (which Heaven forbid) act otherwise, mindful of that precept of the Lord: "What they say, do ye; what they do, do ye not" (Mt 23:3).
(62) Not to desire to be called holy before one is; but to be holy first, that one may be truly so called.
(63) To fulfil daily the commandments of God by works.
(64) To love chastity.
(65) To hate no one.
(66) Not to be jealous; not to entertain envy.
(67) Not to love strife.
(68) Not to love pride.
(69) To honor the aged.
(70) To love the younger.
(71) To pray for one's enemies in the love of Christ.
(72) To make peace with an adversary before the setting of the sun.
(73) And never to despair of God's mercy.
Behold, these are the instruments of the spiritual art, which, if they have been applied without ceasing day and night and approved on judgment day, will merit for us from the Lord that reward which He hath promised: "The eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). But the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery, and stability in the community.
(In Christian mysticism, the phrase pray and work (or "pray and labor", in Latin ora et labora) refers to the monastic practice of working and praying, generally associated with its use in the Rule of St. Benedict.[1]
Benedict viewed prayer and work as partners, and believed in combining contemplation with action.[2] The phrase expresses the need to balance prayer and work in monastic settings and has been used in many religious communities from the Middle Ages onwards. Wikipedia.)
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14. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15. But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
16. I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
17. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
18. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,
20. idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,
21. occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness
23. gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24. Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.
25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
26. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.
(2) Then, one's neighbor as one's self (cf Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27).
(3) Then, not to kill...
(4) Not to commit adultery...
(5) Not to steal...
(6) Not to covet (cf Rom 13:9).
(7) Not to bear false witness (cf Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20).
(8) To honor all men (cf 1 Pt 2:17).
(9) And what one would not have done to himself, not to do to another (cf Tob 4:16; Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31).
(10) To deny one's self in order to follow Christ (cf Mt 16:24; Lk 9:23).
(11) To chastise the body (cf 1 Cor 9:27).
(12) Not to seek after pleasures.
(13) To love fasting.
(14) To relieve the poor.
(15) To clothe the naked...
(16) To visit the sick (cf Mt 25:36).
(17) To bury the dead.
(18) To help in trouble.
(19) To console the sorrowing.
(20) To hold one's self aloof from worldly ways.
(21) To prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
(22) Not to give way to anger.
(23) Not to foster a desire for revenge.
(24) Not to entertain deceit in the heart.
(25) Not to make a false peace.
(26) Not to forsake charity.
(27) Not to swear, lest perchance one swear falsely.
(28) To speak the truth with heart and tongue.
(29) Not to return evil for evil (cf 1 Thes 5:15; 1 Pt 3:9).
(30) To do no injury, yea, even patiently to bear the injury done us.
(31) To love one's enemies (cf Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27).
(32) Not to curse them that curse us, but rather to bless them.
(33) To bear persecution for justice sake (cf Mt 5:10).
(34) Not to be proud...
(35) Not to be given to wine (cf Ti 1:7; 1 Tm 3:3).
(36) Not to be a great eater.
(37) Not to be drowsy.
(38) Not to be slothful (cf Rom 12:11).
(39) Not to be a murmurer.
(40) Not to be a detractor.
(41) To put one's trust in God.
(42) To refer what good one sees in himself, not to self, but to God.
(43) But as to any evil in himself, let him be convinced that it is his own and charge it to himself.
(44) To fear the day of judgment.
(45) To be in dread of hell.
(46) To desire eternal life with all spiritual longing.
(47) To keep death before one's eyes daily.
(48) To keep a constant watch over the actions of our life.
(49) To hold as certain that God sees us everywhere.
(50) To dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which rise in one's heart.
(51) And to disclose them to our spiritual father.
(52) To guard one's tongue against bad and wicked speech.
(53) Not to love much speaking.
(54) Not to speak useless words and such as provoke laughter.
(55) Not to love much or boisterous laughter.
(56) To listen willingly to holy reading.
(57) To apply one's self often to prayer.
(58) To confess one's past sins to God daily in prayer with sighs and tears, and to amend them for the future.
(59) Not to fulfil the desires of the flesh (cf Gal 5:16).
(60) To hate one's own will.
(61) To obey the commands of the Abbot in all things, even though he himself (which Heaven forbid) act otherwise, mindful of that precept of the Lord: "What they say, do ye; what they do, do ye not" (Mt 23:3).
(62) Not to desire to be called holy before one is; but to be holy first, that one may be truly so called.
(63) To fulfil daily the commandments of God by works.
(64) To love chastity.
(65) To hate no one.
(66) Not to be jealous; not to entertain envy.
(67) Not to love strife.
(68) Not to love pride.
(69) To honor the aged.
(70) To love the younger.
(71) To pray for one's enemies in the love of Christ.
(72) To make peace with an adversary before the setting of the sun.
(73) And never to despair of God's mercy.
Behold, these are the instruments of the spiritual art, which, if they have been applied without ceasing day and night and approved on judgment day, will merit for us from the Lord that reward which He hath promised: "The eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). But the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery, and stability in the community.
(In Christian mysticism, the phrase pray and work (or "pray and labor", in Latin ora et labora) refers to the monastic practice of working and praying, generally associated with its use in the Rule of St. Benedict.[1]
Benedict viewed prayer and work as partners, and believed in combining contemplation with action.[2] The phrase expresses the need to balance prayer and work in monastic settings and has been used in many religious communities from the Middle Ages onwards. Wikipedia.)
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Gallatians. Chapter 5:
13. For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.14. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15. But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
16. I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
17. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
18. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,
20. idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,
21. occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness
23. gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24. Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.
25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
26. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.
