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January 7, 2012
The Church Year: Jan. 8, 2012
Today is a Sunday in Christmas. The liturgical color is white.
In the Ordinary Form, in the United States, today is Epiphany.
In the Extraordinary Form, it is Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Saints & Celebrations:
Today, January 8, there is no special liturgical day in the Ordinary Form.
There is no special liturgical day in the Extraordinary Form.
For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.
Readings:
To see today's readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.
Or you can click play to listen to them:
Devotional Information:
According to the Holy See's Directory on Popular Piety:
Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany
118. Many traditions and genuine manifestations of popular piety have been developed in relation to the Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany, which is of ancient origin and rich in spiritual content. Among such forms of popular piety, mention may be made of:
the solemn proclamation of Easter and the principal dominical feasts; its revival in many places would be opportune since it served to make the connection between the Epiphany and Easter, and orientate all feasts towards the greatest Christian solemnity;
the exchange of "Epiphany gifts", which derives from the gifts offered to Jesus by the three kings (cf. Mt 2,11) and more radically from the gift made to mankind by God in the birth of Emmanuel amongst us (cf. Is 7, 14; 9, 16; Mt 1, 23). It is important, however, to ensure that the exchange of gifts on the solemnity of the Epiphany retain a Christian character, indicating that its meaning is evangelical: hence the gifts offered should be a genuine expression of popular piety and free from extravagance, luxury, and waste, all of which are extraneous to the Christian origins of this practice;
the blessing of homes, on whose lentils are inscribed the Cross of salvation, together with the indication of the year and the initials of the three wise men (C+M+B), which can also be interpreted to mean Christus mansionem benedicat, written in blessed chalk; this custom, often accompanied by processions of children accompanied by their parents, expresses the blessing of Christ through the intercession of the three wise men and is an occasion for gathering offerings for charitable and missionary purposes;
initiatives in solidarity with those who come from afar; whether Christian or not, popular piety has encouraged a sense of solidarity and openness;
assistance to the work of evangelisation; the strong missionary character of the Epiphany has been well understood by popular piety and many initiatives in support of the missions flourish on 6 January, especially the "Missionary work of the Holy Child", promoted by the Apostolic See;
the assignation of Patrons; in many religious communities and confraternities, patron saints are assigned to the members for the coming year.
Extraordinary Form Holydays of Obligation?
A reader writes:
I usually attend the extraordinary form of the mass. But I couldn't make mass this Friday, when the epiphany was celebrated in the extraordinary form. Now if I go to the extraordinary form on Sunday, I will, in some way, be going to mass according to the requirements of the holydays in the u.s. as per the epiphany, but I won't actually attend an epiphany mass since the extraordinary mass will not be the epiphany mass. Is there any definitive say from the church on how to handle this? It seems to me that the spirit of the law would be that I should try to get to an epiphany mass, but that by the letter of the law I am really only obliged to attend mass on the day appointed -- just like if I went to an eastern rite mass on the holy day. Am I correct?
You are certainly correct regarding the fact that you are not obligated to attend the Ordinary Form of Mass this Sunday in order to hear an Epiphany-themed Mass.
The way the law is written, the obligation is to go to Mass on a particular day (or the evening before), not to hear a particular set of readings or liturgical prayers. The law expressly guarantees the faithful's right to fulfill this obligation by attending Mass in any Catholic rite, even if that rite is not celebrating the same saint or event.
Now, on certain days like Christmas, every Catholic rite lines up with a common celebration, but when it comes to other holydays of obligation, they may differ dramatically in what they are celebrating.
In the United States (1) January 6th was abolished as a holyday of obligation and (2) the liturgical celebration of Epiphany transferred to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8 in the Ordinary Rite. (See here.)
The first part of that applies to all Latin Rite Catholics in the United States, whether they normally attend the Ordinary or the Extraordinary Form.
No legal obligation has been created for Extraordinary Form attendees to do anything special on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8, whether they attended the Extraordinary Form on January 6th or not.
This is equally true of other holydays of obligation that have been abolished or transferred in the United States. There are no special "Extraordinary Form holydays of obligation." There is one set of holydays obligation that bind all Latin Rite Catholics in the United States.
They could change that in the future, but that's the way the law is written now.
So you do need to go to Mass this Sunday, but because it's a Sunday. You are not obligated to go to an Ordinary Form Mass in order to hear an Epiphany-themed service. You are free to go to an Extraordinary Form Mass or a Mass in a non-Latin Catholic rite.
As to whether the spirit of the law suggests going to an Epiphany-themed Mass since you missed the Extraordinary Form celebration on January 6th, I think it depends on what you mean by "the spirit of the law."
Sometimes this phrase is meant to imply that you would be doing some thing wrong (even if allowed according to the wording of the law) by violating the law's intent.
If this is what is meant then I don't think you are violating the spirit of the law. If the Church wanted to impose such a requirement it would not allow you to fulfill your obligation to attend on holydays by going to other Catholic rites that may not be celebrating the same thing.
John Paul II knew full well when he approved the relevant canon--canon 1248 §1--(as did Benedict XV when he approved the parallel canon in the 1917 Code) that other rites aren't always celebrating the same thing on Latin holydays, and he (they) deemed it sufficient that you go to Mass on those days, even if something different is being celebrated. You are celebrating the day enough (enough to meet your legal obligations and enough not to be sinning) just by going to Mass on the day. Hearing themed readings, prayers, and homilies is a bonus, but not a requirement.
On the other hand, if you mean something less than that by "the spirit of the law" then I think you'd be on safer ground.
For example, it seems clear that the law envisions that as a matter of course, most Latin Rite Catholics will attend a Latin Rite Mass on holydays of obligation, and thus be exposed to the celebration of particular things in the liturgy. That's why the Church themes the Masses of holydays with particular celebrations in the first place. If those days had other themes (except for Sunday) then they wouldn't be holydays of obligation.
So there's a general (but nonbinding) expectation that Latin Rite Catholics will attend Masses themed with these celebrations.
I thus think you could say that it would be in keeping with the spirit of the law (i.e., a good but not required thing to do based on the principles embodied in the law) to go to a particularly themed Mass, but it is not required by the spirit of the law that one do so.
If one chooses to go to the Extraordinary Form rather than the Ordinary Form this Sunday and thus misses out on hearing an Epiphany-themed Mass this year, one is not sinning.
If one were then a person who attends the Ordinary Form would not be able to fulfill his Sunday obligation by going to the Extraordinary Form or an Eastern rite Mass--and his right to do so is expressly protected by the law.
Bottom line: The Church wanted you to have this freedom, so you have it.
Incidentally, Fr. Z concurrs (at least with the basic legal point; he doesn't go into the letter/spirit aspect of the question).
Sin & Baptism; Taxes & Abortion; Mary & Communion; Dungeons & Dragons
What happens if you forgot to repent of a sin before baptism? Will you still be forgiven? How can you fix the situation?
Is it okay to pay taxes knowing that the government will use some of the money to support Planned Parenthood and abortion?
Did the Virgin Mary ever receive Communion? If not, why not? If yes, why did she need to?
Is it okay to play Dungeons & Dragons? How about other role-playing games (RPGs)? What are we to make of them?
These are among the questions we explore in this week's episode of the Jimmy Akin Podcast!
Click Play to listen . . .
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SHOW NOTES:
JIMMY AKIN PODCAST EPISODE 027 (01/07/12)
* ANNOUNCEMENTS
New affiliate with SQPN
New Android podcast app (Jimmy Akin Cast)
The Liturgical Year
* GABRIELA FROM JAPAN ASKS ABOUT SINS COMMITTED BEFORE BAPTISM
* WILL ASKS ABOUT TAXES THAT PAY FOR ABORTIONS
* ANONYMOUS ASKS ABOUT MARY RECEIVING COMMUNION
* RAUL ASKS ABOUT ROLE PLAYING GAMES AND DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ASK?
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Today's Music: Joy to the World (JewelBeat.Com)
Copyright © 2011 by Jimmy Akin
Today in the Church Year: Jan. 7, 2012
Today is a Saturday in Christmas. The liturgical color is white.
Saints & Celebrations:
Today, January 7, in the Ordinary Form, we celebrate St. Raymond of Penyafort, priest. It is an optional memorial.
There is no special liturgical day in the Extraordinary Form.
If you'd like to learn more about St. Raymond of Penyafort, you can click here.
For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.
Readings:
To see today's readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.
Or you can click play to listen to them:
Devotional Information:
According to the Holy See's Directory on Popular Piety:
Sacred Images
18. The use of sacred images is of major importance in the whole area of popular piety, since culturally and artistically they assist the faithful in encountering the mysteries of the Christian faith. Indeed, the veneration of sacred images belongs to the very nature of Catholic piety. Such is clear from its artistic patrimony, which can be seen in many churches and sanctuaries, and to which popular devotion has often contributed.
Here, the principles apply which govern the liturgical use of images of Christ, Our Lady, the Saints. These have been traditionally asserted and defended by the Church in the knowledge that "the honour rendered to the image is directed to the person represented." The necessary rigour which has to be applied in drawing up the iconographic scheme of churches - in matters relating to the truths of the faith and their hierarchy, beauty an quality- must also be applied to images and objects destined for private and personal devotion.
So as to ensure that the iconography used in sacred places is not left to private initiatives, those with responsibility for churches and oratories should safeguard the dignity, beauty and quality of those sacred images exposed for public veneration. Likewise, they should avoid the de facto imposition on the community of pictures or statues inspired by the private devotion of individuals.
The Bishops, therefore, and the rectors of sanctuaries are to ensure that the sacred images produced for the use of the faithful, either in their homes or on their persons, or those borne aloft on their shoulders, are not reduced to banalities, nor risk giving rise to error.
Sacred Places
19. Apart from the church, sanctuaries -which are sometimes not churches- afford important opportunities for the expression of popular piety, which are often marked by particular devotional forms and practices, among which the most significant is that of pilgrimage. Together with these sacred places, which are clearly reserved for public and private prayer, others exist which are often not less important: e.g. homes, places of life and work. On certain occasions even the streets and squares can become places facilitating the manifestation of the faith.
January 6, 2012
Today in the Church Year: Jan. 6, 2012
Today is a Friday in Christmas. The liturgical color is white.
In some parts of the world (but not the United States), this is a holyday of obligation (Epiphany). If it is a holyday of obligation in your area, be sure to go to Mass if you didn't go yesterday evening. (In the U.S. we celebrate Epiphany this Sunday.)
In the Extraordinary Form, it is Epiphany.
Saints & Celebrations:
Today, January 6, in the Ordinary Form in the United States, we celebrate St. Andre Bessette, religious. It is an optional memorial.
In the Extraordinary Form, we celebrate the Epiphany of Our Lord. It is a Class I day.
If you'd like to learn more about St. Andre Bessette, you can click here.
If you'd like to learn more about the Epiphany of Our Lord, you can click here.
For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.
Readings:
To see today's readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.
Or you can click play to listen to them:
Devotional Information:
According to the Holy See's Directory on Popular Piety:
Song and Music
17. Song, a natural expression of the soul of any nation, plays an important role in popular piety. The conservation of the received corpus of traditional songs must be linked with a biblical and ecclesial spirit which is open to the possibility, where necessary, of their revision or to the composition of new songs.
Among some peoples, song is instinctively linked with hand-clapping, rhythmic corporeal movements and even dance. Such are external forms of interior sentiment and are part of popular traditions, especially on occasions such as patronal feasts. Clearly, such should be genuine expressions of communal prayer and not merely theatrical spectacles. The fact of their prevalence in one area, however, should not be regarded as a reason for their promotion in other areas, especially where they would not be spontaneous.
January 5, 2012
"My Dad, Fallen Catholic Bishop"?
So it has come to light that Bishop Gabino Zavala, an assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 1994, has fathered two children, who are now teenagers and live out of state with their mother. He has subsequently left ministry and his resignation from his episcopal duties has been accepted by Pope Benedict.
The conception of any child out of wedlock is gravely morally wrong. When the father is a Catholic priest the situation is even more grave. And when the father is a Catholic bishop who apparently did the fathering while a bishop, the graveness meter just about maxes out.
It's natural for our thoughts to focus on the man and the wrongness of his actions, but I'd like to point out a dimension that we may not initially think about. It isn't just that he's done something wrong in and of itself (though he has), it's also that he has done something wrong to his own children.
And it's not just that he has fathered them out of wedlock, though that is bad enough. He has done something worse.
It's not even that he relegated his children to a state of semi-abandonment. Due to the clandestine nature of his relationship with their mother, he could not provide the normal domesticity a father ordinarily would. His children have thus been forced to grow up without their father around much of the time, and possibly not even knowing who he is.
If they didn't know who their father is, that's bad. But if they knew who he was, and that he's a bishop, that's even worse.
And at this point it seems likely that the children know who he is—since the Church is apparently going to be picking up some of their college bills. Even if they don't yet know the truth, however, by conceiving them Bishop Zavala and their mother took the risk that the children would one day learn the truth about their parents.
Think about the effect that would have on a child. What would it mean to discover that your father was a fallen Catholic bishop?
Today in the Church Year: Jan. 5, 2012
Today is a Thursday in Christmas. The liturgical color is white.
Note: Tomorrow, in some parts of the world (but not the United States), is a holyday of obligation (Epiphany). If it is a holyday of obligation in your area, be sure to go to Mass either this evening or tomorrow. (In the U.S. we celebrate Epiphany this Sunday.)
Saints & Celebrations:
Today, January 5, in the Ordinary Form in the United States, we celebrate St. John Neumann, bishop. It is a memorial.
In the Extraordinary Form, we celebrate St. Telesphorus, pope and martyr, who died in A.D. 137. It is a commemoration.
If you'd like to learn more about St. John Neumann, you can click here.
If you'd like to learn more about St. Telesphorus, you can click here.
For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.
Readings:
To see today's readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.
Or you can click play to listen to them:
Devotional Information:
According to the Holy See's Directory on Popular Piety:
14. While conserving its simplicity and spontaneity, the verbal and gestural language of popular piety should be careful to ensure the transmission of the truth of the faith together with the greatness of the Christian mysteries.
Gestures
15. Popular piety is characterized by a great variety and richness of bodily, gestural and symbolic expressions: kissing or touching images, places, relics and sacred objects; pilgrimages, processions; going bare-footed or on one's knees; kneeling and prostrating; wearing medals and badges... . These and similar expressions, handed down from father to son, are direct and simple ways of giving external expression to the heart and to one's commitment to live the Christian life. Without this interior aspect, symbolic gesture runs the risk of degenerating into empty customs or mere superstitions, in the worst cases.
Texts and Formulae
16. While drawn up in terms less exacting than those employed for the prayers of the Liturgy, devotional prayers and formulae should be inspired, nonetheless, by Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy, the Fathers of the Church and the Magisterium, and concord with the Church's faith. The established public prayers attached to pious devotions and the various acts associated with pious exercises must always be approved by the local Ordinary.
January 4, 2012
Today in the Church Year: Jan. 4, 2012
Today is a Wednesday in Christmas. The liturgical color is white.
Saints & Celebrations:
Today, January 4, in the Ordinary Form in the United States, we celebrate St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious. It is a memorial.
There is no special liturgical day in the Extraordinary Form.
If you'd like to learn more about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, you can click here.
For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.
Readings:
To see today's readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.
Or you can click play to listen to them:
Devotional Information:
According to the Holy See's Directory on Popular Piety:
13. The objective difference between pious exercises and devotional practices should always be clear in expressions of worship. Hence, the formulae proper to pious exercises should not be commingled with the liturgical actions. Acts of devotion and piety are external to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and of the other sacraments.
On the one hand, a superimposing of pious and devotional practices on the Liturgy so as to differentiate their language, rhythm, course, and theological emphasis from those of the corresponding liturgical action, must be avoided, while any form of competition with or opposition to the liturgical actions, where such exists, must also be resolved. Thus, precedence must always be given to Sunday, Solemnities, and to the liturgical seasons and days.
Since, on the other, pious practices must conserve their proper style, simplicity and language, attempts to impose forms of "liturgical celebration" on them are always to be avoided.
January 3, 2012
Today in the Church Year: Jan. 3, 2012
Today is a Tuesday in Christmas. The liturgical color is white.
Saints & Celebrations:
Today, January 3, in the Ordinary Form, we celebrate the Most Holy Name of Jesus. It is an optional memorial.
There is no special liturgical day in the Extraordinary Form.
If you'd like to learn more about the Most Holy Name of Jesus, you can click here.
For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.
Readings:
To see today's readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.
Or you can click play to listen to them:
Devotional Information:
According to the Holy See's Directory on Popular Piety:
12. The optional nature of pious exercises should in no way be taken to imply an under estimation or even disrespect for such practices. The way forward in this area requires a correct and wise appreciation of the many riches of popular piety, of the potentiality of these same riches and of the commitment to the Christian life which they inspire.
The Gospel is the measure against which all expressions of Christian piety - both old and new - must be measured. The task of evaluating devotional exercises and practices, and of purifying them when necessary, must be conducted against this criterion so as to ensure their proper relationship with the Christian mystery. What is said of the Christian Liturgy is also true of popular piety: "it may never incorporate rites permeated by magic, superstition, animism, vendettas or sexual connotations."
Hence, the liturgical renewal willed by the Second Vatican Council must also inspire a correct evaluation and renewal of pious exercises and devotional practices. Popular piety should be permeated by: a biblical spirit, since it is impossible to imagine a Christian prayer without direct or indirect reference to Sacred Scripture; a liturgical spirit if it is to dispose properly for or echo the mysteries celebrated in the liturgical actions; an ecumenical spirit, in consideration of the sensibilities and traditions of other Christians without, however, being restricted by inappropriate inhibitions; an anthropological spirit which both conserves symbols and expressions of importance or significance for a given nation while eschewing senseless archaicisms, and which strives to dialogue in terms redolent with contemporary sensibility. To be successful, such a renewal must be imbued with a pedagogical awareness and realized gradually, always taking into consideration time and particular circumstances.
January 2, 2012
The Weekly Benedict: Jan 2, 2012
Due to the holidays, I didn't do The Weekly Benedict last week, so here's another double-dose of our awesome pope! (In fact, it's an unusually large double-dose, because the pope is especially active this time of year--so pray for his health and rest--and because the Vatican web site guys got their hinders in gear and delivered a whole month's worth of speeches in English at once.)
Here are this week's items for The Weekly Benedict (subscribe here):
ANGELUS: Angelus, 18 December 2011
ANGELUS: Angelus, 26 December 2011, Feast of Saint Stephen
AUDIENCE: 14 December 2011
AUDIENCE: 21 December 2011
MESSAGE: "Urbi et Orbi" - Christmas Day 2011
HOMILY: 11 December 2011: Pastoral Visit to the Roman parish of "Santa Maria delle Grazie" at Casal Boccone
HOMILY: 12 December 2011: Holy Mass for Latin AmericaHOMILY:
HOMILY: 15 December 2011: Vespers with the University students of the Rome
HOMILY: 24 December 2011: Midnight Mass
HOMILY:31 December 2011: Vespers and Te Deum
SPEECH: To participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family (December 1, 2011)
SPEECH: To members of the International Theological Commission (December 2, 2011)
SPEECH: Lighting via video link of the Christmas Tree, decorated with hundreds of lights, in the Italian town of Gubbio (Perugia) (December 7, 2011) SPEECH:
SPEECH: Pastoral Visit to Rebibbia Prison - Rome (December 18, 2011)
SPEECH: Responses to the questions posed by the inmates (New Prison of Rebibbia - Rome, 18 December 2011)
SPEECH: Christmas greetings to Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Directors of the Governorate of Vatican City State (December 22, 2011)
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