Life is changed, not taken away

It is the time of the year, November 2, where it is an obligation for all Catholics to visit their deceased loved ones in the cemeteries and pray for them. On the All Souls' Day, we gather around the tomb of our loved one and offered prayers with solemnity and reverence to our ancestors.

For us, it is the time where we can rest from the nerve-racking days of work in our offices and in schools and have time to spend for ourselves and for friends and relatives. We go on vacation, and sometimes some opted to travel earlier to avoid long hours of waiting for a bus or a van to take us out of town. It is also the time where we spend together on celebrating the eve of All Saints' Day wearing spooky costumes, scary Halloween makeups and wearing superhero costumes and costumes of your favorite cartoon and movie characters regardless of your weight and your age.

It is also the time where shops and malls are lavishly decorated with scary paraphernalia. Skulls and crosses adorned with fake cob webs and pumpkins create fear to those who have phobias on it. When I was very young, every time I look at a picture of pumpkin in a page of a book, I would shudder in fear and skip the page. Most scary are the witches making witchcraft concoction on a big cauldron in the dead of the night.

Now I am not directly criticizing those who are celebrating Halloween. In fact, its really amusing to see their costumes in real life and things we see on 9gag and Imgur. It is really sad for some "religious" and "traditional" Catholics to just rabidly criticize and accuse those who are celebrating Halloween of twisting the true message of All Saints' Day and also All Souls' Day and celebrating the glory of Satan on the Holy days of obligation when in fact we aren't probably catechized on the celebration of All Saints' Day and even All Souls' Day. Remember, the Second Plenary Council in 1991 said that the "Filipinos are sacramentalised, but aren't evangelized." If they are very obsessed in criticizing the celebration of this "satanic" Halloween, why I rarely see them criticizing the people who went to the cemeteries just to have merry making, tons of garbage left in memorial parks, noise pollution, and even couples doing their own "holy things" in front of the tombs of their loved ones?

But it is very sad that the symbols of the reality of death and evil in our Christian life were misunderstood and distorted by fiction horror stories, TV shows and commercialism. They are wearing devilish costumes because its fun. They go to cemeteries and haunted spots to find ghosts and talk to them rather than praying for their souls and exorcising the place. We are more entertained by TV shows during Halloween about horror stories. Stories of "white lady" and "zombies" while ignoring the reality of war, misery and death that may invite us to question the immense goodness of God if He "permits" these events to happen.


Even the Latin language itself isn't safe. Quack doctors and mediums in Filipino scary movies chant broken Latin words to summon spirit entities, heal the sick and Filipinos wear amulet shirts with Latin inscriptions on it.  There was this Catholic Charismatic preacher who told us not to adhere anything that is Latin because quack doctors use it in their medicinal practice and we are now in the post-Vatican II and we must get in with the times. Let me clarify this: Latin is the liturgical language of the Latin Rite which is the Mass. Vatican II allowed us to translate the form of the Mass in Latin into the vernacular. There were many poems and great works that were written in Latin. Majority of saints attended or even said the Mass in Latin. Ecclesiastical documents are primarily written in Latin. Latin is the origin of different Romance languages and many English words originated from Latin. The Filipino pagan practices have included Latin into their rituals and thus giving them a bad impression to ordinary Filipinos like us.

The skull and bones is not a mere decoration to spice up the celebration of Halloween. It is a Christian symbol of death. Everything will turn into dust, skull and bones once you die.  It is a simple reminder that his life is limited and therefore he must do good, follow the will of God that when the time comes, he would be prepared for to receive his verdict from his Master who is in Heaven.

The cross is the symbol of Christ conquering Death. In the past, God took away our immortality because of our parents Adam and Eve committing the sin of disobeying Him and punished us through the painful stings of Death.  With Christ's death on the Cross, death has become a passageway to the eternal life Christ has promised to those who are baptised. Death is a transition to new life, which is eternal life. The life where there is no pain and we experience eternal happiness.

The demons people usually portray during Halloween do not appear as grumpy-faced, red-skinned gargoyles with pointy horns, ugly wings and carrying pitchforks. They are not even tattooed with pentagrams with 666 stuff all over them. The demons are usually disguised as the one who tempts you to commit sin in your daily life. The demons, in spite of lofty promises of "fun", flowery words, and innocent yet beautiful looks, prepares and waits for its cue to destroy your life and your relationship with God.  The demons simply remind us of the existence of evil, the existence of Hell and the existence of sin and damnation. The only we do is to fight them, with our prayers and our works. 

Ghosts are paranormal entities that may be in the form of our loved ones, or in the form of the evil entities. Discernment and prayers are ways to deal with these spirits. Pumpkins, cobwebs, bats, and other Halloween symbols originate from the West. They do not have spiritual significance in our Catholic life. 

The Church has established this Feast of All Souls' Day because the Church prays for the universal suffrage of souls who were in purgatory, especially those who were forgotten. We give honor, reverence and comfort with our prayers to our dearly departed. But it is also our chance to reflect on the reality of death. Death will come to everyone. Death will also come to me. But we do not know when. Death would only take away our material possessions and worldly achievements and even separate us from our loved ones, but death would not take away our soul. It would serve as a transition to a newborn life in Heaven. If we only commit ourselves to God this will be possible. 

Life is changed, not taken away. 

Vita mutatur, non tollitur

Choosing your Patron Saint

In the Catholic tradition, the faithful often invoke certain Saints/Blessed as their heavenly helper in certain times of need, or for their entire lives as Christians on the road to holiness. These Saints/Blessed are called Patrons/Patron Saints. Seriously, we do not need them just as much as we need Jesus Christ as our model, teacher and guide to holiness; but it does not hurt to invoke our "forefathers in faith" to give us a "shove" upwards on our road to the Father's House.

As Catholics, we believe in the intercession of saints as a vital part of the communion of the Mystical Body of Christ (refer to CCC 960-962). We do believe that they help all of us in a special way since they intercede for us before the throne of God, and see him constantly in the Beatific Vision.

Pope Leo XIII

"...it has been the custom in the Church to plead with special fervor and perseverance to God, her author and protector, by recourse to the intercession of the saints - and chiefly of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. The fruit of these pious prayers and of the confidence reposed in the Divine goodness, has always, sooner or later, been made apparent." (Leo XIII, Encyclical Quamquam Pluries on devotion to St. Joseph, 15 Aug. 1889)

And for this particular reason, stated above, Catholics choose Patron Saints as their heavenly helpers in various circumstances in life.

Allow me then to help you choose your Patron Saint, if you do not have one yet.

1. Think seriously.

Choosing a patron saint is not an easy matter. This saint will be an important person in your life as your inspiration, companion and dear friend. I know that there are countless men and women declared as saints by the Catholic Church, that represent various walks of life and that successfully completed the good fight of the faith. Choose wisely!

2. Choose one or more basing on your particular favorites. (Or other biases, perhaps)

You can choose one based on:

-Your name

For example, I am Neil. I think that name comes from Nathaniel, who is one of the Holy Apostles, so I think I will take him as a patron saint.

-Your occupations/ interest/state of life 

I am a seminarian, so I think I will choose St. Aloysius or Blessed Rolando Rivi for that.

But wait, I am also a writer and a "journalist-wannabe", so I think Blessed James Alberione or some other Saint known for writing could be a good patron.

Also, I like making rosaries, so I think Ss. Dominic, Louis de Monfort or Blessed Alan de Roche might be a good one.

Young people often take St. John Paul II as their patron saint, since he was especially close to them, and is known to help young people who try to live their Christian life.

-Your sicknesses/diseases/ailments or other things peculiar to you.

Some breast cancer patients take St. Agatha as their patron, others with tuberculosis choose St. Therese or St. Bernadette... like that.

-Your birthday/special day.

In a given month, the Roman Martyrology or Calendar,
 gives a lot names of Saints or Blessed to be observed for a particular day.
Photo credits: Work of the Saints Movement/Apostolate

In the Roman Calendar (found in every Missal or Breviary) or in the Roman Martyrology (the official list of saints whose memorials are observed in the Catholic Church), books issued by the Vatican for daily liturgical celebrations, especially for feasts, memorials and solemnities, there are usually a lot of saints for a particular day, and especially on your birthday. Choose one from them.

For me, I have two favorite saints on my birthday, Sts. Gaetano Errico (see my October 29 post about him) and Blessed Chiara 'Luce" Badano.

Or it might be your special day, like the day of your Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination or even as simple as the day you met your girlfriend or so... it does not matter really, except that you can choose one based on the day you prefer.

3. Research and Learn about your chosen saint

After you choose your Patron Saint based on whatever things you have based upon, research about them and learn about their particular virtues, characteristics and how they became a saint. Allow yourself to be placed way back in time when they lived, experience their struggles and difficulties (and even look at their sins), but reflect on how they extraordinarily lived their Christian life to become the Saint that you look upon to.

Especially if your saint is quite popular, you can always read their stories online or by a book from a Catholic store near you. For those who are quite bent on reading saints' lives, I particularly recommend Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints (published and revised a lot of times by different editors) or Enzo Lodi's Saints of the Roman Calendar (published by St. Pauls Philippines).

3. Find a picture/image/statue of your saint.

Just as easy as you might find your patron's biography, you might find easily an image, statue or medal of your dear Patron Saint. For those who might be fortunate enough, you might be graced from above with a small relic of your patron saint, indeed a piece of your own patron saint's body or clothing, which can serve as an object of your devotion. (I have the relics of my patron saints!)

A NOTE THOUGH: For those who do not know the Church's stand on venerating images, read this short quotation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and maybe do some research about it.

"The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it." The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone." (CCC 2132)

4. Pray to your Patron Saint

With the abundance of online and print information, you can easily find a short prayer to your dear Saint. If you happen to have a Saint whose name is in the Roman Missal/Breviary, you can always pray the "Collect" or prayer to the Saint found in the books. (For a trivia, a partial indulgence is given to anyone who recites the collect of a saint on their feast day. (Enchiridion of Indulgences, 54) ) You can always find one online, or better, compose one yourself! By this, you can pray to your dear Saint and be assured of him/her interceding for you before God. 

A sample prayer to your Patron Saint:

"O Heavenly Patron/s , St. N/ Ss. Nn. , in whose name/s I glory, pray ever to God for me: strengthen me in my faith; establish me in virtue; guard me in the conflict; that I may vanquish the foe malign and attain to glory everlasting.Amen."

Again, another note: "We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers" (CCC 962). Do some small research about why Catholics pray to Saints, and why they can.....

And eventually...

The saint you choose will always be with you. Your saint will intercede for you in Heaven and is similar to having a relative who you look up to and whom you would like to emulate. Your saint will become like extended family to you and will pray to God on your behalf any time you ask. 

Of course, you can pray to whichever saint you like after you choose one, but the saint you choose will always be yours. This is why it's so important to make an informed, meaningful decision.

_____________________________________

I would like to dedicate this quite lengthy article to the special care of my three Patron Saints: my models in following God's special call to the priesthood,  in doing the Christian life, and of giving myself to the 'Opus Dei", the work of God that needs to be done by all of us, especially by me.

Ss. John Paul II, Jean-Marie Vianney and Gaetano Errico, pray for me!

Celebration

The Holy Mother Church firmly believes that the people of God should celebrate the Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ in a sacred commemoration on certain days throughout the liturgical year. Through the tradition handed down by the apostles, we celebrate once each week the Paschal Mystery of Christ in which its origin was taken from the very day of Christ’s resurrection—the seventh day or Sunday. The constitution of the Liturgy urges us to gather together on Sunday so that through the word of God and the Eucharist, we may call to mind the passion, the resurrection, and the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, in some developed countries, Sunday has been characterized by tourism and recreation. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his Sacramentum Caritatis advises us that we should not be enslaved by our works and leisure in which we may come to a point of finding the ultimate and definitive meaning of life in it.

In the concept of the liturgical year, we can observe a distinction between feasts and ordinary days, and the degree of solemnity proper to the feasts. The term “liturgical year” was coined by Abbot Prosper Guéranger in 1848 where it entered in the active vocabulary of the Roman Church. The liturgical year is an economy of our salvation in which its center is the celebration of the Easter. This celebration of Easter is not just a mere feast among others but the “Feast of feasts” and “Solemnity of solemnities”. Furthermore, we can also see the various aspects of the one Paschal Mystery unfold, Annunciation, Christmas, and Epiphany to name a few. They commemorate the beginning of our salvation which communicates to us the first fruits of the Paschal Mystery.

Throughout the course of the liturgical year, the Holy Mother Church also honors the Blessed Virgin and the saints. We celebrate the Blessed Virgin’s role in our salvation. Pope Paul VI states in his Marianis Cultis: “This is a celebration that offers the church and all humankind an exemplar and a consoling message, teaching us the fulfillment of our highest hopes: our glorification is happily in store for us when Christ has made us his brothers and sisters.” With regards to the saints, we also celebrate them because they help us to grow in the love of God and neighbor whether they are martyrs or non-martyrs.

In the liturgy of the Hours, the mystery of Christ permeates and transfigures in its celebration. In this prayer, we exercise our royal priesthood. The liturgy of the Hours is intended to become a prayer of the whole people of God. In it Christ himself does his priestly office through the Church. With regards to the priests, the breviary—as the liturgy of the Hours is often called—is well-known as the priest’s wife. It should be his companion day and night. However, it does not easily figure in on the priest’s daily routine. That is why there was an attempt before to make the liturgy of the Hours private, but it was later neglected since the liturgy of the Hours is shaped for public prayer.

In every celebration of the liturgy, a suitable place should be used just like the church building since it represents an image of a community that God gathers together. However, other places were used to celebrate the liturgy. Just like the first Christians, the original place of their celebration was just a simple room. It is good to point out that a place is holy not because it has blessed walls, not because it has a sanctuary and an altar, not because it has a cross and sacred images, but because Christ dwells in there. In a word, the presence of Christ in liturgical celebrations explains why there is no space that cannot be considered suitable for worship.

The Father: The Source of All Truth

An Address of Pope Benedict XVI during the Ecumenical Prayer ServiceChurch of the former Augustinian Convent, Erfurt, 23 September 2011

“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through them” (Jn 17:20). These words Jesus addressed to the Father in the Upper Room. He intercedes for coming generations of believers. He looks beyond the Upper Room, towards the future. He also prayed for us. And he prayed for our unity. This prayer of Jesus is not simply something from the past. He stands before the Father, for ever making intercession for us. At this moment he also stands in our midst and he desires to draw us into his own prayer. In the prayer of Jesus we find the very heart of our unity. We will become one if we allow ourselves to be drawn into this prayer. Whenever we gather in prayer as Christians, Jesus’ concern for us, and his prayer to the Father for us, ought to touch our hearts. The more we allow ourselves to be drawn into this event, the more we grow in unity.

Did Jesus’ prayer go unheard? The history of Christianity is in some sense the visible element of this drama in which Christ strives and suffers with us human beings. Ever anew he must endure the rejection of unity, yet ever anew unity takes place with him and thus with the triune God. We need to see both things: the sin of human beings, who reject God and withdraw within themselves, but also the triumphs of God, who upholds the Church despite her weakness, constantly drawing men and women closer to himself and thus to one another.

Our fundamental unity comes from the fact that we believe in God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth. And that we confess that he is the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The highest unity is not the solitude of a monad, but rather a unity born of love. We believe in God – the real God. We believe that God spoke to us and became one of us. To bear witness to this living God is our common task at the present time.

Does man need God, or can we do quite well without him? When, in the first phase of God’s absence, his light continues to illumine and sustain the order of human existence, it appears that things can also function quite well without God. But the more the world withdraws from God, the clearer it becomes that man, in his hubris of power, in his emptiness of heart and in his longing for satisfaction and happiness, increasingly loses his life. A thirst for the infinite is indelibly present in human beings. Man was created to have a relationship with God; we need him. Our primary ecumenical service at this hour must be to bear common witness to the presence of the living God and in this way to give the world the answer which it needs. Naturally, an absolutely central part of this fundamental witness to God is a witness to Jesus Christ, true man and true God, who lived in our midst, suffered and died for us and, in his resurrection, flung open the gates of death.

The Church and the Devil

During the course of Blessed Paul VI’s pontificate there was a timely question raised regarding the greatest need of the Church today. The answer he gave is not that simplistic or superstitious and unreal. The greatest need of the Church today, Blessed Paul VI said, is the defense from the evil that we call the devil. 

St. John Paul II reiterated the same sentiment during his visit to the Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel on May 24, 1987. He said, “The battle against the devil, which is the principal task of St. Michael the Archangel, is still being fought today, because the devil is still alive and active in the world.”          

Pope Benedict XVI during the Angelus address on February 17, 2013 talked about the influence of the devil on modern society and on our lives, clearly indicating that the devil is a malign influence behind the ascendancy of secularist atheism and the secularist agendas and policies being pursued. He said, “The tempter is cunning. He does not directly impel us towards evil but rather towards a false good, making us believe that the true realities are power and everything that satisfies our primary needs. In this way God becomes secondary, he is reduced to a means; in short, he becomes unreal, he no longer counts, he disappears.”     

Despite these messages of the previous pontiffs, there is an inconvenient reality happening right now. Many in the Catholic Church either deny the existence of the devil, or tend to see him as someone that cannot interact in a major way in man’s day-to-day living. Lay Catholic preacher Bo Sanchez spoke about his experiences in certain theological schools in our country regarding this unbelief of religious and Church people in the existence of the devil.      

Fr. Jose Francisco Syquia, Chief Exorcist of the Archdiocese of Manila, in his book Exorcism: Encounters with the Paranormal and the Occult stresses the grand strategy of Satan in today’s modern world—to make man believe that he does not exist. That somehow explains why Christians never put up a fight or establish any form of defense against him. Many even end up, he said, blaming God for their miseries because of unawareness of the hidden enemy striking them in the many areas of their lives. “Part of the difficulty of resisting demonic attacks is that most of them are not recognized as such even by many Christians,” explained Fr. Benedict Heron, OSB in his book I Saw Satan Fall. He continued, “He [Satan] is normally happier not to be recognized but to work in a hidden and secret way—there is less danger of stirring up opposition if he is unrecognized.”

Because of the wickedness of our times, extraordinary demonic assault cases are on the rise—infestation, oppression, obsession, and possession. Fr. Carl Vogl in his documentary Be Gone Satan!, tells us that “it is precisely through the cooperation of sinners that the devil has such power on earth.” 

The challenge for us now is to wake up to the reality of the existence and malevolent action of the devil in our world and take action against him, our enemy since the time of our first parents. Let us heed Blessed Paul VI’s exhortation: “We must fight against spirits, the spirits that swarm all around us. In other words, we must fight against the demon… this dark and disturbing being truly exists and is still active with predatory cunning. He is the hidden enemy who sows error, misfortune, decadence, and degradation in human history.”   

The Second Vatican Council in the document Gaudium et Spes reminds us all that this battle against the fallen angels will last until the end of time. The Post-conciliar document Christian Faith and Demonology adds that it would indeed be a fatal mistake to act as if history is already finished and redemption had achieved all its effects, and that it would no longer be necessary to engage in the struggle of which the New Testament and the masters of the spiritual life speak.

We, as Catholics, must always be prepared to enter into the midst of this spiritual battle. As Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR and Randall J. Cirner in their book Deliverance from Evil Spirits would say, "There is no room for compromise, no basis for peaceful coexistence. There  can only struggle and opposition... God calls his people to attack the kingdom of darkness and to further the kingdom of light. Man is born into then midst of this struggle; by its very nature he must fight in it. No one can escape from it. Every man and woman must choose whom they will serve."

I would like to end this one with the words from the Evening Prayer Hymn of Friday Week III in the Liturgy of the Hours, "Choose we now in freedom where we should belong, let us turn to Jesus, let our choice be strong."

Halloween and Demonic Phenomena

"Many people are desensitized by true evil just because they are daily exposed to silly evil." Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Well, our celebrations for Halloween are upcoming, and while we're at it scaring the hell out of some folk or watching some freaky show on the movies or on TV, why not let's review some basics on demonic phenomena...
if we're not that careful enough!

 Basics of Demonic Phenomena

Satan is indeed present in our modern age. Here, the Pope exorcises a
supposedly possessed person by simply laying hands on him. Officials
from the Vatican confirm that it indeed was an exorcism.

The devil normally acts in us through temptation, he calls and seduces us to do the bad by trapping us especially that what we are about to do wrong is really good. We may welcome it, but we must fight it out through a devoted Christian life.

And now to extraordinary demonic phenomena.

First thing, a demonic infestation does not mean you will spin your head for 360 degrees and do the crazy climb down the stairs like the one possessed in "The Exorcist". It does not mean too that your mind will  suddenly go bonkers and you will act as if you were inhabited by something else. Nope, but if you are reckless enough, that will lead you towards "it".

Demonic infestation is a phenomena wherein the Devil enters your life via a "doorway" and sets part of your life kaput. That is, he will scare the hell out of you or make your life a bit "hellish" if you knowingly or unknowingly let him in. And for a formal definition: " [Infestation] is a phenomena in which the Devil affects you indirectly  via things, places or animals." (Fr. Gabriele Amorth, An exorcist tells his story).

Next, demonic obsession. It occurs when one's mind is infested by the Devil. Thoughts of murder, suicide and otherviolent things may come to you. Normally, one who is under this state is constantly depressed, agitated or suicidal.

Third, is everyone's "favorite" sort of phenomena. Seen usually in movies like the 'Exorcist", "Deliver us from Evil", "The Rite" and more, demonic possession is a state where a person's body is possessed by Satan himself. Things like hidden knowledge, aversion to sacred things and displays of violence and hate are normally seen in a possessed person.

Some of these cases are healed by deliverance prayers and conversion to an active Christian life. Others need an official rite of the Church, a sacramental called Exorcism, which is administered by an exorcist-priest.

Not really a trifle....

Fr. Gabriele Amorth, exorcist of the Diocese of Rome,
famous for effectively doing THOUSANDS of exorcisms.

"The battle against the devil, which is the principal task of Saint Michael the Archangel, is still being fought today, because the devil is still alive and active in the world. The evil that surrounds us today, the disorders that plague our society, man's inconsistency and brokenness, are not only the results of original sin, but also the result of Satan's pervasive and dark action." (St. John Paul II, Message on his visit to Santuario San Michele in Mt. Gargano, May 1987)

Well, why am I discussing these things? It is to show all of you that Satan is alive and kicking in our world, and not only in the figments of our heads only to be displayed during Halloween.

For one thing, I can tell everyone that the Devil exists, just as God plainly and simply exists in this world. And I know he hates those who are loved and those who love God. He hates those who stay away from him and "loves" those who offer themselves to his service.

Things that we usually try from the occult as a joke like Ouija boards, necromancy, divining, occult activities and paraphernalia may seem harmless like an ordinary drink, but we do not know that like a harmless cup of water, it is already poisoned by Satan a means of bringing down his evil spells around us.

Are we temples of the Holy Spirit? Or are we just potent devils
fooling around a world that belongs to God's children? Hmmm...

Going on, we notice that all of the things we usually do at Halloween like dressing up as ghouls, monsters and foul creatures, do not serve as a means of achieving our true purpose: that is glorifying God by our bodies. We instead praise the side which we must avoid and prevent: the forces of Evil that lurk in our society and is the cause of our own downfall.

Thus, we must be wary of opening up avenues for the Devil to enter into our lives. Fr. Francis Lucas of the CBCP reminds the faithful; "Do not tempt the Devil, especially now that there are many cases of demonic possession." Numerous saints, blessed and exorcist-priests can tell us that Satan exists in the world, and we are fighting against him tooth-and-nail in the name of God.

And so...

Arm yourself up with these!

Instead of thinking about horrifying your Halloween, why not be sane enough to live out the real meaning of its name 'Hallow-eve" or "blessed night"... You can maybe read up on a life of a saint you like, or watch a movie about them. You can dress up yourself or your children as their favorite saints at a party. You can begin preparing yourself for a trip to the cemetery or pray for your dear departed. As long as you do not make yourself a target by the Devil and his many schemes of entering you.

This is fun and informative. Dress your kids up as a saint/blessed and let the example
of the Saint they represent inspire them to push for greater holiness!

(For these days, I instead plan to visit cemeteries and pray for the dead, venerate some relics I cherish in my possession (to solve my "freaky" side), and to double up my reading of some saint's lives.)

Finally, "It is also clear that the believer must be faithful to God and must fear sin. This is the basis of our strength, as Saint John tells us:"We know that any one born of God does not sin, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him"(I Jn 5:18). If sometimes our weakness leads us to fall, we must immediately pick ourselves up with that great gift of God's mercy: repentance and confession." (Fr. Gabriel Amorth, An exorcist tells his story).

The Symbolism of the Sacramental Signs

A Homily of Pope Benedict XVI during the Chrism Mass

Holy Thursday, April 1, 2010

At the centre of the Church’s worship is the notion of “sacrament”. This means that it is not primarily we who act, but God comes first to meet us through his action, he looks upon us and he leads us to himself. Another striking feature is this: God touches us through material things, through gifts of creation that he takes up into his service, making them instruments of the encounter between us and himself. There are four elements in creation on which the world of sacraments is built: water, bread, wine and olive oil. Water, as the basic element and fundamental condition of all life, is the essential sign of the act in which, through baptism, we become Christians and are born to new life. While water is the vital element everywhere, and thus represents the shared access of all people to rebirth as Christians, the other three elements belong to the culture of the Mediterranean region. In other words, they point towards the concrete historical environment in which Christianity emerged. God acted in a clearly defined place on the earth, he truly made history with men. On the one hand, these three elements are gifts of creation, and on the other, they also indicate the locality of the history of God with us. They are a synthesis between creation and history: gifts of God that always connect us to those parts of the world where God chose to act with us in historical time, where he chose to become one of us.

Within these three elements there is a further gradation. Bread has to do with everyday life. It is the fundamental gift of life day by day. Wine has to do with feasting, with the fine things of creation, in which, at the same time, the joy of the redeemed finds particular expression. Olive oil has a wide range of meaning. It is nourishment, it is medicine, it gives beauty, it prepares us for battle and it gives strength. Kings and priests are anointed with oil, which is thus a sign of dignity and responsibility, and likewise of the strength that comes from God. Even the name that we bear as “Christians” contains the mystery of the oil. The word “Christians”, in fact, by which Christ’s disciples were known in the earliest days of Gentile Christianity, is derived from the word “Christ” (Acts 11:20-21) – the Greek translation of the word “Messiah”, which means “anointed one”. To be a Christian is to come from Christ, to belong to Christ, to the anointed one of God, to whom God granted kingship and priesthood. It means belonging to him whom God himself anointed – not with material oil, but with the One whom the oil represents: with his Holy Spirit. Olive oil is thus in a very particular way a symbol of the total compenetration of the man Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

In the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, the holy oils are at the centre of the liturgical action. They are consecrated in the bishop’s cathedral for the whole year. They thus serve also as an expression of the Church’s unity, guaranteed by the episcopate, and they point to Christ, the true “shepherd and guardian” of our souls, as Saint Peter calls him (1 Pet 2:25). At the same time, they hold together the entire liturgical year, anchored in the mystery of Holy Thursday. Finally, they point to the Garden of Olives, the scene of Jesus’ inner acceptance of his Passion. Yet the Garden of Olives is also the place from which he ascended to the Father, and is therefore the place of redemption: God did not leave Jesus in death. Jesus lives for ever with the Father, and is therefore omnipresent, with us always. This double mystery of the Mount of Olives is also always “at work” within the Church’s sacramental oil. In four sacraments, oil is the sign of God’s goodness reaching out to touch us: in baptism, in confirmation as the sacrament of the Holy Spirit, in the different grades of the sacrament of holy orders and finally in the anointing of the sick, in which oil is offered to us, so to speak, as God’s medicine – as the medicine which now assures us of his goodness, offering us strength and consolation, yet at the same time points beyond the moment of the illness towards the definitive healing, the resurrection (cf. Jas 5:14). Thus oil, in its different forms, accompanies us throughout our lives: beginning with the catechumenate and baptism, and continuing right up to the moment when we prepare to meet God, our Judge and Saviour. Moreover, the Chrism Mass, in which the sacramental sign of oil is presented to us as part of the language of God’s creation, speaks in particular to us who are priests: it speaks of Christ, whom God anointed King and Priest – of him who makes us sharers in his priesthood, in his “anointing”, through our own priestly ordination.

I should like, then, to attempt a brief interpretation of the mystery of this holy sign in its essential reference to the priestly vocation. In popular etymologies a connection was made, even in ancient times, between the Greek word “elaion” – oil – and the word “eleos” – mercy. In fact, in the various sacraments, consecrated oil is always a sign of God’s mercy. So the meaning of priestly anointing always includes the mission to bring God’s mercy to those we serve. In the lamp of our lives, the oil of mercy should never run dry. Let us always obtain it from the Lord in good time – in our encounter with his word, in our reception of the sacraments, in the time we spend with him in prayer.

As a consequence of the story of the dove bearing an olive branch to signal the end of the flood – and thus God’s new peace with the world of men – not only the dove but also the olive branch and oil itself have become symbols of peace. The Christians of antiquity loved to decorate the tombs of their dead with the crown of victory and the olive branch, symbol of peace. They knew that Christ conquered death and that their dead were resting in the peace of Christ. They knew that they themselves were awaited by Christ, that he had promised them the peace which the world cannot give. They remembered that the first words of the Risen Lord to his disciples were: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19). He himself, so to speak, bears the olive branch, he introduces his peace into the world. He announces God’s saving goodness. He is our peace. Christians should therefore be people of peace, people who recognize and live the mystery of the Cross as a mystery of reconciliation. Christ does not conquer through the sword, but through the Cross. He wins by conquering hatred. He wins through the force of his greater love. The Cross of Christ expresses his “no” to violence. And in this way, it is God’s victory sign, which announces Jesus’ new way. The one who suffered was stronger than the ones who exercised power. In his self-giving on the Cross, Christ conquered violence. As priests we are called, in fellowship with Jesus Christ, to be men of peace, we are called to oppose violence and to trust in the greater power of love.

A further aspect of the symbolism of oil is that it strengthens for battle. This does not contradict the theme of peace, but forms part of it. The battle of Christians consisted – and still consists – not in the use of violence, but in the fact that they were – and are – ready to suffer for the good, for God. It consists in the fact that Christians, as good citizens, keep the law and do what is just and good. It consists in the fact that they do not do whatever within the legal system in force is not just but unjust. The battle of the martyrs consists in their concrete “no” to injustice: by taking no part in idolatry, in Emperor worship, they refused to bow down before falsehood, before the adoration of human persons and their power. With their “no” to falsehood and all its consequences, they upheld the power of right and truth. Thus they served true peace. Today too it is important for Christians to follow what is right, which is the foundation of peace. Today too it is important for Christians not to accept a wrong that is enshrined in law – for example the killing of innocent unborn children. In this way we serve peace, in this way we find ourselves following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, of whom Saint Peter says: “When he was reviled he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet 2:23f.).

October 29: St. Gaetano Errico

"Let us kindle the love of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in the hearts of all people." (St. Gaetano Errico, 1791- 1860)

Well, I do not post much now about Saints and Holy Relics (which is my specialty, but I do not post much about it because of other concerns that needs posting), but because it is my birthday, I could not help but post about a Saint whom I admire much and whose presence in his relics bring me great joy.

St. Gaetano Errico is a priest-founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, whose main charisma and apostolate was to promote devotion to the Sacred Hearts. Born in Naples, Gaetano Errico entered the local diocesan seminary at age sixteen. In 1815, he was ordained a priest and spent the next twenty years teaching. He had a vision in which St. Alphonsus Liguori instructed him to found a new religious order. He had a great devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and in 1836 he founded the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The community is dedicated to serving the needs of God’s family while witnessing the great love present in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. By the time of his death at 10 am of October 29th,  the community had ten houses in southern Italy. He was beatified in 2002 by St. John Paul II and canonized in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Why I like him so much, let our blog's favorite theologian, Benedict XVI say it for us:

"The ministry of reconciliation, therefore, is a ministry that is relevant. The priest Gaetano Errico, founder of the Congregazione dei Missionari dei Sacri Cuori di Gesù e di Maria, dedicated himself to this sacrament with diligence, assiduity and patience, never refusing it nor counting the cost. He thus entered among the group of other extraordinary priests who tirelessly made the confessional a place to dispense God's mercy, helping men to rediscover themselves, to fight against sin and make progress in the spiritual life. The street and the confessional were the two particular places of Gaetano Errico's pastoral work. The street was the place that permitted him to offer his customary invitation: "God loves you, when shall we meet?" and in the confession he made their encounter with the mercy of the heavenly Father possible. How many wounded souls did he heal in this way! How many people did he help to be reconciled with God through the sacrament of forgiveness! In this way St. Gaetano Errico became an expert in the "science" of forgiveness, and concerned himself with teaching it to his missionaries: "God, who does not wish the death of the sinner, is always more merciful than his ministers; so be as merciful as you can and you will find mercy with God!" (Benedict XVI, Homily at Canonization Mass, October 2008).

Personally, I got to know this Saint when I was still a sophomore student in High School. I was looking for a birthday Saint to celebrate with, and through God's providence I was introduced to him. I researched and saw that some of my friends had relics of him. Fast forward to 2011, I was introduced by a friend to Fathers Luigi Toscano, postulator of the Cause, and Fr. Salvatore Izzo, who worked in the MSsCc General Curia. (Fr. Salvatore died recently, may his memory be eternal!) I asked Fr. Izzo if he had any relics of St. Gaetano, to which he replied via FB that he can ask Fr. Toscano about it. Soon enough, a package arrived at home with his relics. That made me so happy. I was now close to a special protector and friend.

A relic of St. Gaetano which I have in my custody.
The image is not mine, but is taken somewhere from the Internet.

Having a birthday saint is cool. You get to know that on your day, countless Saints are cheering you up to become holier and better each day. They challenge you to become holy like them: "If its possible for them, its possible for me too!" So, this birthday of mine is not merely a day to celebrate a gift called "myself" but also of the gifts of the Saints whose constant presence and intercession we never fail to invoke.

The Two Dimensions of Love

An excerpt from the Encyclical Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est.

Can we love God without seeing him? And can love be commanded? Against the double commandment of love these questions raise a double objection. No one has ever seen God, so how could we love him? Moreover, love cannot be commanded; it is ultimately a feeling that is either there or not, nor can it be produced by the will. Scripture seems to reinforce the first objection when it states: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20). But this text hardly excludes the love of God as something impossible. On the contrary, the whole context of the passage quoted from the First Letter of John shows that such love is explicitly demanded. The unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbour is emphasized. One is so closely connected to the other that to say that we love God becomes a lie if we are closed to our neighbour or hate him altogether. Saint John's words should rather be interpreted to mean that love of neighbour is a path that leads to the encounter with God, and that closing our eyes to our neighbour also blinds us to God.

True, no one has ever seen God as he is. And yet God is not totally invisible to us; he does not remain completely inaccessible. God loved us first, says the Letter of John quoted above (cf. 4:10), and this love of God has appeared in our midst. He has become visible in as much as he “has sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 Jn4:9). God has made himself visible: in Jesus we are able to see the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Indeed, God is visible in a number of ways. In the love-story recounted by the Bible, he comes towards us, he seeks to win our hearts, all the way to the Last Supper, to the piercing of his heart on the Cross, to his appearances after the Resurrection and to the great deeds by which, through the activity of the Apostles, he guided the nascent Church along its path. Nor has the Lord been absent from subsequent Church history: he encounters us ever anew, in the men and women who reflect his presence, in his word, in the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharist. In the Church's Liturgy, in her prayer, in the living community of believers, we experience the love of God, we perceive his presence and we thus learn to recognize that presence in our daily lives. He has loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love. God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has “loved us first”, love can also blossom as a response within us.

In the gradual unfolding of this encounter, it is clearly revealed that love is not merely a sentiment. Sentiments come and go. A sentiment can be a marvellous first spark, but it is not the fullness of love. Earlier we spoke of the process of purification and maturation by whicheros comes fully into its own, becomes love in the full meaning of the word. It is characteristic of mature love that it calls into play all man's potentialities; it engages the whole man, so to speak. Contact with the visible manifestations of God's love can awaken within us a feeling of joy born of the experience of being loved. But this encounter also engages our will and our intellect. Acknowledgment of the living God is one path towards love, and the “yes” of our will to his will unites our intellect, will and sentiments in the all- embracing act of love. But this process is always open-ended; love is never “finished” and complete; throughout life, it changes and matures, and thus remains faithful to itself. Idem velle atque idem nolle—to want the same thing, and to reject the same thing—was recognized by antiquity as the authentic content of love: the one becomes similar to the other, and this leads to a community of will and thought. The love-story between God and man consists in the very fact that this communion of will increases in a communion of thought and sentiment, and thus our will and God's will increasingly coincide: God's will is no longer for me an alien will, something imposed on me from without by the commandments, but it is now my own will, based on the realization that God is in fact more deeply present to me than I am to myself. Then self- abandonment to God increases and God becomes our joy (cf. Ps 73 [72]:23-28).

Love of neighbour is thus shown to be possible in the way proclaimed by the Bible, by Jesus. It consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even the person whom I do not like or even know. This can only take place on the basis of an intimate encounter with God, an encounter which has become a communion of will, even affecting my feelings. Then I learn to look on this other person not simply with my eyes and my feelings, but from the perspective of Jesus Christ. His friend is my friend. Going beyond exterior appearances, I perceive in others an interior desire for a sign of love, of concern. This I can offer them not only through the organizations intended for such purposes, accepting it perhaps as a political necessity. Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more than their outward necessities; I can give them the look of love which they crave. Here we see the necessary interplay between love of God and love of neighbour which the First Letter of John speaks of with such insistence. If I have no contact whatsoever with God in my life, then I cannot see in the other anything more than the other, and I am incapable of seeing in him the image of God. But if in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be “devout” and to perform my “religious duties”, then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely “proper”, but loveless. Only my readiness to encounter my neighbour and to show him love makes me sensitive to God as well. Only if I serve my neighbour can my eyes be opened to what God does for me and how much he loves me. The saints—consider the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta—constantly renewed their capacity for love of neighbour from their encounter with the Eucharistic Lord, and conversely this encounter acquired its real- ism and depth in their service to others. Love of God and love of neighbour are thus inseparable, they form a single commandment. But both live from the love of God who has loved us first. No longer is it a question, then, of a “commandment” imposed from without and calling for the impossible, but rather of a freely-bestowed experience of love from within, a love which by its very nature must then be shared with others. Love grows through love. Love is “divine” because it comes from God and unites us to God; through this unifying process it makes us a “we” which transcends our divisions and makes us one, until in the end God is “all in all” (1 Cor 15:28).

Spirit Quest

What is this so-called Spirit Quest? What is the stand of the Church regarding this? Msgr. Sabino Vengco, a faculty member in Loyola School of Theology, would say that it is as an activity of a group of people interested in communicating with spirits. This kind of activity is not malignant in nature. If this interest in spiritist phenomena would be just a form of objective research in matters of parapsychology and has not degenerated into a form of a spiritualistic religiosity or occultism, then it would be an example of a necessary investigation and study of the paranormal. But when its purpose is to establish some contact with the dead and “earthbound human spirits and elementals” or to mediate peaceful coexistence with them, then it can be already a form of divination or magic. “Now, what’s bad with magic anyway?” a common teenager would say.   

Technically speaking, magic is evil. However, in current terminology there are two variations of magic—black and white. The latter means “to take away a spell” while the former means “to cast a spell”. Perhaps, the current terminology contributed to the mentality that magic is either good or bad. Fr. Candido Amantini, the mentor of Fr. Gabriele Amorth, never ceases to repeat the reality that there are no such variations of magic because there is only one magic—black magic. Every form of magic is always practiced with recourse to Satan. 

In Deuteronomy 18:10-12, we see the clear command of God against those practices like witchcraft, spiritism, sorcery, shamanism, channeling, and soothsaying or divination. Since spiritual power can only come from spiritual sources—the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of the devil—when we use spiritual power not coming from God, we are certain that we are using demonic power.      

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us clear guidance on this matter: All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others—even if this were for the sake of restoring their health—are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.       

All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

Clericalizing the Laity

An Essay by Fr. Jerome R. Secillano

“Clericalizing the laity” is a result of confusing the role of lay people in the church with that of priests. Lay people, oftentimes, are thought of as collaborators of the church’s hierarchy, i.e., bishops, priests and deacons who are collectively known as clerics. They assist clerics in what is called “inner-Church affairs”, which normally involved the formulation of pastoral plans, distribution of Holy Communion, proclamation of the word, catechism of children and of those about to get married, building of churches and of other structures and the celebration of liturgical activities by acting either as choir members, collectors or sacristans.  These are all important but they are not the high point of the lay apostolate.

Cardinal Francis Arinze, the former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, says that, “the essential feature of the layperson’s role is the vocation to bring the spirit of Christ into the arenas of secular life from within, i.e. into the family, work and profession, trade and commerce, politics and government, mass media, science and culture and national and international relations”. 

When laypersons take on their own distinctive role in the secular sphere as explained above, it seems better to refer to them as witnesses of Christ, or as lay apostles. As such they are called to be model husbands and wives, fathers and mothers or children; exemplary politicians or statesmen; ideal doctors, architects, engineers, pilots and lawyers; honest businessmen, bankers and trade unionists; diligent drivers, waiters, security guards and janitors; conscientious actors, sportsmen and musicians. By being so, the laity, in fact, are “evangelizers in the secular order”, claimed the former pope now St. John Paul II.

The spirit of lay empowerment in Vatican Council II debunks the model of a hierarchical church which many of us have come to accept. This old paradigm implies a more exclusive rather than an inclusive community of believers. With Vatican II, we no longer see the church as merely the exclusive organization of ordained ministers and of religious men and women but it is the “people of God” (Lumen Gentium 9) with the Laity comprising the majority. The assistance being offered by lay people in liturgy, in pastoral and finance councils and in membership in different ministries become the immediate effects of this shift in the understanding of what a church is. Sadly, we were stacked and have not moved on.  So today, we see lay people deeply engaged in these “inner-church affairs” serving as assistants or sharers in the ministerial functions of priests forgetting perhaps that their primordial vocation is to remain “in the world” to be witnesses of Christ as lay apostles and evangelizers in the secular order.

One awkward result of this shift is we have lay people who are more “pastors” than priests. They impose on their pastors to adopt certain programs for the parish, they demand the administration of finances and they sometimes make decisions that overrule the latter. Hence, it is not surprising anymore to hear stories of lay councils ruling the church, of lay people kicking out their pastors or of lay groups staging rallies against priests. These practices reflect a misreading of the real intent of Vatican Council II as far as lay participation in the church is concerned. They are at best anomalous.

The church is therefore duty-bound to correct whatever misinterpretation there is in empowering the laity. In the 2002 Instruction of the Congregation for the Clergy entitled, The Priest, Pastor and Leader of the Parish Community, the document says, “it would therefore be senseless to consider the pastoral council as an organ replacing the parish priest in his government of the parish, or as one which, on the basis of a majority vote, materially constrains the parish priest in his direction of the parish (26, 2).”  

On account of this instruction we see clearly that pastors should be in charge of the church or of the parish. Yes, lay people are their collaborators but the latter should not be calling the shots. The same document continues, "the basic task of such a council is to serve, at institutional level, the orderly collaboration of the faithful in the development of pastoral activity which is proper to priests”. Is it not correct, then, to let priests attend to these “inner-church affairs” with help from the laity but with less meddling from them? Consequently, is it not proper too for the laity to be concentrating more on how to evangelize their family, workplace and community? Or wouldn’t it be nobler for them if they become models of holiness in their chosen profession no matter what that is?  

For objectivity’s sake, it is true that there are priests whose pastoral sense is suspect. Some are lousy administrators. Others do not even have the basic social skills needed in reaching out to parishioners. More seriously, there are corrupt priests and there are those who violate their promise of celibacy. But should lay people work to remove the priests through signature campaign or rallies thus shaming the latter? Or should the pastoral councils take over the administration of the parish? The Code of Canon Law says, “Christ’s faithful have the right and at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters that concern the good of the Church……but in doing so, they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals” (Can. 212 §3).

The priests, as characterized above, may have been the ones who already compromised the integrity of faith and morals but even then there is nothing in the law which says that lay people can get rid of the former, more so, in a harsh manner. In fact, lay people are to show respect and should take into account the common good and the persons’ dignity. This is of course hard to swallow. How can someone show respect if the other is not worthy of it? For many of us, respect is earned and is not an entitlement. The best, therefore, that lay people can do is to have recourse to the priests’ bishops and hope and pray that the latter will apply the full force of Canon Law as warranted by the circumstances mentioned.

Suspending and defrocking of priests are of course not the best solution to the issue of a “clericalized laity”. It is the education of clerics, religious and laity which is important. The clerics and religious would have to be reminded of their essential character as central figures in the church. Whether we admit it or not, they are still the “face” of the church. The lay people, for their part, have to be educated on their roles and be formed as evangelizers in the secular sphere specifically in areas where the presence of priests are not lawfully warranted such as family, politics and business. Advancing the mission of the church should never lead to a struggle for power. On one hand, clerics and religious should not “fear” the laity. Lay people, on the other hand, should not be unnecessarily aggressive. From clerics and religious, the laity receives the strength through the sacraments and the dynamic exposition of the church’s doctrines and then the encouragement to evangelize the secular order. The laity, then, takes full responsibility in the secular area.

But why do clerics, at times, venture into the arenas of politics and business? Why do they involve in discussions about governance and economy? Do these not show their failure to form a dynamic laity whose proper mission is to evangelize these spheres? Is it a move towards a more “secularized” clergy? You be the judge.