When Can I Request the Anointing of the Sick Sacrament?

Anointing of the sick, which was formally known as Extreme Unction, is the final sacrament. It is intended to provide spiritual healing and help Catholics transition into the afterlife.  Consequently, it is primarily associated with death. While Catholics should receive this sacrament before dying, they also may want to consider taking advantage of it during other times of sickness. Catholics that are very ill (regardless of age), elderly, frail, or facing surgery should consider requesting this sacrament. Catholics are entitled to receive this sacrament any number of times throughout their lives.

References: The Everything Catholicism Book by Helen Keeler and Susan Grimbly

Have Priests Always Been Celibate?

Saint Paul was one of the first to list out the potential value of celibacy (1 Cor 27:35). Essentially Saint Paul argues that celibate men and women are less divided in their attention and are better able to focus on the Lord. Yet in the beginning, for at least the first 300 years, there were no rules restricting chastity among the clergy. Eventually, the example of the celibate monks began to influence church law. In 305 AD the Council of Elvira, considered the oldest positive ecclesiastical ordinance concerning the celibacy of the clergy, declared that bishops, priests, deacons and all clerics in the ministry were prohibited from marriage. This was reaffirmed by the Council of Carthage in 390.

References: Why Do Catholics DO That? by Kevin Orlin Johnson

Is the Eucharist the Real Body and Blood of Christ?

Every Sunday Christians are nourished during mass by the Eucharist, which is the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. These simple elements are considered sacred signs of the Lord’s grace. Roman Catholics, as well as Orthodox churches, High Church Anglicans and certain Lutherans believe that a true transformation occurs, called transubstantiation, during the consecration. The Eucharist becomes Christ. Protestants believe the body and blood are symbols of Christ.

References: Symbols of Catholicism; Assouline Publishing; 2000

The Different Types of Holy Water

In fact there are three types of holy water, which vary by common use. First there is blessed water. Essentially, this is ordinary water that is made holy by a priest’s blessing. This type of water is used in the font at church entrances.  Catholics dip their fingers in the holy water and make the sign of the cross when entering the church as a reminder of the sacrament of baptism. The next type of holy water is known as the “water of consecration” or “Gregorian water.” Gregorian water is strictly used in the consecration of a church. It is composed of water, wine, salt and ashes. Finally there is baptismal water, which sometimes contains oil of catechumens and holy chrism. It is also considered acceptable to use blessed water as an alternative for baptismal holy water.

References: Why Do Catholics Do That? By Kevin Orlin Johnson

Why do Catholics Confess Their Sins?

The confession of sins is part of the sacrament of reconciliation, which is one of the seven Catholic sacraments. As far as sacraments go, there are pretty clear roots to it within the New Testament. According to John 20:21-23, Jesus addresses his apostles saying, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. “ In another story within the gospel of John, Jesus grants forgiveness to a woman guilty of adultery.  Modern-day priests act on the behalf Christ, granting forgiveness of sin.

The concept of sin is a major focus of the Old and New Testaments.  We are told that sin alienates us from God and from one another. All sin leads to death, but fortunately not all sin is deadly. Moreover, there are different types of sin, varying in degree of severity. Mortal sins can destroy our relationship with God while venial sins will simply damage this relationship. Sacramental penance is not as frequently practiced as it once was, but many that practice this sacrament find that it can help in the healing process. After listening to a person’s confession of sins, the priest will suggest an appropriate penance. He may also offer advice concerning the how to improve one’s spiritual life as well as how to avoid similar future sins.

References: The Everything Guide to Catholicism by Richard Gribble

When was the Old Testament written?

Most scholars agree that the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Bible, was written between 1200 and 100 BC. The compilation process alone is thought to have lasted a period spanning approximately 500 years, from 400 BC to 90 AD.

References: The Everything Guide to Catholicism by Richard Gribble

What are Accepted Miracles for Sainthood?

Given the recent beatification of Pope John Paul II, it seems timely to talk about the Catholic Church’s thoughts on “accepted miracles” regarding beatification and sainthood. The miracle ascribed to the late Pope is the sudden cure of a French nun’s neurological disorder after she prayed to his memory. Miracles ascribed to saints and blessed individuals have varied significantly over the ages. Most traditional miracles tend to involve unexpected, immediate and totally complete healing that cannot be explained by modern science – such as in the case of the French nun. There are other miracles that are accepted, but far less common. This includes incorruptibility, odor of sanctity, signs of stigmata, bilocation and levitation.

Incorruptibility – This refers to cases where, despite a complete lack of embalming or preservation, the body does not decay following death.

The odor of sanctity – Following death a sweet smell of roses exudes from the body. Again, only non-embalmed bodied qualify.

Signs of stigmata – One or more of the five wounds resembling those that Christ suffered during the crucifixion are visible on a person while they are alive.

Bilocation – While alive, the person is proved to be in two places at once.

Levitation - Cases where there is evidence that a person is able to suspend in the air, defying the laws of gravity.

References: Saints for Dummies by Rev. John Trigilio and Kenneth Brighenti

Why Do We Decorate Eggs For Easter?

The birth of the Easter egg as we know it officially began in the Ukraine over a thousand years ago. Non-Christian egg decorating is much, much older. Ukrainians invented a unique and elaborate egg decoration art form, known as pysanka that likely dates back to ancient times. A pysanka is not just any kind of decorated egg, rather it is an egg created by the written-wax batik method. In pre-Christian times, Ukrainians worshipped a sun God by the name of Dazboh. During annual spring festivals, which held to celebrate the Sun God, the egg was the symbol of the earth’s rebirth following winter.

Ukrainians adopted Christianity in the year 988, which was the year that Vladimir the Great instated it as the official state religion.  Since then it has remained the dominant religion, however it has been blended with some Byzantine practices and Slavic mythology. The spring egg decorating was one of the traditions that gradually merged into Christianity. The symbolism behind the egg was changed. Instead of nature’s rebirth, the Christian egg came to represent the rebirth of Christ. The shell of the egg was likened to the tomb of Christ for which He rose. Over time, Christian symbols started being incorporated into these pysankas and the Easter egg was born.

The Jellybean Prayer

Today my 6-year old daughter brought home a cross made out of construction paper with a poem called the “Jellybean Prayer” on it. I’d never heard it before but she really seemed to like it. In fact, she insisted I read it while she ate a few jellybeans. Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas are frequently criticized for being overly commercialized and a mess of various, and sometimes non-religious, traditions. Why not use the candy to help deliver a positive message? For those of you that haven’t heard it before, here it is:

The Jellybean Prayer by Shirley Kozak

An egg is full of jellybeans,
Colorful and sweet,
Reminds me of God’s love for me,
With this Easter treat!
Red is for the blood He gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Orange is for prayers at twilight.
Black is for the sins we made.
White is for the grace He gave.
Purple is for His days of sorrow.
Pink is for each new tomorrow.

Pass this along to others with kids!

When Did the Last Supper Occur?

Matthew, Mark, and Luke clearly state that the Last Supper occurred at the start of Passover, specifically on Passover Eve. John states that it happened the day before Passover Eve. This is just one of the discrepancies between John and the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, commonly referred to as the synoptic gospels, that has confounded scholars over the ages. When the focus of each of the gospels is on the events leading to the crucifixion and following the resurrection, why do the gospels differ on this very important date? Professor Colin Humphreys, a professor of materials science from the University of Cambridge and author of the book “The Mystery of the Last Supper”, thinks the answer lies in which calendar was used. Humphreys believes that the writers of the older synoptic gospels used an old Jewish calendar while the author of the gospel of John used a relatively newer, but more commonly used, lunar calendar to date the event. "In John's Gospel, he is correct in saying the Last Supper was before the Passover meal. But Jesus chose to hold his Last Supper as a Passover meal according to an earlier Jewish calendar," Professor Humphreys explained on the BBC's Today program.

Maundy Thursday, more commonly referred to as Holy Thursday in the United States, is the movable Christian holy day celebrated the Thursday before Easter. Maundy Thursday has traditionally commemorated the date of Last Supper. However, according to Humphreys calculations, the last supper actually occurred on Wednesday, April 1, 33.

Why Do Popes Change Their Name?

Within the Roman Catholic Church there is a long history and strong tradition of name changing associated with the Papal election. To this day, it is not mandatory to change one's name after being declared Pope, but it is very traditional. Typically, Popes select their favorite saint, or two, in the case of John Paul. Name changing can be traced to Saint Peter, the very first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Saint Peter’s given name was Symeon or Simon. As the story goes, this is the name he went by until Jesus changed it to Peter, which means rock in Greek.

It is Pope John II that is often credited with reviving the ancient tradition of name changing. The given name of Pope John II, prior to his election in January 533, was Mercurius. He was named after the Roman god Mercury. Name changing did not catch really on until Pope Sergius IV in 1009. Ironically, Pope Sergius’s real name was Peter. In the last thousand years, only Pope Adrian VI and Pope Marcellus II have decided to keep their birth name after becoming Pope.

But was it really Pope John II that really revived this tradition? A great many of the early Popes, well into the Middle Ages, had Greek names, like Peter. Many scholars believe it is unlikely that all of these men were Greek in nationality. It is more likely that these men followed in Saint Peter’s footsteps, taking a Greek name following the Papal election. The Liber Pontificalis (literally Latin for “The Book of the Pontiffs”), which is a compilation of early Papal biographies, states that several of the early Popes were Roman or Italian. Pope Anicetus was Syrian.

References:

Chronicle of the Popes by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart

When is Lent Over?

Lent is a 40-day liturgical period that is observed between Ash Wednesday and Easter. (If you’re doing the math, it does not include the six Sundays of this period within the 40-day calculation.) For Roman Catholics, lent officially ends Holy Thursday evening, before Mass. Holy Thursday mass marks the beginning of the Sacred Triduum ceremonies, which includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Lenten observances should be maintained until Easter Virgil mass, which takes place after sunset on Holy Saturday but before sunrise on Easter.

References:

Catholic Q&A by Father John J. Dietzen

Why is Easter So Late This Year?

Easter is a movable holiday so the date in which it is celebrated changes every year. This can be confusing, especially if you don’t know the rules for calculating the date. It was the First Council of Nicaea (325) that agreed Christians should at least have a consistent way to determine the holiday, but it took several more centuries to arrive at our current means of calculating the date using a lunisolar calender cycle. Officially, Easter falls on the first Sunday following the the 14th day of the lunar month (which is essentially a full moon) occurring after the spring equinox. It always falls sometime within the range of March 22nd and April 25th.

What’s an equinox - An equinox is a day of the year when day and night are approximately the same length in time. This occurs twice a year on the first day of spring and fall. In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox technically occurs on either March 20 or 21st, however the Church recognizes the 21st as the official spring equinox.

Why it’s late this year - This year, the full moon in March fell on March 19th, just two days before the spring equinox. The next full moon does not occur until Monday April 18th. The next Sunday following that is on April 24th, otherwise known as Easter 2011.

Which Popes Were Also Beatified?

Beatification is one of the final steps in the sainthood process. All beatified individuals are awarded the title of “Blessed" and a church feast day. In order to be considered for beatification, at least since the 1983 Catholic Church reforms, there must be at least one documented miracle that is directly attributed to the candidate. Miracles are expected to be instantaneous, complete and unexpected. Within the last thousand years eight men have achieved the office of Pope while alive and beatification following their death. And on May 1, 2011, Pope John Paul II will become the ninth Pope to achieve this designation. This is a very big deal. He will be the first Pope in over 300 years to receive this honor, and the ceremony is expected to draw record numbers to Rome.

Beatified Pope/Years in Office/Feast Day

Victor III (1086-1087) - September 16

Urban II (1088-1099) - July 29

Eugene III (1145-1153) - July 8

Gregory X (1271-1276) - January 9

Innocent V (1276) - June 22

Benedict (1303-1304) - July 7

Urban V (1362-1370) - December 19

Innocent XI (1676-1689) - August 12

Of course, far more Popes have been canonized. In fact, 78 Popes in total are saints. This  includes a lot of the early Popes during the first thousand years of the Roman Catholic church. However, only 3 of the 78 lived past the year 1085. The last Pope canonized was Pope Pius X, who served as Pope from 1903-1914.

References:

Chronicle of the Popes by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart

What is the Meaning of the Word “Pope”?

In the language of the ancient Greeks the word Pope means father - but more in a child’s term of endearment sort of way, which would actually make it more equivalent to the word daddy.The Latin language later adapted the term as a sort of honorary title. Both eastern and western Christians began applying the term to heads of church, priests and bishops alike. Over time, Latin-based Christians began gradually limiting their use of the title. This did not happen within the Eastern Orthodox Church - priests are still called Pope in Greece, Russia and Serbia. At the start of the 5th century, the title Pope was beginning to be applied primarily to the bishop of Rome. By the 8th century, it was nearly exclusively applied to the bishop of Rome.

References:

Chronicle of the Popes by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart

What are the gospels?

The word “gospel" is from the Greek word euangélion, which is also also translated as "glad tidings." It commonly refers to the gospels of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John, which focus on the message of Jesus, the final days leading to the crucifixion and the resurrection. While they do contain information about history and the biography of Jesus, they are neither intended as a historical account or a biography. In fact, it is difficult to construct a total and accurate history of Jesus from the gospels since they lack a lot of information about the birth and life of Jesus prior to the final years of his life. At least 40 years had passed between the resurrection and the writing of the first gospel. Much of the material in the gospels was passed on by oral tradition. Many scholars believe that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source. John, the gospel written last, was dependent on the the first three. The gospels were written from the point of view from the faithful evanglists of early Christianity to the masses.

References:
The Birth of Christianity by John Doominic

Why Do We Eat Pancakes on Fat Tuesday?

Today is Fat Tuesday here in the US and, of course, in France. Fat Tuesday officially kicks off Mardi Gras festivities. The term “Fat Tuesday" refers to the practice of eating fatty foods on the night before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of the 40-day Lenten season. Ritual fasting has traditionally been associated with Lent. Today is also called “Shrove Tuesday” throughout English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia New Zealand, and to a more limited degree the US. The term “Shrove Tuesday” gets its name from the ritual of shriving, which means to gain absolution for sins via confession and penance, which is sought right before the start of the Lent season. Historically during the lent period, the faithful were forbidden from eating meat, butter, eggs and milk. Families would have to consume any remaining portions of this type of food before lent, since it would most certainly spoil otherwise. The solution for many was to combine butter, eggs and milk - along with a few other ingredients - to make tasty pancakes. In the UK Shrove Tuesday is sometimes referred to as simply Pancake Day. On Pancake Day, pancake races are held across the United Kingdom. Participants race through the streets while tossing pancakes in the air and catching them in a pan. So whether you’re racing through the streets or not, take some time to enjoy some pancakes today. Happy Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras/Pancake Day!

Jesus's Best Friend

The Gospel of John mentions a “Beloved Disciple” five times, which actually sounds a lot more significant than a best friend, but I guess that’s what we would call it these days. Only the gospel of John uses this term to refer to anyone and his true identity is debated to this day. Who this person is, if he existed, and why his identity is never revealed have been speculated for a long time. In fact, it is the topic of many well-respected books, theses, and lectures. Here are the basics.

The following gospel reading specifically mention this mystery person:

John 13:23-25: One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
John 19:26-27: When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
John 20:1-10: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
John 21:1-15: The Beloved disciple is among the fisherman present when 153 fish were caught. The gospel states that Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

Possible Identities:
There’s a lot of speculation and no clear answer. But here are three of the more accepted possibilities:

• The Apostle John, son of Zebedee’s, aka the author or the author or inspiration for the Gospel of John. Christian art has depicted the last supper with John pictured close to Christ. According to art history professor Heidi Hornik, John is…[sleeping] with his head on the table. John is shown without a beard suggesting he is younger than the others. In the painting, “The Last Supper" by Jacopo Bassano Christ embraces or lays his left hand over the shoulder and back of the sleeping disciple, suggesting a friendly intimacy. In addition John 21:20-24, also seems to back up this claim. “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
• James, the Lord’s brother - If John 19:26 is taken literally, this makes sense. James went on to be a leader within the modern church.
• No one - just a symbol. He is never given a name, or referred to in other gospels where stories are retold, so it has been suggested that he did not really exist. The level of intimacy is meant for each one of us as followers of Christ to put ourselves in the place of the beloved one.

Rachel and the Abortion Issue

Jeremiah 31:15: This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.

Project Rachel, Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries, and Rachel’s Hope are a few of the abortion outreach efforts associated with Rachel, wife of Jacob and mother of Benjamin and Joseph. She is also remembered during the Feast of the Holy Innocents, which is celebrated on December 28th. Ironically, the name, memory, and words of Rachel (Jeremiah 31:15) are used by both proponents and opponents of abortion.

Who was Rachel - Rachel lived approximately 1,500 years before Jesus walked the earth. She was well-known for her beauty and her status as the mother of two of the twelve tribes of Israel. During 597 King Nebuchadnezzar conquered and destroyed Jerusalem. During the next decade the Jewish population was gathered in Ramah, one the cities alloted to the Benjamin by his inheritance. From there the Jewish population was resettled throughout Babylon, beginning their 60-year exile. As Jeremiah reports, the sound of Rachel weeping is heard. She weeps for the future of her sons and their descendents.

Matthew 2:16-17 refers to this Jeremiah passage when describing King Herod’s orders to kill all the male children of Bethlehem. According to the gospel “then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.” Okay, technically the people of Bethlehem belonged to the tribe of Judah - who was not Rachel’s son. But the tribes were somewhat intermingled at that point. Anyway, the Catholic Church adopted the feast of the Holy Innocents over a thousand years ago to remember the poor children that lost their lives because of Herod’s rage. Over time, this feast day has expanded to encompass the memory of all the innocent unborn children. Consequently, December 28th is often selected as a day to pray or even picket outside of abortion clinics.

While the original passage was not in reference to abortions, the biblical passage powerfully conveys a mother’s inconsolable grief over an irreversible loss.

The Priest Shortage

The Catholic Church is facing a priest shortage crisis. In the United States alone, the Catholic population rose from 29 million in 1950 to 64 million in 2005. This is great, but during this same period, the population of priests not only failed to keep up but actually fell by 2,000. This is a concerning trend. There are approximately 41,400 priest in the United States today. Aside from local parishes, the Catholic Church runs a considerable number of schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and charities. Increasingly the Church has been forced to rely on deacons, lay ministers, nuns and brothers. But given the consistent increases in the Catholic population, changes are needed fulfill the role of the priests. There are many possible solutions, ranging from changes in parish districting to revolutionary changes that address the rules for who is allowed to assume church leadership roles. In the book “American Catholics Today” an extensive survey was undertaken to understand how practicing Catholics view challenges, such as the priest shortage, and what solutions they felt were acceptable. In terms of parish leadership options, approximately 9 of every 10 respondents were supportive of sharing a priest with another parish, bringing in a priest from another country to lead, and merging two or more nearby parishes into one. In terms of expanding eligibility, most respondents favored allowing priests who married to return to active ministry (81%) and allowing married men to be ordained. More than 50% approved of allowing women to become priests.

The response of the Church’s leadership, including the Pope, has been limited at best. Pope John Paul II refused to consider expanding priest eligibility. So far Pope Benedict XVI has at least allowed some discussion of the matter, but it has not been embraced by the church leaders. So the question remains - what will we do to address this growing concern? And will the Church leadership ever be willing to change eligibility requirements if that’s what it comes down to?

References:

American Catholics Today by William V. D’Antonio et al.; 2007