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THE ROLE OF GODPARENTS IN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

To understand the role of godparents, we must first understand the purpose and effects of Baptism and Confirmation. In addition to the forgiveness of all sins (cf. Catechism, no. 1263) and the placement of an indelible mark on the person’s soul (cf. Catechism, nos. 1272-74), Baptism has two other effects that are social in nature: The person becomes an adopted son of God (cf. Catechism, no. 1265), and he becomes a member of the Body of Christ, which is the Church (cf. Catechism, nos. 1267-71). Confirmation completes Baptism (cf. Catechism, nos. 1303-04). Because it completes Baptism, the social effects of Confirmation are similar to those of Baptism. The person is conformed more perfectly to Christ as a son of God, is more perfectly united to the Body of Christ, and is strengthened to bear witness to the faith in daily life. The godparents’ role is directly related to these social effects of Baptism and Confirmation. When a person receives Baptism, God forgives his sins and removes all punishment due to sin. The Father grants him the gift of salvation. However, he can lose this gift

THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

When you look at Christendom today, you would observe that whereas some Churches are folding up, others are expanding tremendously. Again one would observe that the quality and level of faith of Christians differ from one Church to the other. So clearly, some Churches are growing and others are dying. A Church can only grow when it receives the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. The last part of Acts 9:31 reads “encouraged by the Holy Spirit, they (i.e. the Churches) continued to grow.”) What is this encouragement of the Holy Spirit? From the two events (one at Lydda and the other at Jaffa) narrated in Acts of the Apostles 9:31-42 “the encouragement of the Holy Spirit can be said to be signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit (miracles) that boost the faith of those who witness it”. These concrete actions of the Holy Spirit in the early Church were possible because the Church built themselves up and lived in the fear of the Lord (cf. Acts 9:31). If we want to see miracles in our parishes, we must build ourselves up and live in the fear of the Lord. To build one’s self up is to live a life of prayer. To live in the fear of the Lord is to be obedient to the Word of God. So these two- Prayer and obedience to the Word of God – bring about encouragement of the Holy Spirit. Our parishes ought to be places of prayer and reverence for the Word of God. This will make us grow and not fold up.
“Come Holy Spirit and take control; we need you every hour, we need you every day. We need your encouragement in our times. Come in your own special way. Amen.”

WORKER'S MAY-DAY.(ST.JOSEPH THE WORKER).

WORKER’S MAY-DAY (ST.JOSEPH THE WORKER).
We celebrate today, the memorial of St.Joseph the Worker. This memorial was established by Pope Pius XII. As we reflect on the life of St. Joseph, we also celebrate all workers and the role that they play in the growth of any economy. A striking element about St. Joseph is the fact that he was neither a priest nor a person consecrated to the service of the Lord in the strict sense of a religious. Joseph was a carpenter who practiced his trade. He, however, had a deep relationship with his creator and that relationship bore fruits in his relationship with Mary, Jesus and the whole of creation. The call to bear fruits is a universal call. In fact, it is mandate given to us by God as observed in the Acts of the Apostles (9:1-20). Our ability to bear good fruits is directly proportional to the depth of our relationship with God our creator. When one is in good relationship with God, one will not condone corrupt practice sat his/her work place. A person in good relationship with God cannot, in conscience, be lazy at his/her work place. There ought to be no dichotomy between our faith as Christians and our socio-economic activities. The memorial of St. Joseph the worker is a call for Christain workers to be Christians both in the Church and at their workplaces.
“Lord God, you raised St. Joseph to be a model for all workers in our quest to build a better society. Through his intercession, may we become more Christ-like in our dealings with the world, Amen”.

JUDGEMENT OF GOD,HOW WILL IT BE?

Our God is a perfect God, so perfect that His judgment is altogether absolutely perfect. For this reason, the justice of God is dreadful as He punishes with extreme rigour even the most trivial faults that we commit. The reason is that these faults though light in our eyes are very serious in the perfect and faultless eyes of our God. A typical example is found in the words of Jesus that anyone who even looks at a woman lustfully is already guilty of the sin of adultery (Matt.5:28). It is for this that Eliphaz, a friend of Job, the servant of God, the Psalmist, the letter to the Hebrews and the Prophet Habakkuk say:
i. Job 4:17 “If God places no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error, how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth”.
ii. Psalm 143:- “Do not bring your servant to judgment for no one is righteous before you”.
iii. Hebrew 10:31:- It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.
iv. Hab.1:13:- “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, you cannot tolerate wrong”.

The same God is also abundantly merciful:
i. Psalm 25:6 “Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old”.
ii. Psalm 103:11 “for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him”.
iii. Psalm 116:5 “The Lord is gracious and righteous, our God is full of compassion”.
iv. Psalm 130:3 “If you, O Lord, keep a record of sins, O Lord, who will stand”.

Thus, the doctrine of purgatory contains the double mystery of God’s justice and mercy: of justice, which punishes and of mercy, which pardons.

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO US?

Last time we arrived at the conclusion that, God speaks to his Church through the Bible and through sacred Tradition. To make sure we understand him, he guides the church’s teaching authority the magisterium so it always interprets the Bible and Tradition accurately. This is the gift of infallibility. Like the three legs on a stool, the Bible, Tradition, and the magisterium are all necessary for the stability of the Church and to guarantee sound doctrine. Then we saw that Sacred Tradition and the Bible are not different or competing revelations.
They are two ways that the Church hands on the Gospel. Apostolic teachings such as the Trinity, infant baptism, the inerrancy of the Bible, Purgatory, and Mary’s perpetual virginity have been most clearly taught through Tradition, although they are also implicitly present in (and not contrary to) the Bible. The Bible itself tells us to hold fast to Tradition, whether it comes to us in written or oral form (2 Thess. 2:15, 1 Cor.11:2). On the other hand we saw that Scripture, by which we mean the Old and New Testaments, was inspired by God (2 Tim.3:16). The Holy Spirit guided the biblical authors to write what he wanted them to write. Since God is the principal author of the Bible, and since God is truth itself (John 14:6) and cannot teach anything untrue, the Bible is free from all error in everything it asserts to be true. Today we are going to look at the Magisterium. (CCC 8587, 888892). Together the pope and bishops form the teaching authority of the Church, which is called the magisterium (from the Latin for “teaching”). The magisterium, guided and protected from error by the Holy Spirit, gives us certainty in matters of doctrine. The Church is the custodian of the Bible and faithfully and accurately proclaims its message, a task which God has empowered it to do. Keep in mind that the Church came before the New Testament, not the New Testament before the Church. Divinely-inspired members of the Church wrote the books of the New Testament, just as divinely-inspired writers had written the Old Testament, and the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit to guard and interpret the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Such an official interpreter is absolutely necessary if we are to understand the Bible properly. (We all know what the Constitution says, but we still need a Supreme Court to interpret what it means.) The magisterium is infallible when it teaches officially because Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles and their successors “into all truth” (John 16:12-13).

WHICH IS THE BEST WAY OF SHARING IN THIS SEASON OF LENT?

The Church in her wisdom has given us a way of sharing in this wonderful season through prayer, fasting, repentance, renewal, alms-giving as well as special days of remembrance. She gives us Holy week which starts on Palm Sunday in remembrance of our Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem followed by Holy Thursday to reflect on our Lord’s Last Supper and institution of the Holy Eucharist as well as his agony in the garden and betrayal of Judas (Matthew 26). Then we participate in Good Friday in remembrance of our Lord’s crucifixion and death on the cross for our sins (Matthew 27). Followed by Holy Saturday, a day to remember and reflect upon our Lord’s death. Later on tat Saturday evening at the Easter vigil Mass after sundown we celebrate Jesus’ victory over death by his resurrection and welcome the newly instructed into full communion with Jesus’ Church and the body of Christ. The new faithful are baptized and confirmed by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4) during this special and most Holy Mass on Saturday night. We continue to celebrate our Lord’s victory over death on Easter Sunday (Matthew 28). What a beautiful way to remember our Lord Jesus and enter into the mystery of his Passion, Death and Resurrection.
In preparation of these events the Church—by her authority of the keys given to Peter (the first Pope and Vicar of Christ) to permit or forbid and lead Jesus’ one Church (Matthew 16:18-19) -- obligates us to practice Abstinence and Fasting. Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholic Christians age 14 years old and older on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and on all the Fridays of Lent. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Catholic Christians who are 18 years of age but not yet 59. Fasting according to the law of the Church is having one full meal a day, it does not necessarily have to be in the morning.

CONFESSION TO A PRIEST WHY?

Jesus Christ communicated the authority to forgive sins on His Apostles on Easter night, when he told them “whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven, whose sins you shall retain they are retained” (Jn 20:19-23). In this way He gave the Apostles the power to give “peace” (v.21), which is nothing less than the reconciliation of man with God. The text even makes clear how Confession is to be conducted. Christ’s representative, the priest, must decide whether to forgive or retain. Therefore, the penitent must confess each and every serious sin, that is anything which separates him from Christ. If the priest judges he is truly sorry, He must absolve since Christ’s Passion merited forgiveness for every repentant sinner. Only if the person shows no willingness to give up sin does the priest retain, that is withhold absolution, as we “do not give what is holy to dogs” (Mt 7:6). In one form or another the Sacrament of Penance has been in continuous practice in the Church. Its existence in all the Churches of the First Millennium, even those separated from Rome, shows its apostolicity. The present Catholic discipline of secret confession dates to the early middle ages, though there are suggestions of an even earlier practice. Prior to that, confession of sins involved lengthy public penance for great sins such as adultery, murder and apostasy from the faith. Thankfully, it is much easier today. The point was, however, that serious sin is a horrendous offense against God that ought to be rare among the baptized but frequently is not. In the second and third century theological battles were fought over whether Penance could be received more than once after Baptism. The rigorists, like Tertullian, left the Church and their movements passed into history. Even the practice of the sacrament today is no encouragement to sin, as they thought. On the contrary it requires humility to confess your sins. It also gives great peace to hear the priest say in Jesus’ name “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” It is Christ’s will that we hear those words. Although God CAN forgive sin directly it requires a perfect motive: love of him and sorrow over having offended such a good Lord. An imperfect motive would mean we have not fully turned from our sin back to God. Not every one can rise to the occasion, so rather than excluding the marginal person struggling with sins, perhaps even more a lifetime, Christ has given us the Sacrament in which He raises us up, even when the dependence of the sacrament on grace and mercy. As Jesus himself said, He came not to save the self-righteous but the sinner.

VATICAN REVIEWS SECURITYAFTER POPE KNOCKED DOWN AT MIDNIGHT MASS.

The Vatican is reassessing its security arrangements after a woman dragged Pope Benedict XVI to the ground as he processed into St Peter’s Basilica to celebrate Midnight Mass.
But Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, the Vatican spokesman, said it was impossible to guarantee the pontiff’s safety completely and that security guards had reacted as quickly as possible to the incident.
“It seems that they intervened at the earliest possible moment in a situation in which zero risk cannot be achieved,” he told the Association Press news agency.
“People want to see him up close and he’s pleased to see them closely too. A zero risk doesn’t seem realistic in a situation in which there’s a direct rapport with the people.”
It was initially reported that the woman, Suzanna Maiolo, had tried to assault the Pope. But the 25-year-old, who holds dual Swiss and Italian nationality, told doctors she had not wanted to hurt the pontiff, La Repubblica reported.
The paper also quoted Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, as saying: “Nothing serious happened. It was a woman who tried to greet the Holy Father.” The Pope was not injured, but the elderly French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray suffered a broken hip.
Miss Maiolo, who also lunged at the Pope at Midnight Mass last year, is receiving psychiatric treatment following her arrest and questioning.
The Pope celebrated Midnight Mass undeterred and delivered his homily in a strong, clear voice. He said: “God’s sign is that he makes himself small; he becomes a child; he lets us touch him and he asks for our love. How we could prefer a different sign, an imposing, irresistible sign of God’s power and greatness! But his sign summons us to faith and love, and thus it gives us hope: this is what God is like. He has power, he is Goodness itself.”

WHY DO WE FAST.

In the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are made to understand that we are blinded by many things in this life. We are blinded by inordinate desires (greed, envy, lust, gluttony,…) sins (sin makes us blind), bad habits (drinking, pornography, swearing,…), riches (money, talents,…), and pleasures. Therefore, we need to fast in order to see. Today we will see how fasting can protect us from our enemies: “The message was brought to Jehoshaphat: “A great multitude is coming against you from across the sea, from Edom; they are already in Hazazon-tanar” (which is En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was frightened, and he hastened to consult the Lord. He proclaimed a fast for all Judah. Then Judah gathered to seek help from the Lord; from every one of the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court, and he said: LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand is power and might, and no one can withstand you… We are powerless before this vast multitude that comes against us. We are at a loss what to do, hence our eyes are turned towards you.” All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their young sons. And the spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaniah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the clan of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly, and he said: “Listen, all of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! The LORD says to you: “Do not fear or lose heart at the sight of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:2-12, 15). Again we fast to avoid the anger of God after we commit a grave sin: “Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do them; he did not carry it out.” (Jonah 3:1-10). We fast before we go for the mission: Jesus fasted for forty days before he began his mission. You can fast before you set peace between your cousins or neighbors. You can fast before you bring peace and love among people.

WHAT IS LENTEN SEASON?

Lent is a season of preparation for the coming and remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus on Easter Sunday. We begin this season of Lent, forty days prior to Holy Week and Easter, in remembrance of our Lord’s fasting for the forty days in the desert, the forty days of the flood, and the forty years of the Hebrews wandering in the desert to the Promised Land. This is a special time of deep inner repentance of our sins and inner renewal as well as our acknowledgment of our utter dependence on God our Creator and his love for us (John 4:9-10). This is a time to realize that apart from Jesus we can do nothing because he is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We realize how much Jesus loves each and every one of us, a love that went to the cross for our sin that destroyed our death by rising on Easter morning. He has giving us redemption and made possible our eternal salvation to those who follow Him. We share in his suffering and those of the whole world who are oppressed, poor, hungry, sick and in need, by self-denial and by charity (Matthew 16:24; 25:31-46). We begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday and receive blessed ashes on our forehead in the sign of the cross (Jeremiah 6:26). As the priest places the ashes on your forehead he says, “Dust you came and to dust you will return” or “reject sin and receive the Gospel”. This is to remind us that life is short and temporary in this world and that our time spent here should be used in the following God’s will for us so that we may receive everlasting life with him in heaven (Matthew 11:21; John 3:16). They also remind us that we will soon be renewing our baptismal promises at Easter. The ashes come from burnt palm leaves from the previous years Palm Sunday Mass which takes place the Sunday before Easter as a remembrance of our Lord Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11). The ashes are also an outward sign of our inner conversion of our hearts to our Lord.

SACKED MILINGO DEMANDS PENSION.

Ex-communicated Roman Catholic archbishop Emmanuel Milingo has rejected the decision by Benedict XVI to unfrock, describing it as “invalid” and said he wanted the Roman Catholic Church to pay him pension for the 23 years he worked in Italy.
Speaking in Lusaka, Milingo said he did not accept the decision by the Vatican to strip him of his titles, which he had held for about 50 years, insisting he would always be a priest.
He also said the letter addressed to him is “not valid” because it did not have the emblem of and seal from the pope.
“I don’t accept that,” said 79-year-old Milingo, a Zambian national.Milingo demanded his pension from the Vatican. “The frontline of the Catholic church are the priests… let people not think I am going to give up, my dear lord,” Milingo said.
“I was assigned by the late Pope John Paul to work in Italy. I worked for 23 years and now the church wants to take advantage of marriage to deny me my pension,” Milingo said. Former Archbishop said his Vicar General in the USA would respond on issues pertaining to his dismissal.
The Vatican announced recently that Pope Benedict dismissed Milingo from the clerical state, the most extraordinary penalty that can be imposed on a bishop.
In 2001, Milingo shocked the Catholic establishment by marrying a Korean acupuncturist in a mass “Moony” wedding ceremony in the New York presided over by the founder of the Unification Church himself, Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
Defrocking entails dismissing a priest from the clerical state and prohibits such individuals from donning clerical attire and strips them of priestly rights and duties.Milingo also claimed that he was aware that the church had in the past executed clerics that came up with intentions of marriage whilst serving as priests.
“I know a lot about the church than those condemning me. The church twice executed those who came up with such intentions and I know where they are buried in Rome,” Milingo said.

FOUR CATHOLIC PRIESTS BAG TRADITIONAL TITLES IN CALABAR,NIGERIA.

Four Irish Catholic Priests have been conferred with the highest Efik traditional title of Ada-Idahe Ke Efik Eburutu (Pillar) by the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V.
Speaking while conferring the traditional titles on the priests during the first anniversary ceremony .Monarch Obong said the recipients were honoured in appreciation of their invaluable contributions to the development of Efik land, their teaching and spreading of Christianity for the winning of souls for Jesus, as well as self-less services in the field of education for many decades.
The Obong said unlike other traditional institutions, the Efik kingdom tradition was in tandem with Christianity, nothing that the Ekpe masquerade was used in the ancient times to check bad conducts and force people to go to church and worship God.
For such reasons, the Monarch said the acceptance of the title of Ada-Idaha Ke Efik Eburutu by the Reverend Fathers implied their full understanding of the Efik tradition and the kingship on issues of morality. The Catholic Priests include Rev. Father Dan Nolan, Rev. Father James Kellecha, Rev. Father Long Worth and Rev. Father Patrick Patrick Coren.
Aside from the Catholic Priests, the traditional ruler also conferred similar traditional titles on the representatives of Cross Rivers State at the National Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Bolaji Anani, a business mogul, Elder Bong Duke and Lady Elizabeth.
Chairman of the chieftaincy committee on the conferment of chieftaincy Titles on Deserving Men and women, Etubom Otu Efa explained that the Efik chieftaincy title was unique as it made the recipient honorary members of the palace of the Obong of Calabar who could be called upon to represent the monarch in any capacity commensurate with their ability and competence. He said the chieftaincy title was also of the highest quality in the country because the Efik kingship institution was one of the oldest in the country.
“Mbong of Calabar like the present Obong signed the treaties that established the Niger Coast Protectorate, the Oil River Protectorate, and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria with capital in Calabar as well as the treaty of Amalgamation of Southern and Northern Protectorates into one country, Nigeria with capital briefly in Calabar before it was moved to Lagos.
“Accordingly, the revered stool of the Obong of Calabar existed long before Nigeria and in fact, made Nigeria. Therefore, the difference between the chieftaincy title conferred by the Obong of Calabar as Treaty King/Natural Ruler and those by the numerous government created stools is clear”, the Etubom stated.

IS JESUS REALLY PRESENT IN THE EUCHARIST?

Recent years have seen a growing concern about Catholics’ understanding of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Some surveys show that a number of practicing Catholics are not clear about doctrine of real presence. Some think of consecrated bread and wine as only symbols of Jesus’ presence rather than a genuine change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, (transubstantiation) the long-standing Catholics understanding. The Eucharist is, for Catholics, both a meal and a sacrifice. The Lord gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper because He wanted us to share in the life of the Trinity, the loving communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We became united to God at our Baptism, and receive a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit at our confirmation. In the Eucharist we are nourished spiritually, brought closer to God, again and again. As Jesus says in John’s Gospel: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6:56). This meal of fellowship and unity, though, also is understood as a sacrifice. Why is that? Because Jesus died for our sins. Human sin was so great that we could never share fully in the life of God. Jesus came to reunite us. At the Eucharist, we re-present the outpouring of Christ’s life so that our life can be restored. This gift of life is happening in eternity, always. We remember this in a special way when we sing the Holy, Holy, Holy at Mass, recalling the words of Isaiah 6:3, the hymn of the angels before God. We sing our praise before the “lamb of God,” slain to take away the sin of the world, all that separates us from God (see Jn 1:29).

HOW DO WE PREPARE THE UNBAPTIZED FOR THE RECEPTION OF BAPTISM?

Preparation for reception into the Church begins with the inquiry stage, in which the unbaptized person begins to learn about the Catholic faith and begins to decide whether to embrace it. The first formal step to Catholicism begins with the rite of reception into the order of catechumens, in which the unbaptized express their desire and intention to become Christians. “Catechumen” is a term the early Christians used to refer to those preparing to be baptized so as to become Christians. The period of the catechumen varies depending on how much the step of becoming a Christian. However, the catechumenate often lasts at least 3 years. The catechumenate’s purpose is to provide the catechumens with a thorough background in Christian teaching. The catechumenate also is intended to give the catechumens the opportunity to reflect upon and become firm in their desire to become Catholic, and to show that they are ready to take this serious and joyful step (cf. Luke 14:27-33; 2 Pet. 2:20-22). The second formal step is taken with the rite of election, in which the catechumens’ names are written in a book of those who will receive the sacraments of initiation. At the rite of election, the catechumen again expresses the desire and intention to become a Christian, and the Church judges that the catechumen is ready to take this step. Normally, the rite of election occurs on the first Sunday of Lent. After the rite of election, the candidates undergo a period of more intense reflection, purification, and enlightenment, in which they deepen their commitment to repentance and conversion. During this period the catechumens, now known as the elect, participate in several further rituals. The three chief rituals, known as scrutinizes, are normally celebrated at Mass on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent. The scrutinies are rites for self-searching and repentance. They are meant to bring out the qualities of the catechumen’s soul, to heal those that are positive and good. During this period, the catechumens are formally presented with the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, which they will recite on the night they are initiated. The initiation itself usually occurs on the Easter Vigil, the evening before Easter Day. That evening a special Mass is celebrated at which the catechumens are baptized, then given confirmation, and finally receive the holy Eucharist. At this point the catechumens become Catholics and are received into full communion with the Church. Ideally the bishop oversees the Easter Vigil service and confers confirmation upon the catechumens, but often due to large distances or numbers of catechumens a local parish priest will perform the rites. The final state of Christian initiation is known as mystagogy, in which the new Christians are strengthened in the faith by further instruction and become more deeply rooted in the local Catholic community. The period of mystagogy normally lasts throughout the Easter season. For the first year of their life as Christians, those who have been received are known as neophytes or “new Christians.”

WHICH IS CORRECT: SUNDAY OR SABBATH WORSHIP?

The Commandments speak of remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy (Gen. 2, 3; Exodus. 20, 8). The Sabbath is Saturday, so why do Catholics worship publicly on the first day of the week, that is, Sunday?”
This is a question normally posed by those – such as the Seventh Day Adventists – who regard Sunday worship as a mark of the Apostate Church of the Beast. Our Lord Jesus Christ declared that He was Lord of the Sabbath and that its observance was at His disposal: St. Matt. 12, 1-8; St Mark 2, 24-26; St. Luke 6, 5; St. John 5, 10-11. As a consequence, the early Church, in order to distinguish itself from the worship of the Synagogue, felt itself free from to depart from Sabbath worship and worship God on an alternate day of the week. This is evident from the words of St. Paul to the Colossians: “Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (2, 16-17). If Christ Himself had the power to “dispose” of the Sabbath, so too His Church which is His Body. The power of the Church to make such a change is specifically found in Our Lord’s words to St. Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (St. Matt.16, 19). From the outset of the Church’s history Christians would replace the Sabbath day with a new day of public worship in commemoration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead – the day of the Lord. This day is Sunday, the first day of the week: “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb” (St. Luke 24, 1-2); “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb” ( St. John 20, 1). The official “birthday” of the Church, Pentecost Sunday, also fell on the first day of the week: Acts 2, 1. The public worship of the Mass was celebrated by the early Christians on Sunday: “On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread…” (Acts 20, 7). Collections in support of the Church were gathered on Sunday: “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come” (1 Cor. 16, 2). St. John received his Revelation on Sunday: “I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution… was on the island called Patmos…I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day... “Rev.1, 9-10). It is important to note that in changing the Sabbath law the Church did not make a change in the divine law obliging men to worship God – a law which is irrevocable – but merely a change in the day on which it was to be offered, that is a change in the positive ceremonial law. All positive laws, including those of divine institution, can be altered or revolked according to changes in time, circumstance or place.

WHAT ARE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT CONFIRMATION?

At Confirmation, we learn the implications of our new life in the Holy Spirit.
All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. (Rite of Confirmation).
This prayer names the traditional “Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.” The biblical origin of these seven gifts is found in Isaiah (11:1-3) where he is foretelling the qualities of the Messiah.
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
(The ancient Greek and Latin translations of this passage read “piety” for “fear of the Lord in line six; this gives us our traditional seven gifts). These seven gifts are the signs that the Messiah will be guided by the Spirit. The relation of these gifts to the sacrament of Confirmation becomes clear when we remember that the word “Messiah” means “anointed.” Jesus was “anointed,” filled with the Holy at his baptism. At Confirmation we are anointed with the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Gospels we see how these seven gifts form Jesus’ personality. They are characteristic of his activity. Consider the wisdom expressed in his parables; his understanding of the poor and the sick; his right judgment when tested by the Pharisees; his courage to continue the journey to Jerusalem where he surmised what fate awaited him; his knowledge of God’s will; his reverence for his heavenly Father; his awe before the wonders of creation the lilies of the field, the birds of the air…The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are the manifestation of the Divine Power active in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

WHY DO WE EVEN NEED THE EUCHARIST?

The Eucharist is, for Catholics both a meal and a sacrifice. The Lord gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper because he wanted us to share in the life of the Trinity, the loving communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We become united to God at our Baptism, and receive a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit at our Confirmation. In the Eucharist we are nourished spiritually, brought closer to God, again and again: “By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ in the Eucharist we become united to the person of Christ through his humility,” write the bishops. They remind us of the words of Jesus in John’s Gospel: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6:56). This meal of fellowship and unity, though, also is understood as a sacrifice. Why is that? Because Jesus died for our sins. Human sin was so great that we could never share fully in the life of God. Jesus came to reunite us. The Bishop write, “Through his death and resurrection, he conquered sin and death and reconciled us to God. The Eucharist is the memorial of this sacrifice. The Church gathers to remember and to re-present the sacrifice of Christ in which we share through the action of the priest and the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the celebration of the Eucharist, we are joined to Christ’s sacrifice and receive its inexhaustible benefits.” At the Eucharist, we re-present the outpouring of Christ’s life so that our life can be restored. This gift of the life is happening in eternity, always. We remember this in a special way when we sing the Holy, Holy, Holy at Mass, recalling the words of Isaiah 6:3, the hymn of the angels before God. We sing our praise before the “lamb of God,” slain to take away the sin of the world, all that separates us from God (see Jn 1:29).