#institute on the catechism

[danielamadriz]

Visual identity for the Institute on the Catechism.

[thecatholicbozo]

New Year's Spiritual Reading & Learning Recommendations

Considering that one of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to read more, I thought it would be fun to share a list of good books that have been influential or important in your spiritual journey so far!

Please feel free to reblog & add your own recommendations or to echo a recommendation that has already been made!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Aquinas Catechism by St Thomas Aquinas, edited by the Sophia Institute Press

The Life of St Catherine of Siena by Blessed Raymond of Capua

The Dialogues of St Catherine of Siena

Dominican Spirituality: Principles and Practice by William A Hinnebusch, OP

The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods by Father A. G. Sertillanges, OP

Thomas Aquinas: Scholar, Poet, Mystic, Saint by Father A. G. Sertillanges, OP

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis (particularly the section on the Blessed Sacrament)

A Catholic Viewpoint on the Four Temperaments by Brother Hermenegild TOSF (particularly the final section on prayer)

Manual for Men by Bishop Thomas J Olmsted

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

Doctor of the Church

313-386

Feast Day: March 18

Patronage: Czechoslovakia, Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem had an exceptional education and was ordained a Bishop of Jerusalem during the Arian heresy. He instructed neophytes in the Catechism, explaining the Orthodox Catholic theology; this doctrine is still valuable today. He was exiled twice because of Arian followers, but returned in 378 to find Jerusalem torn in heresy, schism, and was crime-ridden. He worked hard to return it to the faith. At the Council of Constantinople, he championed orthodoxy, clarified that Christ has the same nature as the Father, and used the word “Consubstantial” in the Nicene Creed.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[queer-reader-07]

Making a Home in the Liminal Space

I grew up catholic. I was born into it, baptized as an infant, first communion in second grade, roughly 8 years in catholic school, and all of it culminated in getting confirmed at age 14. Catholicism was my life, in many ways it was my only constant in life. Schools changed, people came and went, but church was always there. Every Sunday with my family and every Wednesday with my classmates I found myself either in the pews ready to pray or in the choir area ready to play the hand chimes throughout Mass. I went to catechism every Wednesday night for years in elementary school. I attended youth group with my friends. There are still parts of the Bible that I know like the back of my hand.

But then I grew up. I grew up and I realized that I thought girls were pretty in a way that gave me butterflies in my stomach and that I didn’t quite feel like a girl anymore. I grew up and I went through changing labels before I found words like ‘queer’ and ‘trans’ and ‘asexual’ that made me feel at home. And while that home is comforting in so many ways it is also not a home that is compatible with the religion that held me for so long. Catholicism was my life, I was in Church at least twice a week for years of my life. But Catholicism doesn’t leave room for queerness, it doesn’t embrace and hold close what I am. Who I am.

A friend asked me recently if I still I identify as catholic. If I, someone who is now staunchly leftist and proudly and openly queer, aligned with a religion that is so notoriously bigoted and conservative. Easy answer, right? Just say no? How could someone like me ever call themselves a catholic? And good god, I wish it were that simple.

Because, the thing is, I tried to just say no. I tried to say “eh not really,” but it felt so deeply disingenuous. It felt wrong. How do I denounce a faith that was my life for 15 years with a simple “no”? How do I go from staunch catholic to atheist in the blink of an eye? I can’t.

To be honest, I’m not sure where I fall on the spectrum of spirituality and religiosity. It feels like a lie to say I believe in God, but it doesn’t feel anymore honest to say that I don’t believe in God.

I know I believe in love. I believe in the power we as people have to do wonderful and amazing things. I believe in hope’s ability to help one through the darkest of times. I believe in humanity, in the human story. But none of that is mutually exclusive from religion, from Catholicism.

I think, right now, I exist in the liminal space between catholic and atheist. I can’t bring myself to align myself with an institution that doesn’t believe in my right to exist. But I also can’t bring myself to fully denounce the faith that held me for so many years. I can’t bring myself to denounce the faith that was my only real constant for all those years. I haven’t been to Church on my own volition in ages, yet I refuse to take down the rosary adorned crucifix above my bed. I don’t pray all that often anymore and yet I could recite the Our Father without a second thought. I don’t go around professing any faith in God and yet the phrases “good lord” and “for the love of all that is holy” seem to leave my mouth daily. These are the things that make up the liminal space. The not quite prayer, the familiar comfort of a crucifix and rosaries about my bed, the acceptance that I’ll never have a secular vocabulary. It’s weird, it’s contradictory, and yet here I am existing in it.

There is still so much beauty I find in the world that feels like it must be more than mere coincidence. I think a lot about hope. About how it feels so unique to the human condition and I can’t help but wonder why. Did someone, something, endow us with hope? So that we could never cease in our endeavors of discovery and creativity? So that we would not lose sight of a better future? Or, did we just get lucky?

But I don’t think that’s God, necessarily. I don’t know that it’s one being, but I’m not confident it’s no being.

Existing in the liminal space is difficult. Because to be here is to know you can’t ever go back while still grappling with where you’re meant to go now. I hope that one day I find a new home, a home that isn’t built on guilt and shame for merely daring to exist. But for now, I am making a home in the liminal space. I am letting this liminal space hold me in any way it can while I work to figure out what I am outside of the church. And I hope that wherever I go next— whatever space becomes my home after I outgrow the liminal space— I hope it welcomes me with open arms and a warm embrace.

[angeltreasure]

Hello Angel,

I have the Miraculous Medal and a St. Benedict. I was told these 2 Medals have powers and miracles attached to them just by wearing it. I have experienced those miracles and protection. I heard from only one source that wearing other Saint Medals has the same or similar effect. For example wearing the St. Dymphna Medal provides certain graces for those with mental disorders and allows her to watch the individual wearing the Medal. Do you know if that is true? Thank you for all the hard work you do for the Kingdom of God ❤️❤️❤️🫂

Hello Anon!,

The Miraculous Medal, the St. Benedict Medal, and the St. Dymphna Medal are all examples of what my Catholic Church calls Sacramentals. I am going to teach you what a sacramental is through our Catechism, then explain the power of a type of prayer called intercession, and touch on a little history of each of those sacramentals. (Also small disclaimer I have dyslexia so I apologize in advance for any mistakes in spelling or grammar.) Click read more and discover more about the Faith!

Definitions

Sacramentals: Sacred signs which bear a certain resemblance to the sacraments, and by means of which spiritual effects are signified and obtained through the prayers of the Church.

Saint: The “holy one” who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. The Church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones.

Intercession: A form of prayer of petition on behalf of others. The prayer of intercession leads us to pray as Christ, our unique Intercessor, prayed.

——-

“The Church is holy

828 By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors. “The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church’s history.” Indeed, “holiness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal”.

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, page 219

——-

“Chapter Four

Other Liturgical Celebrations

Article 1: Sacramentals

1667 “Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.”

The characteristics of sacramentals

1668 Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance to the bishops’ pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).

1669 Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a “blessing,” and to bless. Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons).

1670 Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in a way that sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. “For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.

Various forms of sacramentals

1671 Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prayers for His gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing.” This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ.

…

1673 When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing. In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called “a major exorcism,” can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one of dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.

Popular piety

1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.

1675 These expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of the Church, but do not replace it. They “should be so drawn to that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, according to with the sacred liturgy, are in some way derived from it and lead the people to it, since in fact the liturgy by its very nature is far superior to any of them.”

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, pages 415-417.

——

“Prayers of Intercession

2634 Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. He is “able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” The Holy Spirit “himself intercedes for us… and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

2635 Since Abraham, intercession—asking on behalf of another—has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participants in Christ’s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prayers looks “not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of another,” even to the point of praying for those who do him harm.

2636 The first Christian communities lived this form of fellowship intensely. Thus the Apostle Paul gives them a share in his ministry of preaching the Gospel but also intercedes for them. The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: “for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions,” for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel.”

-Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, pages 633-634

——-

“…do you know if this is true?”

Yes. It is absolutely true.

The Saints are alive and pray for us and with us, sending everything up to God. Wearing a sacramental like a medal allows us to make intercessory prayer in asking a particular saint(s) to pray for us. A saint becomes a patron of something in particular usually because the subject connects to something that happened in their earthly life. Sometimes this patronage of a saint can be obvious and other times the meaning can be a little less obvious. Saints are not gods or goddesses, they will never replace God, so they send our petitions up to Him. We are all called to be saints. This is a true teaching of our faith.

Thanks for reading!! May you have a very blessed Advent.

[lboogie1906]

Elias Neau (1662 – September 7, 1722) born Élie Neau, in Moëze, Saintonge, was a French Huguenot. He was a prosperous merchant. He was captured by a French privateer near Jamaica, and as a Protestant, was sentenced to a life sentence as a galley slave and imprisoned in Marseille. He was released. He was elected to the position of the elder of the French church in New York. He secured passage of a bill in New York stating that enslaved could be catechized. The Episcopal Church commemorates him as a “witness to the faith” on September 7.

For the African American enslaved, a catechizing school was opened in New York City under their charge. He called the attention of the Society to the great number, of enslaved in New York “who were without God in the world, and of whose souls there was no manner of care taken” and proposed the appointment of a catechist to undertake their instruction. He obtained a license from the Governor, resigned his position as an elder in the French church, and conformed to the Established Church of England. He was licensed by the Bishop of London.

African Americans and Indians among them to the Christian Religion. Further confidence in him was attested by an act of the Society in preparing at his request “a Bill to be offered to Parliament for the more effectual Conversion of the African Americans and other Servants in the Plantations, to compel Owners of enslaved to cause children to be baptized within 3 months after their birth and to permit them when come to years of discretion to be instructed in the Christian Religion on our Lord’s day by the Missionaries under whose ministry they live.”

His school suffered greatly in 1712 because of the prejudice engendered by the declaration that instruction was the main cause of African Americans. Only one African American connected with the school had participated in the affair and most criminals belonged to the masters who were opposed to educating them, the institution was permitted to continue its endeavors, and the Governor extended his protection and recommended that masters have their enslaved instructed. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[spiraldancer]

Ariadne's Thread: A Workbook on Goddess Magic ( Shekhinah Mountain Water).

Cycle 1: Questions to Ponder

To Kick off This Blog I've decided to Answer the questions within Cycle one:

First one is: What is a Witch?

If I am to look at the English word, it's derived from the Germanic word, Witch, as in Wise woman and essentially that is what a witch is to me, a Wise woman that knows herself intimately and therefore knows the world around her as she can be guided by her intuition.

The Word "Bruxa" is derived from the Word Bricta, Likely the root word that "Bridget" or " Brigid" was derived from and it means enchantment or magic or spell if you will. I see this word then relating Bruxa deeply with the Goddess, namely the Bruxa being a worker for The Goddess in all her forms.

The Witch/ Bruxa therefore becomes a symbol of Woman's myths and deep inner wisdom but also becomes a symbol of the wild untamed spirit of women that Patriarchy has repressed and demonized and her resurgence spells to me the beginning of the end of the Repression of Her and of her Daughters.

The second question that was posed by the book is whenever or not I see myself as a witch and short answer is: Yes. Long answer is that I see my ease with identifying with the term as me coming home after trying to squeeze myself so hard in patriarchal institution and thoughts; from being overly skeptical to trying to become a Christian girl; none fit like being a witch and a follower of my goddesses nearly as well and blends my love of Mythology, beauty, nature and reverence to The Female form that I did not find in overly ascetic religions and spirituality and in overly rigid atheism and In Phallocentric thinking.

Third question is what Makes a woman a witch?

I suppose in other times just a woman claiming to be a witch would be enough, but as both witch and women become shredded beyond compression as terms ( including males in the definition of women for example and regressive gender roles in New age spiritualities with a poor understanding of what constitutes as Divine Feminine), I suppose I am somewhat of a gatekeeper of a term. I suppose the closest people to embody the witch are those willing to help their fellow sisters when comes the need and that becoming one's Proper witch self comes with time, effort, trial and error and the general wisdom gained from the passage of time and deep immersion in the Self and Of The Goddess. I suppose it's why witches have been associated with Crones or the elderly woman in general; it may indicate that a Woman or Witch Woman is at her most powerful when aged or aging. I do think we all have innate magical qualities, some more developed then others and that a magical path is a girl and woman's best friend into developing such skills.

From the 4th question, I actually did grow up in a culture that suspected of the witch and saw her as a force of spite and evil even if many relied on witches to heal themselves. I've always been uncomfortable with this stories but am reclaiming this role for myself as even the negative connotations I feel strip the witch of her moral complexities I think. I'm sadden by those burned and killed to this day when accused of witchcraft, even if they weren't actually "witches" in the proper term; it does show that everyone is seemigly afraid of a woman's power and will burn her for it. I'm mixed on the idea of Goddess religion becoming even more mainstream and accepted, in a sense I have plenty to thank to many groups of outrageous women that helped pave the way for current Pagan thought, but I suppose I'm sadden how little traditions are 100% female focus or don't try to insert some heterocentric form of duality in it.

I elucidated my religious background further above, but yes I did go through a period of catechism thanks to my abusive mom but I was deeply uncomfortable by the idea of God and of a male God and was critical of male religion as the tool of social coercion that it was, winch my father tried to stir me into Atheism; but rather then fully indulging in that I became Agnostic for a bit until I decided to research into Wicca and had many of my thoughts and feelings affirmed by dozens of pieces of Pagan thought and never looked back. As I delved deeper into feminism and female spiritual thought, it has led to my goddess focused lean right now. Needless to say and to answer the 6th question my spiritual background has little to do with the Goddess and is actual opposite of it in many regards.

7th question asks me if I believe in a conscious being that can create life and the universe and how this being is; I like the idea of a Creatix instead of a Creator and see much of everything as tending to be female. Even many "male energies" I see as being Her all along. I suppose I believe in Passive energies and Active ones, Offensive vs Defensive, Kind Vs Harsh rather the n a strictly male-female polarity, male and female meant for each other way.

The 8th question asks how The concept of Goddess affects me; and needless to say I've always been enamored by Goddeses of Greek myth and much to no one's shock im a Greek hellenic devotee.

The final Question asks who or what is the Goddess; even if I believe in her as an actual creative energy, I feel we relate to her through powerful symbology to embody her power and to better worship her. We feel naturally attuned to Her and recognize her as a primordial mother that we as her daughters do things to please and she in turn helps us and our lives by giving guidance and meaning to.

And thus I'm closing off Cycle 1 of the book. Thanks for reading.

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI The Patron of Immigrants Feast Day: November 13

Before she became the patron of immigrants, she was born Maria Francesca Cabrini on July 15, 1850, in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, in the Lombard Province of Lodi, then part of the Austrian Empire. She was the youngest of the thirteen children of farmers Agostino Cabrini and Stella Oldini. Only four of the thirteen survived beyond adolescence.

Born two months early, Maria was small and weak as a child and remained in delicate health throughout her life. During her childhood, she visited an uncle, Don Luigi Oldini of Livagra, a priest who lived beside a swift canal. While there, she made little boats of paper, dropped violets in them, called the flowers 'missionaries', and launched them to sail off to India and China. Francesca attended a school run by the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at thirteen, then she graduated cum laude with a teaching degree five years later.

After her parents died in 1870, she applied for admission to the Daughters of the Sacred Heart at Arluno. These sisters were her former teachers, but reluctantly, they told her she was too frail for their life.

Cabrini took religious vows in 1877 and added Xavier (Saverio) to her name to honor the Jesuit saint, St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of missionary service. She had planned, like Francis Xavier, to be a missionary in the Far East.

In November 1880, Cabrini and seven other women who had taken religious vows with her founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The sisters took in orphans and foundlings, opened a day school to help pay expenses, started classes in needlework and sold their fine embroidery to earn a little more money. The institute established seven homes and a free school and nursery in its first five years. Its good works brought Cabrini to the attention of Giovanni Scalabrini, Bishop of Piacenza, and of Pope Leo XIII.

In September 1887, Cabrini went to seek the pope's approval to establish missions in China. Instead, he urged that she go to the United States to help the Italian immigrants who were flooding to that nation, mostly in great poverty. 'Not to the East, but to the West' was his advice.

Along with six other sisters, Cabrini left for the United States, arriving in New York City on March 31, 1889. While in New York, she encountered disappointment and difficulties. Michael Corrigan, the third archbishop of New York, who was not immediately supportive, found them housing at the convent of the Sisters of Charity. She obtained the archbishop's permission to found the Sacred Heart Orphan Asylum in rural West Park, New York, later renamed Saint Cabrini Home. She organized catechism and education classes for the Italian immigrants and provided for many orphans' needs. She established schools and orphanages despite tremendous odds. She was as resourceful as she was prayerful, finding people who would donate what she needed in money, time, labor, and support. Cabrini was naturalized as a United States citizen in 1909.

While preparing Christmas candy for local children, Cabrini died on December 22, 1917 at the age of 67 due to malaria in Columbus Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Her body was initially interred at what became Saint Cabrini Home, the orphanage she founded in West Park, Ulster County, New York. She was beatified on November 13, 1938, by Pope Pius XI, and canonized on July 7, 1946, by Pope Pius XII, a year after World War II ended. In 1950, Pope Pius XII named Frances Xavier Cabrini as the patron saint of immigrants, recognizing her efforts on their behalf across the Americas in schools, orphanages, hospitals, and prisons.

[prolifeproliberty]

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

–Answer: It is the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.

Where is this written?

–Answer: The holy Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul, write thus:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to His disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.

After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Take, drink ye all of it. This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

What is the benefit of such eating and drinking?

–Answer: That is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?

–Answer: It is not the eating and drinking, indeed, that does them, but the words which stand here, namely: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins. Which words are, beside the bodily eating and drinking, as the chief thing in the Sacrament; and he that believes these words has what they say and express, namely, the forgiveness of sins.

Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily?

–Answer: Fasting and bodily preparation is, indeed, a fine outward training; but he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins.

But he that does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit; for the words For you require altogether believing hearts.

— Luther’s Small Catechism

[bc-maq24]

I believe the Holy Spirit is calling me to be a liaison between the church of Jesus Christ, and the LGBTQ++ community that has felt scorned by the church as an institution.

The church as an institution has not and will not always represent the Love of God, Christ, and the Spirit accurately. I am of the belief that I was fearfully and wonderfully made, including my orientations, and I am not struggling with my orientations and the way I love. I am struggling with the notion that I am struggling because I am not heteronormative—that my brain does not operate on only heteronormative. But I have been saved since I was 6 and started the catechism , since I was 12 and started going to church on a regular basis, since several other specific, pivotal points in my life. Being queer does not make me any less saved or any less savable. I am queer, and I am Christian. These are two significant parts of me. And I accept both of them.

… so stop convicting me.

[eremosjournal]

The Eighth Sacrament

by Chad Hewitt

For many Catholics, the mass can be a transcendent experience that brings them closer to God. For many others, it can leave them feeling confused, angry and empty given the church’s problematic teachings and the amount of corruption and hypocrisy within the institution. More commonly than either of those, the Catholic mass can be incredibly fucking boring. Fortunately, there is an alternative to the rite for those of us who, for whatever reason, cannot stomach the eucharist: drag shows. On the surface, the mass and drag shows seem like holy water and makeup remover, but the fundamental elements are remarkably similar.

First and foremost are the parallels in theatrical production. Both the mass and a drag show require an audience (or congregation), a performer (or a priest), a stage (or an altar), and a blood sacrifice (or an attention starved twink). In either environment, you might see a fog machine delivered via dry ice or incense. As for stunts, the Catholic mass is considerably lacking in both costume reveals (only one chasuble per performance?) and its interpretations of nineties pop songs (Sister Act soundtrack notwithstanding.) Nevertheless, both experiences provide symbols and rituals that awaken the senses and hopefully lift the human spirit. Drag just does it better.

Second is the inherent community engagement present in both the mass and drag shows. You might say the words to the Lord’s Prayer in unison with strangers at church in the same way that you might lip sync the words to a Britney Spears song with strangers in a dimly lit gay bar. You can either empty your wallet of loose one dollar bills into a collection plate or a silicone breast plate. The primary point of differentiation, however, is where the church has strict terms of how and when you can participate (see: the catechism). A drag show’s only restriction is the bar’s maximum occupancy (and your age, of course, depending on the kind of content). The church may not find you fit to receive the eucharist, but a queer bar’s doors are always open. Regardless, in both contexts, individuals come together because of a common interest in finding something special outside of the mundane and to not feel so alone. Drag just does it better.

Last but not least is the act of transformation. The core of the Catholic mass is the miracle of “transubstantiation”, wherein a cracker and Carlo Rossi are transformed into figurative skin and blood. But more miraculous on a tangible level is the transformation of an ordinary human person that works at a bank into a supermodel, a Pokemon character, or Jesus herself. For anyone who has ever actually attempted drag, even if just by putting on a wig, they experience an internal metamorphosis that is liberating and joyful. A new person is discovered, you feel reborn. Both the mass and drag aim to provide access to a higher plane of existence through transformation. Drag just does it better.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Nine Things You Should Know About the Westminster Confession

by John R. Bower

After nearly 400 years of service, the Westminster Confession of Faith continues to provide Reformed and Presbyterian churches worldwide a vibrant summary of Scripture’s principal teachings. But how has this document, drawn from a strikingly different age, remained equally relevant to today’s church?

In exploring this question, we consider nine essential elements of the Confession whereby the 17th-century Reformed church can be seen as standing arm in arm with the 21st-century church and beyond.

I. The Westminster Confession was designed as a doctrinal compass to keep the scriptural bearings of the church true, even when tossed by error and division. Civil war had thrown the Church of England into political, social, and ecclesiastical upheaval, and as its first step toward rebuilding the church, Parliament convened a national assembly of clergy to advise on the most scriptural guides for doctrine, worship, and government. Between 1643 and 1648, the Westminster Assembly of Divines created six separate documents for equipping the church anew, but of these the Confession of Faith was key. It alone expressed the mind of the church concerning the truths of Scripture and meshed the documents of worship and government into a unified working system.

II. From its inception, the Confession stood subordinate to the Word of God. In writing the Confession of Faith, the assembly remained passionately committed to the Reformation dictum of sola Scriptura, that Scripture alone speaks with final authority in all areas of faith and life. Indeed, the Confession’s statement “On the Scripture” is the document’s first and longest chapter. Here, Scripture is declared the inspired, infallible, sufficient, understandable, and the supreme judge of all disputes. Throughout the assembly’s work, members were oath-bound to affirm only those propositions supported by Scripture. Reflecting this commitment to the Word, the Confession’s 33 chapters bristle with more than 4,000 verses.

The Confession’s 33 chapters bristle with more than 4,000 verses.

III. In presenting the core truths of Scripture, the Confession followed a comprehensive and unified system of faith, reaching as far back as the Apostle’s Creed. Indeed, among the major Protestant confessions of the Reformation (Augsburg, Belgic, French, Second Helvetic), not only were the principle truths of Scripture held in common, but these doctrines were sorted into the same broad system of faith in God and duty to God. Following its creedal predecessors, the Westminster Assembly carefully preserved this doctrinal division of faith and service—a distinction the Shorter Catechism more expressively rendered as “what we are to believe concerning God” and “what duty God requires of man.”

IV. In its opening chapters, the Confession represents the heart of Reformed orthodoxy and historic Christianity. Here, the doctrines of faith emerge in three parts: God’s creative work and man’s fall (chs. 1–6), Christ’s work as Redeemer (chs. 7–8) and the Holy Spirit’s work in applying redemption (chs. 9–19).

V. The remaining part of the Confession (chs. 20–33) describes the believer’s responsibility to serve God, a service that embraces our neighbor, the state, and the church. The church, however, provides the principle venue wherein we serve God. Moving through chapters 25–31, the Confession elaborates on the doctrine of the church, the communion of the saints, the sacraments, and the far-reaching scope of church discipline. And culminating the saint’s life of service to God is entrance into the church glorious, described by the resurrection of the dead and the last judgment (chs. 32–33).

VI. “Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience” affirms how the individual believer’s conscience is free to serve Christ alone. But this freedom of conscience is further subject to those lawful civil and ecclesiastical authorities instituted by Christ. Balancing the several God-ordained authorities over conscience proved one of the assembly’s greatest challenges in framing the Confession, especially when faced with increasingly autonomous parishioners and competing civil and ecclesiastical claims of authority.

VII. The Confession offers a superlative platform for expressing consensus on the doctrines of Scripture and building unity within the church at large. When the Westminster Assembly labored to rebuild the church in the 17th century, England—like Scotland and many regions on the continent—recognized only a single church, making unity a societal as well as an ecclesiastical imperative. Today, although multiple denominations have replaced the single church model of the Reformation, the Confession retains its place in fostering unity within, and between, Reformed and Presbyterian churches worldwide.

VIII. Found within each of these nine essentials of the Confession is the centrality of Christ’s church. Guided by Scripture alone, the Confession affords a doctrinal anchor expressing the breadth of faith within the framework of the historic church. Saints are carefully guided in rendering their fullest service to God, especially within the visible church, where they are built toward unity in the one faith. In fact, while the Confession can be seen as enveloping all the great solas of the Reformation, it excelled in advancing the “forgotten sola” of sola ecclessia, the church alone.

While the Confession can be seen as enveloping all the great solas of the Reformation, it excelled in advancing the ‘forgotten sola’ of sola ecclessia, the church alone.

IX. The Confession was not intended to serve as a doctrinal storehouse, but to be communicated to every member of every church. The Larger and Shorter Catechisms were composed for this purpose. Thus, in writing its catechisms, the assembly kept an “eye to the Confession.” But this focus meant more than replicating content; the catechisms effectively conveyed the purposes of the confession, for as the principles of faith, life, and the church were taught and memorized, they built unity in the one faith from the ground up.

[catenaaurea]

The Roman Catechism

Part Two: The Sacraments

Importance Of Instruction On The Sacraments

The exposition of every part of Christian doctrine demands knowledge and industry on the part of the pastor. But instruction on the Sacraments, which, by the ordinance of God, are a necessary means of salvation and a plenteous source of spiritual advantage, demands in a special manner his talents and industry. By accurate and frequent instruction (on the Sacraments) the faithful will be enabled to approach worthily and with salutary effect these inestimable and most holy institutions; and the priests will not depart from the rule laid down in the divine prohibition: Give not that which is holy to dogs: neither cast ye your pearls before swine.

The Word "Sacrament"

Since, then, we are about to treat of the Sacraments in general, it is proper to begin in the first place by explaining the force and meaning of the word Sacrament, and showing its various significations, in order the more easily to comprehend the sense in which it is here used. The faithful, therefore, are to be informed that the word Sacrament, in so far as it concerns our present purpose, is differently understood by sacred and profane writers.

By some it has been used to express the obligation which arises from an oath, pledging to the performance of some service; and hence the oath by which soldiers promise military service to the State has been called a military sacrament. Among profane writers this seems to have been the most ordinary meaning of the word. 

 But by the Latin Fathers who have written on theological subjects, the word sacrament is used to signify a sacred thing which lies concealed. The Greeks, to express the same idea, made use of the word mystery. This we understand to be the meaning of the word, when, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, it is said: That he might make known to us the mystery (sacramentum) of his will; and to Timothy: great is the mystery (sacramentum) of godliness; and in the Book of Wisdom: They knew not the secrets (sacramenta) of God. In these and many other passages the word sacrament,- it will be perceived, signifies nothing more than a holy thing that lies concealed and hidden.

The Latin Doctors, therefore, deemed the word a very appropriate term to express certain sensible signs which at once communicate grace, declare it, and, as it were, place it before the eyes. St. Gregory, however, is of the opinion that such a sign is called a Sacrament, because the divine power secretly operates our salvation under the veil of sensible things.

Let it not, however, be supposed that the word sacrament is of recent ecclesiastical usage. Whoever peruses the works of Saints Jerome and Augustine will at once perceive that ancient ecclesiastical writers made use of the word sacrament, and some times also of the word symbol, or mystical sign or sacred sign, to designate that of which we here speak.

So much will suffice in explanation of the word sacrament. What we have said applies equally to the Sacraments of the Old Law; but since they have been superseded by the Gospel Law and grace, it is not necessary that pastors give instruction concerning them.

Definition of a Sacrament

Besides the meaning of the word, which has hitherto engaged our attention, the nature and efficacy of the thing which the word signifies must be diligently considered, and the faithful must be taught what constitutes a Sacrament. No one can doubt that the Sacraments are among the means of attaining righteousness and salvation. But of the many definitions, each of them sufficiently appropriate, which may serve to explain the nature of a Sacrament, there is none more comprehensive, none more perspicuous, than the definition given by St. Augustine and adopted by all scholastic writers. A Sacrament, he says, is a sign of a sacred thing; or, as it has been expressed in other words of the same import: A Sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible grace, instituted for our justification.

"A Sacrament is a Sign"

The more fully to develop this definition, the pastor should explain it in all its parts. He should first observe that sensible objects are of two sorts: some have been invented precisely to serve as signs; others have been established not for the sake of signifying something else, but for their own sakes alone. To the latter class almost every object in nature may be said to belong; to the former, spoken and written languages, military standards, images, trumpets, signals and a multiplicity of other things of the same sort. Thus with regard to words; take away their power of expressing ideas, and you seem to take away the only reason for their invention. Such things are, therefore, properly called signs. For, according to St. Augustine, a sign, besides what it presents to the senses, is a medium through which we arrive at the knowledge of something else. From a footstep, for instance, which we see traced on the ground, we instantly infer that some one whose trace appears has passed.

Proof From Reason

A Sacrament, therefore, is clearly to be numbered among those things which have been instituted as signs. It makes known to us by a certain appearance and resemblance that which God, by His invisible power, accomplishes in our souls. Let us illustrate what we have said by an example. Baptism, for instance, which is administered by external ablution, accompanied with certain solemn words, signifies that by the power of the Holy Ghost all stain and defilement of sin is inwardly washed away, and that the soul is enriched and adorned with the admirable gift of heavenly justification; while, at the same time, the bodily washing, as we shall hereafter explain in its proper place, accomplishes in the soul that which it signifies.

Proof From Scripture

That a Sacrament is to be numbered among signs is dearly inferred also from Scripture. Speaking of circumcision, a Sacrament of the Old Law which was given to Abraham, the father of all believers," the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans, says: And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the justice of the faith. In another place he says: All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death, words which justify the inference that Baptism signifies, to use the words of the same Apostle, that we are buried together with him by baptism into death.

Nor is it unimportant that the faithful should know that the Sacraments are signs. This knowledge will lead them more readily to believe that what the Sacraments signify, contain and effect is holy and august; and recognizing their sanctity they will be more disposed to venerate and adore the beneficence of God displayed towards us.

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem Doctor of the Church 313-386 Feast Day: March 18 Patronage: Czechoslovakia, Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem had an exceptional education and was ordained a Bishop of Jerusalem during the Arian heresy. He instructed neophytes in the Catechism, explaining the Orthodox Catholic theology; this doctrine is still valuable today. He was exiled twice because of Arian followers, but returned in 378 to find Jerusalem torn in heresy, schism, and was crime-ridden. He worked hard to return it to the faith. At the Council of Constantinople, he championed orthodoxy, clarified that Christ has the same nature as the Father, and used the word “Consubstantial” in the Nicene Creed.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: {website}

[eternal-echoes]

“By ‘authority’ one means the quality by virtue of which persons and institutions make laws and give orders to men and expect obedience from them. […] Every human community needs authority to govern it. The foundation of such authority lies in human nature. […] The authority required by the moral order derives from God.”

- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1897 - 1899

[buggie-hagen]

Sermon for Third Sunday of Advent (12/17/23)

Primary Text | 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

          In Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, we get noticeably short verses like “Rejoice always” “Pray without ceasing” “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Much could be said about such things. But this year we will focus on vss. 19-20: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets.” God the Spirit, whom we call life-giver and Lord, is a person distinct from God the Father and God the Son. Though, of course, we believe they are yet just one God. Hence, the Trinity. (pause) If we did not have the Holy Spirit on our side, we would know nothing of Jesus Christ or God the Father. Therefore, without the Holy Spirit we would know nothing of Christmas or Easter or anything at all of God’s good and gracious heart. It is Jesus Christ who makes God’s good and gracious heart known to us. Therefore, it also matters if the Jesus we know is the actual Jesus or a counterfeit Jesus. But we would know nothing of this if the Holy Spirit did not shine the light of Christ into our heart.

So we must know what precisely the work of the Holy Spirit is. How does he do his work? And what does Paul mean when he warns us not to “quench” the Holy Spirit and why does he warn “Not to despise the words of prophets” as he does in 1 Thessalonians. The Spirit’s work is to make Christ known. Pay attention here because a lot of people misunderstand the Holy Spirit. He’s not a warm fuzzy feeling. Nor does his work commence once we do something to prepare for him. For example, he does not come about when we cross our legs looking inward to see if there’s something in there. Nor does waiting in silence with a clear mind get him to act. No, the Holy Spirit is given through the word. And when I say the word, yes we can talk about the written word as we have it in the Holy Scriptures. The Scriptures, in both Old and New Testaments, are the authority and norm for all Christian faith and life. Lest we think we can be a lone wolf Christian, privileged above what is written is the oral word. “Faith comes by hearing” is the principle active here. Meaning, the word spoken into our ears by somebody else. The word is an external thing. It is called a word because it is a preached thing. God the Holy Spirit is always pointing us away from ourselves and what we think and to the word that comes from beyond ourselves. This word is not a thought or a feeling, he is a person. Jesus Christ, the Lord. (pause) The word can be compared to a bonfire. You got the wood stacked together, the fuel to get it burning, and the flame to get it going. With it we enter into the joy of our Father. We feel its warmth because the Spirit has carried us out of the cold and to the bonfire of the word. When St. Paul warns us against quenching the Spirit or despising the words of prophets he means don’t take a big ol’ pale of water and douse out the bonfire so that it no longer can give its warmth by which we may have life. To quench the Spirit or to despise the prophets means to take a pale of water to the fire of the word. This refers to Third Commandment issues, like not to listen to sermons, not to regularly receive the Lord’s Supper, not to be baptized in the Triune name, not to hear the absolution—especially when otherwise one could. The Advent of  Christ in the preached word and sacraments are the logs the Holy Spirit uses to create and to strengthen our faith. The Spirit is quenched when we disregard his ways and when we demote the status of his instruments, the oral word and sacraments, making them something other than a divine institution.

The Large Catechism gives us several tips on this matter. In the section on the Creed it says, “Neither you nor I could ever know anything about Christ, or believe in him and receive him as Lord, unless these were offered to us and bestowed on our hearts through the preaching of the gospel by the Holy Spirit.” So notice, it is the Spirit who is the one doing the preaching. Not Logan. Not Jon. Not Beatrice, not Jack and Jill—even though you see that we are the ones flapping our lips. It continues, “The work is finished and completed; Christ has acquired and won the treasure for us by his sufferings, death, and resurrection. But if the work remained hidden so that no one knew of it, it would have been all in vain, all lost.” So yes, Christ has done it all, But it would do no good if we didn’t know something about Christ. So the catechism continues, “In order that this treasure might not remain buried but be put to use and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to be published and proclaimed, in which he had given the Holy Spirit to offer and apply to us this treasure, this redemption.” I like how it says God has caused the Word to be published and proclaimed. Notice the word is not a matter of one’s own private take or personal interpretation. Instead it is God going public and publishing the word himself. Again, you see, how necessary the word is and how the Holy Spirit is the one to apply the treasure to us—through the word the Spirit gives forgiveness to you, through the word the Spirit gives life to you, and redemption unto you. And finally, the Large Catechism says, “Therefore being made holy is nothing else than bringing us to the Lord Christ to receive this blessing, to which we could not have come by ourselves” (LC 2:38). And this is the key. We do not come to these treasures and blessings by ourselves. The Holy Spirit must come to us by the oral word and make known these treasures and blessings to us. And then they will do us some good. And then, the warmth of the fire cures us of our cold hands and toes. If someone did not carry you to where the bonfire was we would never see it or know its warmth. But as it is, you and I have been brought to the bonfire—where God’s warmth heals us from the sin that made our bodies dead cold—making you truly alive like never before.

In St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he gives a final blessing. He says, “May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And hear this: “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this” (1 Thess. 5:23-24). There we move from the law to gospel. The gospel is that God has called you to himself by the word. He has proclaimed and published this. Your sins are forgiven. That is a promise. By God’s very nature he cannot lie. Therefore we know that God is faithful to this word and to what he has spoken to you by somebody else. This promise remains for you all your life. The Spirit has made you and will keep you holy and you will therefore be blameless at the Advent, the Arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not by your own effort, not by your own strength, but because God himself has done it all.