Catholic Replies
Editor’s Note: The date on this issue of The Wanderer, the feast of St. Patrick, reminded us of the story about the time St. Patrick was about to baptize a pagan chieftain in a field. As the ceremony waas about to begin, Patrick stuck his staff into the ground without realizing that he had pierced the chieftain’s foot. The ceremony proceeded without Patrick noticing that the man had begun to perspire heavily and had a pained look on his face. It wasn’t until the Baptism was over that Patrick noticed his staff sticking out of the chieftain’s foot. “Why didn’t you say something?” the saint asked. “I thought it was part of the ceremony,” the chief replied.
Q. The fact that I was born into the faith appears to give me an unfair advantage into gaining eternal life in view of the millions who are separated and the multitude who do not know Christ. I know the Scriptures say that the more you are given, the more is expected of you, but I would appreciate your views. — R.B.K., via e-mail.
A. It certainly is an advantage to be born into the Catholic faith since one has available all the tools — the sacraments, the Mass, an infallible teaching authority — to gain eternal life. However, one must choose to utilize those tools, and we all know persons who were baptized Catholic, but who no longer practice their faith either because they were not brought up in the faith due to a lax home situation, or they never fully appreciated what they had and abandoned the faith as they grew older, or some circumstance — e.g., the bad example of certain Church leaders or disagreement over a moral question — led them out of the Church. Only God knows the subjective guilt of such persons, and He will judge them accordingly.
The other side of the coin, as you suggest, is that to those to whom much has been given, i.e., the tools mentioned above, much is expected. We often have high expectations for those blessed with superior intellects, or athletic or aesthetic skills, and are disappointed when they do not reach their potential. So, too, are we disappointed when those who had the faith choose to walk away from it. They were given the “pearl of great price,” but neglected to ransom it from the field of the world.
God wants everyone to be saved (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4), and He will in some way make everyone’s salvation possible, but He will not save us without our cooperation. So whether we are born into the faith, or whether we come to it later in life, even in some cases at the end of life, the ultimate decision on whether to accept Jesus rests with each person.
Q. I was gone for eight days to attend my younger brother’s funeral and, when I returned to daily Mass at my parish, I noticed that the entrance and Communion prayers were no longer said. I asked a lector friend why, and I was told that he got a memo from the pastor with directions to no longer say those prayers. Am I missing something? Was the General Instruction of the Roman Missal changed? Can prayers said by the congregation be deleted? — W.B., California.
A. No, there has been no change in the GIRM, and no pastor has the authority to eliminate certain parts of the Mass. In fact, it says right in the General Instruction (n. 24) that “the priest will remember that he is the servant of the Sacred Liturgy and that he himself is not permitted, on his own initiative, to add, to remove, or to change anything in the celebration of Mass.” This same statement can be found in paragraph 22 of Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.
And by the way, these prayers are to be said by the priest, who may invite the congregation to join in saying them, not by the lector, so we don’t know why your lector friend should have gotten a memo about eliminating them.
Q. At my last Confession, I was told to meditate on sins of omission instead of commission. The priest said that older people, at 81, sometimes have a problem with them. I have meditated on this, but still am not certain what he was trying to explain, so any of your thoughts before I confess again and talk it over with father is appreciated. Also, I confess every other week and sometimes can’t think of what I should confess. My sister who is four years older than I told me that she has the same problem. Any suggestions? — E.C., via e-mail.
A. We posed your question to a priest who has been hearing Confessions for 28 years, and here are his comments:
There are many specific ways of sinning that generally fall into two categories: sins of commission and sins of omission. Sins of commission describe things we did and shouldn’t have done. For example, I sinned when I lied when I shouldn’t have lied. A sin of omission is the result of not doing something that God teaches I should do. St. James reminds all believers that “for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin” (James 4:17).
The classic example of this was given by Jesus in His parable of the Good Samaritan. After a man had been beaten and left in need of help, the first two men to pass by — a priest and a Levite, both of whom should have known better — failed to act. A third man, a Samaritan, stopped to show compassion to the man in need (cf. Luke 10:30-37). In using this example to teach that we are to help those in need, Jesus clearly communicated that it is sinful to avoid doing good, just as it is sinful to pursue what is evil.
What your priest in Confession was probably getting at is that, at your age and with your faith experience (you seem to be a prayerful woman), you are more likely to commit more sins of omission than commission. This means that you should make a good examination of conscience and see if there is some good that you might have left undone.
I know a lot of people your age who spend countless hours at Bingo, or a casino, for instance. While gambling is not a sin in itself, couldn’t these people have used some of that time to volunteer at a local food pantry, or help their parish priest answer the phone a couple of hours during the afternoon, or help count the weekend collection, or give someone a ride to Mass on Sundays, or spend time with grandchildren telling them about the importance of believing in Jesus, or visiting the sick or those confined to their homes?
Or you might meditate on the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. For example, have you neglected to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead? Or have you failed to admonish the sinner, instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, comfort the sorrowful, bear wrongs patiently, forgive all injuries, and pray for the living and the dead?
This is most likely what the priest was trying to stir up in your heart. Pray about it.
Q. Why does the bishop from time to time during Holy Mass remove the miter from his head and then later replace it? — G.H., Wisconsin.
A. The miter is a liturgical headdress worn by cardinals, bishops, and abbots. Originating in the 11th century, the front and back are stiff, shaped like inverted shields ending in a peak, which are pressed apart when the miter is on the head. These two pieces are sewn together at the lower part, but a cleft separates them on top and the two parts are held together by a folding cloth. Two wide lappets hang down from the back part over the shoulders. According to n. 60 of the Ceremonial of Bishops, here are the norms pertaining to wearing the miter:
“In a liturgical service the bishop is to use only one miter, plain or ornate depending on the character of the celebration. As a rule, the bishop wears the miter: when he is seated; when he gives the homily; when he greets the people, addresses them, or gives the invitation to prayer, except when he would have to lay it aside immediately afterward; when he gives a solemn blessing to the people; when he confers a sacrament; when he is walking in procession.
“The bishop does not use the miter: during the introductory rites, the opening prayer, prayer over the gifts, and prayer after Communion; during the general intercessions, the Eucharistic Prayer, the Gospel reading, hymns that are sung standing, processions in which the Blessed Sacrament or relics of the true Cross are carried; nor does he wear the miter in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed. The bishop need not use the miter and pastoral staff as he walks from one place to another nearby.”
