Catholic Replies
Q. Can you explain the passage in Luke 7:18-23 where John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is “the one who is to come,” i.e., the Messiah? I thought John already knew this since he said to Jesus when our Lord came to him for baptism, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me” (Matt. 3:14) — K.R., Connecticut.
A. John knew that the Messiah was coming, but he may not have been absolutely certain that it was Jesus. After all, Jesus had gone to great lengths to conceal that He was the Messiah since the people of the time were expecting a warrior-Messiah who would overthrow the Romans. So John may have been looking for a clear statement from Jesus, which was not forthcoming.
Instead, Jesus told the disciples to go and tell the Baptist “what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Luke 7:22).
While Jesus did not give the two disciples an explicit yes to their question, He did cite the prophetic words of Isaiah about the eyes of the blind being opened, the ears of the deaf being cleared, the lame leaping like a stag, and the tongue of the dumb singing (cf. Isaiah 29:18, 35:5-6), as well as glad tidings being brought to the poor (Isaiah 61:1). John would have recognized these miraculous works as pointing to the Messiah.
Or perhaps John was trying to convince his devoted followers to transfer their allegiance to Jesus. In his Life of Christ, Giuseppe Ricciotti offered these thoughts:
“Many of the Fathers and numerous modern commentators consider John’s question merely an expedient to make his disciples go over to Jesus and convince them that he was the Messias. This explanation is undoubtedly a true one, but it contains only part of the truth. Recent studies, which reveal with increasing clarity the gradual way in which Jesus manifested himself as the Messias, particularly favor the explanation given above, which, while it in no way excludes John’s desire to make his disciples join Jesus, takes into account both the gradualness with which Jesus revealed himself as the Messias and the anxiety which that gradualness excited in John” (pp. 342-343 fn.).
Q. When did the use of candles come into practice in the Catholic Church? — M.A., Pennsylvania.
A. According to Fr. Jovian P. Lang’s Dictionary of the Liturgy, candles were originally used for lighting purposes, but “by the 4th century popular customs arose to use candles for honorary reasons, such as carrying them ahead of the celebrant as a sign of respect, and eventually for religious purposes, giving symbolic emphasis to the candle as a symbol of Christ.”
He said that “throughout the centuries, there were occasions when many candles were merely of ornamental value, used largely for decoration, as were the candelabra. Among the religious or ceremonial uses of lamps or candles were: (a) placing them before the shrines of Martyrs, before relics and sacred images, (b) carrying them during processions, particularly of the Eucharist, and (c) lighting them for the celebration of liturgical functions, e.g., during the celebration of the Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours, and certain blessings.”
Fr. Lang said that “candles at Mass became obligatory only in the 17th century. In an ordinary Mass, two lighted candles are required. In a more festive Mass, six are allowed and a seventh is added at a pontifical Mass celebrated by the Ordinary. These candles, as well as the Paschal Candle, should be at least 65 percent beeswax unless the Episcopal Conference determines otherwise. Symbolically, the candle represents Christ as the light of the world (Easter Vigil). Illumination by candlelight is usually a sign of joy” (p. 79).
Q. With more and more states voting to legalize the use of marijuana, shouldn’t there be more concern about the effects this drug may have on future generations of Americans? We have for years been told that smoking tobacco is harmful to our health. Why then are we now promoting use of marijuana? It doesn’t make sense. — A.C., Florida.
A. No, it doesn’t make sense. Marijuana is not the harmless drug that promoters of its legalization contend. According to an article in the June 2014 New England Journal of Medicine, marijuana is associated with “substantial adverse effects, some of which have been determined with a high level of confidence.”
These effects, said Fr. Tad Pacholczyk of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, include “the risk of addiction, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, an elevated incidence of fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle accidents, and diminished lifetime achievement and school performance in cases of long-term use, especially beginning in adolescence. We can add that the decision to use a drug recreationally for the purposes of dissociating ourselves from reality through induced euphoria raises significant moral concerns and, like all unethical human choices, can be expected to correlate with significant adverse ramifications.”
The addictive potential of marijuana was spelled out in the NEJM article, which was written by researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health:
“Approximately 9 percent of those who experiment with marijuana will become addicted….The number goes up to about 1 in 6 among those who start using marijuana as teenagers and to 25 to 50 percent among those who smoke marijuana daily. According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 2.7 million people 12 years of age and older met the DSM-IV criteria of dependence on marijuana, and 5.1 million people met the criteria for dependence on any illicit drug (8.6 million met the criteria for dependence on alcohol)….Indeed, early and regular marijuana use predicts an increased risk of the use of other illicit drugs.”
Q. One problem when preparing teenagers for Confession is that some of them don’t think they commit any sins. Any suggestions on how to address this matter? — G.K, Georgia.
A. Maybe you can mention some of the sins listed by Msgr. Charles Pope in a recent column about using Advent to get ready for Christmas, Msgr. Pope said that the problem you mention “is not just a collective one; each of us is personally sinful and needs a savior. If we are honest we must admit that we can be selfish, egotistical, rude, insensitive, prideful, lustful, greedy, unkind, and ungrateful. We can be dishonest, insincere, shallow, inconsistent, double-minded, and uncommitted. We can be stingy, selfish, petty, spiteful, hateful, wrathful, vengeful, and just plain mean.
“We struggle with laziness, indifference, worldliness, and lack of discipline. We routinely fail to give witness to Christ and to our faith. We fail to submit our will to God, to give good example, to act justly, to show mercy, and to repent. We fail to obey God, lead a holy life, stand up for justice, speak the truth, call sinners to Christ, and pray for others. Did I mention somewhere that we need a savior?”
He said that “one of the great problems in the Church today is the suppression of the ‘bad news.’ Many in the Church prefer not to talk clearly and directly about sin. If it is mentioned at all, it is usually by way of abstractions and generalities. The paradoxical result of this suppression is not a happier Church, but a lukewarm, in some ways sadder one. Largely gone are the religious festivals, the joyful processions, and the confident public expression of Catholic faith.
“So, remember this: A good Advent sets the stage for a joyful Christmas. This joy is different from the sentimentality about snow, lights, and tinsel. It is a deep, grateful joy that comes from knowing we are loved and have been rescued despite our sin. Permanent joy and salvation await us if we persevere in running the race of faith. Paradoxically, it comes from being deeply aware of our sinful condition. Make a good Advent. Listen carefully to its message: ‘You need a savior!’ If you deny sin, you deny the Savior. If you deny the Savior and the need for salvation, then Christmas and the cross are emptied of meaning.”
