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Daily Scripture

+ 5th Week in Ordinary Time

It still has meaning.

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10 Mark 6:53-56

The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple. There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel. [1 Kings 8:6, 8]
_
In recent years there has been much discussion in liturgical circles about the proper location of the tabernacle in the worship space. The directives implementing the Constitution on the Liturgy by the Second Vatican Council prescribed that the tabernacle be located in prominent location in the church or chapel, preferably in a chapel dedicated to the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and appropriate for veneration. In any case, it was not to be located on the altar table used for the celebration of the Eucharist. As a result in many churches renovations, the tabernacle was moved to the ‘side altar’ previously used for the veneration of the Blessed Virgin or St. Joseph and in some churches, it was placed on the old altar previously used for Mass. In situations the old altar was replaced with a permanent pedestal on which the tabernacle was placed.

In liturgical matters, nothing is simple. Those of a more conservative disposition insisted that the location of the Tabernacle on the side altar reduced the status of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist thereby diminishing its meaning in the devotional life of the faithful. Others of a more liberal persuasion opined that in fact, the location in a separate chapel within the church assigned to the sacrament greater prominence thereby increasing the devotional aspect. Moreover, in as much as an emphasis of the ‘action’ of the Mass as the repetition of the “Lord’s Supper” was promoted by the Council, it seemed to liturgists that the location of the tabernacle in the main sanctuary behind the free standing Eucharist table would compete with the ‘action’ of the Mass as a sacred meal.

The most recent prescriptions in the United States provide that the tabernacle be located in the main sanctuary on suitably ornate pedestal. It is ironic that in the major basilicas including the basilica of St. Peter in Rome, the tabernacle is located on a side altar that is not very prominent.

Whatever the location, it should not be a bone of contention worthy of a liturgical battle. The public and private devotion to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is rooted in the long tradition of the Church and should not be disparaged. In the same way in which the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments was symbolic of God’s presence in the temple, so too, the reservation of the Eucharist Bread has been one of the longest-standing practices of the devotional life of Catholics. It is intended to extend the meaning and the effects of the Eucharistic celebration into the life of the faithful who continue to spend time in prayerful meditation on the mysteries of the life of Jesus not the least of which is his faithfulness unto death on the cross for the salvation of the world. The two aspects of Eucharist need not be in competition. The ‘Mass’ continues to be considered a “sacrificial” meal. But we need to be clear that its connection with the passion and death of Christ even as the lamb of God is not to suggest that his death was mandated to satisfy and angry God. That in my opinion is not an appropriate application of Old Testament sacrifices. No, Jesus sacrificial death was the completion of his entire sacrificial life of unqualified and indiscriminate love in the same way as the sacrificial love of partners in marriage offer their sacrificial love to one another or in the manner that Mother Teresa offered her live in sacrificial service to victims of poverty in the streets of Calctta. It is in this sense that devotion to the Eucharist in the tabernacle takes its extended meaning.

During the celebration of the Eucharist, we become what we eat. Through our devotion to the Eucharist reserved in the tabernacle, we are reminded that the Eucharistic presence in our mind, heart and soul extends into all the good works of our lives with the hope that we too will always think and act with the same sacrificial love as did Jesus in his earthly life.

Feast of the Holy Trinity 'C'

Sunday May 30, 2010

Fides quaerens intellectum
(_Faith seeking understanding_)

Young people are far more advanced intellectually today than I was when I was their age. They are able to deal with complex abstractions and ask questions we would not dare to ask about life and even about God.

In many parishes at this time of the year teens completing their elementary education or their freshman year of high school are invited to participate in the Christian formation process leading to the Sacrament of Confirmation. Prospective candidates and their parents are invited an orientation session during which the Confirmation formation team explains the meaning of the Sacrament in the life of the Catholic and the details of the process leading to the celebration of Confirmation. This meeting provides the ingredients necessary for teens and parents to make an enlightened decision to participate or postpone their Confirmation to a later time. Readiness is important. It is not true that Catholics cannot be married in the Church if they have not received Confirmation.

If after a fruitful family discussion, prospective candidates decide to participate, they are asked to complete an application form accompanied by a personal letter of introduction containing a very brief biography with an expression of their general interests and hobbies. Some go on for two pages; others state it in two sentences. The application form requests information about their school life and contains multiple-choice questions about their relationship with God and their faith practice. There is also a section for parents to sign indicating that they will support the formation process and commit themselves to regular worship.

Teens are usually assertive in their self-disclosure and expression of opinion. For example, to the multiple choice questions about God and the practice of their faith, many teens check the phrase, “I believe in God but God is not an important part of my life right now.” No need to be shocked. At their age God is an abstract concept. They may have learned about God in catechism but they are only waking up to faith and religious practice. They haven’t lived long enough to have experienced a deep need for God – except before exams or an important athletic event.

To the options on Mass attendance, increasing numbers respond: occasionally or seldom. Many are twice a month. Less than a third attend on a weekly basis. This seems to correspond to national statistics. The reasons are diverse: sports, travel, church scandals and “my parents don’t go.”

In any event, the Confirmation process seeks to provide exposure to the best in religious practice at an age appropriate level so that in a safe and open environment teens may ask questions and search for meaning through the lens of their emerging faith. It is more experiential than academic – more like an extended Antioch weekend or Cornerstone retreat. It is not CCD or a course in graduate catechetics. Faith is caught not taught! Young people need to be carefully mentored and gently monitored. They don’t need to be corralled or controlled. It is our hope that at the end of the process, they will be able to say that they are glad they participated despite the fact that they were nudged into the process. This is why parental participation is so important. “It’s a family affair!”

From those teens who participate fully, feedback tends to be very positive. Community service has been a strong quality of the Confirmation process. It’s what we call “hands-on” Christianity. We learn by doing—and doing it for the right reasons.

As an erudite young priest I thought simplistically that faith was imparted by through education. I couldn’t wait to explain all the complex theological mysteries of our faith, not the least of which is the Holy Trinity. Of course I failed miserably. The congregation went to sleep.

The theological definition of the Trinity was the result of four centuries of discussion and debate among early theologians known as the “Church Fathers” and in some circles appropriately as the “Church Fathers and Mothers” as they attempted to explain the inner life of God as it was manifested in creation, then in Christ—the living Word and wisdom of God in human form and ultimately in the followers of Christ who Paul calls the Body of Christ—people animated by the Spirit of Christ, animators of the living Word of God.

Now more than ever we need responsible Catholics who think through their life decisions through the lens of faith. We do not need robot Catholics. It is more important to live the mystery of the triune God than to define or explain it. Once we have lived the mystery, then we can pursue understanding.

People who have gone through tough times know who God is because that’s when they needed God the most and God did not disappoint them.

From the very moment of our existence we were destined to see God’s face in creation and to live God’s love in Christ on this earth and to be animated by the Spirit of God’s wisdom in all the decisions of life. There is no better way than the daily commitment to seek God in all things under all circumstances.

The Holy Trinity remains an abstract concept as long as we try to explain it. Those who embrace life with faith despite periodic doubts come to know God in a personal way, smell God’s breath in the air and swim in the sea of God’s grace without drowning. They flourish in faith, and revel in the pursuit of the mystery through contemplation, prayer and celebration.

This is the faith we want to pass on to our young people.