When you meet a boy, and you find out his name, say, "Gee, 'Father Josh' has a good sound to it, doesn't it?" He'll grin, and usually nod. Who knows?
...Let me tell you what it did not say. The Council did not say that tabernacles should be moved from their central location to some other location. In fact, it specifically said we should be concerned about the worthy and dignified placing of the tabernacle. The Council did not say that Mass should be celebrated facing the people. That is not in Vatican II; it is not mentioned. It is not even raised in the documents that record the formation of the Constitution on the Liturgy; it didn't come up. Mass facing the people is a not requirement of Vatican II; it is not in the spirit of Vatican II; it is definitely not in the letter of Vatican II. It is something introduced in 1969.
And, by the way, never in the history of the Church, East or West, was there a tradition of celebrating Mass facing the people. Never, ever, until 1969. It happened occasionally in Germany, in between the wars; it was done sometimes at the castle where Romano Guardini would have his group of students meet; it was done in Austria near Vienna by Pius Parsch in a special church, in what he called a "liturgical Mass." That's an odd expression, a "liturgical Mass." The Mass is the liturgy.
Where is a priest and a piece of chalk when we need it?It is customary, especially in Central Europe, for the faithful to bless their houses at the Epiphany with blessed chalk. They write over their front door: 20 + C + M + B + 07. Obviously, the digits, which appear at the beginning and end of the line, designate the new year. ‘CMB’ stands for the traditional names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) and also signifies the Latin prayer Christus Mansionem Benedicat or ‘May Christ bless this dwelling!’
The inscription is made above the front door or porch, so that all who enter and depart the home may enjoy God’s blessing. It also provides a very public witness to the Faith.
In my previous parish, the priests blessed broken bits of chalk (easily purchased from a stationary shop) at the end of each Epiphany Mass, using the traditional formula from the Rituale:
O Lord God, bless this chalk that it may be used for the salvation of the human race. Through the invocation of Thy most Holy Name grant that whoever shall take of this chalk and write with it upon the doors of his house the names of Thy saints, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, may through their merits and intercession receive health of body and protection of soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
After sprinkling the chalk with Holy Water, it was then distributed to the faithful, together with information sheets explaining the custom. The use of Epiphany Chalk is increasing slowly in this countruy - I keep noticing houses (and particularly presbyteries) with the 'CMB' inscription - and it is mentioned in the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (#118).
Picture courtesy of Chris
“Take courage and be a man. Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following His ways and observing His statutes, commands, ordinances and decrees,that you may succeed in whatever you do.” - 1 Kings 2:2-3
I. Develop an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus, allowing Him to forgive you of your past, to talk to you, to heal you and to guide you. Then, trust the Holy Spirit in all things. Trust Him to provide everything you need, including financial help.
II. Get your priorities in order: Jesus first, your wife second, your children third, your work fourth, etc. Develop a weekly schedule, blocking out quality time for the Lord, your wife, each child and the family as a whole. A husband’s most important time during any given day is the first five minutes when he gets home from work and the love and attention he shows his wife and children at that time. Remember that your human fatherhood is rooted in the Divine Fatherhood of
Almighty God (cf. Ephesians 3:14-15; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2214).
III. Realize that you are the “priest” of the home. It is your primary responsibility to oversee the TV and its influence, the Internet and its influence, as well as the books and magazines that enter into your home. You must stand firmly against all evil influences, asking constantly for God’s strength and guidance to lead your family in living a pure, holy and non-violent lifestyle. Esto vir! ( Be a man!). A father fosters moral virtue within his home first and foremost by example. Get into the habit of blessing your children – both alone and with your wife – before they go to sleep at night or before they leave the house in the morning.
IV. Make sure you know what your children are being taught at school regarding morals and values. All teachers teach “in your place” as you and your wife are the primary educators of your children. If objectionable subjects or materials are being taught in the classroom, you must stand strong. The primary place for Christian morals and values to be taught and practiced is within the family home – your home, which you oversee. This is an awesome responsibility given both to you (as the “head” of your household) and to your wife (as the “heart” of your household). Realize that your headship is to be modeled after the headship of the wise and prudent king who loves and rules over his kingdom and its inhabitants. Your headship is not to be modeled after the headship of the master who rules over his slaves. You do not exist as the head of your family to have your needs met, but rather to have your family’s needs met. Your headship is not about you being served, but rather about you serving. Your headship is about sacrificial love and service. As head of the family, you are called to great
responsibility. Many husbands and fathers want headship without the responsibility it demands. Dare to discipline with love and firmness. The wise and prudent king loves all of the subjects within his kingdom and wishes to see them prosper in the fullness of beauty and Truth. He desires to bring them all to the fullness of Truth and prosperity. Jesus Christ Himself is the Head of His Church; He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. St. Augustine calls the family the “domestic church.” You are the “head” and “king” and “lord” of this domestic church: “The place and task of the father in and for the family is of unique and irreplaceable importance. In revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God (cf. Ephesians 3:14- 15), a man is called upon to ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family” (Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio [ The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World], 25).
V. Pray with your wife and regularly so. Try to keep a simple, but sincere spiritual journal and share it with her, even if your entries are just short, inspirational sentences. Trust the Lord to guide, purify and sanctify your relationship with your wife. She is the “heart” of the home. Reverence her as such. Love her with the same love and affection Christ has for His Church. Remember that your sons will grow up to relate to women much in the same way that they saw you relate to your wife.
Similarly, your daughters will learn from their father what to expect from men in a relationship. Share with your wife her burdens, her sorrows and her joys. Ask the Lord for the strength to love her with the same love and purity with which He loves His Bride, the Church.
VI. Spend quality time with each child. Treat each child in a unique and personal way. The power of a father’s affirming love is tremendously overwhelming and something truly wonderful. Children need it. They require it for their full and proper development. Let each child share his or her ideas, feelings, fears and problems with you. Do everything in your power to ensure that your child can always approach you in any matter. Be sure to share periodically with your wife your insights concerning each child. Discipline with firmness and love (again, your model here is that of the wise and prudent king who rules over the inhabitants of his kingdom with a firm, but great love and not of the master who rules over his slaves).
VII. Consecrate your home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Set up a “prayer corner” within the home in the room where the family most gathers. In this room should be an “altar-table.” On this table place a Bible, a good condensed version of the Lives of the Saints and a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. On or around this table also place images (statues, pictures or icons) of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The daily family Rosary is a powerful prayer. If your children are still small, pray only a decade of the Rosary and/or vary it daily with the Chaplet of Divine
Mercy. A wonderful, fixed time for daily family prayer and spiritual reading (say, a total of just 15 or 20 minutes) is immediately after supper each evening. Included here could be the Readings from the Mass of the day; purchase a daily Roman missal for this. Again, remember that you are the priest of the home. As such, you are called to be a true leader. A child will remember well into his adult life these early family practices of the Faith. They will never be forgotten. A father must be the first Christian witness to his wife and children. This is both a duty and a responsibility. Also, be sure to foster the use of sacramentals among your family members. Sacramentals are “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” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary ).
Examples of sacramentals include the Sign of the Cross, holy water, enrollment in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, religious medals, blessings, pilgrimages, processions, the Stations of the Cross, sacred art, rosaries and the veneration of relics. While sacramentals do differ from the seven Sacraments, they are still very important in the life of a Catholic Christian. Also, promote visits to the Blessed Sacrament with your family members, for instance, when in town running errands.
VIII. Do not let sports or outside activities become more important to you or to your children than Christ and family. Sports have become a false god in America today – especially on Sundays – and we tend to overemphasize them. Spend fun time at home. Do things together as a family. This calls for creativity, imagination and frequent planning in advance. Seek suggestions from your wife and older children in this regard.
IX. Pray that each one of your children may answer the call to the vocation that Almighty God has chosen for him or her from all eternity. Never ask your children, “What do you want to be?” Rather, ask each child, “What do you think God is calling you to be?” Help them to discern their states-in-life, whether it be singlehood , the married state or consecrated religious life. Have this discussion often with your children, especially after they reach the age of 15.
X. Ensure the frequenting of the Sacraments by your family members. The Sacrament of Confession should be partaken of at least monthly and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist should be partaken of at least weekly. You must make sure that your family’s sense of sin is never dulled. Take your family to Sunday Mass precisely as a family. Do not give your teenagers an option here. If you do, you are not fulfilling your vocation as a father. Foster among your family members a great love of the Holy Eucharist. Tithe regularly and devotedly. Do everything in your power (as the wise and prudent king of your home) to truly make Sunday the Lord’s Day and a day of family togetherness; that is, a day of prayer, relaxation and recreation. Again, this calls for creativity, imagination and frequent planning in advance. Seek input from your wife and older children in this regard. Remember, any good and wholesome recreation is really a “re-creation” of both body and soul. (Inspired by and adapted from Superabundant Family Love by Fr. Bill McCarthy, MSA)
PRAYER FOR OUR FAMILY
Heavenly Father, most good and gracious God, sustain our family in Your love. Make our family home a place where holiness and love abound. In our daily actions, help each one of us to learn to be more like Jesus. Aid our family to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Help our family to learn from the good example of those families that especially please You in their way of life. May our family members learn to give good example always by living lives in true Christian faith, hope and love. Assist our family in learning to bear pain and suffering as Jesus did. Aid our family members, too, in overcoming difficulties and carrying their crosses. Help our family life to lead to Jesus Christ, the Source of all Truth and happiness. We ask this through Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. AMEN.
F AMILY P RAYER T O O UR B LESSED M OTHER, M ARY
Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, we seek your patronage and we invoke you under your title “Queen of Families.” O Blessed Mother, you were conceived without sin. May every family choose you this day as the model for their household, along with St. Joseph, your most loving, chaste and caring spouse. Through your Immaculate Conception, preserve all families from every disaster, from all violence and from every misfortune. O Holy Virgin, bless and protect all families, strengthen them in trial and keep them from every evil. AMEN.
Fr. Wade L. J. Menezes, CPM
The Fathers of Mercy
806 Shaker Museum Road
Auburn, KY 42206
(270) 542-4146
Web site: www.fathersofmercy.com . e-mail: vocations@fathersofmercy.com
(With the permission of the Superior)
Picture courtesy of Living Water Community
It’s safe to say that God didn’t just pick his Son’s name out
of a hat.
When the Magi arrived to worship the newborn King on that
first Epiphany, surely one of the first things they asked about was the baby’s name.
And the husband and wife at the baby’s side were ready with their
answer.
Nine months prior, an angel had appeared to Joseph in a dream.
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home,” the angel said. “For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
In first-century Judaism, the Hebrew name Joshua (Greek Iesous) means “Yahweh saves.”
“When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good and not evil, all the days of her life.” - Proverbs 31:10-12
I. Develop an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is your primary love. Allow Him to move you, forgive you, speak to you, guide you, heal you and fill you. Try to keep a spiritual journal of the inspirational messages you sense from Him, even if the entries are just short, encouraging and inspirational sentences; share these with your husband.
II. Keep your priorities in order – Jesus first, your husband second, your children third, etc. The best thing you can do for your husband is to love Jesus and see Him in your husband, despite any faults and weaknesses your husband might have. The best thing you can do for your children is to let them see you love their father. Try not to work outside the home. If you do need to work outside the home, try to make sure that your work does not interfere with your primary responsibilities as a Catholic Christian wife , mother and woman living in the midst of the modern world. There is great dignity in the domesticity of this three-fold aspect of your one vocation. Develop a weekly schedule setting aside primary time for Jesus, for your husband and for each child.
III. Realize that you are the “heart” of the home and that your husband is the “head” of the home. Both head and heart work together for the benefit of the whole body, which in this regard is the family. Even on a purely natural level, one’s head and heart work together for the benefit of the body: the heart pumps blood to the head, the head processes it and is able to function and work rationally. It is your primary duty and responsibility to work with your husband and support him with your love. Love is your greatest gift.
IV. Let your husband know the problems and difficulties that you and your children are experiencing in striving to live strong Christian lives amidst a secular society. Remember that Christians are called to be “in the world, but not of the world.” Work with God and your husband toward solutions. For example, TV is dangerous because of the violence and sexual promiscuity that dominate many programs today. Decide with your husband which television programs you will allow the family to watch. You and your husband must be disciplined in this regard, too. For example, sports have become a false god in America – especially on Sundays – and we tend to overemphasize them. Similarly, soap operas glamorize immoral and illicit relationships.
V. Pray with your husband and regularly so. Share your insights with him. If you keep a spiritual journal, share it with him. Ask and allow the Lord to sanctify and purify your relationship with your husband. Ask the Lord for the strength to love your husband with the same love and purity He has for you and His Church.
VI. Spend quality time with each child, loving each one fully as he or she needs. There is nothing to compare with a mother’s love in a child’s life. You will intuitively know each child’s needs and problems. Treat each child in a unique and personal way. The power of a mother’s affirming love is tremendously overwhelming and something truly wonderful. Children need it. They require it for their full and proper development. Share openly with your children and allow them to be open with you. You should know their fears, worries and temptations. Pray daily for guidance and wisdom – both for yourself and for them. Dare to discipline with love and firmness.
VII. Support your husband in setting up a place for family devotions within your home. Encourage your family members at family devotions to place everything in God’s hands – worries, fears, doubts, difficulties and temptations. Establish a family “Book of Petitions” similar to that which is found in your parish church and which family members can freely write in. Instill in them the Truth that God is really their Father and that the Blessed Virgin Mary is really their Mother. Instill in them, too, that the Holy Spirit is really present to each one of them, desiring to work actively in each one of their lives.
Remind them that Jesus lives in their hearts, is speaking to them and is constantly loving them and is willing to forgive them. Foster the use of sacramentals among your family members. Sacramentals are “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” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary ).
Examples of sacramentals include the Sign of the Cross, holy water, enrollment in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, religious medals, blessings, pilgrimages, processions, the Stations of the Cross, sacred art, rosaries and the veneration of relics. While sacramentals do differ from the seven Sacraments, they are still very important in the life of a Catholic Christian. Also, promote spontaneous visits to the Blessed Sacrament with your family members, for instance, when in town running errands.
VIII. Try to set the tone in living a simple, humble and non-violent lifestyle. This is a challenge in the materialistic, pleasure seeking and individualistic culture in which we live today. You are called to heroic virtue here – the very stuff for which a person is canonized a Saint. Movie stars, TV heroes and sports heroes are generally not the best role models for children. Keep watch over the songs your children are listening to and the posters they hang up in their bedrooms. This calls for wisdom on the part of both you and your husband – and firm, loving discipline and order from both of you.
IX. Try to discern with your children – individually – the call of the Lord upon each one of their lives. Each child is called to put God first and to serve Him with his or her whole heart. This is a difficult, yet heroic task in today’s world. You can teach your children how to do it. Pray for the wisdom and know-how.
X. With your husband, make Sunday truly the Lord’s Day and a day of family togetherness. Encourage your family to receive frequently the Sacrament of Confession and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Help to ensure the celebrating of the Sacraments by your family members on a regular basis. The Sacrament of Confession should be partaken of at least monthly and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist should be partaken of at least weekly. Take your family to Sunday Mass precisely as a family. Do not give your teenagers an option here. If you do, you are not fulfilling your vocation as a mother. Again, do everything in your power to make Sunday the Lord’s Day and a day of family togetherness; that is, a day of prayer, relaxation and recreation. This calls for creativity, imagination and frequent planning in advance. Seek input from your husband and older children in this regard. Remember, any good and wholesome recreation is really a “re-creation” of both body and soul.
(Inspired by and adapted from Superabundant Family Love by Fr. Bill McCarthy, MSA)
PRAYER FOR OUR FAMILY
Heavenly Father, most good and gracious God, sustain our family in Your love. Make our family home a place where holiness and love abound. In our daily actions, help each one of us to learn to be more like Jesus. Aid our family to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Help our family to learn from the good example of those families that especially please You in their way of life. May our family members learn to give good example always by living lives in true Christian faith, hope and love. Assist our family in learning to bear pain and suffering as Jesus did. Aid our family members, too, in overcoming difficulties and carrying their crosses. Help our family life to lead to Jesus Christ, the Source of all Truth and happiness. We ask this through Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. AMEN.
FAMILY PRAYER TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER, MARY
Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, we seek your patronage and we invoke you under your title “Queen of Families.” O Blessed Mother, you were conceived without sin. May every family choose you this day as the model for their household, along with St. Joseph, your most loving, chaste and caring spouse. Through your Immaculate Conception, preserve all families from every disaster, from all violence and from every misfortune. O Holy Virgin, bless and protect all families, strengthen them in trial and keep them from every evil. AMEN.
Fr. Wade L. J. Menezes, CPM
The Fathers of Mercy
806 Shaker Museum Road
Auburn, KY 42206
(270) 542-4146
Web site: www.fathersofmercy.com . e-mail: vocations@fathersofmercy.com
(With the permission of the Superior)
Please pray for the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary in Union
City, NJ. They are a small Order and at this point, will have to
close in the next 6 months if they don't get vocations. The Sisters
do not have a web site or email address. In speaking with
sub-Prioress, Sister Carol, she shared that if they don't get the
vocations they need to continue, they will merge with another
Order. Please pray with me that if it is God's will that they merge,
that He will clearly lead them to the right community, and if He
wants them to remain, He will make their community irresistible to
those discerning a vocation, and right away.
Here is their address and phone
number:
Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary
Blue Chapel
605
14th Street
Union City, New Jersey 07087-3115
(201) 866-7004
Please pray for the Sisters.
Through Him, With Him, In Him,
Sue
On January 1, the Church commemorates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God- the greatest title of Mary. This feast in the oldest Marian feast of the church of Rome and it celebrates Mary's vocation to be the mother of Jesus Christ. Through Mary, Jesus Christ entered this world, taking on human flesh and a human soul. Jesus is true God and true man. In His person are united both a divine nature and a human nature. Mary is in every history with Jesus and by her intercession
we obtain all necessary graces to our life. Besides, being the Mother of God, Mary assumed the mother of all humanity working and helping all those who seek her. So when we look at the image of the Virgin Mary we felt an encouragement in our heart which fortifies our spirituality and comfort our soul. It is the fragrance of the immense and grandiose love.
Prayer for Mary, Mother of God
God our Father, may we always profit by the prayers of the Virgin Mother Mary, for you bring us life and salvation through Jesus Christ her Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
The Fathers of Mercy is a Roman Catholic Congregation of Priests. Our primary Apostolate is to preach parish missions and retreats, with an emphasis on the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Confession. We are interested in solid Catholic men who are interested in a priestly and religious vocation.
Picture courtesy of EWTN
