Catechism of The Old Catholic Church

CATECHISM OF ST.
THOMAS OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH

DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS
THE MOST REV. ROBERT W. BURGESS, D. MIN.
With grateful recognition for the many hours and editorial

skill contributed to this booklet by the
Rev. Deacon Laurie M. Burgess who now rests in
the presence of our Lord.
Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. This booklet may be freely reproduced by Old Catholic ministries
affiliated and in communion with The American Old Catholic Churches, 303.750.9120.
FOR ALL OTHERS, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
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WHAT’S INSIDE THE CATECHISM GUIDE ►
WHY BE CHRISTIAN AND CATHOLIC ……………………………………………………… 5
The INVITATION ………………………………………………………………………………. 5
THE JOURNEY ………………………………………………………………………………... 6
ROLE MODELS ……………………………………………………………………………….. 7
RIGHT INSIGHT……………………………………………………………………………….. 9
WHAT ARE SOME DISTINCTIVES ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC ……….. 11
ONE ANSWER IS TRADITION ……………………………………………………………………11
CHRISTIAN CATHOLICS HAVE AN APPRECIATION OF CREATION …………………………………… 11
CATHOLIC TRADITION MAINTAINS A WORLD VIEW ………………………………………………. 13
CATHOLIC TRADITION GIVE THE INVITATION FOR PERSONAL HOLINESS …………………………… 14
ONE OF THE GREAT TRADITIONS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY …………….. 15
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH ………………………………………………………….. 17
JESUS CHRIST IS THE FIRST AND GREATEST SACRAMENT ………………………………………. 19
THE SACRAMENTS, A MEANS OF GRACE ………………………………………………………. 20
THE FOCUS OF OUR ATTENTION IN THE SACRAMENTS ……………………………………………21
WORD AND SACRAMENT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER …………………………………………... 21
THE BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF THE M ASS ……………………………………………………….. 22
THE EUCHARISTIC MEAL ……………………………………………………………………... 24
THE EUCHARISTIC SACRIFICE ………………………………………………….……………... 26
THE RITUAL ELEMENTS OF THE M ASS …………………………………………………………. 29
THE LITURGICAL CYCLE OF THE CHURCH YEAR ………………………………………………… 32
M ASS PRAYERS ARE BIBLICAL PRAYERS ………………………………………………………. 34
THE TWO SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION: BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION ……………………………. 39
INFANT BAPTISM …………………………………………………………………………….. 40
October 2007 2 Copyright © 2007

All scripture quotes and references from NIV Bible
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH CONTINUED
CONFIRMATION ……………………………………………………………………………… 43
THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST ………………………………………………………….. 45
EUCHARIST WORDS OF CONSECRATION ……………………………………………………….. 47
THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION …………………………………………………………. 48
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY MATRIMONY ……………………………………………………….. 50
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS ……………………………………………………………50
THE DIACONATE …………………………………………………………………………….. 51
THE PRIESTHOOD …………………………………………………………………………….51
THE FUNCTIONS OF A PRIEST …………………………………………………………………. 52
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BISHOP ………………………………………………………………. 53
THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK ……………………………………………… 54
WORSHIP AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ………………………………………………………….. 56
CHRIST AND THE LIFE OF PRAYER ……………………………………………………….. 59
PRIVATE AND LITURGICAL PRAYER ……………………………………………………… 61
INDIVIDUAL PRAYER …………………………………………………………………………. 61
VOCAL PRAYER ………………………………………………………………………………61
SPONTANEOUS PRAYER ……………………………………………………………………… 61
MENTAL PRAYER: MEDITATION AND CONTEMPLATION ………………………………………….. 62
METHODS AND DIVISIONS OF MENTAL PRAYER …………………………………………………. 62
MEDITATION ………………………………………………………………………. ……….. 63
AFFECTIVE PRAYER …………………………………………………………………………. 63
CONTEMPLATION ……………………………………………………………………………. 64

PRIVATE AND LITURGICAL PRAYER CONTINUED
GROWTH IN PRAYER AND CHRISTIAN LIVING …………………………………………………… 64
SHARED PRAYER ……………………………………………………………………………. 64
LITURGICAL PRAYER ………………………………………………………………………….65
INTERCESSION OF THE SAINTS …………………………………………………………… 66
LIVING SAINTS ………………………………………………………………………………. 66
PRAYING SAINTS ……...……………………………………………………………………. 67
THE EARLY CHURCH ……………………………………………………………………..…. 68
A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES ………………………………………………………….…… 69
VENERATION ……………………………………………………………………………….. 70

WHY BE CHRISTIAN AND CATHOLIC
This journey begins with an invitation. It is an invitation to a new way of life.

It is fashioned with an approach which looks at the wholeness of life. One
might call this a holistic mission towards our personal and corporate
spirituality. This journey is founded upon personal faith in Christ Jesus as
Lord and Savior. It is built upon tradition, the appreciation of God’s creation,
a unified vision of the church, personal holiness, and the call to community.
The Invitation
When we seek to know more of Christ or draw nearer to God, we are

accepting His invitation. During Christ’s time to eat at someone’s table
meant to be part of that person’s life. In Luke 19:1-10, Jesus was telling
Zaccheus that He wanted to be part of his life. Zaccheus knew that if Jesus
were to be part of his life he would have to close his heart to greed.
Q. How does my response to Jesus’ invitation into my life
compare to that of Zaccheus?
When Jesus first called His disciples, they did not hesitate to drop every-
thing and follow Him. Mark tells us that we must be willing to abandon
all when Jesus invites us to join in His journey [Mark 1:16-20].
Q. How does my response to Christ’s invitation for my life
compare to the early disciples?

The rich man in Matt. 19:16-22, was proud of the fact that he kept the
commandments. But when invited to join Jesus, he was unable to leave his
wealth and follow Jesus.
Q. How does the message of the rich young man compare
with my response to the invitation of Jesus?
In the media today we hear of dedicated people who sacrifice their lives or
are suffering for the sake of the message of the gospel. Some serve the
poor while others put their lives in danger to proclaim the message of
salvation.
Q. How do I respond to Christ’s call to follow Him as I
live my life daily?
The Journey
It has been said that a journey begins with the first step. When encountering
new adventures in life we begin different phases of our journey. We meet
new friends, deepen our love with those we know, enter new mysteries,
tragedies, joys and discoveries. We not only move our feet, but we
experience the movement of our hearts. The message of Jesus is an
invitation to a journey. He invites us to be His disciples, but He also warns us
of the suffering and hardships along the way. He offers new joy, new life,
and new understanding.
When the disciples in John 1:35-42 asked Jesus where He lived, they were
also asking if they were accepted as disciples. Jesus in turn invited them to
join Him on the journey and to come, see, and learn from Him.
Q. What does the scripture say about the attitude I must
have to journey through life with Jesus?

As Jesus went about healing the sick and afflicted, the people swarmed
around Him everywhere He went. The disciples were quite fond of this new
fame and even interrupted Jesus as He prayed. Jesus reminded them of His
mission and journey, which He received through prayer, [Mark 1:32-39].
Q. How does prayer help me to understand my journey
with Christ?
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus speaks of His journey to Jerusalem. Jesus taught

that He had come to build and to save, and everyone was important to Him.
Jesus heads toward His passion, death and resurrection, and He asked us
to fully commit ourselves on our journey with Him, [Luke 9:51-62].
Q. What does the scripture say concerning my journey
through life as a disciple of Christ?
Role Models
We can learn from the Disciples and Saints of old what it means to be a
Christian and Catholic. Where they lived, they were always free. They were
free to love because of the wholehearted love for God and their love
embraced all of God’s creation. By allowing God’s love to take possession
of their hearts, their love extended to everybody that God loves. They were
free to love, for by living only for God they were liberated from lesser
concerns, by surrendering to God, and thus allowing God to live in them,
they became all that God wanted them to become. In the culture of our day,

these past examples of deep spirituality become our pathways to Christian
maturity and freedom in Christ. However, the freedoms that the Saints of old
enjoyed were not without a price. There is no cheap grace. The Saints
found the pearl of great price spoken of in the Gospels, and they were willing
to give their lives for its possession. The first challenge to us is to join with
the Saints of the past in the daily struggle of the carnal flesh warring against
the will of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This is an inward struggle, as each of us
has a self that is “me centered” and wants to have its own way, have its
desires satisfied, and craves to be in control of its own destiny.
There is in us the sin nature that does not want to give up being selfish, yet it
is only by becoming selfless, that we are freed from the demands of self. It
is only by surrendering to God that we find true happiness, and the liberty to
love wholeheartedly.
The second struggle is with the world around us. There are many good
things in the world, but far too often the good things of the world become the
enemy of what is best for us. We too often settle for second best for our
lives. The Saints often faced family and friends who told them to be satisfied
with just being good, just to obey the commandments, go to church, lead a
decent life, just make a living and get along, etc. They had to struggle with
the temptation of settling with these things instead of walking in holiness.
The Saints also had to struggle with the political and social situations of their
day and what was politically right, all of which tried to force them to conform.
In the face of such things the saints risked their lives, even unto martyrdom.
What I am attempting to say, to be a Christian and a Catholic, is to be part of

a tradition which is ultimately a walk of saintliness. It is a tradition of a
people and a church that is like a sea of holiness whose tide rises on waves
of spiritual renewal. On the caps of those waves stand the Saints who have
been pulled up, into a unique spiritual maturity. They are now our examples,
drawing us upward toward greater holiness. The Saints stood on the
tradition of the Apostles that supported them, leading the way to the mystery
of self surrender, or “emptiness” that the mystics say is to be filled with the
Holy Trinity. Being a Christian Catholic leads us to not just admire the Saints
of old, but to emulate them and truly become “priests and kings unto our
God,” [Rev. 1:5-6] and live as saints right now. This life exhibits not just
knowing about Christianity; it is living Christianity from the heart. It is the way
to live freely, fully, and lovingly.

If the wisdom of Catholic Christianity is depicted in the Saints, then the
challenge of Catholic Christianity is that each and every one of us can be like
them in our own way. We must individually and collectively, as a community,
learn to live the gospel authentically, and then commit to putting that vision
into practice. If the gospel of Jesus Christ was good for the Saints of old and
the world of their time then the gospel of salvation is good for us and our
world as well. We must live it as radically as did the Saints. But the question
is, how?
Right Insight
We use the word see to describe the ability to see with our eyes or to truly
understand something. We cannot see love, but we can experience it
through actions, feelings, touch, and time spent together. We use the axiom
“There is more to this than meets the eye.” For us, insight is more important
than eyesight. We define this insight to the message of Jesus by the word
“Faith.”
Jesus calls us to a proper view of life. He tells us to trust God and not to
follow or allow the world to become the force that shapes our attitudes.
Heavenly treasure and love for others deserves more of our energy than the
continuous planning for our earthly security in life. Jesus does not tell us to
avoid all planning but He warns against our over concern for worldly
materialism. Our attitude toward the world and its goods will determine
which way we are viewing the world, [Matt. 6:19-25].
Q. What is my attitude toward the treasures of the world?
Our spiritual growth and maturity are gradual just as one blind man received
his sight gradually. As we study the scriptures and learn more about Jesus,
we reflect this knowledge, our faith will deepen, and we will gain divine
insight into the things of God’s kingdom. Jesus is always ready to help us
and to heal our spiritual insight, just as He did the blind man, [Mark 8:22-25].

Q. What does the story of the blind man reveal to me
about my growth in faith?
After walking on the road to Emmaus, [Luke 24:13-32] two disciples were still
in the dark. Not until they were eating and breaking bread with Jesus, did
they understand who He was when they were on the road. Yet they knew
that on the road there was something special about Jesus as He spoke to
them, for their hearts burned within them, yet their insight was darkened.
Q. What message for my life can I learn from the disciples
and their walk with Jesus on the road to Emmaus?
People who possess faith change the world. Faith drives some people to a
life of prayer, others to complete commitment to the poor and love for
others. Still other people have a depth of trust when all hope seems lost.
Because we believe in the unseen Kingdom of God’s presence and His
guidance which is always with us, we withstand many difficulties, critical
losses, and frustrations that usually cripple people who have no faith or
trust in God. Faith is the driving force behind acts of love and concern
found in the Christian life.
Q. How do I intend to make faith more central to my
daily walk in life?

WHAT ARE SOME DISTINCTIVES ABOUT BEING A
CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC
1. One answer is Tradition. Some people get confused between the

words tradition and traditions. Traditions are particular and changeable,
while tradition carries with it a much more pervasive, long lasting meaning
that is “passed down, or handed on to” the next generation with great effect
century after century. A culture is a tradition in this deep sense of the word.
The church Catholic is a Christian culture in its whole way of thinking about
the world, life, and God.
Tradition, [2Thes. 2:15], is that body of revealed truth handed down to us by

the Apostles both through written and verbal communication. Tradition is a
distinct part of theology and includes four main sources: the Holy Scripture,
the writings of the early church fathers, archaeology, and liturgy. The
gospel, in it historic context within the church, is symbolic which gives living
proof of the Church’s beginning and its continuance to the present. Tradition
is the gospel becoming real in the life of the church. Tradition is fidelity to
the gospel of grace and truth, which must reach humanity to save them.
Tradition is truly viable in its identification with the gospel message, Christ as
Head of the Church, and the Church itself.
There is Eastern and Western traditional/cultural Christianity. The

Eastern tradition centers mostly on the wisdom of the scriptures and its
effect on our inner personal spiritual growth. Western tradition is more
practical and organizational in both Protestant and Catholic Christianity.
Our goal is to maintain the Eastern tradition which emphasized our inner
spiritual development in Christ Jesus through the power of the indwelling
Holy Trinity, while at the same time embracing a balance of the western
tradition of organization and practical Christianity. If we only live with the
Western tradition and its frame of mind, then its objectiveness will
continue and become even more narrow and legalistic, authoritarian and
impersonal, lacking the grace of God.
2. Christian Catholics have an appreciation of Creation. Catholics both

East and West have traditionally been open to the goodness of creation.
There is a poem that declares: “Wherever a Catholic sun doth shine
there is plenty of laughter and good red wine. At least I have always
found it so. Let us bless the Lord.” The Catholic Christian culture of both

East and West has continually expressed thankfulness for the good things of
life and creation, much in keeping with God’s Words on the sixth day of the
world: “God looked at everything he had made and He found it very good,”
[Gen. 1:31]. Christian Catholic tradition is in touch with the goodness of
creation and the joy of life. It tells us to rejoice and be glad for all the great
and small pleasures that come our way from God. It has little to do with the
Puritan belief that pleasure is sinful and beauty is a temptation from the
devil. With our roots in Judaism, the Far East and Mediterranean cultures,
Catholic tradition, in keeping with the scriptures, sees God as the Giver of all
good gifts, nature, shelter, food and drink, beautiful families, sexual pleasure
in marriage, and the fruit of children.
The material world, instead of being evil, is the channel of God’s grace. We
can make this point another way: Catholic theology is incarnational. When
we hear of the incarnation we think of Jesus, God’s word made flesh. We
take the incarnation much more seriously than those who think that Jesus
was some sort of Clark Kent, divine on the inside and human on the outside.
Catholic teaching says that Jesus is both 100% man and 100% God. If
Jesus is the incarnation of God, Jesus is also the revelation of God. In
Jesus the mystery of God is revealed so we can see it, even if we do not
comprehend it. In the life of Jesus, God’s life of grace is manifested. In the
words of Jesus, God communicates to us in ways we can hear. In the deeds
of Jesus, God shows us that divine love is really ultimate redemption.
Because Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, Jesus is the fundamental
sacrament of God. He is the greatest sign of God’s love and presence in the
World.
The sacramentality of Jesus did not end with the Ascension, it continues in
the church which, since the days of St. Paul, has been called the bride of
Christ. The church, as the whole people of God, embodies the divine
presence of God in creation. The church is basically a sacrament of God to
the world. Into the history of the world came Jesus Christ, and the life of the
world changed. When we read of the life and message of Jesus, we realize
that He truly came to share in our humanness because He loved us and
wanted to save us. With the inspiration of the Holy spirit and the freedom of
the writing style of the day, the gospel writers tell us of the story and life of
Jesus; God becoming human. The gospel writers had new insight into the
life of Jesus that developed from an understanding of His resurrection. They
wove this insight into their message and laid it before the world, not as a
biography of Jesus, but as an intimate glimpse of the Person and His

message, like precious jewels polished to perfection under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit. The birth of Jesus challenges us to reflect on our response
to the presence of Christ in our lives [Luke 2:1-21].
Q. What message for my life do I receive from this passage
as I, like Mary, ponder all these things in my heart?
Why does the church’s Catholicity emphasize the sacraments so much? We

believe that just as people 2000 years ago came in contact with the mystery
of God’s presence when they allowed themselves to be touched by Jesus,
people today come in contact with God when they are touched by water,
bread, wine, oil, and human hands. We put something as simple as bread
and wine in the center of our worship. The eucharist is the catholic way of
saying that the way to God is not limited to private mediation, but by sharing
the Body and Blood of Christ [1Cor. 11:23-26]. Our worship is not so much
verbal and intellectual, but physical and relational. The liturgy is a down to
earth communal celebration of our sharing the life of Christ together.
Catholic tradition, which is reflected both in its theology and in its worship, is
incarnational and sacramental. It takes the world seriously and encourages
us to find the awe of God in the world. It takes human activity seriously and
encourages us to be like Jesus to the world.
3. Catholic tradition maintains a World View. The original meaning of

the word catholic is universal. The church was called Catholic as it spread
throughout the known world in ancient times. The first ecumenical council
met in 325 A.D. and formulated the essence of the worldwide faith, the
Nicene Creed. The Catholic church both East and West is a multicultural
church spanning every nation and culture. Because of this fact the church
calls us to a universal world view. Our faith in Christ and the church brings
us face to face with the challenge to deal with our narrowness and inhibitions
that keep us from reaching out to others.
To be truly Catholic means that first we are Christians and second we are
local residents in a parish. If we are to be truly Catholic Christians, we must
look at the world and all the people in it from God’s perspective and not from
our view point. In the story of the Prince and the Pauper, two boys changed

roles so they could see what it was like to live different lives. The story of
Jesus is not a fictional tale. It is the story of God who became human out of
love for us. Christ Jesus emptied Himself of His powers to become a human
servant. It would have been enough for God to become man and retain His
powers, but to empty Himself for our sakes was the greatest act of love.
God did this so that we might share His life for all eternity. Phil. 2:6-11 tells
us of a servant who lived in obedience throughout His life and the Father
exalted Him so that the world would worship Him and proclaim Him as Lord.
Q. How well do I empty myself for the service of others?
4. Catholic tradition gives the invitation for Personal Holiness. This

invitation calls for the entirety of our life to be whole, spiritually rich, and
rewarding as God intended it to be. To live in the Kingdom of God is to
achieve our fullest spiritual potential. Catholic spirituality has always been
concerned with holiness. Wholeness and holiness come from the same root
word. We are encouraged to submit to Christ and become truly whole. True
wholeness is fulfilling the sacred trust that God has given us to become
conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus. Holiness does not mean that
we all must become nuns, monks or recluses to achieve perfection. Every
Christian is called to achieve his or her fullest spiritual potential. To be truly
whole is being holy, regardless of occupation or position in life. Scripture
declares that we are all priests and kings unto our God. We must see
ourselves for what we are and invite God to make us all that He desires for
us to be through the power of the Holy Spirit and His presence in our lives.
This holistic spirituality, (body, soul, and spirit) is rewarding and demanding.
It is not enough to go to church on Sunday and leave the rest of life
unchanged. True holiness requires the conversion of the whole person, a
transformation of the total personality, a conversion of lifestyle.
Everybody wants to be happy. People search for happiness in wealth,

power and success, and often look for it in every means possible. The
wisdom of Catholic spirituality and tradition is in the understanding that
existence in the world and communication with God are both needed to give
meaning, happiness and energy to all of life. A Catholic Christian’s
understanding of life begins with spiritual conversion, but also affirms that

conversion is on-going. The Christian life is a process of continuous
conversion and growth into a more Christ-like personality. We are being
saved every day, as our journey goes through various stages, being
introduced to different challenges, and suffering through inevitable pitfalls.
But those who persevere in fidelity and trust are insured of entering more
deeply into the life of Christ. Thankfully, salvation and happiness do not
depend on our strength alone. God is with us and lovingly takes the initiative
in offering us salvation and calling us into holiness. This is the meaning of
grace. Grace is God’s invitation and power reaching out, and into us. But
we have to be open to God in order to be filled with His Holy Spirit. We have
to cooperate with the grace of God to live grace-filled lives.
Cooperation with the Spirit of God is not so much an activity or a work as it is

listening. We learn from the early church fathers and tradition that
cooperation with God is taking time to listen to God in our hearts and letting
God tell us how to serve Him and to be truly happy and holy at the same
time. Growth in the Spirit, growth in spiritual perfection as some call it, is
true holiness because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. This does not
mean that we are perfect, or that holiness equates with sinless perfection.
Spiritual perfection, holiness, and growth in the Spirit, are synonymous with
each other because we have a relationship with Christ and are growing in
the likeness of Christ. The result is the whole of the Holy Trinity resides in us
as we are partakers of the divine nature of the Trinity. In Catholic tradition
the ultimate satisfaction is promised to those who die to their false self to
obtain the whole authentic self that it found in God. Jesus promises that,
“Those who seek their own life will lose it, but those who lose (or give it up)
their lives will find it,” [Mark 8:35]. This is part of the meaning of the
crucifixion, for the cross always brings with it daily resurrection and new life.
When we let go of ourselves we let ourselves be caught by God. When we
stop controlling ourselves we let ourselves be taught by God. When we stop
trying to fix and fulfill ourselves, we allow ourselves to be filled with His
grace.
5. One of the great traditions of the Catholic Church is to Build

Community. It is difficult to hear from the Lord or see His direction clearly
when we are in isolation, and almost impossible to respond if we try to go it
alone. It is hard to get a sense of God’s promise of fulfillment unless we
experience that promise being fulfilled in the lives of other believers. In most
areas of America we have lost the sense of community. Churches are too

big, society is too mobile, and there are many other things that entice us
away from one another.
Most Christians try to live their lives of faith all alone. One of the reasons for
this is that we have bought into the myth of “rugged individualism.” Many
believe that they have to make it on their own and if successful they need to
live their lives in privacy. People pay a great price for self-sufficiency living
without relationships. Relationships enrich lives and help nurture wholeness
and holiness. The true Christian way of living is in community. The early
Christians were so connected that St. Paul called them the “Body of Christ.”
The church was a social body whose soul was the Spirit of Christ. Living like
Christ meant putting yourself out for one another, making sacrifices for one
another. Just like an arm or a leg can not live on its own, Christians in times
past did not attempt to live on their own. In our individualistic society there is
a great need to return to the Catholic gift of community that has been passed
down to us from the early Church fathers. Many in Protestantism have lost
this gift because of its insistence on individualistic accountability with God.
The Protestant work ethic, since the early stages of this country, has been
that spiritual salvation is reflected in material well being. This has led to a
great emphasis on personal success through economic competition without
regard for the welfare of others. By and large, and to the Catholic Church’s
detriment, a large majority have bought into the aftermath of this
individualistic outlook on life and must be challenged once again to regain
true community and spirituality.
As an American Old Catholic church we intend to work for the development

of a strong sense of community. Each of us has talents and gifts given to us
by God for use in His Kingdom, and they need to be expressed and used to
the benefit of the whole body as we worship together, minister to one
another, pray for one another, serve one another, and even have fun
together.

SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
One aid in developing community for us will be an understanding of the
Sacraments. In the New Testament and in the life of the church so much
importance is given to material signs given by God so that they may minister
to us as multidimensional people. These signs do belong to the material
world, but none-the-less, they are sacred as they assist us in perceiving
spiritual realities and values which give full weight to the Incarnation of Christ
and His ministry.
Recently there has been an emphasis placed on the importance of touch.

Both children and animals that suffer from touch deprivation end up neurotic.
We need touch in our lives for healthy and normal development. In a mental
hospital a child sat in his chair day after day with his head down, moaning.
People would go by him and give a cheerful “Hi” and he would just keep on
moaning with his head hanging down. One day an older person came by
and touched him and then said, “Hi.” The boy raised his head with a smile
and for the moment stopped his moaning.
When Jesus gave us the sacraments He could have chosen to pass on the
gifts with a cheerful “Hi” in our direction but instead He chose to touch us.
Through the sacraments we will be studying, Jesus touches us at important
points in our lives.
These sacred signs of the Church are also called the “sacraments of faith
and love.” They not only presuppose an active faith, but by word and the
elements used in the various rites, they also nourish, strengthen and give
expression to our faith. Through these sacred signs God “keeps in touch”
with us. In Mark 5:25-34, a woman believed that Jesus had the power to
heal her, but she also believed that she had to reach out and touch Jesus.
When she did, she was healed and Jesus turned to speak to her, and
reminded her as well as, that it was not just the touching, but touching in
faith that made her whole.
Q. How does this story help me to understand the role of faith in
the celebration of the sacraments?

This active faith is what St. Thomas Aquinas meant when speaking of the
sacraments used in developing an intimate relationship with Christ Jesus
through the celebration of His continuing earthly ministry in the sacraments
and the liturgy. Jesus was touched with compassion over the plight of the
people around Him. The fact that Jesus is God, tells us that God is touched
deeply by our needs and that God will respond by touching us in some way,
[Luke 7:11-17].
Q. How does the compassion of Christ help me to place more
faith in the power of Christ in the sacraments?
Scripture says that love covers a multitude of sins. There was a woman who
recognized her sinfulness as she approached Jesus. Jesus reminded those
present that it is not sin which keeps a person from approaching Him, but the
neglect of repentance. Jesus proclaims through a parable that because her
sins were many and her conversion deep she would love more deeply than
the person with few sins. [Luke 7:44-50]
Q. What does this story say about the necessity of my love in
the celebration of the sacraments?
The Church, rightly being the guardian of the sacraments just as she is the
custodian of the Scriptures and of faith, desires that we have some positive
understanding of the sacraments and know the necessity of the faithful
observance of ecclesial guidelines for their proper use. Therefore, as we
progress in our discussions, we will use question and answer periods to
assist with both an understanding of the sacraments and doctrine
surrounding them. Hopefully this will also be a time of openness to the Holy
Spirit for the examination of conscience and faith.

Jesus Christ is the First and Greatest Sacrament
“God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good” [Gen.
1:31]. This realization provides the basis for the Church’s insistence on a
sacramental view of life. The Church has had to do battle against those who
despise the material universe and those who wish to reduce the Church’s
activities to the Scripture alone. True Catholicism, both East and West,
remains true to its Jewish roots and looks at humanity as a unified whole
people in whom the spiritual and the material are so commingled that the
individual is led to Christ.
The author of Psalm 19 knew this well while singing, “The heavens declare
the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.” Material
creation is a sign of God’s divine love and providence; it is something for us
to appreciate and to properly use [Gen. 1:24]. We find elsewhere in scripture
that there are two invisible lights, spiritual and natural, that draw humanity to
God. The first light is Christ, the Word, “who is the true light given to all men”
in the gospel of St. John 1:1-4, the second light is creation as we read in
Rom. 1:20.
It is in this sense then that material substance and liturgy are natural to
humanity. Since Christianity is an incarnational relationship it takes the
multidimensional person seriously and thus offers sacramental worship to
the believer. The physical elements assist the believer to know in the
deepest sense the Holy One who is both spiritual and the Creator. For the
Christian, Jesus is the first and greatest sacrament, or sign, that man has
ever received. Christ is the definitive sign of God’s love for us and His last
Word dealing with salvation, [Heb. ch. 1]. It is in Christ that both Word and
sacrament are united, and thus the Church accepts this as her source of
life. The Church then, is a God initiated sacrament that expresses His
nearness to humanity and His desire to save mankind. The sacramentality
of the Church is the continuation of Christ’s saving work in the world today.
When we speak of a sacrament we are saying that it is an outward sign

instituted by Christ to administer grace. When speaking of an outward sign,
we are referring to things that have an effect upon one or more of the five
senses. Grace can be received through one or more physical means, be it
water, bread, wine, oil, incense, sight, or the laying on of hands. All of this is
alluded to in 1John 1:1-4. By these means, these material signs carry to the
believer the supernatural message of continual salvation and grace.

These signs taken from the natural realm transcend themselves when
viewed from within the Church’s sacramental tradition. Like the union of the
human and divine natures of Christ, nature and the supernatural combine to
produce sign and symbol that are of a deeper spiritual reality. Through the
Church and seeing with the eyes of faith, we are able to go beyond ordinary
human experience and gain a glimpse of the divine. With this understanding
we gain an appreciation of the sacraments.
What makes this possible for us, is our appreciation of the fact that Christ
established the Church, gave His life for her, and willed that the life giving
benefits of His Passion, death, and resurrection be extended to all people for
all of time through the sacraments.
The Sacraments, a Means of Grace
What is grace? For some, grace is a measurable object which one can “gain
or get” more of so the church is like a filling station. To others, grace is
defined as “unmerited favor” so they do nothing to receive it.
One of the best definitions of grace is having a deep relationship with Christ
Jesus, and it is best enhanced within the parameters of a spiritual
community. So the increase of grace can come from growth in one’s
relationship with the Lord within a community.
How else is grace obtained? Grace is obtained through a process of divine

and human encounters, and divine and human cooperation.
For example, when God sought out Mary by the angel Gabriel with His plan
of the incarnation, [the divine encounter] Mary responded humbly with, “Your
will be done,” [that’s human cooperation] and as a result great grace was
given to Mary. Catholic theology has always explained the operation of
grace in the same way. In every sacramental encounter God takes the
initiative by making an offer of grace; the believer accepts the offer and
opens his heart to the invitation. You might remember it this way, God’s
grace always comes before man’s response.
Q. In what ways has God provided a divine encounter in my life
so that I can partake in human cooperation with Him?

The Focus of Our Attention in the Sacraments
We must never forget the most important focal point of all sacraments. It is
Jesus Christ the Lord who is the supreme Sacrament. It is He who is active
in the sacraments, both in the administration and in the reception of them.
Each sacrament is the action of Christ and is the extension of His earthly
ministry offered to the believer in the here and now. It is God reaching down
to us, not our struggling to reach up to God. The focus is not on the priest,
not on the individual, not on the church—the focus of attention is to be on
Christ Himself. The whole Church, each bishop, priest, all the clergy and
each parishioner, all draw meaning from Christ, and they all are the
beneficiaries of His redemption.
Why did Jesus leave us the sacraments? We need clear signs that cause,
or bring into effect, what the sacraments signify. The waters of Baptism, the
Oil of Confirmation, the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist all have the power
to forgive and to save, as spoken of by Jesus Himself, [John 6:32-59].
Salvation itself is sacramental, this is subtly but clearly pointed out in John
19:34 as we read of the water and the blood flowing out of the Savior’s
wounded side.
Word and Sacrament Complement each Other
Both Eastern and Western Catholics have traditionally developed a very high
sacramental sense, while Protestants stress the importance of the Bible
(almost to exclusivity). However, any tension between the two need not
exist. This is not an “either or” situation, both are required. In fact they are
very complementary. Luther defined the church as the place where the
Word of God is preached and where the Sacraments are administered. Just
as the Word of God became flesh in the incarnation, so the celebration of
God’s Word leads to its “enfleshment” in the sacraments. The sacraments
are the breakthrough of the Kingdom of God into human affairs. Eastern
Catholic theology has always regarded liturgy and sacrament as
experiencing heaven’s liturgy now, while the Western Catholic Church has
referred to liturgy and sacrament as a foretaste of heaven’s liturgy and feast.
In either case God invades the hearts and minds of believers in the present.
The sacraments are God’s signs and touch offered to His people.

The sacramental encounters with Christ that we enjoy now are a contrast to
the eternal encounter when there will be no need for sacraments because
God will be all in all [Col. 3:11]. Until that day however, we celebrate the
sacraments, thanking God for those gifts that proclaim so clearly and so
beautifully that our God is involved with, and cares for, each one of us.
The Biblical Theology of the Mass
The Mass is the central act of Catholic community worship. Those who
object to any form of Catholicity, eastern or Western, often charge that the
form of the Mass is man-made and thus idolatrous. The purpose of this
portion of the presentation is to demonstrate the biblical basis for both the
form of the liturgy and the theology of the Mass, firmly situated in both the
Old and New Testaments, thus forever valid.
As a basis, or foundation, we must remember that the church and its form of
worship came to us from our Jewish roots. The church, outside of the
Eastern and Western Catholic traditions, has forgotten those roots of our
early beginning. However, for us those roots are extremely important. As an
example, let me share a story I read recently.
A priest was teaching in a Catholic grad school located directly across the
street from a Jewish grad school. Once a year the students from both
schools would share a worship service together. One year the priest was
unable to prepare the Jewish children for the Mass and feared that they
would not be able to follow along and understand what was happening. To
his delight, the priest discovered that in questioning the Jewish students
afterward, they had understood the liturgy as well as his own Catholic
students. They said that the Liturgy of the Word was just like their own
Sabbath service in the synagogue on Saturday evening. The Offertory
prayers sounded like their meal prayers, and all the references to the Lamb
of God and the sacrifice reminded them of the Passover celebration.
The point of the story is that we as Christian Catholics are spiritually rooted
in Judaism, we have been grafted into Israel [Rom 11:11-24]. In fact, an
inability to grasp this fact causes a loss of appreciation for the church’s
liturgical practice as being an inheritance from Judaism.

In the early church a man named Marconi tried to rid the church of any
Jewish remnants of influence including the Old Testament. The church
declared Marconi a heretic and the church has remained faithful to her
Jewish roots since. Much later after Luther the Protestant Reformers tried to
do the same thing as Marconi and in many ways succeeded. They were so
intent on the purity of a stripped and watered down liturgy that any real
identity to the church’s Jewish heritage was lost. In fact, what resulted was
the rise and propagation of hatred and anti-Semitism (found especially
strong in the writings of Martin Luther).
We know from scripture that Jesus was a devout and observant Jew, He
engaged in prayer, went to the synagogue faithfully, and participated in the
Temple liturgy. His disciples followed His example, and later early
Christians held to these Jewish traditions adding the new Christian “breaking
of bread” [Acts 2:42-47]. Later the believers in Christ were considered
sectarians and troublesome in the synagogue and were kicked out. Then
these Christians took with them the synagogue liturgy and added on to it the
liturgy of breaking bred, [the Eucharist].
Synagogue liturgy consists of the following: [notice the similarities to our own
liturgy]
◘ The Litany – A series of prayers blessing God for His love
◘ The Confession – God’s faithfulness to forgive man’s sin
◘ Intercessory Prayer – Prior to the reading of the Holy Scripture
◘ Scripture Readings – Readings from the Law and the Prophets
◘ Homily – The readings were expanded upon and clarified for the
application to daily life
◘ Benediction – Conclusion of service (benediction, which means

“good word”)
To this traditional Jewish liturgy was added the Eucharist, and as a result the
Liturgy of the Mass was formed into two parts, the Liturgy of the Word, and
the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The earliest and clearest reference to liturgy
comes to us from the book of Acts. In the church at Antioch, about 46 A.D.,

in what by then would have been a well established and structured
community of believers, we find, “As they were liturgizing [leitourgounton]
before the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas
and Saul to the work to which I have called them.” The protestant translation
is, “as they were ministering to the Lord”, but the Greek word is not minister
[diakonein], it is liturgy [leitourgos] meaning a common act of formal ritual
worship. The early church was worshiping as they knew how from their
former liturgical manner, but in a Christian Eucharistic form as early as AD
46, just 16 years after the resurrection of Christ.
Edersheim, a Jewish Christian historian and theologian writes in his book:

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, “The synagogue became the
cradle of the church. As if that were not enough, the components of Jewish
worship, which came into Christianity, did so in an orderly manner. This is
evident in that the basic six point structure of synagogue worship constitutes
the core of the liturgy. This dependency on order, verifies the historical and
theological truth of the worship practices of the early Christian church as the
fulfillment of that which God had begun in Israel.”
Our lectionary readings come from the Lord’s time in the synagogue. The
scripture readings then were based on a three year cycle just as they are
now in our contemporary liturgy. After the reading the people responded in
an equivalent of our, “Thanks be to God.”
The Eucharistic Meal
At the midpoint of the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest invites the community to
“proclaim the mystery of faith.” Notice we do not say a mystery, but the
mystery of faith, because the entirety of salvation is summed up in the
spoken response that is focused on the Passion, Death, Resurrection and
Second Coming of Christ that are remembered as we partake of the
Eucharist. For this reason we need to examine this mystery as well as we
can with our finite minds to gain more understanding and lead us to a deeper
appreciation and love for God. The Eucharistic celebration is our perfect
way of telling God of our love for Him.
There are two important elements within the celebration of the Eucharist.
First it is a meal. This is apparent to our senses as we eat and drink. For the
Jewish mind and Jewish tradition every meal was a sacred event forging

bonds of love between the participants and Almighty God (considering Him
to be the source of all food and every good thing). Besides the need for
nourishment, meals had an important role in Jewish practice. To share a
meal with a person was to share in his life.
Mark 14:12-26 sets the scene for the Last Supper within the context of the
Passover meal. Jesus and His disciples celebrated the feast of unity with all
of Judaism indicating that Jesus would offer Himself as the new, complete
and final lamb sacrifice. The second important element is to share this meal
with Christ. This meal is a time of commitment to Christ, a time to share in
the life of Christ and to offer our lives to Him. As we celebrate the Eucharist
we place ourselves in union with Christ and with all other Christians.
Q. What is the meaning of the celebration of the Eucharist in my
life?
Throughout the scriptures we find the Lord providing for His people with
physical sustenance, whether it is manna, quail, or water from a rock. When
reading scripture Christians have always taken these divine gifts as
prefiguring Christ’s offering of Himself as the Bread of Life. Each and every
meal pointed to a sign which looked forward to the Messianic banquet
according to the devout Jew. It is not a surprise then that Jesus took full
advantage of this rich tradition surrounding a meal in order to grant to His
Church the gift of salvation, Himself. By this Eucharistic act Christ entrusted
to food the eternal value of His redemptive death and resurrection. Through
the taking of bread and wine with thanksgiving to the Father, Jesus
consummated for all ages this form of worship of Himself and of everything
to God according to scripture: [Matt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:15-20;
Acts 2:42-47; 1Cor 11:17-34].

Q. What do these scriptures tell me about the role of the
Eucharist in my life?
Q. What do these scriptures tell me about my need for

commitment to the total idea of the Eucharist?
I want to close this section with one last major point. In Hebrew thought the
Word of God is powerful. It accomplishes its purposes. We read in the
Psalms, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.” When Jesus
says, “This is my body,” and “This cup is the new covenant in my blood,” we
take Him at His Word and see in His actions a mystery take place. It is as
real and exciting as the creation of the universe being made out of chaos
and His own Incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary. God, who fed His
people in the desert, now in Christ entrusts to food the eternal redemptive
value of His death and resurrection. This food has a unique significance
intimately united to the Lord’s self sacrifice. By meditating on the Lord’s
death and resurrection we can gain new insight from the Holy Spirit as to the
meaning of how Jesus is the Bread of Life.
The Eucharistic Sacrifice
Out of all of the seven sacraments, probably the most misunderstood and
theologically abused sacrament is the mystery of the Eucharist being a
sacrifice. Some Catholics do not have a correct understanding, and
Protestants are either afraid to address the issue or just condemn Catholics
thinking that they are sacrificing Christ all over again. The mystery of the
Eucharist is like a multifaceted diamond. To be appreciated for its complex
beauty, let us consider it from many angles. Even though we have spoken of

the Eucharist as a meal, Catholic theology (both Easten and Western), has
always insisted that it should be regarded as much more than a meal.
Hebrew worship consisted of the offering of a lamb during the Passover

Feast. Prefiguring Christ as the Lamb of God is one important facet of the
Eucharist. In 1Cor. 5:7-8, St. Paul sets forth the rationale for this
understanding, “For our Paschal Lamb Christ has been sacrificed. Therefore
let us keep the feast.” The lamb offered and consumed at the Seder meal,
was eaten with a Hebrew mind set and understanding. They were eating the
sacrificial lamb with one eye focused on the original sacrificial event which
had previously taken place ages ago.
The Jewish worshiper was looking back to the original Passover Feast
(celebrating their freedom from Egypt). They were also celebrating the
Passover feast in the present and they were looking forward to a future
Passover celebration all at the same time. Each Passover supper
accomplished the deliverance of Israel for another year and the reality of
communion between man and God.
When Christ established the Eucharist celebration for us, the same Hebrew
mind set and understanding was applied because of the very words Jesus
used on Holy Thursday night with His disciples around the table.
Prior to Passover Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem desiring to share that
final supper with his disciples. The disciples undoubtedly expected to
celebrate the actual Passover. What they were not expecting happened.
Jesus Christ in the context of Thursday’s supper, offered Himself as the
“Lamb of God” for the world (which is recorded in all the Gospels).
Also important to notice is the supper that Jesus and His disciples celebrated
was not the Seder supper of Passover. There was the breaking of bread
and the drinking of the cup, but it was not the actual Passover because it
took place on Thursday evening after sunset (the beginning of Friday). The
Passover Seder had to take place after sunset on Friday evening, at the
beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, Saturday. The significance of Thursday
night is that it was the day before Passover and there were no slaughtered
lambs available from the temple to eat. Without the meat of the sacrificial
lamb from the temple the meal could not have been the Seder Passover
meal. According to St. John 18:28, the death of Christ took place the “next
day” which would have been on Friday during the same time when the

lambs were being sacrificed in the temple. Thus, the Last Supper was on
Thursday evening with the anticipation of Christ’s sacrifice at Golgotha on
Friday. Jesus spoke to His disciples, “I have eagerly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer, for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it,
until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God,” [Luke 22:16]. Jesus desired to eat
the Passover meal with the disciples but He did not because He knew that
He was to be the Lamb slain the next day (on Friday at the same time the
other lambs were being sacrificed). Jesus indicated by His words during the
meal that the bread and the wine were His body and blood, which would
attain the full meaning when His body would be given up and His blood
shed. Further, we note that the Eucharist is more than a meal because
Scripture records that the cup, being the blood of the new covenant, did not
receive the “berakah,” the blessing, until after the meal was over, [Luke
22:20]. Another indication that it was not the Passover meal.
The Lord Jesus Christ gives us the definitive explanation of how all of this is
to be interpreted within the Hebrew context. In Luke 22:19 Jesus says, “do
this in remembrance of me.” The concept of memory is the key to a genuine
Jewish and biblical understanding of the Eucharist as a sacrifice. The
celebration of the Pascal meal is not just a passive recollection of an event in
the distant past. By using the word “remember,” Jesus put into place the
reality of the Eucharist being an ongoing event. The Hebrew word for
remember means that the event being celebrated is actually present, and the
present celebration has actually become a part of the past. In the Eucharist
we are actually in that upper room with Jesus and the disciples, Christ’s
redemptive work. Therefore we can say that sacred memory leads to sacred
reality. We are to regard the Eucharist in such a way that in our liturgical
reenactment of the meal it will bring us to the remembrance of the salvation
He won on the cross while motivating us to look forward to His return in
glory. By Jesus instructing us to engage in memory, the most powerful of
human abilities, and the benefits of His redeeming death, offered once and
for all [Rom. 6:9] is applied to us now.
The proper understanding of the Eucharist as a sacrifice requires us to

appreciate the fact that the Eucharist does not faintly recall, nor does it
repeat, the once and for all sacrifice of Christ. But by remembering the work
of Christ which is eternal, and which transcends time and space, it is that by
which we are saved unto eternal life: the Eucharist is the present
actualization of the Cross, the Tomb, the Resurrection and the Second
Coming of Christ all at the same time. Thus the Eucharistic words of Jesus

became standardized into liturgical form and enabled Paul to write 1Cor.
11:23-26. A Liturgical Tradition was already set in place by 56 AD.
With this we can see that the covenant meal of promise held on Holy
Thursday was fulfilled on Good Friday with Christ’s sacrifice. The resulting
celebration of the Eucharist down through the ages brings the past actively
into the present, and the present actively becomes part of the past. The
Eucharistic Food that is received is the Victim who was once and for us and
who is ever present continuing His sacrifice within us as we participate in it.
Now we can also understand why the bread is called a “host’ from the Latin
word meaning “victim.” This sacrificial Eucharist brings us into union with
Christ and with one another as the body of Christ, “For as often as you eat
this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He
comes,” [1Cor. 11:26]. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a
participation [communion] in the blood of Christ, the bread we break, is it not
a participation in the body of Christ,” [1Cor. 10:16].
The Ritual Elements of the Mass
Humanity was created to adore. We cannot live without adoring something

or someone, whether it is elements of creation or the Creator. Human
beings find fulfillment in the act (or drama) of worship which centers a person
on the divine Holy Other. For this to be a truly spiritual activity it must
necessarily involve the whole of a person’s being: body, soul, spirit,
emotions, and intellect, as well as incorporating the five senses of sight,
smell, touch, taste, and hearing.
As an incarnational faith, Christianity has never hesitated to use the created

things to point to the Holy One Who created everything. The Church
received this rich liturgical inheritance from her mother, Judaism. Ritual, as a
special divine language, communicates more through sign and symbol than
words. It has been said that if we do not learn the ritual language of God we
risk remaining inarticulate. In other words, we receive from ritual the tools to
speak to God and at the same time the tools to hear and understand God.
If you were taken on a tour of the Temple as an observer in Old Testament

times you would be told it contained the altar of sacrifice. You would see
candles burning and smell incense. Someone might be reading from
Scriptures at the lectern and various postures of prayer would be observed.

The Psalms tell of prayer postures, kneeling and genuflecting as being signs
of adoration. Folded hands speak of submission; prostration declares
vulnerability and dependence, while raised hands are a sign of petition or
praise. We are encouraged to do all of these during worship. Candles used
in Jewish prayer for the Sabbath meal and in the Temple stood for joy. In the
case of death or sorrow, candles were placed by the head of the deceased.
Incense is a symbol of prayer, “Let my prayer come like incense before you,”
(Psm 141:2). The sweet odor reminds worshipers of prayer ascending to
heaven and the loveliness of the heavenly Kingdom in the presence of the
Lord. With the use of incense God is also honored as in the days of old,
especially when sensing the tabernacle, the sacraments and the Gospel
reading. The people of God are honored when they are incensed. Such is
the richness of incarnational theology.
While the people of Israel believed they were a priestly nation, just as we are
spoken of in the Bible as being priests and kings to our God, we
acknowledge that there are those who are set aside to fill the office of a
priest and that they are to reflect the High Priestly office of Christ Jesus. The
priests were to dress, as God decreed, in a certain manner. Some of those
vestments are still used in the church today. The Alb, the long white outer
vestment, and the miter which is the ceremonial headdress for a bishop, are
spoken of in Exodus 28. All the vestments used today give us a spiritual
picture of our position in Christ. The white Alb represents the believer’s
righteousness in Christ Jesus. The Cincture or rope tied at the waist
represents the girdle of truth, and the Stole, the Yoke of Christ. The
seasonal colored Chasuble worn by the priest who serves the Eucharist,
represents the covering, or the outpouring, of the Holy Spirit upon the
believer.
During the Mass there is the Offertory Procession. This is a continuation

from Old Testament worship which also finds its fulfillment in New Testament
Christian worship. In Gen. 14:18-20; 28:22; Ex. 23:15-16 and 19 (a tenth);
Lev. 2:12; 27:30-33; Num. 18:12; Deut. 14:22-29; 16:13-17; 18:1-5 and 26:2;
Neh. 10:35; Pr.3:9; Heb. 7:1-9; we see God asking us to give back to him
10% of the 100% of what he has provided for us as a gift of love and an act
of worship. The ideal long term investment plan is to set aside 10% in
savings and live reasonable on the rest and not be in debt. That is God’s
ideal plan. That does not include the debt of a home, of course. St. Paul
gave clear instructions in 1Cor. 16:2, “On the first day of every week, each
one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income…”

The significance of not tithing and giving offerings to the Lord’s work is
spelled out in Malachi 3:6-18. The early church fathers such as Justin Martyr,
Renaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Irenaius, and Ambrose all wrote to the effect
that, “God has received a tenth part of Himself, and therefore it is not lawful
for a man to retain what God has reserved for Himself.”
Jesus said “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what belongs
to God.” What is meant for the Lord we will not keep; it will be spent in some
needless way, perhaps even to include sickness, or some loss. We should
give to the Lord with love and thankful hearts in response to God’s great gift
of grace, salvation and the many blessings He constantly gives to us, “for
God loves a cheerful giver,” [2Cor. 9:6-7].
Q. What is my heart-felt response to Malachi 3:6-18?
Q. How does my giving reflect my attitude and love for Christ

Jesus and what He has done for my life?
Another Old Testament gesture that has an important place in New

Testament worship is the Laying on of, or the imposition of, hands. The
ordination of men to the priesthood or as a king was not complete without
the laying on of hands and the anointing with oil, [Lev. 16:20-22; Ex. 30:22-
23; 1Sam. 16:13]. The imposition of hands is then carried over to our time in
the invocation of the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and the wine of the
Eucharist, priestly ordination, the sacrament of baptism, confirmation,
absolution and the solemn blessing.

Both instrumental and vocal music were highly regarded as worship in the
synagogue and temple. Responsive singing was the norm and
congregational participation was encouraged. Readings from the Scriptures
were chanted as were the Psalms. The guiding principle of the music was
that it should always be consistent with the scripture readings and the homily
and not become predominant or entertaining.
The desire for our church is that the experience of worship within the liturgy,
which is presented to our senses throughout the Mass, will make a claim on
our hearts and minds and we will take ownership of it all. Hearing the Lord
through the liturgy of the Mass should enable us to respond to His call and
our response as worshipers will echo Isaiah’s answer to God’s call. “Here I
am Lord, send me.” Liturgy then takes the things of this world, translates
them into the language of divinity, and impregnates our spirit to send us forth
to love and serve the Lord.
The Liturgical Cycle of the Church Year
Time is a most precious commodity. Yet time can be a trap or a gift. In the
celebration of the cycle of the church year, our Judeo-Christian Tradition
offers us the opportunity to make sure that time is a gift from God. Time truly
is a gift. As we live through time, according to the divine clock of the
liturgical cycle, it brings to us the reality of eternity. The whole purpose of
referring to a liturgical cycle is to point us toward the life of Christ and the
never ending, ever repeatable cycle of time and events that lead us to Christ
and eternity.
The first generation Christians inherited and accepted a fully developed

liturgy form from Judaism, including its understanding of sacred time which
had its own cycle of Jewish celebrations. We regard a liturgical day
beginning at sundown of the previous day so that a Saturday evening Mass
is as valid as a Sunday morning Mass.
The central liturgical celebration of early Christianity was the commemoration

of the Lord’s resurrection observed not only on Easter but every Sunday.
The seven day week is not a division based on nature, but rooted in Genesis
describing God as resting on the seventh day, thus providing His chosen

people with a model for life. The Jewish rabbis presented the Sabbath as a
celebration of creation and a foretaste of the coming Kingdom.
The Church consciously took over significant aspects of various Jewish

feasts. The spring festivals of Passover and Pentecost came into the
Church as the observance of the fifty days of Easter and Pentecost. It is
only fitting that the memorial of the slaying of the Paschal lamb should be
celebrated as the slaying of the Lamb of God and that the celebration of the
giving of the Law at Pentecost should be translated into the birth of the
Church, the fulfillment of the law, and the grace of salvation for all.
The autumn feasts of Rosh Hashanah [New Years day] and Yom Kippur
[Day of Atonement] came into the Christian liturgy as the season of Advent,
originally six weeks of preparation. St. Jerome saw in advent the same
renewal theme found in Judaism with the penitential emphasis and readings
from Isaiah common to both Judaism and Christianity. The Jewish feast of
Succoth and our feast of Epiphany (the Eastern Church celebrates the
baptism of Christ, the Western Church the visit of the Wise Men). Both stress
the importance of water and light and are still given significant importance
today.
Judaism also holds a unique reverence for martyrs. Historically the first feast
days noted in the Christian calendar were those of martyrs with the
Eucharistic celebration actually held on the tomb of the one remembered.
The practice of this still continues with the use of an altar stone underneath
the altar cloths. The remembrance of feast days for saints of old are seen as
both the continuation of the Lord’s passion and death enacted in the lives of
His people and the victory of His resurrection in their lives.
Human nature seems to have a basic desire to share in the experience of

others, especially those we love. It is significant that first and foremost, in
the liturgical cycle of the Church year, we live with Christ in the sequence of
His life. We walk with Him from His birth to His baptism, share in His
ministry, suffer through His death, rejoice in His resurrection and ascension,
receive the sending of the Holy Spirit, and participate in the formation of His
Church, all the while looking forward to His glorious Second Coming. As
members of Christ’s body we have the privilege to participate in this divine
cycle repeatedly year after year, and prayerfully, its significance will be
implanted into our hearts and minds.

Participating in the sacred calendar of events is an important way to sanctify
the secular calendar year particularly in this post-Christian society. It reminds
us that there are still some people who march to a different drummer.
Attending Mass regularly can be seen as a powerful act of Christian witness
in a society that is going pagan. Pausing to pray and worship during Mass,
especially on the Lord’s Day, is an acknowledgment of our origin and our
final destiny in God our father. It is the sure conviction of Christian faith that
time spent in worship is not only preparation for eternity but the genuine
foretaste of eternity. Christ redeemed mankind and now through the
liturgical cycle, Christ now redeems our time. Catholic theology subscribes
to the principle that one can determine our doctrine by observing our liturgy
because what we believe is enshrined in our worship and is the bedrock of
biblical theology powerfully conveyed in sign and symbol.
Mass Prayers and Biblical Prayers
I have asserted that the Mass is biblical, theological and traditional in

content. We are praying the scripture at every Mass. Here are just a few
examples from the Mass.
Order of the Mass

INTRODUCTORY RITE
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit [Mt. 28:19].
People: Amen …Let all the people say, Amen! [1Chron. 16:36].
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
People: And also with you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all [2Cor 13:13].
The Lord be with you! [Ruth 2:4].
PENITENTIAL RITE
All: I confess to Almighty God, to you my brothers and sisters, that I

have sinned through my own fault…
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one
another, that you may be healed…[James 5:16].

in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in
what I have failed to do;
The tongue…exists among our members as a world of malice
defiling the whole body…[James 3:6]. So for one who knows the
right thing to do and does not do it, it is sin [James 4:17].
Priest: May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and
bring us to everlasting life. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness [1John 1:19].
All: Lord have mercy.
All: Christ have mercy. …grace, mercy, and peace from God the father
and Christ Jesus our Lord…[1Tim. 1:2].
THE GLORIA
All: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
Glory to God in the highest …and on earth peace to those on whom
His favor rests… [Lk. 2:14].
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us;
Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world…
[Jn 1:29].
you are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our
prayer. It is Christ who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right
hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us… [Rom.8:34].
PROFESSION OF FAITH
All: We believe in one God, the father, the Almighty, Maker of

heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
For in Him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible
and the invisible [Col. 1:16].
For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven:
No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come
down from heaven, the Son of Man [Jn 3:13].
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who
proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the
Son He is worshiped and glorified.
It shall come to pass in the last days, God Says…I will pour out a
portion of my Spirit upon all flesh [Acts 2:17].
…and I will ask Father, and He will give you another advocate to be
with you always…[John. 14:16].

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
…so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts
of one another [Rom. 15:5].
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord, God all creation. Through Your
goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and
human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of
this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will
give for the life of the world [John 6:51].
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your
goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of
human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.
Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and said: Take this and share
it among yourselves; [Lk. 22:17-18] Jesus said to them. “I tell you
the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His
blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks
my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats
my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
[John 6:53-56]
People: Blessed be God forever. Blessed be God! [Psalm 68:36]
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Priest: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord. Let us reach out our hearts toward
God in Heaven [Lam. 3:41].
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give Him thanks and praise. …give thanks to God the
Father through Him [Col. 3:17]. We always give thanks to God,

the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ [Col.1:13].
PREFACE ACCLAMATION
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Power, and might, heaven and
earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! …they cried to one another.
All the earth is filled with His glory! [Is. 6:3].
Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest! [Mk. 12:9-10].
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Priest: Lord, You are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness. Let Your
Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they
may become for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Before He was given up to death, a death He freely accepted,
…He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even the
death on the cross [Phil. 2:8].
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in
order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it
down on my own. I have the power to lay it down, and power to
take it up again [Jn 10:17-18].
Priest: May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be
brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.
Because the loaf of bread is one, we through many, are one body,
For we all partake of the one loaf [1Cor. 10:17].
COMMUNION RITE
The Lord’s Prayer [Mt 6:9-13]
Priest: Deliver us, Lord, from evil, and grant us peace in our day.
…In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us…
I do not ask that You take them out of the world but that You
keep them from the evil one…[Jn 17:15].
Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, You said to Your apostles: I leave you peace,
my peace I give to you…
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you… [Jn. 14:27].
Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Peace be with you… [Jn 20:19].
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
People: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy
on us.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said “Behold,
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” [Jn 1:29]

COMMUNION
Priest: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are those who are called to His supper.
Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of
The Lamb [Rev. 19:9].
All: Lord, I am not worthy but only say the word and I shall be healed.
Lord, I am not worthy to have You enter under my roof; only say
the word and my servant will be healed [Mat. 9:8].
DISMISSAL
Priest: The Mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Your faith has saved you; go in peace [Lk. 7:50]. Serve now
the Lord, your God, and His people Israel [2Chron. 35:3].
These examples do not constitute every sentence of the Mass, but they give
us the assurance that we truly are praying scripture and focusing on the life
of Christ and the reality of His presence with us.
As we move on in our study of sacramental life we are now brought to the

place of examining personal spiritual growth through each of the sacraments
which are part of the Mass at various times of celebration.

The Two Sacraments of Initiation
Baptism and Confirmation
Eastertide is the season in which we traditionally focus our attention on

Baptism, the sacrament of rebirth and new life. Whether baptized as an
infant or as an adult, the meaning of this first sacrament of initiation needs to
be explored again and again so as to attain a true appreciation of its
significance and power.
Everyone who is born into this world possesses a sinful nature which is
referred to as original sin: that is, our will that is opposed to the will of God.
The sacramental application of baptism deals with Original Sin inherited from
our parents, through the fall of Adam and Eve, and it is cleansed in the
saving waters of baptism. The Sacrament of baptism is preferable by
immersion in water [water being the obvious symbol of the Living Water of
Christ] with a person who desires to make a profession of faith as an adult,
or by faith for a couple to unite their baby to the body of Christ, the Church.
If baptism by immersion is not available or desired, it is sufficient to pour
water over the person’s head three times, in the name of the father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. This too is a washing and also represents the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In baptism the water is both an agent of death
and life. The “old man” [old nature] of sin is put to “death” as the person
enters into Christ’s death on the cross just as the Egyptians were killed in the
waters that saved Israel as they made their exodus out of Egypt. In either
form of baptism as the person emerges from the water they are joining in the
victorious resurrection of Christ, the Paschal Mystery, and becomes a new
creation sealed by the Holy Spirit. They are a member of Christ and with
Christ become a joint heir of the kingdom of heaven. In baptism, sins are
washed away and the gift of eternal life is given. [Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:16;
John 3:5, 15:4-6; Acts 2:38, 22:16; Rom 6:1-4; 1Cor 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Col.
2:10-13; 1Pet. 3:18-21].
Each person to be baptized is presented by two believing sponsors. In the

case of an adult, the sponsors witness to the church of the baptized person’s
conversion and commitment. In the case of children the Godparents pledge
that they will see that the child is raised in the faith and in the Church. In all
cases, the sponsors continue to provide spiritual guidance for the new
Christian.

Infant Baptism
First, the practice of infant baptism says many things to us. Infant baptism
emphasizes that the gift of faith is just that, a gift on which we can never
make a personal boast. God’s love is go great that He offers Himself to us
before we can ever return His love [1Jn. 4:19].
Secondly, we learn that the Lord withholds His love from no one. We are
the ones who turn from or choose to walk away from His love baptized or
not baptized.
Third, intelligence is not a prerequisite, only an attitude of openness of

heart. And who is more open than an infant? Surely this is the reason Christ
urged the apostles to allow the “little ones” to come to Him.
And the people were bringing children to Him that He might
touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw
this He became indignant [angry, furious] and said to them, “Let
the children [infants-brephos] come to me, do not prevent them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say
to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a
child will not enter it. Then He embraced them and blessed
them, placing His hands on them.” [Mk. 10:13-16]
Fourth, infant baptism in the New Testament Church fulfills the Old
Testament rite of infant circumcision when eight days old. Infants were
circumcised as a sign of the Old Covenant, were made a member of the
family of Israel, and then were expected to take on the responsibilities of
God’s people as they matured in life. So infants of believing parents of the
New Covenant in Christ are incorporated into the New People of God, the
Church, by the rite of baptism and likewise are expected to grow in faith and
responsibility as they mature.
Fifth, we find the practice of infant baptism fully articulated in the New
Testament when whole households were baptized, [Acts 10:24, 48, 16:15;
16:32-33; 1Cor. 1:16]. Origen wrote early in the third century [late 200’s] that
the practice of infant baptism came directly from the apostles.
St. Augustine cites that the universal practice of infant baptism in the Church
is because of its belief in original sin. He stated, “infant baptism is a
powerful statement of our belief in divine initiative and grace. Just as the
infant Jews were born into the Chosen People simply by virtue of their

parentage and not due to their intelligent choice or self worth, we Christians
are born into a family of faith because of God’s grace and providence and
never by our own doing, even if we are an adult convert.” [God’s love-1 Jn.
4:19].
The sense of a new beginning is echoed again and again in the baptismal
liturgy. The child is presented with a white garment, which reminds us of a
new found innocence and also of the “new man” with whom St. Paul urges
us to clothe ourselves [Eph. 4:24]. The priest touches the ears and the lips
of the newly baptized infant in imitation of the Lord. From then on the infant
is to be prepared to hear the Word of God and proclaim it with the aid of the
whole Church, the communion of saints, and to live totally for God. The
infant is also anointed with the oil of charism, as did the priests of old, which
dedicates the child to God and places him in the priestly role of the Church
which Christ formed. Having put on the “new man” and having received the
commission to hear and spread the gospel, the parents are given a candle lit
from the Easter candle. This symbolizes the light of Christ for the infant; for
it is in His light that the child must walk to attain the fullness of salvation.
Within this baptismal practice the role of the parents is at the very heart of
the matter. The spiritual burden is on the parents. They renounce sin,
profess faith, and it is their responsibility to see that their lives give testimony
to the faith they profess since they are the first Christian influence for the
child. Then the Godparents and the whole of the Church are the extended
family who are to support and bring up the child to the fullness of faith, for
baptism is not the culmination or the completion of salvation but only the
beginning because we believe that salvation is a growing process that
requires a daily commitment.
Each time we enter into the church sanctuary we bless ourselves with “Holy”
water, which recalls for us our Baptism. This sign is an indication of our
continued willingness to be faithful to our baptismal promise to die to self and
sin and live only for God. It is also a prayer to the Lord, that He who began a
good work in us on the day of our baptism, will complete that work until He
comes again.
Another area that must be covered is the question concerning a child who
dies without baptism. What happens to that child? Two areas must be
explored to answer this question. First, the mere desire of the Christian
parents to have had the child baptized is from an attitude of their intention

and God looks on the heart. Second, the scripture is clear that there is an
age of accountability when the child is fully aware of right and wrong. What
that age is, is a mystery because it is not stated clearly and it is different for
every child. In either case the Church believes that the child under the age
of accountability and with the intent of the believing parents for the child to
have been baptized yet that child dies prematurely, the child goes directly
into the presence of Christ. We cannot limit God’s love, mercy, and
compassion, nor try to put God’s dealings with us in a box of our
understanding. St. Thomas Aquinas stated that God is not bound to the
sacraments as we know them. Although the sacraments are surely a means
of grace they are not the only means by which God can affect our salvation,
so we place such a child into the Father’s loving care.
Q. What is the purpose of Baptism?
Q. Why does the Church practice infant Baptism?
Q. How is the theme of new life communicated through

the symbols used in Baptism?

Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation is referred to by many names, such as the

Sacrament of the Holy Spirit, the Sacrament of Completion, the Sacrament
of Maturity, and the Sacrament of Christian Witness.
Confirmation is the sealing of the baptismal commitment (or covenant).

Because of this close link, the Confirmation sponsor ideally should be the
same people who stood with the candidate at Baptism. It is helpful to
explain this rite of Confirmation as the most significant personal affirmation
of Baptism. We view this sacrament as the action of the Holy Spirit sent by
Jesus as our Advocate/Counselor in bestowing on the candidate the fullness
of the Holy Spirit [Luke 11:13; Acts 1:4-8; 8:12-17; 2Cor. 1:21-22; Gal. 4:6].
As a successor of the apostles, the Bishop administers Confirmation to

emphasize the relationship of the first Pentecost in the early Church to our
own personal Pentecost experienced through this sacrament [Acts 2].
The Bishop’s presence also illustrates that the faith we profess goes back to
the teachings of the apostles and their practice of the impartation of the
Holy Spirit with the laying on of hands, [Acts 8:14-20; 19:4-7]. Confirmation
stresses the unity and diversity of the Church members today and enhances
our unity with all believers through the ages, and as the Holy Spirit continues
to administer His gifts as He so determines for the edification of the church,
[1Cor. 12:4-11].
Through Confirmation we are to understand that the Holy Spirit is released to

do His work of sanctification. Confirmation releases the grace and gifts of
the Spirit so that the person may be open to the cleansing work of the Spirit.
This openness is like that of Christ and the apostles who obeyed the
promptings of the Spirit and died to selfishness, [Gal. 5:19-21]. They lived
the fruits of the Spirit [Gal. 5:22-25], and performed the works of the Spirit.
Confirmation is to set us apart, we are to be counter-cultural agents of the
kingdom of God, living in the world but not being a part of it. We are all to be
a priestly people in a pagan world.

Q. What is my heart’s response to the scriptures in the above
paragraph? Am I separated from the world by the Holy
Spirit unto Christ, or am I still hanging on to it, knowing
there’s work to do?
The sacrament of Confirmation is not to be taken lightly. It is not a social

function. Each person, child or adult, baptized or not, must come to the
point of either personally affirming or turning their back on their faith in
Christ. Several times in the gospel of John the Holy Spirit is referred to as
the Paraclete, a Greek word with a double meaning. He is both an advocate
[defense attorney] and a judge. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the
writer chose the word Paraclete because of its significance. The Holy Spirit is
indeed both our advocate and our judge. He pleads our case, but also
judges. Confirmation marks us off as a chosen people, and on that day when
we stand before the Lord to give account, the sacramental seal of
Confirmation, graced upon us by the Spirit, will be a witness for or against us
depending on what we have done with our life as believers.
Q. If the Holy Spirit is active in all of the sacraments, how
do we explain His special activity in Confirmation?

Q. What does the character of Confirmation and the grace of
the sacrament do for the believing Christian; and what
are the responsibilities of a confirmed Christian Catholic?
Q. How does the double meaning of the word Paraclete

Impact the life of a Christian?
The Sacrament of the Eucharist
Other than daily reflection and prayer, how does the believer maintain
intimacy with the Risen Christ? Did the first apostles have an advantage
over us today? These questions have been asked over the ages and are
even implied in the New Testament. The sixth chapter of John’s Gospel
deals with these issues effectively and Luke tells the story of Emmaus with
all its beauty and drama [Lk. 24:13-35]. To the pleas of the disciples, “stay
with us,” the Risen Christ responded with a ritual that was familiar to them,
the breaking of bread. At the very moment the disciples recognized their
Risen Lord, He vanished from sight. What is Luke’s point? This story is the
answer to our questions. The disciples encountered the Risen
Christ in the breaking of bread, the Eucharist. The proof is that Jesus, in His
glorified body, disappeared the minute the disciples recognized Him in the
sign and symbols [bread and wine] He had previously given to them. The
physically risen Christ did not need to be present because the sacramental

Christ was present in the elements given to the disciples [John 6:32-35, 50-
51, 53-58].
The mystery of the divine-human relationship in the scriptures is one of

progressive intimacy. Jesus came incarnate in the flesh as the fulfillment of
the Father’s desire to be near to those he loves. Prior to His departure,
Christ left us with the Eucharist as the mystical way in which He made good
His promise to be with us until the end of the age [Matt. 28:20].
But what is the Eucharist? Definitions are always lacking. But let’s give this
explanation as a start. The Eucharist is a sacrificial offering commemorating
the grace of salvation through the forgiveness of sin to those who partake in
faith. The substance of the bread and the wine is the body and the blood of
Christ present in our midst. How, we do not attempt to explain, but we firmly
hold to the early church’s statement that Christ is present and it is a Holy
Mystery [John 6:50-58].
We might now ask with good reason if Christ’s death and resurrection once
and for all paid the penalty for man’s sin, why does the Church continue to
offer the Eucharist in the Mass? Salvation promised and earned for us is
conditional. It is contingent upon our acceptance of God’s grace, expressed
through Christ, and our choosing to be saved and live a lifestyle that
demonstrates our understanding of what life in Christ really means. We
were not originally present during Christ’s passion. We need to be reminded
of what God has done for us and in our remembrance when the past
becomes part of the present and the present becomes part of the past event,
our liturgical reenactment of the event makes it a reality for us.
Jesus offers His Body and Blood. His death brings us life, just as the blood
of the lamb saved the Hebrews. Washed in the Blood of the Lamb, we are
cleansed of our sins [Heb. 9:14], and made alive in God’s design for our
salvation. Receiving the body of Christ makes each of us living parts in the
Body of Christ, the Church. We partake in obedience to Christ’s command;
it’s not an option. It is a command to remember Him in this way. If we
constantly fail to remember Jesus and if we fail to renew ourselves with His
sacramental meal, it will result in our ceasing to walk as Christians and may
even turn our hearts away from God. We will choose to no longer hear His
words of love, no longer receive His Body and Blood by faith, and choose
not to live in continued fellowship and intimacy with Him, and no longer be
challenged or inspired to love one another as He commanded us to do.

Eucharist Words of Consecration
When the church gathers in faith to do what Jesus commanded and the
Bishop or Priest speaks Christ’s words, “this is my body given up for
you…this cup is the new covenant of my Blood which will be shed for you…,”
the Priest’s words are no longer his, but God’s [Luke 22:19-20].
The living Word overtakes the elements of bread and wine and transforms
them into the mysterious divine presence. Jesus our Lord comes among us.
Through faith we acknowledge Him as being present and look forward to that
time when He will come again in glory and we will see Him no longer in
veiled signs.
Jesus, who comes to us in this mysterious manner, also remains with us in

the sacred signs and symbols. For this reason we enter the sanctuary with
reverence and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Charism held
within the tabernacle. We humble ourselves and we bow or kneel before the
presence of Christ our Savior, before we do anything else.
In prayer before the Mass, we come to the Christ of the Eucharist with our
present needs asking Him to unite them with His own sufferings on the
cross. Through the cross we share in His Resurrection life as one body
because we are fed by the one Bread [1Cor. 10:15-17].
Q. What is the Eucharist? Describe its meaning in your
own words.
Q. How does the Word and Sacrament interact with each

other?

Q. What does 1Cor. 11:17-34 tell me about my need for
commitment to the total concept of the Eucharist?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Peace begins with our personal desire to repent. The first word spoken by
the Risen Christ that we could consider His Easter gift to the Church was,
“Peace”. It is significant that immediately following that greeting the Lord’s
command to the apostles was for them to forgive sins [John 20:19-23; and
also in the same context Matt. 16:19; 18:18. Shalom, the Hebrew word for
peace carries many meanings, wholeness, harmony, unity, peace, and right
relationships. The word goes back to genesis when God and man were in
an intimate relationship before the fall when sin entered the world. Sin has
obstructed the movement of man toward God; for peace to be found, the wall
of sin must be removed. It is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation that
forgiveness and peace are realized. Thus the early Church Fathers often
referred to Reconciliation as the “second baptism.” The Sacrament of
Reconciliation does not only look at the one who has sinned but also to the
community to do the forgiving. It is a dramatic moment in time, a celebration
in which the sinner turns to God and to the church community for
forgiveness, healing, and sanctification. Because we already know of God’s
love for us, we know He will forgive us no matter what we have done in the
past. In this act of Reconciliation we not only do an about face from our past
sin [the meaning of repentance], but we also turn to the future, continually
living in Christ Jesus and enhanced by the church community.
How do we prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation? It is important that

there be openness to the Holy Spirit for an examination of conscience.
There must be true sorrow (or Godly sorrow) for sin rather than just worldly
remorse [2Cor. 7:10]. These steps are essential if our reception of the
sacrament is to be a true encounter between the sinful self and the grace of
Christ, who forgives. After this preparation the repentant one is ready to
receive the sacrament by the confession of sin to a priest [in apostolic

succession James 5:13-16]. The authority to forgive sins and to grant
absolution is given by Christ to the Church and is entrusted to the
presbyterate [see references above]. Only the bishop or a priest may
complete the sacrament by granting absolution. In many situations others
may hear a person’s confession of sin and give counsel, but such counselors
or confidants should direct the repentant one to the Church for complete
reconciliation.
The rite of Reconciliation provides for both private and communal

celebrations of this sacrament which results in the forgiveness of God. Even
though our emotions of deep sorrow over sin are evident, we can feel
hopeful because the Lord has provided the means to return to Him as
often as needed [1John 1:8-9; 2:1-2]. We can live the sacrament of
Reconciliation on a daily basis and experience the Lord’s peace. By priestly
authority the repentant person receives the assurance of being loosed from
sin as he hears the priest say, “The Lord has freed you from your sins, go in
peace.” Annual confession is encouraged to receive intimacy and
wholeness with the Lord Jesus.
Q. What is the connection between the Risen Christ and
His gift of peace to the apostles and His institution of
the Sacrament of Reconciliation? How is this link
maintained today?
Q. What is the essential quality needed for true

reconciliation?

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
The marriage of two persons was viewed by St. Paul as deeply sacred
because he saw it as a relationship that ran parallel to the love of Christ for
His Church [Eph. 5:21-32].
Every marriage in the church takes place in the presence of others because
the marriage will profoundly affect the Church as the new household
prayerfully becomes an active part of the Church. As the couple receives
the support of the Christian community they pledge the gift of themselves to
one another. The act of self giving is fundamental to the life of a Christian
marriage [Jn. 15:13]. As the family grows strong and healthy it reflects the
power of God and the strength of the Church in a morally declining world.
Ideally, marriage should contribute its strengths to the Church and become a
support for everyone else in the family of Christ.
The dignity of the marriage comes from the love of the individuals who are
committing themselves to each other and from the grace bestowed upon
them by Christ Himself through the Church. It is important to look on a
Christian marriage as an avenue of salvation for the couple [1Cor. 7:14].
Husband and wife are key agents of grace as they continually provide each
other with opportunities for growth in faith and love, and display Christ-like
traits to each other.
Q. What impact should Ephesians 5:21-33, have on the
life of a husband and wife?
The Sacrament of Holy Orders
The Sacrament of Holy Orders consists of three ministries:

• The Diaconate
• The Priesthood
• The Episcopacy

Because the Bishop is the head of the Diocese, his consecration to the
Episcopacy is through the laying on of hands by three other bishops so that
the fullness and unity of the Church is maintained. In the office of deacon
both men and women can be ordained by the Church. For the Holy Order of
priest and bishop only men are ordained by the Church.
The primary function of all three offices is to serve the Church by preaching
God’s Word “…in season and out of season” [2Tim. 4:2], and by making all
of the sacraments available, especially the Holy Eucharist.
A call to service in the Church comes from God and is acknowledged and
validated by the Church. Like the prophets of old and the apostles of the
New Testament, once a person is consecrated by God for special task, their
ultimate meaning is bound up with the task, “for one cannot put their hand to
the plow and then keep looking back” [Lk. 9:62].
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the setting apart of individuals in the

Church to bear special responsibilities and to perform certain tasks. The
Ordained person receives a special gift of grace from the Holy Spirit to
perform their work. This is given in response to the prayers of the Church.
The person ordained takes a new place in the order of the Body of Christ.
[1Cor. 12:12-29; 2Tim. 1:6-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1Tim. 3:1-3; 1Pet. 5:1-5].
THE DIACONATE
The liturgical functions of a deacon include assisting the priest during the
Mass, preaching and teaching, the distribution of Holy Eucharist, baptizing,
and acting as the Church official witness at a marriage. In the absence of
the priest they may perform a wedding with pre-consecrated elements. In
Act 6:1-6, we note that the image of the deacon is one of service to the
community.
THE PRIESTHOOD
The priesthood exists for the Eucharist, but of course, is not limited to that
ministry. This was certainly in the mind of Christ as He instituted this
sacrament in the context of the Passover Supper [Lk. 22:17-22; 28-30].
Fidelity to the Lord’s command requires the continued celebration of the
Eucharist which in turn requires the ministerial office of the priest.

Having said that, we must face the fact that the New Testament never
speaks of the apostles or their successors as priest. Why? In the earliest
stages of the Church’s development Jews and pagans used the word priest
for their religious leaders. There was fear that Christian ministers would be
identified either as Jewish or pagan priests. There was also the concern that
the unique high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ not be clouded over [Heb. 8].
Just as Christ’s redemptive sacrifice was affected once and for all, never to
be repeated, so too is Christ’s priesthood as Head of the Church never to be
forgotten or minimized by man’s perspective of ministry. However, the
Eucharist, which sacramentally revisits the Passover, the sacrifice of
Calvary, and the Resurrection, requires priestly ministers. Such ministers
are not priests in their own right but participate in the priesthood of Jesus
Christ.
The New Testament describes the community of the Church as a “royal

priesthood” [1Pet. 2:9-10]. So then why do we have the office of a priest in
the church? The Old Testament Scriptures speak of the nation of Israel as a
“kingdom of priests and a holy nation” royal people for the nations [Ex. 19:6],
but they still had the selected tribe of Levities as priests for their nation. If
the Israelite community as a nation were to fulfill its priestly witness to the
world it needed the ministry of its priests. The Church is no different; as they
are ministered to by the priests, the people are then equipped to minister to
the world. The priest is to serve the Church; the people are to serve the
world. It is not a question of who is better, but merely the difference of who
serves whom. There should not be any sense of competition between clergy
and laity as all Christians are called to serve both Christ and the world.
THE FUNCTIONS OF A PRIEST
First and foremost the priest is the proclaimer of the gospel. The Word of
God needs to take on flesh, hence the priest is ordained for two specific
reasons: to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass and to be an agent of
reconciliation. A priest must also be a spiritual father to his people; standing
as a constant sign of dedication to the gospel and also to reflect the love and
mercy of Christ. It is for this reason that Catholics have always returned their
priest’s love by calling him “Father”. The title of “Father” should never create
a distance between the priest and the people but should serve as a reminder
of the depth of community and the family relationship that exists.

In the liturgy the priest represents the person of Christ [an icon of Christ], not
as part of the people, but as their head. Even the vestments represent
Christ. The white alb is the righteousness of Christ, the cincture is the belt of
truth, the stole is the yoke of Christ, and the chasuble is the representation of
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the liturgy we witness a union between
the Bride [the Church] and the Groom [Christ]. The spiritual spousal union is
made visible and sacramental through the image of the priesthood.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BISHOP
The bishop possesses the fullness of the priesthood and as such he serves
as the chief priest of his diocese and is capable of administering all the
sacraments. He serves as a symbol of unity and continuity with the historical
church. The bishop is the link with the apostolic Church. His teaching
authority rests on that fact and on his union with the House of Bishops under
the authority of the Archbishop. The bishop ordains the priest to serve as his
assistants and counselors and to share in the overseeing of the church.
Q. How do the ministerial priesthood and the priesthood
of all believers complement each other in the building
up of the Church?
Q. What is the primary role of the priest, and that of the

deacon?

Q. What does it men when we speak of the bishop having
the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
Of all of the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is probably the least
understood. Some have referred to this sacrament as Extreme Unction,
Anointing of the Sick, and Last Rites, all of which allude to different
meanings.
The Sacraments Purpose
The Sacrament of Anointing with Holy Oil is intended for God’s healing
power to be poured out upon the sick: to bring healing to the body, mind and
spirit. The anointing for healing is the Church’s special act of healing; this
sacrament is entrusted to the elders of the Church: the priests and the
bishop [James 5]. Other members of the Body are encouraged to pray for
healing and to lay on hands at other times for we recognize that there are
some called by God to exercise the special gift [a charism] of healing, and
because their ministry bears the fruit of healing, they need no special
appointment within the Church. These acts of prayer and faith for healing
are accomplished without the use of sacramental anointing oil. Oil of any
kind or mixture may be used by the laity.
The rite is very biblical. In His ministry Jesus not only cured physical ills but
also forgave man’s sins. In the prayer of anointing, this connection between
physical and spiritual illness is clearly made. Biblically this sacrament
emphasizes the unity of the body and the soul so the person is seen as
whole and not compartmentalized. Restoration to wholeness is the goal,

beautifully symbolized by the anointing prayer of faith and the laying on of
hands, as in James 5:14-16.
As the priest attends to the spiritual and sacramental needs of the afflicted,
all the members of the Church need to be involved on behalf of the sick and
afflicted in various ways by visiting, bringing food, phone calls, all the while
praying with them and for them. This sacrament stresses the communal
priestly dimension of the Body of Christ.
Scriptural healing is both forgiveness of sin and physical healing. Everyone

should have confidence in the healing power of prayer and seek to bring
both spiritual and physical healing to people in need. Whatever role we play
in sharing the healing ministry of God with others, we must follow the
example of Christ’s compassion to be true ministers of healing [Math. 8:14-
17].
Q. What message for my life can I learn from the healing
of Peter’s mother-in-law?
Q. How does the community aspect of anointing of the

sick affect my thoughts about the Sacrament?

WORSHIP AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
“We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from
the Father and the Son.” The Holy Spirit is a Person of the Holy Trinity, truly
God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. He is the
Paraclete and Counselor that Christ promised His disciples, Who would be
with them forever [John 14:16]. We believe as Catholic Christians that God
as the Holy Spirit dwells with us intimately [1Cor. 3:16]. The Spirit is sent by
God to seal us and to stir up within us the newness of His Life [2Cor. 1:21-
22], that unites us with one another by divine love [Rom. 5:5].
The Holy Spirit works within the church community, but He also desires to
work in each believer’s life to bring them through the process of
sanctification. For each believer who is thirsty for the waters of Life and
Grace [Rev. 22:17], the Spirit wishes to make faith and love strong. In fact,
it is the presence of the Holy Spirit that binds the Christian to Christ
[Rom. 8:9-11].
In Mark 1:1-13, John the Baptizer proclaims that a new type of baptism will
take place, a baptism which is far more than a commitment made with water
alone. John predicts a baptism which will actually bring the Holy Spirit into
the life of the believer. Mark tells us of the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus as
though He was totally possessed by Him. If we allow the Lord to work in our
lives completely when the awareness of the Spirit and the love of the Holy
Spirit does overtake us, we will live life to its fullest by surrendering ourselves
to Him.
Q. How has the Holy Spirit been allowed to guide me to
this point in my life? Am I really open and thirsty for
the living waters of grace and love of the Holy Spirit?
As Jesus neared His passion, He told His disciples that He would depart so
that the Holy Spirit could come and be more active. The Spirit would prove

the message of Jesus to be authentic. The logic of the world would reel
under the reality of God’s message as it was shared through the Church by
the power of the Holy Spirit. Although Jesus had spent the years of His
public life with His disciples, there were truths that they could not understand
without the Spirit of God. With the death, resurrection and ascension of
Jesus, the Holy Spirit would come upon the disciples and a new
understanding of Christ’s message would follow. The Holy Spirit continues
to share that message with us today [John 16:5-15].
Q. How has the Holy Spirit helped me to know more of
Jesus’ message of salvation? Have I asked His help
and fullness into my spirit?
In Acts 2:1-18, the effect of coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples
caused them to leave the upper room with power to spread the word of God.
Peter proclaimed that the prophecy of Joel 2:28-29 was in effect. Through
the gift of power of the Holy Spirit there will be prophets, visionaries and
dreamers and people professing faith in Christ.
Q. Can I say that the Holy Spirit is noticeable at work within
me?
The Holy Spirit helps us through difficult times in life by empowering us with
faith, hope, courage and the power to overcome sin. The Spirit guides us
and produces the presence of God in our lives. We are the Temple of the
Holy Spirit if we are truly in the Kingdom of God by spiritual new birth. As

Christians, the Spirit is always active in our lives. The activity of the Spirit,
however, depends upon our openness to the gifts of the Spirit.
Q. How do I intend to continue to remain open to the gifts
of the Holy Spirit in my life?
The gifts of God that call us to holiness are attributed to the Holy Spirit who
is the Sanctifier. In general the Holy Spirit pours out His gifts upon those in
the Body of Christ, the Church, who are open to Him. Because the life of
Christ is in the believer’s heart, he receives the same gifts that Christ
received at His Baptism. These general gifts are wisdom, understanding,
counsel, strength, knowledge and the fear of the Lord [Is. 11:2-3]. In addition
to these gifts, there are the Charismatic Gifts, or Charisms. These Charisms
are not given for the benefit or sake of the individual, but for the building up
of the whole Church. These gifts are discussed in 1Cor. 12 and 14.
Many Catholics today are experiencing varied forms of worship as they are
led by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some are raising their hands to heaven
as they pray or sing out in joyous song to the Lord. Others are speaking in
tongues, hugging one another, or saying “alleluia” as someone prays over
them. Others quietly sit in their seats running their fingers over their rosary
or prayer ropes, and others are praying and singing with the community in
beautiful harmony. All profess that the Holy Spirit is guiding them in their
prayer and that it is the power of the Holy Spirit working through them which
enables them to praise God in these new ways. We are living in an age
which uses the word Spirit far more often than in the past. There is a keen
awareness of the role of the Holy Spirit in worship and in our daily lives, and
it lies at the root of our need to reflect upon the work of the Holy Spirit.
Q. Have I surrendered myself to Christ Jesus and asked
Him for the fullness of the Holy Spirit? What gifts of the
Spirit do I bring for the benefit of the Church
community?

CHRIST AND THE LIFE OF PRAYER
Christ is the model and teacher of prayer. The Gospels describe Jesus at
prayer in many situations [Luke 3:21-22; 5:16; 9:29; 10:21; 11:1; 22:32]. He
prayed publicly as well as privately before the most important acts of ministry
and decisions [Matt. 14:23-36; Mark 1:35-38; Luke 6:12-16]. His life of prayer
reveals Christ’s special relationship with the Father [John 1:51; 4:34; 8:29;
11:41]. Jesus prayed the scriptures according to Hebrew custom and
tradition, the Psalms [Matt. 27:46; Psm 22:1], and the great Hallel of Psalms
113-116 for Passover [Matt. 26:30]. Praying at least twice a day, Jesus
prayed the Shema [Deut. 6:4-5; Matt. 22:37]. Jesus showed the disciples
how to pray and what to pray for.
Jesus lived in a prayerful spirit often calling on His father. He told the
apostles to, “watch and pray.” From this example the Christian should be a
person of prayer. Prayer is the acknowledgement of our own weakness and
dependency upon God. Prayer is humble submission to God’s will and
obedience to His command [Luke 11:9-13]. Prayer flows from our
relationship with our loving savior Jesus Christ. Genuine prayer is bound
into the totality of life as it is lived. Prayer affects all of life and as we pray
we are prepared to change things in our lives that need changing or give up
what we are holding back from God. The person who prays can reach a
point where prayer penetrates his whole life. A good example is using the
Jesus Prayer as a constant meditative prayer throughout the day.
During prayer a person’s will, affections, mind and activities are all lifted up
to God producing a deep relationship with our Father. St. John of Damascus
described prayer as the “ascent of the mind to God, the request fitting for
things from God.” In our language of today, we would say that this is praying
for that which is the will of God in all things. St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out
that there is an element of petition in all of prayer. According to St. Thomas
the ultimate prayer of petition is the quest for God in accordance with Psalm
27:4. In all attempts to define prayer we can say that we are simply
speaking with God yet it is not meant to be a monologue but a conversation.
While speaking and listening to God, our prayers will consist of praise, love,
abandonment of our will, intercession, adoration and thanksgiving.
It is to be understood by the Christian that when we pray we are addressing

the One Triune God. Prayer is addressed to God the Father, through the

Son, Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can pray to one
Person of the Trinity. We can also pray to all of the Trinity. Prayer is not
limited in whom we address it to [John 14:13-14; Acts 7:59; 1Cor. 1:2;
2Cor. 12-8; 1Tim. 1:12; Rom. 8:15-16].
By lifting our hearts toward God, the Christian and the mystery of God meet
in the supernatural realm, assisted by the power of the Holy Spirit who works
to bring this about [Rom. 8:26-27]. This includes one of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit, the gift of tongues (a spiritual language). We can say that all prayer is
an act of grace from God for us. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, but it is we
who pray.

PRIVATE AND LITURGICAL PRAYER
All prayer is personal because we are personally involved with God.
There are many forms of prayer: individual prayer, vocally shared prayer
with others in a group, mental prayer and liturgical prayer.
Individual Prayer
Individual prayer is recommended by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount

which had its roots in Hebrew tradition [Matt. 6:6; Tobit 3:11; Dan. 6:10;
2Chron. 6:34-35]. For individual prayer there are no particular rules. There
are no fixed hours for this type of prayer other than strongly favoring morning
and evening. Believers are encouraged to pray often through the day.
Individual prayer is the basic fabric of the Christian life and enhances our
personal relationship with God the Father through Christ Jesus our Savior.
Individual or personal prayer transforms our character and life and also
prepares us for liturgical prayer. The Catholic with no personal prayer life
will find the Mass boring and meaningless. The Catholic with a prayer life
will find the Mass meaningful and full of life.
Vocal Prayer
Vocal prayer consists of words, body posture and gestures. The words and
thoughts are to come from the heart not just mere rote [Matt. 6:7-8, 15: 8-9;
Is. 29:13]. Vocal prayer involves our senses and recognizes that we are
body and spirit and that we experience the need to express our feelings
verbally. Vocal prayer may be spontaneous, written, or contemplative,
through such means as the Our Father, the Jesus Prayer, the Rosary or
praying the Psalms. The use of memorized prayers keeps the heart open
and maintains a spirit of prayer that helps establish regular times for longer
periods of prayerfulness. In both vocal prayer and through spontaneous
prayer that follows, the goal is to develop traits of praise, adoration,
thanksgiving and petition.
Spontaneous Prayer
Spontaneous prayer is a type of vocal prayer that springs forth because of a

situation or need. This type of prayer comes first out of the need to express
our awareness and appreciation for God by voicing a response of joy,

worship, or thanksgiving. The other expression of this prayer is when we are
in difficulty and we cry out to God in fear, anguish, discouragement or
loneliness. We must not rely on our emotional swings to motivate this type
of prayer to be the content of our prayer life; we need to also pray regularly.
All communication is work; the Christians who are growing stronger
spiritually work at prayer in spite of their emotional feelings that could
mislead them. All forms of prayer take commitment.
Mental Prayer: Meditation and Contemplation
Mental prayer is the absence of external words and body gestures. The
intellect and will are truly attentive to God. Mental prayer is a deep approach
to God. Mental prayer can be either informal or formal. It is formal when you
devote a definite period of time to make use of internal acts of prayer and do
nothing else during this time. Formal mental prayer is a technique of putting
off the old self and putting on the new [Col. 3:9-10], of learning to be perfect
as our Father is perfect [Matt. 5:48]. Formal mental prayer is necessary for
all who desire Christian maturity. Informal mental prayer takes place when
you are doing something else, like sewing, cooking, gardening, even driving
or participating in a sports activity. The process of mental prayer is major
means of developing the spiritual life. The vocation of every Christian is to
become saintly and holy. The way to become intimate with God is to be
intimate with Jesus, who, though He is God, is also like us in all ways (but
without sin). By studying Jesus and imitating Him, we can eliminate our pride
and learn from Him who is “gentle and humble in heart,” [Matt. 11:29-30]. We
gradually “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” [Rom. 13:14], and in the process
make God the priority in our lives.
Methods and Divisions of Mental Prayer
Many methods of mental prayer have been developed within Orthodox and
Catholic traditions. All these methods are aimed at helping us gather
together our attention and concentration when it is needed. At the same
time all our spiritual guides tell us not to become preoccupied with method.
Most people today, however, need a method to begin with so it is good to
know the stages of growth for a deepening of our prayer life. The purpose of
mental prayer is not to develop new individualistic ideas about God but to
actually raise our heart and mind to God and be able to converse with Him.

Since the 17th century spiritual writers have defined three stages for formal
mental prayer which are: meditation, affective prayer, and contemplation.
Meditation
Meditation is thoughtful prayer. There are three main elements of

meditation: the preparation, the mental prayer itself, and the conclusion. In
Christian meditation the believer is trying to study the life and teachings of
Christ. The preparation for meditation involves the whole of our life. This
usually requires withdrawing to a place of quiet, reading a selected text of
scripture, and concentration on God’s presence asking Him to help us in the
whole process.
The essence of meditation is to devote reflection on a chosen theme of a text

of scripture which helps us make it our own by confronting it with ourselves.
Prayer is important at this point to give our whole attention, memory,
imagination, understanding and affections to the text. The purpose of
meditation is to deepen our faith, our love of God, and our convictions so that
the richness of the mysteries of faith being reflected on begin to change our
lifestyle and our behavior. The foundations for future spiritual growth and
Christ-likeness are laid down here. The result of a meditation is to take a
single thought that was learned and keep it gently in one’s spirit until it takes
root.
Affective Prayer
Affective prayer is a more advanced form of prayer, because the mind and
heart are already firmly fastened upon the mysteries of God after spending
time in meditation. This kind of prayer is similar to human friendship. In a
loving relationship two people talk together extensively, then gradually there
comes a time when just being together is more important, and speaking
becomes less important. A glance, a gesture, or one’s presence is enough
to add enjoyment to the relationship. Affective prayer is usually found in
those who have already rooted themselves in the Lord through meditation
and in the imitation of Christ with the fruits of the Holy Spirit becoming
evident in their life [Gal. 5:22-26]. The move from meditation to the joy of
just practicing the presence of the Lord is then complete.

Contemplation
The deepest kind of mental prayer is contemplation which has many stages.
Contemplation is God’s great gift to those who love Him and enjoy His
presence. In its highest form, this prayer affirms our union with God. In
God’s divine presence it gives us a quiet, rich experience that arises out of a
determined will revealing the secrets of the heart. We do not take time, but
make time, regardless of the trials or dryness of our attitude. We can enter
into prayer independently of these conditions of health, work or emotions. It
is in the heart and the spirit where Christ is encountered in humility and
silence.
Contemplative prayer is the authentic expression of a whole life surrendered

to God. We express our love for God because we have received the love of
God poured out upon us by the Holy Spirit. Through contemplation comes
the overwhelming peace of Christ as we realize our covenant relationship
with Christ Jesus is maturing within our heart [Eph. 3:18-19]. This is not a
peace free from trial but a deep peace born out of trial and often in the midst
of trial [2Cor. 1:3-7].
Growth in Prayer and Christian Living
Spiritual growth in meditational prayer takes work, but gradually we grow

more in love and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. With persistent care
we are purified of earthly attachments and freed to concentrate on God. In
time we know that we are nothing in ourselves, and that knowledge leads us
to greater trust and confidence in Christ. There are slips and failures that
occur, but these are not meant for discouragement but to cause us to press
on more fervently. Prayer becomes easier (even simpler), suffering is
valued, and the Holy Spirit is released to work in our lives. The soul shrinks
from sin. Tolerance for the faults and weaknesses of others increases as we
share in the forgiveness of God and find it easier to forgive each other. The
liturgy is loved, the soul has God’s viewpoint on things, life is lived in the
supernatural and we become instruments of God’s will.
Shared Prayer
Shared prayer has been encouraged, especially since Vatican 2. This

individual vocal prayer is addressed to God yet voiced aloud while gathered

together with others in a group. This may be done in church or in small
groups in a home or elsewhere. Shared prayer is most effective when said
in an atmosphere of faith where deepest thoughts and feelings are being
addressed to God. Listening to God in contemplation is also an important
ingredient as one or more of the group may be in need of healing or
encouragement through the power of the Holy Spirit present in the prayer
group. Caution and discernment of what is shared with one another is
absolutely necessary. Everything must be consistent with scripture during
this type of prayer as St. Paul noted in 1Cor.14:26-33.
Liturgical Prayer
Liturgical prayer is the prayer of the whole Church united in Christ. The word
liturgy comes from the Greek word meaning the people at work. During the
Mass the people of God are at work-ship. The sacred liturgy, as we
discovered with its use of Holy Scripture as its basis, is public worship when
our Lord Jesus, the Head of the Church, offers worship to God the Father.
To say it another way, Jesus the son speaks through us, His body, in
worship and adoration to the Father. Or we can say that we the people of
God, the Bride of Christ, with one voice declare our worship to the
Bridegroom Christ the Lord, who in turn offers it to the Father.
There is an interesting distinction between private prayer and liturgical

prayer. In private prayer an individual is prompted by his own personality
and the leading of the Holy Spirit in his approach to God. In liturgical prayer,
the individual looses his identity in the reality of being a member of the
mystical body of Christ, the community of His Church, a family united
together in Christ.
As with all the sacraments, liturgical prayer is the action of Christ moving
through and gracing His people. The Church experiences the priestly office
of Jesus Christ as He is truly present in the liturgy. From this flows every
liturgical celebration because it is the action of Christ, the High Priest, and
His body the Church participating together in a sacred action that surpasses
all other human experience.
It must be emphasized that the chief element of liturgical prayer must be the
importance of an interior attitude of the heart, full of sincerity and
genuineness of faith, which gives meaning to the exterior words and
activities of the liturgy.

INTERCESSION OF THE SAINTS
Yes, there is a difference between venerating a saint and worshiping
Almighty God, just as we know the difference between honoring and
venerating a loved one and worshiping God. As Catholics we understand in
the biblical sense that all believers are saints [holy ones] [Rom. 8:27;
Eph. 1:18; 6:18]. However, some saints so manifest the life of Christ that
they are given special honor and recognition as a Saint with a capital “S”. It
is easy to see that while all believers are saints, the Apostles stood out from
the mass of Christians as especially gifted by God. Paul himself understood
this and wrote to the saints at Philippi, “The things you have learned and
received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of
peace shall be with you,” [Phil. 4:9}.
Living Saints
It is often said that the Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic Christians
worship and pray to the dead. First, we object to that because we do not
worship the saints. Second, it must be stated that the saints are not dead,
but very much alive. Jesus said that God is not a God of the dead but of the
living [Matt. 22:32; Mark 12:27; Luke 20:38].
One of the most significant events of the early ministry of Jesus was His
Transfiguration on the mountain top. In the company of Peter and James
and John, Jesus “was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the
sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and
Elijah appeared to them talking to Him,” (Mt. 17:1-3). Obviously Moses and
Elijah were very much alive and just as obvious was the fact that they were
still actively serving God. God’s heavenly saints continue to serve Him and
to carry out His will. In light of the Transfiguration, we can see that they play
an important part in the continuing administration of God’s plan of salvation.
Matthew’s Gospel relates that at the moment of Jesus’ death, “the veil of the
temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the
rocks were split.” But in addition to all of this, “the tombs were opened; and
many bodies of the old saints (Old Testament faithful) who had fallen asleep
were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered

the holy city and appeared to many,” [Mt. 27:50-53]. Yes, the saints are very
much alive.
Also in reference to the saints, the book of Hebrews 12:1 states that, “we
have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us.” Moreover, we
Christians are a part of the one universal church, the “assembly of the first
born enrolled in heaven,” [Heb. 12:23]. The church consists of all believers
on earth, which is the visible church, and the invisible church, which is in
heaven. We are one body in Christ Jesus [Col. 3:1-4; Eph 2:1-2;
1Cor. 12-31; Rev. 5:8]. The saints are alive.
Praying Saints
What are the living saints in heaven doing? We have already seen from the
incident of the Transfiguration of Christ that they are involved in the working
out of God’s plan for us. In Revelation 4:10-11 we see twenty-four elders
worshiping God and in chapter seven we read of a great multitude
assembled in worship before the throne of God.
Most significant for our study is the fact that in addition to the continuous
worship of God the saints are active in prayers of intercession. Revelation
5:8 relates that each of the twenty-four elders holds a harp and golden bowls
full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints [Rev. 8:3-4]. What would
these saints be praying for if not for the accomplishment of God’s will, “on
earth as it is in heaven?” Given that the scripture states the saints are
actively interceding for us, Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe it is
appropriate to ask them for their prayers. In the same way that we ask
believers on earth to pray for us, so the historic Church has believed for
nearly two thousand years that it is appropriate to ask particular saints for
particular prayer.
We know from scripture that Paul was a powerful intercessor. We know also
that he is alive in Christ even now around the throne of God with the great
multitude of saints interceding for us. So with St. Thomas who cried out, “My
Lord and my God.” It’s only reasonable then to pray in the Spirit, asking
such saints to intercede on our behalf for God’s grace and blessing just as
we would a fellow parish member or prayer group.

It is necessary to seek the intercession of the saints? Absolutely not. No
more than you need call a friend or the prayer group for their prayers, and
we usually don’t hesitate to do so. And when we do, no one complains that
we have allowed someone to come between us and the Lord. We are
grateful for the prayers of other believers. Why then should we limit
intercession merely to those here on earth?
Even as we naturally seek out people who are especially gifted in prayer, so
too we can recognize certain saints who stand out in history as having been
especially gifted. We quite naturally seek their intercessions; such is the
Catholic understanding of scripture and tradition.
The Early Church
There has been passed down to us a document entitled The Martyrdom of

Polycarp. This document is an eye witness account of the martyrdom of
Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna in February 156 AD. Polycarp was a disciple of
the beloved Apostle John. At eighty-six years of age he was arrested by the
Romans and taken to his death. Asked to deny his allegiance to Christ he
replied,
“I have served Him eighty-six years and in no way has He
dealt unjustly with me; so how can I blaspheme my King who
saved me.”
For his faithfulness to Christ he was tied to a stake and put to the torch.
When the fire failed to consume him, he was stabbed to death by a soldier.
Polycrp was ever after greatly venerated as a prophet, teacher and a martyr.
Those who witnessed his death wrote:
Later we took up his bones, more precious than costly stones

and finer than gold, and deposited them in a suitable place.
There, in so far as it is possible, the Lord will grant that we come
together with joy and gladness and celebrate the birthday of
his martyrdom both in memory of those who have contended
in former times and for the exercise and training of those who
will do so in the future.
In such a fashion the Church began to venerate certain saints as “Saints”

and to ask for their intercessions. In 259 AD, St. Fructuosus, Bishop of

Tarragona in Spain, was arrested during the Valerian persecution. Butler, in
his book Lives of the Saints, tells us that as he was led away to be burnt at
the stake,
Felix, a Christian, stepped forward and desired he (Fructuosus)

would remember him in his prayers. Fructuosus said aloud, “I am
bound to pray for the whole Catholic Church spread over the world
from east to west…”
This account of the passion of St. Fructuosus belongs to that comparatively

small number of acts of the martyrs which all the critics agree upon as being
authentic.
More evidence of the early invocation of the prayers of the saints is found in
the catacombs. In the catacombs of St. Sebatian for example, there are
many inscriptions calling for the prayers of Sts. Peter and Paul dating from
260 AD.
A Great Cloud of Witnesses
Has the Church been wrong in venerating the saints? We are faced with the
implications of the Body of Christ, the Church, being led into all truth by the
Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus imparted His Spirit to His Church. We
believe that this same Holy Spirit guides the Church in its life and practices.
That does not mean that whatever the Church does is always correct or true.
The Church has made many mistakes throughout history and will continue to
do so. However, in time these mistakes have been and will continue to be
corrected precisely because the Holy Spirit is still in and with the Church,
and have enabled the church to recognize and correct its mistakes.
The Reformers were right in objecting to some abuses of Rome; however,

Protestants have swung too far to the opposite extreme, thereby losing our
rich inheritance in the saints [Eph. 1:18].
Our Christian life is like a baseball game. At Yankee Stadium there is the
“The Yankee Hall of Fame.” God has a “Hall of Fame” in Hebrew 11 where
He has listed some of the heroes of the faith. All those who have gone on
before us are also in that “Hall of Fame.” In Heb. 12:1-2, St. Paul writes,
“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” The “cloud of
witnesses” are the Saints who have passed on to the church Triumphant.

They are in the stadium, so to speak, as we run the race of life and play the
game. They fill the bleachers; they applaud and cheer us on to victory and
success. Yet they offer us more than applause and prayers, they offer us
evidence of Christ’s faithfulness. Their lives can tell us how they ran the
race and won, how they trained for it, and how they maintained their
strength. We are surrounded by these witnesses, the air is thick with them,
they are like a cloud over us as we worship. The entire Church, in heaven
and on earth, converses with each other in union and lifts its heart in praise
to God the Father through Christ Jesus.
Because of the lives of such witnesses, we are encourage to lay aside those
sins that drag us down and then to persevere in the faith, all the time looking
to Jesus who is the perfecter of our faith.
Veneration
Both Western and Eastern Orthodox Catholic Christians do not worship Mary
or the Saints; rather they venerate them [to look upon with feeling of deep
respect]. God alone is worshipped. Anyone who claims that we worship
the Saints is guilty of bearing false witness against his neighbor since we
clearly do not believe this. The Saints are reverenced as reflections of the
image of Christ which they allowed to develop in their lives. It is God who is
glorified through His Saints’ lives. They are praised for what God has done
in and through their lives. St. Basis wrote, “I accept the saintly Apostles,
prophets and martyrs, and in my prayer to God I call upon them and through
their prayer I receive mercy from our God who loves all humanity,” [Epistle to
Amphilochios].
There is in man an innate sense of reverence for moral greatness. In

Catholic Christianity this reverence finds expression in the veneration of the
Saints who are the moral giants of the faith. The believers’ daily association
with Jesus and the Saints, serve to form our faith and lifestyle. They are role
models for us.
The veneration of the Saints serves to safeguard the true faith and is a test
of Catholicity. Any teaching that is not in harmony with the lives and faith of
the early Church Fathers and the Saints is to be rejected as false.


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CATECHISM OF ST.

THOMAS OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH

THE MOST REV. ROBERT W. BURGESS, D. MIN.

With grateful recognition for the many hours and editorial

WHY BE CHRISTIAN AND CATHOLIC ……………………………………………………… 5

The INVITATION ………………………………………………………………………………. 5

THE JOURNEY ………………………………………………………………………………... 6

ROLE MODELS ……………………………………………………………………………….. 7

WHAT ARE SOME DISTINCTIVES ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC ……….. 11

ONE ANSWER IS TRADITION ……………………………………………………………………11

CHRISTIAN CATHOLICS HAVE AN APPRECIATION OF CREATION …………………………………… 11

CATHOLIC TRADITION MAINTAINS A WORLD VIEW ………………………………………………. 13

CATHOLIC TRADITION GIVE THE INVITATION FOR PERSONAL HOLINESS …………………………… 14

SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH ………………………………………………………….. 17

JESUS CHRIST IS THE FIRST AND GREATEST SACRAMENT ………………………………………. 19

THE SACRAMENTS, A MEANS OF GRACE ………………………………………………………. 20

THE FOCUS OF OUR ATTENTION IN THE SACRAMENTS ……………………………………………21

WORD AND SACRAMENT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER …………………………………………... 21

THE BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF THE M ASS ……………………………………………………….. 22

THE EUCHARISTIC MEAL ……………………………………………………………………... 24

THE EUCHARISTIC SACRIFICE ………………………………………………….……………... 26

THE RITUAL ELEMENTS OF THE M ASS …………………………………………………………. 29

THE LITURGICAL CYCLE OF THE CHURCH YEAR ………………………………………………… 32

M ASS PRAYERS ARE BIBLICAL PRAYERS ………………………………………………………. 34

THE TWO SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION: BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION ……………………………. 39

INFANT BAPTISM …………………………………………………………………………….. 40

October 2007 2 Copyright © 2007

SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH CONTINUED

THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST ………………………………………………………….. 45

EUCHARIST WORDS OF CONSECRATION ……………………………………………………….. 47

THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION …………………………………………………………. 48

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY MATRIMONY ……………………………………………………….. 50

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS ……………………………………………………………50

THE DIACONATE …………………………………………………………………………….. 51

THE PRIESTHOOD …………………………………………………………………………….51

THE FUNCTIONS OF A PRIEST …………………………………………………………………. 52

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BISHOP ………………………………………………………………. 53

THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK ……………………………………………… 54

WORSHIP AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ………………………………………………………….. 56

CHRIST AND THE LIFE OF PRAYER ……………………………………………………….. 59

PRIVATE AND LITURGICAL PRAYER ……………………………………………………… 61

INDIVIDUAL PRAYER …………………………………………………………………………. 61

VOCAL PRAYER ………………………………………………………………………………61

SPONTANEOUS PRAYER ……………………………………………………………………… 61

MENTAL PRAYER: MEDITATION AND CONTEMPLATION ………………………………………….. 62

METHODS AND DIVISIONS OF MENTAL PRAYER …………………………………………………. 62

MEDITATION ………………………………………………………………………. ……….. 63

AFFECTIVE PRAYER …………………………………………………………………………. 63

October 2007 3 Copyright © 2007

PRIVATE AND LITURGICAL PRAYER CONTINUED

GROWTH IN PRAYER AND CHRISTIAN LIVING …………………………………………………… 64

SHARED PRAYER ……………………………………………………………………………. 64

LITURGICAL PRAYER ………………………………………………………………………….65

INTERCESSION OF THE SAINTS …………………………………………………………… 66

LIVING SAINTS ………………………………………………………………………………. 66

PRAYING SAINTS ……...……………………………………………………………………. 67

THE EARLY CHURCH ……………………………………………………………………..…. 68

A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES ………………………………………………………….…… 69

October 2007 4 Copyright © 2007

This journey begins with an invitation. It is an invitation to a new way of life.

When we seek to know more of Christ or draw nearer to God, we are

October 2007 5 Copyright © 2007