Each day during the week of August 27 through 31 you'll find a new question and answer. Check back every weekday and scroll down to see that day's entry! Let us know what you think--or question!--by emailing us at tcanswer@osv.com»  

Each day during the week of August 27 through 31 you'll find a new question and answer. Check back every weekday and scroll down to see that day's entry! Let us know what you think--or question!--by emailing us at tcanswer@osv.com»  

Question of the Day for Monday, August 27, 2007

St. Joseph’s Death and Burial?

Q. I have a great admiration for the role of St. Joseph in the life of Jesus and Mary. There is so little we know about him. Do we know where he is buried? If not, have archaeologists tried to discover where he may have been buried? 

Did Mary have any sisters? I thought I had read that her mother had a daughter years before Mary was born. Thank you for your response. -- S.F., via email

A. I certainly share your admiration for St. Joseph, whom I took as my personal patron at Confirmation when I entered the Catholic Church. I knew I could depend on his assistance and his example as a husband and father, and he’s been faithful to help me in so many ways.

 I’m sad to say that we know very little about St. Joseph’s earthly life. The Gospel of St. Matthew tells us about his genealogy and his familiar role in the events that surrounded Jesus’ conception and birth, plus the family’s flight into Egypt (Matthew chapters 1 and 2). The Gospel of St. Luke provides more details about these events (with Joseph’s role largely implied), adding the account of Jesus’ circumcision and presentation in the temple and the story from twelve years later telling how Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple talking with the elders (Luke chapters 1 and 2).

Other than these facts from Scripture, we really have no reliable sources of information about Joseph’s life. Not surprisingly, several books appeared in ancient times that claimed to fill in the gaps of our knowledge about him; among these are the so-called “Infancy Gospel of James,” the “Pseudo-Matthew,” the “Gospel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary,” the “Story of Joseph the Carpenter” and the “Life of the Virgin and Death of Joseph.” These texts make for entertaining reading, but it’s impossible at this point to know whether they contain any actual historical data about Our Lady’s husband.

According to the “Story of Joseph the Carpenter,” the saint died at the age of 111, on July 20, in the year A.D. 18 or 19 (when Jesus would have been a young man). On the other hand, St. Epiphanius reported that Joseph was 90 when he died, and the Venerable Bede, writing much later, claims that the saint was buried in “the Valley of Josaphat,” a place whose location is debated. (It could be a name for a valley just outside the walls of Jerusalem where many Jews have been buried since ancient times.)

In spite of these claims, we really don’t know when or where Joseph died. He almost certainly passed away before the time of Jesus’ public ministry, since Scripture doesn’t speak of his continuing role in Jesus’ life during that time. It seems likely that he died and was buried at Nazareth. In the meantime, no archaeologists have attempted to find his tomb, given the absence of data about its possible location.

As for whether Mary had a sister: The so-called “Infancy Gospel of James,” a second-century document noted above, says that because Mary’s mother was barren, it took a divine miracle for Mary to be conceived, and it tells of no siblings born after her. But again, we don’t know whether anything in this or the other books actually took place. (For the full document, click here.)

Question of the Day for Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Any Canonized Gypsies?

Q. Has there ever been a canonized saint from among the Gypsy people? --  C. M., via email

A. Yes indeed. Ceferino Giminez Malla was a martyred layman from among the people more accurately known as the Roma. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 1997.

 Nicknamed El Pele, Ceferino was born in Fraga, Huesca, Spain, probably on August 26, 1861. He and his wife, who was Romani as well, lived in Barbastro. They had no children of their own but adopted a niece, Pepita, and raised her in a devout Catholic home.

Ceferino was a respected horse dealer, often sought out for wise counsel by both the poor and the politically powerful. In July 1936 he protested the arrest of a priest by the Spanish revolutionary militia (which was rabidly anti-Catholic) and was consequently imprisoned. His recitation of the rosary provoked the prison guards; he was even offered his freedom if he would stop reciting it. But he refused and resisted the resulting threats on his life.
Singled out for punishment because of his fervor, Ceferino was shot to death on August 2, 1936, in the Barbastro cemetery. Like Blessed Miguel Pro in Mexico, he died with a rosary in his hand, crying, “Viva Cristo Rey!” “Long live Christ the King!”

For more information on El Pele and other saints canonized by Pope John Paul II, see Matthew Bunson et al., John Paul II’s Book of Saints, Revised (OSV, 2007).

Question of the Day for Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Any Canonized Gypsies?

Q. Has there ever been a canonized saint from among the Gypsy people? --  C. M., via email

A. Yes indeed. Ceferino Giminez Malla was a martyred layman from among the people more accurately known as the Roma. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 1997.

 Nicknamed El Pele, Ceferino was born in Fraga, Huesca, Spain, probably on August 26, 1861. He and his wife, who was Romani as well, lived in Barbastro. They had no children of their own but adopted a niece, Pepita, and raised her in a devout Catholic home.

Ceferino was a respected horse dealer, often sought out for wise counsel by both the poor and the politically powerful. In July 1936 he protested the arrest of a priest by the Spanish revolutionary militia (which was rabidly anti-Catholic) and was consequently imprisoned. His recitation of the rosary provoked the prison guards; he was even offered his freedom if he would stop reciting it. But he refused and resisted the resulting threats on his life.
Singled out for punishment because of his fervor, Ceferino was shot to death on August 2, 1936, in the Barbastro cemetery. Like Blessed Miguel Pro in Mexico, he died with a rosary in his hand, crying, “Viva Cristo Rey!” “Long live Christ the King!”

For more information on El Pele and other saints canonized by Pope John Paul II, see Matthew Bunson et al., John Paul II’s Book of Saints, Revised (OSV, 2007).

Question of the Day for Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith?

Q. My wife just shared with me an online article about Mother Teresa’s lack -- or rather absence of -- faith for the better part of her life. This has upset her so much that I am taking this means to get these questions to you. Did she go to her death not knowing God or not knowing if Jesus was real?  If she moved through life suspended in a deep dark void of emptiness, then what did she believe? -- P.G., via email

A.  The original story, by David Van Biema, appeared last week in TIME magazine online with the headline: “Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith.” It included excerpts from the new book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light (Doubleday), edited by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, who is cofounder of the priestly branch of the Missionaries of Charity that she founded, and postulator of her cause for canonization.

The book consists primarily of correspondence between Teresa and her confessors and superiors over a period of 66 years. These letters reveal poignantly and pointedly her long-term spiritual struggle with the sense that God had abandoned her.

Other news media outlets picked up the story, and within a matter of hours, readers around the world were talking breathlessly about Teresa’s nearly-lifelong “crisis of faith.” The London Telegraph, for example, reported that she “was tormented by a crisis of belief for 50 years.”

No wonder the reports were disturbing to your wife. As usual, the secular media stories lacked the theological depth, nuance and context for reporting on such matters. It’s simply not true that the letters show Mother Teresa had a lifelong “crisis of belief.” The main problem here is that reporters and commentators are confusing two very different things: belief in God and the feeling that He is near.

The excerpts published from Teresa’s letters suggest that it was only on two or three occasions that she actually doubted, or was tempted to doubt, that God did not exist. Apparently, that kind of doubt didn’t last. What did remain was the sense — she usually described it in terms of her feelings — that God was not close to her, that He had even abandoned her. She spoke of “emptiness,” “loneliness,” darkness.”

We shouldn’t minimize the seriousness of such a personal spiritual trial. But to say Teresa felt abandoned by God is very different from saying she had come to the intellectual conclusion that God doesn’t exist — and then remained in that conviction. (A couple of atheist commentators are actually trying to claim that she was secretly one of them, but that’s a total misreading of the evidence.)

I’d encourage your wife not to rely on secular sources for an adequate understanding of news about Catholic matters. In this case, she need not worry that Teresa went to her death “not knowing God” or “not knowing if Jesus was real.”

Actually, Teresa stands in good company among the saints who had similar struggles, though perhaps her struggle lasted longer than that of most others. St. Thérèse, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross all had a similar “dark night of the soul,” not to mention Our Lord Himself, who cried out on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). And Jesus was quoting from a psalm by King David, who had a similar experience (see Psalm 22).

As the editor of the new book notes, the fact that Teresa struggled this way is in fact one more clear indicator of her heroic holiness. Who among us could dwell for half a century among the most desperate people on the face of the earth, without wondering often, “Where is God in all this?” Yet she never gave way to despair, never let her feelings paralyze her, and continued her work of sacrificial care for the poor — a mighty, persistent act of a will that had abandoned itself to God, even when it seemed abandoned by Him.

Remember St. Paul’s words about the theological virtues: “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). When faith and perhaps even hope stumbled, Teresa doggedly pursued the way of love. In doing so, she remained close to the heart of God, even when she couldn’t hear His heartbeat.

Visit our Mother Teresa section now»

Question of the Day for Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith?

Q. My wife just shared with me an online article about Mother Teresa’s lack -- or rather absence of -- faith for the better part of her life. This has upset her so much that I am taking this means to get these questions to you. Did she go to her death not knowing God or not knowing if Jesus was real?  If she moved through life suspended in a deep dark void of emptiness, then what did she believe? -- P.G., via email

A.  The original story, by David Van Biema, appeared last week in TIME magazine online with the headline: “Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith.” It included excerpts from the new book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light (Doubleday), edited by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, who is cofounder of the priestly branch of the Missionaries of Charity that she founded, and postulator of her cause for canonization.

The book consists primarily of correspondence between Teresa and her confessors and superiors over a period of 66 years. These letters reveal poignantly and pointedly her long-term spiritual struggle with the sense that God had abandoned her.

Other news media outlets picked up the story, and within a matter of hours, readers around the world were talking breathlessly about Teresa’s nearly-lifelong “crisis of faith.” The London Telegraph, for example, reported that she “was tormented by a crisis of belief for 50 years.”

No wonder the reports were disturbing to your wife. As usual, the secular media stories lacked the theological depth, nuance and context for reporting on such matters. It’s simply not true that the letters show Mother Teresa had a lifelong “crisis of belief.” The main problem here is that reporters and commentators are confusing two very different things: belief in God and the feeling that He is near.

The excerpts published from Teresa’s letters suggest that it was only on two or three occasions that she actually doubted, or was tempted to doubt, that God did not exist. Apparently, that kind of doubt didn’t last. What did remain was the sense — she usually described it in terms of her feelings — that God was not close to her, that He had even abandoned her. She spoke of “emptiness,” “loneliness,” darkness.”

We shouldn’t minimize the seriousness of such a personal spiritual trial. But to say Teresa felt abandoned by God is very different from saying she had come to the intellectual conclusion that God doesn’t exist — and then remained in that conviction. (A couple of atheist commentators are actually trying to claim that she was secretly one of them, but that’s a total misreading of the evidence.)

I’d encourage your wife not to rely on secular sources for an adequate understanding of news about Catholic matters. In this case, she need not worry that Teresa went to her death “not knowing God” or “not knowing if Jesus was real.”

Actually, Teresa stands in good company among the saints who had similar struggles, though perhaps her struggle lasted longer than that of most others. St. Thérèse, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross all had a similar “dark night of the soul,” not to mention Our Lord Himself, who cried out on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). And Jesus was quoting from a psalm by King David, who had a similar experience (see Psalm 22).

As the editor of the new book notes, the fact that Teresa struggled this way is in fact one more clear indicator of her heroic holiness. Who among us could dwell for half a century among the most desperate people on the face of the earth, without wondering often, “Where is God in all this?” Yet she never gave way to despair, never let her feelings paralyze her, and continued her work of sacrificial care for the poor — a mighty, persistent act of a will that had abandoned itself to God, even when it seemed abandoned by Him.

Remember St. Paul’s words about the theological virtues: “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). When faith and perhaps even hope stumbled, Teresa doggedly pursued the way of love. In doing so, she remained close to the heart of God, even when she couldn’t hear His heartbeat.

Visit our Mother Teresa section now»

Question of the Day for Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Holy Infant of Prague?

Q. I’m a new Catholic, and I’m puzzled by a little statue I saw the other day on a mantelpiece in a Catholic home. It depicted a little boy dressed like a king, in royal robes with a crown, holding a globe. Who is it? -- J. F., New York, NY

A. By all means let me introduce you to the Holy Infant of Prague, also known as the Infant Jesus of Prague — who is of course a representation of Our Lord Jesus. I remember how, as a new convert, I also was perplexed by such a statue. But soon I discovered that it bears a beautiful story of encouragement for us all.

Perhaps we should note first that a number of saints have had a passionate devotion to the Our Lord in His infancy. Among the most notable are St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Teresa of Avila.

What you saw was a copy of an original statue of Jesus as an infant King, which is about eighteen inches tall, made of wood and wax, and dressed in royal attire. It’s mounted on a pedestal in the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague, the Czech Republic, where it has been venerated since 1628.

As you noted, the left hand holds a miniature globe of the world with a cross on top. The right hand is raised in blessing. This arresting image reminds us both of Our Lord’s humility in becoming a Child and of His grandeur as King over all the world.

We don’t know for sure the origins of the original statue, but we do know that it was brought, perhaps from Spain, to what was then called Bohemia (now called the Czech Republic) and presented to the Discalced Carmelite Sisters there. Soon after, the Carmelites had to flee their home when Prague was invaded.

The statue was lost until 1638, when a young priest, Father P. Cyril, found it buried in the ruins of Our Lady of Victory Church. Its hands were missing. He cleaned the statue and placed it in the oratory.

According to his account, while he was praying before this image, Father Cyril heard the Infant Jesus say, “Have pity on Me and I will have pity on you. Give Me My hands and I will give you peace. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you.”

The priest had neither skills nor funds for repairing the statue, so he asked Our Lady to make a way for the task to be accomplished. Again, as he later reported, the Divine Infant spoke to him, saying, “Place Me near the entrance of the sacristy and you will receive aid.” Father Cyril did just that, and a few days later, the statue was repaired by a man who came to offer his help.

Once the statue was repaired, a number of miracles reportedly occurred in answer to prayers for the Infant’s assistance. Word began to spread, as did veneration of the Holy Child, among the nobility as well as the common people. In 1641 an altar was built in the church for the Infant Jesus, and eventually a chapel as well.

The bejeweled gold crown on the statue’s head was set in place during a procession that carried the image from Our Lady of Victory Church to other churches in Prague. The Infant Jesus was solemnly crowned on April 4, 1655, by Archbishop Josef Corta.

Despite later wars and unrest in Prague, the church and the Infant Jesus chapel have been protected. Thousands of pilgrims now pay homage to the Infant of Prague each year, and the tradition of the procession and coronation continues. As devotion to the Infant Jesus has spread, many parishes offer Masses and novenas to honor Him.

The Infant’s patronage is sought especially for vocations, health, happy family life, the welfare of children, missions, freedom and peace, schools, and safety in travel. Many Catholics also turn to the Holy Infant of Prague when they find themselves in financial need.

A charming tradition in some Catholic homes involves placing a quarter or other coin under a copy of the statue as a token of placing all possessions under Jesus’ control and care. Some families also dress their image of the Child with various outfits of royal garb.

Numerous miracles have been attributed to the Infant of Prague, helping to spread the devotion throughout the world. Countless believers have learned the meaning of the Infant’s promise: “The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you.”

• To pray the Litany of the Holy Childhood of Jesus, click here»
• For the Litany of the Infant Jesus, click here» 
• For the Litany of the Miraculous Infant of Prague, click here» 

Question of the Day for Friday, August 31, 2007

What’s the Didache?

Q. An article I was reading recently referred to an ancient Christian text called the Didache. Can you tell me more about this book? Was it ever “in the running,” so to speak, for inclusion in the Bible? --  K. B., San Francisco, CA

A. The Greek word Didache means literally “teaching.” The full title of the book is Teaching of the Lord to the Twelve Apostles. It’s an ancient (and rather short) manual on morals and Church practice, drawing in part from earlier Jewish sources.

At one time some scholars thought the text was written in the late second century A.D. But now most believe it’s actually from the first century — as old as some of the New Testament books themselves. Some date it as early as A.D. 50.

If that date is even close to being correct, it was written while some of the Apostles were still on their missionary journeys. You can see, then, why it’s a book of enormous importance: It gives us a glimpse into Church life just after the period portrayed in the Book of Acts.

The book’s author and place of origin are unknown. It describes the life of a Christian community that’s probably somewhere in Syria. The author clearly knew the oral traditions of Christ’s teaching that lie behind the four Gospels in Scripture.

The first six of sixteen brief chapters describe “the Two Ways”: the “Way of Death” and the “Way of Life.” These include quotations from the Sermon on the Mount. The next nine chapters provide instructions on baptism, fasting, prayer (the full text of the Our Father is cited), the Eucharist, and how to treat apostles, prophets, bishops and deacons. The last chapter talks about the Antichrist and Jesus’ second coming.

Of special interest to students of early Church history: In this text, the preferred method prescribed for baptism was full immersion, while allowing for a threefold pouring. Christians were expected to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Abortion and infanticide were explicitly forbidden.

Two early Eucharistic prayers were cited. In addition, a primitive, as-yet undeveloped ecclesiastical structure was described, with a local ministry of “bishops and deacons” along with a traveling ministry of “apostles and prophets.”
My favorite historical tidbit from this book: Already in the first generation of the Church, Christians were becoming victims of false “prophets.” These charlatans tried to fleece the flock by claiming divine authority for whatever they pretended to speak “in the Spirit.” The Didache warned:

“If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. … [W]hoever says in the Spirit, ‘Give me money,’ or something else, you shall not listen to him” (chapter 11). Only a false prophet, it added, would “order a meal in the Spirit.”
Some things just never change.

Was the Didache ever “in the running” for inclusion in the biblical canon? Only in the sense that it was revered by some local churches in ancient times who read aloud from it alongside scriptural texts, before the official biblical canon was established. The Egyptian theologian Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215) actually quoted it as Scripture. But under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church as a whole concluded that the book was not inspired in that way.

It’s a quick and fascinating read. For a contemporary translation, click here»