Each weekday, you'll find a new question and answer. Check back for the new question and scroll down to see previous day's entries! Let us know what you think - - or question! -- by emailing us at tcanswer@osv.com.
Church or Charities?
Q. Please settle an argument about tithing. I maintain that if my income is $20,000 a year, and I specify $1,500 for my parish collections and $500 for the various special collections and mission requests, that qualifies as tithing as required by the Church. My friend claims that for proper tithing, I should give the whole $2,000 to the Church. But if I do that I will have nothing for other charities. Who is correct on this matter?
Bill Bandle, Manchester, Mo.
A. Here’s a reply from OSV columnist Msgr. M. Francis Mannion:
I wish I had a whole parish full of people like you who were worrying over tithing! I commend you on your commitment to tithing and wish more Catholics gave a tithe of their income to anything. Currently, Catholics give between 1 percent and 2 percent of their income to charity (most of it to the Church).
Tithing, strictly understood, means 10 percent of one's income. The Church does not require strict tithing on the part of Catholics (although many dioceses and parishes have stewardship programs that aim toward full tithing).
The fifth precept of the Church ("You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church") means that Catholics should feel obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2043). However, no percentage of income is specified.
Those who practice strict tithing are not required for authenticity to give their whole tithe to the Church. Because you split your contributions in different directions, your desire to tithe is not compromised.
I think you win the argument here. But be appropriately humble when you explain this to your friend.
Sunday Vigil Mass and First Saturday Obligations
Q. If I wanted to make my first Saturday and there is no morning Mass on Saturday, and if I went to Mass Saturday night, then again on Sunday, would that be satisfactory?
— Teresa McEnrue, Swartz Creek, Mich.
A. Here’s a reply from Father Reginald Martin:
In certain circumstances, the Church’s computation of time differs from the civil custom we are used to. However, that difference does not apply in this case. In Church law, “a day is understood as a period of time consisting of 24 continuous hours, and it begins at midnight, unless otherwise expressly provided” (Canon 202.1).
Therefore, one may satisfy first Saturday obligations at any time between midnight on Friday and midnight on Saturday. In fact, some parishes schedule first Friday devotions to end at midnight, and then immediately celebrate a first Saturday Mass, precisely so the faithful will not have to rise and return to church early on Saturday morning.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day” (No. 1346). Thus, although a Saturday Mass may be the vigil for the following day, the universal structure of the liturgy guarantees that an individual can satisfy a Saturday obligation by attending the vigil celebration. One should keep in mind, however, that the particular elements of the Vigil Mass (the hymns, proper prayers, etc.) will undoubtedly differ from those of a first Saturday Mass.
Why the Term "Catholic"?
Q. The Scripture never speaks of "the Catholic Church." What does the word "Catholic" mean? How, when and why did it come to be used to describe the Church?
Victor Mayview, via e-mail
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D
The word "Catholic" is the English version of the Greek word catholikos, a combination of two Greek words meaning "throughout the whole." The word occurs often in the Greek classics, with the sense of "universal."
So far as present records show, the phrase "Catholic Church" was first used around the year A.D. 110. In his Letter to the Smyrnaeans (no. 8), St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote, "Let no one do anything touching the Church, apart from the bishop. . . . Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." The usage of "Catholic" here seems to connote "one and only."
Certainly, by the beginning of the third century, the word "Catholic" as applied to the Church denoted that community which held sound doctrine, in contrast to heresy, and which was united in organization, in contrast to schismatic groups. The word also connoted wholeness in contrast to the partial. In the writings of St. Cyprian (mid-third century) we see the beginning of using "Catholic" and "Roman" interchangeably.
Recommend a Book?
Q. My daughter is dating a man who seems very nice and who genuinely cares about her. She is a very devout Catholic, and he is aware of this. However, though he was baptized a Catholic, his parents did not raise him as a Catholic, and he does not know anything about the faith.
Is there a book you can recommend for him to read to answer at least some of his initial questions about the faith?
Marianne Kincaid, via e-mail
A. Here is a reply from Father Francis Hoffman, J.C.D.:
Sounds like a promising situation. If he's not opposed to the Catholic faith, but simply uninformed, I would suggest "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" (Alfred A. Knopf, 1995), by Pope John Paul II. In addition, I would suggest "The Faith Explained" (Scepter, 2001), by Father Leo Trese, as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These are all excellent resources for learning more about our faith.
How is Mother Angelica Doing?
Q. I am a fan of Mother Angelica and was wondering if she is still alive.
— Debbie
Mother Angelica’s long life illustrates the power and value of modern communication. The Catechism of the Catholic Church observes, “the communications media play a major role in information, cultural promotion, and formation.” The text continues, “The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice” (see Nos. 2493-2499).
In 1962, after Mother Angelica’s dramatic recovery from a long, painful back injury, she fulfilled a promise to establish a new monastery (her mother was the community’s first postulant), where she became an energetic apostle, writing numerous pamphlets and sharing her opinions on audiocassettes. In the closing decades of the 20th century, satellite cable television provided a unique opportunity for her to expand her ministry. After a guest visit to a Christian television network, she determined to establish her own network. In 1981, on the Solemnity of the Assumption, the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) was born.
Mother Angelica suffered the first of a number of debilitating strokes in 2001. She can still be seen among her sisters during EWTN’s devotional broadcasts, and although she occasionally greets pilgrims and old friends to her community’s monastery, in Hanceville, Ala., her life is very secluded.
Church Seasons
Browse our collection of church seasons pages.
Pentecost
Ordinary Time
Advent/Christmas
Lent
Easter
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