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.
Worshipping Mary?
Q. Am I right in thinking that the Church does not teach that Mary is to be worshipped as Jesus is? How come, then, the song "Immaculate Mary" sung every Monday in our church says: "She reigns now, in Heaven, with Jesus Our King"?
-- Lillian M. Porter, Tallahassee, Fla.
A. Here’s a reply from OSV columnist Msgr. M. Francis Mannion:
You are perfectly correct in thinking that the Catholic Church does not worship Mary, but Mary is venerated. Christ is adored, Mary is venerated. The Church has a long tradition of making distinctions between the various stances Christians take toward Christ and Mary.
While it is in the nature of doctrine to be precise, the same precision need not be expected to hymnody (which is, after all, poetry). This is not to suggest that hymnody should not be doctrinally correct, but that it uses images that are imaginative and free-flowing and are not usefully played off against each other.
To say that Mary "reigns now, in Heaven, with Jesus our King" could be problematic if taken literally. But Mary is not queen in the way that Jesus is King. She is not on the same level as Christ. She is not the spouse of Christ, for instance.
Her relationship to Christ cannot be seen as analogous to the relationship between a human king and queen. Her queenship is of a different order than the kingship of Christ. She is the first among the "kingly people" that is made up of all the holy ones who are with Christ.
Communion for a Home Group?
Q. My small group of Cursillo sisters meets weekly. One of the women had hip surgery and is housebound for three more weeks. We are to meet at her house this week, and one of the other women said she would bring Communion for all of us.
It is my understanding that the only people allowed to receive would be the one who is housebound and any caregiver (only on Sunday) who is unable to attend Mass. Is that true, or are we all allowed?
Penny Vaughn, via e-mail
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Francis Hoffman, J.C.D.:
You have it just about right. The sick, shut-ins and those who care for them are eligible to receive Holy Communion whenever the minister of Holy Communion visits them, whether on a Sunday or on a weekday.
The others, who are able to attend Mass, should go to Mass and receive at the church.
I suppose you could make a case that the others are "caregivers" to some degree or another; or you could call this event a "Communion service" and justify their reception of Communion that way. But I think either approach (caregiver/Communion service) is a forced adaptation of the law and not in keeping with the spirit.
It would be best, I think, if your Cursillo group attends Mass together and then visits your friend with a duly deputed minister of holy Communion (priest, deacon or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion). The extra care we give to the Eucharist only strengthens our faith and deepens our love for Our Lord.
Free Will in Heaven?
Q. Could you please help me understand how Lucifer became a fallen angel when he was in the presence of God? It makes me wonder whether those who make it to heaven still have the possibility of committing sin. Is there still free will in heaven?
Chris Lincoln, via e-mail
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
Lucifer became a fallen angel in the same way you and I become sinners. He chose his own will rather than that of the Father, though we do not know on what issue he made this fatal choice.
How could anyone actually stand in God's presence and still choose to rebel against Him? It may seem incredible, but Lucifer and his followers did precisely that. In any case, we should not be surprised that such a choice was an utterly definitive act that can never be undone. As the Church teaches, this sin of the fallen angels has an "irrevocable character" and is "unforgivable" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 393).
Once the fallen angels made their choice, the angels who chose to remain faithful to God were confirmed by Him in their choice so they could never fall. At death, human beings experience a similar divine confirmation of their will, ratifying their choice for or against God. For this reason, the fact that Lucifer chose to rebel against God, even while standing in His presence, should not make you worry that we humans could do the same after we arrive in heaven.
Keep in mind, too, St. Thomas Aquinas' teaching that even though the angels' original vision of God was of a higher order than ours is now, it was not the perfect vision of God that the confirmed (good) angels and saints now have in heaven. When the redeemed stand before God in heaven, they behold Him in His very essence. In the glorious light of that vision, they will be perfectly free to choose whatever their hearts desire -- and their hearts will desire only to love and enjoy God.
Yes, then, there will assuredly be free will in heaven. Free will is a distinguishing mark of human nature. Indeed, our wills will be truly, fully free only in heaven. They will find their true freedom -- as did Jesus' human will -- only in total submission to the will of our Father.
New Age?
Q. What is the Church's position on New Age teaching?
Donna Lammers, via e-mail
A. Here is a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
Since "New Age" is a broad term referring to a myriad of varying, sometimes mutually contradictory, beliefs and practices, we could fill an entire volume with an analysis from a Catholic perspective.
Nevertheless, in 2003 the Church issued a formal document entitled "Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life." This analysis of New Age teaching was jointly prepared by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
The document is highly detailed, with a very extensive bibliography. It clearly examines New Age teaching in a respectful manner, while at the same time showing its clear departures from, and even contradictions of, Catholic teaching. You can order this text as a bound pamphlet from your local bookstore, or from an Internet bookseller.
In general, we can say that, as the Vatican document observes, very little in the New Age movement is actually "new." It collects and recycles a number of ideas and practices from older forms of religion, especially those with roots in the age-old Gnostic heresies that appeared in the ancient Church and have repeatedly re-emerged since then.
This varied collection of spiritual teachings thus includes many that the Church long ago identified as contrary to orthodox Catholic belief.
Fasting on Sundays?
Q. Is it acceptable in the Catholic faith to fast on Sundays? I understand it is special to move away from things that lead us away from God, and a Sunday may be the perfect day to do so. I also believe to fast in nourishment would leave us sad and weak, and may not be the best for our family, thus leading us away from goodness and God.
-- Paula Timpson
A. Here’s a reply from Father Reginald Martin:
A preface for Masses in Lent expresses the value of fasting (and other penitential practices) very succinctly: “You ask us to express our thanks by self-denial. We are to master our sinfulness and conquer our pride.” The Old Testament prescribed fasting, and it has been recommended (together with prayer and almsgiving) since the Church’s earliest days.
However, the extent and time of a fast must be governed by circumstances and common sense. The Church makes exceptions for those who are elderly, or for individuals whose work would suffer if fasting diminished their strength.
Likewise, a fast should take place at an appropriate time. The Church recommends fasting during Lent, and we fast before Communion to avoid approaching the Eucharistic meal immediately after finishing another meal. However, Sundays and other important liturgical feast days are, by their nature, times to recall God’s generosity and love.
The Old Testament heroine, Judith, fasted every day, “except the day before the Sabbath and the Sabbath itself,” and Jesus tells His critics that His disciples will fast when he is no longer among them. Sunday is the day that especially recalls Christ’s presence among us, so fasting is less appropriate on Sundays than on other days.
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