Each day during the week of October 1 through 5, 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, Oct. 1, 2007

Origins of the Pilgrimage?

Q. What exactly is a pilgrimage? What are the origins of this practice among Christians?
O.M., Tuscon, Ariz.

A. A simple definition might be this: A pilgrimage is a journey made to a sacred place for a spiritual purpose. The root of the English word is a Latin term meaning “wandering.”

    Many religions practice the custom of pilgrimage. In ancient times, it was an important part of Jewish tradition because the great temple in Jerusalem, “the city of the great King,” was considered the most sacred place on earth. It had been built as a house for God, where He “caused His name to dwell,” and where His presence rested in a unique way in its innermost sanctuary called “the Most Holy Place” or “Holy of Holies” (see 1 Kings 6:16; 8:12–29). So faithful Jews who could make the journey to the temple in Jerusalem did so at least three times a year to celebrate the high feasts of their faith.

    The Gospels indicate that Jesus himself made such pilgrimages. When He was young, Mary and Joseph took him each year to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover (see Luke 2:41–42). As an adult, Jesus continued that practice and went to the great city for other high feasts as well (see John 2:13; 5:1; 7:10; 10:22).

    In Christ, God himself walked the earth. So Christians have long considered the places where He lived and visited to be holy. In the early centuries of the Church, believers who had the means to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and other sites associated with Jesus’ life began making pilgrimages there. They wanted to see for themselves these places they had heard about so often in the Gospels. They wanted to touch the ground that Our Lord had touched and pray where He had prayed.

Not surprisingly, Christians eventually built shrines and churches on these sites. That way they could to mark their importance and prepare a place there for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to be offered.

Doing all this as an act of faith united the pilgrims more deeply with Christ as they identified themselves more closely with Him. Since long journeys in those days were difficult and required considerable sacrifice, they also made pilgrimages as a form of penance.

Once the Apostles and other saints extended Christ’s ministry throughout the world, it was only natural that the places they lived and ministered would also be recognized as sacred, especially the ground made holy by the blood of the martyrs. Rome became a favorite destination for obvious reasons. Even those places where no famous saint had visited would attract pilgrims to honor the relics of a saint who might be buried there.

For more on the history of pilgrimages, click here.

A pilgrimage is a powerful symbol of the Christian life as a whole, which is, after all, a long journey toward heaven. “For we have here no lasting city,” the Scripture reminds us, “but we seek the city which is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). Though it’s true that we can find God’s presence anywhere, yet we must diligently search for Him, making whatever sacrifices are necessary to draw close to Him.

I made a pilgrimage several years ago to Rome and Assisi, and then recently to a remote island on the Georgia coast where Franciscan missionaries died for the faith in 1597 (for more information, click here). So I can personally testify to the great power of a pilgrimage, made in faith, to bring us closer to God.

Question of the Day for Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007

Various Forms of Prayer

Q. I sometimes read older books about the spiritual life that speak of mental prayer, vocal prayer, discursive prayer, formal prayer, and so on. Can you help me understand the difference between these various kinds of prayer?

L.M., Seattle, Wash.

A. Formal prayer is prayer with a set form—that is, the words prayed have been previously composed (given to us, for example, in the liturgy or through devotional tradition) rather than spontaneously offered by the one praying.

The benefits of formal prayer are many: It allows us to pray in unison (even when we pray alone) with all the other Christians who use the same prayer, throughout the world, across the generations, in heaven as well as on earth. (According to Scripture, one example of the latter would be the opening words of the Sanctus of the Mass; see Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8.)

Formal prayer also provides us with thoughts and words we may be lacking when we pray spontaneously. It helps us fill in the “gaps” of our informal prayer, reminding us of concerns we may have neglected. It can allow us to express ourselves more precisely (and sometimes more concisely) in our conversations with God. And it models for us the proper attitudes of prayer.

Vocal prayer (prayer of the voice) is prayer that is spoken aloud. This outward action expresses the internal intention that is essential to prayer. Vocal prayer often, but not always, consists of the reading or recitation of a formal prayer.

Though some Christians have looked down on vocal prayer as a “lower” form of conversation with God, it’s quite valuable in that it involves the whole person, body as well as spirit, and it allows prayers to be prayed in common with others. The supreme form of vocal prayer, of course, is the Church’s liturgy, the voice of the Bride of Christ speaking to her Lord.

Mental prayer (prayer of the mind) refers to all kinds of prayer other than vocal. It’s a direct exercise of the mind and will. Mental prayer includes forms of prayer such as meditation and contemplation.
Meditation (or discursive prayer) involves reasoning or reflection on a given subject with the intention of stirring up the will to make acts of faith, hope, love and humility, and to form godly resolutions.

Contemplation is more difficult to describe without resorting to figurative language. It’s a kind of prayer that dispenses with reasoning or discourse in order to concentrate simply and fully on God. Through what might be called a “gazing” on Him with the “eyes” of the soul, the person in contemplation offers up a wordless act of love to the Lord, while the mind and will are utterly engrossed in God and enthralled by God.

We should note that the Church embraces all these types of prayer and despises none of them. God welcomes all our efforts to commune with Him, and invites us to delve more and more deeply into the mystery that is prayer.

Question of the Day for Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007

Do Catholics Believe …?

Q. I am a Christian and have been for years. I am not Catholic, nor am I a member of any other church. I do read my Bible daily, and I attend church on occasion. (I guess I would be most similar to a conservative Baptist, but I don’t lay claim to any particular Christian denomination).
My girlfriend enjoys the Catholic Church and she is currently going to classes to join the Catholic Church. I think that’s cool and I support her 100%.

I’ve been listening to her talk about her classes and studies, and I’ve been reading the material. It centers on Christ’s suffering and how it relates to us. It has been enjoyable, beneficial and fun to learn more about His life. It is a great guide on how to live a good life.

Here is my question: Does the Catholic Church teach that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that to be a Christian we must confess to Him our sins, ask for forgiveness and confess Him Lord of all?

I hope I don’t sound ignorant by asking that question. It’s just that she’s been attending these classes for almost a year and I haven’t heard it mentioned. Thank you for your time.

G.O., via email

A. I’m glad to hear that your friend is entering the Catholic Church and that you’re supportive of her decision. My parents were Southern Baptist, so I have some familiarity with your background.

Yes, the Catholic Church does teach that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” which is of course a truth taught us in Scripture (see Romans 3:23). That’s why the Church insists on the sacrament of baptism, which washes away sin (including the stain of original sin, which we all have from Adam, as St. Paul teaches) and the sacrament of Confession, in which we regularly confess our sins to God and ask His forgiveness. We also pray that God will forgive us our sins at every Mass.

Perhaps your friend’s teacher hasn’t yet given sufficient attention to these truths in her classes. In any case, the Church certainly teaches them, and its sacraments and liturgy would make no sense if we didn’t believe that we are all sinners and must ask for God’s mercy.

We should also note that every Sunday in church, Catholics confess their faith by saying together the Nicene Creed (or sometimes the Apostles’ Creed). The Nicene Creed says in part: “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. . . . He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end."

The Apostles’ Creed says in part: “I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.”

Every time we say either of these creeds (the second one is also said when praying the rosary, which many Catholics do frequently), we are confessing Jesus as Lord of all. Another part of the Nicene Creed confesses Him as our Savior as well: “For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven.”

When people are received into the Catholic Church, they are asked publicly whether they believe each statement of faith that’s included in the Apostles’ Creed. The person must then reply in the affirmative. But as you can see, this confession of faith isn’t made only once. It’s only the first of many occasions over a whole lifetime when the Church asks Catholics to confess that they are sinners in need of Jesus Christ as their Savior, who is also their Lord.

Question of the Day for Friday, Oct. 5, 2007

Paten vs. Communion Plate?

Q. I’m confused: I recently heard someone talking about the little plate with a handle that’s held under the chin of those who are receiving Holy Communion. He called it a paten. I thought the paten was a plate on the altar to hold the Host. What are the correct terms?

C. V., via email

A. People often use the word paten for both items, but that’s the result of some confusion of terms. More accurately, the paten, as you noted, is found on the altar. It’s a circular dish resembling a saucer, of the same material as the chalice, and consecrated by a bishop with anointings of holy chrism. The paten is used to hold the bread at the Offertory of the Mass, and later to hold the sacred Host.

    The Communion plate, on the other hand, is the metal plate with a long handle held under the chin of the communicant. It catches any fragments of the sacred Host that may fall. Unlike the paten, this item is not consecrated by the bishop.