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.
Souls in purgatory
Q. Can the souls in purgatory pray for themselves? I always thought they could not, that they could only pray for others.
-- Name withheld, Clinton, Ohio
A. Here’s a reply from OSV columnist Msgr. M. Francis Mannion:
If we understand prayer primarily as the raising of the mind and heart to God, then it is perfectly reasonable to conclude that the souls in purgatory can pray for themselves. Indeed, it may be suggested that the souls in purgatory do nothing else but pray -- raising their minds and hearts to God so that in the very process they will be conformed in their utmost being to Christ himself.
Purgatory is not a divine concentration camp in which those who die in minor sin are sent by God until they have paid off their moral debt. Purgatory, rather, is the very process by which the Holy Spirit purifies and transforms the human person so that his or her baptism into Christ is brought to completion. God listens intently to the prayers of those in purgatory, for, in His very being, God is a God of salvation and mercy.
God listens to all the prayers of His people and seeks to find in these prayers a spirit of conversion of heart and conformity to His Son, Jesus Christ.
Rosary Questions
Q. Is there a special prayer position that should be assumed when praying the Rosary?
Should the prayers be said aloud or can they be said silently?
Is there a litany to be recited after the Hail Holy Queen? (In a prayer book I have, it says that the Rosary should end with the litany, but this is the only time I've ever heard that.)
When announcing each of the mysteries, should the Bible verses that each one comes from be read, or does one just announce the mystery itself?
Steph, via e-mail
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Francis Hoffman, J.C.D.:
I am happy you have so much interest in the Rosary. It is a magnificent and powerful prayer, and Roman pontiffs down through the centuries have highly recommended it.
Anyone who ever had the good fortune to meet Pope John Paul II personally usually came away from that encounter with a white papal rosary as a memento of that meeting. I suppose Pope John Paul figured he would probably never talk to that person again, so he would like to give him the best gift he could: a rosary.
There is no special prayer position or posture that should be assumed when praying the Rosary. But kneeling is always an excellent prayer posture because it helps us stay focused and awake, and it reflects our desire to submit ourselves to God. Sitting or standing is fine, while walking or pacing back and forth can also be an excellent way to stay alert as you pray the beads.
The prayers can be said aloud or silently. If you pray in a group, one person usually leads it out loud, while the rest respond.
The Litany of Our Lady of Loretto is the traditional litany often recited at the conclusion of the Rosary. (For the text of this litany, see www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/bvm/loretto.html; for the history of the litany, see www.newadvent.org/cathen/09287a.htm). But each person is free to pray it as he or she sees fit.
Other devotions can also be attached, followed by additional prayers for special intentions. Or in place of that practice some pray the Salve Regina ("Hail, Holy Queen") along with the traditional prayer to St. Michael.
Finally, when praying the Rosary it is sufficient to announce the mystery about to be prayed without further commentary or reading of the relevant scriptural passages. Nevertheless, short commentaries or meditations on the mysteries can greatly enhance your spiritual benefit from praying the Rosary.
As with anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. One of my favorite meditations on the Rosary was written by St. Josemaría Escrivá. It is called "Holy Rosary" and is available at www.scepterpublishers.com.
Reunion in Heaven?
Q. Recently my wife of 40 years passed away. As Catholics we hold that heaven is our reward. Upon my passing, would I be reunited with her, or would we be two separate entities, one in one place, and the other somewhere else?
Jerry Trappa, via e-mail
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
First let me express my sincere sympathy for the loss of your wife. May God grant you peace in this difficult time.
The Church's only revelation about the relationship of husbands and wives in heaven comes to us in one verse of Scripture: "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven" (Mt 22:30).
Anything else we can say is speculation. In my opinion, Our Lord is telling us that the necessary exclusiveness of the marriage relationship will not itself exist in heaven. That means not that spouses will be eternally separated, but that their relationship will be somehow transformed.
When Christ was raised from the dead, His personal relationships were also raised. And so with us. After 40 years of married life, who you are is inextricably bound up with your relationship to your wife. If you were to be abstracted, so to speak, from that relationship, you would not be you, but somebody else. That is the reason why I believe that in some way, relationships between spouses, in whatever form, must continue in God's eternal kingdom.
We should also keep in mind that the communion of all the saints in heaven will be perfect. All those who are in Christ will experience there a loving union in Him far beyond anything we can now imagine. The relationship of a Christian husband and wife will thus be transformed to partake of that universal, holy and perfect communion.
Proper Sign of Peace?
Q. What is the proper "sign of peace" that should be given at each Mass? Is kissing appropriate? Should it be just a handshake or a nod? No one has really ever explained this to me.
Phyllis Grossi, via e-mail A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Francis Hoffman, J.C.D.:
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states: "As for the sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner" (no. 82).
Later, the GIRM indicates that the priest celebrant offers a sign of peace only to those near him in the sanctuary except on special occasions, such as a wedding or funeral. In those situations it may be appropriate to extend a sign of peace and greeting to those near the sanctuary (see no. 154).
A close reading of the GIRM reveals that the "sign of peace" is not mandatory, but is left up to the discretion of the celebrant.
As far as I can determine, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has made no specific indications as to what constitutes a proper "sign of peace." A handshake is certainly appropriate and customary in our contemporary culture; a friendly kiss between people who are familiar with one another, such as family members or couples who are engaged, might also be appropriate.
A more formal sign of peace sometimes exchanged by concelebrants is the ancient hands-on-the-shoulders, hands-under-the-elbows, double-cheek kiss. It's sort of European or, more properly speaking, Roman in origin and is rarely seen in this country, but it's nevertheless appropriate.
A nod would be fine, too. Or a friendly smile and wave to someone on the other side of the aisle would also be acceptable. In the absence of any specific indication from the bishops, common sense should dictate how you express your peace with your neighbor.
“Begotten, Not Made”?
Q. In the creed, what is the meaning of "begotten, not made"?
James Kussy, via e-mail
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D.:
The phrase "begotten, not made" means the same as the phrase that immediately follows in the creed: "one in Being with the Father." "Begotten" and "one in Being" clearly distinguish Our Lord from all mere creatures. Earlier in the creed we say, "Eternally begotten of the Father."
On the human level, a man can make a table or a chair, let's say. But we do not say he "makes" a son or daughter. We say he "begets" a son or daughter; "begets," because they are of the same nature as himself. To speak of the Son as "begotten of the Father" indicates He is of the same nature as the Father, not a creature of the Father.
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