Date:
Saturday, May 30, 1998 Time: 9:01 PM EST
Submitted by: Sista
Vicki Email address: (vicki@columbus.rr.com)
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
Fr. Jerry!
Here's to my superstitious
habit of breaking in a new form by sending that first test email ... on
the wings of a prayer, of course.
WHY'D we do THIS?
Shall we tell them
this idea was borne of a great light of inspiration, like a thunderbolt
of creative wisdom from heaven?
Or that the Holy Spirit
had nothing better to do on Saturday, May 30, 1998?
Out with the truth,
you say?
Why ... with yer Roman
collar and my brains, heretics, idolaters, pagans and the unchurched will
never look at things quite the same way again, will they?
I await yer blessing
of this question and answer forum.
I did give you top
billing, by the way.
Humbly yours, Sista
Vicki (Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Date:
Sunday, June 7, 1998 Time: 5:04 PM EST
Submitted by: Helen
T. Walsh Email address: hhwalshl@juno.com
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
Hi peoples. I was reading
about the angel Raphael. Is he an archangel? I see he is pointing his finger
upward, letting us know that God is the ultimate healer. Does God just
want us to get to know His friends and that is why He has made us aware
of them? I covered all kinds of saints today asking for help in healing.
When does it end; and where do I begin to stop my wanderings? - Helen
Father
Jerry
...
Helen, you raise many
good questions. The first one is about St. Raphael. The title "archangel"
is a bit shaky at times. The word means any angels who are "above
the angels." Now there are 9 choirs, or ranks, of angels. The lowest one
is the "angel choir." The highest two choirs the "cherubim" and "seraphim"
are completely occupied with the direct and unbroken adoration of God.
So St. Raphael can be in anywhere from the 3rd to the 8th choir. The complication
comes in the fact that the second lowest choir is called, strictly speaking,
the "archangel" choir. That term was decided on in Christian theological
tradition after the term "archangel" was customarily applied to Michael,
Gabriel and Raphael. Most people do not think this three great leaders
from among the angels are that low in the choirs, but there is a large
amount of debate about precisely where to place them. So the short answer
is that Raphael is an "archangel" in the sense that he is one of the more
powerful angels but probably not in the sense of belonging to the "archangel"
choir of angels. Sufficiently confused, yet? By the way Raphael means in
Hebrew "God's medicine" and is very appropriate given his function of helping
in healing in the Book of Tobit. He is also sought as an intercessory against
medical difficulties. So it would be very appropriate to seek his intercession
in such problems and/or for those caring for the sick, that they might
have the grace to persevere in Christian charity and a sense of the dignity
of caring for the ill.
The question of why
God revealed the existence of angels is very interesting. First, strictly
speaking, the existence of angels is knowable by natural reason, without
the aid of any special revelation. God considered our knowledge of their
existence and some of their work so important, however, that He added it
to special supernatural revelation. For this reason I think that such revelation
is meant for more than just "FYI" purposes. I think that the most important
reason that He revealed the existence and operations of the angels to us
is so that we could have a greater trust in His loving concern for us.
It is one thing to realize that God is watching out for us, but often that
can be reduced to a feeling of being a member of a nameless mob. If we
have the knowledge that He has especially assigned us to the care of a
powerful spiritual protector and guide who "always sees the face of your
Father in Heaven," that helps give a bit of personality to His protection
and concern for us. Indeed, I think you could say that the angels are meant
to be signs of the love and providence of God, and since they are persons,
just like us even if they do not have a body, that gives us a way of relating
with God's involvement in our lives and the workings of the universe in
general without falling into the mistaken view that God's providence is
some sort of nameless impersonal "force" out there. So I think that the
revelation of the angels is to increase our trust in God and to give us
the option of glorifying His name because of the care that He gives to
each one of us.
The last question is,
really, the question which the Cross is meant to answer. Where does it
end, when can we relax? This life is, truly, a "vale of tears" and our
only true relaxation is found in the bosom of God. To realize that it is
in Him, and only in Him, that we can expect to find true and lasting happiness,
however, can make us share in that bliss even while still on this earth.
The reason this is so is because we can then see that this life, especially
the trials and hardships, are really directed to eternity and will find
their meaning only in eternity. But that eternity has already started.
The Cross is the answer to your question. Christ suffered terribly, but
through that suffering came Easter Sunday and the opening of Heaven for
us. Likewise we will suffer, but through that suffering nobly borne as
sons and daughters of God, we will share in the glory of the Resurrection
one day. Does it all make analytical sense? No, but there is a logical
in the divine love of the Cross that only makes sense when we abandon ourselves
to it, pick up our daily Cross and follow Jesus to Calvary. "The heart
has reasons which even reason itself cannot understand" as Blaise Pascal
said. This is especially true when that reason can only be found in the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. To answer your question, we can rest on the last
day. Until then we must continue laboring, but even as we labor we know
that the reward not only surpasses the cost but is infinite, for our God
is infinite. I hope that these thoughts shed some light on your questions.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Hello Helen, my Franciscan
sister in Christ!
Fr. Jerry's answer
to you regarding the role of angels both in Heaven and here below among
us mere humans gets 5 thumbs up -- for I cannot improve upon it. He's the
one with the Theology degree, eh? I can, however, borrow from the Sacred
Deposit of the Catholic Faith, which amounts to a laywoman's gathering
of other's work for everyone's benefit ...
On Suffering
"...And now listen to
the conclusion, Brother Leo. Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy
Ghost which Christ grants His friends, there is that of overcoming themselves
and gladly for the love of Christ bearing pain, insults, disgrace, and
discomfort, because we cannot glory in any of the other gifts of God --
they are not ours, but God's. Therefore the Apostle says: 'What have you
that you have not received from God? And if you have received it from God,
why do you glory as if you had not received it?"
"But in the cross of
tribulation and affliction we may glory because that is our due, and so
the Apostle says: 'I do not wish to glory in anything but in the cross
of Our Lord Jesus Christ.'
~ Response to
Brother Leo on the subject of Perfect Joy.
One night
while a man lay sleeping, he had a dream. He dreamed that he died and went
to Heaven. He met a man who lived during the early days of Church, as evidenced
by his flowing robes. "How did you die?" the first man asked the other.
"I was torn to pieces by lions for not renouncing the Name of Jesus," came
the reply.
Soon, he
happened upon another strangely dressed figure in what appeared to be the
attire of a clergyman from another time. Being curious, he inquired of
the man, "How did you die?" With a Heavenly Bliss that shone on his face
as he spoke he said, "I was drawn, quartered and then my remains burned
when I refused not to celebrate Mass during England's Reign of Terror in
the 16th century."
Not far off,
he saw a foreigner, a man of Asian features and likeness. Unable to resist,
but afraid not to know, he asked the man, "How did YOU die?" The Asian
didn't turn his eyes away for a moment. "I was a simple farmer, trying
to provide food as well as spiritual nourishment for my family by taking
them to Mass in the secret place beyond the fields ... I was discovered
by the Secret Police and sentenced to death by firing squad for being an
Enemy of the State."
The man who
asked the question felt shame rush hotly to his face. When he looked up
again, he was alone. And he looked at his hands. They were empty.
And for the
remainder of the night, throughout the wee hours of life when new babies
are born and the aged breathe their last, he was unable to rest as fitfully
as before ....
Jesus never promised
us freedom from worry. Or sickness. Or watching helplessly while our loved
ones struggle painfully with terminal disease. He did, however, promise
us Peace. Peace to endure the journey, peace to weather the pain, peace
to calm the seas of our lives, even the Peace to suffer martydom if necessary.
And that is my prayer for you Helen, that you realize that all is passing
away, especially pain and grief, and that last enemy, Death. May God hold
you tenderly in the palm of His hand ... and may the Peace of Jesus Christ
and the solace that only He can give be with you always. Amen.
Harold Walsh, Helen's
husband of many years, lost his battle with cancer this summer at the age
of 57. May he, and all the faithful departed, rest in peace.
- V.
Date:
Tuesday, June 23, 1998 Time: 10:50 PM EST
Submitted by: Helen
T. Walsh Email address: hhwalshl@juno.com
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
Hi Vicki & Fr.
Jerry, I just saw the Elvis Jesus. Unbelievable. It is written he who is
joyful creates. This guy, is detached and lacks all moral scruples. What
to do when something like this comes up, any suggestion? - Helen Sr. Elizabeth
s.f.o. hhwalshl@juno.com
Father Jerry
...
Helen, I have not
been able to see the picture that you mention, and really have no burning
desire to see it. When something like this does come up I would just contact
whoever would have the authority (or power) to do something about such
an outrage. After this, let it go. There is nothing more you can do about
it (assuming that you are praying for these people, of course). I guess
the approach I would take is to do what I can (the message) and then not
worry about what I can't do.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
The website
that you mentioned contains a blasphemous image of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus and actually advertises for the "Church of Elvis." To
be more specific about the image in question, the well-known and familiar
Sacred Heart image on the web page has Christ's head supplanted by that
of Elvis's.
What can YOU
do?
Here's a sample
URL for explanation purposes.
I invented
it for this tutorial, so just follow along.
http://anybody.anyone.com/index/somebodys_home_page.html
Domain names
end with .com, .net, .org., etc. In this case, the domain name is anyone.com.
If this provider really existed, you could look up the name anyone.com
using any search engine which will probably pull up a link to the provider's
home page. Scroll down to the bottom of the provider's home page
where you can usually find an email address to send your comments or questions.
Write the provider
a polite email, being sure to include the URL that contains the offensive
material -- tell them that it offends you mightily as a practicing and
loyal Catholic, true to the Authentic Church of Jesus Christ and that you
wish it to be removed. Otherwise, you will report this abomination to the
Catholic League.
The Catholic
League's URL is: http://www.catholicleague.org/
Their email
was found at this same URL, near the bottom of the page: e-mail to cl@catholicleague.org
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
Above all, please
pray for those who misuse our sacred symbols. Forgive them Father, for
they know not what they do!
Sista
Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Date:
Thursday, July 2, 1998 Time: 10:24 PM EST
Submitted by: Rita
McGinty Email address: mcgrit@bellatlantic.net
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
No questions. Just
a thank you for your ministry. This site is de-light-full. God bless!
- De Colores Rita
McGinty
Sista Vicki ...
Dear Rita and Fr Jerry,
First Rita, thank you for your comments. If you don't object, I'd like
to put them on the page. Padre Jerry, this is our first official comment!
Please say a little prayer for Rita and all our future correspondents.
Sista
Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Father Jerry
...
Vicki, Already did
that, but another one will cost me nothing but a couple of seconds :-)
To Jesus
Through Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Date:
Sunday, August 16, 1998 Time: 6:53 PM EST
Submitted by: HELEN
WALSH Email address: HHWALSH1@JUNO.COM
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
IN THE MILLINIUM COMING
UP THERE IS GOING TO BE AN
EMPHASIS ON THE EUCHARIST.
HOW ARE THE INTERDENOMINATIONS GOING TO INTEGRATE COMMUNION?
WHAT DO YOU FORSEE?
- Helen
Father Jerry
...
Helen, Interesting
questions. First of all I must confess to not having the gift of foretelling
the future. I hope there will be great emphasis on the Eucharist, indeed,
I hope that there is emphasis on this central reality of Christian life
already. I do know this much about the future, however. If the Church is
going to be strong and spiritually vital there must be strong devotion
to the Eucharist, both in Mass and outside of Mass. The ecumenical question
is a very interesting one. The Blessed Sacrament is the source of all grace
for Christian union, that should be a given.
St. Thomas, for example,
says that the ultimate purpose of the Eucharist is to strengthen the Church,
the members with the Head and among the members themselves. But this union
must be based on a real union of faith. We cannot pretend that such union
exists and practice intercommunion or it will be making a mockery of true
union, and thus, make such union harder to attain (if not impossible).
Union around Our Lord's table, the Eucharistic altar, is the goal, not
the means. I think this is important to remember, since the opposite approach
would wind up weakening our faith and then the union would be based on
human ingenuity, not divine revelation. It is the means only insofar as
it enables us to live the faith more fully and more faithfully. This greater
fidelity on our part can help enormously in breaking down the barriers
to true union among Christians. So what is the role of the Blessed Sacrament
in Christian unity? I would say it is three-fold. It is the means of the
grace that will be necessary for the complete acceptance the faith by those
who have only a part of it, it is the goal of Christian unity, it is the
means that helps us remove from our lives those false barriers, erected
by our sinfulness, to Christian unity. There can be no question of a mere
melding of Eucharistic understandings and practices, however. Such an attempt
is both destined to fail and greatly deprives the Church of her grasp on
the deposit of faith.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Hello again,
Helen, my Franciscan sister in Christ! First of all, it's no use asking
the good Padre what the future will bring. He assured me on Sunday that
he does not have a crystal ball!
Assuming that
the pinnacle of all Christian denominations is devotion to the Eucharist
might pose some difficulty were they all to converge on St. Peter's Basilica
on December 31, 1999 with the intent of breaking bread on this all-important
day in the history of Christianity. Doctrines would clash, arguments would
fly and the meaning would be lost. In reality, conceding that the origin
of Christianity did indeed have its early beginnings in Rome would not
only support the historical fact, it would also NOT be a far cry from reunion
with the Roman Church ... but alas, who knows when the Church will be one
like it was before the first schism with the Orthodox in 1054 A.D, and
later, the Reformation of Martin Luther's day?
As Father has
said, inviting those of non-Catholic denominations to have Communion with
us implies a unity that does not exist. According to the National Council
of Catholic Bishops on Guidelines for Receiving Communion (which can be
found in your local Misssalette) ... "We welcome to this celebration of
the Eucharist those Christians who are not fully united with us. It is
a consequence of the sad divisions of Christianity that we cannot extend
to them a general invitation to receive Communion. Catholics believe that
the Eucharist is an action of the celebrating community signifying a oneness
in faith, life, and worship of the community. Reception of the Eucharist
by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does
not yet exist, and for which we all must pray."
Personally,
I find it difficult to accept why people would want to have Holy Communion
with us if they do not generally believe that the Eucharist is truly God
and do not teach as such. The Church is not a social club, a democracy
or influenced by popular opinion. It stands on the Word of God, Who
Himself tells us that His words will never pass away. And never were His
words stronger than in His teachings in John's Gospel about His Body and
Blood. Recall that many of His disciples found this to be a hard teaching
and turned away.
The upside of
all this is that one blessed day, all divisions will cease and Jesus will
again drink new wine at the wedding feast in Heaven, something He promised
at the Last Supper He would not do until then. Until that time, let us
echo our Lord's Words after the Breaking of the Bread ...
... so that
they may all be one ... John 17:21
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Date:
Tuesday, October 20, 1998 Time: 5:09 PM EST
Submitted by: Helen
Walsh Email address: hhwalsh1@juno.com
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
Hi Folks, Recently,
I heard the expression - double minded, double souled. After thinking about
it -- Is that not being told not to be two different people but be singlehearted
in Jesus and singleminded in what God wants for us to be in Him?
- Helen
Father Jerry
...
Helen, Long
time no see. I think that your interpretation of the statement is correct.
It is a bit folksy, but I think that it is getting at "Blessed are the
single-hearted...."
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Gee, Helen
... It's hard enough to be ourselves; but being two different people? Why
complicate things?
We glorify God
very much, simply by thanking Him for who we are, what we are and for the
talents that we bring to the Body of Christ for the good of the entire
Church. Being one person at work and another at Church, or one person with
our families and another at social settings doesn't bode well for the WHOLE
person whom God asks to consistantly defend His honor and teachings
... wherever we are.
Be simply, Helen
... loveable, generous Helen who loves her vocation and loves the whole
world. Be single-hearted for Christ and His Gospel. The rest, including
the mysterious anecdotes, will take care of themselves.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Date:
Saturday, November 14, 1998 Time: 4:49 PM EST
Submitted by: Karen
Email
address: CathKaren@aol.com
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
I've always wondered
... in the Mass when a lot of saints are mentioned, why "those" saints
...and why not others? - Karen
Father Jerry
...
A very good question.
Let us look at the saints who are mentioned, and I think we can find the
answer pretty quickly. First of all, it is important to remember that these
lists of saints are taken from the "Roman Canon" (often called the First
Eucharistic Prayer), which, as the name implies, originated in Rome and
is of very ancient origin.
Let us look at the
saints mentioned now. First we have "Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John,
Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude" these are
the names of the Twelve Apostles, the foundation of the Church, so that
is why they are included and are second only to Mary and Joseph (interesting
side-note, Joseph was only added by Pope John XXIII after the recommendation
of one of the bishops at Vatican II, since St. Joseph is the patron of
the Universal Church), Then we have "Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus," who
were the first four Popes after St. Peter.
"Cornelius and Cyprian"
are the next two. They are both martyrs of the Faith, with Cornelius being
a Pope and Cyprian a Bishop of Carthage, in North Africe. Cyprian is known
especially for his loyalty to the Apostolic See. "Lawrence...John and Paul"
were all three deacons in Rome. Lawrence is especially venerated because
he was very well respected by the entire population of the city, Christian
and pagan, for his work for the poor. "Chysogonus" was a martyr as well,
much of what we know about him is that he is reputed to have been a fairly
influential and wealthy man in northern Italy and to have been the spiritual
director of St. Anastasia (who we will talk about later). "Cosmas and Damian"
were two brothers who were doctors. Before their martyrdom they lived in
extreme poverty so that they would be able to provide medical help for
the poorest of the poor (sort of the "Missionaries of Charity" of their
time). This concludes the first list of saints.
The second list of
saints starts off with "John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas."
John the Baptist, of course, was the cousin of Christ and is often referred
to as a martyr in Christian tradition, even though he died before the Passion
and Death of Christ. Stephen is the "proto - martyr," the first person
we know of having been killed because of his faith in Christ. Matthias
and Barnabas were early leaders in the Church and are mentioned in the
Acts of the Apostles, both are thought to have died as martyrs. "Ignatius"
refers to Ignatius of Antioch, an early second century martyr who died
at Rome and was a disciple of St. John the Apostle. We still have seven
letters that he has written which show the structure of the Church at the
time immediately after the death of the Apostles and the primacy of Rome
from the very beginning of the Church. "Alexander" is probably a second
century Pope who was martyred and is known for a prayer still used in the
Roman Canon and introducing the use of Holy Water in private houses as
a sacramental. There are two other saints named Alexander who might be
meant here, however. Both are martyrs, one was the Bishop of Constantiople
and the other from Alexandria. "Marcellinus" is probably an interesting
case. He is probably a Pope from the late third, early fourth century.
He was condemned as having turned over the sacred books to be burnt, but
having repented and then died as a martyr. Although it now seems very unlikely
that that occurred, at least in the manner which the Donatists (who raised
the accusation) have said it occurred. It is interesting that he should
be remembered in the Roman Canon which contains the name of "Cyprian" who,
despite his loyalty to Rome, did oppose Rome by being very favorable to
the Donatists. Let us go on. "Felicity and Perpetua" were young ladies
who were martyred in Northern Africa in the third century. They were greatly
admired for the wise answers they gave to their accusers, for their rejection
of earthly pleasures and goods and for the fearlessness with which they
accepted death, even with some special Divine intervention preserving them
at first from death. "Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, [and] Cecilia" are all virgin-martyrs
of the early Church, who were universally respected, in both the East and
the West. All of them were of upper-class families who chose to renounce
the world and maintain their virginity for the sake of the Lord, even if
it meant torture and death. "Anastasia" is an early fourth-century martyr.
She was married to a pagan and is reputed to have assisted those who were
condemned to imprisonment or martyrdom for the Faith.
If we look at the names
of these saints in general, there are a few things that jump out at us.
The first is that all of them, except for St. John the Apostle, Mary and
Joseph were martyred (although St. John suffered for the faith and there
was at least one attempt on his life. Our Lady is often called a martyr
because of her complete gift of herself and Christ at the foot of the Cross,
as well as her willingness to suffer whatever God wanted of her). The majority
of the people are from Rome or Northern Africa, which had very close ties
with the Apostolic See. Basically the names in the Roman Canon are meant
to remind us of the totality of the Christian vocation, a vocation that
means putting everything, even our very lives, at the service of God and
the Church. The center of the Church is Rome. Another important fact is
that many of the people named practiced deeds of mercy or were consecrated
virgins to the Lord, or both. I hope that this answers, or at least gives
the beginning of an answer, to your question about the "martyrologies"
in the Roman Canon. When you hear the names being mentioned it is a good
idea to formulate a brief mental picture and "bio" for each one, along
with a short prayer to be able to imitate their virtues, for this can help
the prayer come alive much more fully.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki
... ditto.
Padre, it's
answers like this that make me wonder why I am here! Probably because I
can make a webpage and you can't, eh? Talk about the Body of Christ and
the talents that each one brings ... ! (Either that, or you saved all your
Theology Homework from your seminary days for just such a purpose as this
...)
Simply put,
and I mean, VERY SIMPLY put, the main reason why the Church only mentions
certain saints is because she does not know them all. As the good Padre
will agree, the Roman Catholic Church does formally canonize certain individuals
who's "bios" we were fortunate enough to come into possession of and honor
because of heroic virtues, but the exact number of saints is known only
to God. It is for this reason that the Church sets aside special times
during the year to honor all the faithful dead in Christ; namely, All Saints
Day and All Souls Day. The latter additionally includes the souls of those
who made insufficient personal penance for non-grave sins in this life,
and are saved, but nonetheless being purged in the cleansing fires of Purgatory.
A person's grandparents,
or someone's Great Uncle Harry isn't specifically mentioned during the
"roll call" of the Saints during the Eucharistic Prayer, but they are there
just the same. Every Mass, everywhere and at all times, is is a reminder
of the Life, Death and Resurrection of Our Blessed Lord and the promises
of Eternal Life if we are faithful to Him ... and every Mass is a Prayer
for the Dead of all times who are either with Christ presently or awaiting
His Glory. Why, our deceased relatives are already acquainted and wait
only to introduce us to each other!
So! Thank your
Heavenly Father that He has called you too, to this Communion of Saints.
Your Heavenly and true family encompasses all of those that answered Christ's
"knock at the door;" brothers and sisters, who one can call rightly ...
family.
He who consecrates
and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, He
is not ashamed to call them "brothers," saying: "I will proclaim your name
to My brothers, in the midst of the assembly I will praise You"; and again:
"I will put My trust in Him"; and again: "Behold, I and the children God
has given Me."
~ The Letter
to the Hebrews, 2:11-13
Sista
Vicki (Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Date:
Tuesday, December 1, 1998 Time: 10:39 PM EST
Submitted by: Shawn
McClure Email address: smcclure@magibox.net
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
Hey guys - I really
enjoy this site. Keep it up! Although I know there are many, many Franciscan
orders out there, do either of you know either personally or of a web site
that has some info. on the Franciscan Friars in (I believe it's New Bedford)
Connecticut? My little brother's beginning a postulancy there in a few
weeks. He's in Civitella del Tronto, Italy, now, so I can't quiz him about
where he's going. Any ideas? I hope this question isn't too specific for
this forum... Thanks a bunch!
- Shawn
Father Jerry
...
Shawn, I was not able
to find anything about this congregation, either on-line or in any of the
directories that my parish has. If you could get me the name of the diocese
in which this congregation is, maybe I could get some information. I would
just like to say that I think it is great that your brother would decide
to dedicate his life to the service of God and the Church through religious
consecration. That is a demanding, but very important and, literally, eternally
reward vocation to which he has been called. Sorry that I was not able
to find any information, but I will keep looking. I will pray for you and
for your brother.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki
...
We-ell, I did
a little surfing and came up with ...
http://ofm-usa.com/connecticut.html
... which gives
the following two province(s) serving in or nearby Connecticut: Holy Name
of Jesus Province and Immaculate Conception Province. I didn't see any
specific links to an Order in New Bedford, Connecticut but that doesn't
mean that it doesn't exist; they just may simply not have a webpage (yet!).
I did locate the home page for Holy Name Province and an email address
was provided to contact Br. Webguardian, OFM at rbiasiot@nji.com for comments
and suggestions. That might be an excellent place to start.
Accept our prayers
and congrats on your brother's vocation to the religious life and thank
you for your comments. They are much appreciated.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Date:
Wednesday, December 2, 1998
Time: 4:33 AM EST
Submitted by: David
Crosslin Email address: dsc@gol.com
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
I'm ignorant on the
subject of patron saints. Are they limited to the saint whose feast is
your birthdate, or can you "adopt" a saint with whom you feel an affinity?
Father Jerry
...
David, no, you do
not need to take the patron from the day you were born, or from the name
which the person has. Most people "adopt" a different patron depending
on the situation in their lives. For example, St. Peregrine is the patron
of cancer patients and, therefore, people with cancer very frequently adopt
him as their patron. The same goes for jobs (e.g. St. Michael for policemen),
one's parish or nation, etc. The Church holds up many saints as patrons
and encourages people to associate themselves with whatever saint(s) they
have a special association with, be it because the person has a special
association with something in their lives, or just because they like the
saint. Personally there are about 5 or 6 saints that I consider my patrons,
due to personalities (I very much life, for example, the personality of
Venerable Francisco of Fatima) and what they are patrons of (St. John Vianney,
the patron of parish priests) and the one that is associated with my name
(St. Jerome). So you can see that many saints can be adopted for various
reasons, depending on the particular needs/wants that they are experiencing
in their spiritual lives at the time.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki
...
We-eell, we
ARE the Siskel and Ebert of Catholic Cyberspace, are we not? What I was
going to suggest was that you could pick a patron saint based on the following
criteria (with some helpful URL's to get you started) ...
1. Names (From
the EWTN website):
http://www.ewtn.com/library/FAMILY/NAMEINDX.TXT
2. Particular
states in life (also from EWTN):
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/PATRONS.TXT
3. Feast Day
and Holy Days (from Catholic Online):
http://www.catholic.org/saints/feastday.html
Or ... for whatever
reason floats your boat! Simply and prayerfully, commit the end of your
life to any saint, thanking God for the graces that He has bestowed on
that saint and ask Him to increase grace in your own soul because of him
or her. Try to attend a Mass on this saint's Feast Day if you are able.
Get to know your saint, his life and the virtues that sped him to Heaven.
His glorification is your promise that God wants to share His gifts with
you, too. Rely on your saint in times of need or distress ... but especially,
when things are going well ... Remember ... "there but for the grace of
God, go I ..."
Most importantly,
bear in mind that all Christians are called to be Saints.
You never know
... someday, somewhere, someone may attend a Feast Day Mass in YOUR honor!
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
. .
. the saints, who reign together with Christ,
offer up their
own prayers for men; . . . it is good and useful suppliantly to
invoke them, and to have recourse to their prayers, aid and help for obtaining
benefits from God, through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Who is alone
our Redeemer and Saviour; . . . they think impiously who deny that
the saints, who enjoy eternal happiness in Heaven, are to be invocated;
or who assert either that they do not pray for men; or that the invocation
of them to pray for each of us even in particular is idolatry; or that
it is repugnant to the Word of God; and is opposed to the honour of the
one mediator of God and men, Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5); or that it is
foolish to supplicate vocally or mentally those who reign in Heaven
.
. .
- Council
of Trent, Session 25 (December
3 and 4,
1563).
|
Date:
Friday, December 18, 1998 Time: 6:06 PM EST
Submitted by: ann
lormand Email address: saintfrancisx@hotmail.com
Subject: Ask Fr.
Jerry & Sista Vicki
How do I protect my
computer from hackers? I use it mainly for information on the Catholic
Church and believe the "bad guys" will try to stop that.
Thank you, Ann
Father Jerry
...
Ann, Just a
quick answer. By the phrase "bad guys", I am really intrigued. By that
do you mean those who oppose the Church's teaching or do you mean the spiritual
bad guys (i.e. the demons)? In the first case, it is primarily a technical
question, and I think Vicki can give a much better answer to that than
I can. In the second case I think that you might consider having the machine
blessed. I know some people might think that I have cracked for thinking
it possible that demons would seek to prevent you from accessing the internet,
but it is definitely possible and I personally know of cases where people
have had difficulties with TVs, computers, cars and telephones when they
were trying to access some information that they thought might help them
spiritually. When they had these objects blessed, the problem left. Which,
I think, shows that there might have been just such supernatural interference.
Anyway, if you do get such unexpected and otherwise unexplained interference,
then do not hesitate to contact a priest or deacon and have him bless the
machine, or at least sprinkle it with some holy water yourself.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Ann, there are many
types of computer attacks or "exploits" which can range from rendering
a computer temporarily useless until it is rebooted to completely deleting
the contents of a victim's hard drive. In the first case (to borrow the
words of the good Padre) this is called a DOS or Nuke Attack. For example,
you are happily chatting away in Internet Relay Chat (or IRC) and suddenly
find yourself met with the Blue Screen of Death (a fatal Windows Error)
and unable to access your computer until you restart it -- you've just
been Nuked! This exploit is more aggravating than damaging to your computer,
but nevertheless, illegal under Title
18, United States Code (maximum fine $4,000 or up to 2 years imprisonment).
A bit more malicious, a favorite tactic of hackers is to gain unauthorized
access to personal websites or servers and publish their own content on
someone else's machine. It can be very disconcerting to find porn where
your religious webpage once was, eh? Worse yet, having gained unauthorized
access to your computer or website, hackers can do some serious damage
by deleting necessary program files, or everything you have!
What can you do?
If you own a website,
chat on IRC, frequent newgroups or even surf the web, I would recommend
availing yourself of the wealth of security info available via the Internet.
Another great place to start is on the hacker's websites themselves; (Yes
Virginia, there is evil in the world!) here you can go to the source of
where these kinds of people gather and trade info on hacking. Make sure
the browser you surf the Web with is the latest version which includes
the most up-to-date security features. Many old browsers contained security
holes which allowed hackers easy access to personal machines until they
were discovered and fixed. Lastly, NEVER download suspicious files
from the Internet which may contain malicious programs that can gain back
door access to your machine. Get a good virus program like Norton Anti-Virus
and scan all files before saving to your hard drive. Be aware that there
are several good protection programs available, both in stores and on the
Internet, but the first mode of security is learning HOW to protect yourself.
To get you started, you may want to browse the Website Security primer
I created after losing my last website (yeah, I got hacked!) in February
of 1998. Go to ...
http://vicki.dynip.com/vic/web
security.html.
Padre's suggestion
to get your computer blessed isn't a bad idea either, in fact, I would
consider it an essential means of protection. He is certainly open to the
idea of spiritual forces tampering with the mere things of everyday use.
Whatever can be used to thwart God's plans will definitely be used for
evil, so don't be surprised if your VCR refuses to play the The Ten Commandments
or your car won't start to take you to Mass.
As the Good Lord has
said, "...be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." (MT 10:16) Why should
the "bad guys" have all the "smarts"? Knowledge in the hands of the righteous
is beneficial to the whole world -- let us learn all we can to defeat the
devils in the world, be it in our computers, our homes or anywhere we go,
even cyberspace.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Fri, 02 Jul
1999 17:06:14 +0500 From: travlyn@ix.netcom.com
To: vicki@columbus.rr.com
FrJAGW@aol.com
How does one go about
becoming part of the Secular Franciscan Order? Do you know of a congregation
in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Thanks!
Trav.
Sista Vicki ...
Padre, I think
this is my department.
First, stop
and say to yourself, "Here I am." <1 Samuel 3:4>. Those who'll
think you're talking to yourself probably don't know God anyway, eh?
Moses's calling from a burning bush, King David from a shepherd's meadow,
St. Francis from the crucifix in the little country Church dedicated to
San Damian and Mother Theresa working with the poor in the ghettos of India
are all strong indications that God calls and still calls in all ages,
those to love and serve Him in a special way. When you've acknowledged
God's 'gentle nudge' then it's time to start searching for the nearest
Secular Franciscan Fraternity near you!
Here are some
ways to get you started.
1. Call
your local diocesan vocations office. If a Fraternity has been established
in your area, they will provide you with the necessary contact information.
2. Call
1-800-Francis. A recorded message will direct you to leave your name
and phone number for more information.
3. A
quick search of the Internet revealed many interesting links that may help.
They are listed below.
http://www.nafra-sfo.org/regions.htm
The above URL
lists some California area Fraternities, some with email, all with phone
numbers and addresses. You may even want to go here first to speak
with a human being who may be able to direct you right where you need to
go. The URL was available on a larger site, The National Fraternity
of the Secular Franciscan Order - USA which is available here:
http://www.nafra-sfo.org/.
Here is a searchable
database of Franciscan friaries. Type in the keyword: "San
Francisco," click the "Name of City" radio button and then click "Search."
A call to one of the listings might provide some assistance in your search.
http://www.ofm.org/1/add/ADDmain.html
If you are a
computer geekette like moi, you might find this Franciscan Web Ring interesting:
http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=franciscans;list
I was thinking
of joining myself.
Read "What is
a Franciscan Vocation?" here:
http://home.ici.net/~panther/francis/franvoc.html.
Also, check
out "Discerning A Vocation" at:
http://home.ici.net/~panther/francis/vocation.html.
Here you can
read
Supra Montem, The Approbation of the Third Rule of the Brothers
and Sisters of the Third Order instituted by Bl. Francis, for seculars
living in their own homes, called Tertiaries by Pope Nicholas IV Rieti,
August 17, 1289 A.D.: http://home.ici.net/~panther/francis/smonteme.html.
I would also
recommend stopping by "A Spiritual Communion with Mary" at http://home.ici.net/~panther/francis/spcomm.html
before you leave this site.
A comprehensive
listing of Secular Franciscan info can be found here:
http://www.ofs.it/SFO.HTM.
Read about the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, General Constitutions,
Statutes, Training and Formation, news, etc. In addition, here's
another excellent source:
http://listserv.american.edu/catholic/franciscan/.
This answer
wouldn't be complete without a peek at the life of our Seraphic Father
Francis:
http://www.ofm.org/1/info/Francis1.html.
The treasure
that St. Francis became to the Church can be found in the testimony of
Pope Pius XI who said ...
"it seems
... that there was never anyone in whom there shone forth more vividly
and who resembled more the image of Jesus Christ and the evangelic form
of life than Francis. Accordingly, he who was called the Herald of
the Great King was rightly hailed as another Christ for he presented
himself to his contemporaries and to future ages as Christ returned to
life. Consequently, he still lives as such in the eyes of men and
will continue to live for all ages to come." (Encyc. "Rite Expiatis,"
April 30, 1926: AAS, 18, 1926, p. 154.)
After you've
located a Fraternity, make arrangements to drop in on the monthly
meetings and check us out. If this way of life seems right for you
after prayer and discernment, you may then inquire of the Fraternity permission
to profess into the Secular Franciscan Order. Accompanying this request
must be a letter of recommendation from your pastor stating that you are
a Catholic in good standing with the Church. Your novitiate ends on Profession
Day in full view of the Church and the Franciscan community, when in a
solemn Mass you vow to follow the rule of St. Francis ... for life.
And if you're like me and the four others who professed 2 years ago, who
were convinced that He and not we chose our vocations, you'll do so on
your knees!
Good luck, good
prayers of discernment, good searching ... and Good God, we may just have
another addition to the world-wide Franciscan Family!
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Mon, 06 Dec
1999 17:17:30 +0500From: roxanna@sgi.net
To: vicki@columbus.rr.com
FrJAGW@aol.com
Dear Friends,
Is it morally right
to stay in a marriage where I am unable to love my husband the way that
he wants to be loved?
I am 49 years old.
This is my third "marriage". Yes! Three times! My first marriage
was in the Church. My first husband was physically abusive and I ran away
after 5 years with 3 and 4 year old kids, and not a dime in my pocket.
This marriage was annulled. Eight years later, I married again.
I did not marry in the Church. This marriage lasted longer, about
9 years, but, I left when this husband started to involve my son in criminal
activities and also dated my son's girlfriend (and got her pregnant).
I sure can pick 'em.
Five years later, I
married again. It's been about 3 years, now. For about the
last 2 of these years, I find that I cannot love this man. His mere
presence is so nattractive to me that I have become a workaholic to avoid
him. I cannot sleep in the same bed with him. If I politely
allow him to kiss me, I want to wipe the kiss off of my mouth. I
may be having a gender crisis because I am the responsible person in this
marriage and he needs me to care of everything, financial, etc. He
is 56 years old, and he is who he is. I do not expect him to change.
I cannot change how I feel, either.
I can spend lots of
money on some therapy, but, I don't believe that will make him attractive
to me. I don't like his voice, his looks, his ways or his dependency.
I don't want to spend time criticizing him, unless it is relevant.
If I have to spend my life staying married and paying his bills and mine
to get to Heaven, I can do that. But, if I have to pretend that I
am physically and/or emotionally attracted to him, I may not make it. This
is certainly not fair to him.
What does the Church
teach about these complications? My other marriages had clear circumstances
that gave me answers. This one is not so clear to me. I have
certainly learned, now, that I am not the marrying kind because I am unable
to see men clearly. I would be very happy living alone for the rest
of my life. I would be able to use the time I spend gritting my teeth
around my husband in prayer, instead.
Please help.....
roxanna
Father Jerry
...
Roxanna,
It is definitely a
complex situation that you outline. To answer your basic question,
is it morally right (and, indeed, a moral responsibility) to stay in a
marriage where you do not feel love for the person? The answer to
the question is "yes", basically it is a moral responsibility to remain
in a marriage even if you do not feel love for the person. Almost
every marriage goes through period where the feelings of love and concern
wane or completely disappear. That is why the vows are so important,
so that the commitment can carry the spouses through such times.
I am assuming that the marriage was in the Church and is what the Church
recognizes as marriage. I have to say in all honesty that much of
what you describe seems that the problem is that the marriage should never
have happened in the first place, neither of you seemed really willing
to change your lives to accomodate your spouse. The age thing you
mentioned is probably a large issue in this regard. Try first to
see if you can light a "fire" in the marriage. If this fails then
you might have to consider professional intervention.
Roxanna, "happiness"
is not the test of marriage, faithfulness is. See if anything can
be done and then you have to ask yourself if you meant the vows.
Since you did not say anything about fear for yourself of somebody else,
then I would have trouble justifying a separation in this case. Furthermore,
it seems that part of the problem is that your husband is confused about
his role as a husband. Any man who would let his wife "take care"
of him is not the kind of man I would think is even capable of marriage,
actually. I know alot of people would consider this a sexist statement,
but it is a reality, any man who lets anybody take care of him is less
of a man. If it is sexist, I have been called that before.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Roxanna,
I received
your question(s) with much trepidation and have been pondering and praying
over the best way to answer them since Monday. If it's any consolation,
I can appreciate the difficulty of your situation and you have my promise
that I will respond both as honestly (according to Church Teachings) and
as compassionately, as possible.
I presume you
are Catholic? Technically speaking, when your first marriage was
annulled, the Church in effect ruled that you were free to marry again.
When you married again after your first marriage was annulled, you married
out of the Church, which more or less rendered you unable to receive the
Sacraments. You don't mention whether your 3rd marriage was in the
Church or not, but since your 2nd marriage took place without the Church's
blessing, the validity of both your second and third marriages is somewhat
called into question - however - only a trained Church Marriage Tribunal
has the authority to make that call when they have at their discretion,
all the facts in your particular case. So, technically speaking,
and in the meantime, you are still barred from receiving Holy Communion
until you begin the process of allowing God's saving grace to take control
of your life.
My question
to you would be: what is the impetus of your desire to know these
things? Is it an awakening of your Faith and a longing to grow closer
to God, with an eventual return to the Sacraments because you suspect your
marriages stand in the way - or are you looking to the Church for a clean
way out of your third marriage without a real goal of conversion in mind?
This is an important question, Roxanna. The Church is a "hospital
for sinners" of which all are this, even the good padre Jerry and myself,
but one can hardly hope to find healing unless she sees her physician first!
Back in the
early 90's, I myself had to wait 9 months until my husband was received
fully into the Church by the Sacraments of Initiation, which he actually
received early because of his progressed knowledge of his catechism!
It was a tough wait, but well worth the aura of the day when we discovered
the joy of doing things the way God intended through the ministry of the
Church.
I cannot speak
for the outcome of your situation as per the Church, even providing that
you contact a priest for counseling, which you really need to do right
away. I sense that your urgings to "do the right thing" by your questions
are of good will, so I ask you to consider the feelings of your current
husband: does he love you? Is he aware you are considering
divorcing him? Would it be so difficult to love the unlovable even
as God Himself is known to love us at times? Padre
Jerry is dead right when he says that feelings of love wane and peak all
throughout spouses lifetimes - and it is the commitment that is the test
of love, not the feelings of love themselves. I daresay this current
husband of yours was a safer choice than your previous husbands, who wounded
you very deeply. Think back to your wedding day ... surely you loved
him once!
What I am saying
to you, Roxanna, is to give him a chance ... give God a chance ... and
most of all, give yourself a chance, to know that true happiness lies in
the quiet peace of having "done the right thing" and accomplishing a measure
of success by realizing the motives of your original questions; and that
is, God is calling you, by that small, still, voice, to come back to His
arms where He awaits you with all love. What He is saying is, "I
AM LOVE, Roxanna, and until you know Me, you'll never know how even true
human love originates in Me."
I wish you luck,
I wish you love, I wish you the eventual peace you seek, and I wish you
especially, the joys of a Christ- centered marriage or even a grace filled
single life if that be your future, but especially I pray for you the grace
... of responding to God's voice. He loves you very much and also
wants you to be happy ... but He needs your consent in order to accomplish
it.
And Padre (wiggling
a nagging finger in cyberspace) since when is it sexist to assert your
God-given role as either a "real" male or female in His Universe?
I consider it a far better thing not even to use the "terms" of those bent
on blurring these sacred roles.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Sun, 06 Feb
2000 19:25:45 +0500 From: Kellyfam@compaq.net
To: vicki@columbus.rr.com
FrJAGW@aol.com
Hi Ya'll,
I have a good one
for you. I have been on e-bay and I ran across this "lot" of Catholic
things that was purchaced by a sweet lady. She doesn't know much
about any religion. The items she had for sale were from one estate
where the family of an elderly woman didn't want any of the things and
just got rid of it. She could tell that they were special, and didn't
need them, so she offered them up for bidding. In this "lot" was
a "small pillow with her first communion wafer in it". Now of course
I couldn't just let anyone have it, just in case it was a TRULY consecrated
Host, so I bid until I got it. Well it's here and I took it to my priest
and he wouldn't take it. He said that he doubted very surely that
it was a "Host". He told me that it must be a souvenir of her first communion.
The priest said that I should take it home and place it on my home altar
and value the honor that this memento represented. I have her very well
used (delapidated) first communion prayer book dated 1914. The wafer doesn't
look like ours do today. This is much thicker and only 1/2" inch in diameter,
with a fancy H or a I on one side. What do you 2 think? What should
I do?
Thanks Charlotte Kelly
Father Jerry
...
Charlotte,
The situation you
present is complex, and I would recommend you trust your parish priest
on this. It seems unreasonable to me that any parish would give out
consecrated Hosts for "mementos," especially during the time this would
have had to have happened. Also there are many cultures that use
unleaven bread for sacramental purposes, such as the Polish using some
at home to give special devotion to Jesus as the New Passover Lamb.
This would not, of course, use consecrated Hosts, but unleaven bread that
looks like the hosts used at Mass. So I think that it is probably
just a replica of the Host, but unconsecrated (and maybe not even truly
unleaven bread, although it might look like it). So, once again,
all I can say is that you should follow the advice of your parish priest,
who I am sure would not want to take any more of a chance in this matter
than you would. Pray for me.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Charlotte,
I take it that when
this item came up for bid, your friend related to you it was announced
as being "her First Communion wafer" so this is how you know this?
I wonder how accurate that statement was or even if they realized what
they were saying? It would be extremely unlikely, given the time
period if the accompanying prayer booklet is any indication of anything,
that you have an actual consecrated Host. Although it could be an
unconsecrated host, that would be irregular also (see previous).
However, consecrated Hosts have been procured for evil purposes, unsacred
rituals or by the just plain curious, by theft or by means and history
bears this out surely. If you really want to know if what you have
is a communion wafer or at least what constitutes one, you could have a
tiny sample of it analyzed by a lab to determine if it contains wheat (solely)
and is unleavened. But of course, you can't test it for God's presence.
If you do this, let
me know, will you? I would be very interested to know ... because
if this "host" is wheat (and unleavened) and dates back to 1914, I would
like to know why it has not naturally deteriorated in over 85 yrs, consecrated
or not! Then document this evidence and will it to your children.
If it survives you for another 50 years, it might be a miracle in its own
right, or possess some secret preservative that died with its inventor.
In the meantime, I
would recommend that since you are not sure what you possess, that you
reverence it anyway by placing it in a place of honor in your home as you
would any sacred object. What it seems to represent is holy and I
am sure that Jesus will be pleased with your good intentions. Besides,
you have a partner ... I was given a first class St. Francis relic by someone
who died who got it from a nun who also died -- and it never had
the necessary papers. It looks like every other first class relic
I've seen in my life (and I've seen many), so I am not taking any chances.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Fri,
10 Mar 2000 01:54:58 +0500 From: tommy@telerama.com
To: vicki@columbus.rr.com
FrJAGW@aol.com
Is one of the sins
of the Church telling the Africans that they don't have to go to confession
before communion?? Isn't this effectively creating a Protestant version
of our church thus creating a house divided against itself? Is a
Mass like a funeral Mass just for one person since a blessing is a substitute?
Why is the diocese of Phoenix using a pagan phoenix bird on it's letterhead??
And Father Jerry, in case they haven't told you the reason for celibacy
- quote: "a person who makes the sign of the Cross can NOT have sex with
a woman." That's from Jesus and if you have any questions you can
ask me because God has given me more talents than YOU!!!!
Father Jerry
...
You raise alot
of questions. I will try to answer each one of them.
Is one of
the sins of the Church telling the Africans that they don't have to go
to confession before communion??
If we are dealing
with a situation that the people are being baptized in the same Mass as
receiving their first Communion there would be nothing wrong with the practice
you outline. I am not at all familar with a general practice otherwise,
and knowing a number of priests from Africa I would have heard about it
if it were a common practice. So it seems we are either dealing with
an aberration (which ought to be corrected) or with those being baptized
at the same Mass as receiving their first Holy Communion.
Isn't this
effectively creating a Protestant version of our church thus creating a
house divided against itself?
If the practice is
as you mention it would indeed be an aberration, although I do not think
we could call it Protestant. Like I said about, though, if it is
going on then it is an abuse just as it is in America where some places
have introduced this practice.
Is a mass like a
funeral Mass just for one person since a blessing is a substitute?
I am not totally sure
that I understand this question. All Masses, by the way, are to be
celebrated for one person, at least as far as the intention of the priest
is concerned. The purpose of the Requiem Mass is to offer the Sacrifice
of the Mass for the deceased person. I hope that answers your question,
if not feel free to get back in touch with me.
Why is the diocese
of Phoenix using a pagan phoenix bird on it's letterhead??
The Phoenix is also
an ancient symbol for the Resurrection. The Apostolic Fathers of
the Church use the legend of the Phoenix to help explain the bodily Resurection
of Jesus on Easter. So, while its roots are pagan, it was very quickly
used for a Christian purpose and given a Christian meaning, even in the
life-time of the Apostles.
I hope that this answers
your questions. If you have any more please feel free to contact
me and ask.
To Jesus Through
Mary, Father Jerry A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Question 1:
I presume you are referring to Mr. Clinton's rather controversial act of
receiving Holy Communion in a Catholic Church in Africa? Only those
fully united with the Catholic Church may receive Holy Communion; furthermore,
intercommunion with non-Catholics is not permitted, no matter how many
would like to bend the rules. However, a Catholic's state of sinfulness
before the reception of the Eucharist is not a factor if the sins are considered
venial, which by the way, are forgiven by the Mass itself. The Africans
have the same Catechism, Pope and Canon Law that we in America do and I
trust they will make proper provisions next time a world renown figure
visits a Catholic Church in their country.
Question 2:
Yes, a funeral Mass is for one person, but in a mystical way, all Masses
are for all the living and the dead, those alive who are devoted to God,
those alive who are not, those who died in Christ and those who took it
for granted. May God continue to draw yet more souls into His fold
by His sacrifice which is repeated every day somewhere in the world, for
your benefit and mine.
Question 3:
The Church has a long history of replacing pagan imagery with that of a
more Christian flavor, with the hopes of increasing fervor and devotion
to God. And by St. George, it still works!
Question 4:
Although I am tempted to give you the benefit of a doubt, I kinda fail
to see how making the Sign of the Cross holds one to celibacy, since I
am a married lay Franciscan sister and have been making the Sign of the
Cross all of my life. This does not come from Jesus, nor Scripture.
In fact, nowhere does Jesus ever mention this act. Making the Sign
of the Cross is a ritual gesture that isn't mentioned until about the 3rd
century in the writings of Tertullian as a pious act to sanctify the actions
of daily life.
Question 4.5:
I highly doubt
it! Fr. Jerry is one of the smartest priests I know. He's even
corrected me at times, and that my friend, ain't easy.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Sun, 09 Jul
2000 22:57:07 +0500 From: chestersstuff@juno.com
To: vicki@columbus.rr.com
FrJAGW@aol.com
I just finished reading
the biography of St. Anthony Mary Claret. Very interesting. He was
born in Barcelona, Spain; a Bishop of Cuba. A missionary. Founded
the order of Claretians and in the book it mentions a major Seminary in
Compton, CA. I have been unable to find out about him on the web or any
devotion to him. Please help.
Thank you. Hena
Sista Vicki ...
Father Jerry
experienced some computer trouble during construction work at the rectory
and wasn't able to find any devotions to your saint, so he asked me to
take the ball and run with it.
What I could
find, biography-wise:
Anthony was
born in the Diocese of Vich in Catalonia, Spain the same year that Napoleon
invaded Spain. His father was a weaver and he was trained for manual
labor, but he entered the seminary at Vich in 1829. Six years later,
he was ordained and assigned as a pastor in his own parish. For a
time after working with the Propagation of the Faith in Rome, he entered
the novitiate of the Jesuits but left because of ill health. He returned
to Spain and was again assigned parish work which consisted of rural preaching,
conferences and a flair for writing; he wrote some 150 books.
Unfortunately,
his successful apostolate aroused the jealousy of some of the clergy and
he left in 1848 for the Canary Islands.
A year later,
he gathered 5 of the priests which formed the core group of the Missionary
Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary or Claretians. The following
year in 1850 at the suggestion of of the Queen of Spain, Isabella II, Anthony
was named archbishop of Santiago, Cuba. For the next seven years,
he became a staunch opponent of the evils of enslaving blacks which resulted
in attacks and threats on his life.
After preparing
for the First Vatican Council in Rome in 1869, he followed Isabella II
into exile and died under house arrest in the Cistercian monastery at FontFroide,
at the age of 63.
What I found,
devotion-wise:
Prayer to Saint
Anthony Mary Claret
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pray0440.htm
Here's another
Prayer to Saint Anthony Mary Claret,
Servant of
the Word and a Prayer for Vocations:
http://www.sangabrielmission.org/claretian_missionaries.htm
(scroll down
to see the prayers)
Nice Holy Card
image:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta10.htm
And now for
the
bonus find, a treasury of A
Collection of
Claretian
Prayers.
Hope this satisfies
your search and may God bless you.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Fri, 02 Mar
2001 22:39:03 +0500 From: LSmagpie@aol.com
To: vicki@columbus.rr.com
FrJAGW@aol.com
Dear Davey,
Following is your
question and our answers. Please be aware that I did not read Father's
reply before I constructed my own, so it is interesting that we both used
the scripture from St. Paul. I regret to inform you that the website is
only occasionally available because of constant targeting by the Nimda
and CodeRed II worms /viruses. Thank you for visiting our website
and say a prayer that people will patch their machines for it so it will
stop propagating.
+ + +
Dear Father Jerry and
Sista Vicki. Being a devout Catholic I am asked all the time how Catholics
refer to priests as "Fathers," when Jesus said himself in the Bible "no
man shall be called "Father." I couldn't answer them. Thanks for
your help,
In Christ, Davey
==========================================
Father Jerry
...
Davey,
That is a very good
question. First, I think it helps to see that if we take that statement
literally, then there are a number of people in the Bible who ignored it,
even after Jesus gave the command. For example, in the Acts of the
Apostles, St. Stephen is arrested for preaching about Jesus and gives a
speech in defense of his teaching, he starts off be addressing the Sanhedrin
with the "My brothers and fathers," surely St. Stephen, who was with Jesus
throughout His public ministry would not have addressed the Jewish leaders
with a term that was condemned by Jesus. And even if he had, the
Holy Spirit would not have inspired St. Luke to write about it in the Acts.
So if it is not meant
to be taken literally, how ought we interpret it? The best way to
understand this is that we are to remember that God is the source of everything
we have and everything we are. He is the one to Whom we owe everything.
Now He often uses men as instruments to distribute His gifts, we can justly
call these men "fathers," but always remembering that their fatherhood
is based on that of God. The most obvious example of this would be
physical fathers, who are used by God to give us the gift of life.
Spiritual fatherhood, though, as when Catholics call priests "father,"
also exists. We saw this in the address of St. Stephen to the Sanhedrin.
We also see it in the writing of St. Paul: "I am writing you this not to
shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. Even if you
should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers,
for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore,
I urge you, be imitators of me." See Catholic priests preach the
Gospel, baptize and encourage a faithful living of the Gospel, they would
fit the description that St. Paul gives of his fatherhood in Christ.
Therefore, it would be completely acceptable to call Catholic priests "father,"
but, of course, we must remember that their fatherhood has its source in
the fatherhood of God. I hope that this answers your question, Davey.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Hello Davey.
I presume you are referring
to Matthew 23:9, "Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father
in heaven."
Unfortunately this
verse taken out of context is often cited to find fault with the Catholic
priesthood by those who can find no biblical basis for it. Stick
with us for a few moments and I'll show you how this is completely wrong,
and in fact, very scriptually incorrect as well.
Let's start by taking
the verse in its proper context. What proceeds it immediately is verse
23:8, "As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher,
and you are all brothers." Backing up even further in this Gospel
one can clearly see that Jesus is specifically admonishing the behavior
of the scribes and Pharisees who loved "places of honor at banquets, seats
of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'(MT
23:6-7). The Matthean Jesus forbids the titles and superiority of
position that are intent more on social acceptance than on introducing
the Messiah properly when He came to walk among them. Reading their
hearts, Jesus roundly calls attention to their hypocrisies telling the
crowds "not to follow them." (MT 23:3) Interestingly, we get a taste of
Jesus's righteous indignation with them, for He even calls them a brood
of serpents and vipers! Jesus calls all to singleness of heart and purity
of purpose. Mere titles for their own sake defeat this.
The Fatherhood of God
should figure prominently into the life of any Christian. Its greatest
and most memorable example is left with us in the Parable of the Prodigal
Son in LK:15; here, God, the Father, greets his sinful, returning child
with unabashed joy. What should not be missed is the submission with
which the son received the father's immediate forgiveness. Honoring
one's mother and father is a commandment well preceeding the religious
leaders of Jesus's day and is as timely now as it was then -- obedience
never goes out of style in God's eyes.
Religious authority
in contemporary times is found largely in the ordained status of particular
individuals who's vocation is to draw souls to God. The priesthood
of the Old Testament had corrupted itself. The historical truth of
the ministerial priesthood of the New Testament is a disreputable fact.
Jesus Himself establishes these gifts to the Church at both the Last Supper
and again, when the Apostles cowered in fear in the Upper Room and much
to their surprise, not only witnessed Jesus fully alive after His death
but were given the singularly distinct authority to forgive sins.
The old testament priesthood and sacrifices were a precursor for the perfect
Messianic sacrifice later but failed in their Old Testament version for
the atonement of sin.
He will sit refining
and purifying (silver),
and he
will purify the sons of Levi (priests),
Refining them
like gold or like silver
that
they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice
of Judah and Jerusalem
will
please the LORD,
as in days of
old, as in years gone by.
Malachi 3:3-4
Jesus transformed both
the nature of the Old Testament priesthood and the Passover (which was
to be celebrated into perpetuity) INTO a New Covenant by a simple meal,
by way of divine authority.
Again ...
Oh, that one among
you would shut the temple gates
to keep
you from kindling fire on My altar in vain!
I have no pleasure
in you, says the LORD of hosts;
neither
will I accept any sacrifice from your hands,
For from the rising
of the sun, even to its setting,
My name
is great among the nations (Gentiles);
And everywhere they
bring sacrifice to My name,
and a
pure offering;
For great is My name
among the nations,
says
the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 1:10,11
My New American Bible
quotes ...
MAL 1:10
<1> [10-11] The
imperfect sacrifices offered without
sincerity by the people
of Judah are displeasing to the
Lord. He will rather
be pleased with the offerings of
the Gentile nations
throughout the world (from the
rising of the sun,
even to its setting), which anticipate
the pure offering
to be sacrificed in Messianic times,
the universal Sacrifice
of the Mass, as we are told by
the Council of Trent.
So you see, Davey,
not only is the ministerial priesthood important from a biblical but essentially
salvific standpoint found in both Testaments, you can call your dad "Father"
without any worry of misinterpreting what Jesus really meant. In fact,
I encourage it!
I leave you with a
word from St. Paul:
Even if you should
have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for
I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.
1COR 4:15
Ok, dad. I mean, St.
Paul .... I think he gets it now.
:)
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Thu, 11 Oct
2001 13:56:36 +0500 From: Croix056@aol.com
To: vicki@columbus.rr.com,
FrJAGW@aol.com
How can I get over
the guilt of a second marriage outside the church I am in process of getting
annulment from first marriage. I am really having a hard time with this.
Betty
Father Jerry
...
Betty,
That is a very good
question. The first thing that I would like to point out is that
you are already beginning to rectify the situation. Getting the annulment
itself can be a time of healing and closure. By going through the
process you will have to face many situations that you would probably prefer
to forget. That is understandable, but at the same time you will
not be able to learn from them and grow, so that the second marriage will
be stronger, unless you do look at them. By the way, there is a big
difference between looking at them in the annulment process and looking
at them in the divorce/counseling process. In the annulment you will
be looking at them through the light of Christ and the Church, this will
allow new insight. So the first bit of advice I would recommend is
what you are already doing, go through the annulment process and, even
at the difficult moments, remember that it can give you insights and assistance
which will serve to strengthen your second marriage.
The second bit of advice
I would offer is that of doing what you can do at church. Keep going
to Mass, volunteer to help (especially things like crisis pregnancy and
helping the poor), etc. This will keep your relationship with God
from being purely negative, thinking about the past mistakes you have made.
God still loves you and although your marriage situation is irregular He
still wants to use you to glorify His Name and spread His Kingdom.
Put your trust in the power of His love and concern for you. Of course
you can't receive Holy Communion at Mass, but there is much more that participation
at Mass has to offer spiritually, so don't let embarrassment or sadness
over this fact keep you from receiving the graces that are available to
you.
A third bit of advice
I would like to offer is that you should get involved socially with your
parish. Go to the parish picnic with your second husband, make friends
with people/groups that you find compatible at the parish, etc. This
will help give you some foundation both for the time-being and for the
future. For the present it will give you a greater sense of belonging
to the parish and a more active part of the Church. For the future
it will enable you to be in a situation where you will know what is going
on in the parish in case you might find them appealing. So get socially
involved. I should add a word of warning in this regard, however.
Don't go around telling people your marital situation. That could
make them feel uncomfortable or lead them to offer "advice" which in the
long-run would be harmful. So get involved, if possible with your
present husband, but don't start acting like these people have become your
instant best-friends. One good way to get involved in addition to
just attending the things like the parish picnic is to volunteer for some
of the behind-the-scenes" jobs in the parish, such as money counting or
cleaning the linens.
Finally, talk to the
priest about how the process makes you feel and your concerns in the process.
Perhaps, since he knows you, he could give some advice that would be very
helpful in addition to the above. Don't view him strictly in terms
of a lawyer for the annulment or anything, remember he is primarily a priest
and can give you spiritual support and counsel as well as helping with
the annulment. He probably won't want to "push" himself on you, so
seek his advice.
Betty, I hope that
you can use some of this advice, probably the most important part of it
is to talk with your priest. Don't start thinking that God has abandoned
you or that He hates you, even in spite of the broken marriage and the
re-marriage outside of the Church, you are His beloved daughter.
Don't forget that fact. Don't let the initial difficulty involved in getting
active in the parish be an absolute obstacle. The parish is where
you belong, find the areas where you can be comfortable and helpful and
then go for it. God bless and be assured of my prayers.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Betty, first of all,
peace.
If you don't mind,
your question reminds me of a long standing tradition in Catholicism --
guilt. Let's face it, it's the one religion that places so much emphasis
on personal spiritual development toward perfection in preparation for
heaven that it comes into conflict with almost everything in the world.
Almost. The good news of course, is that the treasury of graces available
to seekers and those already belonging to the Body of Christ for the assistance
they need is greater still.
Guilt has its purpose.
It makes one think, reflect, desire to be closer to God, all the things
He wants from us in the first place. Since you are beginning the
first steps toward reconciling your first marriage with the Church, please
allow me to encourage you to continue until that time when your first reasons
for guilt have long passed. Instead of allowing guilt to become unproductive
after the time in which you initially responded to grace, think with joy
and anticipation of the day in which you will be again fully united with
the Church. Cast away your vexations by trusting prayers to your
guardian angel to guide you from unnecessary guilt ... and the Lord's peace
to you.+
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask
Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Mon, 4 Feb
2002 15:57:25 EST
From: Anonymous,
please
I was attending Mass
in a parish at which the Priest allowed considerable leeway in the selection
of music for Mass. So much leeway, in fact, that sometimes it degenerated
all the way to rock and roll or boogie-woogie. I asked the Father
about it, and he seemed to feel that he should allow it, on the premise
that it would result in greater attendance at Mass. Finally, I just
couldn't stand it any more, and I started attending Mass elsewhere.
Where am I in terms of obedience to the Church's spiritual authority?
Have I acted wrongly? Am I being unreasonable in thinking that some
types of music are not suitable for Mass?
Father Jerry
...
I just have an observation
to make. If allowing this kind of music is to increase the attendance,
why did it drive you away? This type of approach usually brings a
quick increase in attendance, but in the long-run it decreases attendance.
The Church does have some very clear criteria of what Church music should
entail, unfortunately, after a beautiful description of Church music and
its role in the liturgy there is a habit of attaching a phrase like, "of
course there might be some cultural or pastoral reasons for other types
of music or musical traditions to be used in the liturgy." That is
a loophole that it is big enough to drive a truck through. On the
question of whether you should remain in that parish, I would only suggest
it if there is no opportunity to attend Mass which does not have such music.
You should not feel bound to go to a parish if the music that is there
causes spiritual turmoil for you, thereby defeating one of the core purposes
of Mass.
Let me give a recap.
1. The Church
has some beautiful documents on Church music and what kind of music is
appropriate, I would recommend starting with the Vatican Council's Constitution
on the Liturgy "Sacrosanctum Concilium."
2. Unfortunately
the Church has been very hesitant to enforce these teachings with practical
directives.
3. That kind
of music that you describe usually winds up hurting attendance in the long-run,
but in the short-run it can appear to be very helpful so usually people
miss its harmful long-term effects.
4. Strictly
speaking the pastor is not doing anything "illegal" so it is probably not
useful to pursue that discussion.
5. If there
is not a Mass without such music and you find that music getting in the
way with the spiritual peace that is supposed to accompany Mass, do not
feel guilty about attending Mass elsewhere, although I would encourage
you remain as active as possible in your home parish.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Dear Anonymous,
First of all,
let me assure you that your instincts are correct. By allowing innovative
practices in their parishes priests can give a false impression that the
celebration of the liturgy is theirs to regulate but nothing could be further
from the truth. The Mass itself is carefully structured by the Holy
See which guarantees that "The faithful have a right to a true liturgy
which means the liturgy desired and laid down by the Church" (Eucharisticum
Mysterium). Introducing illicit practices not only serves to confuse, rather
than spiritually grow the faithful, in certain instances they can even
violate liturgical and canon law.
In the Catechism
of the Catholic Church we read, in II. HOW IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? No.
1158: "The harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions) is all the
more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural richness of
the People of God who celebrate.[Cf. SC 119.] Hence 'religious singing
by the faithful is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and
sacred exercises as well as in liturgical services,' in conformity with
the Church's norms, 'the voices of the faithful may be heard.' But 'the
texts intended to be sung must always be in conformity with Catholic doctrine.
Indeed they should be drawn chiefly from the Sacred Scripture and from
liturgical sources.'[SC 118; 121.]"
In other
words, boogie woogie don't fly here, mate!
Fr. Jerry, I
slightly disagree with your answer to our friend in your No. 4. If
the texts to be sung (during Mass) must be in conformity with Catholic
doctrine, then nothing less than sacred music will do. Of course,
popular music would not invalidate the Mass, and no specific songs are
mandated in a general sense, but I believe the meaning is quite clear.
Regardless of the finer points of law and let us not forget the spirit
of obedience, the padre and I both agree that music not drawn from the
Church's treasury of hymns or scripture definitely has no place within
the Mass. I, as well as the padre, applaud your efforts to speak with your
priest about this obvious error in your now-former parish. Even if
it didn't achieve the hoped-for results, you left your priest with something
to think about, and that is, "maybe I'm losing members instead of gaining
them?" He'll notice your absence eventually. And other's
later.
And lastly,
you are not required to "go along" with "changes" that make you uneasy
and which are fairly easy to discern for error given the vast resources
available to the faithful these days. May the HOLY Spirit Who no
doubt prompted you to question what you experienced be your constant sure
guide ... and God forgive those who tamper with the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass in any shape or form. It's fine just the way it was intended,
no thank you Brother Innovators.+
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Mon, 08 Apr
2002 09:21:29 +0500 From: lonedwards@yahoo.com
Who are the damned?
Please answer in plain
lay English.
Gets confusing with
Bible.
Wondering about non-Catholics.
Thank you very much.
Father Jerry
...
Lon, that is a very
good question. The damned are all those who die without sanctifying
grace in their souls. This is done through the committing of a mortal
sin which the person never repents of having committed. I should
mention two things just to make the whole situation clear (or more confused,
depending on how you view it).
First is that God will
give everybody the grace and opportunity to be saved. This includeds
non-Catholics and even anti-Catholics. God will only judge people
in the light of what they could and should have known and done, not in
terms of what a different person in the same situation would have done.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church actually goes so far as to say it
is part of the virtue of hope to hope that all men are saved. We
don't believe this as an article of faith, but we hope in it by trusting
in God's goodness, truth and power. Second is that while we have
the great gift of being Catholics that means we also have greater responsiblities:
"To whom more is given, more will be expected." So while we do know
the objective criteria for salvation that means we will be more responsible
ourselves. Our concern should be to see that we are saved and not
try to judge the salvation of others. We should, in the light of
the first point, treat all others as if they are among the saved and, in
the light of the second point, be constantly trying to work with God's
grace for our own salvation. I hope that answers you question.
The damned are those who die separated from God by mortal sin, but we cannot
know for sure who they are, we should just be careful to make sure we are
not among them.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Dear Lon,
The damned are those
who have ultimately rejected God. Theologians generally agree that
the eternal abode, state or condition of those deprived of the loss of
the vision of God is hell, a place of punishment and pain also reserved
for Satan and his fallen angels. Hell is the last stop for
unrepentant sinners. After it, there are no second chances.
The Church does not
proclaim who is in hell. Scripture and Sacred Tradition are replete
with both the pain associated with the loss of the Kingdom of God … and
its difficulty to attain it even for the righteous. But just as the
companion of Francis of Assisi, Giles, has said "to lose Heaven is not
to lose a shoestring," being pronounced "damned" has eternal consequences
we can't even begin to imagine. For this reason, trust in God's mercy
and belief that "By the grace of God" Jesus tasted death "for every one"
[Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 624] makes it is abundantly clear
that God, least of all, wants anyone to go there. And the Church
is pretty clear about this as well.
"'Since Christ died
for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny,
which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility
of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery.'[GS
22 # 5; cf. LG 16; AG 7.] Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ
and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance
with his understanding of it, CAN BE SAVED. It may be supposed that such
persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity."
[Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1260] And again, "…God has
BOUND salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but He himself is not bound
by His sacraments" [Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1257].
For these reasons,
we aren't particulary hard on Christians of other denominations either.
The opposite is not so true, however. Hope this helps. And
may God bless you.+
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Wed, 24 Jul
2002 21:28:22 +0500From: ryleighm@optonline.net
Hello,
I don't know if you
read about my dilemma on the Catholicity discussion group, but to sum it
up ... a good friend of mine is getting married, who was raised Catholic
and so was her fiance. They wish to be married where they got engaged,
at this lighthouse (on a beach). When I first heard she told me they may
get a deacon or whatever. She didn't seem concerned. I waited and
advised her about the Catholic teaching and my duty as a Catholic, the
best that I could -- I am still new back to the Faith. She told me
today they first decided to get married in the Church (started Pre-Cana
and everything), BUT her aunt's Priest called and agreed to give them a
full Catholic Ceremony at the lighthouse. I was relieved that she
is concerned about doing it "right" is this valid? The Priest assured
her this is valid. It is difficult for me because we were friends
for almost 20 years, and didn't spend for the last 4 years (I was a drug
addict) and just started speaking again the last year of so. In the
last 2 years I rediscovered my Faith (2 1/2 yrs clean and sober) but she
really doesn't know that side of me and I don't know what is in her heart
as our friendship before didn't involve "God" if you can understand what
I mean - sorry this is so long, it is a complicated situation. I
told her I would be in her wedding when she told me about the Priest, I
just want to make sure I made the right decision. She seems to have
pure intentions, and it seems after talking to me initially, I did some
good, as she changed her mind and now seems to care, but not serious about
the Faith, (like the way I used to be) Thank you for taking the time out
to read all this! God Bless You,
Kristyn
Father Jerry
...
Kristy,
This is a question
of Canon Law. Each diocese approaches this question differently.
If I were in your shoes I would just assume that the priest is acting in
good faith and go ahead and attend the ceremony and rejoice with the couple.
Otherwise we really are talking about taking an inquisitorial attitude,
which is both uncharitable and unproductive. I would trust that the
priest knows the regulations in his own diocese, even though I might not
agree with them (as I don't in this case).
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Dear Kristyn,
Not sure if
I saw your story or not, but your instincts are correct.
…."The celebration
of the Eucharist is to be performed in a sacred place, unless in a particular
case necessity demands otherwise; in such a case the celebration must be
done in a respectable place [Canon 932]. Such cases of necessity might
include age, sickness or the distance of the intended Church. While
there is nothing unrespectable about a lighthouse in general, I can't see
where necessity demands their being married there.
A "full Catholic
ceremony" means nothing less than a Mass. The offer of the
priest to perform the nuptial Mass contrarily to the accepted norms is
a cause for scandal that does little to offset a certain tendency to hold
what is considered sacred in low regard. As for their marriage, wouldn't
they want the very (spiritual) best there is to offer since marriage is
nothing short of a milestone in one's life? They don't just marry
each other; they marry Jesus too.
You are a good
friend, for making that information available to her. Please know
that it matters little where you came from as far as God is concerned …
what He intensely cares about is where you are going. It is obvious
that the spirit of grace and truth is actively at work in your life, changing
your perspectives and maybe even that of your friends. It isn't easy
to be faithful to the Church in post-Christian "contemporary" America which
is often very hostile to its teachings on contraception, marriage, chastity
and other issues, so I should say that God is quite pleased with your efforts!
Keep up the
good work and God bless.+
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Re: Apparitions of Mary in Ohio Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Sunday, August
04, 2002 9:14 AM From: ebernhardt@snip.net
Recently my mother-in-law
was invited to go on a pilgrimage to Ohio to see the apparition of Mary
on September 14th. After daily mass this week, a friend of mine explained
that this was discouraged by the church, but wasn't sure why? Can
you tell me if this apparition in Ohio is discouraged by the church, and
if so, why? The apparitions are said to be occurring at Elyria, Ohio (30
miles West of Cleveland) I'm sorry, but that is all the information
that I my mother-in-law has gotten so far. Thanks so much for looking
in to this for me.
Patti Bernhardt
Father Jerry
...
Dear Patti,
I would recommend
you call the Archdiocese of Cleveland and see if it is a situation of them
investigating the apparition or if they have already come out with a negative
judgment. If it is a situation that they are investigating it, I
see no reason why you should not take a trip there in good conscience.
If they have come out and issued a negative judgment about it, though,
obedience to the local bishop (in the place of the reported apparition
this would mean, not your bishop) would require staying away from it.
I believe the situation is the former, they are still investigating it.
If this is correct then there would be no moral problem with you attending
one of the services in connection with it.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Dear Patti,
Based on the location
and date of the apparition you mention, we were able to determine that
the visionary leading these events is Maureen Sweeney with Holy Love Ministries
which has been strongly discouraged by the Diocese of Cleveland.
I urge you to research the following links which contain diocesan
warnings, a letter
of disfavor submitted by the Diocese of Cleveland, and the Holy Love
website itself which affirms the September
14th date.
In addition to the
facts above, we received this September 9, 2002 reply from the diocese
of Cleveland for further clarification regarding Holy Love ministries per
Sr. Rita Mary Harwood, SND, Secretary for Parish Life and Development:
"Following this letter
of explanation, you will find a copy of a statement issued in August 1999
by the Cleveland Diocese regarding Holy Love Ministries. This statement
was sent to the Bishops of ninety-eight surrounding dioceses in June 2000
along with a statement issued by the General Secretary of the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops. The General Secretary's statement
indicated that the Conference had been advised by the Cleveland Diocese
of its concerns regarding Holy Love Ministries: that the group is soliciting
funds for their various projects, that the group claims to receive revelations
through a purported visionary, and that Holy Love Ministries engage in
what appear to be Catholic practices while describing themselves as "an
ecumenical lay apostolate." The General Secretary informed
the Bishops that the Cleveland Diocese wished to make it very clear that
there is no relationship to, approval or support from the Cleveland Catholic
Diocese. Further he indicated that the group has made it clear that
they do not seek approval of the Church since they are "ecumenical," and
therefore, should be dealt with cautiously.
"They have sought
funds for the building of a "shrine" and for the support of their ministry.
Their "shrine" and "ministries," do not have a diocesan affiliation.
To build a Catholic Shrine in this diocese would require the approval of
the Bishop of the Diocese (Code of Canon Law #1230). Holy Love Ministries
does not have, nor have they sought that approval. Father Ralph Wiatrowski,
the Chancellor of the Diocese, told the Bishops since groups from various
parts of the country have been coming to visit the "apparition site" presuming
that it is Catholic; we felt the need to make it very clear that Holy Love
Ministries has no Diocesan affiliation or approval and is not a Catholic
pilgrimage site."
Sr. Rita also provided
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki with an updated diocesan warning which
you should also find helpful.
HOLY LOVE
MINISTRIES
(Missionary
Servants of Holy Love)
CAUTION
A group known
by the name "Holy Love Ministries" and also the "Missionary Servants of
Holy Love," has been active in the Cleveland area for several years.
Earlier names associated with this group have been the "Our Lady Protectress
of the Faith Movement," "Project Mercy," and "Mary's House of Prayer."
They continue to seek funds to develop their center and support their
effort. We would caution anyone considering support of such a venture
to realize that this organization has no approval or support from the Catholic
Diocese of Cleveland. In a meeting held with diocesan officials, leaders
of Holy Love ministries made it clear that although they encourage Catholic
practices, the ministry is ecumenical, and therefore not subject to the
authority of the Catholic Church.
Recent publicity
regarding reported apparitions and messages makes it necessary to urge
extreme caution in giving credence to such claims.
For further
information, please contact
Fr. Ralph Wiatrowski,
Chancellor
The Catholic
Diocese of Cleveland
1027 Superior
Avenue
Cleveland,
Ohio 44114
Telephone:
216-696-6525 x 2080
August, 1999
============
Fr. Jerry's advice
about following the Bishop of Cleveland even though he may not be your
own was excellent. The Bishop of any diocese has full authority
to make such judgments regarding all supernatural events in their locales
and we hope (and pray) that you'll consider carefully all these facts before
undertaking any pilgrimage next weekend to Cleveland. Thank you for
your inquiry and may God bless you.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Thu, 19 Sep
2002 00:58:07 +0500From: rekettler@att.net
When, where was St.
Paul born?
I would appreciate
an e-mail answer if possible.
Thanks,
Ronald Kettler
Father Jerry
...
Ronald,
Nobody knows for sure
the year that St. Paul was born in, but it probably was in the first decade
after Christ's birth. The place is: Tarsus, a Greek-speaking
imperial city in Asia Minor.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Dear Ronald,
I presume you mean
Paul the Apostle?
He was formerly known
as Saul, vehement persecutor of the early Church and is now Saint Paul,
dedicated follower of the Gospel message for which he ultimately lost his
life. According to his own words he was “a Jew, born (around A.D.
10) in Tarsus in Cilicia (Turkey) but brought up in this city” (Jerusalem)
… [Acts 22:3] His father was a Roman citizen; Paul inherited that citizenship
and its rights.
Trained as a Pharisee
under the tutelage of Gamaliel, St. Paul was strictly educated in Jewish
ancestral law. Like many of his day, especially the religious leaders
opposed to the teachings of Jesus, he viewed Christianity as a specific
threat to Jewish cultural heritage. As a result, he “set out for
Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there
as well” [Acts 22:5] and in approximately A.D. 33-35, experienced a radical
conversion to Christ. The rest as they say, is history. His
teachings, New Testament writings and recorded missionary travels are a
priceless contribution to the whole Church even now, the same Church he
himself once formerly persecuted so severely. St. Paul’s life is
a testimony to the grace of Christ at work in human hearts for change and
conversion. Such a message is not always welcomed and in A.D. 62
he was martyred in Rome.
This is probably all
(and more) you wanted for an answer, eh? Hope this answers your question
and God Bless.+
St. Paul, zealous
defender of the Church and Apostle of the Word, pray for us.
Sista Vicki (Sr
Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
St. Damian
Date: Fri, 04 Oct
2002 18:38:26 +0500 From: LiNkiNpArK8925@aol.com
When and where was
St. Damian born? What is his family information, life story, and qualities
and virtues he is known for? Please e-mail me back soon, thanks!
Kevin
Father Jerry
...
I assume you
mean St. Damian of St. Cosmas and Damian. He was born in Arabia and
became a physician. He and St. Cosmas, his brother, were known as
the "moneyless one" because the provided medical help for the poor and
did not ask for any payment in return. This charity brought them
to the attention of the local governor who thought that this was a sign
of their Christianity, which it was. So he had them arrested and
tried to get them to recounce Christ, at least "with their lips only."
They refused and were eventually martyred, probably by beheading.
As far as his dates go, there is no real solid evidence, he was around
probably in the late-second or sometime in the third centuries. That's
about all that I have from Butler's.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki ...
Saint Damian was the
twin brother of Saint Cosmas, born in Arabia; my sources do not provide
a date. Both brothers were Christians skilled in the science of medicine
who performed their services without cost. They traveled the towns
and villages and preached the Faith, healed their sick and even their sick
animals, through the power of Christ. When the persecution of Christians
broke out during the rule of Diocletian (284-305) they were targeted because
of their prominence in society. By order of the governor of Cilicia,
Lysias, they were made to undergo various tortures to force them to renounce
Christ. Although it was said they never suffered any injuries from
their tortures, eventually they were murdered by beheading around 283 A.D.
As you might guess,
both are the patrons of doctors. But their patronage also extends
to surgeons, druggists, pharmacists, the blind, hairdressers and even midwives.
Many legends have sprung up around their relics which are presently in
Cyrus, Syria. One such recalls a highly grateful Emperor Justian (527-565)
who rebuilt and decorated their church in Constantinople after he experienced
healing from their relics. Sts. Damian and Cosmas are also highly
venerated by the Eastern Church in Russia. The Roman Catholic Church
celebrates their feast day on September 26.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Fri,
04 Oct 2002 22:26:00 +0500From: Cyndigirl941@cs.com
I was brought up Catholic
and, as many have experienced, I too drifted from God and the Church.
For me it was between the ages of 18-22. I always was taught and
believed that in order to follow God and go to heaven, one must simply
love God, stay away from sin, go to Church, love one another .... Now,
since I have such heavy sin that I have committed, I think I get confused
or begin to doubt. Would you agree with what I just wrote on how
to get to Heaven. I think I'm a little scared and confused because
I'm feeling guilty and confused. Thanks in advance for your response
and prayers.
-Cindy
Father Jerry
…
Cindy,
You are partially right about the way to go to Heaven. What really
has me concerned about your question, though, is how vague you seem to
view the process. It is not enough just to have a generally good
intention, or to try to do good most of the time, or to be nice to others
and leave it at that. The process of going to Heaven has some specifics.
One of these, of course, is to take advantage of the Sacraments which Jesus
left to His Church. Another specific is avoiding sin, or going to
Confession after sinning and then trying to do better.
There is one thing I do want to say though, and that is whatever you have
done, God can and will forgive. All you need to do is take advantage
of the means He has established and left to His Church. My advice
is that you contact a priest close to where you live. Discuss your
concern with his and what it is that you have do that is causing you such
concern and GO TO CONFESSION.
It seems to me that God is giving you an invitation to starting seriously
living that faith you were raised with. Take advantage of it.
Go talk to a priest and go to Confession. Learn about the teachings
of the Church and try to put them into effect in your life. Remember,
God is always with you and trying to help you do His will. Lastly,
stay away from those generalities, they can blind us both to our obligations
and to our accomplishments.
To
Jesus Through Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki …
Dear Cindy,
Begin to doubt
what? That Jesus came to call sinners and not just church-goers?
That He still loved you even when you drifted away?
Cindy, this
is exactly what Jesus is all about! Sin wounds us and in our brokeness,
it is easy to lose sight of the boundless mercy of God. Spiritually
speaking it can become fertile ground for the tempter; in extreme cases
it could even lead to the sin of the dispair of Judas. For even Judas
could have been forgiven, had he but believed it. But the truth is,
and don’t let this make you nervous, doubting that God could ever forgive
you is a sin all by itself.
Now. Here
is another way to think about it which should eliminate all doubt.
When Jesus walked among men, He surrounded Himself with tax collectors,
public sinners, prostitutes and the unpolished, uneducated common people
of the day. From among these, He personally handpicked future popes,
saints and holy men and women of God. He didn’t say, “Hey, follow
Me because you are perfect.” What He meant was, “Hey, follow Me because
I will make you that way."
Remember that
God’s people have a long history of failure and redemption. King
David was an adulterer and most of the later kings turned to idol worship.
St. Peter denied Christ three times and all but one of the Apostles, John,
ran away during Jesus’s trial and public execution. In spite of our
own failures, falls and even ourselves, God ever waits, eager to make us
whole and secure in eternity, and in Christ. And He’ll never turn
us away, so stop doubting!
It is true that
loving God, staying away from sin, attending regular worship and loving
one another are all ways for every Christian to grow in holiness and spiritual
maturity. However, I urge you to find and
stay within
a Church community or parish where you can be discipled by a competent
RCIA program and church members that will lead you to a fuller understanding
of all these things.
May God bless
your journey and may our prayers speed that onward.+
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Mon,
28 Oct 2002 16:01:46 -0500From: Karly2189@yahoo.com
What year was
St. Cecilia born and what year did she die? This question I really need
to know for a project that I am doing that is due tomorrow. Could you please
answer this question as soon as possible. Thank you very much!!!!
Thanks again,
Kar
Father Jerry
…
Kar,
A very good question.
The exact dates are unknown, but the closest that we can get is that she
was probably born around 100-105 and died around the year 117. Hope
that helps, but let me give you a little warning, there are many books
that give different dates for her dates and the one your teacher is using
might have different dates.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki …
Dear Kar,
Once again,
sorry for my lateness! As you know, my furnace bit the dust.
Then, I had to go and make an earlier promise to help a Chinese friend
edit and publish some articles, one a night, until they are completely
finished … I am far from done, but two more are finalized so, here we go.
Details of Saint
Cecilia’s birth origins are sketchy, persumably because they just aren’t
available, not because she was an obscure saint by any means. She
was a native of Rome who’s ancestors numbered among the nobles of its history
and has been venerated as one of Heaven’s saints for over 1000 years.
According to William
Caxton, Golden Legend (1483), that “from the time that she lay in her
cradle she was fostered and nourished in the faith of Christ.” In
Lives of the Saints (Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York) she was probably
martryed just days after her husband’s conversion and martyrdom between
the years of 161 and 192 AD under the reign of Marcus Aurelius.
Item of note:
History indicates that St. Cecilia was one of the first saints who’s body
was found to be incorrupt, or not decomposed, after her death. In 822 during
reconstruction of a basilica dedicated to her memory her mortal remains
were found, completely intact and in the same position in which she died.
Then again in the 16th century, she was still found to be incorrupt during
one of the most documented exhumation cases of a saint in the Church’s
history.
Sista Vicki
(Sr Mary Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Sun, 28 Dec
2003 17:56:30 -0800
Dear Father Jerry and
Sista Vicki,
Thanks so much for
this forum and the opportunity to ask questions.
What is the "origin"
of the initial 15 Mysteries of the Rosary? By "origin" I mean, who
said these are the five Joyful Mysteries, the five Sorrowful Mysteries,
and the five Glorious Mysteries? (I know the Luminous Mysteries were
instituted by Pope John Paul II with the publication of "Rosarium Virginis
Mariae.")
I have had several
discussions with devout Catholics who do not like to use the Luminous Mysteries
because they say that Mary gave us the 15 Mysteries when she gave the Rosary
to St. Dominic. My research indicates that while St. Dominic certainly
encouraged us to pray the Rosary and worked to increase praying this devotion,
the origin of the Rosary is more complex.
I have tried to find
the answer to the question about the origin of the Mysteries though a Google
search for "origin of Rosary Mysteries," "history of Rosary," etc..
I thought finding the answer would be easy. I found lots of meditations,
prayers, etc. to use with the Mysteries when praying the Rosary, but I
have not found anything about their origin. And none of the histories
of the Rosary give the answer.
For example, at the
University of Dayton web site, I found the following
(URL: http://www.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq18.html):
Q: What is the Origin of the Rosary?
A: The complex history of the rosary deals normally with the following
stages of development:
1) Repetition of the
Hail Mary, in the 12th c, related to the joys of Mary, first five (Annunciation,
Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, Assumption) then seven, later fifteen
(reflecting the 15 decades of the Psalter). We later find instances on
celestial joys as opposed to joyful historical events in Mary’s life.
But this doesn’t tell
me who said these were the Mysteries to use.
I remember reading
somewhere that the Mysteries of the Rosary were attributed to St. Louis
de Montfort. But, the Rosary was around well before his time on earth.
I know Pope Leo XIII
wrote thirteen encyclicals on the Rosary, but that was at the end of the
1800s and first years of the 1900s, well after the Rosary was a widely
used devotion.
I hope you can shed
some light on this. Thank you for your help.
Your brother in Christ,
Bill
Father Jerry
…
Bill,
The actual origin
of the 15 decades is really unknown. In the history of the Rosary
there have been many variations on the Rosary, such as the Franciscan 7-decade
Rosary. As for the people who say that adding some more mysteries
is being disobedienct to Our Lady, point out to them that she always teachs
the importance of obedience to the Pope, not to herself in all her authentic
apparitions.
Your research is very
good, but I don't think that is the main point. The point that I would
stress in talking to these people is that Mary teaches obedience to the
pope in many of her apparitions. In other words, if you follow the
pope's lead you will not be being disobedient to Mary. Hope that
provides some guidance.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki …
Dear Brother
Bill,
For starters,
congratulations! Most of our questions don’t come equipped with half
the answers already so I am impressed.
As you implied,
the origin of the rosary is extremely complex. History seems to indicate
that it evolved partly from the common monastic practice of offering prayers
for the dead of their communities. Priests were required to offer
Masses and 150 Psalms or a third part, 50 Psalms, for the repose of the
souls of the deceased while the less educated lay brothers were assigned
simpler prayers or Our Fathers. By the eleventh and twelfth centuries
the practice of counting one’s daily prayers on beads or string was already
commonplace among clergy and lay people alike. From circlets of strung,
precious gems by royalty to the springing up of Paternoster craft guilds
in Europe in the Middle Ages for the purpose of manufacturing prayer chaplets,
historical evidence suggests the daily practice of reciting 150 paternosters
slowly migrated to 150 Aves well before the birth of St. Dominic in 1170
A.D. But even in St. Dominic’s lifetime the rosary didn’t exist as
we know it today. Only the first part of the Hail Mary was used,
the word Jesus was not added until the fourteenth century and the last
part of the salutation later still. The fifteen mysteries we know today,
the Joyful, Sorrow and Glorious, were officially established by Pope Pius
V in 1569.
This should
in no way diminish the role of St. Dominic as an important instrument in
the history and propagation of the rosary, however. Let it be noted
that until Our Lady’s appearance and plea to honor her in this way he was
quite unsuccessful in preaching against the Albigensian heresy which among
many things, denied that Christ was truly a man, that Mary was the Mother
of God and that Christ’s death and suffering were merely illusions.
As for those
you know who are uncomfortable praying the newest addition to the rosary,
the Luminous Mysteries, my question to them would be this: Are you
less inclined to pray this rosary because the Pope who approved it is still
alive? These are truly historical and unprecedented times in
which we live; how many will be able to say hundreds of years from now,
we lived in the Year of the Rosary? The world’s “no” is quite evident
in the chaos we see everyday. We are living history, right now and
now is the time to say, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be done
unto me according to His word.”
God bless you,
hope this helps and thank you for submitting your question to Ask Fr.
Jerry and Sista Vicki.+
Vicki (Sr. Mary
Francis, SFO+)
Subject:
Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki
Date: Thu, 19 Feb
2004 08:44:37 -0500
Does God judge a human
life when they die for sins they would have committed in the future if
they had lived? Ex: if hitler died when he was 5 years old would God have
judged him based on what he did when he was older?
Norrie
Father Jerry
…
No, because
the person is only culpable for the choice he made during life. In
the scenario you outlined, Adolf Hitler would never have made the choice
for the Holocaust or for World War II.
To Jesus Through
Mary,
Father Jerry
A. Wooton
Sista Vicki …
The judgment that
each individual faces after death is called particular judgement
and
will consist of the evaluation of both the wrongs committed in life and
the good each person could or should have done but failed to do.
Very fortunately, this judgment does not extend to those things we may
have done wrong had we lived longer because we are only responsible for
the sins we actually committed while we lived.
May God bless you and
thank you for submitting your question to Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista Vicki.+
Vicki (Sr. Mary
Francis, SFO+)
Well? Where's
your
question .... hmmm?
Back to Ask Fr. Jerry and Sista
Vicki Submit Page
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was last updated September 30, 2001. +
