Part 5 - Question Box
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Do Sundays count as part of Lent?
Yes, they do. The priest wears purple vestments. There is no Gloria. No flowers on the altar. Subdued music. All of these directives are how the Church reminds us that we are in a penitential season. Some of this confusion comes from counting. We think of Lent as lasting 40 days, imitating Our Lord who spent 40 days of prayer and fasting in the desert. But, if you count from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, you get 46 days! What's going on here?
In the early Church, Lent began six weeks before Easter, on the first Sunday of Lent. However, Sunday was not factored into the official calculation, as it was a day of rest. So the Church had six weeks of six days (Monday-Saturday) each, for a total of 36 days This was considered highly symbolic, as it is roughly a tenth of the year (365 days)—a sort of spiritual tithing to God.
Eventually, the Church desired to follow Our Lord's time in the desert more literally, and thus tacked on four extra days to the beginning of Lent-which is why we have Ash Wednesday and the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of that week. If you count from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, skipping Sundays, you get 40 days. This question often arises from people wanting to know if they can have what they gave up for Lent on Sunday. There's no rule here. Yes, Sundays in Lent are part of Lent. They're not traditionally part of the 40 day calculation. If you prefer to keep your Lenten discipline
straight through, that's very admirable. If you use Sunday as a little "pit-stop" that's fine too. Our disciplines should be undertaken in a spirit of freedom and love, to prepare us each in our own way for the celebration of Easter.
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Why do churches cover the cross at the end of Lent?
The veiling of images is an ancient custom with many layers of meaning. Mystically, we recall that
Our Lord has from this point gone into hiding, until his true identity is revealed on the Cross.
Spiritually, we recall how much Our Lord was disfigured during his Passion and thus “hidden”
beneath his wounds. Liturgically, the entire season of Lent is a participation in the Passion of
Our Lord; as such, we experience a gradual “death.” From the beginning of Lent, we have no
Gloria, no Alleluia, no flowers, and restrained music. The Fifth Sunday of Lent marks the beginning
of Passiontide, where we focus more intensely on Our Lord’s suffering and death. This “dying”
continues in Holy Week. After Holy Thursday there are no bells, the altar is stripped, and the
tabernacle lies empty. On Good Friday there isn’t even a Mass. Finally, the Easter Vigil begins in
complete darkness, until Christ our Light rises anew for all the world to see.
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What is the significance of the Paschal candle?
The Paschal (Easter) candle dates back to the earliest days of the Church. It is a carry-over from
our Jewish roots, when Jews would light a lamp at the conclusion of the Sabbath prayers on Saturday evening. The Christians would then pray through the night vigil until the dawn of Sunday, when they worship the Risen Son, the Light who has dispelled the darkness of sin and death.
In the Exsultet, the great hymn of the Easter Vigil we hear: “Father, accept this candle, a solemn
offering, the work of bees and of your servants’ hands…. which glowing fire ignites for God’s
honor, a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light, for it is fed
by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious.”
The reference to bees is particularly striking; it emphasizes that all creation has been redeemed
and incorporated into the praise of God. Moreover, the work of bees illustrates the mission of the
Church herself: “The cooperation of the living community of be-lievers in the Church in some way
resembels the activity of bees. It builds up the community of light. So the candle serves as a summons to us to become involved in the community of the Church, whose raison d’être is to let the light of Christ shine upon the world.” (Pope Benedict XVI).
The “pillar of fire” that once led the Israelites through the desert now lights our way—an image of
Christ himself—as it remains in the sanctuary of the church to burn brightly throughout the Easter season.
________________________________________________________________________What do we call the Sunday after Easter?
There are probably more nicknames for this Sunday than other in the year. Here's a list of some of the more common with a brief expanation. Octave Sunday: This is the eighth day of Easter, the last of the "Easter days" during which every day is celebrated as Easter day itself. Second Sunday of Easter: As Easter Sunday begins the Easter season, this is the second Sunday of that season. Low Sunday: This Sunday follows the great majesty of Easter Sunday, and often seems less exalted in comparison. Thomas Sunday: The Gospel every year recounts St. Thomas's doubts Our Lord's resurrection, and takes place, fittingly, one week after Easter Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday: The newest member of the group, proclaimed by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000. Our Lord requested of St. Faustina that this Sunday especially commemorate his mercy. Quasimodo Sunday: From the first word of the Entrance Antiphon of this Mass: "Like (Quasimodo) newborn infants you must long for the pure, spiritual milk, that in him you may grow to salvation", alleluia. "This antiphon exhorts the neophytes (the newly baptized) who have been reborn in baptism to continue growing strong in the Faith. By the way, the Hunchback of Notre Dame is named Quasimodo because, in the famous novel he was found on the church steps on Quasimodo Sunday! Dominica in albis depositis (Sunday of white robes laid aside): From an ancient tradition, this Sunday marked the first time since the Easter Vigil that the newly baptized would take off their white baptismal garments. They begin taking their first steps in the faith, as all of us recall our baptism and strive to live it out more fully each day.
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If I can’t find a Catholic church while on vacation, should I go to a Protestant or other Christian church
instead?
No. Catholics are bound to attend Catholic Mass on Sunday. If that’s not possible, then there's
no obligation. Services of other faiths cannot fulfill the Sunday obligation. While Catholics may attend
the services of other faiths on a Sunday for various reasons, a wedding, for example, they still have to
attend Catholic Mass. Even if they attend those services, they may not receive communion from a non-
Catholic denomination. Catholics should be very careful, too, as confusion can result from worship in
faiths that, although sharing some common beliefs, nevertheless can differ greatly in matters of
fundamental doctrine. A helpful resource for Catholics who are traveling is masstimes.org. You can
locate the nearest Catholic church from any place in the world, with address, phone number, and
Mass times. It also comes as a free mobile app. If there's truly no Catholic church within a reasonable
distance, then it’s best perhaps to say a family rosary, read some scripture passages, watch Mass on
television, or find some way to devote an equivalent amount of time to God on a Sunday.
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Why do Catholics have to get married in a church?
Let’s start with some basic facts. Catholics are bound by Catholic rules. If someone is Catholic, he has
to get married according to the Catholic form of marriage. A Catholic who gets married in some other way
by a justice of the peace, by a minister of another faith, etc. actually enters into an invalid marriage. In the
Church’s eyes, no marriage has taken place. Not only is this a serious sin in itself, but it prevents one from
receiving Holy Communion at Mass since he’s essentially now living in a state of sin. If a couple has been
married outside the Church, they should contact a priest to discuss having their marriage validated by the
Church. This background ties into the venue of the wedding. If a Catholic is getting married on a beach
or in a catering hall, that’s a pretty good indication that this is not a valid marriage.
(In very rare circumstances, a Catholic may obtain permission to be married somewhere other than a
Catholic church.) Priests cannot generally perform weddings outside of a church, so be very wary of
“priests” who advertise their services online. They almost certainly do not have the proper permission to be
performing Catholic weddings. So, if you're Catholic, why do weddings have to be in a Catholic church?
There are a number of good reasons for this. First and fore-most, it says that marriage is a holy thing, a
sacrament. Holy things belong in holy places. Moreover, it’s God’s sacrament. He gave it to the human race.
So often in our culture we think marriage is something we create, define, and plan out. We think it's all
about the bride and groom. But it’s really not. Marriage is really about Christ and his Church. The married
couple is called to be an example of the self-sacrificing love with which Jesus loves us a love that led to the
cross. This is taking marriage seriously, as it should be! And it involves the whole Christian community who
gathers to support the couple with their own prayers and support. In a world where the focus of marriage
is on so much that is superficial, the party and other details the venue of a church reminds us all of what
really matters, that this marriage isn’t on our terms, it's on God's terms. He's the author of marriage, the one
one who gives it grace and blessing, and the only one who assures it of true and lasting happiness. That's
why couples begin their married life in his presence, and in his house.
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What are some symbols of the Blessed Mother?
Many of the symbols associated with Mary include flowers and plants. Some of these are:
Almond: A sign of divine favor, taken from Numbers 17:8, “Behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of
Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.”
Garden: To Mary is applied the words of the Song of Songs: “A garden enclosed is my sister,
my spouse; a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up” (4:12). This image refers to Mary’s perpetual virginity.
Iris: The sword-shaped blades symbolize the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Mother that pierced
her heart (Lk 2:35).
Lily: A symbol of Mary’s purity and perpetual virginity.
Marigold: The name comes from “Mary’s Gold,” given to this flower when England was still a
Catholic country. One of Mary’s titles is House of Gold.
Pansy: The three petals of this flower represent the Trinity, revealed to Mary at the Annunciation.
Pear: In art, a “good fruit.” As the apple traditionally stands for the fall (the word for apple in Latin, malum,
is the same as the word for evil), the pear symbolizes the fruitful womb of the Virgin Mary that brought
forth the Savior.
Periwinkle: The blue color of this flower is closely associated with the Blessed Mother.
Rose: The “queen of flowers,” representing the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Mary is called
the Mystical Rose, as she mystically participates in the Trinity through her role in the Incarnation.
She blossoms amid thorns as she bears the Christ amidst sinful humanity.
Strawberry: In flower and fruit at the same time, it symbolizes Mary’s fruitful virginity.
Violet: Considered a lowly flower, representing the “lowly handmaid” of the Lord.
Is it a sin to be judgmental?
Let’s clarify a few things. First of all, we have to make judgments all the time. Some of our judgments
are over little, everyday things. And some involve big, eternal things. We judge our faith. When
we profess the creed, what we’re saying is, “I have judged this to be true.” The other side of that
coin is “I have judged contrary beliefs to be false.” This is the logical conclusion: Jesus Christ c
can’t be God and not God. We have to make a choice. We have to judge. Actions follow from
belief. We judge actions all the time. We teach our children that lying, stealing, etc. is wrong.
We condemn things like genocide, racism, and all sorts of other things. We don’t, and shouldn’t,
remain neutral in the face of injustice.
Sometimes, when we talk about judging, we get uncomfortable. The important reminder here is
that we can never judge some-one’s soul. Only God can do that. We don’t condemn persons—that’s
when we pass from judging to being judgmental, and that is wrong. We never know the full story,
or how responsible someone is for his actions (due to ignorance, upbringing, etc.) and we should
always strive to interpret things in the most favorable light and avoid rash judgment. As Our Lord
said, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged” (Mt 7:2).
At the same time, we know that certain actions are objectively wrong. Even if someone is ignorant
about the gravity of his actions, he still has a responsibility to discover the truth. Our Lord did not
leave people in their ignorance and sin. We must recall that two of the spiritual works of mercy are,
“Instruct the ignorant,” and “Admonish the sinner.” When we point out someone’s sin—with great
compassio that’s really an act of love. We’re saying to them, “I want you to stop
hurting your soul and risking your salvation. I want you to get to heaven!” That’s a great act of
love, and it involves a spirit of true and right judgment.
How can I recognize the Apostles?
Each apostle has a distinct symbol to help us recognize them. You can find these in our stained glass
windows that depict the 12 apostles, as well as in the round stained glass window over the balcony in the
church. We’ll divide this into two parts.
Andrew: X
St. Andrew was crucified on a X-shaped cross
Bartholomew: knife
St. Bartholomew was martyred by being flayed alive.
James the Greater: scallop shells
St. James preached the Gospel in Spain, where his body rests to this day (in the great shrine of Compostella).
The scallop shell is plentiful on the Spanish coast, and is a symbol of pilgrimage for the many pilgrims who
have journeyed to Compo- stella over the centuries.
James the Less: Saw
An ancient tradition holds this as the instrument of St. James’s death
John: Chalice with snake
St. John was said to be offered a cup of poisoned wine. When the apostle blessed the wine, the poison
took the form of a snake and fled. It is an ancient custom for religious houses to bless wine on the feast of .
St. John, December 27
Jude: Ship
The ship refers to the missionary journeys of St. Jude. This cousin of Jesus is always depicted in statues
holding a portrait of Jesus, as he brought one of the earliest images of Christ (quite likely the Shroud of
Turin) to the king of Edessa in modern day Turkey.
How can I recognize the Apostles? Part 2
Each apostle has a distinct symbol to help us recognize them. You can find these in our stained
glass window that depict the 12 apostles, as well as in the round stained glass window over the
balcony in the church.
Matthew: money bags
The money bags refer to St. Matthew’s former occupation as a tax collector.
Matthias: axe
St. Matthias, the replacement for Judas, was beheaded by an axe.
Peter: Keys
Our Lord gave St. Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Mt 16:19), symbolizing his authority
as Prince of Apostles and our first Pope.
Philip: Loaves of bread
Prior to the miraculous multiplication of loaves, St. Philip asked Jesus, “How are we to buy bread,
so that these people may eat?” (Jn 6:5).
Simon: Fish on a book
St. Simon, known as the Zealot, became a “fisher of men” through his preaching of the Gospel.
Thomas: Carpenter’s square, lance
An ancient tradition holds that St. Thomas preached the Gospel in India, where he is said to have
built a church. The lance is the instrument of his martyrdom.
How did Sts. Peter and Paul die?
Both saints died in Rome, although in very different ways.
St. Peter died during the reign of the Emperor Nero, probably in the year AD 64. The Great Fire of Rome
broke out in July of that year, and over the course of six days destroyed upwards of 70 percent of the city.
Many Romans at the time and historians since have claimed that Nero himself set the fire, to allow
for his program of urban redevelopment. Nero used the Christian community in Rome as a
convenient scapegoat, and unleashed the first systematic persecution of Christians. Among the victims
was Peter, the “Prince of the Apostles.” When Peter was being crucified in Nero’s Circus (a long racetrack)
on the Vatican Hill, he asked to be turned upside down, stating that he was not worthy to die in the
same way as his Master. His burial spot was closely guarded by the Christians, and when the
Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the fourth century, he erected an enormous
basilica over the tomb of Peter. The papal altar in St. Peter’s Basilica stands directly above the bones
of the first pope. (Excavations in the 1950’s uncovered the ancient tomb itself, which was marked
with the inscription: Petrus est hic—Here is Peter.)
St. Paul died towards the end of Nero’s bloody reign, probably a few years after Peter, following a
long period of house arrest in Rome. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, he could not be
crucified. Instead, Paul was beheaded, and buried on the outskirts of the city. Today his remains rest
in the high altar of the basilica that bears his name, St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Together, these two “Pillars of the Church” brought the faith to the capital of the Empire,
shed their blood for it, and established a sure foundation for Christ’s Holy Church.
What’s an easy and effective way to grow in holiness?
Pray the Morning Offering! While there are an infinite number of ways to advance in the
spiritual life, few are as simple and as powerful as the Morning Offering. And yet, how few
Catholics avail themselves of this practice! The Morning Offering is a brief prayer that serves as a
"blank check" to God. From the moment you rise out of bed, it gives God everything that will
happen in the course of the day, all your "prayers, works, joys and sufferings" Sometimes the day
can get away from us; we forget to offer those little prayers throughout the day, or to offer up
the things that happen to us. The Morning Offering covers all of that. It makes the whole day a
prayer to God, which we can then reinforce as the day unfolds. Catholics would do well to post
the Morning Offering perhaps on a medicine cabinet, or to commit it to memory, and make it a
daily practice
There are various versions of this prayer, but here is a pretty standard, classic Morning Offering:
O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.
This is the one I say
O my Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and
sufferings of this day. For all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, In union with the holy
sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, In reparation for my sins, For the intentions of all my
family, friends and relatives, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.
What is the shortest and easiest prayer?
Jesus. The Holy Name is so simple and yet so powerful when it is said with reverence and
devotion. As the Catechism tells us, "The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest
way of praying always: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in
Christ Jesus" (CCC2668). Many saints would pray the Holy Name hundreds of times throughout
the day, almost like breathing. In whatever situation you find yourself, in any difficulty, in joy
or sorrow, even while driving the car, simply say slowly and devoutly: Jesus…Jesus…Jesus… How
privileged we are to know the name of God, and yet how seldom we avail ourselves of this
name! The very name Jesus means, “God saves,” and when we invoke it we allow him to
accomplish that very purpose. Remember, “there is no other name under heaven given among
men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). How very sad it is to hear this Holy Name used
so casually, and far too often used blasphemously. When you hear the name of Jesus abused,
either by others around you or in movies or TV shows, make a silent act of reparation and say,
"Blessed be the name of Jesus.” It's also a pious habit to bow our heads whenever we hear or
say the name Jesus. Let the name of Jesus be the first word you utter upon rising, and the last
word you speak before retiring at night. Let it be the bookends of your day, and allow his
name to fill that day with his grace
Does each month have a special dedication?
Yes. They are:
January: Most holy Name of Jesus
February: Holy Family
March: St. Joseph
April: Blessed Sacrament
May: Blessed mother
June: Sacred Heart
July: Precious Blood
August: Immaculate Heart of Mary
September: Seven Sorrows of Mary
October: Holy Rosary
November: Poor Souls in Purgatory
December: Immaculate Conception