Why, oh why is the holy Water gone in the Church!!?????

Zenith.org
Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

As Lent approaches I wish to deal with some questions which we have addressed in previous years but which are continually raised.One refers to the novel practice of removing holy water from the stoops during Lent. We explained on March 23, 2004, why this should not be done, quoting from an official reply of the Congregation for Divine Worship (3/14/03: Prot. N. 569/00/L).

To wit:"This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:



"1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being 'praeter legem' is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.



"2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the sacraments is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The 'fast' and 'abstinence' which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church.

"The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday)."


Why does the pastor of the parish my family attend NOT HEED THIS!!!??????

I WANT MY HOLY WATER!!!

Lenten Meditation #1: Ash Wednesday: Acceptance

ACCEPTANCE


The Webster's dictionary lists several meanings of the word accept, some in particular are #3, "to submit to; be resigned to/he had to accept defeat/ #4 to believe in #5 to understand as having a certain meaning #6 to respond to in the affirmative/to accept an invitation.......then #11 Law to receive with the intent to retain and adopt. Hm, interesting.

As we enter into the Lenten season, Ash Wednesday is the first of the many observances we visit. During the day of Ash Wednesday, we reflect that from ashes we are and to ashes we will return, that all of this world is temporary, but, dependence on our Lord is everlasting. Acceptance of this theology is rather difficult at best when so much of our world is mystical on its own....the very computer-age we live in, modern technology is now called Advanced technology, medical breakthroughs, advanced medicine. We are constantly accepting new age concepts far reaching anything imagined 20 years ago, but here we are. So why is accepting our Lord, His kingdom right here in our midst difficult.

Let's visit these definitions: submitting to, being resigned to something. It will take a leap of faith to submit and resign our power to a power unseen. It is through prayer and a deep desire to know God that we can do this. As young Catholics, we are taught that we are made to know, love, and serve God. The very first step is to know Him! To learn all we can about God through the Bible, other's experiences, prayer and meditation will bring us closer to our Lord.

To believe in Our Heavenly Father is the goal, to understand that He loves us and cares for us will lead us to our response in accepting His invitation to follow Him, to adopt His way of life. Then and only then can we begin to Love Him and desire to serve Him. At this point we can be resigned to and accept the ashes of this world.

Lord, help us to learn more about you, bring us to a better understanding of you. Help us to desire to accept your way and lead others to you as well. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you together with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, AMEN.

Lenten preparations and a bible reading

The season of Lent is here tomorrow. Have you purchased all the books, devotionals, and prayers needed for the next 40 days? No? THATS OK, let me help you....better yet, let's be lenten fellows together. Each day, I am going to make a point to fast from lots of the fun stuff of the internet, but here at the pillars, lenten devotions will be shared. This morning, a foretaste, possibly?

Early this morning I opened the Bible up to The book of Nahum, after my knight went to work. Hm, I don't know this book well as it's scarcely mentioned, but full of power! Written by Nahum of Elkosh, a prophet with a vision concerning Ninevah. We all remember the story of Ninevah and Jonah, well Ninevah was destroyed in 612 BC due to the evil corruption and cruelty of the Assyrians who ruled the city at the time of its fall. Evidently, the story of Jonah's mission didn't have any effects on this great city, more importantly though was Jonah's message of hope and forgiveness that laid base at its gates.

In Nahum, our God is truly jealous and avenging with strong hammers, storms, whirlwinds, and unrelenting seas. Overflowing floods, entangled thorns, darkness, and great affliction are the rule of the day.

"The shatterer has come up against you. Man the ramparts; watch the road; gird your loins; collect all your strength. (Nahum 2:1)

The prophet paints a fearful picture of the Almight's wrath to make his point that the evil city is a gonner, in Chapter 2 the soldiers arrive and begin the desolation and ruin as the Lord of Hosts cries out

"Behold, I am against you and I will burn your chariots in smoke..." (Nahum 2:13)

Chapter 3 reveals the rubble, destruction, in all it's nakedness he speaks to the King Assyria now.

"Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them." (Nahum 3:18)

All will be gone, even his own wounds are mortal, not to be healed. Those that hear and survive the fall, clap their hands at this news, for he was evil to all not just a few.

The prophet Nahum tells a very strong message about our God, that he is a jealous, a mighty God that can and will destroy evil. The message here is that we must fear God, truly realize and be prepared for this as we "gird our loins and gather all our strength."

In todays reading of Sirach Chapter 2:1-11, written in the first century by a sage in Jerusalem, shows us that yes repenting, serving the Lord, and being prepared is the way to eternal life, but again, not without trials, fear, and adversity.

"Wait on God, with patience, cling to Him, forsake Him not; thus will you be wise in all your ways. Accept whatever befalls you, w hen sorrowful, be steadfast, and in crushing misfortune be patient. For in fire gold and silver are tested and the worthy poeple in the cruicible of humiliation. Trust God and God will help you; trust in him, and he will direct your way; keep his fear and grow old therein."

Wow! God is truly a fearful God, but hear this:

Has anyone persevered in His commendments and been forsaken? Has anyone
called upon Him and been rebuffed? Compassionate and merciul is the Lord;
He forgives sins, He saves in time of trouble and he is a protector to all who
seek him in truth.

Fear Him? Yes. Trust Him? Definitely! Love Him unconditionally? Without a doubt!

This is the last time I can say this for now........ALLELUIA!!!

A special day is today's anniversary

A year ago, we had a couple of birthdays one mortal and the other eternal. Sixteen years ago this month, I married my knight-in-shining armour and was welcomed into his family. His father, a strapping Texan with a heart as big as his state. This was a close family, a peaceful and loving family. I felt so blessed to be welcomed so warmly here. Fourteen years ago, I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen. She was three weeks early, but weighed in at 8.2 oz. My knight laughs as he sings Rod Stewart's line, "Ten pound baby girl!" if I had gone to full term. She was a natural in the limelight from the very start as she would stand up on our poster bed in her diapers, using one of the posters as a microphone exclaiming, "Ladies and gentamen! Boys and gurrls!" She loves to perform, and now for the past few years playing her violin is her forte.

Last year, she asked to play for her grandfather's funeral, I posted about it and would like to reprint it here in case you missed it last year.
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A Birthday, a deathday, and bluegrass for both

Lent has been a rather busy one this year at the "Pillars" household. As many of you may know, I lost my beloved father-in-law 3 weeks ago. What was so poignant about this event is that he died on our eldest daughter's birthday. Needless to say, the days before her birthday and afterward were not very festive, but rather somber and busy as we had to stop everything and travel 2 days to Houston for all the arrangements. Rebecca seemed OK about it all as she practiced her violin music she planned to play at the funeral and again at the graveside service. She has such a "poker-face" as she regularly performs at both parishes in our town, and at parties, family gatherings, etc. It seemed as if to her this was just another Mass or event that she was asked to play for.

Her love for the violin, especially bluegrass music was inspired by her grandfather's family reunions we attended each year. At the ripe old age of 4, she was introduced to the music by her distant cousins, the Quebe Sisters' 45 minute performance of everything bluegrass, from "Turkey in the Straw to "Orange Blossom Special". Rebecca ran up to the stage and sat with open mouth and eyes as big as half-dollars. For a year after that day, she talked about playing the violin until finally we agreed to let her take lessons.

A few years into her violin lessons, she came to me in tears saying, "I don't want to practice anymore! I hate suzuki music!" This is a method Dr. Suzuki put together for teaching music at a very young age all the way up to adulthood. It is based on classical music, as it is the foundation for all other music forms. Knowing her natural talent, we desparately searched for a fiddle teacher and found Pattie. She is a great teacher and took Rebecca and got her back on track with her instrument. Within a year, she was playing "Old Joe Clark", Orange Blossom Special, "Turkey in the Straw", and "Soldier's Joy" like they were her old best friends.

That first year visiting my inlaws since moving to North Carolina was great, especially since Rebecca planned on playing for her grandparents all her new music. Both her grandparents, you see, are country dancers, square dancers, and "Grand Marchers" from way back, so this was going to be a great surprise for them.

The night she played for them, my father-in-law wept through most of it. He had had a stroke a couple of years ago at this point and emotions were unleashed easily. At first, I thought she should stop playing, but my sister-in-law insisted she continue (all this communique done quietly without much notice). From then on, my father-in-law wanted to hear her play each time we visited, they loved the "concert."

At the funeral, Rebecca played "Lover's Waltz" by Jay Ungar and at the graveside service, she played "Tennessee Waltz" and as the veterans' flag was being folded, she played "Faded Love." She was just lovely and played perfectly despite the circumstances and her young age of 13. I wondered how she was doing inside as all the events were conducted, for she was so together...beyond her years, I thought. Both my knight and I were impressed with her. At the finish of her last song, I saw her quickly and quietly fall apart. Large "crocodile tears" streamed down her face without a sound or motion. I leapt from my chair with kleenex in hand ready to wipe away her sorrow and pain. There had been no time to weep before.

Many of the family members wondered and spoke to Rebecca about how sad it was that her grandfather died on her birthday. Someone said to her, "That sure wasn't fair was it!?" She didn't say much. I thought about this and remembered how impressed I was when Norman Vincent Peale, the great author/speaker of "The power of positive thinking" and "Expect a Miracle" died on Christmas Eve, some years ago. That both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, fathers of our country, died on the same day hours apart on the 4th of July. My very own great uncle, Fr. Sam Haughton, died during the consecration of the Eucharist at Midnight Mass, Christmas eve many years ago. There are countless other death dates of coincidences that are only known by those touched by their timing.

Explaining to my daughter that this was not a sad coincidence, I told her that soon after we had her, I had to go back to work, so pawpaw and mema volunteered to care for her while I worked. The joy they had, the fun she had! For nearly a year, they cared for her Monday through Friday. I can't count the pictures of my father-in-law and Rebecca that we have during this time. So, when it came time for him to go on to be with Jesus, her special day was the best pick. A glimmer of brightness came over her face as she realized what I had said.

As our daughter celebrated her 13th year of life, her grandfather celebrated his first day in eternity. I think Rebecca is OK with that.

A Question, a rant, and just plain waiting..and it's almost Lent

The parish we attend, I don't claim as "my" parish. As a cradle Catholic, this is the first time I've felt this way about a parish, it's not how most talk about the parish they attend, but I can't.....it just isn't where I experience comfort and encouragement. It is probably one of the saddest part of moving away from family, not having a parish to cling to. Yes, I have friends here, yes I attend events here, but I'm not engaged. Last year, we had a family crisis, my knight's beloved father died days away and my knight was a wreck, in the past 15 years of marriage (then) I had never seen him so broken-hearted, stressed, and sad due to all the things that were going on around his father's death. I worried, prayed, and reached out to all my blogging friends to pray for him. Was my first reaction to run to my parish priest for solice? No, I knew better, there are those that seek and receive consolation there, but not my family. Anyway, I have been told that things will change, that it's not forever, I'll wait.

One thing that happens every year is this "Upon this Rock" award that is awarded to several parishoners at the St. Patrick's Day dance. A ceremonious procedure that stops the party for the big speech about each recipient....how wonder they are, how beautiful their family is, how dutiful they work, how present they are for the Lord, good families, good people, good this and that. It seems that it is nearly the same group of people every year, we stopped attending this dance, (even though my husband loves going to it) because it rubs me the wrong way. Finally, after several years of attending and hearing how wonderful and beautiful these people and their families are, I began to look at my own family and think, "I have a good and beautiful family." In fact, I know lots of beautiful and good families in the parish every year that are never recognized. But year and year, they are still there, plugging away at life, being faithful people, raising good families. My husband (my knight-in-shinning armour) attends Mass with the kids and I nearly every Sunday as a Non-Catholic, for a few years now he has faithfully served the parish as a handbell choir member and a 10:30 Mass usher. He's played on the parish men's softball team, he attends the men of faith group study when he can. Our eldest daughter is the violinist for Mass each Sunday and whenever the music minister needs her, I have been studying for the past 4 years to be a Master Catechist and finally finished all my requirements a few weeks ago, (at last count in our deanery, there are only 3 others who are Master Catechist, not very impressive), I also serve along side my non-Catholic knight as an usher for Mass. Do we do these things to receive an award? Do we think an award would make us want to do more? My knight, alone deserves recognition, a pat on the back, and encouragement from the parish priest for all he does for his family and the parish. It won't happen, in fact, he could be a conversion in the hidden. I could use a little help on this, but in vain. The "Upon this Rock" award, is not appropriate to receive much less even strive for, really. Those who receive it should be ashamed of themselves, in my opinion. They should be concentrating on Christ, not serving the pastor. They have missed the point of a parish.

Do other parishes have awards for their "favorite" parishoners? In all my life and all the parishes that I have belonged to I have never witness such a thing as an award ceremony for parishoners. To me, it's just plain dumb and hurtful.

Do other parishes do this?

The Pillars celebrate 2nd Blogging Anniversary

What 2 years makes? Blogging has eaten lots of my time, but I am a forever changed person because of the people I have met along the way. There are so many wonderful people out there that I have grown to cherish, love, and depend on for advice, encouragement, information, and just plain fellowship. There have been laughs, cries, and shouts of glee during the past 2 years, even telephone calls, cards, and gifts in the mail. Never would have been possible without the pillars' birth.

So, not to go on and on, I am very glad blogging happened and so very glad to know you all.

May we continue to learn and grow together! God Bless us all.

Hugs all around!

Christianity more strongly being threatened

In my daily Zenith update today, I find an article about censorship and Christianity. Here's the article, but here's my take:

Why is a nurse, who offers prayer to a patient persecuted? The patient isn't even pressing the issue, but officials have put her off.

Why is a foster carer who has been caring for a 16 year old muslim girl who decided to convert to Christianity is struck off the list of carers due to this fact. The woman told officials that she didn't cooerce, or even invite this decision, the girl had it in her mind prior to coming into the woman's care.

Why is Christianity feared?

Has anyone heard of an atheist being persecuted for converting a person AWAY from God?

What is it about atheists that we are afraid of? They certainly don't have anyone above them.

Sixteen years of Wedded bliss!

It has been 16 years for my knight and I as man and wife....mom and dad, husband and wife, spouses and team. Most of all, we are a team come hell or high water as my parents would say.

This time last year was rough, my knight's dad lay in a nursing home weak with pnemonia, hopeless, and alone, 2 days driving distance away. Here several of us had the flu including my knight, who had just come home from helping his parents as cheer leader and helper. I think we still managed to get out on our anniversary, but with so much looming on us, it wasn't very romantic.

This year is much better, the tax refund is in, his father is in a better place with God, we moved his mother here, and our son is now a happily married man as well. What a difference a year makes.


Life is precious and we can never take it for granted.

Finished all my requirements for Master Catechist!!!!

Ecumenism has been a real eye-opener, I just so wish the information that all the World Churches would let their people know how much progress has been happening beween most of the Christian churches. Here is my summary of the final I had to write to complete my class this weekend:

The terminology of pre-Vatican I and earlier kept the polemic position going with the Catholic Church. The schisms that occurred in the early Church were not because of their belief in God, but how the belief was celebrated, lived, and taught. The Church hierarchy remained staunch and stubborn positioned on a high pedestal of rigid theologies and tenets keeping the other communities in need of “returning” as the years and centuries went by. Not much charity there.

In recent years, the new mentality that John Paul II brought to the forefront of the Christian world as “fellow Christians of other communities” can’t but be a unifying change. The Catholic Church has a softer side that truly shows Christ’s love to the world, the openness of reconciled diversity is so refreshing. The world leaders have been able to witness our papal leaders as approachable, charitable, human, and open to dialogue never seen in the Catholic Church before. There are great things ahead for the Christian world!

And talking about the term Koinonia (communion/fellowship):

It is the communion of all Christians in unity with God through Christ in the Spirit. In the Catholic theology of koinonia, it is the faith, sacramental life, and hierarchial ministry working to bring the people together through baptism and the Eucharist. With God coming to the people through the incarnation; then going from the people in Christ’s resurrection has us seeking Him for salvation. The Eucharist brings all the seekers together as one people of God, the body of Christ in communion in the world. The clergy help to bring dialogue with the other Christian communities in the way they celebrate as communities.

Understanding the importance of koinonia (fellowship/communion) in the Church as the community of salvation, the desire for koinonia(fellowship) gives us the goal. Koinonia is how people are brothers and sisters reconciled in all their differences by talking and praying together. I really believe Fr. Kaspar is right about dialogue beginning in prayer always has a better chance of making progress. After these last few weeks of reading and studying koinonia, I am very encouraged about the work that is being done and feel that we will accomplish unity, a reconciled diverse communion of Christians. I was elated when I read, “In the process of praying, struggling for unity, the Holy Spirit… disturbs us when we are satisfied to remain in our division, leads us to repentance, and grants us joy when our communion flourishes. (Canberra 4.1)

Update for my previous post:

Part of my mission as it is slowly evolving, thanks to those who responded to my previous post of spiritual direction, is to be proactive in the political arena.

For years I have been asking my pastor if I could help in the parish with adult education to no avail. Basically, it's we both have very strong personalities and we don't get along.

Well, last month I received a phone call from a wonderful lady who has been very active in the Republican/conservative movement in our county. She wanted to know if I would accept the nomination as the president of the Republican Women of Pitt county, a role that also holds a seat on the Republican party in the county and state of North Carolina as well as in the Federation of Republican Women in state and nation. "Whoa!" I said, "I need some time to think....couldn't we have started as secretary or historian??" She laughed and said that my name had been mentioned by several people and they really needed my enthusiam. Needless to say, I took the position and was unanimously voted in, the installation ceremony last month was moving.

So, now I have a mission, a Catholic, prolife spin?