Catholic Exchange » Fr. William Saunders

St. Blaise

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

As a child, I remember having my throat blessed on the feast of St. Blaise. I was never too sure who he was or why we did this. Also, it seems like the practice has been forgotten. Would you please help me?

Unfortunately, what is known about the life of St. Blaise derives from various traditions. His feast day is celebrated in the East on February 11 and in the West on February 3 (although it was observed on February 15 until the 11th century). All sources agree that St. Blaise was the Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia who suffered martyrdom under Licinius about AD 316. (Remember that Emperor Constantine had legalized the practice of Christianity in 313, but Licinius, his ally and co-emperor who had concurred in legalizing Christianity, betrayed him and began persecuting the Church. Constantine defeated Licinius in 324.) From here, we rely on the tradition which has been associated with our liturgical celebrations over the centuries, which does not necessarily demean their veracity or accuracy.

In accord with various traditions, St. Blaise was born to rich and noble parents and received a Christian education. He was a physician before being consecrated a bishop at a young age. Although such a statement seems terse, keep in mind that at that time the local community usually nominated a man to be a bishop based on his outstanding holiness and leadership qualities; he in turn was then examined and consecrated by other bishops with the approval of the Holy Father. Therefore, St. Blaise must have been a great witness of our faith to say the least.

During the persecution of Licinius, St. Blaise, receiving a divine command, moved from the town and lived as a hermit in a cave. Wild animals visited him and he healed any that were sick and wounded. One day, a group of hunters gathering wild beasts for the games in the amphitheater discovered St. Blaise and seized him. As he was being taken to the governor Agricolaus, the governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia, St. Blaise encountered a woman whose pig was being seized by a wolf; St. Blaise commanded the wolf to release the pig and it was freed unhurt.

While in prison, he miraculously cured a small boy who was choking to death on a fishbone lodged in his throat. Also, the woman whose pig had been saved brought St. Blaise candles so that his cell would have light and he could read the sacred Scriptures.

Eventually, Agricolaus condemned St. Blaise for upholding his Christian faith rather than apostatizing. He was tortured with an iron comb (an instrument designed for combing wool but was used here for shredding the skin) and finally beheaded.

By the sixth century, St. Blaise’s intercession was invoked in the East for diseases of the throat. As early as the eighth century, records attest to the veneration of St. Blaise in Europe, and he became one of the most popular saints in the spiritual life of the Middle Ages. Many altars were dedicated to his honor. The Abbey of St. Blaise in southern Germany even claimed to have some of his relics.

St. Blaise is also venerated as one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers,” a group of saints invoked as early as the 12th century in Germany and who are honored on August 8: St. Denis of Paris (headache and rabies); St. Erasmus or Elmo (colic and cramp); St. Blaise (throat ailments); St. Barbara (lightning, fire, explosion, and sudden and unprepared death); St. Margaret (possession and pregnancy); St. Catherine of Alexandria (philosophers and students, and wheelwrights); St. George (protector of soldiers); Sts. Achatius and Eustace (hunters); St. Pantaleon (tuberculosis); St. Giles (epilepsy, insanity and sterility); St. Cyriac (demonic possession); St. Vitus (epilepsy); and St. Christopher (travelers). The German Dominicans promoted this veneration, particularly at the Church of St. Blaise in Regensburg (c. 1320).

One reason for St. Blaise’s popularity arose from the fact he was a physician who cured, even performing miraculous cures. Thereby, those who were sick, especially with throat ailments, invoked his intercession. Eventually the custom of the blessing of throats arose, whereby the priest held two crossed candles over the heads of the faithful or touched their throats with them while he invoked the prayer of the saint and imparted God’s blessing. In our present Roman Ritual, the priest prays, “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This practice continues in many parishes on St. Blaise’s feast day.

While we invoke St. Blaise for his protection against any physical ailment of the throat, we should also ask his protection against any spiritual ailment — profanity, cursing, unkind remarks, detraction or gossip. St. James reminds us, “If a man who does not control his tongue imagines that he is devout, he is self-deceived; his worship is pointless” (1:26); and later, “We use [the tongue] to say, ‘Praised be the Lord and Father’; then we use it to curse men, though they are made in the likeness of God. Blessing and curse come out of the same mouth. This ought not to be, my brothers!” (3:9-10). Therefore, may St. Blaise protect us from all evil, physical and spiritual, which may attack the throat.

Away in a Manger

Fr. William Saunders — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:02:47 +0000

As we learn each week from the saints, one must wonder, “How did the saints celebrate Christmas?” One of the best examples whose celebration lives on in our own is St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). Thomas of Celano, one of the first biographers of St. Francis, wrote, “More than any other feast, he celebrated Christmas with an indescribable joy. He said that this was the feast of feasts, for on this day God became a little child and sucked milk like all human children. Francis embraced with great tenderness and devotion the pictures of the child Jesus and stammered words of tenderness, full of compassion, in the way children do. On his lips, the name of Jesus was sweet as honey.”

In the year 1223, St. Francis, a deacon, was visiting the town of Greccio to celebrate Christmas. Greccio was a small town built on a mountainside overlooking a beautiful valley. The people had cultivated the fertile area with vineyards. St. Francis loved the quiet and simplicity of the little town; it may well have reminded him of Bethlehem where he had visited.

St. Francis realized that the chapel of the Franciscan hermitage would be too small to hold the congregation for midnight Mass. So he found a niche in the rock near the town square and set up the altar. To make this Christmas celebration even more memorable, St. Francis borrowed an ox and an ass from a farmer and set up a manger; he also placed there the statues of St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother along with a little baby doll to serve as Jesus. However, this midnight Mass would be very special.

St. Bonaventure (d. 1274) in his The Life of St. Francis of Assisi tells the story the best:

It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Greccio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, (St. Francis) determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff.

Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God (St. Francis) stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ.

Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His Name for the tenderness of his love, he called Him the Babe of Bethlehem. A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Greccio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvelously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep.

This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles, which afterwards confirmed its truth. For the example of Francis, if it be considered by the world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying His servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.

One can only imagine the ineffable joy of holding Baby Jesus, the Incarnate Word. Pope Benedict XVI in his homily at midnight Mass in 2006, preached:

God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the baby. God’s sign is that He makes Himself small for us. This is how He reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby — defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with His strength. He takes away our fear of His greatness. He asks for our love: so He makes Himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into His feelings, His thoughts and His will — we learn to live with Him and to practice with Him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love. God made Himself small so that we could understand Him, welcome Him and love Him.

If we would just simplify our own lives and become like little children, who with love and excitement want to hold any baby, then we too could hold Baby Jesus in our hearts this Christmas and each day.

Therefore, gaze upon the Nativity scene which rests under the Christmas tree at home or in Church. It is a visible reminder of that night when Our Savior was born. See the little Babe of Bethlehem, who came to save us from sin. Moreover, never forget that the wood of the manger that held Him so securely would one day give way to the wood of the cross.

His arms that were outstretched to embrace His own Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, the shepherds and the Magi were the same arms that were outstretched on the cross to embrace anyone who seeks forgiveness and new life. St. Francis knew this mystery.

Interestingly, almost one year later, on Sept. 14, 1224, on the feast of the Holy Cross, St. Francis received the stigmata, the first saint known to have this privilege. He who held the baby Jesus with such tender love also bore His wounds. This Christmas, may we too embrace Our Lord with all of our love and devotion as did St. Francis of Assisi.

The Lord’s Prayer

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Recently a Protestant friend asked me why Catholics do not include, “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever,” at the end of the Our Father. I really do not know. Can you help me?

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

When discussing prayer with His disciples, our Lord said, “This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us. Subject us not to the trial but deliver us from the evil one’” (Mt 6:9-13). (The translation cited is from the New American Bible.) A similar version is found in Luke 11:2-4. Both versions do not include the ending sentence, “For thine….”

The “For thine…” is technically termed a “doxology.” In the Bible, we find the practice of concluding prayers with a short, hymn-like verse which exalts the glory of God. An example similar to the doxology in question is found in David’s prayer located in I Chronicles 29:10-13 of the Old Testament. The Jews frequently used these doxologies to conclude prayers at the time of our Lord.

In the early Church, the Christians living in the eastern half of the Roman Empire added the doxology “For thine…” to the Gospel text of the Our Father when reciting the prayer at Mass. Evidence of this practice is also found in the Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), a first-century manual of morals, worship and doctrine of the Church. (The Didache also prescribed that the faithful recite the Our Father three times a day.) Also when copying the Scriptures, Greek scribes sometimes appended the doxology onto the original Gospel text of the Our Father; however, most texts today would omit this inclusion, relegate it to a footnote, or note that it was a later addition to the Gospel. Official “Catholic” Bibles including the Vulgate, the Douay-Rheims, the Confraternity Edition, and the New American have never included this doxology.

In the western half of the Roman Empire and in the Latin rite, the Our Father was always an important part of the Mass. St. Jerome (d. 420) attested to the usage of the Our Father in the Mass, and St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) placed the recitation of the Our Father after the Canon and before the Fraction. The Commentary on the Sacrament of St. Ambrose (d. 397) meditated on the meaning of “daily bread” in the context of the Holy Eucharist. In this same vein, St. Augustine (d. 430) saw the Our Father as a beautiful connection of the Holy Eucharist with the forgiveness of sins. In all instances, the Church saw this perfect prayer which our Lord gave to us as a proper means of preparing for Holy Communion. However, none of this evidence includes the appended doxology.

Interestingly, the English wording of the Our Father that we use today reflects the version mandated for use by Henry VIII (while still in communion with the Catholic Church), which was based on the English version of the Bible produced by Tyndale (1525). Later in 1541 (after his official separation from the Holy Father), Henry VIII issued an edict saying, “His Grace perceiving now the great diversity of the translations (of the Pater Noster etc.) hath willed them all to be taken up, and instead of them hath caused an uniform translation of the said Pater Noster, Ave, Creed, etc., to be set forth, willing all his loving subjects to learn and use the same and straitly [sic] commanding all parsons, vicars, and curates to read and teach the same to their parishioners.” This English version without the doxology of the Our Father became accepted throughout the English-speaking world, even though the later English translations of the Bible including the Catholic Douay-Rheims (1610) and Protestant King James versions (1611) had different renderings of prayers as found in the Gospel of St. Matthew. Later, the Catholic Church made slight modifications in the English: “who art” replaced “which art,” and “on earth” replaced “in earth.” During the reign of Edward VI, the Book of Common Prayer (1549 and 1552 editions) of the Church of England did not change the wording of the Our Father or add the doxology. However, during the reign of Elizabeth I and a resurgence to rid the Church of England of any Catholic vestiges, the Lord’s Prayer was changed to include the doxology.

The irony of this answer is that some Protestants sometimes accuse Catholics of not being “literally” faithful to Sacred Scripture and depending too much on Tradition. In this case, we see that the Catholic Church has been faithful to the Gospel text of the Our Father, while Protestant Churches have added something of Tradition to the words of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Our Father is the one and perfect prayer given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ, and all of the faithful should offer this prayer, reflecting on the full meaning of its words.

Liturgical Vestments

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000

The liturgical vestments worn at Mass have evolved over time. Nevertheless, since the earliest days of the Church, liturgical vestments have been worn by priests for the celebration of the Mass. Even though priests of the Old Testament wore vestments in their liturgical rites, the “Christian” vestments are not really adaptations of them.

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

Rather, the vestments of the Christians developed from the dress of the Graeco-Roman world, including the religious culture.

Nevertheless, the Old Testament idea of wearing a special kind of clothing in the performance of liturgical rites did influence the Church. St. Jerome asserted, “The Divine religion has one dress in the service of sacred things, another in ordinary intercourse and life.” After the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313, the Church continued to refine “who wore what when and how” until about the year 800 when liturgical norms for vesting were basically standardized and would remain so until the renewal following the Second Vatican Council.

To date, for the celebration of Mass, a priest wears the amice, alb, cincture, stole and chasuble. (With the promulgation of the new Roman Missal in 1969, the use of the maniple was suppressed.)

The amice is a piece of white linen, rectangular in shape, with two long cloth ribbons. The priest places it around his neck, covering the clerical collar, and then ties it by crisscrossing the ribbons in his front (to form a St. Andrew’s cross), bringing them around the back, around the waist and tying them in a bow. The practical purpose of the amice is to conceal the normal clerical clothing of a priest, and to absorb any perspiration from the head and neck. In the Graeco-Roman world, the amice was a head covering, oftentimes worn underneath the helmets of the Roman soldiers to absorb sweat, thereby preventing it from flowing into their eyes. The spiritual purpose is to remind the priest of St. Paul’s admonition: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, the Word of God” (Eph 6:17). The former vesting prayer was “Place, O Lord, the helmet of salvation on my head to resist the attacks of the devil.”

The alb is a long, white garment, which flows from shoulders to ankles, and has long sleeves extending to the wrists. (The word “alb” means “white.”) The alb was a common outer garment worn in the Graeco-Roman world and would be similar to the soutane worn in the Middle East. However, those of authority wore albs of higher quality with some kind of embroidery or design. Some modern-style albs have collars which preclude the necessity for an amice. The spiritual purpose reminds the priest of his baptism, when he was clothed in white to signify his freedom from sin, purity of new life, and Christian dignity. Moreover, the Book of Revelation describes the saints who stand around the altar of the Lamb in Heaven as “These are the ones who have survived the great period of trial; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb” (7:14). In the same way, the priest must offer the Mass with purity of body and soul, and with the dignity befitting Christ’s priesthood. The former vesting prayer was “Make me white, O Lord, and purify my heart so that being made white in the Blood of the Lamb, I may deserve an eternal reward.”

The cincture is a long, thick cord with tassels at the ends which secures the alb around the waist. It may be white or may be the same liturgical color as the other vestments. In the Graeco-Roman world, the cincture was like a belt. Spiritually, the cincture reminds the priest of the admonition of St. Peter: “So gird the loins of your understanding; live soberly; set all your hope on the gift to be conferred on you when Jesus Christ appears. As obedient sons, do not yield to the desires that once shaped you in your ignorance. Rather, become holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, after the likeness of the holy One who called you” (I Pt 1:13-15). The former vesting prayer was “Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity and extinguish in my heart the fire of concupiscence so that, the virtue of continence and chastity always abiding in my heart, I may better serve Thee.”

The stole is a long cloth, about four inches wide and of the same color as the chasuble, that is worn around the neck like a scarf. It is secured at the waist with the cincture. Traditionally, the stole was crisscrossed on the chest of the priest to symbolize the cross. The stole too is of ancient origin. Rabbis wore prayer shawls with tassels as a sign of their authority. The crisscrossing of the stole also was symbolic of the crisscrossed belts the Roman soldiers wore: one belt, holding the sword at the waist, and the other belt, holding a pouch with provisions, like food and water. In this sense, the stole reminds the priest not only of his authority and dignity as a priest, but also of his duty to preach the Word of God with courage and conviction (“Indeed, God’s word is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword” —Heb 4:12.) and to serve the needs of the faithful. The former vesting prayer was “Restore unto me, O Lord, the stole of immortality which I lost through the sin of my first parents and, although unworthy to approach Thy sacred Mystery, may I nevertheless attain to joy eternal.”

Finally, the chasuble is the outer garment worn over the alb and stole. Over the centuries, various styles of chasubles have emerged. Derived from the Latin word “casula” meaning “house,” the chasuble in the Graeco-Roman world was like a cape that completely covered the body and protected the person from inclement weather. Spiritually, the chasuble reminds the priest of the charity of Christ: “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect” (Col 3:14). The former vesting prayer was “O Lord, Who hast said, ‘My yoke is sweet and My burden light,’ grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace.”

In the Middle Ages, two popular interpretations of the meaning of the vestments arose. The most prevalent one interpreted the vestments as symbols of Jesus’ Passion: the blindfold (the amice) and the garment (the alb) as He was mocked and beaten; the ropes and fetters (the cincture) which bound Him during the scourging; the Cross (the stole) He carried; and the seamless garment (the chasuble) for which the soldiers rolled dice. The other popular interpretation focused on the vestments in their Roman military origins and viewed them as symbols of the priest as the soldier of Christ doing battle against sin and Satan.

In all, the vestments used at Mass have a twofold purpose: “These signify the role proper to each person who has a special part in the rite, and they help to make the ceremonies beautiful and solemn” (General Instruction on the Roman Missal, No. 297). Moreover, the vestments inspire the priest and all of the faithful to meditate on their rich symbolism.

The Litany of the Blessed Virgin

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 +0000

I have a tape with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary on it that I use as a daily prayer aid. In the litany are some phrases I don’t get, like Tower of David, House of Gold, Ark of the Covenant, Tower of Ivory, Mystical Rose, Morning Star, and Star of the Sea. Could you please explain them?

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

We find these terms in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (specifically the Loreto version), which was composed in the mid-16th century. St. Peter Canisius popularized the litany in 1558 when he published it to foster devotion to our Blessed Mother in response to the Protestant “Reformers” who had attacked such devotion. The litany represents a compilation of titles praising our Blessed Mother which were used at services at the Shrine of Loreto in Italy from the thirteenth century.

Most of the titles in question are associated with the prophecies and symbolism of the Old Testament which foreshadow the role our Blessed Mother played in the mystery of salvation. Several of these center on her sanctity and maternity. For instance, the “Tower of David” stood prominently and strongly on the highest summit of the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. Such a tower was part of the defense mechanism of the city. From it, warnings would be given of approaching enemies. Mary is compared to the Tower of David because of her holiness, being recognized as full of grace and having been conceived free of original sin. By her prayers and example, she is part of God's “defense mechanism” by which the Kingdom of God will stand undefeated and sin will always be conquered. (Cf. Song of Songs, 4:4.)

Similarly, Mary is also called the “Tower of Ivory.” This term is also used in the Song of Songs (7:5) to describe the beloved bride. (A similar term, “Ivory Palace” is mentioned in Psalm 45, verse 9, for the same reason.) Both instances foreshadow the nuptial relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church, as conveyed in St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Here though, we remember, as Vatican II taught, that Mary is “a type of the Church”: She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and through her, our Savior entered into this world. As such, “The Church indeed contemplating [Mary’s] hidden sanctity, imitating her charity, and faithfully fulfilling the Father’s will, by receiving the Word of God in faith becomes a mother” (Lumen Gentium, No. 64).

The role of mother is particularly clear in the term “Ark of the Covenant.” Remember in the Old Testament the Ark of the Covenant housed the Ten Commandments, the Law of God. As the Israelites journeyed to the promised land, a cloud, signifying the presence of God, would descend upon or “overshadow” the tent where the Ark was kept. Jesus came to fulfill the covenant and the law. In the Annunciation story, Archangel Gabriel says to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Lk 1:35), conveying the same notion. Therefore, Mary “houses” Jesus in the womb; she is the new “Ark,” and mother of the author of the perfect and everlasting covenant.

From this suorce flow the other titles: Jeremiah predicted that the Messiah would be named, “The Lord our Justice” (23:6); Mary is the “Mirror of Justice” because no one better reflected the love and devotion to our Lord in her life than Mary. Because of her pure, rich love and because she “housed” Jesus, she is called “House of Gold.” Jesus is the Wisdom of God, “the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14); therefore, Mary, who bore our Lord, is called “Seat of Wisdom.”

For us, Mary is also a sign of great hope. Vatican II stated, “The Mother of Jesus in the glory which she possesses body and soul in heaven is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise, she shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come, a sign of certain hope and comfort to the Pilgrim People of God” (Lumen Gentium, No. 68). For this reason, she is called “Morning Star,” because she is a symbol of the victorious Christian who perseveres in faith and shares in Christ’s messianic authority and victory over the darkness of sin and death. The term is found in the Book of Revelation (2:26-28):

To the one who wins the victory, who keeps to my ways till the end, I will give authority over the nations — the same authority I received from my Father. He shall rule them with the rod of iron and shatter them like crockery; and I will give him the morning star.

Also in Song of Songs (6:10) we find, “Who is this that comes forth like the dawn, as beautiful as the moon, as resplendent as the sun…”; as the brightness of a light penetrating the early morning darkness, Mary heralds the coming of her Son, who is the light of the world (cf. Jn 1:5-10, 3:19).

She too is the “Gate of Heaven.” Mary is the means by which our Lord came down from heaven to free us from sin. At the end of her life, we believe that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven, a fulfillment of everlasting life and the resurrection of the body promised by Jesus. Therefore, she is the gate through which Jesus entered this world, and gate of fulfilled promise by which we will share everlasting life.

Therefore, we look to her as the “Star of Sea.” As a star guides the sailor on the stormy sea to safe port, so Mary, through her prayer and examples, guides us along our journey of life, over sometimes turbulent waters, to the heavenly port.

In all, Mary is the “Mystical Rose.” The rose is considered the most beautiful flower, the flower of royalty which surpasses all others in fragrance. She has the sweetness of sanctity and the beauty of virtues. In sum, all of these titles remind us of the important role of the Blessed Mother in our Catholic spirituality, as a model of virtue and sanctity, in her motherhood, and as a sign of the life to come.

How to Go to Confession

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:00:00 +0000

I admit I have not been to confession in many years and am no longer sure I know how to properly avail myself of the sacrament. Would you please review how one should go to confession?

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

A person should always begin with a good examination of conscience. We need to hold up our lives to the pattern of life God has revealed for us to live. For instance, we take time to reflect on the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the precepts of the Church and the virtues of prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice.

The examination of conscience is like stepping back and looking at the picture of one's life in comparison to the masterpiece of life revealed by God. Remember when we were children, we used to trace pictures. Tracing helped us learn to draw. We would take a piece of plain paper, hold it over the original picture and then put it up to the window. The light would enable us to trace the original picture onto our blank sheet of paper. Periodically, we had to stop and step back to see if our paper had slipped and was out of kilter with the original or if we had deviated from the lines.

In a similar way, as we live our lives, we are tracing them in accord with God’s pattern of life. In examining our consciences, we step back and honestly assess how well we fit God’s pattern and have stayed within His boundaries. At this time, we reflect on the progress we have made since our last confession in dealing with weaknesses, faults, temptations and past sins. Hopefully, we see improvement in our spiritual well-being.

However, when we have gone out of kilter or gone out of bounds with God’s masterpiece, we have sinned. We must distinguish the venial sins — those lighter sins which weaken our relationship with the Lord — from the mortal sins — those sins which sever our relationship with the Lord and “kill” the presence of sanctifying grace in our souls. Here we remember the words of Jesus, “Everyone who practices evil hates the light; he does not come near it for fear his deeds will be exposed. But he who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God” (Jn 3:20-21).

Given this examination of conscience, we have contrition for our sins. While we are sorry for sin because we do fear the fires of Hell and the loss of Heaven, and the just punishments of God, we are sorry most of all because our sins offend God whom we should love above all things. The love for God moves us to repent of sin and seek reconciliation.

All of the great saints regularly examined their consciences and made frequent use of the Sacrament of Penance. (Even our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, confessed his sins weekly, as did Mother Teresa.) One must ask, “Why? What sins did these saints possibly commit?” They loved the Lord so much that even the slightest omission or commission moves them to confession. They do not want even the slightest sin to separate them from the love of God. For love of God, we too are sorry for our sins.

Sorrow for sin moves us to have a firm amendment not to sin again. We probably will sin again, but we try not to do so. We do not plan on leaving the confessional and committing the same sins again.

We then confess our sins. When we enter the confessional in most churches, we have the option of remaining anonymous or facing the priest. Whichever option a person chooses, always remember that whatever is said during the confession is held in secret by the priest.

Remember also that we confess to the priest for three reasons: First, the priest has the authority of the Apostles by virtue of his ordination. On the night of the resurrection, Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound” (Jn 20:22-23). The priest is the minister of the sacrament acting in the person of Christ.

Second, he is a spiritual father. Just as we see a doctor for healing when we are physically sick, we see a priest when our souls are sick and need healing.

Third, the priest represents the Church and the people we have sinned against. In the early days of the Church, people publicly confessed sin at the beginning of Mass and were absolved. Much to our relief, for centuries now we have had private confession.

We proceed by making the sign of the Cross and saying, “Bless me father for I have sinned.” One could also simply begin, “In the name of the Father….” We should then state when we made our last confession: “It has been (so long) since my last confession.”

We then confess our sins. We must be specific. Sometimes people say, “I broke the sixth commandment,” which covers everything from a lustful thought to rape and adultery. We do not need to provide the full-blown story, just the basics to enable the priest to help. We need to give some quantification — missing Mass once is different from several times, which is different from all the time. When we are finished confessing our sins, we state, “I am sorry for these and all of my sins.” With this information, the priest may counsel us. He also assigns a penance for the healing of the hurt caused by sin and the strengthening of our souls against future temptation. He then asks us to say an act of contrition, which is generally the traditional prayer: “O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I detest all of my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all of my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.”

Finally, the priest imparts absolution. Ponder the beautiful words: “God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This formula emphasizes our merciful Heavenly Father, the saving mystery of our Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection, and the healing ministry of the Holy Spirit through the Church.

The priest then dismisses us, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,” to which we respond, “His mercy endures forever.” (Many priests may simply say, “May God bless you.”) We then leave the confessional to do the assigned penance.

The sacrament of penance is a beautiful sacrament through which we are reconciled to God, ourselves and our neighbors. Remember the words of St. Paul: “God is rich in mercy; because of His great love for us, He brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin” (Eph 2:4).

The Question of Incorruptibility

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:00:00 +0000

It was reported a few years ago that the remains of Pope John XXIII were incorrupt, but there was a debate over whether this was a sign of sanctity or simply due to regular preservation methods. Could you please explain the significance of this further?

On January 16, 2001, Cardinal Sodano, Secretary of State of the Holy See; Cardinal Noe, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica; and Leonardo Sandri, opened the tomb of Blessed Pope John XXIII, who was beatified on September 3, 2000. (Blessed Pope John XXIII died on June 3, 1962.) The identification of the mortal remains is part of the normal canonization process. The mortal remains of Blessed Pope John XXIII were to be transferred from their present tomb in the crypt beneath St. Peter’s to a new tomb upstairs in the basilica itself at the altar honoring St. Jerome. Pope John Paul II ordered the transferal to affirm the holiness of the late pontiff and to enable the faithful to more easily venerate him.

When the inner casket was opened, Cardinal Noe said that the face of Blessed Pope John XXIII appeared “intact and serene.” The official report stated, “Once freed from the cloth that covered it, the face of the blessed appeared intact, with the eyes closed and the mouth slightly open, and bearing the features that immediately called to mind that familiar appearance of the venerated pontiff.” The pope’s hands, still holding a cross, were also preserved.

While trying to avoid any sense of the macabre, such an investigation is integral to the canonization process. Prospero Cardinal Lambertini (later Pope Benedict XIV, 1675-1758) wrote a five-volume work entitled De Beatificatione Servorum Dei et de Beatorum Canonizatione in which he included the chapter De Cadaverum Incorruptione. This work remains the classic reference for such matters. The only incorrupt remains considered extraordinary and thereby miraculous would be those which had not undergone some preservation process but had retained their lifelike color, freshness and flexibility for many years after death. Spiritually, such a sign is indicative of the person’s mortal remains being prepared for the glorious resurrection of the body. Although the Church is very reluctant to accept incorruptibility as a miracle in itself, it nevertheless does testify to the holiness of the person.

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

Coupled with incorruptibility is the sign of “sweet odor,” a phenomenon in which the body or the tomb of a saint emits a sweet odor. In the Old Testament, a sweet-smelling odor was a metaphor used to indicate a person pleasing to God and holy in His eyes. Usually, the odor is unique and cannot be compared to any known perfume. Cardinal Lambertini posited that while a human body may not smell bad, it is highly unlikely, especially in the case of a dead body, for it to smell sweet. Therefore, any odor of sweetness would have to be induced by a supernatural power and be classified as miraculous. Note, however, that the devil too can induce the “sweet odor,” so this sign must be corroborated by the overall holiness of the life of the person.

In weighing these phenomena, other mitigating factors must be taken into account. For instance, the body of Blessed Pope John XXIII was kept in a marble sarcophagus that contained three caskets — one of oak, one of lead and one of cypress. Although the body had not been embalmed, it had been sprayed with some chemicals so that it could be displayed prior to burial. Nazareno Gabrielli, a technician with the Vatican Museums, stated, “When he died, some measures were taken for the display of the body for the veneration of the faithful. It also should not be forgotten that the remains were kept in three caskets, one of which was sealed lead.” Therefore, probably little oxygen penetrated the caskets and affected the remains. (After the body was officially recognized, it was sprayed with an anti-bacterial agent, and the casket was hermetically sealed.)

In all, incorruptibility remains a sign of the holiness of the life of the individual. The bodies of St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) and St. Catherine Labour&eacute: (1806-1876) remain incorrupt, even though their bodies had not been embalmed and had been exposed to various elements for years prior to their exhumation. Therefore, one safely could see the hand of God in the preservation of the body of Blessed Pope John XXIII, but what is more miraculous is the holy life he lived.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:00:00 +0000

What is the story behind the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help?

The icon (about 54 x 41.5 centimeters) depicts our Blessed Mother Mary under the title “Mother of God,” holding the Child Jesus. The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the instruments of the Passion: St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-soaked sponge and the crown of thorns, and St. Gabriel (in the right corner) holds the cross and the nails. The intent of the artist was to portray the Child Jesus contemplating the vision of His future Passion. The anguish He feels is shown by the loss of one of His sandals. Nevertheless, the icon also conveys the triumph of Christ over sin and death, symbolized by the golden background (a sign of the glory of the resurrection) and the manner in which the angels hold the instruments, i.e. like trophies gathered up from Calvary on Easter morning.

In a very beautiful way, the Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother. He seeks comfort from His mother as He sees the instruments of His passion. The position of Mary’s hands — both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small adult) and presenting Him to us — convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that He is true God who became also true man. In iconography, Mary here is represented as the Hodighitria, the one who guides us to the Redeemer. She also is our Help, who intercedes on our behalf with her Son. The star painted on Mary’s veil, centered on her forehead, highlights her role in the plan of salvation as both the Mother of God and our Mother.

According to popular tradition, a merchant acquired the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from the island of Crete and had it shipped to Rome towards the end of the 15th century. During the voyage, a terrible storm arose, threatening the lives of all on the ship. The passengers and crew prayed to our Blessed Mother and were saved.

Once in Rome, the merchant, dying, ordered that the image should be displayed for public veneration. His friend, who retained the image, received further instructions: in his little daughter's dream, the Blessed Mother appeared and expressed the desire for the image to be venerated in a church between the Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran in Rome. The image consequently was housed at the Church of St. Matthew, and became known as “The Madonna of St. Matthew.” Pilgrims flocked to the church for the next 300 years, and great graces were bestowed upon the faithful.

After Napoleon’s troops destroyed the Church of St. Matthew in 1812, the image was transferred to the Church of St. Mary in Posterula, and remained there for nearly 40 years. There, the image was neglected and forgotten.

By divine providence, the forgotten image was rediscovered. In 1866, Blessed Pope Pius IX entrusted the image to the Redemptorists, who had just built the Church of St. Alphonsus, down the street from St. Mary Major. As a boy, the Holy Father had prayed before the image in the Church of St. Matthew. He ordered the public display and veneration of the image, and fixed the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help as the Sunday before the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. In 1867, when the image was being carried in a solemn procession through the streets, a young child was cured, the first of many recorded miracles attributed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

To this day, the Church of St. Alphonsus displays the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and welcomes pilgrims for prayer. May each of us never hesitate to invoke the prayers and intercession of Our Blessed Mother in time of need.

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

St. Anthony of Padua (Part 2)

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Several miracles are attributed to St. Anthony during his lifetime. One miracle occurred when he was preaching on Holy Thursday evening in the Church of St. Pierre du Queriox in Limoges, France. He remembered that he had to sing a lesson in the Divine Office back at his monastery. He appeared simultaneously preaching in the church and singing the lesson at the monastery. Here is the miracle of bilocation.

Another famous miracle involved the defense of the real presence of the holy Eucharist. (The same story is told with different antagonists — one a Jewish merchant, the other a heretic named “Bonillo”; for this article, the former will be used.) The Jewish merchant challenged St. Anthony to prove the “fable” of the holy Eucharist and devised a contest. The merchant would starve a donkey for three days, denying it any kind of food. Meanwhile, St. Anthony retreated to the forest where he would fast and pray for three days. At the end of the three days, St. Anthony returned to town, and went to the church where he obtained the Blessed Sacrament. He then went to the town square where the donkey was. The merchant placed a bale of hay 20 feet from the hungry donkey. The donkey was untied and walked toward the hay. St. Anthony then exposed the Blessed Sacrament and called to the donkey, “Mule, in the name of the Lord our God, I command you to come here and adore your Creator!” The donkey stopped as though someone had pulled him by a bridle, turned and walked to St. Anthony. The donkey bent his forelegs, bowing to the Blessed Sacrament with his head toward the ground. The Jewish merchant was astonished, asked St. Anthony for forgiveness and converted. These and other miracles during and after St. Anthony’s death merited him the name, “Miracle Worker.”

St. Anthony also received an apparition of the Infant Jesus. (French writers maintain that it happened at the Castle of Châteauneuf-la-Forêt near Limoges, and Italian writers maintain that it happened at Camposanpiero near Padua.) St. Anthony, before going to bed for the night, was reading his Bible. Suddenly, the Infant Jesus appeared resting on the Bible and in the arms of St. Anthony. The Infant Jesus stroked St. Anthony’s face. Here the Word of God appeared to the man who had so well preached His Word. For this reason, most images of St. Anthony depict him holding a Bible with the Infant Jesus.

St. Anthony is invoked as the patron saint of lost things. A little jingle goes like this: “St. Anthony, please look around; something is lost and must be found.” This attribution comes from an incident when a novice carried off a valuable psalter St. Anthony was using. St. Anthony prayed very hard that the psalter would be found. After seeing an alarming apparition of St. Anthony, the novice returned the psalter. However, many suggest he is more importantly the patron of lost souls — those who have fallen to mortal sin, have abandoned the Church, and have grown apathetic to the practice of the Faith.

He also had a great devotion to our Blessed Mother. He was especially noted for his defense of the Immaculate Conception and assumption of Mary. St. Anthony wrote the following prayer in honor of our Blessed Mother: “We ask you, Our Lady, Mother of God, exalted above the choirs of angels, that you fill the vessel of our hearts with grace; that you make it resolute with the power of your virtue; that you adorn it with the precious stones of virtue.” This great saint knew that to strive for holiness and become a saint himself, the assistance of the Queen of the Apostles, Saints, and Angels was indispensable.

This beloved saint died on June 13, 1231, at the age of 36. Right before he died, he went to confession, sang a hymn to the Blessed Mother and was anointed. He was asked, “Do you see anything?” to which he replied, “I see my Lord.” Upon his death, the children of Padua ran through the streets crying, “The holy Father is dead. St. Anthony is dead.” Thirty years after his burial, the vault was opened and his body had deteriorated to dust except for his tongue, which remained preserved and incorrupt. St. Bonaventure took the tongue in his hands and kissed it, exclaiming, “O blessed tongue that always praised the Lord, and made others bless Him, now it is evident what great merit thou hast before God.” Moreover, to this day, many faithful have received miracles at the tomb of St. Anthony in Padua.

Pope Pius XII declared St. Anthony a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946. His apostolic letter began as follows:

Exult, happy Portugal, rejoice, happy Padua; for you have given birth for earth and Heaven to a shining star, a man who has illuminated and still dazzles with a radiant light the whole earth, not only by holiness of life and fame of miracles, but by the splendor of his celestial teaching.

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

St. Anthony of Padua (Part 1)

Fr. William Saunders — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Why is St. Anthony the patron saint of lost things?

Before actually addressing why St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost things, we ought to take some time to review his life.

St. Anthony was born in Lisbon in 1195 and was baptized Ferdinand. His parents were of the nobility. Some writers of the 15th century posited that his father was Martin Bouillon, a descendant of the famous Godfrey de Bouillon, commander of the First Crusade; and his mother, Theresa Tavejra, was a descendant of Froila I, fourth king of Asturia. However, this genealogy is unproven. Nevertheless, his parents were faithful and sought to hand their faith on to their son. He also was privileged to receive his early education at the cathedral school of Lisbon.

At the age of 15, Ferdinand joined the Canons Regular of St. Augustine in Lisbon. Two years later, he transferred to the monastery in Coimbra to avoid distractions from frequent visits of relatives and friends. During this time, he studied diligently, and being gifted with a superior memory, he attained an excellent knowledge of theology, sacred Scripture and the Church Fathers.

In 1220, the five bodies of the first Franciscan martyrs, who were martyred in Morocco at the hands of the Moslems, were returned to Portugal. They were taken for burial to the Church of Santa Croce in Coimbra, where Ferdinand was stationed. Moved by their witness of faith in suffering martyrdom, Ferdinand also desired to preach the Gospel to the Moslems and even give his own life for our Lord. To pursue this desire, he left the Augustinians and joined the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans, and took the name Anthony.

St. Anthony set sail for Morocco in spring, 1221. Almost as soon as he arrived, he was stricken with a severe illness, which after several weeks necessitated his to return to Portugal. On his return journey, a violent storm drove the ship off course and eventually it docked in Messina, Sicily. He remained there until he regained his health. He learned that a general chapter of the Franciscans was to take place on May 30 in Assisi, so he traveled there to take part and to meet St. Francis.

During the chapter, St. Anthony asked to be assigned to live in a place in solitude and penance. His superior, Father Graziano, sent him to the hermitage of Monte Paolo near Forli and Bologna. One day, St. Anthony was attending an ordination of Franciscan and Dominican priests at Forli. (Possibly at this time St. Anthony himself was ordained as a priest.) When the time came for the sermon, they discovered that no one had been appointed to preach. The Dominicans declined because no one was prepared. The Franciscans then offered St. Anthony, who they thought could read only the Missal and the Breviary. They told him to preach whatever the Holy Spirit put into his mouth. This he did. He astonished everyone not only with his zeal and eloquence, but also with his profound theological knowledge. This event launched St. Anthony’s preaching and teaching career. The provincial assigned St. Anthony to preach through the Lombardy region, and he had great success in converting many heretics and renewing the faith of many people.

St. Francis himself soon heard of St. Anthony’s ability. In 1224, he wrote, “To Brother Anthony, Brother Francis sends his greetings. It is my pleasure that you teach theology to the brethren, provided, however, that as the Rule prescribes, the spirit of prayer and devotion may not be extinguished. Farewell.” St. Anthony taught at Bologna, Montpellier and Toulouse.

In 1230, he moved to Padua, a monastery he helped establish and where he would spend his remaining life. Besides preaching, he organized relief for the poor, the abolition of debtors' prisons and the release of prisoners captured in the wars between city-states.

Nevertheless, St. Anthony was most known for his eloquent and compelling preaching. St. Anthony exhorted the faithful to conversion, laity and clergy alike. He preached against the vices of luxury, avarice and tyranny. At a time of fighting between the city-states of Italy, his sermons inspired peaceful reconciliations. He also converted many heretics to the Faith with his solid, persuasive and compassionate arguments. He was especially noted for his defense of the Real Presence of Christ in the holy Eucharist, the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary, and the infallibility of the pope. By the end of his life, 30,000 people would gather in Padua to listen to him; moreover, so many were moved to repentance that more priests had to be found to hear confessions. For these reasons, he was given the title “Hammer of Heretics” and “Ark of the Covenant.” (Pope Gregory IX, who heard St. Anthony preach, in his canonization decree gave him the title “Ark of the Covenant,” for just as the original Ark held the sacred Scriptures, so did St. Anthony in his person.) Pope Pius XII remarked, “If anyone attentively considers the sermons of the Paduan, Anthony will stand forth as a most skilled master of the Scriptures, an outstanding theologian in examining doctrine, an excellent doctor and master in treating of ascetical and mystical things.”

Next week, we will continue our exploration of the life of this most beloved saint of our Church.

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria. If you enjoy reading Fr. Saunders's work, his new book entitled Straight Answers (400 pages) is available at the Pauline Book and Media Center of Arlington, Virginia (703/549-3806).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)