"Is the peace hand shake at Mass a mandated ritual or just a pious devotion?"

By Paul Dion, STL

January 20, 2008

Last week we asked you if it was appropriate to hold hands during the recitation or the singing of the "Our Father", the "Lord's Prayer" during the Holy Mass. This question was brought to us by one of you and we appreciate it very much. We have to admit that it made us think of a related question that we decided to challenge you with this week.

Close upon the heels of the "Lord's Prayer" is the invitation to share with one another some sign of peace. Some of you more "experienced" Catholics will remember the kiss of peace that took place during a "Solemn High Mass" which had three priests in the sanctuary. The Celebrant, the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon. Remember that?

If you remember that then you remember that after the "Pater Noster" there was a moment when the three of them exchanged gentle hugs. Through the years, this "kiss of peace" migrated to the congregation of the faithful outside the sanctuary. It is expressed as it is these days and as we experience it at every single celebration of the Holy Mass.

Here in the United States there are many ways of expressing this wish for the Lord's Peace to one another. The most common seems to be the hand shake.

The Burning Question is: How do you feel about this ritual? Does this part of the Mass touch you in a special way? Is this a mandated ritual during the Mass or is it, like the hand-holding during the "Our Father" nothing but a pious devotion?

Post your comments below.

Or CLICK HERE to view the answer to this Burning Question.

"When was the last time you experienced your Catholic faith under attack?"

By Paul Dion, STL

"You will be hated by all because of my name,

but not a hair on your head will be destroyed."

(Gospel of Luke, chapter 21, verse18)

This is the story that will be read to us all on Sunday, November 18.

ParishWorld.net is a Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. It is perhaps the only one in the world. It is a place where you can read about what it means to believe in God and to relate to Him by being Catholic. It is also a place where you can read about how other people live out their lives while being Catholic.

So ParishWorld.net is a place that does not only preach Catholicism but teaches it by showing how to live it through the example of other believers. As you all know there are other forces in the world that actually try to make it difficult for us Catholics to stay comfortable in our beliefs and actually attack us through ridicule and disparagement about our beliefs.

They are also sneaky about it sometimes through what they show us on television, in the movies and on the Internet. Sometimes they are so sneaky about it that we don't realize what is happening until a day or two later when we think about it again.

The Burning Question this week addresses our Catholic Lifestyle and the times in the near past when we felt that our religion was being attacked, or laughed at on television, in the movies, on the Internet and even in conversations at school, at work or even just in friendly conversation at a game or in the mall.

"When was the last time you experienced your Catholic faith under attack? How did you react?"

Tell us what happened.

"Why do we call it the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?"

By Paul Dion, STL

This morning I started a new curriculum about the relationship between the Bible and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I was quickly surrounded by 15 eager adults, wondering what I was going to say first. I did what I always do, I asked the persons in the group if they had any questions.

The first question was, "What is a sacrifice". We discussed that for about 10 minutes. The definition that were given by the people in the room were very good, exact and correct in fact.

The discussion went over to the next question which was, "Why do we call it the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?" The person who formulated this question is a highly educated daily Mass goer with a high educational achievement and a strong spiritual life.

To this question, no one in the room had a really strongly acceptable answer. So I spent five minutes answering it. After saying all this, I invite you all to share your answer to the question:

"Why do we call it the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?"

Let us know your thoughts. Leave a comment below.
Or if you want to take a peek at the answer, CLICK HERE.

Why is First Communion so Important?

By Paul Dion, STL

This week we move on from the study of the sacrament of Baptism to the study of the sacrament of the Eucharist.For the most part, we move into the knowledge of the Eucharist because we prepare for First Communion.

Truth to tell, this preparation is the opening that we have to the "process" and the "obligation" of the Holy Mass. For the vast majority of us it is the first exposure that we have to the party caused by a spiritual event.

There are not too many of us who remember the party that followed our infant baptism. If we were first or second born of a fairly large family, we may have vague recollections of what happened on the occasion of the baptism of our younger siblings.

At that time, we had no idea why this was a big deal. But now, at the time of First Communion, we had some kind of an idea. On top of the spiritual happiness, we also had the great feeling that the bucks were rolling in. By the way, this was true in 1943 too. I remember it well. Then my parents took it and bought War Bonds for me. Yuk!

Let me tell you a little story about First Communion.

You all know that there are some sacraments that can be received only once in life. I was preparing some adult people for Baptism one year not too long ago. As a review of some of the topics that we had mentioned and studied in the not too distant past, I asked them what sacraments could be received only once in a lifetime. You guessed it, one "swift-boater" answered, "FIRST Communion". I am still laughing out loud about that one.

So OK, as an aside to the Burning Question, do you know what the "other" three are?

And don't forget to answer the Burning Question: Why is First Communion so Important?

CLICK HERE to view the theological answer to this burning question.

WHO CAN BAPTIZE?

Holy Baptism holds the first place among the sacraments, because it is the door of the spiritual life; for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church. And since through the first man death entered into all, unless we be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, we can not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, as Truth Himself has told us.
Because this is the very most important sacrament in the life of the Church there is a very well developed theology and Catechism to support it.
One of the very first things to know about Baptism is who the eligible "BAPTIZERS" are. The answer to this is one of the first things that Catholics learn when they are admitted to "CCD" or "Faith Formation Programs". The ordinary BAPTIZER, we call him the ordinary minister of baptism is the priest. Most Catholics bring a child to the church, present the infant to the priest who presides and performs the sacrament. But there are extraordinary ministers of Baptism too. Who are they?

Besides the conferring of baptism by a minister, there are other forms of "baptism". These different types of baptism have existed for a long time in the church. Can you name them?

If you care to peek around the corner to get the answers, click here.

"What is a Sacrament? How many are there?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Dominus Vobiscum!

Being Catholic is a special calling. It is not easy to be Catholic. There are so many balls that we have to keep in the air at the same time. We have Saints, Martyrs, The Virgin Mary, Mass on every Sunday, Holy Communion, Holy Water, the Rosary, Priests whom we call "Father", House Blessings, a different "Ten Commandments", a different Bible, a Pope and Sacraments. You all know that the list does not stop there, but ParishWorld.net realizes that you do not have all day.

The BURNING QUESTION is going to look a little bit different to you from today forward. It will remain a test of what you know about what it means to be Catholic, but we will give you the opportunity to peek around the corner and get the answer to the question. You won't have to tell anyone that you did not know it. It will be a loving secret between you and God.

If you want to disagree with us, you are welcome to do so. The "comment" button will remain accessible to you. Another feature that will be important to you will be the continuity of the general area of knowledge of the questions. for instance, this week we are starting a series of questions about the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. You will therefore be able to anticipate what the next question will be from week to week.

Finally, we want to encourage you to jump on your computer and ask us to clarify doubts that you may have about the sacraments. There are a lot of questions that are hanging around out there. If you are harboring one of those, let us know and we will address your concerns respectfully and professionally.

Our first in this new series of BURNING QUESTIONS under this new policy is teh following:

WHAT IS A SACRAMENT? HOW MANY ARE THERE?

CLICK HERE to take a peek at the answer to this Burning Question

Or post a comment below.

"What did Pope Pius XII define about the mystery of the Assumption in 1950?"

By Paul Dion, STL

On Wednesday, August 15, Catholics around the world are going to be celebrating the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This day marks a moment in Catholic life that is very special.

For centuries Catholics believed in the Assumption and celebrated its solemnly every year. It was a Holy Day of Obligation and the churches were filled with faithful. This celebration took place even though the Assumption was not a defined doctrine of the Church.

Finally, after centuries of unanimous loving celebration and of deep faith in this mystery, Pope Pius XII pronounced the mystery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a doctrine of faith for all Catholics.


The Burning Question of the week is this: "Just what is it that Pope Pius XII defined about the mystery of the Assumption on that famous day in 1950?"

If you feel up to it, reach into your memory and tell us how many times a Pope has exercised the ex cathedra grace of his infallibility in the history of the Church?

The answer to this question is presented to you in all its wonderful glory in our KNOWING OUR FAITH SECTION under the "The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Jim Van Vurst, O. F. M." Click the title to read the article and the story. TThe second part of the

Is Yoga and the Catholic faith compatible?

By Wally Arida

Publisher & Editor in chief

At ParishWorld.net we do our best to pr0vide our readers with articles and materials that we feel are relevant to our everyday practice of our Catholic faith.

This article, "Catholic faith and Yoga," was originally published in ParishWorld.net May 24, 2007. As you can imagine, it generated some comments and questions from our readers who are practitioners of Yoga.

We invite you to read this article throughly - including the comments from our readers and from our Theology editors. Please share your thoughts with us. It is our hope that through this blog post we can enlighten you on the merits and pitfalls of the practice from a truly Catholic perspective. We also pray this article gives you a clearer guideline on what the Catholic Church teaches about the matter.

CLICK HERE to view this article and all related comments to this topic.

What are the official colors of the Catholic Liturgy and what do they signify?

By Paul Dion, STL

As you all know, we Catholics have a lot to look forward to every Sunday. We know that when we get to church we will meet our friends and companions in Christ; we will hear a new hymn or two (we hope), we will hear different stories from the Bible than we heard the last Sunday and lately, we have seen a lot of colors flash before our eyes during the ceremonies.

This coming Sunday is the feast of Pentecost. This is the Sunday when we celebrate the filling of our heart with the Holy Spirit, the Advocate that Jesus promised us. This is the last Sunday when our altar decorations and priest vestments will have the last splash of a color other than green for a while.

The colors of Catholic Liturgy are symbols of our faith. They teach us a lesson about the mystery that we are celebrating during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The question then is this:

"Do you know What the official liturgical colors of the Catholic Liturgy are and what do they signify?"

Let us know what you think. Post your answers below. They don't have to be complete asnwers. Just give us the ones you know.

Come Holy thursday, should women be among 12 whose feet will be washed?"

By Paul Dion, STL

There are a lot of fashions making the rounds in the celebration of Holy Week Solemnities. One of them concerns the washing of the feet of the "twelve Apostles on Holy Thursday. Some churches include women in the line-up of the twelve people who get their feet washed.

ParishWorld.net has an opinion about this and so does the Church. What is yours?

Do you think that the line-up of the twelve people who will get their feet weashed by the pastor of the parish should incude women?

Post a comment today and share your thoughts with the rest of our ParishWorld.net readers/. In a few days we will post the ParishWorld.net response to the Burning Question.

"Why did you participate in the celebration of the Ashes ceremony?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Ash Wednesday is a very popular day on the Catholic calendar. It is attractive to people for many reasons. Some of the attraction comes from the fact that many people don't have the slightest idea why the date of this popular Catholic event keeps changing from year to year.

Another part of the attraction is that it gives Catholics the one chance in the year that they have to proclaim that they are Catholics. It is the one visible, cultural sign that makes Catholics feel authentic. It is attractive because those who go to work for the day shift have living proof that their Mardi Gras celebration wasn't bad enough to keep them down.

It is so attractive that many parishes in the United States schedule more Masses on Ash Wednesday than they do on December 8, the patron feast day of the United States itself, and a Holy Day of Obligation, when Mass participation is mandatory.

Participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not mandatory on Ash Wednesday. The reception of the ashes is not a sacramental act such as Communion or Confirmation or the Anointing of the Sick.

So now that we have given you a set of attractions why attendance at church is so high on this day, we invite you to tell the world the answer to Parishworld.net's Burning Question of the week:

"Why did you participate in the celebration of the Ashes ceremony?"

Let us know what you think. Post your comment today.

"Should you receive Communion on your knees or standing up?"

By Paul Dion, STL

There are some practices in the Catholic Church that are not universal. For example, in some countries the faithful do not genuflect nor do they kneel for adoration. In some countries there are several postures that become a part of the public participation at liturgy.

Even some of the "standard" prayers are not as standard as we would believe. The "Our Father", for instance has different wording in English as spoken in Canada than it does here in the United States. In fact, the wording of the French language "Our Father" is different in Canada than it is in France.

In Italy, and specifically in Rome, rarely does anyone kneel for adoration. I have even seen on television that the Pope gives his blessing at the Wednesday general audience in Italian rather than Latin. In fact, the Pope rarely, if ever, addresses the world in Latin any more.

Postures and translations of prayers are therefore not a part of the infallible teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. There are excellent, theologically sound reasons why the Bishops of certain countries, the United States among them, have decided that the liturgically correct posture for the reception of Holy Communion is standing.

Much is being made of a Vatican document issued in 2004 which forbids the priest to deny communion to those who would kneel for this sacramental act. In places where the norm is to receive Communion standing up, some people frown on those who receive Communion on their knees.

So we thought we should tackle this issue and get all of you into the discussion. Our Burning Question of the week is therefore this:

"Why would it be at least as reverential as kneeling to stand during the act of receiving communion? Give some reasons why standing is a proper posture for adoration and sacramental participation."

Join the lively discussion. Post a comment today.

"Should we bring new life into the world by Human Cloning?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Abortion is wrong. Abortion is murder. So many of us are in complete consonance with those two statements. Even many people with no real deep religious convictions believe that abortion is wrong. After all, abortion is bringing an innocent life to an end by stepping in front of God, the creator of all life.

It is a rather distasteful subject, stark and cruel, so we have invented euphemisms to talk about it. Rare are those who admit publicly that the are anti-abortion. They say instead that they are pro-life. The pro-lifers among us (I am ANTI-ABORTION) wring their hands in despair because abortion is legal in many countries in the world.

However, there is not much noise yet about human cloning though. Perhaps it is because human cloning is still illegal in the United States.

Here's our Burning Question(s):

Why would it be legal to take a life through abortion on the one hand, and illegal to bring a life into being through cloning on the other hand? Does this make you feel as though you are caught in the middle? Have you given any thought to how you would feel if human cloning were to suddenly become legal in our country?

Before you answer, please realize that the Church teaches that human cloning is immoral. Do you know why?

Share your ideas and thoughts with us. Post a comment below.

What does the Church teach about chain emails?

By Paul Dion, STL

We have received a challengiing question from a loyal reader. It is a situation that affects each and every one of us who have access to the World Wide Web. There are so many beautiful things that we receive many times per week, we wonder what to do with them.

In the practice of the "Burning Question" feature of our magazine, we are asking you all to reply to the question below. It is somewhat outside of our practice to make a question that we receive the "Burning Question," but this one is so timely and touches all of us, that we thought it wise to present it to you all before we make our final comment.

Here is the question posted by reader Octave Cantos (slightly edited somewhat from the original):

"I have a question regarding chain letters. What is the official stand of the Catholic Church on this? Although the content may be good and worth sharing, I just don't like the way its being propagated. Why are these letters so often accompanied by the statement, 'If you don't forward it to others that you know, something bad might happen to you or your to loved ones.' I don't think Mama Mary, God or Jesus works that way."

We ask you our readers, what do you think about these chain letters. What do you think the Church teaches about them. If Jesus received such chain letters, what would He do?

Let us know what you think. We know you have your own thoughts about this. Let's get this discussion rolling. Post your comments today. We will give you our reflection on the Church teachings about this topic in a few days.

"Life & Family" or "Peace and Justice?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Our BURNING QUESTION is one that I hope has the power to make you all think about a subject that I'll bet you didn't even know existed. Nevertheless, I'm throwing it at you because the answer you give will have to come from the deepest convictions that you have about life.

As you all know, the Church is our teacher in Faith and in Morals. The Church teaches us about Dogma, the Doctrine that reveals God's existence and how we are related to it. The Church also teaches us about Morals, the Doctrine that enlightens our conscience as the regulator of our behavior in relationship to God through our fellow humans.

This question is about the Church's focus on two things. First are issues of peace, justice and the protection of nature. The other focus covers issues of life and the family.

~ Read this breaking news and see why we think this issue is so relevant today.

Here is the Burning Question:

Do you think that the Church should put more emphasis on teaching the faithful about "life and family" or should it focus its teachings on issues of "peace and justice?"

Recent developments in the Catholic Church have made it clear that this is a decision that the Church has to make to help teach the people of the world in the formation of their conscience.
Pick one or the other. And of course, I expect that you are going to state your reasons for your choice.

Share your thoughts today. The choices are simple. "Life and Family" or "Peace and Justice?"

Can we get sick drinking from a common cup at Communion?

By Paul Dion, STL

There is a rather intense department of health campaign taking place to bring awareness to the American people about the possibility of a very virulent epidemic of bird flu in North America.

During a short presentation about the possibility of this epidemic becoming a reality, the subject of the Priests and Altar Ministers who distribute communion arose.

This statement was put on the table during the discussion following the presentation.
“YOU CAN’T PASS GERMS THROUGH THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST”

The exchange among members of the audience swirled around the process of personal purification that people who handle the Sacred Species of Body and Blood of Christ for Communion should practice before distributing communion.

I have to solicit an answer to this very daring and interesting statement.

What is your reaction to the statement? Can parishioners who drink from the chalice containing the consecrated wine get sick? Can parishioners who get germs on the host from the unwashed hands of either the priest or an Extraordinary Minister get sick? What about germs that come to us after they have come to rest on the host or inside the chalice after a cough? I couldn't resist asking this. After all, it is flu-shot season, right?

Share your thoughts today. Post a comment below.

Culinary Arts

June 22, 2006
By Paul Dion, STL

I have decided to lighten the week up a little bit and ask you a question that you perhaps have not thought about too much. Don't fool yourselves, this is a religious question.

There are certain corners of the world in which one of the favorite picnic "pièces de résistance" is canis domesticus = dog.

Now I know that some of you are familiar with the culinary preparation of rattlesnakes, pythons, alligators, kangaroos, deers, bears, geese, quails, squabs, whales, lobsters, swordfish, mahi-mahi and perhaps a few more.

The challenge here is to spend a few moments with "man's best friend" in your imagination and either condemn or support the practice of taking "Rex", "Fifi", "Buster" or "Shoo-shoo" to a wok.

Do not address this challenge on the spur of the moment. Read the above text carefully before you begin your answer. You may find some slick hints as to how to attack your esposé.

Last clue: There is a famous Biblical passage that is invoked when this question comes on the table.

Please feel free to post your comments. We will publish all of them so we may all learn from one another. And in a few days I will post my theological wrap-up explaining the Catholic doctrine behind this week's burning question.

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

What is wrong with this chain email?

By Paul Dion, STL

Here's the situation. You received the following email from one of your friends. Read it and based on you own personal beliefs and understanding on our Christian faith, can you tell me what is wrong with this email? Go ahead and post your responses. We will post all your responses. And in a few days, I will post the Catholic theology that will explain what exactly of off-kilter with this chain email.

Here's the email:

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit:
9. I believe in the holy Catholic Church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
11. The resurrection of the body:
12. And life everlasting. Amen.

These are thoughts of salvation. You have the choice of deleting this E-mail or of sending it on to at least 12 other people for whom you care very deeply. If you share these profoundly spiritual statements with others you will be blessed with untold consolations, joy and good fortune within 12 days.

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

Which one will you vote for: Roe v. Wade or Homosexual Marriage

June 4, 2006
by Paul Dion, STL

I came across this news item and couldn't resist posing you the challenge that it presents to the religious people who inhabit this country. This is as much a religious question as it is a political one. Of course I know that we will sooner or later have both situations in our country.

But for now, let's pretend that we have a choice of one or the other. It has profound religious ramifications.

I have therefore decided to throw out the following challenge to you. Give this some thought, send me your answer with religious reasoning to support it, and I think that we will learn a lot from the sum of your excogitations (dynamic thoughts).

THE CHALLENGE: Let's ptetend this came to a vote on November 7, 2006, and we have to choose between continuing Roe vs. Wade (abortion) or allowing homosexual marriage. We can’t keep both. We have to decide which one we want. How do you vote and why?

(Click here to view the rest of the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine)

Our Online Reflection Room

Iron Sharpens Iron

This is the place for you to share your witness to God's love. Let the world know how Jesus has touched you. Share your stories and reflections and tell us how the Holy Spirit has made Himself manifest in your daily life. Post a prayer, give thanks to God.

Add your reflection or comments below so that we may all be enlightened and encouraged to walk our lives daily as true Catholic followers of Jesus.