Month: January 2023

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What is catechism?

Many times we have heard about catechism, we are even aware that we must take our children to catechism so that they know their faith. But, what is catechesis and how was it born? Catechesis is a mandate from Jesus Christ to his Apostles (Matthew 28:19-20). This treasure, received from the Apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ’s faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer (CCC 3).

The Church has always considered catechesis one of her primary tasks. Jesus Christ entrusted his apostles with the mission and power to proclaim to humanity what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had looked upon and touched with their hands, concerning the Word of Life. He also entrusted them with the mission and power to explain with authority what He had taught them, His words and actions, His signs and commandments. And He gave them the Holy Spirit to fulfill this mission.

Very soon the name of catechesis was given to the whole of the efforts within the Church to make disciples, to help people to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, so that believing they might have life in His name, and to educate and instruct them in this life and thus build up the Body of Christ. The Church has not ceased to devote her energy to this task (Catechesi Tradedae 1).

Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life (CCC 5).

Catechesis also means the intention to transmit not one’s own teaching or that of some other master, but the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Truth that He communicates or, to put it more precisely, the Truth that He is. We must therefore say that in catechesis it is Christ, the Incarnate Word and Son of God, who is taught – everything else is taught with reference to Him – and it is Christ alone who teaches – anyone else teaches to the extent that he is Christ’s spokesman, enabling Christ to teach with his lips. Whatever be the level of his responsibility in the Church, every catechist must constantly endeavor to transmit by his teaching and behavior the teaching and life of Jesus (CT 6).

Let us also follow the mandate of Jesus Christ, let us be the first catechists for our children, let us catechize our friends and family with our example of life following the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and let us be receptive to continue being catechized always.

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When should I receive the anointing of the sick?

The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, often referred to as Extreme Unction or Last Rites, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for those in immediate danger of death but also for those suffering from physical, mental, or spiritual sickness. Jesus Christ establishes this sacrament through his ministry healing the sick, and entrusting His disciples that they also do it (Mark 6:12-13).

This is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived (CCC 1514).  If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case grave illness receive this sacrament again. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced (CCC 1515).

Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration, whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord’s Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ’s Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the “viaticum” for “passing over” to eternal life (CCC 1517).

The celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal elements: the “priests of the Church” —in silence— lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church (James 5:14-15), this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the bishop. These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick (CCC 1519).

The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death (Hebrews 2:15). This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God’s will. Furthermore, “if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” (CCC 1520).

Let us go without fear to receive this sacrament when we are sick, or already advanced in age, let us entrust ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ before any major surgery and let us unite ourselves with the suffering and glorified Lord to relieve us and save us, let us surrender our suffering to join the Passion and Death of Christ; and thus contribute to the good of the People of God (CCC 1499)

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And you, who do you say that I am?

While Jesus was in his ministry, in the region of Caesarea Philippi, after having fed more than four thousand men, he asked his disciples the following question, “Who do people say that the Son of man is?” (Matthew 16:13), and they reply “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:14), then he asks them the same question: “And you, who do you say I am?”, to which Simon Peter, answers him: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16), Jesus blesses Simon saying: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17), to then establish on him the foundations of the Church, giving him power over earthly things (Matthew 16:18-19).

It is important to note the point of view of the people at that time, according to the testimony of the apostles, the people still resisted recognizing Jesus as the Messiah despite the miracles he was already performing among them, but compared Him to something they already knew, with John the Baptist or as one of the prophets, since they had a preconception of how the Messiah was to arrive. Being oppressed by dominance Roman, they expected a liberator of a military nature, a strongman; without realizing that the greatest oppressor of humanity is sin. It is at that moment that God reveals to Simon  Peter through the Holy Spirit the reality of who his teacher was, the promised Messiah, Son of the Living God. It is after this episode that Jesus will reveal to three of his disciples: Peter, James and John, his divine nature (Matthew 17:1-2).

Do we recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? (John 1:29) Have we paid attention when he said that whoever does not eat of his body and drink of his blood will not partake of eternal life? (John 6:53-55)

What would our response be, if walking the path of our life, we met Jesus Christ, and looking into our eyes he asked us: and you, who do you say that I am?

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What is Epiphany?

We know as Epiphany the divine manifestation of Jesus Christ, the first of these being the wise men from the East. But this fact has a much greater meaning, it is the manifestation of the Son of God to the Gentiles, to the people who were not Jews, in other words, to all of us. This manifestation not only happens when they finally find baby Jesus, but even before starting their journey, since these wise men arrived in Jerusalem because they had seen His star rise (Matthew 2:1-2), that is, even before they had him in front of them, the light of Jesus Christ (John 8:12) had already been revealed to them.

When the wise men reached Bethlehem, following the star again, it stopped over the place where Jesus was (Matthew 2:9-10). They entered the abode and paid homage to him by offering him gifts (Matthew 2:11): gold signifying his royalty as a son of the Most High, a descendant of the line of David (Isaiah 11:10); frankincense, used as an ingredient in the incense that was burned as an offering in front of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 30:34-37), recognizing him as high priest and also as God’s new covenant with the world; and myrrh, a perfume that was an ingredient in the sacred oil used to anoint high priests and kings, again acknowledging his role as high priest and king of kings.

They left us a great teaching: Jesus Christ from his birth was destined to be the salvation of the world, we are all now the new chosen people of God (1 Peter 2:10), and called to be his children because we enter into communion with Jesus Christ through of the Holy Eucharist.

Just as the wise men from the East recognized in Jesus Christ the promised Messiah, God’s new covenant with the whole world, let us also recognize the body and blood of Jesus in the consecrated bread and wine, source of eternal life, which was offered in sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins and thus we can achieve salvation.

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What should I call the Virgin Mary?

The Virgin of the Pillar, the Virgin of the Snow, the Virgin of the Rosary, the Virgin of Mount Carmel, the Virgin of Candelaria, the Virgin of El Pino, the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Virgin of Coromoto, the Virgin of Lourdes, the Virgin of Fatima, how many virgins are there? Virgin Mary there is only one, the mother of God, all those named are the different dedications that are given to the only Virgin Mary, spiritual mother of humanity.

The Virgin Mary has few words recorded in the gospels, but within the few that she has, she has left us profound teachings, after asking the angel sent by God how the miracle of the conception of the Son of God could occur, the following thing she tells us shows her faith, humility and total surrender to the Lord: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:34-38), Mary begins from that moment his ministry of helping those in need, promptly going to the care of his cousin Elizabeth, who in her old age was pregnant by the work of the Lord, it is once in Elizabeth where we heard for the first time the recognition of her great role, “blessed are thou among all women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:41-42).

It is also where her cousin Elizabeth gives us a beautiful teaching of faith in God through the Magnificat or Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) this is a powerful prayer, it shows the great faith and hope of the Virgin Mary, the Magnificat speaks to us even today, to those parents without resources, to those who do not have food on the table, to the elderly who are abandoned, to the dispossessed. All of them are present in the hope that the Virgin Mary proclaims.

Mary, being our heavenly mother, like every mother, cares for each and every one of us as a mother cares for all her children, even the most disobedient; That is why, through his multiple appearances, he has helped us to deepen our faith, almost as if repeating the words he pronounced at the wedding in Cana “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:4-5).

Let us recognize the Virgin Mary as the mother of God and as our heavenly mother every time we pray the Hail Mary, and let us obey her as children so that we can hear the call of Jesus Christ, and do what He tells us.