Category: Tradition

Posted on

How is it possible that Mary is the Mother of God?

Mary mother of God and mother of the Church, the concept of Mary as mother of God is sometimes complicated for us. Is not God eternal? How is it then possible to have Mary as the Mother of God? One way to understand this is by accepting the one God in the three persons of the Holy Trinity (CCC 233), thus Mary is the earthly mother of God the Son, Jesus Christ, eternal God (John 8:58) consubstantial with the Father.

Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus Christ is prophesied not only from the beginning of time (Genesis 3:15), but also throughout the Old Testament, symbolized by the tabernacle where Moses met with God (Exodus 33:9). and that protected the Ark of the Covenant with the tables of the law, the word of God given to the Israelites; Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant, having housed in her womb the Word (John 1:1) that became flesh, the same Jesus Christ who came to dwell among us (John 1:14). It was Mary the virgin referred to by the prophet Isaiah seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus when he said: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son…” (Isaiah 7:14).

Mary accepts the role of mother of our savior and then the role of being our mother with humbleness, responding to the angel of the Lord: “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38), also when Jesus from the cross referring to the disciple says to her: “Woman, here is your son” (John 19:26) and then to the disciple “Here is your mother” (John 19:27), giving us Mary as mother through his disciple. Mary is the mother of the Church since we are one body with Christ (Romans 12:4-5) by receiving him in communion. Mary as our mother, intercedes for us before the immense mercy of her Son, and also guides us as she did wisely and humbly at the wedding in Cana, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:3-5).

Let us recognize our heavenly mother in Mary, since she intercedes for each one of us and obtains the graces we need. Just as for a mother her children are unique and different from each other, so we are for Mary.

Posted on

Do I really have to forgive him?

“That person is my friend/brother/boss, but he is really a pain in the neck”, this or worse things have passed through our thoughts when we have to deal with the way certain people behave; sometimes even directly offending them when we have already lost patience. There are even occasions when we feel that we have to control ourselves not to break the fifth commandment: “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13) because sometimes we say or think: “If he does just more thing I will loose control and kill him!”. Let us remember that Jesus Christ during the Sermon on the Mount, teaches us the true meaning (Matthew 5:21-26) of said commandment, as we know the act of killing is an attempt against a being that has been made in the image of God, but also offending another is offending the very image of God, because our Heavenly Father has created us “in His image and likeness” (Genesis 1:27). Each of us are beings that are destined to be pure as God the Father created us (Matthew 5:48).

Just as we must reflect the light of Christ with our actions, we must also make an effort to see the light of Christ in other people. Jesus Christ was very clear in telling us that when we fulfill the works of mercy with our neighbor; clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick, etc.; these works we are doing to Himself (Matthew 25:34-40), and he also told us not only to do this with those we like, but also with our enemies, because only then will we be considered children of our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:43- 48).

Let us renew our call to holiness, let us not hold grudges that the only thing they do is distance us from the kingdom of heaven, rather let us practice the works of mercy and so that at the end of time we will be considered children of our Heavenly Father.

Posted on

What is the correct way to receive communion?

When we approach in procession to receive Holy Communion, sometimes the question arises, what is the correct way to receive Communion? In the hands? In the tongue? Down on my knees? Standing? Let us remember that the institution of the Holy Eucharist took place at the Passover dinner (Luke 22:14-16), where the unleavened bread is blessed, broken and shared among the guests. In the fourth-century readings of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, the reverential way of receiving Communion in the hand is indicated: “In approaching therefore, come not with thy wrists extended, or thy fingers spread; but make thy left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. And having hollowed thy palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, «Amen»…” (Catechetical Lectures, Lecture XXIII §21). Let us remember that the tradition of the church also proposes a more reverential form, in which communion is received on the knees and on the tongue, this form was proposed for several important reasons: first, to emphasize respect and veneration for the body of Christ present in the consecrated host; second, to prevent the
consecrated host or any particle from falling; and third, to prevent acts of profanation from being committed, whether due to ignorance or malice. It should be noted that the fact of receiving communion in the hand is not sacrilege in itself, but that sacrilege was to be avoided after having received the consecrated host in the hand. Let’s not fall into the same mistake that the scribes and Pharisees made when questioning Jesus about why his disciples did not wash their hands before eating the bread (Matthew 15:1-9).

When we receive communion, whether in the hand or on the tongue, it must be done with due reverence because we are in the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, then we must respond “Amen” when the minister; whether it be the Priest, Deacon, or a Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (Redemptionis Sacramentum 88); presents communion to us under the words “The Body of Christ”, once received the sacred Host is it must be consumed immediately and entirely (GIRM 161), taking care that no particle remains in our hands if we have received it that way.

Let us remember, brothers, that our Lord Jesus Christ is present in the totality and each one of the parts of the consecrated host, let us show the reverence due to our heavenly king, whether we receive communion on the tongue or in the hands. We are receiving the body of Christ, the one that gives us eternal life.

Posted on

Where is the Mass found in the bible?

Although we come to Mass, sometimes we have asked ourselves, “where is the Mass itself in the scriptures?” We should remember that the Mass comes from the Feast of the Passover meal (Luke 22:14-16), this being the most important celebration of the Israelite people, whom God rescued from slavery, and commissions them to celebrate in perpetuity (Exodus 12:14). Jesus take this celebration and perfects it by taking the place of the spotless lamb offered for sacrifice (Exodus 12:5), to free us from the slavery of sin. Likewise Jesus Christ tells us how to celebrate this new Easter through bread and wine (Luke 22:19), which through transubstantiation become the flesh and blood of our Lord.

As in the Jewish Passover meal, the story of Israel’s salvation through the exodus from Egypt is read and what is read is explained to the children.  At Mass, we too read our salvation history contained in its entirety in the Bible. The presbyter in turn explains to us the significance of these readings for our salvation (GIRM 29).

But not only do we have biblical elements in the Liturgy of the Word, but also in the prayers that we repeat from the beginning of the mass: The phrase “In the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” is found in the Gospel of Saint Matthew (Matthew 28: 19), the penitential act comes from the tradition in Psalm 32, we join the Angels of Heaven in reciting the Gloria as when they announced the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:14), the words that the presbyter proclaims before communion: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world…” (John 1:29) as also the response of the people of God “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” (Matthew 8:8) are taken from the gospels.

We found the references to the Mass at the Passover meal, its institution on Holy Thursday and also when the risen Jesus Christ accompanies disciples on their way to Emmaus sharing the scriptures, explaining them, blessing and breaking of bread (Luke 24:13-35).

Let us then be like the disciples on the way to Emmaus, let us participate in the Holy Mass, let our hearts burn with joy as we listen to the scriptures, let’s go out and evangelize and share the good news after entering into communion with Christ himself.