BIG C CATHOLICS

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings )  We read today in 2 Peter, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.” This salutary but unsettling reminder of what is to come makes me think of one of the “Holy Sonnets” of the 17th century poet and essayist John Donne. It begins with the words: “What if this present were the world’s last night?” “What if?” indeed! If we knew we had such little time, how would we spend it? Rush to the nearest confessional? Seek out the people we love most? Just cower in fear? The poet is not afraid. He invites his soul to look into his heart and see there the image of Christ crucified, which for him is beautiful and offers him assurance of mercy. We should note that St. Peter’s imagery is not simply a...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings )  I have a revelation to make. What does that statement make you expect? A personal confession? Some new scandal in the Church? An interesting secret, or some news that will amaze or disappoint you? One way or another, the statement probably sparked your interest. In today’s reading from St. Paul, we find a similar idea: “You are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Christians of Corinth, who are already believers, are waiting for another revelation. As we begin a new year in the life of the Church, we do so with a sense of anticipation. In this respect Advent is quite different from Lent. Both use purple vestments, both omit the Gloria at Mass, both are meant to be a sober preparation for a great feast to follow. Still, have you ever heard of making “Advent resolutions”? For what...

A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who participate in the public recitation of the "Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King." Requirements for Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence on the Feast of Christ the King: ◗ Publicly recite the prayer, "Most Sweet Jesus, Redeemer – Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King" (see below) ◗ Say one "Our Father" and one "Hail Mary" for the Pope’s intentions ( those intentions designated by the Holy Father each month ). ◗ Worthily receive Holy Communion (ideally on the same day). ◗ Make a sacramental confession within 20 days of the Feast of Christ the King. ◗ For a plenary indulgence, be free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin (or the indulgence is partial, not plenary). You may gain one plenary indulgence a day. Most Sweet Jesus, Redeemer - Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ the King ( Iesu dulcissime, Redemptor ) Most Sw...

Memorial - November 17th  There are people who make a lasting impact on the world even though their earthly lives are very short. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary or Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia was just such a person. Both a king’s daughter and a king’s wife, her love and care for the poor led her to be beloved by the common people during her life, and resulted in her canonization a mere four years after her death. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, was born in 1207. In 1221, at the age of 14, she married Louis IV of Thuringia (Germany), He ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of 16. Over the next six years Elizabeth would bear him three children. The couple were deeply in love and very devoted to each other. Louis fully supported his young wife in her spiritual life and in her prodigious efforts aiding the destitute. This included selling state treasures to assist the needy. Tragically, in 1227, Louis died on the Sixth Crusade after promising Emperor Frederick...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) This is one scary Gospel. It is part of the inspiration for the Sequence we used to sing at funerals, Dies irae, dies illa ... “That day will be a day of wrath.” Near the end, the text reads: Grant me a place among the sheep, and take me out from among the goats, setting me on the right side. Can it be that our eternal fate depends on our response to those in need? Does faith no longer count for anything? No, faith has not lost its preeminent place. It is precisely as believers that we are challenged to put faith into action. The Letter of James has the famous passage: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” And ...

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) The gospel accounts of last weekend, this weekend and next weekend are all taken from the 24th and 25th chapters of St. Matthew. The teachings presented in them by Christ are his last ones before he was to enter into Jerusalem and there be put to death. They are his final testament to his disciples, intended to guide them and us in the “already but not yet” time, that time between his presence here on earth and his Second Coming at the end of the world. These final teachings are therefore of great importance. And, when you plumb them to their depths, they are challenging – even menacing. Last week’s parable told us about the five wise and the five foolish virgins. The foolish ones did not look ahead and make provision for the coming of the bridegroom. They were guilty of the sin of presumption – presuming that in their lack of oil for their lamps the wise ones would provide for them. ...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America (Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30) The last verses of the Book of Proverbs are in praise of the “worthy wife.” Among other things, “She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.” This image reminds me of a bronze statue of Our Lady of La Salette, sculpted by Brother Juan Magro Andrés, M.S., depicting the precise moment when the Weeping Mother lifts her head from her hands, looks up at the two startled children on the hillside, and holds out her hands to them, saying, “Come closer, children, don’t be afraid.” Mary reached out to them in their poverty and ignorance and, through them, to her People, also materially poor, and seemingly ignorant of the depths of their spiritual poverty. In today’s parable we have a record of success and failure. Two servants are promoted for their successful investments. The third tries to justify himself, laying the blam...

One may obtain a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed (even if the prayer is only mental) each day between November 1st - 8th. Requirements for Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence During the Poor Souls Octave: ◗ Visit a cemetery and pray for a soul in Purgatory. ◗ Say one "Our Father" and the "Apostles Creed". ◗ Say one "Our Father" and one "Hail Mary" for the Holy Father’s intentions. ◗ Worthily receive Holy Communion (ideally on the same day). ◗ Make a sacramental confession within 20 days of All Souls Day. ◗ For a plenary indulgence, be free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin (or the indulgence is partial, not plenary). You may gain one plenary indulgence a day. A partial indulgence can be obtained when the Eternal Rest ( Requiem aeternam ) is prayed. This can be prayed all year, but especially during the month of November: Requiem aeternam dona ei ...

"The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace." — Wisdom 3:1-3 "On this day [November 2nd] is observed the commemoration of the faithful departed, in which our common and pious Mother the Church, immediately after having endeavored to celebrate by worthy praise all her children who already rejoice in heaven, strives to aid by her powerful intercession with Christ, her Lord and Spouse, all those who still groan in purgatory, so that they may join as soon as possible the inhabitants of the heavenly city." ( Roman Martyrology ) Monsignor Bernard Bourgeois explains this commemoration: "Eternity with God is the life to which each disciple of Christ aspires. The Second Eucharistic Prayer at Mass asks the Lord to 'welcome them [the faithful departed] i...

Fr. Charles Irvin Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) Wisdom is one of those often-used words the meaning of which, for many in our world, can be elusive. From time to time we ought to pause for a few moments and reflect on its meaning. It’s a word that frequently appears in both the Jewish and Christian Testaments, particularly in the Jewish Testament, a word having a great deal of religious significance. Thus, we hear Jesus speaking of it in today’s Gospel account. Prudence is a word closely associated with wisdom. From Our Blessed Lord’s statements we might associate foresight even more closely with wisdom. Certainly wisdom moves beyond mere data processing or the accumulation of facts. Facts and data are necessary in order to arrive at wisdom but wisdom is something greater than simply knowing facts or processing data. The purpose and meaning of our lives should always guide our choices. It is wise for us to remember that we came from God and are r...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America (Wisdom 6:12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13) Confucius says: By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. The foolish virgins of the parable suffered the bitter consequences of experience. Parents and teachers try to help children avoid just such situations. Ideally, youth will learn to reflect before they act. That is the goal of Wisdom, personified in the first reading. Wisdom is described as resplendent; and “she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them.” How can I read these words without thinking of the Beautiful Lady? One of the titles in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin is: Seat of Wisdom. Explanations differ, as does the iconography. Essentially, however, we are to understand that Jesus in his humanity learned some of his w...