Corpus Christi Blog

The Feast of the Holy Family is a good reminder that the family is the domestic church. Jesus learned his Jewish faith from his mother and father, Mary and Joseph. At home, he studied scripture, learned prayers, and celebrated liturgical feasts. Through his family, Jesus first learned that his Heavenly Father was loving and merciful, and that heaven was his eternal home. The Holy Family provides a perfect model of a domestic church for our own families to follow.

It is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. We have been reflecting on some of the titles for Jesus taken from the ancient prayers of the O Antiphons, which the Church sings during Advent in anticipation for the coming Messiah — Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Dawn, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. As humanity cries out for its savior, the Church uses these various titles to emphasize the truths of who this savior will be and the revelations that will come with him. Now, we will take a look at his most important title, the one which all of the others point to as the climax.

As we continue to await Christmas, we come to the third installment in our four-part Advent series exploring the titles of the Messiah from the O Antiphons, the ancient prayers sung by the Church in the final days before Christmas. Each Antiphon reveals a facet of Christ’s identity and mission foretold in Scripture — He is Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Dawn, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. We have already covered the titles of Wisdom and Root of Jesse. Now we continue to meditate with anticipation, the coming Messiah under another title:

As we begin the second week of Advent, the Church invites us to deepen our understanding of whom it is we are awaiting. Advent is not simply a countdown to Christmas; it is a season of preparation for the coming of Christ—past, present, and future. This year, we are reflecting on four prophetic titles for the coming Messiah from the ancient O Antiphons. From within the ancient prophecies of Isaiah and other Old Testament texts, seven titles of the promised Messiah are revealed to us: Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Dawn, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. Each title helps us recognize how Jesus fulfills God’s plan of salvation throughout history.

The Church is entering into a new liturgical year with the anticipation of the coming of Jesus Christ in the season of Advent. For this year’s Advent reflection series, we will reflect on four of the prophetic titles for the Messiah taken from the O Antiphons. The O Antiphons are among the Church’s most ancient prayers, dating back at least to the eighth century. They are sung as part of Evening Prayer (Vespers) in the Liturgy of the Hours from December 17-23. Each antiphon begins with the exclamation “O” followed by a prophetic title for the Messiah found in the Old Testament, especially the Book of Isaiah: Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Radiant Dawn, King of the Nations, and Emmanuel. These titles use theological imagery to reflect the hope of the coming Christ, and they serve as poetic invocations and foreshadowing into the mystery of who Christ is, what he fulfills, and how he continues to come into our lives today. As we move through this season of Advent, we will reflect on four of these messianic titles, focusing on one each week.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Of all the kings and emperors that have ruled on this earth over the millennia, none have been or will ever be as mighty and powerful as Jesus. Earthly kings rule from thrones as symbols of majesty, power, and glory. They are often ornately adorned with gold, and when the king sits on his throne, he is surrounded by his loyal subjects. The throne of Christ the King, however, is not made of beautiful, expensive, or comfortable materials, but of rough wood. The cross, which for the Roman Empire was an instrument of humiliation and torture, is the exalted throne of the crucified Lord in the light of faith. The Catechism tells us, “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle” (CCC #2015). So, through Jesus Christ, the cross is transformed from a mere place of suffering to the seat of his kingship. Let’s take a closer look at the paradox of the cross as the throne of the almighty King of the Universe.

This week, the Catholic Church commemorates the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on November 21. I would like to explain the foundations and significance of Mary’s presentation, and then use it as a springboard to demonstrate just a few of the ways in which Mary is a model for our Church today.

One thing that unites all Christians is a shared belief in Scripture as the inspired Word of God and a source of divine revelation. However, one of the most significant sticking points between Catholics and our Protestant brethren is whether Scripture is the only source of authority. The Catholic Church relies on three sources for faith and practice — the divine revelation of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and the authority of the Magisterium to faithfully interpret divine revelation — while Protestants adhere to the doctrine of sola scriptura, which holds that Scripture alone is the sole authority for Christian faith and practice.

On All Souls’ Day the Church invites us to remember and pray for all the faithful departed. It is a day where we acknowledge that death is the one certainty that each of us must face, but it is also a day of hope because we trust in God’s mercy and his promise of eternal life. For Catholics, All Souls’ Day is not a gloomy day of remembrance but an invitation to live now in such a way that we may die well, reconciled with God and at peace. Considering death as the most important event for which a person ought to prepare, St. Robert Bellarmine, a 16^th-century Jesuit and Doctor of the Church, wrote a spiritual treatise entitled The Art of Dying Well (De Arte Bene Moriendi) to aid souls in obtaining eternal happiness. While written over four hundred years ago, Bellarmine’s wisdom remains as relevant today as it was then, so let’s explore some key principles for dying well.

Among the more common challenges that Catholics encounter from non-Catholic Christians is the objection to calling priests “Father.” The basis for the objection is usually a single verse from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus says: “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father who is in heaven” (Mt 23:9). At first glance, this verse seems straightforward, so are Catholics disobeying Christ’s teaching? Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus meant by his words and the foundational reasons for why we call our priests “Father.”

The Sacrament of the Eucharist is one of the most beautiful gifts given to us by Jesus. It is an ongoing opportunity to receive all the graces that come from consuming, or adoring, the real presence of Christ in his body, blood, soul, and divinity. The Eucharist comes to us in two forms, or species — the consecrated Host and the Precious Blood. Sometimes, when you attend a Mass, you will find that the Precious Blood is not offered at all, while at other times you see a chalice offered at every communion station. Because of this, there can be some confusion as to whether there is a difference if you receive the Sacrament under one or both kinds, or if you are somehow being shorted if you are not offered the Precious Blood. Let’s take a look at what the Church has to say about receiving the Eucharist under one or both species.

Last week, we discussed the nature of our free will and some indicators that can help us discern God’s influence on our decisions. Now, we’ll discuss the hallmarks of demonic influence on the will as detailed in Fr. Cliff Ermatinger’s book, Who’s Speaking: Discerning the Good Shepherd’s Voice from that of the Stranger.

The past two weeks I have written about how we can discern between the voices that influence our thinking by identifying the hallmarks of both God’s and Satan’s influences on our intellects. Once we determine which of our thoughts are coming from the Stranger, we can more quickly and easily reject them so we can focus on the voice of the Good Shepherd that breaks through the darkness in our intellects caused by original sin. Of course, the work does not end with our thoughts. We must make choices and act on those thoughts. This week, continuing to draw from the wisdom of Fr. Cliff Ermatinger's book, Who's Speaking: Discerning the Good Shepherd's Voice from that of the Stranger, we will examine the hallmarks of God’s influence on the will. Next week, we’ll cover the hallmarks of the demonic influence on the will.