Obedience is pleasing to the Lord
Plus: I will be bringing my child to Mass
Good morning and happy Saturday. We are quickly approaching the end of the Christmas season with Epiphany being tomorrow and the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Monday. Then, Oridnary Time starts on Tuesday. Tempus fugit.
Yesterday, in the United States, we celebrated the memorial of St. John Neumann. St. John Neumann was the Bishop of Philadelphia from 1852 until his sudden death on a Philadelphia street in 1860.
During his time as bishop, he greately expanded the number of parishes and Catholic schools in the city and oversaw the expansion of what became known as “national parishes.” National parishes were congregtations of immigrants who did not speak English and many of these types of Church still remain today in cities across America and have ties to their ethnic communities.
If you prayed the Office of Readings yesterday, you’ll have noticed the second reading was from a letter of his to the Holy See in Rome. There was apperently a miscommunication after the Baltimore Council of 1858, during which there was discussion of splitting up the Diocese of Philadelphia. It had seemed to have been communicated to Rome that Bishop Neumann had wanted to resign from the episcopate. Bishop Neumann explained that he had actually expressed interest in being transffered to one of the new, more rural dioceses that had been discussed at the council, rather than resign.
However, he said that if it pleased the Holy Father that he would remain the bishop of Philadelphia out of obedience to the pope but that he was also “equally prepared to resign from the episcopate and to go where I may more securely prepare myself for death and for the account which must be rendered to the Divine Justice.”
He concludes by saying, “I desire nothing but to fulfill the wish of the Holy Father whatever it may be.”
Father Richard Simon, host of Father Simon Says on Relevant Radio, has frequently answered the question “when should I disobey my bishop” on matters of public health or the traditional Latin Mass or any other matter that rubs people the wrong way by saying “obedience is pleasing to the Lord.” St. John Neumann demonstrated that in his role as Bishop and as a brother in Christ.
Here is a calendar for the upcoming week:
Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. The readings at Mass are Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; and Matthew 2:1-12. For those praying the Liturgy of the Hours, everything is proper.
Monday, January 8th - Feast of the Baptism of the Lord*
Tuesday, January 9th - Beginning of Ordinary Time**
Saturday, January 13th - Optional Memorial of St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor
*There is no Evening Prayer 1 this year since this feast is not on a Sunday.
**Remember to switch to Volume III (if you use the four volume set). The psalms begin with Tuesday of Week 1.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
Matthew 2:2
In the news:
The United States
Terry Mattingly: Fiducia supplicans is a prime example of the “medium being the message” - Get Religion
American dioceses to hold “listening sessions” throughout Lent this year - The Catholic News Agency
Who really were the Magi? - Kresta in the Afternoon / Ave Maria Radio
Alex Crow has been voluntarily laicized - AL.com
Door flies off during Alaskan Airlines flight - CNN
Who stands to gain if someone drops out of the GOP primary race - FiveThirtyEight
Need help saying no? Here is some advice. - Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak / Ave Maria Radio
The Vatican
Pope Francis: Catholic news media cannot remain neutral - ACI Prensa
Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith clarifies application of Fiducia supplicans - Vatican News
The World
Chinese bishop reportedly arrested after protesting Communist changes in his diocese - The Pillar
For those who need some red: Opinion - Credo is a weaponized response to Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church - Catholic World Report
For those who need some blue: Religious in Ghana launch campaign to end illegal gold mining, saying it contributes to environmental degredation - ACI Africa
Why is the debate about bringing kids to Mass even question?
The end of 2023 on Catholic Twitter (Catholic X now?) culminated in a heated debate about bringing kids to Mass.
For those of you who know me well, you know my wife’s and my first child was born just before Christmas and despite being a parent for only three weeks, I do have thoughts on this issue.
It appeared that the proponents of the position that you shouldn’t bring young children to church believed that it is disruptive to other people at Mass and that children (and apperently their caregivers) have no obligation to go to Mass anyway.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church does indeed say in paragraph 2181 that the obligation is “excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants).”
Now, it is imporatant to remember the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a teaching document; it is not law in the same sense the Code of Canon Law is. On this matter, the Code simply says in Canon 1247, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.”
So, are the parents of infants “exused” from the obligation to attend Mass? I would ask this question to someone discerning this: does attending Mass hinder a parent’s duty to care for their infant? If not, then the obligation is not excused. If attending Mass would make it difficult to care for the child (such as feeding, nuturing, or diaper changing).
Of course, since the Code does not describe instances in which people are excused from attending Mass on Sunday, the faithful have to make those decisions themselves in accordance with their conscience. In my opinion, it is their decision and their decision alone to make that judgement call, not that of others attending the Mass.
I want to take a step back, however, and think a bit about the underlying question in this whole debate. Of course, in legal terms in the Code, we have the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays. But ought we think about attening Mass on Sunday as an obligation? Do we really view Mass as a time suck that we must do or something we get to do?
As a reminder, Jesus Christ comes to us in the Eucharist and it litterally present at every Mass. Is that not the greatest gift we have been given, save our salvation? Do we really spur it by thinking, “I must go to Mass because I am obligated to, not because I want to?”
Additionally, I am astounded by the seeming selfishness of some Catholics who feel the need to grouse about liturgical matters that ultimately do not affect them or their salvation.
Did Father So-And-So say something in his homily that you didn’t agree with? Maybe. Did the choir director use a song you don’t particularly like? Probably. Was their a small child who couldn’t seem to sit still two rows in front of you? Yes. Was it still Mass? Are you closer to Jesus after eating his flesh in the Eucharist? Yes to both.
Sometimes we have to sacrafice our own preferences when it comes to public celebrations of prayer and remember that liturgies like the Mass are not personal. They are necessarily communal. Your prayer in your private room (cf. Matthew 6:6) is up to you; that is your time to worship and converse with God in whatever way helps you most. Mass is not.
Since it my obligation as a parent to teach my child the faith, I will be exposing him to it wherever I can. I will be brining my son to Mass.
Here is an excellent talk by Fr. John Riccardo on the Mass.
Have a good weekend,
Matthew