Tough teachings: abortion

This is the second in a three part series on some of the tougher teachings of the Church for many to accept.  Last week, we dealt with contraception, today we will discuss abortion, and in the next post, we will discuss homosexuality and same sex marriage.

For this blog, the bottom line on abortion is this:  if we cannot uphold the right of an unborn, innocent child to life, then we have no foundation on which to defend the right to life of anyone else.  If we cannot protect the most vulnerable among us, how can we possibly expect to think we can say with any moral or philosophical certitude that we should defend and help the poor, the widowed, people with special needs, the elderly, the persecuted, and other vulnerable populations?  Where is the moral imperative to do those other noble good works, if we at the same time, are allowing innocent children to have their lives ended in the womb?  
However, if we have a consistent ethic of life, that affirms the need to protect human life at all its stages, then we absolutely have a solid foundation on which to demand that we do whatever we need to do to feed the poor, clothe the naked, defend the widow, and keep alive all our vulnerable populations; the elderly, special needs children, the persecuted.  Getting the abortion issue right is key to having a peaceful, generous society, as a whole.  Can anyone truly say that we live in a generous society nowadays?
This consistent ethic of life is expressed in the Catechism in paragraphs (2270-2275) on abortion.  It states in paragraph 2270:
Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
It then quotes a well-known Scripture verse from Jeremiah 1:5:   Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.

So, abortion is not just an issue between a woman and her doctor, because it has ramifications for the good of society, as well. 

Some, however, will contend that this issue is really just a modern issue, and the Bible doesn't speak on this issue,. Therefore, they say, just because one supports abortion rights, it does not mean he or she goes against the teachings of Jesus.
However, we have spoken at length in the blog about how Our Lord founded a Church, and that the Church is the authentic interpreter of Divine Revelation, which includes Sacred Scripture.  The Bible was never meant to be a stand alone document.  Therefore, the argument is invalid that says that since the Bible doesn't speak the word "abortion", the Church has no right to say abortion is morally wrong.
The Catechism addresses the history of the teaching of the Church against abortion in paragraph 2271: Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.  It then quotes from a document called the Didache, which is from the first century, and believed to be the first attempt on the part of the early Church to put together in writing her teachings.   You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.⁷⁵   So we can see abortion has been taught as wrong by the Church for a long time, contrary to what many say today.

Another objection to the Church's teaching on abortion is that there needs to be exceptions to save the life and health of the mother.  Well, the fact is that direct abortion is never medically necessary to protect the life of anyone.  Sometimes, an unborn child may die as a side effect of a treatment given to save the life of a pregnant woman who perhaps, for example, has cancer or life-threating seizures.  There is never a medical necessity to kill a child in order to save a woman.  Again, something done to a woman's body may result in the child's life unintentionally being ended, but that is not what we are speaking of here.
In his encyclical Evangelium Vitae,(On Human Life), Saint John Paul II clarifies exactly what the Church is against when she speaks against abortion.  "I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. " (no.62)   Note what he says: "direct" abortion, and abortion "willed as an end or as a means", are wrong.    (Astute readers may note in the Catechism paragraph I quoted above, it, too, clarified that it was specifically "procured" abortion that was wrong.)

So, one can say that inadvertent abortion is tragic, but may be morally acceptable in limited circumstances, but direct abortion, used for any reason, up to and including saving the life of the mother, is morally wrong.  Noone can be permitted to will an abortion.  If one happens as a side effect to something else, that can be morally permissible, but a directed, procured abortion is never acceptable. 

The laws today, however, generally allow for abortion anytime, anywhere.  They absolutely allow direct, procured abortion.  This is not acceptable.
In the opinion of this blog, it is not acceptable for a person to support a political candidate who does not support any change to the current abortion laws.  The only case where one could support such a candidate would be if the other candidate was threatening to kill people him or herself.  That is the not the case today.  Neither candidate is doing such a thing.   Therefore, those of us who are using the excuse of supporting a candidate, such as the current Democratic candidate, who support the abortion laws staying as they are, in the name of stopping another candidate (for example, the leading Republican candidate), are not justified in their reasoning.   No candidate is threatening to kill people. 

In light of all this, it is this blog's stance that voting for the current Democratic candidate is not a morally viable option for any faithful Catholic.  I am not saying one therefore has to vote for the current leading Republican candidate.   But since the current Republican candidate is not threatening to kill anyone himself, voting for the other pro-abortion candidate to stop him is not a valid reason for doing so.  Any Catholic bishop, priest, or media person who says otherwise is wrong.

In closing, let me quote a few paragraphs from a post I did a little over a year ago about Saint Joseph and his role as patron of the unborn.   As you read this, you will see that even with this serious sin, there is opportunity for mercy, healing, and forgiveness.

It is moments like this that we can turn to people like Saint Joseph for inspiration.   His whole life he protected and defended life.  After the angel first appeared to him, he "took his wife into his home" (Matthew 8:24).  Mary was pregnant at the time.  Therefore, Joseph took an unborn life into his home.  We are called to do the same, bring life into our homes. We need to welcome the unborn like Joseph did, even if they are not our biological own.   It is fair and just to to be concerned with unborn babies that are not in our own wombs, contrary to what some pro-"choice" advocates may say.

 Later on, Joseph took Mary and the child and fled to Egypt, again at the request of an angel (Matthew 2:13-14) .  Why?  Because Herod was going to destroy him.   Joseph here takes the steps necessary to defend the life of a child who is targeted for execution.   We must do the same for the unborn babies today who are under the same fate due to legalized abortion.

Another interesting aspect of Joseph's mission was that he was the one who was told by the angel to name the child Jesus (Matthew 1:22) .  His example shows us that it is important to give every child a name.  His intercession is used sometimes by groups who assist mothers who have had abortions to give their aborted child a name as part of the grieving and healing process post-abortion.

While the title "patron of the unborn" is not in the official Litany to Saint Joseph, it is a title some pro-life groups have given him today.  It should be clear from these examples why.  A group that has specialized in post-abortion healing came up with the prayer copied below. This prayer can be said for all those babies aborted at Planned Parenthood over the years, ideally by the men and women involved with the abortion as part of their healing process, but if not them, then by us.  I will close this post with this prayer.

O St. Joseph, after your most holy spouse, our Blessed Mother, you were the first to take into your arms and heart the baby Jesus. From the first time you gazed upon him and held him, your heart and soul were forever bonded to him. You caressed the Holy Child with fatherly love and affection, and you committed yourself always to love, protect, and care for this Son.

Look now with similar love and affection upon this child of mine, who has gone from this world. I place my child, as well as my grief and guilt, into the eternal embrace of your arms. Hold and caress my child for me with the love of my arms and sweetly kiss my child with all the tender affection of my heart.

As God the Father entrusted the care of His most precious Son into your most loving and confident hands, so too do I entrust into your fatherly care this child of mine. Please present him to the merciful hands of Our Lord, so that one day, when I too leave this world, my child may greet me into eternal life. Amen

Tough teachings: Contraception

All of the Scripture readings today spoke of the trials persecutions believers may encounter when living and proclaiming the Gospel.  When the power of real truth and love encounter the evils of the world (including evils that are sometimes portrayed as good), conflict often arises.  Sometimes, that conflict can come at great cost to the believer, up to and including his or her own death.  
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern (Jeremiah 38:6).   In the second reading, believers are encouraged to resist evil to the "point of shedding blood." (Hebrews 12:4)  In the Gospel selection (Luke 12:49-53), Jesus speaks of division, even within families, that can come when some believers accept and proclaim the truth, and some do not.  Our Lord says,

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

This blog was inspired by today's readings to start a short series on some of the more challenging teachings of Our Lord and His Church that are indeed a cause of great division today, even within the Church.  These three teachings that cause a lot of division are contraception, abortion, and same sex marriage.   We will do a separate blog post for each of these three issues, starting today with contraception.

All three of these ideas (contraception, abortion, same sex marriage)  begin with the premise that we can do whatever we want with our bodies, whenever we want.  This is the mentality of modern man, especially after the sexual liberation of the twentieth century.  We are told that we are the masters of our bodies, we can do with them whatever we please.  We can have sex whenever we want, with whomever we want to.  We can put whatever we want into our bodies.   If something is in our bodies we can do whatever we want with it.
But is the truth?   Reading Scripture, I think we would come to different conclusions.  Right in the beginning of the Bible, we read this "God created man in his image, in the divine image he created him, male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27)   Therefore, we have to conclude that if we are made in the image of God, that are bodies are not designed to do things God wouldn't approve of.   Would God approve of contraception, abortion, and/or same sex marriage?

Let's look at contraception.   

If you break the word down, it means "against conception" (contra- ‘against’ + a shortened form of conception.) .  So, the act is against conception.  Well, there is the first clue God would not approve of it.   It is against something He created, the act of conception.   How do human beings come into the world?   They do through conception.  Therefore, conception is a good thing because human beings come into the world through it.   Without conception, there is no birth, no baby, no beautiful child, and correspondingly, no further children.  Something that goes against all that cannot be a good thing.

We often hear the phrase "actions speak louder than words".   We speak more than with just words.  Saint John Paul II spoke of the "nuptial meaning of the body".   Through all the actions of our body, we speak something.  As I have stated before, God spoke through the person of His Son.  That person was not just a spirit, it was a body.  Bottom line, our bodies speak!  When we use contraception in the midst of the conjugal act, what are we saying?  We are saying we love the other person, but not with our whole selves.  Is this really the love we want to show the other person, especially in such a deep and profound moment?  By using contraception, we indeed make it look like we are giving our whole selves to the other, but we really are not.  Contraception makes us liars.   God, who is truth, does not lie, and we who are created in his image, are made for truth, not for falsehood.  Therefore, in addition to going against the good, it goes against truth, and that is another reason why God would not approve of contraception.

Again, close to the beginning of the Bible, God says "Be fruitful and multiply.  Fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis 1:28).  God wants to fill the earth with people made in his image!   Contraception specifically, and all forms of population control in general, goes directly against this wish of God's.  It is a serious offense.  (For those of you who believe the world is overpopulated, consider this.  You could fit everyone in the world today in the state of Texas, and each person would have a townhouse! )
There are serious affects when we lower birth rates.  Lowering birth rates, this blog believes, are a major cause of the rise of terrorism, especially in Europe, where the traditional Christian population is using contraception and aborting itself to the brink of extinction, making it vulnerable to Islamic infiltration.   Also, when a society practises birth control, the ratio of men and women becomes more uneven, and it makes it harder for a man to find a woman and vice versa.  When that happens, there is no proper outlet to channel sexual impulses, and bad things like child abuse and rape are more prone to happen.

Finally, let us read the exact words of the Catechism on this matter, which quote the 1968 encyclical Humane Vitae.  "Every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil." (p.2370)   When we introduce something to thwart fecundity, into to an act that is designed by God to promote fecundity, we do grave evil.   The conjugal act is oriented towards a certain good and a certain truth as we have seen.   By interfering with these, contraception doesn't just do that, it fosters dire consequences for humanity as a whole, as we have seen.  For all these reasons, the Church teaches that contraception is a sin, and if we have engaged in an act(s) of contraception , we need to repent, and receive the mercy of God, or else our salvation may be at risk.

For more details on this topic, you can read Humane Vitae  as a whole.  It is not a long encyclical, it can be read in under an hour.  The Catechism speaks of sexuality in Part Three, Article 6, and has many beautiful things to say about it.  This part, too, can be read in under an hour.  John Paul II spoke extensively on his Wednesday audiences in the early 1980's  on the Theology of the Body. (This cannot be read in an hour, lol.)  This is deep material, and may be a little too heady for the average person not versed in theology.  Reading through summaries of them would probably be easier.   

The Catechism refers to chastity as "the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being (p.2337)."  Chastity ensures our sexual behavior lines up with our deeper moral and spiritual behavior.  One who practises chastity well is called "chaste".  In the litany to Saint Joseph, we see that word come up twice.  Joseph is referred to as "Chaste guardian of the virgin, and "most chaste".   If we struggle with the sin of contraception, either because we do it, or we cannot understand why it is a sin, or both, we can pray to Saint Joseph to help us.

Joseph, most chaste, pray for us.

One year anniversary

Rather than another catechetical teaching tonight, I thought I would just take a minute and say thank you for being faithful readers of this blog for a little over a year now.  (My first post was on July 19, 2015.)  It has undergone a title change since it began; it was formerly Saint Joseph the Worker blog, now it is Jim's Catholic Blog.  However, hopefully, you have found it to have the same quality and interest level despite the title change.  I have enjoyed writing it, and I hope you have enjoyed reading it, and that you get something out of it.  I know I learn something new every time I write one of these posts.

You may have noticed there have been times when this blog has focused on current events, sometimes when it has focused on the Readings of the Day, sometimes on a seasonal (i.e. Christmas) or yearly (i.e. Year of Mercy) theme.  Right now, the focus is lessons from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  This is helping myself, and hopefully many of you, grow in your Faith, or learn a little bit more about what the Church teaches.  Church teaching has great depth to it, and I feel I barely scratch the surface of it, but better to scratch the surface than not to inquire at all.

If there is any topic related to Church teaching, or the Church in the world today, or whatever, that you would like to see me cover, please do not hesitate to let me know.  You may have questions or curiosities about the Catholic Church you may want to have me explore in a little more detail, and I would be happy to as best I can.

Even though I call this a Catholic blog, I will not hesitate to express my opinion on something.  Hopefully, I have been clear where I am expressing my own opinion and where I am expressing the teaching of the Church.  I do apologize for any instance(s) where I did not make that distinction clear enough.

I know the audience of this blog is not the biggest, and probably is one of the smallest in the Catholic blogosphere.  There are many Catholic blogs out there, and 95% of them at least have a bigger audience than I do.  However, the best evangelization comes when a person you know personally speaks to you about his or her faith.   A father can evangelize his son better than a priest or the Pope can.  A mother can evangelize her daughter better than Mother Angelica or Mother Theresa could.  A good friend can evangelize you or me better than Scott Hahn, Patrick Madrid, or any other leading Catholic evangelist today could.   Now the mother and father and the friend absolutely can and should benefit from the witness of those aforementioned holy people.  However, the witness of those people is no substitute for the testimony of a friend or family member. 

In that spirit, this blog is mostly me talking to people I know on a personal level.  Some of you I see more than others, some of you I am closer to than others, but almost all of you I know to one degree or another.  When friends and family speak to each other of Jesus and the Church, that, friends, is the best evangelization, the best friendship, and the best life has to offer this side of eternity.  I think that is why I enjoy writing this blog, and maybe why I am content with the relatively small audience it has compared to most Catholic blogs.

Now perhaps (because I make these posts public on Facebook and Twitter)  there are a few of you who read this faithfully whom I do not know at all.  To you, I say, thank you for giving some stranger a chance to be of benefit to you, and I am honored you are reading this.

Finally, I want to thank the Holy Family; Jesus, Mary, and yes, good Saint Joseph, for their intercession to make this blog what it is.   Just as I could not do it without my friends here on Earth, I know I could not do it without my friends in heaven.

I think a fitting way to close this anniversary post is to post the entire litany to Saint Joseph. I refer to a line or two in most of my posts, so let's just post it all here, in thanksgiving to Saint Joseph for being the patron of this blog, and the fruits his prayers has helped it bore.  May it continue to bear fruit for some time longer.  God Bless.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.  God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.  God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.  God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.  Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.  Holy Mary, pray for us (after each line) Saint Joseph, Renowned offspring of David, Light of Patriarchs, Spouse of the Mother of God, Chaste guardian of the Virgin, Foster-father of the Son of God, Diligent protector of Christ, Head of the Holy Family, Joseph most just, Joseph most chaste, Joseph most prudent, Joseph most strong, Joseph most obedient, Joseph most faithful, Mirror of patience, Lover of poverty, Model of artisans, Glory of home life, Guardian of virgins, Pillar of families, Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick, Patron of the dying, Terror of demons, Protector of Holy Church,  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.  V. He made him the lord of His house: R. And ruler of all His substance. Let us pray, ---  O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Expressions of prayer

Our last several posts have been about prayer.  We have discussed prayer as it relates to the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary, and the Church, as well as the theological virtues.  We have discussed the forms of prayer, as well as favorable places and witnesses to prayer.  

So we are now ready to actually go and pray.  How do we do it, and what should be aware of as we strive to do it?  Tonight, we will discuss expressions of prayer, as well as some of the battles we have to fight in our prayer life.
   
There are three types of expressions of prayer in the Catholic tradition.

The first expression is vocal.  In Revelation, as we have noted, God speaks to man.  If he speaks to us, we can obviously speak to him.  Our prayer "takes flesh" in the words of the Catechism (p.2700).  Jesus prayed vocally, and he taught us vocal prayers, like the Our Father.  We must involve our whole being in prayer, and our speech is a vital part of our being.  God likes to hear us praise him.  This is the form of prayer most accessible in a group setting.

The second expression is meditative.  In meditation, we focus on something to draw our attention to deeper truth.  In specifically Christian meditation, we focus on written words, especially those of Sacred Scripture, but we can also focus on icons, a beautiful work of art, or even the beauty of nature, to draw our attention to the how and why of Christian life ( p.2705 ), and eventually, to what the Lord might be asking or telling each of us.   When we read a book, or look at sacred art, the book or painting of our own lives comes to reality.  Mediation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire (p. 2707).   Lectio divina and the Rosary are examples of vehicles of meditation.

The third, and most perfect expression of prayer, is contemplative.  Contemplative prayer is beyond words, so it is difficult to describe.  It is like being alone with a best friend.   We are fixed on the Lord himself, as opposed to the Christian life in general, or our own life in Christ.  It is a love affair between the lover (God) and the beloved (us).  We welcome the merciful, tender love of God, and want to love more in return.   Like the theological virtues, contemplative prayer is an infused gift, not something we can do on our own.   We gaze on Christ, just like we do at Mass or at Eucharistic Adoration, to the Blessed Sacrament.  It is a silent, yet intense type of prayer.  The mystery that we celebrate at the Eucharist lives in us in contemplative prayer. 

So, contemplative prayer, which is intimate union with the Blessed Trinity, is the goal of our lives, as it is the goal of the Church in her sacred liturgy.   However, can we love someone whom we never speak of or to?  Can we love God without vocal prayer?  No.  Can we love someone whom we don't try to learn about or "study" so to speak?   Can we love God without meditation?  No.  Therefore, while contemplative prayer is the highest expression of prayer, we cannot live without the other two expressions, and in fact, need both, in my opinion, throughout our lives, to sustain the third.

All this, especially contemplative prayer, may not sound realistic.  Yet, when we pray, we realize prayer points us to the truly real.   The things around us fade away, go in and out.  God remains. 
Besides being unrealistic in terms of its end, the world might have other objections to prayer, as the Catechism notes.  For example, the world might say that things that can only be verified by science or reason are true.  However, prayer encompasses both that, and the unconscious world, and it reveals otherwise.   Our consumer and materialistic world might also say prayer is unproductive, and does not produce anything.  However, those who pray will tell you it produces the best kind of fruit, for themselves and for others.  Some might go so far as to say is a retreat from real life.  No, true prayer is far from an escape, it engages reality at its deepest level.

Besides objections to prayer, there are also challenges and difficulties in prayer.  We may think we are a failure at prayer.  We may think we are not being heard.  We may feel dry. Finally, we may feel we just cannot give our all to the Lord.  The Catechism proposes three keys to overcoming all these obstacles.

1) Humility   We must not try to fight distractions in prayer in our own power.  We must realize distractions are a sign we have not turned all to the Lord, and we must turn to Him.  We must also cling to Him when we experience dryness in prayer, as Our Lord did in the desert, in the Garden, and on the Cross.  A lack of faith is a sign of a proud heart.  We must ask the Lord for the gifts of humility and faith to help our prayer life.
2) Trust   We have to trust that God always hears our prayers, and answers them, even if it is not the answer we were looking for.  Prayer, we must realize, is God's action in history, not ours.  In prayer, we cooperate with His Divine Providence.  Jesus always intercedes for us.  Only if our prayer is united to His we will obtain all that we ask for in His name.
3) Perseverance   The Scriptures tell us on numerous occasions to "pray constantly."  To help us do that, the Catechism proposes three truths we have to open our heart and  accept.  We have to realize it is always possible to pray (p.2743) .  Prayer is vitally necessary (p.2744) .  Prayer and Christian life are inseparable (p.2745).   If we realize these three things, we will persevere in prayer.

If we are humble, if we trust, and if we persevere, we will grow in prayer, and grow in love.  We will win the battle of prayer.  If we win the battle of prayer, we will have a much better chance of winning the battle of life, here on Earth, and more importantly, in the fullness of the Kingdom.

A few of the titles of Saint Joseph in the litany to him I think are appropriate to the themes we discussed here.  Mirror of patience (he can help us persevere in prayer when we do not see instant results),  lover of poverty (to help us be poor in spirit, humble, which will help in prayer), and solace of the wretched ( how we may feel sometimes, when our prayer reveals how poor and sinful we are, compared to the awesome majesty of God).   We can and should pray to Saint Joseph to help us grow in prayer, to become ever more aware of the presence of God, and his action in our lives.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Mary and prayer

Our last few posts have been about prayer.  In the first, we spoke of Jesus as the source, object, and model of prayer.  In the last post, we spoke about prayer in the life of the Church, the Body of Christ.  In this post, we will speak of prayer in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and specifically Marian prayer in the life of the Church.

The Catechism notes two special prayers of Mary in her life, the Fiat and the Magnificat. 
In her Fiat, when the angel of the Lord appears to her to announce Jesus' birth through her, she says "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38).  This is a prayer of offering her whole self to God, to wholly belong to Him.  This is what we should seek to do in prayer.
In her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), which takes place when she visits her cousin Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist), she proclaims the following:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

These verses are known as Mary's "hymn of praise" to God.  In the last post, we mentioned praise as the highest form of prayer.  The Church recites this perfect prayer of praise every evening in Evening Prayer.  I would also say there are elements of the prayer of thanksgiving here, as well.

Mary also asks prayers of intercession.  The Catechism poses Mary pleading the plight of the people at the Wedding Feast of Cana to her Son, as a type of a prayer of intercession.  She tells him they have no wine, and after he makes her plea known to Our Lord, she then says to the servants to do whatever he tells them to do.  This is our model in prayer; we make our pleas to Jesus, in union with her, he hears them, he responds, and then we have to do whatever his response dictates we do.

At the foot of the Cross, Our Lord makes his mother the mother of the whole Church.   She therefore nurtures the prayer life of every one of her members.  If Jesus is the way of prayer, she is the sign that surely points to him as that way, like a street sign pointing out the correct road.  Wherever he is, she is, just like she was while he walked the Earth.  Therefore, we can say whenever we pray to Jesus, she is there, as well.  In addition, we have said that any prayer to Jesus is done in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Mary had an utterly unique cooperation with the Holy Spirit among all mankind, past, present, and future.

For all these reasons. it makes sense to include prayers to Mary in the life of the Church, and in our own prayer lives.  We pray with her, and to her.

The Catechism notes that in Marian prayer there are generally two movements; "magnifying" or praising the Lord, as she did in her Magnificat, and afterward, supplications/ intercessions on behalf of mankind. She was one of us, with a special relationship with Our Lord, and therefore, is a quite capable intercessor.

The privileged Marian prayer that has developed in the life of the Church is the Ave Maria, or Hail Mary, and it contains both of these movements.  The first part of the prayer quotes the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation, followed by her cousin Elizabeth from the Visitation.   Hail (or Rejoice) Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.  Holy Mary, Mother of God  This is praise for what God is doing through Mary. In the second part of the prayer, we find the intercession.   Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  This part is not necessarily based in Scripture, but it is based in the Tradition of the Church, who affirms that Mary prays and intercedes for us.

Everyday in our prayer, we must remember to pray to Mary, and to unite our own prayer with hers. 

How graced was Saint Joseph to be around this privileged witnesses to prayer.  He was, as the litany to him indicates, the Spouse of the Mother of God, and Chaste guardian of the virgin.  May he, who faithfully served as her spouse and guardian while on earth, continue, in his role as Protector of the Universal Church, to honor the Mother of God, and protect her from the wounds of neglect, dishonor, and indifference that exist in the world today regarding her.   May we follow his example of honor to her, and realize her importance to the plan of salvation, as he did.  May we be inspired, as Joseph was, by her prayer of faith, her surrender to God, and be led, as Joseph did, to do the same; to praise God, pray in faith, interceed for others, and surrender to His Divine Will.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Prayer in the Church

In yesterday's post, we spoke of Jesus Christ as the model, source, and object of prayer.   When he was on Earth, he prayed for us, he revealed how to pray, and he indicated that it was only through him that we are to pray.

Now that Our Lord has risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, now what?  Well, the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised, was sent among us, and among other things, the Spirit recalls, and makes present for us,  all that Jesus prayed and said about prayer.  It is the Holy Spirit who makes present the entire mystery of Christ, including his prayer for us, and instructions to us how to pray. 

As she makes Him present, forms of prayer that correspond to how he taught us arise in the life of the Church.  There are five forms of prayer according to the Catechism.

1) Blessing and adoration    In blessing, God gives us gifts, and we respond to them. Our prayer of blessing is that response.  We bless Him in exchange for Him blessing us.  Adoration is an acknowledgement of the greatness of God, in contrast to our creatureliness.
2) Petition   In this type of prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on God for everything.  We are not our beginning, nor our end.  When we realize our dependence, we likewise realize our sinfulness, and thus, the first part of any petition must be to ask for forgiveness.  Then, as the "Our Father" is structured, we pray for the Kingdom to come, and then finally, we pray for our needs.
3) Intercession  This is closely related to petition.  Here, we are asking on behalf of another, not necessarily for ourselves.  It includes praying even for those who seek to harm us.
4) Thanksgiving   This prayer can be prayed always, even in times of suffering, as when we suffer with Christ, we join in His sacrifice, and help with salvation for ourselves and the world.  We thank God for all his gifts.
5) Praise  This is giving God glory for who He is, beyond anything He does.  This is the most disinterested of all the prayers, as it focuses on God alone, and not what He does for us.  This is pure prayer, the prayer saints do, and what we will be doing in heaven.  If we are going to make it there, we need to praise God regularly now.  Even though praise is the best type of prayer, it embraces all the other prayers.  Praise is what takes the other forms of prayer to God.

Where in the Church do we get the inspiration to pray, regardless of the form of prayer?  The Catechism lists several sources.

1) The Word of God  The Sacred Scriptures, as we have stated, is God's speech to us written down.  If we want to get close to God, and know how He thinks, there is no better place to look!
2) The liturgy  In the liturgy, the mysteries of salvation are made present, and those mysteries continue in the human heart that prays the liturgy.  This continuation occurs both during and after the celebration of the liturgy.
3) The theological virtues  We have discussed them.  Faith is how we enter prayer.  We first off believe in the reality of God.  We pray in hope, and prayer gives us hope, as well.  Love is the foundational, real, ultimate source of prayer.  We are drawn into the love of Christ for us, and we respond by loving Him.

So, we know have the forms of prayer, as well as the sources of prayer in the life of the Church. What is the way of prayer in the Church?

1) Prayer to the Father We have access to the Father only if we pray "in the name" of Jesus.
2) Prayer to Jesus  When we address Our Lord with the different titles attributed to Him (i.e. Son of God, Lord, Savior, Prince of Peace, etc.), we are praying to him.  When we pray simply "Jesus" we "invoke him, and call him within us." (p.2666)  That name encompasses everything in the economy of salvation, it contains all our hopes and desires. 
3) Prayer to the Holy Spirit   When we say "Come Holy Spirit", we are asking for the Spirit to make present the mystery of Christ.   Even when we pray to Christ directly, it is the Holy Spirit inspiring us to do so, because as Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians, "Noone can say Jesus is Lord except by the power of the Holy Spirit." (1 Cor 12:3).  Since this is the reality, it makes sense to pray to the Spirit directly.

Through it all, what we are ultimately doing is this,we are praying to the Father, through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now that we have the forms, sources, and way of prayer in the Church, who are the guides to prayer? The Catechism lists several:

1) The saints   They give us example, and intercede for us.
2) Our families  As it is with all education, the family is the first place of education in prayer.
3) Priests and deacons  Their ministry is directed at the building up of the People of God in prayer.
4) Religious   Many of these devote their whole lives to prayer.
5) Catechesis  Through catechesis, we learn about how to mediate on Scripture, how to practice liturgical prayer, and internalize it all.
6) Prayer groups   They are their own "schools of prayer."
7) Spiritual direction   Some of the faithful have the gifts of wisdom, faith, and discernment ( we have spoken of these gifts in previous posts) that allow them to serve the common good of the prayer of the people.

Finally, the Catechism lists several places favorable for prayer.  It lists churches, "prayer corners", monasteries, and places of pilgrimages as favorable places, all of which give us special necessary moments to deepen our prayer life, even as we seek to pray always.

Those of you who are familiar with Part Four of the Catechism, where I am getting this information from, may have noticed both in yesterday's post, and today's, I did not review the sections in each on Mary and prayer.  I will have a post dedicated to Mary and prayer either as the next one, or an upcoming one.  I will also have a post dedicated more to personal prayer, even as all prayer takes place within the life of the Church, as we have discussed here.

Like I stated yesterday, Joseph I am sure was a model for the human Jesus to imitate in prayer.  As we see here, the family is listed as a guide to prayer.  Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family (another title in the litany to him), can be a model and intercessor for all families to become true schools of prayer, and not just schools, but true wellsprings of prayer, because the sources of prayer (the Word of God, the liturgy, and the theological virtues) are all practiced there.  We know that is not the case with every family today.  Let us pray, through the intercession of Saint Joseph, that more families strive for a deeper prayer life, and become holier as a result, and produce saints who will change the world.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Jesus: source, object, and model of prayer

We have spoken in recent posts about Jesus Christ.   We could write posts everyday from now until eternity and never exhaust the "boundless riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:9).  But, it is still worth it!

With all that is going on in the world today, I think what the world, and each of us need, more than ever, more than anything else, is to develop a personal prayer life, a lifeline to God.  The more of us who would have this relationship, and seek to nurture it everyday, the more peace and joy we would have, and the world would become a more peaceful place.

How appropriate then to speak about Jesus and prayer.  The Catechism speaks of the fact that:

a) Jesus prayed
b) Jesus teaches us to pray
c) Jesus hears our prayer

Let us review each in order.

Jesus prayed.  What was new about Jesus' prayer was that it was filial.  Jesus addressed the Father as a son.   He prayed before all the key moments and decisions in his life; his Baptism, his Transfiguration, the choosing of the Apostles, the Last Supper, and the Agony in the Garden.  He usually begins his prayer with thanksgiving: “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children (Matthew 11:25) , “Father, I thank you that you have heard me" (John 11: 41)  His prayer was truly a gift of himself.   The 7 last words of Our Lord, all on the Cross, are at once prayer, and self-donation:   "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do", "I thirst", "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", "It is finished", "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."  (Luke 23:34, John 19:28, Mark 15:34,  John 19:30, Luke 23:46).  In the letter to the Hebrews, we read a summary of the fruits of Jesus' life of prayer.  "During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.  Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered  and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him ."(5:7-9).   Jesus' prayer to the Father encompasses the cry of all humanity, and the Father answered his prayer by raising him from the dead, which won us all salvation.

Jesus teaches us to pray.  He teaches prayer is about conversion of heart.   We are to reconcile with others before making offerings to God, we are to pray for our enemies and persecutors, we are to forgive, be pure, and pray in secret, so as not to be able to boast.  Once we are converted, we are to pray in faith.  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  (Matthew 7:7-11).   We have to believe that what we ask for will be granted. Jesus admires great faith, and is saddened by lack of, or little faith.  We have to be patient and watchful, but always hopeful, with expectation.   We are to ask in his name, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus hears our prayer.  Jesus hears the prayer of the leper, the good thief, the blind man, the sinful woman, and others throughout the Gospels.  He always responds to a prayer made in faith. 

The Catechism, in paragraph 2616,  quotes Saint Augustine who says " He prays for us as our priest, prays in us as our Head, and is prayed to by us as our God. Therefore let us acknowledge our voice in him and his in us."   We said Jesus prays.  Who does he pray for?  Us.  We said Jesus teaches us to pray. When we pray as Jesus taught, he prays in us.  We said Jesus hears our prayer.  When we pray to Jesus as God, that is what happens.

The title of the section of the Catechism where this information comes from is entitled In the Fullness of Time.  It says in paragraph 2598,  "the drama of prayer is fully revealed to us in the Word who became flesh and dwells among us".  There was never before, and will never be again, a deeper revealing of the mystery of prayer than is revealed in the Second Person of the Trinity, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Jesus' prayer is perfect.  Jesus' prayer absorbs all the prayers and hopes of humanity, from the beginning of time to the end of it.  Jesus is the perfect model of prayer. Our prayer can only bear fruit if prayed in and through him.  What Jesus prays for, he receives.  Whatever we pray for in Jesus' name, we receive. 

Let us ask for the grace to be humble, to be faithful, to be patient, to be persevering, but to be expecting, and always aware God hears our prayers.  If we develop these dispositions, our prayer will bear more and more fruit for ourselves, and for the entire world.  The prayer of one humble, faithful soul can change the world.  Imagine if all of us became that way!   Truly, the Kingdom would come!

The Catechism, in paragraph 2599, states explicitly that Jesus learned to pray from his mother.  However, just because it does not say it explicitly, I am sure Jesus learned at least a little of something of prayer, too, from his foster father, our good Saint Joseph. Two of the titles of Joseph in the litany to him, most faithful, and mirror of patience, speak to values we have spoken of already in this post.  Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that Joseph was a man of prayer.  The Holy Family would not have been holy if only two of its three members prayed, as tempting as it might be to think otherwise.  Let us pray to Joseph, that he might help us become better at prayer, and teach us, as he did, to learn from Jesus and Mary how to pray.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.