Catholic Hotdish

St. Ann with Mary at St. John the Evangelist in Fort Pierre, SD

Hannah and Ann are two great and holy mothers of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  Hannah is the precursor to Ann.  The Hebrew name Hannah means “grace,” and the name “Ann,” another form of the name “Hannah,” also means “grace.”

Hannah lived in Old Testament times, in the Twelfth Century BC, and her story is told in the first two chapters of the First Book of Samuel, while Ann lived in New Testament times, over one thousand years later, during the late First Century BC and early First Century AD, and her story is told in the Protoevangelium of St. James, a book composed around 165 AD that is not in the Bible but a source for the Christian tradition.

Hannah was married, the faithful wife of Elkanah, and she reached old age without any children, and Ann was married, the faithful wife of Joachim, and she reached old age without any children.  Hannah spent many long hours in prayer, both at home and in the Temple at Shiloh, and Ann spent many long hours in prayer, both at home and in the Temple in Jerusalem.  Both begged God for a special favor, to be blessed with a child.  Hannah miraculously conceived and bore a son, Samuel; and Ann miraculously conceived and bore a daughter, Mary.

Both accepted their child as a gift from God, and in response they consecrated or dedicated their child to God:  Hannah presented her son Samuel to the priest Eli in the temple at Shiloh, and Ann presented her daughter Mary to the priest in the temple in Jerusalem.  It was their belief that God had a special purpose for each of their children, and they pledged to raise their children so they would be prepared to cooperate with God’s will.  Hannah’s son Samuel became the greatest of the Judges while Ann’s daughter Mary became the mother of Jesus the Savior.

Together, these two exceptional mothers offer great example and inspiration to the mothers of today.  Marriage precedes motherhood, so it is the first duty of a mother to be a loving and faithful wife.  All vocations come from God, so wives and mothers are called to be women of faith who pray regularly, both at home and in church.  Christian mothers realize that each of their children is a miracle and a gift from God, and in thanks they consecrate their children to God in the Sacrament of Baptism, and then raise their children to know, love, and serve God, so when the Lord calls their child to their chosen vocation, they will be ready to respond, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” and then to say, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”

Picture taken at Holy Spirit in Two Harbors, MN.

The Last Supper Discourse.  After dinner on Holy Thursday night, Jesus spoke at length to his disciples.  After he had given them the New Commandment to love one another, explained that there is a dwelling place for each of them in the Father’s heavenly mansion, and promised the Holy Spirit, he declared, “I am the true vine” (Jn 15:1), “You are the branches” (Jn 15:5), and he made the profound observation:  “A branch cannot bear fruit on its own” (Jn 15:4).  “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

American Productivity, the Achievement Myth.  Beginning with early childhood, we are taught to be productive, to make something of ourselves.  Children are taught to be good students, and a youngster who has done well may say:  “I studied hard.  I earned really good grades.”  A star athlete may say:  “I hustled and gave my best effort.  I led the team in scoring.  I achieved all-conference at the end of the season.”  A mechanic may be able to say, “I fixed this engine”; a sales representative may be able to say, “I led my department in sales this month”; or a cook may be able to say, “I prepared this excellent meal.”

A Dangerous Mindset.  The operative pronoun is “I.”  We get caught up with ourselves.  We are focused on our own achievements.  We think we have accomplished so much.  We are led to believe that the more we accomplish, the more worthwhile we are, the better the person we are.  And we deserve to be noticed, and we ought to be congratulated, thanked, and rewarded.

Pause and Reconsider.  Jesus made a stunning statement:  “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).  Every single one of our accomplishments is by the grace of God.  Jesus is the vine, the source of all of our talents and blessings.  We are only branches, not the vine.  The gifts flow through the vine to the branches, and these gifts are rich and varied:  loving parents and a good family; intelligence, the ability to concentrate, good teachers, good resources; good health, physical strength, coordination, motivation, opportunity, good coaches, good teammates; an outgoing personality, persuasiveness, a good product, a good manager; the availability of good ingredients, good recipes, good refrigeration, and ample time.  Yes, we may have achieved something, but whatever good we have may have done, if it had not been for what we had received through the vine, we would have produced no fruit at all.

To God Goes the Glory!  Our successes start with the vine, “It is God who … begets in you any measure of desire or achievement” (Phil 2:13, NAB 1970), and our successes end with the vine, “O Lord … it is you who have accomplished all we have done” (Is 26:12).  Jesus was absolutely correct when he stated, “Apart from me you can do nothing,” and if our accomplishments are because of blessings we have received through the vine from God, then to God goes the glory!

St. John the Evangelist with book and quill at St. Michael in Madison, WI.

Love: Unifying Thread of the Second Readings of Easter B. Love is the hub around which the second readings of Easter, Year B, rotate. This series is taken from the First Letter of John, the sequence begins on Week Two and continues to Week Six, and love is mentioned in every scripture passage.

An Extension of the Gospel of John. The centrality of love in 1 John closely coincides with the love message in John’s gospel. Jesus spoke emphatically about the importance of love when he said, “I give you a new commandment: love one another” (Jn 13:34a; 15:17). If a disciple does not know precisely how to do this, Jesus instructed his followers to imitate him: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). For Jesus, love is the litmus test of discipleship, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). He further explained that his type of love is sacrificial, “There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).

Love, a Timely Easter Message. Love is one of the most tangible ways that the risen Christ abides with us after his Ascension to heaven. Also, as early Christian churches were established, love acted as the unifier and harmonizer in communities with newly baptized converts from a wide range of languages, nations, and cultural practices.

Easter Week Two B, 1 Jn 5:1-6. The word “love” appears five times in the first selection of the series taken from the final chapter of the letter. The love of God and neighbor are inseparably intertwined: “We know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments” (1 Jn 5:2).

Easter Week Three B, 1 Jn 2:1-5. Love is purified and perfected when disciples adhere obediently, meticulously, and faithfully to God’s commandments: “Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him” (Jn 2:5).

Easter Week Four B, 1 Jn 3:1-2. The love that disciples are to extend to others begins with the love that God first extends to us: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God” (1 Jn 3:1a), and the Father bestowed this love when he sent us Jesus: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (Jn 3:16).

Easter Week Five B, 1 Jn 3:18-24. John begins by admonishing the members of his community to not give lip service to love, “Children, let us love not in word of speech but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn 3:18); and then he refers to Jesus’ original teaching, “His commandment is this … love one another just as he commanded us” (1 Jn 3:23).

Easter Week Six B, 1 Jn 4:7-10. The most powerful statement is kept for last and acts as a grand conclusion: “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). Hence, the greater the love, the greater the presence of the risen Christ! The letter encourages believers: “Let us love one another because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten of God and has knowledge of God” (1 Jn 4:7).

St. George at Seven Dolors in Albany, MN.

April 23 is the feast day of St. George, Martyr.

St. George, Fact and Fiction.  Almost nothing historical is known about St. George.  Shreds of factual data suggest that he was a Christian who lived during the late Third Century when there were fierce persecutions against the Church, and that he was beheaded in Lydda, Palestine, sometime around 303 AD.  Over the ensuing centuries his popularity grew enormously, and in the Twelfth Century a fantastic legend emerged about him as a dragon-slayer.  The story is folklore, not history, but captivating nonetheless.

A Dragon with Halitosis.  The tale begins with George, a Christian knight, attired in armor and mounted on a mighty steed.  In his travels he came upon Sylene, a city in Libya, North Africa.  The city was near a marshy swamp where a fierce dragon prowled about, and it ventured forth from time to time, and it terrorized the countryside.  The local citizens banded together to mount an attack to kill it, but the dragon’s breath was so horrible that they were not able to get close enough to accomplish their mission.

A Devouring Dragon.  The dragon had a ferocious appetite, so to prevent the dragon from entering the city the residents fed it with two sheep each day.  When the supply of sheep ran out, a person was chosen by lot to be given to the dragon to eat.  On one occasion the lot fell to the king’s own daughter, and no one was willing to take her place.  The young princess was marched out to the dragon, dressed as a bride to meet her doom.

St. George to the Rescue.  George arrived at the outskirts of the city at this tragic moment.  He attacked the dragon, and with his lance he speared it, nailing it to the ground, but without killing it.  Then he took the king’s daughter’s girdle and tied it around the dragon’s neck, and the princess, taking hold of the garment, used it to tow the dragon into the city, the beast following tamely behind.

A Bargain to Slay the Dragon.  With the dragon inside the city, the residents were overcome with mortal anguish, and as they were about to flee George told them that they had nothing to fear, and declared, “If you believe in Jesus Christ, and if you will consent to baptism, then I will kill the dragon.”  The king and his subjects quickly agreed, so St. George squared off with the dragon and courageously slayed it.  Next, fifteen thousand were baptized.  The king offered George great treasure, but he refused it and instructed the king to give it to the poor.  As George departed, he made four requests of the king:  keep the churches in good repair; honor the priests; attend church services regularly yourself; and show special concern for the poor.

Patronage.  St. George was the patron saint of the Crusades, knights and soldiers.  Currently he is revered as the patron saint of England and Georgia in Russia, as well as horse-back riders, soldiers in the cavalry, and the Boy Scouts.

The Sacred Paschal Triduum is the three most solemn days of the liturgical year; Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil.  These most holy days celebrate the Paschal Mystery, first, the passion, suffering, and death of the Lord Jesus, followed by his resurrection, the triumph of the holy cross, and Christ’s decisive victory over sin and death.

The Triduum is a single feast, the Paschal Mystery, celebrated over three days, and they are the three holiest days of the entire liturgical year.  It is ironic, however, that feasts like the Assumption on August 15, All Saints Day on November 1, and the Immaculate Conception on December 8, are holy days of obligation while the three days of the Triduum are not.  There is no Church law that requires attendance for the Triduum, but good laws only make compulsory what should be done anyway.

For example, God gave the Third Commandment, “Keep holy the Sabbath day” (Ex 20:8), which serves as the basis for the Sunday Mass obligation.  We should want to go to Mass every Sunday.  It is only right to give thanks for the many blessings that we receive over the course of the week, and if we do not nourish our faith regularly, minimally at least once a week, with God’s holy Word and Holy Communion, it is likely that we will become spiritually malnourished and weaker in our faith.  If there was no law, a devout disciple of Jesus would want to go to Mass every Sunday anyway because it is the right thing to do, but because so many are lax with their faith and fail to do what should be presumed, a law was established to make mandatory what Christians should eagerly and gladly do on their own.

If there were ever three days that Christians should want to go to church to pray, it would be the Triduum.  These days rank at the head of the liturgical calendar.  They celebrate the most sacred mysteries of our faith, and they ought to be celebrated with the community at liturgy.  The Jews have three high holy days, three pilgrimage feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Booths, and those who lived outside of Jerusalem made pilgrimage to the Temple to celebrate these solemn occasions.  The three days of the Triduum are our “high holy days,” our “pilgrimage feast,” and we ought to make pilgrimage from our homes to church to commemorate and honor how the Lord Jesus laid down his life for us, his friends, for our salvation.

Please make it a top priority to go to church to celebrate the Triduum this year.  Reserve the time.  Rearrange your schedule if necessary.  Take some personal time off from work.  Suspend errands or jobs around the house.  Drop everything.  Plan to attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.  These days may be optional, but none are more important.  Enter into the mystery.

Roses symbol for love and joy and Mary from Holy Trinity in Huron SD

A Joyful Sunday.  The Fourth Sunday of Lent is also known as Laetare Sunday.  Laetare is a Latin word which means “rejoice” or “rejoicing.”  Other nuances of the word include joyfulness, gladness, cheerfulness, and happiness.  This elated or jubilant mood is a striking one-day departure from the somber, sorrowful, penitential tone of the other days of Lent.

A Joyful Beginning to Mass.  The word “Laetare” is taken from the first word of the Entrance Antiphon at Mass:  “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her.  Be joyful, all who were mourning” (a translation of Isaiah 66:10).

Joyful Symbols.  Certain exceptions from normal Lenten practice are permitted on Laetare Sunday:  “In this Mass, the color violet or rose is used.  Instrumental music is permitted, and the altar may be decorated with flowers” (Roman Missal, 106).  Rose is the liturgical color for joy.  Instrumental music is a joy to hear.  Beautiful flowers bring joy to the heart.

Joyful Anticipation.  There are multiple reasons why the Fourth Sunday of Lent is cause for joy, the most important of which is the proximity of Easter.  On Ash Wednesday Easter was a long way off, six and a half weeks, but on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Easter is only three weeks away, and as the greatest of all Christian feast draws ever nearer, joy increases.  Joy is also on the upswing because the amount of time left with the rigors of the Lenten discipline, penitential practices like fasting, abstinence, and self-denial, is more than half over.

Joyful Readings.  The Scriptures texts for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year B, are a series of joyful messages.  This first reading from 2 Chronicles is the joyful proclamation by King Cyrus of Persia that the Babylonian Captivity is ended, the temple in Jerusalem could be rebuilt, and those held in bondage were free to return home.  The second reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with the joyful statement, “God is rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4), and it emphasizes that salvation is God’s gift to us through the power of Jesus Christ.  Finally, the gospel proclaims the joyful good news that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16) … “so that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3:17).

Joyful Conversion.  It is with great joy that the catechumens who are preparing to receive the Easter sacraments celebrate the Second Scrutiny on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.  Also, it was an ancient custom on this Sunday to ceremoniously present the Apostles Creed to each of the catechumens to highlight the tenets of the faith in which they were about to be baptized.  The thought of the upcoming Easter Vigil and the reception of the catechumens into the Church is cause for great joy for the catechumens themselves and the entire community.

St. Agnes stained glass at St. Nicholas in Belle River, MN.

St. Agnes (292-304 AD) is one of the most revered and famous saints of the early Church.  Her courageous martyrdom was so inspiring to early Christians that her name was inserted into numerous litanies of saints, and she is included on the list of apostles and martyrs in the Roman Canon, today known as Eucharistic Prayer I.

Agnes was born in Rome into a wealthy family sometime around 292 AD during the reign of the emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD).  Christianity was not legal.  Undeterred, she became a devout believer already as a young girl.  She had a deep, abiding love for God and considered herself espoused to Jesus alone, and she steadfastly upheld her purity and maintained her virginity.  She died a cruel martyr’s death at the age of twelve or thirteen.  The details of her life are clouded in history, more legend than fact.

As the story goes, Agnes was a beautiful young lady who consecrated herself exclusively to God.  She attracted a great deal of attention from many young men, all competing to court her.  She rebuffed them one by one.  Infuriated by her refusals, her prospective suitors, all pagans, in retaliation revealed her identity as a Christian to the governor.  He interrogated her, and she replied, “I have no spouse but Jesus Christ.”  He threatened her with fire, iron hooks, and the rack, but she scoffed at them all.  She was ordered to offer incense to pagan gods, but she made the Sign of the Cross instead.

Enraged by her defiant attitude, the governor commanded that Agnes be sent to a house of prostitution where lust-filled men could violate her, but his plan was foiled.  When she arrived, those who intended to accost her were overcome with her aura of holiness and decided to respect her, all except one.  When this solitary individual advanced toward her, filled with wicked desires, he was struck blind.  The sightless man’s companions, awestruck by Agnes’ courage and faith, brought their friend to Agnes who offered a prayer and healed him.

Because of the cure, Agnes was accused of witchcraft and returned to the governor who, fuming with rage, condemned her to death by beheading.  She was taken to the Stadium of Domitian; the same location as today’s popular tourist attraction, the Piazza Navona.  St. Ambrose later wrote, “She went to her place of execution more cheerfully than others go to their wedding.”  It was there that she was beheaded by the sword.

St. Agnes has two symbols:  a palm branch, the symbol of martyrdom, and a lamb, because her name is so similar to the Latin word agnus which means “lamb.”  She is the patron saint of young girls, the Girl Scouts, purity, and Christian virtue.

St. Matthew with battle ax at Resurrection Church in Eveleth, MN.

St. Matthew was an apostle and an evangelist. Matthew was also known as Levi, the son of Alphaeus (Mk 2:14; Lk 5:27). He was born in Capernaum, a fishing village on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee, and he worked at a nearby border crossing as a customs agent where it was his job to collect a toll or duty on all of the people, animals, and goods. These “toll collectors” or “tax collectors” were very unpopular with average Jewish citizens because they were viewed as greedy and corrupt as they regularly overcharged and pocketed the difference for themselves, and as traitors because they consorted with the Romans who were despised as pagans and an unwelcome foreign presence in their homeland.

On one occasion when Jesus was walking along the north shore of the lake, he came to the toll booth where Matthew was stationed. Jesus paused, looked at him, and said, “Follow me” (Mt 9:9). It was shocking that Jesus would call someone so scorned by so many to be one of his apostles, and equally shocking that Matthew would accept the invitation, leave his family and friends, job, income, and security, all to follow Jesus without a moment’s delay. Then Jesus shared a dinner with him in his home (Mt 9:10). Matthew is mentioned only four other times in the New Testament, always on a list of the apostles (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13).

After the Ascension, Matthew receives no further attention in the New Testament. According to tradition, after Pentecost Matthew began his missionary work in Judea, but accounts of his other destinations vary. Some say “the East,” including Syria and Persia; others Europe, maybe Macedonia, possibly as far as Ireland. His final destination most likely was Ethiopia where tradition says he was martyred, first crucified on a T-shape cross and then beheaded with an axe.

Matthew also was an evangelist or the author of a gospel. His gospel was composed around 85 AD and intended for a Jewish Christian audience. One of his major literary purposes was to present Jesus as the fulfilled of the Hebrew Scriptures. His book has twenty-eight chapters which makes it the longest of the four gospels, and for centuries it has been considered the best textbook or catechism for teaching about Jesus and the Christian faith. Prior to the liturgical renewal there was a one-year Lectionary cycle and Matthew’s texts were most used at Mass. As part of the renewal a three-year Lectionary cycle was developed, and today the gospel selections are more equally distributed between all four evangelists.

Matthew is represented by a number of symbols in Christian art. As a money collector, he is represented by a coin purse, a treasure chest, one or three money bags, or a scale which was used to weigh gold; as a gospel writer, he is represented by a quill pen, a scroll, or a book; as an author guided by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, there may be a dove or rays of light; and as a martyr, he is sometimes represented by a spear or a sword, but more often by a battle axe, the weapon used to behead him Ethiopia. The symbol for Matthew’s gospel is a human being with wings, “the divine man,” because his gospel includes Jesus’ genealogy (Mt 1:117) and gives special attention to Jesus’ human nature. The image is also drawn from Ezekiel’s vision of the four living creatures (Ez 1:9-10).

Matthew is the patron saint of tax collectors, customs officers, security guards, accountants, bookkeepers, bankers, financial officers, money managers, stock brokers, and money changers.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is honored by three special feast days during the month of September:  the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8, the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 12, and Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15.  These Marian feasts days punctuate the liturgical calendar with timely reminders of the key role that the Mary played in our salvation as the mother of the Savior, and provide multiple opportunities to honor her.  The words that Jesus spoke to the Beloved Disciple he speaks to us, “Behold, your mother” (Jn 19:27).  Devotion to Mary is right and proper because Jesus asked us to regard her as our spiritual mother, and when we focus on Mary, she leads us to her Son.

September 8 is the feast of the Birth or Nativity of Mary.  Mary’s birth was the dawn of hope and salvation to the world.  She was born without sin, full of grace, the favored one, blessed among women, so she might be the sacred vessel and worthy mother of the Son of God.  Mary’s birth is cause for great joy and brings us closer to lasting peace.

September 12 is the memorial of the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a new celebration recently added to the liturgical calendar.  Mary is holy because she loved God with her whole heart; was well schooled in her faith by her mother, St. Anne; worshipped regularly in the Temple and synagogue; placed her complete faith and trust in God; accepted her special calling; reached out with such generous love to her relative Elizabeth; prayed so eloquently as seen in her canticle (Lk 1:46-55); lived humbly; was full of the Holy Spirit; was such a loving mother, such a devoted companion to her Son on his missionary travels, and offered such good advice to believers:  “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5).  Mary is our pattern of holiness.  Her exceptional holiness calls us to greater holiness in our own lives.

September 15 is the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.  Simeon told Mary that her heart would be pierced by a sword (Lk 2:35), and it was pierced on Good Friday when she stood heartbroken, overwhelmed with sorrow, at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25).  Mary shared in her Son’s suffering and death.  May we, like Mary, “be glad to share in the sufferings of Christ” (1 Pt 4:13), so we might make up in our own lives whatever is lacking in the sufferings of Christ (Col 1:24).  Then we, like Jesus who ascended to heaven, and Mary who was assumed to heaven, might share in their glory.  Furthermore, when Mary suffered with Jesus, she demonstrated her compassionate love.  May we, inspired by her example, be more compassionate with one another.

Please, do not let the month of September pass by without doing something to honor our Blessed Mother Mary.