Daily Reflection on Scripture

Today Jesus tells us fairly directly that He is Lord. For the Jews of the first century, the law was above reproach. Anyone who dared question the law was instantly said to be a heretic. But as Christ points out "the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath" which might as well mean He is Lord of all to the Jews.

Christ is of course Lord of all. We must remind ourselves of that whenever we think we know the rules and how to apply them. The truth is, only Christ (or said differently God) understands what is truly just and truly righteous and hence what the rules should be. We can only to our best to understand what has been told to us through divine revelation. We need to remember this whenever we have rules, that we don't let them be the benchmark and not the underlying truths we have learned from divine revelation.

May we all have the strength to follow Christ no matter what lines we must cross to do so.

kencraw on 07.16.04 @ 04:00 PM PST [link]

Scripture Quote of the Day

"I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
you would not have condemned these innocent men.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."

-Matthew 12:6-8 from today's Gospel reading

kencraw on 07.16.04 @ 11:29 AM PST [link]

Question of the Day: How can I get 100 visitors from CAEI and only get one question?

That's a good question! Questions from existing Catholics are welcome too.

"Dusty" over at CAEI asks if we should warm me up first or throw the tough questions at me right off the bat. I say: Let 'em rip. Easy questions are boring.

In addition, I don't expect that I'll have all the right answers, so I expect that everyone will comment on my answers. Feel free to tell me I'm an idiot.

So fire away!

kencraw on 07.16.04 @ 11:26 AM PST [link]

Daily Reflection on Scripture

After a number of consecutive days of being disheartened by Christ's condemnation of those that fail to repent, pick up their crosses and follow him, we come to today's reading. Todays reading is one that we should have tattooed on the inside of our eyeball so that we always remember it.

When I finally gave up Athiesm and saw God's presence in my life, the thing that struck me most was the peace I received from it. Christ, more than anything else, gives us rest. No matter how bad our day was, or how bad we were, there is always forgiveness and acceptance in Christ. We can fall as many times as is imaginable until our knees are bloodied from the falls, but Christ will always be there for us. All we must do is stand up, pick up our cross and follow Him.

May we all know Christ's peace today as we continue to carry our crosses.

kencraw on 07.15.04 @ 11:48 AM PST [link]

Scripture Quote of the Day

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

-Matthew 11:28-30 and today's Gospel reading

kencraw on 07.15.04 @ 11:35 AM PST [link]

Question of the Day: How do Catholics relate between scriptural Scriptural Church offices (prophet, teachers, apostles etc.) and modern Catholic Church offices (bishop, priest, and deacon)?

This question was submitted by John Henry, the first to jump at the opportunity to ask a question. You can see his exact question (I had to reformat for room) in yesterday's Question of the Day comment box.

This is a good question that I think more people would be wise to ask of their leaders in their church. What exactly is their role? What is its basis?

All of the terms, Bishop, Priest and Deacon are scriptural terms. The First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy, Chapter 3 speaks of the role of the Bishop (some translations use the term Overseer, but most use the term Bishop) and the Deacon. It is a good section of the Bible to read about Paul's vision for the Church as he was commisioning Timothy to lead the faithful in Ephesus.

Bishops were and are the leader of their communities, chosen initially by the Apostles and then by the preceeding Bishop. Timothy was the Bishop of Ephesus, chosen by Paul, an Apostle, for this role. When Timothy left that community, either for another community or into the afterlife, he would have chosen a successor. In the Catholic Church, we use this passing on of the faith from one Bishop to the next, starting with the Apostles, as being the basis for our belief in Apostolic Succession. We see the term of Bishop as being an extension of the term Apostle. The only people in the Catholic Church who can teach "officially" are the Bishops. Priests and Deacons are their assistants and must submit to the teaching authority of the Bishop.

The although the role of the Deacon in First Timothy is vague, other early Church writings see them as assistants to the Bishops. Today they most frequently act as assistants to Priests, who are themselves assistants to Bishops.

Which brings us finally to Priests. Priests are mentioned throughout the old and new testament. Priests are ordained to make sacrifices to the Lord. In the Catholic Church, we see the Mass and the Eucharist as a scraficial offering to the Lord and so the assistants to the Bishop who can officiate at that sacrifice are called Priests. Deacons can not officiate at a Mass (they can assist).

The other role you mentioned was that of Prophet. A Prophet is someone who hears the word of God to share with the world. We as Christians believe that Christ was the final public revelation of God and therefore, there are no Prophets in the Catholic Church.

It is important to note, that these roles are not the only ways that a Catholic can be servant of the Lord (something many Catholics forget as well). We can all serve God in one way or another. But the teaching role of Apostle (Bishop), the sacrificial role of the Priest and assistant to the Bishop (Deacon) have been specifically called out in scripture as ordained ways in with those who are called to that ministry can serve Him.

kencraw on 07.15.04 @ 11:29 AM PST [link]

Daily Reflection on Scripture

What a mystery it is who seems to know God best amongst all us fallen human beings. It would seem that those who have made a life of studying scripture and the teachings of the Church would know God more fully than those who only attend weekly Mass. But this is not always the case. It is often the most "uneducated" people who seem to be closest to God. It would seem that the Priests and Bishops would most put their trust in God. But this is not always the case. It is often those who work for their daily bread who trust God most.

We often hear Christ relate to the childlike. He tells us to have a faith like a child. I always struggle to know how to embrace this truth. What does it mean? I just don't have the answer. I'm not a child anymore. I can no longer think as a child. But what I come away with today from this reading is that I must pray about this. I must strive, even if how to is eluding me, to have a faith like a child. Maybe just accepting that I can no longer remember what it is like to be a child, will put me on the right path. Maybe accepting that we can not know what it is be God, will help us have the faith of a child.

May we all pray for the insight to know how to love God as a child does.

kencraw on 07.14.04 @ 02:45 PM PST [link]

Scripture Quote of the Day

"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike."

-Matthew 11:25 from today's Gospel

kencraw on 07.14.04 @ 02:33 PM PST [link]

Question of the Day: Why prevent other Christians from taking Communion at the Catholic Church?

This is a question I get often. It doesn't feel very good to be a Christian who loves Christ yet be excluded from His supper at a church claiming to be Christian.

There are two answers to this question. First, and the easiest for most to understand, is that Catholics hold a different belief than Protestants on what Communion is. We believe very firmly that the bread and the wine become Eucharist, the actual body and blood of Christ. Let me re-emphasize this: we REALLY and TRULY believe that the bread and wine is transformed (we use the term transubstantiated) into the body and blood of Christ. Once one believes this, it leads to a number of required behaviors.

Would you throw the ashes of your deceased father into a dumpster? Of course not. Neither would we discard Christ's body and blood. In every Catholic Church, there is a little box on or near the altar called a Tabernacle. After we have finished communion for that Mass, the remaining wafers of the Eucharist are put in a container called a Ciborium and placed in the Tabernacle for safe keeping until the next Mass. In addition, all of the precious blood is consumed, if it was not already. Every Catholic Church also has a special sink in the Sacristy (the room where the Priest prepares for Mass) for washing out the Patens and Chalices (the plates and glasses that the Eucharist is served from). This sink does not go into the sewer, but into the ground so that the remaining crumbs and liquid residue that is the body and blood of Christ is not desecrated. Similar treatment is made of the cloths that are used during Mass. The can not be washed in a washing machine for the same reason since they too may hold crumbs and residue of the body and blood of Christ.

As you can see, we REALLY believe that the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ and we take this fact VERY seriously. As such we do not feel comfortable giving Eucharist to someone who doesn't share our belief. Someone who doesn't believe that the Eucharist is sacred is not going to treat it with the appropriate reverence. We actually do allow some other Christian churches to receive Eucharist in the Catholic Church: the Orthodox Churches, Assyrian Chruch of the East and the Polish National Catholic Church. We feel confortable that they accept the teachings of the Catholic Church and are united with us to the degree that the truly believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist.

The response question I often get from Protestants to that explanation is: OK, I see. What if I believe that it is the body and blood of Christ, I still can't receive, right? The answer is yes and lead to the second reason.

The word Communion is not arbitrary. What does it mean to be in Communion? For us it means to be in union with one another in the Church that Christ formed with Peter as its head, the Catholic Church. To falsely share in that union, when in fact one is separated by faith from the Catholic Church is unacceptable to The Church. We see sharing in the body and blood of Christ as a special enactment of the unity of Christ's Church and as such are unwilling to falsly suggest that we are in that union with other Christians, when we are not.

The Missalette (the book in the pews to help participants at Mass follow along) says this inside the back cover:
"Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion."
It goes on to say what must be done to gain an exception to that rule, which is usually granted for very specific reasons for a singular event (the yet-to-be-Catholic spouse at a wedding is an example that occurs from time to time).

Catholics pray frequently that Christ's Church will become whole again and all Christians will celebrate the faith together and share in the body and blood of Christ as one. Please keep this significant mystery in your prayers as well.

kencraw on 07.14.04 @ 02:31 PM PST [link]

Daily Reflection on Scripture

When I first heard today's Gospel from the pulpit, it made me think of how important it was to follow God's commands. But as I read it to make today's reflection, an interesting thought crossed my mind: what if some see this as a justification to behave poorly?

We haven't been given the blessing that Capernaum was given of Jesus's presence. We haven't seen him perform miracles like they did. Sodom, the worst of all places, will receive some comfort on judgement day (more so than Capernaum it seems), so won't we, even if we don't live up to His commandments (like Sodom)?

Of course this is just non-sense. We all will be held accountable for our actions. But it just brought to mind how scripture without context, without prayer, without guidance, can often lead us down errant paths.

May each day be an opportunity to open up scripture prayerfully and discern God's word in it through the guidance of His Church.

kencraw on 07.13.04 @ 02:17 PM PST [link]

Question of the Day: What kind of questions can I ask?

Any question about Catholicism is acceptable. They can be historical questions (I heard there was a 11 year old Pope?), questions about the Dogma of The Church (Is it true the Catholic Church believes the Pope is God?), questions about The Church's perspective on current events (Why did the Pope urge us not to go into Iraq?), questions about various saints (who was Saint Valentine anyway?), questions about how we celebrate The Faith (Why all the incense during Mass?), questions about the Liturgical Year (when are the 12 days of Christmas really?), or anything else you can think of.

So go ahead, enter a comment with a question or e-mail me at questions at thecrawfordfamily dot net. If you enter them now, you're much more likely to get them answered than after I get a big build up of questions.

kencraw on 07.13.04 @ 02:16 PM PST [link]

Scripture Quote of the Day

"For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes."

-Matthew 11:21-22 from today's Gospel reading

kencraw on 07.13.04 @ 01:55 PM PST [link]

Daily Reflection on Scripture

Today's reading struck me in regards to those who argue that we shouldn't have unrest in the Church. Christ came to bring peace, they'll say. But today, that's not what He says. Today He says that following him and bringing his message to the world will do anything but bring peace, it will bring hatred and distrust.

So should we be concerned with the 'controversy' or 'division' proclaiming the Truth will cause? I think today's readings suggest otherwise, particularly in the context of the first reading from Isaiah:

"Bring no more of your worthless offerings... cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justics your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow." (Isaiah 1:13,16-17)

In other words, showing up for Mass and taking communion are not enough. We must live the life of Christ every day and the Church should be willing to proclaim that Truth no matter what controversy it might cause.

kencraw on 07.12.04 @ 10:32 AM PST [link]

Question of the Day: Are you qualified to answer my question?

Now that I'm starting my "Question of the Day", you might be asking yourself, why should I ask this bozo my question? What are his qualifications?

The short answer is, I'm not qualified. I'm just a meager Catholic convert who has helped out with my parish's RCIA process (how new converts join the Catholic Church) for the last 4 years. I read a lot and I've made it my goal to learn as much as possible about the Faith.

The only people who can authoritatively teach the Faith in the Catholic Church are the bishops. They gain their authority from their apostolic succession, their unceasing line of authority, that dates back to the Peter, leader of the Apostles, to whom Christ charged with spreading and defending the Faith. That said, I'll do my best to relate all that I've learned from them and those that they've taught. All feedback and additional information/insights are welcome.

Start asking your questions today in the form of a comment or by e-mailing me at questions at thecrawfordfamily dot net!

kencraw on 07.12.04 @ 10:31 AM PST [link]

Scripture Quote of the Day

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household."

-Matthew 10:34-36 from today's Gospel Reading

kencraw on 07.12.04 @ 10:02 AM PST [link]

Back online!

I've been offline for a while now. Things have been quite busy. I'm going to start posting daily now, but with a slightly different flavor. I'm going to emphasize reflection on each day's Mass readings. The quote of the day will now mostly be from the Gospel reading of the day. I'll also post a small reflection on the reading. 2nd, I'll be answering a question about the Catholic Church each day. You can post your question in the comment box for the previous Question of the Day entry or e-mail me at questions at thecrawfordfamily dot net*. Start asking your questions today!

I'll still have the occasional political (either secular or Church) posts, but they'll no longer be the majority of posts.

So to review:
1. Quote of the Day -> Scripture Quote of the Day
2. Reflection on daily readings each day
3. Question of the day
4. Less political posts

*Note: I've spelled out the e-mail address like that to avoid e-mail address harvesting bots. If my address had been bogus at thejonesfamily dot net the actuall address to type in your e-mail client would be bogus@thejonesfamily.net.

kencraw on 07.12.04 @ 09:28 AM PST [link]