Day 230: How We Live (Part 3 Introduction)

Today there is no reading from the Catechism, but instead a discussion between Fr. Mike Schmitz and Dr. Mary Healy introducing Part 3. Tomorrow begins the actual reading of the text!

In the video, Fr. Schmitz & Dr. Healy introduce us to the importance of living each day what we say we believe in our walk with Christ. The Catechism Companion, Vol II notes:

In this third part of the Catechism. it comes down to our daily choices: Do I really believe what I say I believe? The first section of pillar three is about our vocation, life in the Holy Spirit. God never gives us a commandment that he does not empower us by the Holy Spirit to carry out... Ultimately, the moral life is God calling us to the impossible. But what is impossible for men is possible for God. Every time we fall and then get up, it's a victory for the Kingdom. This part of the Catechism gets down to the concrete reality of our daily choices. Keep going. Be all in for Jesus because it is a complete adventure. (p. 224)

Ok,  the intro is done, and tomorrow Part 3 begins!

Day 229: Christian Funerals

For the Christian the day of death inaugurates, at the end of his sacramental life, the fulfillment of his new birth begun at Baptism, the definitive "conformity" to "the image of the Son" conferred by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and participation in the feast of the Kingdom which was anticipated in the Eucharist - even if final purifications are still necessary for him in order to be clothed with the nuptial garment. CCC 1682

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses that final act we all will face one day: Christian funerals. It is "the end of [our] sacramental life" and commitment of our souls to the hope of resurrection in Christ Jesus. Everything we do in life is supposed to orient us as Christians to "take up [our] cross and follow [Him]" (Matt 16:24-26) with this final moment in mind. 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes the relationship between the sacraments and the death of a Christian:

The Christian who dies in Christ reaches at the end of his earthly existence the fulfillment of that new life which was begun in Baptism, strengthened in Confirmation, and nourished in the Eucharist, the foretaste of the heavenly banquet. The meaning of the death of a Christian becomes clear in the light of the death and Resurrection of Christ our only hope. The Christian who dies in Christ Jesus goes “away from the body to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). (#354)

Funerals can be tough on everyone, especially when they are completely unexpected and/or at a young age. For Christians, they should also be a reminder of our ultimate end in this life, and hope for the hereafter as we go to "be home with the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8). 

The Catechism Companion, Vol II has some good commentary on this:

The Christian meaning of death is revealed when we look at how Jesus died, a death marked by grief and struggle. Sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked the Father to take the cup from him, but he embraced his Cross with trust in his Father. The homily during a funeral Mass should not be just a eulogy about the person. It should shed light on what death means for a Christian since Christ has risen from the dead. It invites the congregation to pray on behalf of the person who is in the casket. (p. 222)

Day 228: Blessings, Sacramentals, and Popular Piety

Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life. Among the sacramentals, blessings occupy an important place. They include both praise of God for his works and gifts, and the Church's intercession for men that they may be able to use God's gifts according to the spirit of the Gospel. In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying them in the light of faith, the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that express an evangelical instinct and a human wisdom and that enrich Christian life. CCC 1677-1679

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses sacramentals in the Church, blessings, and popular piety among the faithful. All of these are geared towards focusing our hearts and minds on Christ through the liturgy. 

For the last of these, the Catechism Compendium gives a summary:

The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in the various forms of piety which accompany the sacramental life of the Church, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, and the rosary. The Church sheds the light of faith upon and fosters authentic forms of popular piety. (#353)

Among the laity, especially, the Rosary is probably the most popular form of piety. Since at least the 2nd century and the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, the faithful have also venerated the relics of holy saints as being "more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold." Hence why they are incorporated in the altars of every cathedral throughout the world. 

Finally, speaking of the Rosary, Paradisus Dei has a great series filmed in the Holy Land that can be viewed on their website, Formed, and some episodes are even on YouTube.

Day 227: Summary of the Sacrament of Marriage

The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. CCC 1661

Today's reading from the Catechism is an "In Brief" that reviews what has already been covered on the Sacrament of Marriage for the past few days. Again, I have nothing more to add, so I will try and keep this short.

The Catechism Compendium summarizes nicely for what ends God instituted Matrimony:

The marital union of man and woman, which is founded and endowed with its own proper laws by the Creator, is by its very nature ordered to the communion and good of the couple and to the generation and education of children. According to the original divine plan, this conjugal union is indissoluble, as Jesus Christ affirmed: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mark 10:9). (#338)

The Catechism Companion, Vol II has a simple line, which speaks much truth:

In the family we learn how to love. (p. 218) 

Short and sweet, you could say. Yet it is profound. Most of us learn about life and how to love from our parents and family primarily. Love for God, love for family, love for our neighbor. In a family that has not become so dysfunctional, where the image Christ intended is distorted by sin, this is true. We see the effects of that in the first human family after the Fall (Gen 3-4), are given examples of sin on families such as King David's disgraceful behavior to Uriah, mostly, but also to Bathsheba (2 Sam 11-12), even though she was willing. In the New Testament, we find parables such as that of the Prodigal Son and his brother (Lk 15:11-32), but also find the hope that faith in Christ families can be spiritually restored (Acts 16:31).

Pictured are Louis and Zelie Martin, the holy parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, who were canonized in 2015. They model for us Christ's love for the Church (see CCC 1661). (p. 219)

Having both once yearned to take Religious vows, they followed God's true calling of marriage for their lives, having multiple children who later joined Religious orders, including their youngest, the beloved St. Therese. Sts. Louis & Zelie are today recognized as the patron saints of marriage, families, and widowers.  

Day 226: The Supreme Gift of Marriage

Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary. The Church is nothing other than "the family of God." From the beginning, the core of the Church was often constituted by those who had become believers "together with all [their] household." When they were converted, they desired that "their whole household" should also be saved. These families who became believers were islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world. CCC 1655

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the "supreme gift of marriage": families. From these, society is made, and the Church is sustained to carry out the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20).

The Catechism Compendium summarizes this section:

The Christian family is called the domestic church because the family manifests and lives out the communal and familial nature of the Church as the family of God. Each family member, in accord with their own role, exercises the baptismal priesthood and contributes toward making the family a community of grace and of prayer, a school of human and Christian virtue, and the place where the faith is first proclaimed to children. (#350)

Not all couples can have children, of course. It may be that God has chosen to bless them through birth much later and with greater difficulty than they wish, or to adopt a parentless child, or even to remain without children. Being open to life is what couples are called to in this, as hard as that can be at times. Another gift of marriage is the bond between couples, which helps them in this life and hopefully in achieving Paradise in the end.

The Catechism Companion, Vol II comments on this:

The Church supports the many spouses who are open to life but have not been able to have children biologically. Those couples can still embrace a meaningful marriage that is filled with love, selflessness, and care for others. (p. 216) 

Day 225: Total Fidelity in Marriage

It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being. This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that it supports and sustains them, and that by their own faithfulness they can be witnesses to God's faithful love. Spouses who, with God's grace, give this witness, often in very difficult conditions, deserve the gratitude and support of the ecclesial community. CCC 1648

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the necessity of complete fidelity within marriage. In other words, no persons "on the side" but a total commitment emotionally and in conjugal relations to one's spouse. That's for both husbands and wives.

The Catechism Compendium summarizes Church teaching on what sinful behavior can mar the fidelity owed to one's spouse:

Adultery and polygamy are opposed to the sacrament of matrimony because they contradict the equal dignity of man and woman and the unity and exclusivity of married love. Other sins include the deliberate refusal of one’s procreative potential which deprives conjugal love of the gift of children and divorce which goes against the indissolubility of marriage. (#347)

There are unfortunately times when a situation arises that necessitate spouse separating, but if the marriage is valid it still cannot be undone. As the Catechism Companion, Vol II notes:

In our broken world, in a regime of sin, circumstances such as violence can make it so that spouses cannot stay in the same home with each other. Then it is acceptable in the eyes of the Church for the husband and wife to move away from each other, but they remain a married couple. Each person is called to continually live out his or her vocation, so even if a husband and wife are no longer living in the same place, they are not free to pursue another relationship or marriage with someone else. (p. 214) 

Unfortunately, some get divorced and civilly remarry others even though their first marriage is valid. Because this is seen as contravening God's law, such persons are not allowed to partake of the Eucharist, "exercise certain ecclesial responsibilities," or receive Absolution through the Sacrament of Penance "until repented for having violated the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, and who are committed to living in complete continence" (CCC 1650). 

Day 224: The Grace of the Sacrament of Marriage

"The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual and unreserved affection." Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love, which is undivided and exclusive. CCC 1645

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony. One man and one woman, or in Greek, "one flesh," are joined together in Christ with a bond between them that can never be broken (Matt 19:6). 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes this section:

The sacrament of Matrimony establishes a perpetual and exclusive bond between the spouses. God himself seals the consent of the spouses. Therefore, a marriage which is ratified and consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved. Furthermore, this sacrament bestows upon the spouses the grace necessary to attain holiness in their married life and to accept responsibly the gift of children and provide for their education. (#346)

It has been said that marriage and families are the fundamental building blocks of human society, the means by which our faith, cultures, traditions, etc. are passed on to the next generation. They are also the most normal means for procreation, that is, actually having a next generation to follow after us. With all this in mind, God raised this to a sacrament. A means by which couples receive Christ's grace and hope in the glory of Paradise.

Finally, Dr. Brant Pitre has a good, short video on Jesus, Divorce, and Remarriage: