Faith of Our Fathers

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 41, 19 October 1922, Page 41

Faith of Our Fathers

[A Weekly Instruction foe Young and Old.] Second Commandment of the Church: To Hear Mass on all Sundays and Holidays of Obligation. 1. As it has been said in the explanation of the third Commandment of God, Holy Church obliges all the faithful who have come to the use of reason, and are not lawfully prevented, to assist devoutly, at Mass on Sundays and holidays of obligation. When we cannot go to church on account of some obstacle, which, nevertheless, does not pievent us from being recollected, at home for example, taking care of an invalidit is proper to supply for the Mass by saying prayers in union with the priest and.the faithful who are in church. 2. To assist devoutly at the divine Sacrifice, at which the angels themselves assist with a holy awe, we must remember that the Holy Mass is the unbloody renew al oi continuation of the bloody Sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered upon the Cross by immolating Himself for the salvation of the world then to unite our intention with that of the priest, to follow attentively all that is done at the altar, and to redouble our fervor at the principal parts. At the priest’s communion, if we have not the happiness of communicating sacramentally, it is a very holy practice to make a spiritual communion, which consists in the desire of a devout heart sighing to receive the. Body of Jesus Christ really. Then, when the moment has arrived, we should say with all our heart, in union with the priest, the words of the centurion in the Gospel, “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be healed” and at the same time we should have a holy and lively desire to receive Our Lord in sacramental communion, saying, in our hearts and with our lips, “Deign, O Lord, soon to nourish me with Thy life-giving flesh, that I may be filled with Thy life.” 3. During Mass we must pray with recollection and devotion. All prayers are good, and the Church has not prescribed any in partcular. It is customary for the faithful to use those found in an approved book, or to say the Rosary, or meditate on the mysteries of the Passion, which the Mass recalls to mind. 4. We call a Parochial Mass that which the parish priest celebrates for his parishioners in their own church, and at which he gives an instruction especially adapted to their wants. As a general rule it is well to assist at it; nevertheless there is no obligation to do so, and we are allowed to hear Mass in any other church, especially if it is more convenient, and we receive an instruction equally beneficial. 5. Although the Church only obliges her children to hear Mass on Sundays and holidays of obligation, she desires, nevertheless-, that they should also assist at Mass during the week. Nothing is more conformable to the Christian spirit than to hear Mass every day, whenVoue has the time; and nothing draws down on a family more blessings from God than to be represented every day by some of its members at the Holy Sacrifice. Third Commandment of the Church To Keep the Days of Fasting and Abstinence Appointed by the Church. 1. This Commandment of the Church is one of Christian penance; it prescribes fasting and abstinence. 2. Penance in general is a law. imposed on all mankind since the sin of Adam, and constitutes an absolutely indispensable means of salvation. Our Lord has expressly declared it in these words, “Unless you do penance you shall all likewise perish” (Luke xiii. 3); and we may say that His doctrine is contained in the words which He used in . His first sermon, “Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. iv. 17). Christianity itself, represented by Jesus Christ on the Cross, is one great expiation, and the Christian law, a law of penance for the remission of sins. 1 ./ > , 3. This general law may be divided into two parts — namely, into interior penance, which consists in contrition for our sins; and exterior penance, which comprises all the sufferings . and corporal mortifications which we practise in expiation for our sins. 4. The third Commandment of the Church is like a . particular or organic clause of the great law of penance.

The Church prescribes the days of fasting as a corporal penance that all the faithful must practise, thus determining what every Christian is strictly obliged to perform in order to satisfy the divine law of penance. As this divine law obliges every one, even those who are not capable of observing the ecclesiastical precept of fasting, these latter must endeavor to supply for their shortcomings in this respect by prayer, good works, and alms-deeds, 5. We might ask why, among corporal penances, has the Church chosen and prescribed for the faithful that' of fasting and abstinence? For these reasons—(l) because this form of penance has most generally been practised by the saints of every age, and sanctioned by the example of Jesus Christ Himself; (2) fasting is the most easy for the greater number of the faithful; (3) because, in fine, it procures precious spiritual advantages. For, as the Church says in her Liturgy for Lent, the effects of fasting are — (1) to deaden the passions by subduing the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit, and by weakening the strength of our wicked inclinations; (2) to elevate the mind and dispose it to prayer; (3) to appease the anger of God, and to draw down His blessings upon us. Children’s First Communion at Sumner The congregation which filled the Church of Our Lady “Star of the Sea,” .Sumner, on Sunday week, witnessed for the first time there a First Communion of the children (writes a correspondent). The little girls in their white frocks, veils, and wreaths, and the boys wearing white sasheseight in all—made a very pretty picture. They had been carefully trained by Miss Fitzgerald, and prepared for the reception of the Holy Eucharist by Rev. Father Hanrahan. Very Rev. Dean Bowers was, celebrant ’ of the Mass, during which music appropriate to the occasion was rendered by the choir. After Mass the children were entertained to Communion breakfast at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. J. Hennessy. A number of adult guests were also present, and willing helpers aided in making the function on© to be remembered. Before dispersing, Mr. R. Beveridge referred in fitting terms to the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs, Hennessy, and to the interest they have for many years taken in the work of the church. These sentiments were fully endorsed by the gathering, A pleasing feature of the afternoon’s proceedings was the distribution of cards and rosaries to the children. These were brought from England by Miss Richards, and the generous gifts were greatly appreciated by the recipients. <X*J> ——— (cwroii to 1 Liverpool’s New Cathedral In spite of high taxation and widespread unemployment, Liverpool Catholics have raised more than £60,000 of the £IOO,OOO which is required to build the new Catholic Cathedral, to be erected memorial to the late Archbishop Whiteside. Liverpool is a large and wealthy city. The population of the Catholic diocese is larger than that of any other single diocese in England or Wales, and second only in point of numbers in Great Britain to the flourishing diocese of Glasgow. The Anglicans in Liverpool are also both numerous and wealthy. Yet although the city gives a title to a Catholic Archbishop and an Anglican Bishop, the cathedral churches of either of these prelates have been insignificant affairs. - Before the war the Anglicans began the building of a new cathedral. The war stopped building operations, but the Lady Chapel of the Anglican Cathedral, of which the English Freemasons undertook the cost, is one of the most splendid examples of present-day Gothic architecture in England. Its architect is a well-known Catholic designer of churches, who this year was elected to membership of the Royal Academy. . - But the new Catholic Cathedral will be, quite as fine as the Anglican Cathedral, and in every way a worthy monument to the great prelate in whose memory it is to be erected. It will be a splendid - mother-church for the whole of the vast diocese, in which the Sacred Liturgy will be celebrated daily in choir by the members ■of the Metropolitan Chapter and the College of Cathedral Chaplains, and will be to the Northern Province what Westminster is to the South. .-V