There has been reservation and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament since the early days of the Church. But it was only in the 13th century that instructions and norms for tabernacles were established. But with the 16th century Council of Trent, a new era began in the devotion of the faithful to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent. 18 At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” The cleansing of the Temple was a startling act. It had its implications not only for the condemnation of the Temple traders, but also for the Person of Jesus. It was a messianic action. The Jewish leaders demanded that Jesus authenticate his implied claim by producing a “sign” (sēmeion). Interestingly they did not dispute the rightness of his action. They were not so much defending the Temple traffic as questioning Jesus’ implied status. Continue reading
I am a bit troubled by today’s readings. The gospel is this uncomfortable sequence in which Jesus, for the third time, has told his disciples “Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified.” At least this time Jesus lets them know he will be raised from the dead… not that they understand what he is telling them – or maybe they weren’t really listening. Continue reading
The title of this post might strike you as odd but there is a history. There was a trend in the history of the Church, some point to periods as early as the 4th century, when the reception of the Eucharist began to diminish. There was not a corresponding diminishment of faith, orthodoxy or rejection of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, rather it was a growing sense of not being worthy. The history and scholarly opinions on the underlying reasons are subject of much ink and debate, but from that period of history up into the middle ages, various synods, local councils and Church councils directed that there was a minimum for the reception of the Eucharist. We see that legacy today in the “Easter Duty,” the reception of the Holy Eucharist at least once during the Easter Season. This trend seems to have been consistent up to the 9th century when another issue arose. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent. 13 Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. The “temple” signifies the whole of the Temple precincts, including the various courts as well as the holy place. It is most certain that the area of action occurred in one of the courtyards. It is certain that the selling mentioned took place in the outer courtyard, the court of the Gentiles. The reason for the practice was, of course, the convenience of having at hand a supply of animals required for the prescribed sacrifices. Continue reading
The very first post in this series was titled “Reservation, Adoration, Exposition, and Benediction: The Eucharist Outside of Mass.” Earlier posts covered the history and practice of reserving the Eucharist which, in time, led to the norm and use of tabernacles in the Church. A previous post also discussed the lexicon of the Catholic faith with regard to reverence for the Eucharist. The precise term is latria which in our time is translated as “adore” or “worship” – and is reserved for use in speaking of God and because of our doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist – also when referring to the Eucharist. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent. The temple cleansing in John completes the inaugural event begun with the Cana miracle. John 2:1–11 revealed the grace and glory of Jesus and the abundant new life Jesus offers. John 2:13–22 highlights the challenge and threat that new life poses to the existing order (cf. John 5:1–18). Continue reading
What did you take away from today’s readings? Before reading on, take a moment. Click on the link and peruse the readings for today. What are the one or two notions or ideas that stand out for you? We’ll wait… Continue reading
The previous post asked: “What impact would the reforms of Vatican II have on the placement of the tabernacle in Catholic Churches – especially the ones being designed and built in the years following Vatican II? Today’s post offers an answer to that question. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent, Lectionary Cycle B. The temple narrative in John consists of two parts: Jesus’ actions in the Temple (vv. 14–17):
14 He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. 15 He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, 16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” 17 His disciples recalled the words of scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
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