Peace, Deacon Ron

St. Thomas Aquinas says that the “principle act of friendship is to live with a friend.” He goes on to say that there are five principle marks of friendship:  1) That you desire your friend to live.  2) That you wish good things for your friend.  3) That you do good things for your friend.  4) That you find a common life with your friend to be delightful.  5) That you are of one heart with your friend, rejoicing and sorrowing about the same things. These are all things that are hard to accomplish when your friend lives many miles away and is seldom visited. This is why St. Thomas says the principle act of friendship is to live with a friend.

Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, who in many regards could have been considered a Christian even though he lived long before Christ, said that friendship pertains to happiness and is one of the things that brings us the most happiness. He said that in all things we humans tend to act for a common end, a common end of happiness. He identifies three kinds of friendships: the useful, the pleasant and the honorable. The first and second are selfish in nature. The first is often seen in business and politics. It is where we associate with certain individuals solely because of what we can get from them. The second type is often seen in some sort of social activity. We may golf with certain individuals or play cards with certain individuals because we enjoy doing those things with them. Or it may be that we enjoy going to concerts or movies with certain people but our relationship with them is limited to that specific activity. The third type of friendship is one of loving the other for their own sake. Aristotle said that only these individuals are true friends, and St. Thomas Aquinas said that only these individuals represent perfect friendships. In actuality all true and perfect friendships are but a dim representation of the one true friendship that we can all have with God the Father if we allow it to exist.

My friends, the time has come for us to part ways. It is hard to believe that my time at St. Anastasia has come to an end. This is my last weekend with you as Deacon John as I will be ordained a priest this coming Saturday, May 22 at 10:00 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit and you are all welcome and encouraged to attend. I will be     returning on May 30^th, the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, to celebrate Holy Mass for you here, at St. Anastasia, at 10:15 a.m.  If you are unable to attend the ordination I hope to see you here for this Mass of Thanksgiving.

My new assignment takes me to St. Isidore in Macomb Township so if you are ever in the area of 23 Mile and Romeo Plank Roads, please stop in to say hello – it’s not that far away! Know that I depart having recognized that each of you have reflected the one true and perfect friendship of God to me during my time here. I wish you all life. I wish all good things will come your way. I promise to give you the greatest gift that I can possibly give, to pray for each of you for it has been a true delight to have lived among you and to have shared your joys and sorrows. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you his peace!

Deacon John

There are three names that essentially refer to the same thing: “Liturgia Horarium” (Liturgy of the Hours – a public service officiated by a minister); “Officium Divina” (Divine Office – a divine service or duty which is sometimes also referred to as “Opus Dei” meaning the work of God); “Breviarium” (Breviary – a book or compendium of all the canonical hours).

The Liturgy of the Hours is deeply rooted in the Old Covenant. In Exodus 29:38-39 we read that God commanded a morning and evening sacrifice. The synagogue practice of reading the Torah and praying the psalms with hymns developed during the time that the Temple did not exist, thus morning and evening sacrifices were not possible during that time. The bloody sacrifice was replaced with a sacrifice of praise. Within the psalms themselves we read “seven times a day I praise you” (Psalms 119:164), and “the just man meditates on the law day and night” (Psalms 1:2). Additionally, we read in the Acts of the Apostles (3:1) that the early Christians maintained the Jewish tradition of praying at the third, sixth, and ninth hours of the day.

Since the period of the Old Covenant a cycle has developed by which the 24 hours of the day were divided into seven periods of prayer: “Lauds” (Morning Prayer – 3:00am to 6:00am); “Prime” (first hour of the day – 6:00am to 9:00am); “Terce” (Mid-Morning Prayer – 9:00am to noon); “Sext” (Mid-Day prayer – noon to 3:00pm); “None” (Mid-Afternoon prayer – 3:00pm to 6:00pm); “Vespers” (Evening Prayer – 6:00pm to 9:00pm); “Compline” (Night Prayer – 9:00pm to midnight); “Matins” (Office of Readings – prayed at three time periods: 9:00pm-midnight-3:00am). The reforms following the Second Vatican Council resulted in a four week cycle in which various psalms are prayed during each of the various periods of prayer. Today priests and religious are generally required (with minimal exceptions) to pray Office of Readings (though no longer divided into three periods of prayer), Morning Prayer, one of either Mid-Morning Prayer or Mid-Day Prayer or Mid-Afternoon Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer. Regardless of the various reforms to the Liturgy of the Hours over the past two thousand years of Catholic Christianity, the basic structure of praying the psalms, canticles, readings and singing hymns has remained fairly constant since the eleventh century. Today, it is recommended that the Liturgy of the Hours be prayed at or near the traditional times through out the day but there is no longer a rigid requirement to do so, except for some religious orders which mandate the times for prayer for those in their community. The laity, however, are under no canonical obligation to pray this ancient form of praise and worship of God so they are certainly not bound to the specified hours of the day nor are they bound to pray the entire Divine Office, even though they are encouraged to do so. I hope this information sufficiently answers your question Mike.

In closing, some of you may have noticed my absence from daily Mass this past week. This is because I have been preparing to return to the seminary and indeed I did returned to the seminary on Thursday August 27th. Please remember me in your prayers as I begin my last year of Theology studies before ordination to the priesthood on May 22, 2010. I will continue to be with you most Sunday’s each month until my ordination and I plan to continue to write my bi-monthly “Ask the Deacon” articles as long as seminary obligations allow me to do so. May our mother Mary always keep you close to her Son. God bless!

Deacon John

Now, I think this question really deals with the issue of general absolution rather than the Communal Penance Service, they are two different things yet they are often assumed to be one and the same. I’ll start by explaining the Communal Penance Service. This is a practice in which Catholics join together to go through what is know as an examination of conscience. There is usually a scripture service along with a homily followed by a review of, maybe the Ten Commandments, and/or some other moral principles to help us come to a better understanding of our faults and failings since our last examination of conscience. Following this examination of conscience, the priest, or priests available, will hear individual confessions at which time the penitent receives private absolution for their sins. This type of Communal Penance Service is still offered during Advent and Lent at various parishes throughout the Vicariate, sometimes including St. Anastasia, but it is not generally conducted on a weekly basis.

When general absolution would have been granted, a very similar service probably would have been performed followed by the granting of general absolution for the whole group present rather than individual confessions with private absolution. So, in the not too distant past, some priests may have conducted what was called a Communal Penance Service and at its conclusion administered what is known as general absolution. This was typically done for a large group of people who were seeking the Sacrament of Reconciliation and it normally would have been done on the grounds that it was impossible, from a practical point of view, to hear the confession of every penitent present. The Code of Canon Law does allow for general absolution under very narrowly defined situations, (#961.1) such as soldiers unexpectedly called into battle, or maybe passengers on an airplane which is about to crash. This practice of general absolution is basically reserved for emergency situations where the danger of death is immanent or in some cases of grave necessity a priests Bishop can grant specific limited permission, (#962.2). The law of the Church requires more of us, however. If, or when, the emergency situation that necessitated the use of general absolution comes to an end, and the penitent is able to go to private confession, he must do so. The sins which were not privately confessed in individual confession must be confessed in individual confession as soon as possible after the emergency has passed, (#962.1). In other words, assume a plane is about to crash and a priest who is a passenger on that plane grants general absolution to all those on that plane before it goes down. Now assume that plane does indeed crash land but everyone survives the landing – thank God! Everyone on that plane who received general absolution is bound to go to individual private confession at their earliest opportunity and confess their sins in the normal fashion. When one is conscience of grave mortal sin, individual confession is the ordinary, or normal, means of being reconciled with God, (#960).

So, Communal Penance Services are a wonderful means of helping us to examine our conscience but it is only through individual confession that we receive the grace of the sacrament. The exception is for those narrowly defined emergency situations, or cases of grave necessity, which even then still require us to confess serious sin at our earliest opportunity after the emergency. Can a Communal Penance Service with general absolution be reinstated as a regular practice? Not under current Church law. I hope this information helps, (please forgive me if I have been overly legalistic in my answer), and may our mother Mary protect you all!

The short answer is no, this is not true. To not forgive until asked to do so is to hold a grudge, it is prideful and vengeful. It is as if to say: “I have been wronged; I know I am right, and I will not forgive until you recognize that I have been wronged and that I am right.”

Some Christians believe that to forgive any unrepentant person who has transgressed against us is unbiblical and even, in a way, makes the forgiver better than God because God’s forgiveness requires that we repent of our sin first. This is false, God grants forgiveness freely without our having to ask for it, but, we can only receive His forgiveness when we are repentant. To sin is to turn away from God and His grace. We cannot be reunited to Him, and thus receive His grace, until we repent of our sins. Consider this, if you slap me in the face and then turn your back to me, you cannot see that I have open arms and am ready and waiting to receive you back in a loving embrace. However, when you turn around, you immediately see that I have been standing there waiting for that very moment the whole time. This is our God.

Let’s consider some scripture passages that will also help refute this false notion regarding forgiveness. First, look at Luke 23:34 where Jesus, hanging on the cross, prays to the Father: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Have any of the transgressors, at that point, asked for forgiveness before Jesus made this prayer to the Father? Clearly the answer is, no. Now, look at Mark 2:1-12 where the paralyzed man is lowered down through the roof by his friends. Did this man ask for forgiveness before Jesus healed him? Again, there is no scriptural record of the paralyzed man asking for anything before Jesus acted. Third, look at John 7:53-8:11 where the woman, caught in adultery, was about to be stoned. Did she ask Jesus to forgive her before Jesus acted to prevent her stoning? Yet again, the answer is no. How about St. Paul’s letter to the Romans 5:8, “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” This is a very key passage because it points to the fact that the basis of Christianity, that is God becoming man to grant us salvation, was done as a pure act of love and in spite of that fact that we did not ask Him to do it.

Finally, look at Matthew 6:14-15: “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Again, Matthew 7:38: “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Clearly we are being told that if we do not forgive, regardless of whether or not we’ve been asked for forgiveness, then we ourselves shall not be forgiven, not because forgiveness was not offered but because we, of hardened heart, refused to repent of our own grudges, our own pride, and our own vengefulness.

We must be Christ-like and forgive everyone who sins against us, over and over again, and we need to pray for those who sin against us and by doing so we have the assurance that we too will be forgiven. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” – Matthew 5:44. God bless you all and may our mother Mary keep you safe.