Byline: Msgr. Charles E. Pope

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Liturgy

“Blessed Be God Forever”

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

March 12, 2019 10:20 am March 12, 2019

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Linguistically, the response “Blessed be God for ever” used at Mass translates the Latin Benedictus Deus in saecula. Benedictus, in Latin, literally means to speak well or favorably about some one or…

Linguistically, the response “Blessed be God for ever” used at Mass translates the Latin Benedictus Deus in saecula. Benedictus, in Latin, literally means to speak well or favorably about some one or something (bene: well; dictus: say or speak). Hence, what we mean by “blessed” and the phrase “Blessed be God forever” is that “It is well that God should be forever praised.” We are not claiming to confer some sort of grace or favor upon God, as is often the meaning of the word “blessing” in English.

Theologically though we can distinguish between God’s intrinsic glory and his external glory. There is not one thing we can add or take from God’s intrinsic glory. He is glorious and blessed all by himself and has no need of our praise.

However, we can help to spread God’s external glory by our praise and acknowledgment of Him before others, as well as by reflecting His glory through lives of holiness, generosity and conformity to the truth. In this sense we can also understand the phrase “Blessed be God forever” to mean: “May God’s external glory and blessedness be extended and experienced in all places and times. May God be blessed (praised) everywhere and unto the age of ages.”

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3 min read

Eternal Life

How To Pray For Those In Purgatory?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

March 7, 2019 2:43 pm March 7, 2019

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Any prayer or pious act applied to the souls in purgatory can be a way to pray for them. The most effective manner of praying is to have Masses offered…

Any prayer or pious act applied to the souls in purgatory can be a way to pray for them. The most effective manner of praying is to have Masses offered for them or to apply the fruits of your own attendance at Mass. The Rosary, too, is a wonderful way to pray for them.

We pray for the souls in purgatory because they are undergoing the final purifications that are necessary for most of us after we die. This is because Scripture says of heaven: “nothing unclean will enter it” (Rv 21:27). Jesus also made a promise to each of us when he said, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

Most of us realize that few leave this world as perfect or pure, even if they are in friendship with God and in a state of grace. Some final work must be done to take away any final attachments to sin, any rough edges, any sorrows, regrets or hurts. These things are surely disclosed when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ (see 2 Cor 5:10).

How this purification is done is mysterious, but Scripture gives two images, one consoling and the other more vigorous. The Book of Revelation supplies the consoling thought that, regarding the dead, Jesus “will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away” (Rv 21:4). The more vigorous text comes from St. Paul, who speaks of a fiery purgation the dead will pass through on the day of judgment: Each one’s work will become manifest, “for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:13-15).

So on account of this judgment and purification (that seems necessary and is taught), we pray for the dead that this process be swift and that they be in the full glory of heaven soon.

It is the instinct of the Church that our prayers help, which is an ancient practice, stretching back into the Old Testament (see 2 Mc 12:40-46). It is our wish to assist these souls and speed their purifications that may be necessary and that they may be undergoing. We are not always sure of how time here relates to time there, or even if they experience time as we currently do. Yet, still, it is our instinct to pray and assist them in those final finishing touches, as the Lord completes His masterpiece.

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1 min read

Jesus

What Is I.N.R.I. On The Crucifix?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

March 4, 2019 8:36 am March 4, 2019

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It is an abbreviation for Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judeorum — Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. In Latin the “I” and “J” are usually interchangeable and ancient Latin did not use…

It is an abbreviation for Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judeorum — Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. In Latin the “I” and “J” are usually interchangeable and ancient Latin did not use the “J.” That is why it is I.N.R.I. not J.N.R.J. It was common for the Romans to hang a “titulus” or sign above the crucified to indicate the charges against him. Scripture says that Pilate put the charges in Latin, Greek and Hebrew.

Pilate placed this title above Jesus in scorn and mockery, rather than faith. He also likely knew it would irritate the Jewish leaders, which it did (see Jn 19:21). Yet even in his ridicule, Pilate spoke truth. Jesus is King, not of the Jews only, but of all things.

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2 min read

Angels

Should We Name Guardian Angels?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

March 1, 2019 10:43 pm March 1, 2019

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Generally, the Church advises against the practice of naming our angels. In a document written in 2001 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments entitled…

Generally, the Church advises against the practice of naming our angels. In a document written in 2001 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments entitled “Directory on Popular Piety in the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines,” it says, “The practice of assigning names to the holy angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, whose names are contained in holy Scripture” (No. 127). While the congregation does not offer reasons for discouraging the practice, I would like to offer a couple.

First, there is the understanding of what a name is. For most of us in the modern Western world, a name is simply a sound we go by. But in the ancient, biblical world, and even in many places today, a name has a far deeper meaning. A name describes something of the essence of the person. This helps explain the ancient practice of the Jews to name the child on the eighth day. The delay gave the parents some time to observe something of the essence of the child, and then, noting it, they would name the child. Indeed, most biblical names are deeply meaningful and descriptive.

But it is presumptive to think that we can know enough of the essence of a particular angel in order to be able to assign a name. Hence, assigning a name seems inappropriate.

The second reason is that assigning a name indicates some superiority over the one named. Thus in the case of children, parents, who are superior over their children, rightly name them. However, in the case of angels, they are superior to us. And, even though we often speak of them as serving us, they do this on account of their superior power and as guardians. Thus God commands us to heed their voice (see Ex 23:20-21).

You are surely encouraged to speak to your angel, and the usual practice is to say something like, “Dear Guardian Angel….” or simply “Guardian Angel, please help….”

I usually get a lot of pushback when I have given this answer elsewhere, whether in print or in talks. I realize that many have strong feelings to the contrary of what the Roman congregation advises. And though I think the caution is reasonable and that we should not name angels, neither should we abandon charity among one another over this issue or allow it to loom too large as something permitted or forbidden.

The bottom line should be to avoid the practice but to preserve charity and gently correct if possible, or tolerate it with kindness where necessary.

Rev. Msgr. Charles E. Pope is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

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3 min read

Scripture

When Was the Last Supper?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

February 25, 2019 1:20 pm February 25, 2019

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The issues related to the dating of the Last Supper are complex and difficult to treat fairly in a short answer. However, the basic facts are these. The Synoptic Gospels…

The issues related to the dating of the Last Supper are complex and difficult to treat fairly in a short answer. However, the basic facts are these. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) clearly describe the Last Supper as a Passover meal, during which Jesus took up the themes of that meal and indicated that He was going to fulfill them in a new Exodus, leading His people out of sin and into the freedom of the Kingdom.

St. John’s Gospel, however, rather clearly indicates that the Friday in which Christ died was in fact the day of preparation for the Passover, which had not yet occurred. And thus, in a theologically rich observation, Jesus is being killed at the very hour when the lambs for Passover meals were being killed and butchered. According to John, therefore, the Passover that year was not celebrated Thursday night into Friday, but rather Friday night into Saturday. And thus the Last Supper, whatever it was, was not in fact the Passover meal.

So, the question is who is right? The Synoptic Gospels, which say that the Last Supper was a Passover meal, or St. John, who indicates otherwise? Different explanations have been offered for the discrepancy.

Some theologians think that John is theologizing, to connect the death of Jesus to the killing of the Passover lambs.

However, a more likely explanation is that the Jewish people of Jesus’ time did not all agree upon or use the same calendars to mark the days. Most Jews used a lunar calendar, which lagged behind the cycle of the sun some 11 days every year, and required corrections to be built into it every three to four years. Not all Jews agreed exactly when to introduce these corrections. Further, some Jews also used a solar calendar rooted in the Book of Jubilees, and there is strong evidence that Jesus and his followers used this calendar. John’s description of the days may reflect this fact, whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke may be writing to a wider Jewish audience, which calculated the days a bit differently.

Therefore, not every Jewish person living in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection agreed on the exact days that marked the Passover feast. While everyone agreed that the feast took place on or right near the full moon, there might be a variance of a day or two on either side of that full moon as to when exactly to begin and end the feast.

We live with rather accurate clocks today, but not so in the ancient world, and the discrepancies of a day or two are understandable in this context.

What does it all matter? At a personal level for many of us who believe, it probably matters very little. However, it does matter in terms of the Scriptures being a credible historical source. And thus when discrepancies are noted they must be explained at some level. And there are indeed here several possible explanations to account for the noted differences.

Rev. Msgr. Charles E. Pope is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C.

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1 min read

Angels

Two Guardian Angels For Priests?

Msgr. Charles E. Pope

February 21, 2019 12:59 pm February 21, 2019

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There is a tradition that priests have two angels, a guardian angel and an empowering angel. But this is only a tradition, not an official teaching of the Church. It…

There is a tradition that priests have two angels, a guardian angel and an empowering angel. But this is only a tradition, not an official teaching of the Church.

It makes some sense that a priest would have an empowering angel since it is attested in Scripture that God administers creation in many ways through the angels. Some angels attend to the highest heavens, others the stars and cosmos, others oversee the earth, and still others attend to us. In these ways, they carry out God’s will and providence.

Since a priest is engaged in a special and powerful work of God, it makes sense that God would assign an angel to assist in this task. The Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) points to the ministry of such an angel when it asks God that our sacrifice be “borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high, in the sight of your divine majesty.”

Hence, to surmise that a priest has an empowering angel in addition to a guardian angel is not without basis or merely pious thinking. But, that said, it is not officially taught by the Church.

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