Why Lent is valuable
Instead of complaining about things we think the Church is doing wrong, how about complimenting her on something she does that is absolutely right and necessary for our spiritual wellbeing? I am talking about Lent.
Solomon writes in the Book of Ecclesiastes (2:10- 11): “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all of my labor, and this was the reward for all of my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun.”
The Church, in her infinite wisdom, calls us to a period of self-denial so that we might step back from the course of our lives and take a hard look at who we are and where we are headed. Through the Lenten period of self-denial, the Church gives us the opportunity to examine our lives in order to prevent the tragedy that Solomon describes in this passage.
Through self-examination, by way of detachment, we can see more clearly if we are living lives pleasing to God or just pleasing to ourselves! – Joseph Swonk, Dunnsville
Church has rubrics, rules for a reason
Regarding Deacon Melvin Dowdy’s letter (Catholic Virginian, March 7): If a priest were to speak the incorrect words for the sacraments of matrimony, penance, Communion or any other sacrament, those sacraments would also be declared invalid. This is because of the importance and sacredness of the sacraments themselves. Also, the exact words are contained in the rubrics. The formula is not to be changed or edited.
In the case of the invalid baptisms in the Diocese of Phoenix, I agree with the baptisms being declared invalid. The priest who performed these invalid baptisms was saying, “We baptize you …” when in reality, the priest should have followed the rubrics and said, “I baptize you…”
The central issue here is that the community is not baptizing a person, but the priest or deacon who has the authority to do so is doing it. We as the faith community do not have the power nor the right to baptize anyone unless it is in an extremely dire situation, such as a dying infant or someone dying in a car accident.
In this case, I see Catholic “legalism” as a good thing, as it limits instances such as these and also prevents Catholic clergy from changing the sacrament wording or the liturgy as they see fit. It would start with something small, and slowly but surely continue to progress further away from what the sacrament should be.
The Church has written rubrics and rules for a reason; they need to be followed. They are put in place for our guidance and for our salvation. – Gabriel Utz, Richmond
Baptism and the rule of law
Baptism is a gift from God and should be administered with the reverence due to all heavenly realities, to include the precise recitation of the baptismal formula. Why? Because the Church is the “home” of the sacraments (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1131).
To not follow her demands in the sacramental economy is to reject the authority granted to her by Christ: “I … give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 16:19). These keys grant legal authority to the Church, thus legitimizing the ancient practice of canon law, which teaches that “Baptism … is validly conferred only … with the proper form of words” (Canon 849).
Legality aside, though, baptism is a sacrament, or ritual, of initiation. It is the ordinary means by which someone is “born” into a life of divine sonship or daughtership, just as natural birth is the ordinary means by which human persons become sons and daughters of their parents.
Initiation rituals in secular and religious cultures are safeguarded to provide assurance to the initiated and witnesses alike that new members have entered into the community.
This provides for stability and unity, as well as cause for joy, to these groups; deviation in Christian rituals, such as baptism, unnecessarily presents doubt to the Christian community, which seeks to know its family members with assurance as any natural family would.
The only place for sentimentalism in baptism is in the knowledge that one has been made a son or daughter of God by Christ’s sacrifice, in his Church and through the laws established therein. – Andrew Slattery, Norfolk
Liked story about Defending Life Day
I saw the article on Defending Life Day (Catholic Virginian, Feb. 21). I agree with what was published. It is a really great thing to do. A lot of the article was about Catholic High School and the students who went. I am also a student at Catholic High School.
I was going to go to the March for Life in DC, but that got cancelled for us, and I couldn’t make the Defending Life Day in Richmond. However, I enjoyed hearing about it and seeing pictures and now reading about it in the paper. It was really cool to see teachers and staff that I know from school have their words published in the newspaper.
Thank you for putting in such a great article about it, and I hope I will be there next year. Maybe I’ll even make it in a picture that’s published! – Raùl Acevedo, Norfolk