Profession of Faith Part 3 Some changes in the texts and their meaning.

ABOUT THE MASS SERIES PROFESSION OF FAITH PART 3: 

CHANGES IN THE TEXTS AND MEANING.

THE MASS: ABOUT THE MASS ICON.

 

From November 2011, we have been using the ‘’new translation of Mass texts’. For young Catholics, it will make no difference as they may not have even learned the previous translation.  For older Catholics, the ‘new translation’ may be a very easy transition.   At the time, I found my old prayer book that I had at first communion, only to discover that the text of the Profession of Faith in that prayer book was similar to what was called ‘’new translation’.  It goes to show that things come and go and somehow come around again and if you keep something long enough, it becomes useful again.

However, for the middle age Catholic, there was a period of transition in terms of the text. Now that we are in 2019, many parishioners recite the creed without any trip ups text wise. Some parishioners still pick up the pew sheets, which can be very useful not only for the words but to focus on the words rather than being distracted. 

This post then looks at some of these changes, why there were made and more importantly, what added valued to our faith they provide. How can we get the most out of reciting Profession of Faith? We will continue the remainder of the key changes to text in another post next week.

These first few word changes therefore provide us with much to ponder in our meditation and in the way we recite the Creed at Mass.

SOME TEXT CHANGES.AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR FAITH.

I believe: In the current translation the opening words are ‘’I believe’’ instead of the previous translation ‘’We believe’’. Although it is still the faith of the Catholic church, by saying ‘’ I believe’’, we are making our own personal act of faith. Added to this, the literal translation of the word ‘’Credo’’ means I believe so it makes perfect sense to translate it according to the word. The third reason is that many other countries around the world kept their equivalent of I believe. This now brings the English-speaking countries in union with not only other countries but our brothers and sisters in Christ in those countries. We therefore are not only putting our own personal acclamation of faith, but as Catholics we are stating our faith in union with them. In other words, the whole of the Catholic church is really saying ‘’I believe’’.

I have to say this as an aside- I have experienced this both times I went to World Youth Day. There were huge crowds- often we could not speak the vernacular of the person standing next to us but when we prayed at the Mass- there was a senses of family, of faith and definitely, when the Credo was sung in Latin, there was an ascent to the faith being professed. I will never forget it myself.

The second point is that when reciting the creed together at Sunday Mass, we as a community of believers should not gloss over or forget to say these words or think I will catch up in the next paragraph. We need to be ready when the priest invites us to stand so that we can truly give our own ascent to our faith as we say ‘’I believe’’.

“of all things visible and invisible’’ We believe that God not only created all that is visible but also all that is invisible to us. This means that this includes the angels and the saints. They were once visible but now invisible to us on earth.  God still created them and they are present with us (though invisible to us) at Mass. How awesome is that.

‘’Only Begotten’’ This phrase not only is a closer translation of the Latin but also appears in the Gloria.  This phrase is meant to reaffirm our faith that Jesus was part of the intentional divine plan- intentionally begotten, rather than just materialising as the Son of God. In case we missed it in our hearts as we recited/sung the Gloria, there is another opportunity to be thankful that Jesus is the Son of God.

‘’Born of the Father before all ages’’ Not only is it a matter of preciseness to the phrase but the first 2 verses of the Gospel of John provide scriptural reference for it. This is useful when others ask or ridicule us for our belief in God- we have a scripture reference to which we can refer them.

“Consubstantial’’ literally meaning having the same substance. This is important because it is fundamental to our faith as it expresses the dogma of the divinity of Jesus. It also puts to rest various heresies that have occurred over the centuries regarding the divinity of Jesus. It is the only time this word is used which, is significant because it describes accurately the nature of Jesus Christ- the divinity of Jesus. It is kept in reverence to describe Jesus and His divinity.

May these words and phrases give you further insight into why it was necessary to change the texts in the first place and more importantly, how it affects our faith each week.

A question of Jesus for the people Mk 12 35-40

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

The Bible: Gospel of Mark icon.

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 12:35 -40 which is called A question of Jesus for the people

A QUESTION OF JESUS FOR THE PEOPLE.

The fifth question in this part of Mark’s Gospel (11:27-12:40) comes from Jesus himself.  He puts a question to those who are listening to Him in the temple at Jerusalem.  His question relates to the identity of the expected Messiah as the Son of David which the scribes taught, he will be.  His listeners begin to wonder in their hearts the mystery of His own identity. 

The popular expectation of the Jews was for a Messiah descended from King David who lived around 1000BC. They also accepted at the time of Jesus  that King David was the author of the psalm which Jesus quotes ( Ps 110:1). However, this was likely to have been written much later even up to 200 years BC.

Jesus does not doubt the Messiah will be a descendant of David. What He asks the people is how can the scribes explain the opening words of this psalm, the Lord God says to my Lord the Messiah.  How can David call the Lord one of his descendants, Jesus asks unless that descendant is someone more than just his descendant?

REACTION OF THE SCRIBES AND PEOPLE.

The common people are delighted with the teach of Jesus, but many of the scribes, whose role was to study the Scriptures and to interpret them for the common people, are not. They refuse to see in Jesus, someone who could be greater than David, their soldier-king.

The harsh words of Jesus which follow (38-40) against the pride, hypocrisy and greed of the learned scribes must have some basis in his actual life, but they probably also echo something of the hostile situation of confrontation between early Christian communities and first century Judaism at the time when Mark wrote.  Jesus observe things that point to the arrogance, the vanity the greed and the hypocrisy of the scribes.  They are resisting the power of God and bringing condemnation on themselves.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS. 

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are one of the scribes- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

• Imagine being the one of the people observing the reaction of the scribes.
  What inconsistencies in myself do I want to bring to Jesus?
  
  What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus make clear His teaching to me in this passage?
  
  

·         Consider a situation in your life today where the teaching of Jesus needs to be applied. Why is it difficult to be challenged on a long-held view and be open to viewing it differently?

·         Pray for people called to be God’s servants and messengers in places and situations where they are treated badly. Is there a situation or a person in your parish who is treated badly for doing the right thing and therefore is not loved by parishioners in accordance with this commandment of love?

• Consider how much my faith and love gives a special ‘taste’ to my day to day living as a Christian, that is, one who follows Jesus as the Christ?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this parable? What questions do I want to ask Him?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching? 

Collect for 6th Sunday Eastertide Year C

THE COLLECT SERIES

THE MASS: COLLECT SERIES ICON

 

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COLLECT

Grant, almighty God,

that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy,

which we keep in honour of the Risen Lord,

And that what we relive in remembrance,

we may always hold to in what we do.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:
1. What is the Pascal Mystery and what does it mean to me?

2.How am I celebrating Eastertide with heartfelt devotion

3. How will I celebrate these Easter days of joy this coming week?

4. What am I reliving in remembrance during Eastertide and what effect will it make in my life this coming week?

5. Why do I need to hold to what I am reliving in remembrance

6. What does the Risen Lord mean in my life and how will honour Him this coming week?

GOSPEL REFLECTION.

 Today’s Gospel continues as part of the conversation Jesus had with His disciples on the night of the last Supper. This point should not be overlooked because even before all the suffering that Jesus would endure out of love for humanity and His mission to save and redeem it, even before His cruel death and glorious Resurrection, Jesus was promising His disciples
( and us) the Holy Spirit- the Advocate who ‘’the Father will send in My name’’.

Stop and think about it for a moment.

In other words, Jesus knew that He was to leave this earth (not only by His death) but He would rise again and ascend to Heaven at the appointed time.  Jesus is really showing how much love that He has for humanity by providing the Holy Spirit who ‘’will teach us everything and remind you of all I have said to you’’.  He is not leaving us alone.

Often in parishes, a group of people are involved in the same activity ( group) for many years. Then comes the time when the core group/members leave.  There is usually an unplanned departure from a parish perspective and the parishioners feel the hole. Sometimes it is felt immediately and other times not for a while, when all of a sudden something that was done unobtrusively needs to be done and the question is asked’’ who does that?’’  The answer is usually that has done the task for many years and is no longer doing it- moved parish, retired after many years of service, sick or just plain fed up/unappreciated.

Not so with Jesus. He prepares the disciples before He dies, before He rises, before He ascends into Heaven. He not only prepares them but provides ‘’a replacement’’- not that the Holy Spirit is a replacement but God the Holy Spirit ‘’will teach us everything and remind us of all I have said to you’’. 

The other aspect of this Gospel is the fact that Jesus gives the disciples ( and us) peace- not the peace of the world- but His own peace as a gift.   Then after giving Him ( and us) His gift of peace,  He tells them not to be troubled or afraid when He leaves because when He leaves, He will be able to send the Holy Spirit.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION.

It is a fortnight to Pentecost where we have the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit afresh.

Depending on when Ascension of the Lord is in your country ( some Thursdays) and in Australia at least, it falls on a Sunday.

1.Why not check your calendar and count 9 days before Pentecost.

2. Attend daily Mass asking for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the world, your parish, your own needs.

3. If you are not able to get to Mass every day, then pray for that fresh outpouring.

4. If are able, why not spend some time before Blessed Sacrament- either in exposition ( if your parish has exposition) or before the Tabernacle. Pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Desire it- want it- pray for it with expectation and hope and knowing with God’s generous love that He will hear our prayers.

5. Choose a hymn to the Holy Spirit and sing it each day.  Here are a couple of hymns which may help you. If you are not a singer, then use some Spirit Songs in your meditations.

1.Shine Jesus shine:

2. Come Holy Ghost:

3. The Power of Your Love: 

4. Veni Sancte Spiritus  https://youtu.be/Z6hqAfsHURo?t=1

From today’s Gospel then we can thank God that He loves us so much that He gives us His gift of peace. We do not need to be troubled or afraid. We have the Holy Spirit with us to teach us everything and remind us of all Jesus have said to us.

May you have a blessed week in the Risen Lord and give the world an Alleluia wherever you are.

Give me Lord a steadfast faith

REFLECTION AND PRAYER SERIES.

My reflection and prayer series is about sharing reflections and Prayers which have impacted upon me and have provided food for thought. I hope that they will also nurture your soul and spirit.

My Scripture reflection is 

''You will keep in perfect peace, he whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you”’ 
(Isaiah 26:3)

Christ The Redeemer.

My post is called:

Give me Lord a steadfast faith.

Give me Lord a steadfast faith

that stand on Your Word

Knowing there is never a moment

when I’m out of Your care.

No 101 In what sense is the life of Christ a Mystery

COMPENDIUM SERIES

Jesus the Teacher: Compendium Series Icon.

No 101 In what sense is the life of Christ a Mystery? (512- 521, 561-562) 

WHAT DOES THE COMPENDIUM SAY?

Compendium states: not

The entire life of Christ is a revelation.  What was visible in the earthly life of Christ leads us to the invisible mystery of the divine sonship ’’ whoever has Me has seen the Father’’
(Jn 14:9). Furthermore, even though salvation comes completely from the cross and Resurrection, the entire life of Christ is a mystery of redemption because everything that Jesus did, said and suffered had for its aim the salvation of fallen human beings and the restoration of their vocation as children of God.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

What does this mean for me?

• I can thank God constantly for being God and wanting to restore me to full life in Him as a child of God.
• I can be, through the grace of God, an example to other people by my life  to plant a seed to help them turn their minds and hearts back to God, their Father, Jesus His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. 
• I can ponder carefully all that Jesus did and said recorded in the New Testament to appreciate more deeply His aim of salvation for myself and for the world.
• I can thank God that the mission of Jesus was to save.

Questions to consider.

1   What impact does the life of Christ have and what does it mean to me?

2. How would I explain the life of Christ as a mystery so it would have an impact on the life of the other person to whom I am explaining it to them? 

3.      What steps can I take to embrace the knowing more about the life of Christ on earth by understanding more deeply the New Testament?  

4.  What benefit does it have to me knowing that the aim of Jesus and His mission was to save humanity?    

5.    When I think of the enormous suffering and death of Jesus, what impact does it have in my heart to know how much He loves me.?  

6.      How can the Resurrection of Jesus be incorporated into my daily life as part of the overall theme of redemption? 

Profession of Faith Part 2

ABOUT THE MASS SERIES. 

The Mass: About the Mass Icon.

PROFESSION OF FAITH PART 2

The Profession of Faith serves as a way for us to respond, and to give our assent to the Word of God heard in the readings and the homily, and for us to recall the truths of faith before we continue with the celebration of the Eucharist- the great mystery of faith.

Over the centuries, like the other parts of the Mass, music has been composed for the Nicene Creed, such as, the ‘Mass in B Minor’ by J.S. Bach or ‘Mass in C’ by L. van Beethoven. These composers took a particular line of text and created a composition around it. So their Creeds were made of many sections.  We can learn from this method ourselves. Actually, this is a great way for us to reflect on the words of the Creed. Why not take a line or two and mull over it?

SAY OR SING THE CREED?

However, since Vatican 11, it is preferred that the Creed is not sung, rather that it is proclaimed together, giving voice to our beliefs and responding to the Word of God.   

If it is sung, as a rule the congregation is meant to sing it together or in alternation.  The musical style is meant to be declamatory in style, rather than an extensive and involved musical structure.

A good example of our heritage can be found in the Catholic Worship Book (1985) ‘Credo in Unum Deum’ (No 541. This is in plainchant, and can be sung either together (as it is often sung at the Vatican) or in alternation.  

Perhaps our younger members of the congregation find the recitation of the Profession of Faith difficult to remember.  You will find it if you ask at Catholic bookshop.  It can also be found in Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) Some parishes have a leaflet in the pews with all the key parts of the Mass. Perhaps, you can ask your priest whether you can borrow it. Parish resources often go missing so if you decide to askn, inform him of a date in which you will return it and make sure you do return it by that date.  

In some parishes, the Profession of Faith is presented on the overhead projector to help the congregation to focus on what they are professing.  After all, our Faith is very special and we need every voice to say with our hearts ‘I believe’.

The Profession of Faith had the most changes in the text when the ''new translation'' was introduced in 2011.  

Stay tuned for next week's post- Changes of text in Profession of Faith and how these changes bring a deeper, more authentic meaning than the previous translation.

Jesus and the friendly Scribe Mk 12:28-34

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

The Bible: Gospel of Mark icon.

 

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 12:28 -34 which is called Jesus and Jesus and the friendly Scribe.

JESUS AND THE FRIENDLY SCRIBE.

The previous questions to Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem were asked in a hostile manner, first about authority by the Jerusalem leaders (11:27-33), then about taxes from the Pharisees and Herodians (12:13-17), and thirdly about the Resurrection from the Sadducees (12:18-27). Now comes a fourth question asked by a friendly Scribe.

THE FRIENDLY QUESTION

He asks a question to Jesus for which he and all those who had studied the laws of Moses with care had yet to find a convincing answer. Which is the commandment that is the first of all in God’s law, the one which ground all the other commandments?

The scribe was surprised by the answer of Jesus because Jesus gives not one commandment but two, which He links together as one. Jesus provides two quotations from the Old Testament. The first one is taken from Deuteronomy (6:4) known as the schema prayer. This prayer was prayed by all devout Jews every morning and evening. The second quote is from the Book of Leviticus (19:18) which most Jews, it seems applied to fellow Jews only.

The friendly scribe was delighted of both of the choice of the texts and especially linking them together. He exclaims enthusiastically how much greater, is the kind of love than even the most solemn sacrifices of the temple.

THE COMMANDMENT OF LOVE BY JESUS.

Jesus informs the friendly scribe that although he is not yet within that kingdom, he is coming close to the kingdom of God. He still has to experience something greater than the first commandment of all, which is to love God and the second to love one’s neighbour.

This something is God’s gift of divine life and love to us, the central experience of the kingdom of God and the heart of the gospel Jesus proclaims. 

After that, Jesus is not asked any more questions.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are one of the Pharisees and Sadducees who had previously asked the questions- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

• Imagine being the friendly scribe asking a genuine question to Jesus. What genuine question do I want to discuss with Jesus?
  
  
• What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus make clear His teaching to me in this passage?
• Consider a situation in your life today where the teaching of Jesus on the commandment of love needs to be applied. When is it difficult to love God and neighbour whole heatedly?
  
• Pray for people called to be God’s servants and messengers in places and situations where they are treated badly. Is there a situation or a person in your parish who is treated badly for doing the right thing and therefore is not loved by parishioners in accordance with this commandment of love?
  
• Consider how much my faith and love gives a special ‘taste’ to my day to day living as a Christian, that is, one who follows Jesus as the Christ?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this parable? What questions do I want to ask Him?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching? 

• Is my love in the divine power of Christ, whom we follow, large enough to make us ready to follow the teachings of Jesus?