What’s in a bow? The ministerial (ordained) priest, conformed, by ordination, into the threefold dignity of Christ – Priest, Prophet and King – now acts in the place of Christ. When the priest stands at the Altar, when he utters those words: ‘This is My Body…This is My Blood…Do this in memory of ME.’ It […]
And yet, when we come to Mass we are expected to call him Father, to bow before him and to treat him with respect, reverence and honour...So why do we bow to the priest at Mass? Is he on some kind of ego-trip?
These different actions speak to our active and conscious participation as well as to the respect that we have for what is happening. We also listen, we watch, we speak, we touch, we taste we smell. In other words, we engage the whole person.
This ancient and sacred gesture is called the commingling, and in the early Church, it was known as the fermentum. It was this action that gave the Mass one of its earliest names – ‘The Breaking of the Bread’.
The only problem... is that Jesus was not... a nice guy...
In this weeks' Catechetical Corner we take a look at one of the oldest Catholic Symbols.
September 8th is celebrated liturgically as the birthday of the Virgin Mary. As we honour Mother Mary on her birthday, let’s honour her not only as our mother but also as the Ark of the Covenant. The embodiment of GOD’s covenant with us, HIS children.
The Church has always taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary maintained her virginity even after the birth of Jesus. Here, in the week when we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we take a brief look at the teaching about the pereptual virginity.
'Craw thumpers' - The phrase itself comes from the fact that as Catholics, during Holy Mass, we are supposed to strike our breast, or craw as it is sometimes called – ‘I have something stuck in my craw’. But why do Catholics strike their breast during Holy Mass?
Jesus said: ‘I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.’ (Jn. 10:10) But what does that mean?
