Dear Friends,
This past Sunday, on the Solemn Feast of Christ the King, we concluded our Year of Faith celebrations.
The occasion was marked by Pope Francis in Rome — as he completed what Pope Benedict had begun, with the inspiration of the Lord.
I marked the occasion at the celebration of my Stational Mass at St. Patrick Church in Madison, and hopefully you all marked the occasion with some particular focus upon the Creed in your own parishes and in your own families.
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
This is the last article in the Abbot’s special Year of Faith series on the seven sacraments.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes: “Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with the vision of the ‘wedding-feast of the Lamb’” (CCC 1602; Rev 19:7, 9; Gen 1:26-27).
No wonder that the Church’s theology of the Sacrament of Matrimony is deeply rooted in sacred Scripture.
Since October 11, 2012, the Catholic Church throughout the world has been observing a special Year of Faith. In his apostolic letter Porta Fidei (“The Door of Faith”), Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics to experience a conversion — to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him.
The pope noted that the “door of faith” is opened at Baptism, but during this Year of Faith Catholics were asked to open it again, to walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.
The first day of the Year of Faith coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publishing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict asked Catholics to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism to deepen their knowledge of the faith.
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
This is the second installment in a two-part series on the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
From the outset, the Rite of Ordination of a Priest places this sacrament in the context of Jesus, our great High Priest, choosing “certain disciples to carry out publically in His Name, and on behalf of mankind, a priestly office in the Church.”
As such, priests are called to be co-workers with the order of bishops.
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
In the writings of the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the only priest, the sole mediator between God and humanity. This privilege comes from God’s special designation of Him at His baptism, as well as His redeeming work by the Paschal Mystery — His death, resurrection, and ascension.
MADISON — Catechetical leaders from across the Diocese of Madison recently met to discuss and explore the topic of same sex marriage.
This event at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison was co-sponsored by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis and Madison Diocese Religious Education Organization (MDREO). It was exclusive to parish catechetical leaders, Catholic school principals, and priests in the Diocese of Madison.
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
The Church’s teaching on the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is deeply rooted in the teaching of sacred Scripture.
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
We have seen, in the first article about this sacrament, that three things are necessary for its valid celebration: contrition for the sins one has committed; confession to a priest of all serious sins; and satisfaction of the penance which is asked of the penitent.
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
This is the first in a series of articles examining the theology and spirituality of the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation.
The Gospels bring out clearly that Jesus wanted to give authority regarding sin to His Church.
One example will suffice — John 20:21-23: “He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
This is the third in a series of articles examining the theology and spirituality of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In the previous two articles on the theology and spirituality of the Holy Eucharist, there were outlined a number of important points about the faith of the Church in this central sacrament.
In a very telling way, almost all these points are expressed in the Prayer texts of Holy Mass for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), which we have just celebrated on Sunday, June 3.
The Collect/Opening Prayer of Holy Mass on the solemnity, for example, speaks of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as the memorial of Christ’s Passion — as does the Preface.
