Vatican II at 50 - Biblical Boost

Vatican II at 50 – The Year of Faith

Match these parts of the Mass with their Biblical sources below:

A.      “The Lord be with you”

B.       “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”

C.       “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;

D.        “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.”

E.         “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”

   

1.       John 1:36

2.       Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2

3.       Ruth 2:4

4.       Matthew 21:9

5.       Matthew 28:19

Answers: 

A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1, E-5.  As you may have guessed, most of our Mass comes from the Bible.   We are nourished and nurtured by the Word of God throughout the Mass, especially during the Liturgy of the Word.   Prior to the Second Vatican Council, most Catholics didn’t read the Bible, nor was it encouraged by the Church.   Church authorities believed allowing Catholics access to the Bible would be dangerous.  They were afraid the laity wouldn’t know how to interpret  Scripture,  or worse, would interpret  it incorrectly.   Vatican II changed that thinking.  As the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, or Dei Verbum, says,

 “Easy access to Sacred Scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful.” #22

And, the Liturgical Constitution, or Sacrosanctum Concilium, says:

“In sacred celebrations there is to be more reading from holy Scripture…#35.2, and, “The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that a richer share in God’s word may be provided for the faithful. #52

Prior to the council,  the liturgy included  only two readings in a one-year cycle.  Now the liturgy was expanded to include three readings, one from the Old Testament, in a three-year cycle.

The Council Fathers believed that God speaks to God’s people through his word, that God’s word changes people by calling forth a response.  But, more is required than just coming to Mass.  We are encouraged to read and meditate on the Scripture readings before Mass, study Scripture via a Bible class, and share its meaning for our lives with others, such as in a small faith community.   In this way, we might be “Doers of the word and not hearers only.” James 1:22.  Amen!

Vatican II at 50 - Back to Basics

The current U.S. debate over gun control ultimately involves going back to the source--in this case, the Second Amendment.  Both sides of the debate are trying to interpret the original intent of the Founding Fathers to justify their point of view. The implication is that the past contains information that can form or reform our present-day practices.

From the 11th Century onward, the Church has engaged in a likewise return to the sources. The practice was significant in the decades leading up to and including the Second Vatican Council. There was even a name for it: ressourcement. Ressourcement is French for "return to the sources." Ressourcement looked to the past as the norm for judging and influencing the present. Ressourcement pervaded Vatican II, driving the Church to return to its earliest Biblical, liturgical and traditional sources. Ressourcement influenced every aspect of the Council.  The Decree on Ecumenism, for example, called for the restoration of the unity of Christians, which prevailed prior to the Reformation. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy restored the ancient practice of enabling the entire community to participate in the sacred actions of the liturgy. The catechumenate was restored to resemble the initiation process utilized in the early centuries of the Church.

The theologians of Vatican II realized the wisdom in going back to the sources of our faith, while at the same time embracing and integrating the present realities of culture and circumstance. All of this they did to make it easier for us to get in touch with the real source: Jesus Christ. Amen!

Vatican II at 50: Children by Adoption

Because of a bill signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is now illegal for U.S. Citizens to adopt children from Russia.  The measure, which took effect January 1^st, is retaliation against a new U.S. Law which punishes Russian citizens who violate human rights.   Not surprisingly, the bill has caused much controversy and consternation.  It has also sparked renewed conversation about adoption.   From Biblical times, adoption has been a part of the fabric of humankind.   Throughout history, many famous persons have been adopted, from Moses to Nelson Mandela, from John Lennon to Steve Jobs.

This weekend, we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, giving us cause to reflect on the meaning of our own Baptism.  In Baptism, we become the adopted children of God.   The Second Vatican Council highlighted the importance of baptism, speaking about what it means to be the daughters and sons of the living God.

In the Church there is a diversity of ministry but a oneness of mission…The laity derive the right and duty to the apostolate from their union with Christ the head; incorporated into Christ's Mystical Body through Baptism and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation, they are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself. They are consecrated for the royal priesthood and the holy people (cf. 1 Peter 2:4-10) not only that they may offer spiritual sacrifices in everything they do but also that they may witness to Christ throughout the world.  Apostolicam Actuositatem, The Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity.

Being baptized means to be chosen in love by God, much like parents who choose in love to adopt children.  Author Jodi Picoult put it nicely, “Being a parent wasn’t about bearing a child.  It was about bearing witness to its life.”  Baptism celebrates the life and love that God bears to us.  Our response is to bear witness to that love to all the world.  Amen!

Vatican II at 50: Those Other Faith Traditions

When my older brother started dating one of the first questions my mother asked was, “Is she Catholic?”  My mother’s question was part of a longstanding train of thought by the Catholic Church which viewed other religions in a negative light.  In fact, the older Code of Canon Law (1918) forbade Catholics to participate in any non-Catholic religious service including weddings and funerals. 

Vatican II changed the way we view other faith traditions.  The Council Fathers made ecumenism a priority.   More than 100 observers from non-Catholic churches attended the Council.    The Council’s documents on ecumenism not only demonstrated an openness to other faith traditions but went so far as to affirm their goodness, saying “The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.” Nostra Aetate, The Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, and in another document, “It remains true that all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ's body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church. Unitatis Redintegratio, Decree on Ecumenism.

In the last 50 years, much has been accomplished in the work of ecumenism, but many challenges remain.   This weekend’s Feast of the Epiphany is another reminder that Christ came for all people, as we commemorate the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles through the coming of the Magi.  Epiphany means appearance or manifestation.   In the spirit of Vatican II, it’s worth contemplating how we “manifest” Christ by our words and actions.  Perhaps Peter Scholtes said it best shortly after the Council ended when he wrote this song, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.”  Amen!

Vatican II at 50: Mary

This weekend is the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Joseph and Mary, followed on Tuesday by the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.  Of all the saints, Mary bears the most titles.    Now, one more can be added:  The Virgin Mary of Breezy Point in Queens, New York.  Following the devastation from Hurricane Sandy, some 80 homes were destroyed in this  beachfront community.  Amidst the destruction which lay on the ground stands a wholly intact statue of Mary.   The picture made headlines around the world, affirming Mary’s most dedicated devotees.

 Prior to the Second Vatican Council, devotion to Mary was strong thanks in part to apparitions at Lourdes and Fatima, coupled with the solemn papal definitions of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Assumption in 1950.

In light of this, many bishops who attended the Council wanted to develop further doctrine on Mary.  Others, concerned that devotion to Mary was so strong it equaled or surpassed devotion to Christ, wanted to spend the Council’s time on other issues.  When Pope Paul VI declared Mary the “Mother of the Church,”  many bishops broke into applause, but others disagreed with the Pope’s move, believing it put Mary above the Church, rather than in the Church. 

The Vatican II  Document, Lumen Gentium, The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, devoted a chapter to Mary.  In this chapter, bishops hoped to demonstrate that in spite of the unique role played by Mary in the plan of salvation, she is still to be seen as a member of the church, not some kind of semi-deity.

The Virgin Mary, who at the message of the angel received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world, is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer… Because of this gift of sublime grace she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. At the same time, however, because she belongs to the offspring of Adam she is one with all those who are to be saved. Lumen Gentium #54

Thus, says the Council, Mary is one of us and yet our model.  For her “yes” brought new life to the world!  Amen.