Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices   By: John J. (John James) Burke (1857-1945)

BY REV. JOHN J. BURKE

NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO BENZIGER BROTHERS

PRINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE PUBLISHERS OF BENZINGER'S MAGAZINE

Imprimi Permittitur. FR. CHRYSOSTOMUS THEOBALD, O.F.M., Minister Provincialis. Cincinnati, Ohio, die 30, Martii, 1908.

Nihil Obstat. REMY LAPORT, S.T.L., Censor Librorum.

Imprimatur. JOHN M. FARLEY, Archbishop of New York.

NEW YORK, March 4, 1909.

COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY BENZIGER BROTHERS.

Contents

Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices

THE CEREMONIES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH I. Ceremonies Necessary to Divine Worship II. Vestments Used by the Priest at Mass III. Ceremonies of the Mass

THE PRACTICES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH I. Vespers and Benediction II. Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament III. Holy Communion IV. Confirmation V. Honoring the Blessed Virgin VI. Confession of Sin VII. Granting Indulgences VIII. The Last Sacraments IX. Praying for the Dead X. Praying to the Saints XI. Crucifixes, Relics, and Images XII. Some Sacramentals The Books Used by the Priest, the Sign of the Cross, Holy Water, Blessed Candles, Palm and Ashes, Holy Oils, Scapulars, Medals, Agnus Dei, Prayers, Litanies, Rosary, Angelus, Stations, Funeral Service, and Various Blessings XIII. The Celebration of Feasts XIV. Infant Baptism XV. The Marriage Tie One and Indissoluble XVI. Respect Shown to Ecclesiastical Superiors XVII. Celibacy XVIII. Conclusion

Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices

"Let the children of Israel make the Phase in due time . . . according to all the ceremonies thereof" ( Num. ix 2, 3).

Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices

"The priest shall be vested with the tunic" ( Lev. vi. 10).

"And he made, of violet and purple, scarlet and fine linen, the vestments for Aaron to wear when he ministered in the holy places, as the Lord commanded Moses" ( Ex. xxxix. 1).

"In every place there is sacrifice and there is offered to My name a clean offering" ( Malach. i. 11).

"And another Angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer: and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God" ( Apoc. viii. 3).

The Ceremonies of the Catholic Church

THE Catholic Church in the celebration of Mass and in the administration of the sacraments employs certain forms and rites. These are called ceremonies. By these ceremonies the Church wishes to appeal to the heart as well as to the intellect, and to impress the faithful with sentiments of faith and piety.

What is more capable of raising the heart and mind of man to God than a priest celebrating Mass? What more inspiring than some of our sacred music?

How beneficial and how lasting the impression formed by the ceremonies of the Church, the following incident will show:

One of our missionaries once went to visit a tribe of Indians who had been deprived of a priest for nearly half a century. After traveling through the forest for some days he came near their village.

'Twas Sunday morning. Suddenly the silence was broken by a number of voices singing in unison. He stopped to listen. To his great astonishment he distinguished the music of a Mass, and of Catholic hymns well known to him.

What could be more touching than this simple, savage people endeavoring to celebrate the Lord's Day as they had been taught by the priest fifty years before? What more elevating than those sacred songs the Stabat Mater , the O Salutaris , or the Te Deum uttered by pious lips and resounding through the forest primeval? What better evidence could we have of the beneficial effects of our ceremonies in raising the heart to God?