Ask Father: Why do we bless ourselves before the Gospel?

Ask Father: Just before the Gospel, we bless ourselves on our forehead, lips and heart with our thumb. Is this similar to making the Sign of the Cross?

Dear friend in Christ,

Yes! We bless those areas just before the Gospel with a little Sign of the Cross because hearing the Gospel must become a life-changing event for us. Each time we hear the Gospel proclaimed, it has the power to change us if only we are prepared to receive it. It has been said that a syllable of the Gospel is like a crumb of the Eucharist.

So, we bless our minds first. We are essentially asking Lord, prepare my mind. Help me to understand this Gospel.

Then, we bless our lips. It’s like asking: Lord, help me to speak this Gospel. Help me to do something about it. Give me the courage to tell people about Jesus.

And, finally and most importantly, we bless our hearts. Lord, let this Gospel sink deep into me. Let it penetrate my heart. Let it change me. Let this Gospel take root in me. Please, Lord, help me to receive this Gospel in the core of who I am.

Remember, the Lord speaks to hearts that are prepared!

Apologetics 101: The Power of the Precious Blood

The month of July is devoted to The Precious Blood of Jesus. This week we explore what it means that Christ shed His blood for us and why devotion to the Precious Blood is important.

1. In the Old Testament, we see a foreshadowing of the power of Jesus’s blood

o In the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt they were told to put the blood of an unblemished male lamb on their door posts. The Angel of Death passed over their houses and their first born sons were spared. (Exodus 12:13)

o Covenants were always sealed with a sacrifice and with blood

2. What is so special about the Precious Blood?

o “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

o Blood represents life – the fact that Jesus shed His blood for us means He gave His entire life.

o One single drop of Jesus’s blood would have been enough to save us, but He shed every single drop to show how serious sin is and how much He loves us.

3. Christ established a new covenant with us through His blood. We were in slavery to sin and death. Christ redeemed us and the price he paid for us was His very blood. He is the true lamb and when we are covered in His blood we are protected from evil.

o This covenant is renewed at every Mass and every time we go to confession, when we allow His Precious Blood to cleanse us of our sins once again.

“Don’t hold yourselves cheap, seeing that the creator of all things and of you estimates your value so high, so dear, that he pours out for you every day the most precious blood of his only-begotten Son.” ~St Augustine

“This blood, when worthily received, drives away demons and puts them at a distance from us, and even summons to us angels and the Lord of angels. This blood, poured out in abundance, has washed the whole world clean. This is the price of the world; by it Christ purchased the Church.” ~St John Chrysostom.

“Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it.” ~From The Diary of St. Faustina

Hamilton, American History, and How to Reconcile Complexity

In case you've been living under a rock, Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda's wildly popular rapsical about Alexander Hamilton and the Founding Fathers) launched on Disney+ on July 3rd, just in time for Independence Day. I'll admit I went in a bit skeptical, as I was getting tired of people relentlessly quoting the soundtrack and professing their love for "the greatest musical of the 21st century." But I finally got around to watching it, and I have to admit it was excellent.

There are very few things that are worthy of the hype they receive. Pop culture icons from fidget spinners to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice have received a tremendous amount of public attention only to fall out of vogue or disappoint fans.

Hamilton, however, is worth the hype. It is catchy, dynamic, creative, and a musical tour de force. I particularly love King George's "You'll Be Back" number; it's been stuck in my head for over a week.

I'm not the first person to tell you that Hamilton is awesome though, so why am I talking about it? I think the show does a tremendous job of exploring complex historical figures through an objective lens. People aren't as one-dimensional as our society would often like us to believe, and our readiness to "cancel" people on the Internet has created a "gotcha culture" that harms us all.

Hamilton explores celebrated yet flawed historical characters by showing both the good and the bad they did during America's founding. While the title character, Alexander Hamilton, was responsible for much of America's financial foundation and banking systems, he also advocated for an American monarchy and was repeatedly unfaithful to his wife.

Thomas Jefferson, another major player in the early years of our country's founding, wrote the Declaration of Independence, served as our third President, and spearheaded the Louisiana Purchase, but was also a prolific slaveholder and backroom-dealing politician. These men were undoubtedly flawed, and the show does not shy away from these flaws. Here's the thing though: Hamilton recognizes that their flaws do not invalidate their accomplishments.

This is an incredibly hot-button issue today as statues are torn down and old tweets are dug up. There is a push by elements of our society to judge people based on their worst moments and dole out punishments accordingly. But you know what? That's not right. As Catholics, especially, this behavior directly contradicts our calling.

I went to Xavier High School in Middletown. Our motto is "Be a man, a man like Christ." Could you imagine if Christ behaved this way? If God, in His divine power, chose to judge us based on our worst moments, or even to judge us fairly by the laws and reason of man, Heaven would be empty. God judges us with mercy and gives us endless second chances.

Make no mistake about it: this is the only reason we have a chance at spending eternal life with Him. Not to bring the fire and brimstone, but we are all sinners! We all make mistakes, and we all have things in our past that we'd probably like to leave there.

If we are called to be like Christ, how can we defend this vicious judgement we see doled out so often today? While making the world a better, more welcoming place for all is a part of our mission, so is recognizing that people are more than their lowest moments.

American history is full of both good and bad deeds, and we should absolutely acknowledge and explore both sides of that coin. But the bad does not eradicate the good, nor does it mean that the good is "tainted" because it was done by flawed people. News flash: everyone's a flawed person!

We should all endeavor to show a bit more mercy, especially on the Internet. While it may be tempting to dogpile and "cancel" people who have skeletons in their closets, we should place ourselves in their shoes and think before we act. As we read in Matthew 7:5, "You hypocrite! First, remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye."

From Jesus in the Gospels to Michael Jackson in "Man in the Mirror," this is a timeless but oft-forgotten message. We are called as Catholics to affect positive change within ourselves before turning that critical lens on each other, and now is a more important time than ever to remember that.

If you haven't seen Hamilton yet, take it from a fellow cynic: it's worth it. Give it a chance, and enjoy a brilliant musical. Even if you have seen it before, rewatch it and pay special attention to how the show examines characters' flaws while celebrating their accomplishments. We can all take a lesson from this depiction!

I hope you're all staying cool in this hot weather. Make sure to do your best not to get too heated (whether physically or in those comments sections). Be well, stay safe, and I hope to see you soon. God Bless.

Regis