WHY DO CATHOLIC CLERGY WEAR THE CLERICAL COLLAR?

In the Catholic Church, the clerical collar is worn by all ranks of clergy, thus: bishops, priests, and deacons, and often by seminarians who have been admitted to candidacy for the priesthood. Of what significance is the Clerical Collar to Roman Catholic Clergy?

WHAT IS A CLERICAL COLLAR?

The “Clerical collar,” a white band that goes around the neck of a Bishop, Priest, Deacon (and in some circumstances Seminarians) and it remains one of the most distinctive elements of clerical vesture. It speaks more loudly than any words and clearly identifies clergy members in a crowd of any size.

BRIEF ORIGIN OF THE CLERICAL COLLAR

It wasn’t until the 12th and 13th centuries that priests adopted the Roman cassock as a distinctive piece of clothing that visually separated them from the laity. A few centuries later the cassock was regulated to be the color black and it was during this time period that the white collar came into existence.

However, Pope Urban VIII in 1624 further regulated the use of the collar and proclaimed that any ornamentation or lace was forbidden, this was because different variations of the Collar were springing up.

As the years progressed different variations of the Roman collar were developed, and Protestants developed their own traditions to distance themselves from the Church.

WHY DO CATHOLIC CLERGY WEAR THE CLERICAL COLLAR?

Spiritually it has become representative of a Clergy’s consecration to God and his role as someone set apart for service to God. It is also a symbol of their “slavery” to God, showing the world who is their true Master.

The Clerical collar is a sign of priestly consecration to the Lord. As a wedding ring distinguishes husband and wife and symbolizes the union they enjoy, so the Roman collar identifies bishops and priests (and often deacons and seminarians) and manifests their proximity to the Divine Master by virtue of their free consent to the ordained ministry to which they have been (or may be) called.

Furthermore, A Clergy in a Clerical collar is a walking vocation message. The sight of a cheerful, happy priest confidently walking down the street can be a magnet drawing young men to consider the possibility that God is calling them to the priesthood. God does the calling; the priest is simply a visible sign God will use to draw men unto himself.

CONCLUSION

The collar remains a distinctive sign of the Catholic Clergy’s availability and the permanent nature of Holy Orders. The Ordained Clergy “is not his own” and is a visible sign of Jesus Christ, present in the midst of everyday life, ready to reconcile sinners and bring souls back to God.

Welcome to Proud Catholics worldwide

Hello every body! I am happy you are here. Please, t join me to invite all Catholics all over the world who are proud to be Catholic to come join us here so that we journey together on the blogosphere as a Catholic family.

We shall talk Catholic, live Catholic and celebrate Catholicity.

It does not matter where you are in the world, be proud to be a Catholic.

Thanks!

LEAVE JUDGEMENT AND CONDEMNATION TO GOD Fr. Maurice Akwa

Twelfth Monday in Ordinary Time

2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18
Matthew 7:1-5

Dear friends, scripture highlights antagonism between Jews and Samaritans. In John 4:9 we hear the woman at the well ask Jesus how he, a Jew could ask to be served by a Samaritan woman. And in a series of incidents in Luke, Samaritans are highlighted.

Read especially Luke 9 to discover Jesus going to Jerusalem and sends disciples to prepare him a lodging but the people will not welcome them in a Samaritan town because their final destination was Jerusalem.

To prove their antagonism some disciples want to call down fire from heaven to consume the city. Yet in the following chapter, the life of an Israelite is saved by a good travelling Samaritan.

The animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans can be linked by what we meet in the 1st reading. For having constantly gone against God by admiring and adopting the idol worship of their neighbors, sinning over and over again without repenting, God let Samaria be captured by Assyria in 710 BC and almost all its inhabitants were deported, leaving only a handful behind.

Over time, the remaining Samaritans became a mixed race through inter-marriage and though they were Israelites, the Jews of Judah regarded them as impure and unworthy to be called pure blood Israelites. In reality, the Jews of Judah were no better than the Samaritans. They too had sinned against the Lord. They made a judgement on the Samaritans but were actually not better.

Jesus reminds us in the gospel not to judge others but to realize that we too are sinners; that we have sinned against the Lord God.

He condemns any rash judgment we make maliciously or carelessly about our brothers or sisters’ behavior or feelings or motives.

Bad judgment is against Christian charity. In speaking of Christian charity, St. Paul lists its main features as follows: “Love is patient and kind, it is not conceited, does not brood on injuries… Love nears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1Cor 13:4&5).

Paul writes this to the Corinthians when he decides to show them the perfect way, different from the way they have been living.
José Maria Escriva advises that we should “never think badly of anyone, not even if the words or conduct of the person in question give you good grounds for doing so.

Let us be slow to judge. Each one sees things from his/her own perspective, as the mind, with all its limitations, tells him, and through eyes that are often dimmed and clouded by passion.”

If we look at the way Jesus talks about judgment, he uses the passive voice: “you will be judged”, “the measure you will be given”. These have God as their subject, even though he is not explicitly mentioned. And so do not judge others, that you will not be judged by God.

Clearly, the judgment referred to here is always a condemnatory judgment. God’s judgment can be measured out in various ways, either a disappointment, an injury, an omission or just a lapse in thought, to make you feel the same feeling that the other you condemned, felt.

A person whose sight is distorted sees things as deformed, even though, in fact, they are not deformed. St. Augustine gives us this advice: Try to acquire those virtues which you think your brothers and sisters lack and you will no longer see their defects, because you will not have them yourselves.”

We pray that God will grant us the grace to construct out of love, and correct the faults of others by striving to do better than they, without condemning them in our negative judgment.

May Mary and Joseph teach us to always be observant and keep things in our hearts.

O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its needs, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer of William Barclay, 20th century)

By
Fr. Maurice Akwa
St Charles Borromeo Church in Pikesville

WHY ARE CRUCIFIXES IMPORTANT TO CATHOLICS?

(This post was shared on WhatsApp and I found it very good for all Catholics)

So why is the crucifix, a cross which holds an image of the crucified Jesus, so important in our Catholic tradition?

Many non-Catholics say Jesus is risen and having an image of the suffering Jesus on the cross takes away from the power of the Resurrection.

And others argue we are keeping Jesus on the cross. Catholics are no more keeping Jesus on the cross than all Christians keep Jesus an infant when they display statues or figurines of a baby Jesus in a manger at Christmastime.

The reasons for crucifixes over crosses are many and are deep and are beautiful much like the whole of the Catholic faith.

With crucifixes, we see sacrifice, commitment, redemption and most of all love.

● Sacrifice

As Catholics we agree with all Christians that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to take away the sins of the world. He was crucified and died to fulfill His father’s will. The fact that Christ suffered and died in the most horrific way imaginable serves as a lesson that our sins are no small thing. Indeed, our salvation is the result of a willing sacrifice by the very Son of God Himself who chose to endure so much suffering freely because He so loved the world.

Yes, we believe in and trust what comes after the cross. We believe in the Resurrection and that we too will be with Jesus in heaven one day. However, we must make sacrifices here on Earth to serve God, serve our family and to serve those less fortunate than us. The crucifix reminds us that the Christian journey is not all comfort and success. It involves very real sacrifice. Like Jesus, we must sacrifice our time, our money, our possessions, and sometimes even our lives.

Catholics know that the crucifixion of Jesus was a one-time event. But it is an event that should never be forgotten. The image of the crucifix, whether it is placed in our homes, our churches, our schools or around our necks, makes sure that we are always reminded of His sacrifice. His suffering and dying should not and is not looked at as a defeat…it is a triumph.

● Committment

Christ fully committed to us by offering Himself up on that cross. Catholic tradition is steeped in the fullness of commitment. Look no further than to religious vocations to recognize this. Many religious take lifelong vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and spend their entire lives in absolute service to the Church. The crucifix represents, among other things, our level of commitment to Christ.

Spiritually speaking, the crucifix can also help us better commit our lives and live the words of Christ when He said, “deny yourselves, take up your cross daily, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). When some type of suffering comes our way, the image of the crucifix gives us spiritual strength and inspiration to live out our commitment to Him.

● Redemption

Jesus came to be the Lamb of God who took away our sins and redeem the world. While we, as Catholics, believe that our Lord is risen, you can’t have the resurrection without the crucifixion. We need to be reminded of what Christ had to endure before the Resurrection could take place, namely his Passion and Death on the cross. The crucifix helps us better understand and appreciate our theology of redemption. The open arms of our Savior on the cross gladly welcome and receive us into His Presence. After all, we are saved by Jesus, and not by a cross.

● Love

The use of the crucifix is not trivial, nor is it a morbid preoccupation with Christ’s Death. With it we are reminded of how much Jesus loved each of us individually and as a human race as he hung upon that cruel Cross that was transformed from a sign of torture, to the sign of salvation of all Mankind. One cannot look at a crucifix without seeing Great Love. For, as Christ said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” -John 15:13. Crucifixes depict this 2000 year old, and yet timeless Sacrifice of Love to save all men.

He loved us so much he endured all of that for our sake! And that is what we are proclaiming when we display and venerate the crucifix. LOVE!

● Liturgical Tradition

Because of all the reasons above, the crucifix plays a special role in the liturgical tradition of the Catholic Church. In most of our parish churches, the crucifix is given a place of honor and prominence, usually located centrally above the altar or tabernacle. When you walk through the doors of the church, the crucifix is one of the first things that grabs your attention: The open arms of our Savior gladly welcoming and receiving us into His Presence.

The Church requires that a crucifix be visible during the celebration of Mass to remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus on the altar of the cross, which is made present for us each time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist. A simple cross doesn’t have the same visual or spiritual impact.

At Mass, we are really present at Calvary on Good Friday, and thus, it is the crucifix that intimately reminds us of such an amazing and startling fact. If you do not have a crucifix, perhaps it is time you owned one.

I need you, O Lord!

Cone into me O God,
And take control;
I need you;
All this while
I have tried to go alone,
The results have been poor,
Now, I know better;
I need to put you ahead,
To put you
At the center of my life,
And I am sure
You will do it for me;
Have you not commanded
That we first seek you,
And all other things
Will follow?
I am ready O Lord;
I am willing;
Grant me the grace,
And the wisdom
To do what I should do;
You are the Alpha
And the Omega;
You have the yam
And the knife;
To you, I will turn
For everything;
And pray for your grace;
Your guidance.
And your help!
Come into me!
And stay in me!
And never leave me.
I need you, O Lord!

Help us O Lord

Help us O Lord;
Help all those who
Seek your help;
Help all those who
Are suffering;
Help all those who
Are in one trouble
Or another;
Help all those who
Are in need;
Help all those who
Have not eaten
And are hungry;
Help the sick;
Help all those who
Are at the mercy
Of their enemies;
Help all those who
Have fallen
In a trap;
Help all those who
Are being tortured
At this moment,
For any reason;
Help the wicked
Who do not know
The value of good;
Who want to see others
Suffer;
Help a suffering world.
Yes, help us O Lord;
Only from you
Shall our help come.

If it’s you, what will you do?

I got this story and felt you would love to read it. It’s worth sharing:

You are a pianist in a church. One Sunday morning,

before the arrival of the pastor, a stranger finds you in church and gives you a packet of sugar for the pastor and a

sum of 10,000 cfa for you. When the pastor arrives and you

tell him, he refuses to believe you and says it is

inconceivable that someone will donate a simple packet of

sugar to him, the pastor, and give you 10,000 cfa. So he takes the 10,000 cfa and asks you to take the sugar. Of course, you do. Strangely, when you arrive home and open the packet of sugar, you find that it is not sugar that is inside, but, rather, the sum of a million dollars, neatly arranged. What will you do?

Will you inform the pastor about it and give the money to him? Will you say ‘serve you right?’ and keep the money?

Kindly share with us what you will do and what you think about the pastor.

What is another possible title for this story?