Catholic Distance University

By Michelle Tholen

In his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul refers to the Holy Name of Jesus as, “the name that is above every name…” He also wrote “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (Philippians 2:9-10). This is probably the most well-known assertion of the importance of Jesus’ name and the veneration it requires.

There have been others, however, who have recognized the significance of the Name and the weight it carries. St. Bernard, St. John of Capistran, and St. Bernardine of Siena were each known for the honor they bestowed upon it.   St. Bernardine (1380-1444), a Franciscan priest whose feast is celebrated today, is actually well-known for increasing devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.  He displayed a tablet with an image of the sacred monogram, ‘IHS’, as he preached and afterwards would invite his listeners to honor the Holy Name. He was investigated for this practice, seen by some as idolatrous, but later cleared and encouraged in his understanding of the benefits of this devotion.

Most recently, Pope Francis discussed the Holy Name in a general audience in April. He told of a man who before doing anything prayed the simple prayer of Jesus’ name alone. Witnessing this act inspired the Holy Father. He ended his remarks at the audience by saying, “I entrust myself to the name of Jesus; I pray, ‘Jesus, Jesus!’”

We realize then, that Church Tradition teaches honor of the Holy Name. She encourages these types of devotions and realizes that they nourish the lives of Christians (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1679). We also can emulate Pope Francis and pray the simple prayer, “Jesus,” for the Name itself is indeed powerful. Honor ought to be bestowed upon it; prayer should be said “in it;” certainly we should follow the third commandment which forbids disrespect of it.

It is, after all, one of the ways in which we address God.  It is powerful, not simply as letters that form a word, but as the name of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. ‘Jesus’ actually means “God saves.”  The Catechism states, “At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave him the name Jesus as his proper name, which expresses both his identity and his mission” (CCC 430).  This is its power– it doesn’t simply symbolize the Christ but it re-presents his saving grace when spoken in faith.

It is believed that when Jesus’ name is “invoked with confidence” it “brings help with bodily needs,” “gives consolation in spiritual trials,” and “protects us against Satan.”  It is held that “in the Name of Jesus we obtain every blessing and grace for time and eternity” (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07421a.htm).

For all of these reasons, the Holy Name of Jesus is honored and venerated by Catholics.  “The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer.  All liturgical prayers conclude with the words ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ The Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words ‘blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.’ The Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, says: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (CCC 435).

So, today, on the day we commemorate St. Bernardine, a man who called others to veneration of the Holy Name, let us remember also the power and holiness in the Name that is above all others.  Let us speak it only in honorable ways, let us bow our heads at the hearing of it, and let us remember that when all other words seem to fail us, there is the ‘simple’ prayer of many Christians before us, “Jesus.”

Michelle Sheehan Tholen is a student at Catholic Distance University where she is studying for a Masters in Theology with a concentration in Catholic Culture. She holds a bachelors degree in English from University of Maryland University College and is a first-grade catechist at St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in Bayou Vista, Louisiana.

By Thomas Colyandro

Holiness, in the English language, is one of those words that people use but don’t quite know what it means.  Some people say, “Holiness is sanctity or saintliness.”  But those words don’t do any real good themselves because they’re not pointing to a better way of understanding what it means to be holy.  Others imagine “holiness” to mean living a virtuous life, being just, pious, kind, charitable, caring or loving.  Theologians speak of “holiness” as a kind of perfection that comes from sharing in the divinity of God.  But even knowing all of that, it’s hard to say what precisely makes us “holy.”  So what do we do?

First, look at the Gospel of John in chapter 14 verses 15-17 where we read the following: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.”

In this passage, Christ is telling the Apostles that God will send to them (and all those who truly believe) another person of the Holy Trinity, not only to give us more knowledge of Himself, but also to be our “counselor,” our “comforter,” and our “advocate.”  Think about that: God loves us so much that He didn’t stop wanting to give us Himself even after the Ascension of Jesus Christ.  Instead, He decided to send us Himself as the paraclete (παράκλητος in Greek) so that He could continue to “counsel,” “comfort,” and “advocate” for us now and in our judgment.

Second, look at the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 2 verses1-4 where we read the following:  “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

In this passage, we find out that the Apostles experienced a theophany.  In other words, they experienced a manifestation of God in a sound from heaven, a rush of wind, and fire that rested upon their heads.  They also developed the gift of tongues.  Think about that: God loves us so much He wanted His people not only to know He would be present for them during all the days of their lives, but also that, by being faithful to Him, He would grant them further gifts in order to build up the community and convert those who do not believe.

So what do these two passages tell us about holiness?  First, that holiness is always connected to God.  In other words, holiness is given by, developed for, and expressed in the name of God.  Second, that holiness is always about serving others.  Simply put, holiness is essentially an act of intercession in the name of God.  In other words, holiness is the sum total of counseling, comforting, and advocating on behalf of another in order to help them grow in closer union with God.  Thus, while it is possible to say that holiness might be derived from or lead us to virtue, justice, piety, kindness, charity, caregiving, or lovingness, in itself, holiness is something distinct.  Furthermore, prayer is the primary manner in which we intercede for others.

So during this Year of Faith, you must ask yourself: Do I firmly understand that holiness is something distinct from virtue?  Do I understand that God intercedes for us?  Do I understand that we should intercede for others?  Do I pray for the intercession of the Holy Spirit before the awesome judgment seat of Christ?  Do I pray for others?

Let us pray for one another that we learn to live our lives in this way.

Thomas Colyandro is a professor for Catholic Distance University and the author of two books, including: The Judas Syndrome: Seven Ancient Heresies Return to Betray Christ Anew. He is completing a certificate from the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies at Cambridge University, and already holds masters’ degrees in divinity and theology from the University of St. Thomas School of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, Texas, a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and a certificate from the Harvard-MIT Public Disputes Program.

By Michelle Tholen

The Mother of God does not often appear on earth. According to several websites there are only 7-9 major apparitions that are approved by the Vatican as “worthy of belief.” Today’s feast commemorates one such visit from the Blessed Virgin.

96 years ago today, three young Portuguese children began being visited by Mary, the Mother of God.  Each month, from May to October on the 13^th day, they saw the Lady who would become known as Our Lady of Fatima. Mary brought messages of warning, of the need for reparation, and of requests.  She particularly enjoined the faithful to pray the Rosary daily, to wear the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel, and to take part in the First Five Saturdays devotion (In depth information can be found about the apparitions at: http://www.fatima.org ).

Even on the surface, the story of Fatima is fascinating. Mary prophesied about wars, the papacy, and even the death of the little seers. She told the children ‘secrets,’ and granted them visions.  Perhaps most remarkably, however, was the event witnessed by 70,000 people gathered at Fatima on October 13, 1917—the day the sun actually ‘danced’ and nearly fell to the earth before it took rest back in the sky as it had been before.

These are the things that I remember of this apparition from my childhood–the incredible facts of what happened.  I recall being awed at the “Miracle of the Sun,” curious about little Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucy, and hopeful that one day I might be able to see the Mother of God as they had.

Then, sadly, I forgot.  As I grew up, Our Lady of Fatima and the amazing incidents in the little town in Portugal were pushed back in my memory. This is the reason for the feast days of the Church, so that the faithful can remember. The Church understands that we are human and need a little reminder sometimes, just as God understands that our humanity desires ‘proof’ on occasion.

Today, at the Church’s prompting then, I will definitely remember Our Lady of Fatima and all of the blessed events that took place on those 6 days so many years ago.  I am happy to say, however, that my recollection now will be different. Of course there will be the memories of the miraculous events and the desire to see such things, but older now I will focus less on the obvious miracles of Fatima and more on the deeper meaning to be found there.

Mary did not come to the children at Fatima by her own will but at the will of the Father. His love and mercy is such that he continually, throughout history, has tried and continues to try to call us back to him and away from our sinfulness.  This is the message of Fatima—God’s unending devotion. The children saw Mary, visions of hell, and the sun ‘dance,’ all because God loves us and calls us to communion with him—he never tires of forgiving us; he never ceases to love us. That is the true miracle here!

So, today let us recommit ourselves to the requests made by the Blessed Mother for peace in the world. Make the promise to pray the Rosary daily, wear the Brown Scapular of Mt. Carmel, and take part in the First Saturday Devotion. As we do so, commemorating the historical occurrences of 96 years ago, let us also go forward remembering the greatest miracle—God’s undying love and mercy.  Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

Michelle Sheehan Tholen is a student at Catholic Distance University where she is studying for a Masters in Theology with a concentration in Catholic Culture. She holds a bachelors degree in English from University of Maryland University College and is a first-grade catechist at St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in Bayou Vista, Louisiana.

Today Vatican Radio is reporting that Pope Francis spoke about prayer today during Mass.  Specifically, he was explaining about how prayer leads us out of ourselves both toward and toward helping those in need.  “Prayer to the Father in the name of Jesus brings us out of ourselves. The prayer that bores us is always within ourselves, as a thought that comes and goes. But true prayer is the turning out of ourselves [and] to the Father in the name of Jesus: [true prayer] is an exodus from ourselves.”

Please read the rest of the article there http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/05/11/pope_at_mass:_true_prayer_takes_us_out_of_ourselves/en1-691060.

By Thomas Colyandro

The glory and power of God can weigh on us sometimes.  But not for the reason you might think.  You see: most people assume that because God is divine He imposes His will on us.  While it is certainly true that God is great and glorious, and far beyond our comprehension, the real reason we most often feel God as a weight is that we use our humanness as an excuse to remain human.  In other words, we use our human nature to justify our rampant sinfulness, and therefore we feel the weight of the difference between us and the Divinity of God.

But the Ascension teaches us that God is offering us something quite different.  Not only did God become incarnate in order to save us from our sin and degradation, but also to transfigure our humanity so that it could become divine.  In other words, God made it so that we could grow closer to Him now and in eternity.  The Apostles learned this in their own lifetimes by witnessing Jesus Christ – both in His humanity and divinity – ascending to heaven.

“And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11).

Think about the Ascension this way: every time we approach the altar to partake of the Most Holy Eucharist, we know we are not merely ingesting bread and wine, but feeding on the Christ who is fully present within the gifts.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, the material reality of the bread and wine is being transformed into a comingled reality of materiality and divinity.

In a vastly superior way, God is willing to transform the singularity of our humanity into a comingled reality of humanity and divinity.  This is precisely what happened to the Prophets and Apostles.  As they gave themselves over to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to step into the unknown (and often mysterious) realm of the divine.  Think about it like this: in a similar (though still mysterious way), each of them were willing to step deep into what is known as the cloud of unknowing: Moses in Exodus 24:15-18; Mary in Luke 1:35; Peter, James, and John in Matthew 17:5-8 (cf. Mark 9:7-8 and Luke 9:33-36); and now, today, the Apostles in Acts 1:9-11.  In other words, these people were willing to step out of their typical human smallness and sinfulness, and into the mystery and glory of God.

So, during this Year of Faith, we must work hard to have faith enough to step into this mysterious cloud of divinity so that God may transform us.

Let us run with confidence and joy to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah, or like James and John. Let us be caught up like Peter to behold the divine vision and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration. Let us retire from the world, stand aloof from the earth, rise above the body, detach ourselves from creatures and turn to the creator, to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed: Lord, it is good for us to be here (an excerpt from a sermon by St. Anastasius of Sinai).

Trusting in the lives of the Prophets and the Apostles, let us pray for one another so that we may live our lives in this way.

Thomas Colyandro is a professor for Catholic Distance University and the author of two books, including: The Judas Syndrome: Seven Ancient Heresies Return to Betray Christ Anew. He is completing a certificate from the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies at Cambridge University, and already holds masters’ degrees in divinity and theology from the University of St. Thomas School of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, Texas, a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and a certificate from the Harvard-MIT Public Disputes Program.