April 10, 2000 APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH: (apr10cat.htm)

MONDAY
April 10, 2000
volume 11, no. 71

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APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH Series INTRODUCTION

Every day we present a short point that helps bring into focus the treasures of the Roman Catholic Church that comprise the great Deposit of Faith.

It is no secret that over the past thirty years fewer and fewer know their Faith and it shows with the declining number of vocations, parish participation and attendance at Holy Mass. We have the new Catechism of the Catholic Church but for the common man, the one brought up on sound bites and instant gratification, it is more of a text book and that in itself prompts them to shy away from such a tome. So what's a loyal Catholic to do in evangelizing to fellow Catholics and understand their Faith? Our answer: go back to basics - to the great Deposit of Faith. We have the Baltimore Catechism which, for unknown and ridiculous reasons, was shelved after Vatican II. We have the Holy Bible but there are so many newer versions that the Douay-Rheims and Confraternity Latin Vulgate in English versions, the ones used for so long as the official Scriptural text authorized by the Church, seem lost in a maze of new interpretations that water down the Word. This is further complicated by the fact there are so few Douay-Rheims editions in circulation though it is available on the net at DOUAY-RHEIMS BIBLE. We have so many Vatican documents available at the Vatican web site and other excellent Catholic resource sites that detail Doctrine, Dogma and Canon Law. We have the traditions, and the means of grace but how do we consolidate all these sources into one where it is succinct and easy to understand? We have the perfect vehicle. It is called "My Catholic Faith", now out of print, that was compiled by Bishop Louis Laravoire Morrow and published by My Mission House. This work ties in Scriptural references, the Sacraments, Dogmas, Doctrines, Traditions, Church documents, Encyclical and Papal decrees to clearly illustrate the Faith in simple, solid and concise terms that all can understand and put into practice. We will quote from this work while adding in more recent events and persons when applicable since the book was written in the late forties during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII. We also quote from the Catholic Almanac published by Our Sunday Visitor for the Roman Curial offices and from Old Testament Confraternity Edition and New Testament Confraternity Edition of the Saint Joseph New Catholic Edition of the Holy Bible.

Nothing in Holy Mother Church's teaching has changed and therefore we feel confident that these daily "points of enlightenment" will help more Catholics better understand their faith, especially those who were not blessed with early formation of the faith in the home and their parish school. Regardless of where any Catholic is in his or her journey toward salvation, he or she has to recognize that the Faith they were initiated into at the Sacrament of Baptism is the most precious gift they have been given in life. For points covered thus far, click on APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH

installment 149:
The Hidden Life of Jesus Christ part one

After the finding in the Temple, Jesus returned with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth. There He lived with them, doing all He could to help His Mother and St. Joseph in their work.

Jesus, God Himself, obeyed mortals, because He wanted to set an example for us. He lived a life of obedience, humility, and poverty in Nazareth till He was about thirty years old. This hidden life teaches us, among other things, the value in the eyes of God, of prayer, humility and obedience.

The life of Christ may be divided into three parts: His childhood, to the time when He was twelve years old; His hidden life, to the time when He started His teaching; and His public life, to the thine of His death.

After the murder of the Holy Innocents, the Child Jesus lived in Egypt with His mother and St. Joseph until the deth of Herod, then returned with them to the Holy Land.

An angel appeared to Joseph and said, "Arise, and take the Child and His Mother, and go into the land of Israel" (Matthew 2:20). Just as St. Joseph had obeyed without question when told to take the Child to Egypt, so now he obeyed, knowing that God Who watches over the birds of the air would watch over those given into his charge.

The Holy Family lived in Nazareth. From there, every year Mary and Joseph went to worship at the Temple of Jerusalem. When Jesus was twelve years old, He went along with His parents to celebrate the Pasch at Jerusalem. Then Mary and Joseph left the city to return to Nazareth, but Jesus remained behind without their knowledge. "But thinking that He was in the caravan, they had come a day's journey before it occurred to them to look for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. And not finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of Him" (Luke 2:44-45). We can only imagine the distress of Mary and Joseph upon having lost Jesus, most precious to them, the Child that had been entrusted to their care. And what was their joy when after three days' search they found Him in the Temple, in the midst of the wise men there, hearing and questioning them! Mary told how great had been her grief when she said, "Behold, thy father and I have been seeking Thee sorrowing" (Luke 2:48). But Jesus replied, "How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (Luke 2:49).

Some non-Catholic interpreters insist that Jesus had brothers, that He was not the only Son of Mary. Those spoken of in the Gospels as the "brethren" of Our Lord (Matthew 13:55), were His blood relatives; it was the practice among the Jews to call near relatives "brethren". So Abraham called his nephew Lot in this manner: "Let there be no quarrel between me and thee - for we are brethren" (Genesis 13:8). As St. John Chrysostom wrote, Our Lord on the cross would not have needed to commend His Mother to His Apostle John, if she had had other children.

Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Jesus Christ part two


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