Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices

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