The biblical basis for Purgatory, by Scott Hahn

Why do Catholics pray for the dead? by Bishop Barron

Boring Mass? By Cardinal Timothy Dolan

“Mass is so boring!”

How often have you parents heard that from your kids on Sunday morning?  How often have our teachers and catechists heard it as they prepare our children for Mass?  And, let’s admit it, how often have we said it to ourselves?

What do we say to that unfortunate and almost sacrilegious statement?

Well, for one, we simply reply, No, it’s not!  You may find the Mass boring, but, that’s more your problem than the fault of the Mass.

We may find a lot of very important activities in life “boring”: visits to the dentist can be that way; kidney patients tell me dialysis three times a week is hardly a thrill; voting is no barrel of laughs.  But, all three of them are very significant to our wellbeing, and their value hardly depends on us being ecstatic while doing them. The Mass is even more important for the health of our soul than those examples.

Boredom is our problem, and social commentators tell us we today, so used to thirty-second sound bites, or flipping the channel when we yawn at a program, are susceptible to it.

Thank God, a person’s or an event’s value does not depend on its tendency to sometimes “bore” us.  People and significant events exist not to thrill us, unless we are the most narcissistic and spoiled of brats!

This is especially true of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  We believe that every Mass is the renewal of the most important, critical event that ever occurred: the eternal, infinite sacrifice of praise of God the Son, Jesus, to God the Father, on a cross on Calvary on a Friday called “good.”

Come to think of it, the Roman soldiers were “bored” there, too, as they mocked Jesus and rolled dice for his tunic, the only property He had.

Two, we hardly go to Mass to be entertained, but to pray.  If the flowers on the altar are pretty; if the music is good; if the air conditioning is working; if the sermon is short and meaningful; if the folks are friendly . . . all that sure helps.

But, the Mass works even when all of the above may be missing – - and, sadly, they often are!

Because, the Mass is not about us, but about God. And the value of the Mass comes from our simple yet profound conviction, based on faith, that , for an hour on Sunday, we’re part of the beyond, lifted up to the eternal, a participant in a mystery, as we unite with Jesus in the thanks, love, atonement, and sacrifice He eternally offers His Father. What Jesus does always works, and is never boring. The Mass is not some tedious chore we do for God, but a miracle Jesus does with and for us.

A gentleman was just telling me about his family Sunday dinner, the heart of the week when he was growing up. The food was so good because his mom cooked it so well, and the table so happy because his dad was always there!

Even after he got married and had his own kids, they’d all go to his mom and dad’s for that Sunday dinner.  When his kids got a bit older they asked if they “had to go,” because, yes, at times they found it “boring.”  Yes, you, do, he would reply, because we don’t just go for the food, but because of love, because mom and dad are there!

He teared-up as he recalled that, as mom and dad got old, the food wasn’t as good and the company not as sparkling, but he’d never miss, because that Sunday event had a depth of meaning even when mom burned the lasagna and dad nodded off.

And now, he concluded, he’d give anything to be there again, because mom’s gone, and dad’s in a home.

So now he and his wife host it, and he hopes his three kids will one day bring their spouses and children to their Sunday table.

See, the value of that Sunday dinner doesn’t depend on how good the food is; how expensive the wine; how interesting the conversation.  All that sure helps, but it’s the event that has the real value.

Same with the Sunday dinner of our spiritual family: Mass.

Some folks think a game at Yankee Stadium is boring; some consider country music the same; some people tell me that values such as friendship, volunteer work, family, loyalty, generosity, and patriotism are “passe,” no longer “exciting.”

I’d say they got a problem!

And some tell me “Mass is so boring…

Why do Catholic Bibles have seven more books than Protestant Bibles?

Other beliefs: Very Useful Tactic When Dialoging with Mormons, by Matt Fradd

I’ve never met a Mormon I didn’t like. My next door neighbors are (temple) card-carrying, alcohol avoiding, special underwear wearing Mormons. We’re very close and I love them dearly. They’re kind, generous, and committed.

They’re also wrong.

Mormonism, though it contains elements of truth, is a severe perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I don’t intend to rehash those perversions in this post, instead I’d like to help you prepare for a first encounter with a Mormon.

This is a technique I consistently use. It works every time, I think for two reasons.

1. They don’t expect it. It’s different to what they usually hear: What about polygamy! or Why did Mormons deny blacks the priesthood!

2. It helps them understand why you’re not interested in hearing what they have to say, without being a jerk.

Obviously after your first encounter with a Mormon, if you agree to continue the discussion, you’ll owe it to him to study his religion (and your own) in order to share at greater depth why it is you disagree with him and why he should join the Catholic Church.

Thought Experiment

I begin by assuring the missionaries (who I never call elder. They’re not my elders, neither in age (usually) nor in the faith) that I’m not trying to be rude and that I in no way mean to come across as condescending or insulting.

I then ask if I could try out a thought experiment on them. They agree because they’re Mormons and therefore seemingly incapable of being impolite. [For those of you who aren't familiar with Mormonism, the thought experiment is a parody of the Joseph Smith story].

Here’s what I say:

Suppose I said to you that there was a man by the name of John Smith, who in 1920, 100 years after Joseph Smith received his “revelation,” began wondering which of the many christian churches to join. After much prayer he received a revelation from God who told him that all the religious denominations (including Mormonism) were believing in incorrect doctrines and that he was to await further instructions from on high.

I then tell the missionaries that in a later revelation John Smith received, emblazoned on metal slabs, further inspired works from the Heavenly messenger Doroni that would, essentially, add to the Bible. This religion is called Dormonism and John Smith is the prophet which restored the purity of the Gospel.

I then proceed to take three thick books off of the shelf and say, here is the book of Dormon, and two other books (that stand for pearl of great price and doctrine and covenants).

I tell them that the book of Dormon (like the book of Mormon) contains a promise that whoever reads it sincerely, ponders its contents and asks God if it is true will receive that knowledge by the power of the Holy Ghost.

The conversation usually follows like this:

You: “Now, as I said, this was just a thought experiment, but suppose I was serious, tell me, would you take this book and read it prayerfully?”

Mormon: “No.”

You: “Why not?”

Mormon: “Well, this is obviously made up and the Mormonism isn’t.

You: Okay, yes it’s made up, but that’s the nature of a thought experiment; pretend I’m serious. Why wouldn’t you take these books home and read them?

Mormon: Because I think it’s false. Because, I know that Mormonism is true and therefore this has to be false.

You: Terrific! And now you understand the exact position I am in. You see, I’m not interested in reading the book of Mormon because I have already accepted the truth of the Catholic faith, therefore I know that Mormonism, since it conflicts with Catholicism, cannot be true. So unless you can give me a really good reason to abandon my faith, I’m not interested in hearing you out. You see, Jesus Christ established a Church. He said of that Church that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it (Mt 16:18). He said to the leaders of that Church, “he who hears you hears me” (Lk 10:16). Since I believe that Jesus Christ is sinless I know that he was not lying and I know that the gates of Hell have not prevailed against the Church he founded—the Catholic Church.

Now (I’m talking to you now), I’m not pretending that the Mormon won’t have a rejoinder to this. He’ll likely go into what they call the great apostasy, which, he’ll say, can be demonstrated from Scripture (it can’t).

A Caveat

I want to reiterate my high esteem for those within the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints (their official title). Their efforts to evangelize; their strong family values, and the support they offer one another as a community is commendable. We as Catholics can and should learn a lot from them.

If you have Mormon friends or family, love them. Don’t take cheap shots. Don’t misrepresent their views. Study what it is they believe and then be gentle in sharing the fullness of what they may have caught a glimmer of in their own faith; Jesus Christ.

Source:
http://mattfradd.com/