Crucifixion Church
Faith Formation Dept.

Apologetics Minute: Catholic Practice & Devotions

 

“Why do Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th?”

Christians celebrate the birth of Christ (Christmas) on December 25th, and has since early Christianity, primarily because of the Jewish tradition associated with great prophets. In the Jewish tradition, it was believed that a great prophet died on the same day that he/she was conceived. If you look at other celebrations on the Church calendar, you will see that the Church considered March 25th as the day that Jesus was conceived and died. We see this from the fact that both the feast days of Annunciation, the day that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and of St. Dysmas, the good thief on the cross that died the same day as Jesus, are both on March 25th. If Jesus was born nine months after this date, it would bring us to December 25th.

 

 

“Why do Catholics say repetitive prayers like the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?”

Catholics say repetitive prayers like the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy to help us contemplate the life of Jesus and become more like Him. Repetitive prayer is practiced by faithful individuals throughout the Bible like Elijah (1 Kgs 17:21), King David (2 Sam. 7:18-29), St. Paul (2 Cor. 12:8) and God’s angels (Rev. 4:8). Jesus even said a repetitive prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mat. 26:44). There is a time when Jesus condemns “vain repetitions” (Mat. 6:7), but He was referring to prayers of the pagans, whose intent was to manipulate the gods. Finally, it has always been considered good to repeatedly ask God for things (Lk. 18:1-8; Mat. 7:7) or tell God that you love Him (Jn. 21:15-19). These are the purposes of the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

 

 

"Why do Catholics genuflect upon entering a church?"

Catholics genuflect upon entering a church because of what, or Who, they believe to be present in the church. The act of genuflecting is meant to show reverence to someone, usually a king. When Catholics genuflect, they are showing reverence to Jesus, whom we believe to be the King of kings (Revelation 19:16), and who is truly present in the Eucharist, which is in the tabernacle when the red candle is lit.

 

 

"Why do Catholics, and some non-Catholic Christians, make the sign of the cross?"

Catholics, and some non-Catholic Christians, make the sign of the cross to say that we belong to God. The Sign of the Cross proclaims a revolutionary and distinctly Christian idea about who God is. No faith in history had ever had this idea of one God in three Persons. Jesus gave us this means of identification in Matthew 28:19. When it was first used, signing oneself with the Trinity distinguished oneself from Jewish sects or other religions at the time. There is also the use of signing foreheads of "servants of [our] God" in Revelation 7:3. Finally, one makes a cross to profess a foundational belief of Christianity, the crucifixion of our Savior, Jesus, on a cross.

 

 

“Why do Catholics fast on Fridays during Lent?”

Catholics fast on Fridays of Lent because fasting has always been a faithful practice if done for the right reason. This is evidenced in the Bible with Moses (Exodus 34:28), St. John the Baptist (Mark 2:18), and Jesus (Luke 4:2). Fasting is typically done to thank God for something or to mourn/show repentance. It is for these two reasons that Christians chose Friday as a day to fast. Friday is the day the Bible says Christ was crucified (Luke 23:54), and we remember the day of this sacrifice and thank God for the gift of His Son. We also fast to show repentance for our sins, the reason that Jesus died. Fasting on Fridays also mimics what Jesus did in preparation of His sacrifice. He said at the Last Supper, Thursday evening, that He “shall not eat it until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Jesus saw it a sufficient practice to fast, and in our efforts to join our sacrifice with His, we should also join our fasting with His.

 

 

“Why do we receive ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday?”

This practice derives from Genesis 3:19 right after Adam sinned. God says to him, “from dust you were formed and from dust you shall return”. This reminds us of our impending death, a consequence of original sin, and our need for Christ, who will “make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). Ashes are used throughout the Bible to show repentance from sin. We see this in Daniel 9:3 referring to God’s people in the nation of Israel. Jesus even refers to this practice in Mat. 11:21 concerning the nations of “Tyre and Sidon”. We receive ashes on our forehead, and in a cross, to follow the book of Revelation, which talks about protection for those who have the “seal of God upon their foreheads” (Rev. 9:4).

 

 

“Why is there so much Latin in the Catholic Church?”

The Catholic Church uses Latin because it was the language of the Roman Empire , which ruled most of the known world during the start of the Church. This was the language to use if one wanted to communicate to the population. Also, Latin is a “dead” language, which means it doesn’t change (English, on the other hand, is a “living” language; words are added and definitions are added to the dictionary every year). This means that one can read and understand what the early Christians meant in their writings about the Faith. Finally, Latin unifies the Church. Through one, unchanging, language, a bishop from Nigeria can communicate with a bishop from Brazil , China or the United States .

 

 

“Why does the Catholic Church use holy water?

The use of water has always had a sanctifying aspect in the Bible. We see this first with Noah and the Flood, where God used water to purify the world from sin (Gen. 6:9-8:19), and Peter uses this episode when discussing the importance of Baptism, another way God bestows grace using water (1 Pet. 3:20-21). In both cases, it is not the water that has any power, but God’s use of it. It is the same with holy water, which is used explicitly in Num. 5:17 for washing in religious ceremonies. The Catholic Church does not think that the water itself possesses any special power, but God’s presence in the water and its use.

 

 

“What is with all of the stained glass windows in church?”

One identifiable feature of Catholic churches is the presence of stained glass windows. Stained glass reached its height during the Middle Ages, finding prominence in European Gothic cathedrals. These works attest to the beauty that Catholicism inspires and teach people about the Catholic faith. Most windows depict events in the life of Christ, the Saints or Catholic teachings. Back then, literacy was uncommon and education expensive. People would use the artwork to teach children things about the faith like the Mysteries of the Rosary (“See Jesus going up to heaven? That’s called ‘The Ascension’”) and the Bible (“Why does Peter have keys? Because in Mat. 16:19 Jesus gave Peter the ‘keys’ to the kingdom of heaven”). At the front of Crucifixion Church, there is lamb holding a banner. What does that image teach us?