"Unpacking the Precepts": Marital Matters

The Catholic Church's matrimonial regulations are not currently listed as a precept, but that doesn't make them less binding for the individual who strives to live up to the Name.

This blog elsewhere features reflections on the "canonical form" of marriage.  In sum: A Catholic observes the proper form for the Sacrament of Matrimony when he or she marries in the presence of a duly-authorized priest or deacon in the presence of two witnesses.

A Catholic observes the proper "matter" for sacramental marriage when he exchanges marital consent with a baptized woman (she, with a baptized man).  One has to be suitable matter for sacramental marriage: to be baptized*; to be "of age" to offer matrimonial consent; to be free of any previously existing bond or any other impediment to marriage; to possess sufficient maturity and understanding of what marriage entails; and to choose what marriage entails, with this specific individual, setting aside now and forever all other possibilities.

*An unbaptized person cannot confer the sacrament of marriage upon his or her spouse; with permission, necessary for the sake of the baptized Catholic and obtainable through the agency of the priest/deacon preparing the couple, he or she may enter into a valid--but not sacramental--covenant of marriage with a baptized person.

"Marital consent" aims to "establish...a partnership of the whole of life...which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring" (can. 1055).  The "whole of life" suggests the essential properties of marriage: unity and indissolubility--"together, forever."

In the selection of a mate (as opposed to "falling in love," which sounds more like slipping on a banana peel, which I've never seen in my whole, short life), observant Catholics give due consideration to the individual with whom they are daring to enter into such a relationship.

• Does this person share the Church's vision of matrimonial consent, which, not incidentally, is my vision too?
• Do I know the Church's vision of matrimonial consent, and do I in fact consent to it (not expecting flawlessness, but radically depending on God's grace in order to offer free and informed consent)?
• Do I know my future spouse long enough, well enough, to know if he or she knows and chooses sacramental marriage according to the Catholic Church?
• Do I know myself well enough to know if I know and choose sacramental marriage according to the Catholic Church?  This last question takes a lifetime to answer, and yet a certain firm knowledge ought to be in place by the time one is intentionally "playing the field."

The exchange of vows is first moment in the establishment of a valid matrimonial covenant: the second moment is the initial conjugal act "which is suitable in itself for the procreation of offspring, to which marriage is ordered by its nature and by which the spouses become one flesh" (can. 1061§1).  A marriage is humanly indissoluble when the parties attest to their consent both publicly (vows) and privately (intercourse).

The 1983 Code of Canon Law mentions in passing that the conjugal act must be performed humano modo, "in a human fashion."  How else?  Modesty forbids a development of this topic; popular songs have treated various alternate modes that have crept into the practice of our species.  But these modes only (if at all) approximate the embodiment of total, faithful, permanent, exclusive, and fruitful love that are a sign of Christ's covenant with His Bride, the Church.  Sacramental marriage is not the only, but certainly the optimal and divinely ordained, context for this act.  Outside of this context, sex runs the risk of devolving into lesser, animalistic expressions of lust and power.

Perhaps a segment from paragraph 49 of Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes) would illustrate "a human manner":

This love is an eminently human one since it is directed from one person to another through an affection of the will; it involves the good of the whole person, and therefore can enrich the expressions of body and mind with a unique dignity, ennobling these expressions as special ingredients and signs of the friendship distinctive of marriage. This love God has judged worthy of special gifts, healing, perfecting and exalting gifts of grace and of charity. Such love, merging the human with the divine, leads the spouses to a free and mutual gift of themselves, a gift providing itself by gentle affection and by deed, such love pervades the whole of their lives: indeed by its busy generosity it grows better and grows greater. Therefore it far excels mere erotic inclination, which, selfishly pursued, soon enough fades wretchedly away.

This love is uniquely expressed and perfected through the appropriate enterprise of matrimony. The actions within marriage by which the couple are united intimately and chastely are noble and worthy ones. Expressed in a manner which is truly human, these actions promote that mutual self-giving by which spouses enrich each other with a joyful and a ready will. Sealed by mutual faithfulness and hallowed above all by Christ's sacrament, this love remains steadfastly true in body and in mind, in bright days or dark. It will never be profaned by adultery or divorce. Firmly established by the Lord, the unity of marriage will radiate from the equal personal dignity of wife and husband, a dignity acknowledged by mutual and total love. The constant fulfillment of the duties of this Christian vocation demands notable virtue. For this reason, strengthened by grace for holiness of life, the couple will painstakingly cultivate and pray for steadiness of love, large heartedness and the spirit of sacrifice.

Authentic conjugal love will be more highly prized, and wholesome public opinion created about it if Christian couples give outstanding witness to faithfulness and harmony in their love, and to their concern for educating their children also, if they do their part in bringing about the needed cultural, psychological and social renewal on behalf of marriage and the family. Especially in the heart of their own families, young people should be aptly and seasonably instructed in the dignity, duty and work of married love. Trained thus in the cultivation of chastity, they will be able at a suitable age to enter a marriage of their own after an honorable courtship.

The last paragraph suggests that suitable preparation for sacramental marriage begins not "at least six months before the desired wedding date," but upon reaching the age of reason.  This preparation depends on diligent spouses/parents who are striving for holiness.  But parish priests (and, by extension, dioceses) are obliged to foster worthy supplements for the Domestic Church, to wit:

1. "Preaching, catechesis adapted to minors, youth, and adults, and even the use of instruments of social communication, by which the Christian faithful are instructed about the meaning of Christian marriage and about the function of Christian spouses and parents;
2. "Personal preparation to enter marriage, which disposes the spouses to the holiness and duties of their new state;
3. "A fruitful liturgical celebration of marriage which is to show that the spouses signify and share in the mystery of the unity and fruitful love between Christ and the Church;
4. "Help offered to those who are married, so that faithfully preserving and protecting the conjugal covenant, they daily come to lead holier and fuller lives in their family" (Canon 1063)

It may seem self-evident, but legal language has to stipulate it: "It is for the local ordinary to take care that such assistance is organized fittingly, after he has also heard men and women proven by experience and expertise if it seems opportune" (Canon 1064).  "IF"?!  If it's experience and expertise you want, I sure as hail can't offer it, except as a parish priest who has been preparing couples for nearly ten years.  I suppose that makes for a certain experience and expertise.  I know that our parish has many long- and well-married couples who qualify.  We've been aiming to form a "Marriage Enrichment Team" for that very purpose, but it hasn't taken off yet.  

In the meantime, there's always...the Internets...as a source of...experience and expertise.  People have witnessed the Zsa Zsa Gabors, Britney Spearses, and Kardashians and conclude easily enough that "that's not how marriage is supposed to look," but they still may lack an authentic picture.  This will be more and more the case with every passing year.  We sorely need living witnesses of the proper form and matter for sacramental marriage, people of Christian (especially Catholic) stock who are willing to share their victories and struggles with regard to marital totality of investment, fidelity, and openness to new life.

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Here is an FAQ page on Marriage, courtesy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Unpacking the Precepts": Church Contribution

The fifth precept ("You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church") means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability. (CCC 2043)

The Catechism refers the reader to Canon 222§1, which provides the reasons for material support: "so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers."

To paraphrase former Speaker of the House Thomas P. ("Tip") O'Neill who naturally spoke of politics, "All religion is local."  My examination of this fifth precept is also local.

The operating budget of any parish heavily depends on the contributions of parishioners.  Oftentimes we experience, and always we appreciate, the generosity of visitors; but it's the crew who steers the foundering vessel through the quotidian tumult.  Considering the low percentage of parishioners who go to Mass regularly among the parishioners "on the books," we cannot help but acknowledge that a relative few people supply nearly the whole parish income.

That's not fair.

Now I don't claim to know what each participating member is able to give.  It's a personal decision, but that doesn't mean that other people can't make suggestions, especially when those suggestions are based on their own experience.

The practice of "tithing" is rooted in the story of Abram and Melchizedek in Gen 14:18ff.  After  rescuing his nephew and company in a battle, Abram brought the king of Salem "a tenth of everything" he had collected in the spoils.  Melchizedek was a precursor of the tribe of Levi, Israel's priestly tribe, which received all its material support from the tithes of the Israelites (cf. Num 18:21; Heb 7:5).

The priestly practice of depending on the people was also an act of dependence upon the Lord.  "Will they (He) provide for us?"  They will, if they take seriously the Lord's command to sanctify the Lord's Day in His holy dwelling place and if they present a just offering with gratitude for the Lord's providential care for their lives.  In this and many other human affairs, God "relies" on us human beings as secondary agents of Providence (CCC 306-308).

Three relevant winners from CCC 306-308:

God grants his creatures...the dignity of acting on their own, of being causes and principles for each other, and thus of cooperating in the accomplishment of his plan. (306)

God thus enables men to be intelligent and free causes in order to complete the work of creation, to perfect its harmony for their own good and that of their neighbors.  Though often unconscious collaborators with God's will, they can also enter deliberately into the divine plan by their actions, their prayers, and their sufferings. (307)

Drawn from nothingness by God's power, wisdom, and goodness, [the creature] can do nothing if it is cut off from its origin, for "without a Creator the creature vanishes" (Gaudium et Spes 36§3).  Still less can a creature attain its ultimate end without the help of God's grace. (308)

Contribution to the Church and other worthy causes is for everyone an act of faith, that, when it comes to my life, God "is not dead, nor doth He sleep."  But at the same time, by our many and varied contributions, we become part of the answer to others' prayers.

One-tenth has long been understood as a standard of sacrificial generosity.  Whether we distribute our offering entirely to our parish, or among several recipients, is a personal decision; but this author suggests caution against overextending oneself so that many recipients benefit little.

Your parish ought to be high on the list, because the parish is the "precinct" of pastoral care.  Priests celebrate the holy and life-giving Sacraments, preach the Gospel, and offer themselves for your spiritual needs.  The hired workers of the parish (e.g. secretaries, maintenance personnel) keep the facilities in good working order, so that the physical plant is sound and presentable, and so that services divine and human can be provided.  If the parish participates in a school, the parish likely subsidizes a considerable amount of the school's operating budget.  Everyone has expenses, and our good people enable the household of faith to cover its own.

Moreover, the parish helps to provide for people who need a financial boost.  St. Vincent De Paul Societies, Knights of Columbus, and other organizations help local residents.  Parishioners offer non-perishable foods for direct distribution to parishioners and to local pantries.  Holy Guardian Angels Parish also supports Mary's Shelter and Mary's Home, refuges for women who are pregnant or have young children.  These charitable endeavors are distinct from the ordinary expenses that your weekly contributions offset.

We cannot forget the Church's missionary activity.  "Charity begins at home, but can't stay at home forever."  Efforts exist on a diocesan and national level for the ongoing proclamation of the Gospel in other countries and parts of our own country that cannot easily support themselves.  "Operation Rice Bowl" was started in this diocese by Msgr. Robert J. Coll, one of our now retired priests.  Our school children participate in an initiative called the "Missionary Childhood Association" (formerly the "Holy Childhood Association") that raises funds every year.  Older Catholics may recall the practice of "saving pagan babies" with the quarters they saved as school children.  A kinder, gentler Church eschews such nomenclature in favor of bringing spiritual and material sustenance to the most vulnerable of God's precious poor.

Canon 222§2: "[The Christian faithful] are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources."  Whom and what you assist outside of the parochial context is a matter of conscience.  Moreover, we never neglect personal justice in the name of social justice: remember (as Fulton Sheen did) how Judas spurned a sinful woman's offering in the insincere interest of "helping the poor," and remember how Jesus approved the woman's regard for Him as appropriate for the moment--yes, because He Is Who He Is, but also because Whoever is in front of us deserves our attention.

"Unpacking the Precepts": Fasting and Abstinence

The fourth precept ("You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church") ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepares us for the liturgical feasts and helps us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.  (CCC 2043)

Here the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops elucidate the national regulations for fasting and abstinence.  An amplified summary:

• "Abstinence" (refraining from eating meat and products containing meat--broth base, gravy, etc.) is binding on Ash Wednesday, on all Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday.
• "Fasting" (eating one full meal and two smaller meals that do not equal a full meal) is binding on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  It is recommended, if possible, to continue the fast begun on Good Friday all the way to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.
• Fridays during the year remain penitential days to honor the Lord's passion and death.  Abstinence from meat is the standard Friday practice.  Currently, however, Americans are permitted to substitute another suitable penance of their own choosing.

Canon 1253 supports the third point: "The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast."
Church historians and ascetical theologians could treat the history of fasting and abstinence better than I could; but I do know (from the attestation of older Catholics) that Friday abstinence was the norm until perhaps the 1960s or 70s; in addition, there were other fasting days such as Ember Days.  In various times and places in Church history, Advent had a penitential tone marked by fasting.

Judaism and Orthodox Christianity continue to observe fasting practices that surpass the mandatory practices of Catholicism, both in nature and extent.  Orthodox Christians fast, as Catholics do, in order to "gain mastery over oneself and to conquer the passions of the flesh," as one priest notes in a comprehensive and illustrative article.  In this and many other dimensions of Orthodox Christianity, I sense a profound unity with the West--if not in terms of terminology or practice, then definitely of theory.  One Catholic author who seems to enjoy the good things of life has profited much from roundly adopting the Orthodox fast, and believes that a renewed "Catechesis of Fasting" would profit Latin-Rite Catholics (q.v.), even if we Latins are more adept at adapting than adopting.  Much of traditional Catholicism's education on fasting has favored the purpose of self-discipline for virtue (as opposed to self-improvement for its own sake).  In the process we undoubtedly, and acutely, realize our human weakness.  We do well to consider the Orthodox perspective for its joy--an aspect usually lost on the West.

Some have opined that the purpose of fasting is not primarily to discipline the will for a greater resistance of temptation (although it does), or to foster spiritual growth in us (which strangely enough can become a matter of pride!), but rather to reveal the profound need to depend on divine mercy in the likely event of failure to maintain the discipline.  I believe I read this in an article concerning the practice of "giving up" something for Lent...

...AHA!  Here it is!  In his criticism of an article by an evangelical Christian, a local Orthodox priest by the name of Fr. Andrew S. Damick reminds his readers that a faster's goals of self-improvement and self-realization-as-sinner are indeed secondary to what we might call the objective objective: to dispose oneself, body and soul, to divine grace so that we may become, as the first Bishop of Rome puts it, "partakers in the divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4).  Making room for grace inevitably involves the uprooting of vice; but that is as much God's activity as ours.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen keenly contrasted fasting with dieting, the latter being a cherished practice among moderns.  Dieting often involves the improvement of one's physical appearance and self-esteem, often in order to look more attractive to one's spouse or paramour, actual or potential.  The improvement of one's "numbers" (e.g., body weight, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar) is another, praiseworthy, objective for the dieter.  When Lent comes around, however, people sometimes adopt their Lenten disciplines with ill-fitting and self-centered motives.  In the interest of purifying one's motives for ascesis (discipline), one may want to adopt different  disciplines such as refraining from the television or computer, and/or "doing a good turn daily," implementing the virtues that our families, workplaces, and schools sorely need.

Recall, too, that the Catechism mentions freedom of heart as a positive reason for ecclesial and personal disciplines.  I want to be able to put down something I dearly cherish: for example, the cup of coffee that frequently...currently...sits by my side.  I might have been in the seminary for two or three years when a retreat master suggested giving up coffee (temporarily or permanently) as an ascetical strategy.  It didn't perk me up.  That exchange has been percolating in my mind for all these years because it awakened me to my profound attachment to certain practices and substances.  (That, too, is a good motive of fasting.)  I have since made various life changes for various reasons, but coffee abides with me.  For how much longer, I don't know; but if my mentors suggested it to me, I wouldn't resist as much as I did 15-20 years ago.

"...But not yet!"

I sincerely hope that we Catholics--the Reverend Blogger foremost among them--can recover a genuine appreciation for the value of sacrifice, which is manifested above all in repentance for sin and charity toward neighbor.  Perhaps we can return to fasting with creativity and ingenuity, moved by the willingness to surpass the expected minimum (as the Precepts of the Church prescribe) toward ever greater lengths, "for our good and for the good of all His holy Church."

"Unpacking the Precepts": Easter Duty

I wish to thank blogger Lisa M. Hendey of CatholicMom.com for her kind promotion of my recent post on the precept on Mass attendance.  It was, in turn, picked up by Elizabeth Scalia, blogger known as "The Anchoress" and editor of the Catholic portal at Patheos.com, for which I am equally grateful.  One of my readers has urged me not to "forget the little people."  Fear not: I will forever be one of the little people, both in the blogosphere and on planet earth (I am barely under 5'4", and, to quote one of my favorites, Woody Allen: "The only thing standing between me and greatness is me.")

Our registration form for new parishioners has a space for them to answer whether they have made their "Easter Duty."  Most registrants have to ask our secretary what that means.  (No longer can we presume knowledge of this and many other Church teachings and practices.)  Some of them, in fact, have made their Easter Duty and then some; others have not.  To quell any confusion about the matter:

The third precept ("You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season") guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy." (CCC 2042; can. 920)

In my father's last several years, he and I had some rather interesting conversations about religion.  This one most often comes to mind: Dad, a product of the schola antiqua (old school), asked me why so many people were in line for Holy Communion while so few queued for Confession.  "Every week we had to go."  I hear that often from the older set.  Priests tell of the days when three of them would be hearing Confessions for an hour and a half on a Saturday afternoon--when many parishes had two or three assistants!

One wonders whether little attention was paid to the distinction between mortal and venial sin (reviewed in the last post), to the effect that every misstep risked a descent to the Hell of Damnation, or at least a near-eternity in Purgatory.  Of course, I cannot say that for sure, since I wasn't around yet.  Nor can I affirm that people were more conscientious (even if to a fault) back then.  Judging by the attested numbers, relatively few people considered themselves fit to partake in the Eucharist; and those who did, approached with extreme caution.

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom features a dialogue between the priest and the faithful in which the priest, facing the people, lifts up the Holy Gifts (the Eucharist) and proclaims, "Holy Things to the holy!"  To which the people respond, "One is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.  Amen."  Throughout the entire Liturgy the priest and people implore God to make them worthy.  The Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite, which has been shaved with Occam's Razor, saves the declaration of unworthiness for the Moment of Truth ("Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter..."), although our participation in the rite presumes (without being presumptuous) our unworthiness, as well as God's power to purify us and His intention and desire to do so.

Does it mean that the pendulum has swung because nowadays seemingly everyone approaches the Altar?  We cannot, of course, presume that everyone who approaches weekly, approaches weakly; but perhaps some do fail to "examine themselves before eating the bread and drinking the cup," failing to "discern the body of Christ," with the infelicitous result of "eating and drinking judgment upon themselves" (1 Cor 11:28-29).  In other words, we do ourselves great harm by receiving Communion when we fail to acknowledge Christ's Real Presence or when we are deliberately retaining serious sin.  It's the spiritual equivalent of drinking battery acid; but if it burns, it may move us to repentance.

The Truth.

Also the Truth.

If there is any accuracy to the statistics concerning belief in the Real Presence (cf. this study of the former and this more comprehensive CARA study), the relevance of the "Easter Duty" swiftly wanes.  Let's not be concerned solely about whether people receive Communion once a year; rather, about whether people attend Mass more than once or twice a year!  Repeated action reinforces belief: put more technically, "Orthopraxis breeds Orthodoxy."

For the present, the precept remains in force.  Presuming one attends Mass on the Lord's Day and Holy Days of Obligation; presuming one celebrates the Sacrament of Penance at least whenever necessary and possible (i.e., whenever one is conscious of grave sin and whenever a duly-authorized priest is at hand); one ought to receive the Eucharist at least during the Easter Season.  These may be ponderous presumptions, but they nonetheless pertain to practical Catholics.  As for merely theoretical Catholics, how shall they be convinced to make the leap toward an impassioned practice nourished by sound doctrine?

Lest this post devolve any further into a diatribe or a hand-wringing endeavor, we do well to remember the centrality of Easter, the Day of Resurrection.  It is the feast of feasts.  It renews our Christian identity as persons incorporated into Christ's Mystical Body, sealed by His promised Holy Spirit.  In light of this blessed reality we love God and obey His commandments; the Church becomes more than an incidental component of our lives or even a wonderful place to keep in touch with people of like minds and interests.

Jesus of Nazareth is no one less than God the Son who became flesh, who suffered and died and rose from the dead in the flesh, for our redemption.  He instituted the Church as the secure conduit of His  grace.  The Holy and Divine Liturgy is the source and summit of who we are and how we conduct ourselves as members of Christ's Body.  Therefore, while we live, we approach at least as often as commanded, in order that His command become our wish.