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Zundrah
Guest
Can you please expain lent to me in a basic way? Why do people fast at this time?
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06convert
Guest
It’s a time of self sacrifice to bring us closer to God. Jesus himself fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. By sacrificing something in our own lives, it helps us to appreciate better the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.
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Sailor_Kenshin
Guest
Christ fasted in the desert for 40 days and nights. We fast (I think) to journey with him on his road to Crucifixion.
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Zundrah
Guest
But doesn’t the church change colours too? What does it mean?
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Corki
Guest
Do you mean the liturgical colors of vestments and altar cloths? We have several colors in use in the Catholic liturgy. The colors symbolize the various seasons of the liturgical calendar. Purple/violet are colors used for the seasons of Advent and Lent. They symbolize waiting and penance. Penance is the traditional way to prepare for great feasts. This was a tradition of the Hebrews even before the time of Christ. Penance and abstinance are ways to turn your heart, body and mind to God to prepare for a celebratory feast (in this case the Resurrection).
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Zundrah
Guest
Okay, from what I understand now; The colour of the church changes in order to show people what it is doing, such as fasting for 40 days before easter. The forty days that Christ fasted for before he started following a life for God? Easter is the day that Christ was ressurected?
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Sailor_Kenshin
Guest
One small correction: Jesus always followed a life for God. Yes, Easter Sunday marks His Resurrection.
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Big_Ro
Guest
Green is the color for ordinary time
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Zundrah
Guest
Green? What about red, what does red mean?
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Zundrah
Guest
Yeah but, you know what I meant!
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Tantum_ergo
Guest
Back when I was young (the 60s) the nuns taught the colors this way:
White means joy and purity.
Red means suffering for God’s love.
Green means hope in God.
Purple means sorrow for our sins.
Black means sadness.
Now, you don’t get the black garments so much (used to be de rigeur for funerals before the ‘hopeful’ trends but oh well).
Anyhoo, those are the major colors for vestments/hanging.
Add in these: On two Sundays, the color is rose. (not pink, Rose). The Sundays are called (in Latin) Laetare and Gaudete. One is the third Sunday of Advent, (Gaudete) one the fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare) and in both, the rose color is meant to symbolize the hope and joy at the ‘end’ of each Season (i.e., Christmas and Easter).
SOME Episcopal parishes have blue vestments for Advent. (Meant as a nod to Mary). Not liturgically permitted in Catholic churches but you are always going to find a ‘progressive’ priest who got them on sale and thought how ‘ecumenical’ it would be to ‘liven up the liturgy’ and wear them. Offer it up (after charitably expressing that the intention might be good, but the practice is lamentable).
During Easter you’ll often see the priest in white and gold vestments. The Gold is apparently something that we see more often in these later times and probably symbolizes the Kingship of Christ.
Did you ever wonder why the Pope wears white for his ‘regular’ outfits? It goes back to a few centuries ago when a Dominican was elected to the Papacy. Dominican robes are white–and this Dominican Pope kept his–and the practice went on from there.
Different orders wear different colors too.
Catholics are cool–they like to use ALL the senses. Sight, sound, taste, touch and smell–color, music, the bread/wine-Body/Blood, cloths/vestments/veils/statues, and incense/candlewax/flowers. . .all that and more. . .
White means joy and purity.
Red means suffering for God’s love.
Green means hope in God.
Purple means sorrow for our sins.
Black means sadness.
Now, you don’t get the black garments so much (used to be de rigeur for funerals before the ‘hopeful’ trends but oh well).
Anyhoo, those are the major colors for vestments/hanging.
Add in these: On two Sundays, the color is rose. (not pink, Rose). The Sundays are called (in Latin) Laetare and Gaudete. One is the third Sunday of Advent, (Gaudete) one the fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare) and in both, the rose color is meant to symbolize the hope and joy at the ‘end’ of each Season (i.e., Christmas and Easter).
SOME Episcopal parishes have blue vestments for Advent. (Meant as a nod to Mary). Not liturgically permitted in Catholic churches but you are always going to find a ‘progressive’ priest who got them on sale and thought how ‘ecumenical’ it would be to ‘liven up the liturgy’ and wear them. Offer it up (after charitably expressing that the intention might be good, but the practice is lamentable).
During Easter you’ll often see the priest in white and gold vestments. The Gold is apparently something that we see more often in these later times and probably symbolizes the Kingship of Christ.
Did you ever wonder why the Pope wears white for his ‘regular’ outfits? It goes back to a few centuries ago when a Dominican was elected to the Papacy. Dominican robes are white–and this Dominican Pope kept his–and the practice went on from there.
Different orders wear different colors too.
Catholics are cool–they like to use ALL the senses. Sight, sound, taste, touch and smell–color, music, the bread/wine-Body/Blood, cloths/vestments/veils/statues, and incense/candlewax/flowers. . .all that and more. . .
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Zundrah
Guest
Rose yes, not pink! I’m so tempted to steal the host and take it in secret!
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DavidMark
Guest
Since Christ fasted and told us how, i would say it has a benefit to practice self-denial instead of constant self-gratification. All the great Faiths have a form of fasting.
In my Baha’i Faith, we have 4 or 5 days of gift giving, visiting, childrens parties etc before the solemnity of the fast, which is 19 days long. If you are under 15, over 70, ill, pregnant, nursing, travelling, or have very heavy labor, you don’t need to fast. But if you don’t fall into one of those categories, you refrain from food and drink and smoke between sunrise and sunset for the 19 days, which end March 20th. There are special prayers which are very elevating for this period, too.
In my Baha’i Faith, we have 4 or 5 days of gift giving, visiting, childrens parties etc before the solemnity of the fast, which is 19 days long. If you are under 15, over 70, ill, pregnant, nursing, travelling, or have very heavy labor, you don’t need to fast. But if you don’t fall into one of those categories, you refrain from food and drink and smoke between sunrise and sunset for the 19 days, which end March 20th. There are special prayers which are very elevating for this period, too.
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Mary1973
Guest
If you are not Catholic, you should not receive the Eucharist which is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. It would be a sin and a sacrilege. However, I am so happy that you are interested in the Catholic faith and pray you will come home to us.
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Zundrah
Guest
I am already home with you guys! What other house could I call my home other than the RCC?
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Harpazo
Guest
Oh dear. What could possibly make you want to make such a statement?
In Christ,
Andrew
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Zundrah
Guest
That should have been inside a though bubble…Oh dear. What could possibly make you want to make such a statement?
In Christ,
Andrew
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DavidMark
Guest
Dear friends, I speak from my heart when I say the Lord’s Supper continues in our Baha’i Feasts, but we do not accept “trans-substantiation”…for this reason:
"Reflect how clear it is that what Christ meant by the heavenly bread was His spirit, His bounties, His perfections and His teachings; for it is said in John 6: 63rd verse:
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing."
Therefore, it is evident that the spirit of Christ is a heavenly grace which descends from heaven; whosoever receives light from that spirit in abundance – that is to say, the heavenly teachings – finds everlasting life. That is why it is said in the 35th verse:
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life:
he that cometh to Me shall never hunger;
and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst."
Notice that “coming to Him” He expresses as eating, and “belief in Him” as drinking.
Then it is evident and established that the celestial food is the divine bounties, the spiritual splendors, the heavenly teachings, the universal meaning of Christ.
To eat is to draw near to Him, and to drink is to believe in Him. For Christ had an elemental body and a celestial form. The elemental body was crucified, but the heavenly form is living and eternal, and the cause of everlasting life; the first was the human nature, and the second is the divine nature. It is thought by some that the Eucharist is the reality of Christ, and that the Divinity and the Holy Spirit descend into and exist in it.
Now when once the Eucharist is taken, after a few moments it is simply disintegrated and entirely transformed. Therefore, how can such a thought be conceived? God forbid!" certainly it is an absolute fantasy." (Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 97)
"Reflect how clear it is that what Christ meant by the heavenly bread was His spirit, His bounties, His perfections and His teachings; for it is said in John 6: 63rd verse:
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing."
Therefore, it is evident that the spirit of Christ is a heavenly grace which descends from heaven; whosoever receives light from that spirit in abundance – that is to say, the heavenly teachings – finds everlasting life. That is why it is said in the 35th verse:
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life:
he that cometh to Me shall never hunger;
and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst."
Notice that “coming to Him” He expresses as eating, and “belief in Him” as drinking.
Then it is evident and established that the celestial food is the divine bounties, the spiritual splendors, the heavenly teachings, the universal meaning of Christ.
To eat is to draw near to Him, and to drink is to believe in Him. For Christ had an elemental body and a celestial form. The elemental body was crucified, but the heavenly form is living and eternal, and the cause of everlasting life; the first was the human nature, and the second is the divine nature. It is thought by some that the Eucharist is the reality of Christ, and that the Divinity and the Holy Spirit descend into and exist in it.
Now when once the Eucharist is taken, after a few moments it is simply disintegrated and entirely transformed. Therefore, how can such a thought be conceived? God forbid!" certainly it is an absolute fantasy." (Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 97)
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Sailor_Kenshin
Guest
This is a thread about Lent, not the Bahai faith. The OP has some genuine questions about it.
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Tracy24
Guest
I’m really hoping you aren’t serious and you posted without thinking but…
Do you realize how wrong this would be? You are not allowed to receive Communion until you have been formally received into the Church, this means Baptism(or First Confession if previously baptized.) and since you are an adult, Confirmation as well and after that you would be able to receive Holy Communion.
I personally take offense to this since as a convert I know what it is to crave the Eucharist more than anything but having to wait patiently and pray for spiritual Communion each week. When I was able to receive the first time it was an experience that moved me to tears and all the waiting was worth the joy of receiving Our Lord. To even consider stealing the Precious Body and then consume Him in secret is just plain wrong and downright disrespectful. And you wouldn’t consume in secret anyway because He sees everything and knows our sins even before we get to the confessional he already knows. Do you really want your first confession to be about stealing Holy Communion and receiving without being properly disposed? You have the rest of your life ahead of you to receive Our Lord and you’ve already waited this long so would waiting a few more months until you are received really going to hurt?
Maybe as a convert I am a little more sensitive to such statements but that is how I feel.
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