2012 December

The TE DEUM: Last Chance for a Plenary Indulgence in 2012

December 31, 2012 By Kathy Schiffer Leave a Comment

Hurry, start praying!

Maybe you know this, because a few websites have been talking about it today: On December 31, the last day of the year, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to persons who publicly recite or sing the Te Deum.

This opportunity for an indulgence—which was unknown to me until this week—is published in the Enchiridion of Indulgences. The Enchiridion (or Handbook) of Indulgences, published in 1968 by Cardinal Joseph Ferretto of the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, is a complete listing of the works and prayers for which the Church has decreed that one’s sins may be remitted.

WHAT IS AN INDULGENCE?

An “indulgence” is “the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned.” The first thing to note is that forgiveness of a sin is separate from punishment for the sin: Through sacramental confession we obtain forgiveness, but we aren’t let off the hook as far as punishment goes. A plenary indulgence removes all of the temporal punishment due for sins.

“To acquire a plenary indulgence,” says the Enchiridion, “it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached [in this case, reciting the Te Deum] and to fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent.” The conditions may be met on the day, or in a short period of time—usually within one week.

JUST WHAT IS THE TE DEUM, ANYWAY?

The Te Deum is a fourth century hymn which is often ascribed to Saints Ambrose and Augustine—or sometimes, to Nicetas, bishop of Remesiana. The hymn follows the outline of the Apostles’ Creed, mixing a poetic vision of the heavenly liturgy with its declaration of faith. Wikipedia explains:

Calling on the name of God immediately, the hymn proceeds to name all those who praise and venerate God, from the hierarchy of heavenly creatures to those Christian faithful already in heaven to the Church spread throughout the world. The hymn then returns to its credal formula, naming Christ and recalling his birth, suffering and death, his resurrection and glorification. At this point the hymn turns to the subjects declaiming the praise, both the universal Church and the singer in particular, asking for mercy on past sins, protection from future sin, and the hoped-for reunification with the elect.

At the end of the hymn are petitions drawn from the book of Psalms.

Here (below) are the English-language lyrics, followed by a solemn rendition by monks of the one of the Abbeys of the Solesmes Congregation.

TE DEUM

O God, we praise Thee, and acknowledge Thee to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships Thee.
All the Angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, continuously cry to Thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
The wonderful company of Prophets,
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges Thee:
The Father of infinite Majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou tookest it upon Thyself to deliver man,
Thou didst not disdain the Virgin’s womb.
Having overcome the sting of death, Thou opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all
believers.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou willst come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg Thee to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy
Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance!
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V. Every day we thank Thee.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yes, forever and ever.

V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have put my trust; let me never be put to shame.

Filed Under: Catholic, Prayer Tagged With: Te Deum Leave a Comment

YOUR FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT—IN A WORD

December 31, 2012 By Kathy Schiffer 3 Comments

‘Tis that time of year. Gifts have been unwrapped, pumpkin pies have been consumed, games have been played, songs have been sung—and all over the world, people turn their attention to….

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS!!!

For the majority of Americans, their goals for the New Year will include at least some of these lofty yet popular goals:

• Lose weight
• Get more exercise
• Get out of debt
• Spend more time with family and friends
• Stop smoking

Well-intentioned Christians may throw in

• Pray and attend church services more frequently

All that is well and good. Chances are, though, that if you’re like me, by the third week of January those hefty resolutions will find themselves flung into the urban hinterlands in the back of your bureau—if not, even worse, into the circular file—and life will go on as before.

My proposal for this year is to toss aside the list of complicated resolutions, and to instead employ a “Mission Statement” in a single word.
One word, rich with meaning and significance.
One word which embodies all that I am, and all that I aspire to be.
One word is not too much to remember, and not too much to achieve.

Among my coworkers and acquaintances, out there on the city street or bobbing in the maelstrom of humanity at the mall, are people whose one-word Mission Statement might be “Acquire.”
Others rivet their attention on a singular goal: “Win.”
An athlete might seek to “Score”; a college professor might hope to “Teach” while his student intends to “Learn.”
Children love to “Play.”
Americans aim to “Spend” or “Save,” “Work” or “Play.”

Having embraced, then gracefully emerged from a good many of these interim states of being, I pray this year for the courage and the stamina to grab onto a single goal—to “Love”—and then to do it well, to hold tight despite whatever storms and struggles the year will bring.

“God is Love,” John tells us (1 John 4:8); and by gnawing on Love, by rapacious grasping at Love, I hope to encounter Him more fully.

If Love is the hallmark by which I dignify my every encounter—if Love is both the means and the goal—then I’m sure to welcome the stranger, but also to bless the grocery clerk and the department manager with a kind word.
If I have Love, I’ll debate less and listen more.
Afire with Love, I’ll mirror Christ to everyone I meet.

Happy New Year! Bring it on!

Filed Under: Love, New Year Tagged With: Love, New Year 3 Comments

In Michigan, Feminists Refuse to Protect Women

December 30, 2012 By Kathy Schiffer 1 Comment

Do Michigan’s feminists REALLY care about women?

In the ‘70s, when abortion proponents were making the case for legalized abortion across the land, they argued that passage of Roe v. Wade would ensure needed safeguards for women seeking to terminate a pregnancy. “No more back alley abortions!” was their mantra. Once abortion was legalized, they reasoned, women would no longer be forced to abort their unwanted children in unsafe, unlicensed facilities staffed by untrained, uncaring practitioners. Bringing abortion into the light would protect women and save lives.

That was then, this is now.

In Michigan, Republican Governor Rick Snyder has just signed House Bill 5711, what is called the “abortion omnibus”, a package of bills designed to ensure that abortion facilities meet universal medical standards. Clinics which endanger women’s health will be brought into compliance, or they will close. And oh, the ladies are mad!

What, exactly, does House Bill 5711 do?

Well, for one thing, H.B. 5711 requires health care facilities where more than 120 abortions are performed annually to be licensed freestanding outpatient surgical centers, subjecting them to rigorous building standards. Surgical abortion clinics could be forced to close if their building’s hallways and recovery rooms don’t meet certain dimensions required for surgical centers. Hallways too narrow for a gurney to pass, and recovery rooms too small to accommodate anesthesia equipment and a medical staff—these inadequacies could render a building unfit to serve as an abortion facility under the new law.
For the first time, there will be mandated state health inspections of abortion clinics.
Doctors will ask patients whether they are choosing the abortion of their own free will, or whether they are being coerced by a third party, such as a parent, boyfriend or spouse.
Doctors will have to be physically present for the surgical procedure. Webcam or “telemed” abortions, in which a medical doctor purportedly “administers” an abortion-inducing drug from another state, will be prohibited.
Doctors will be required to carry liability insurance, as are physicians in other areas of medical practice, covering the cost of potential injuries to patients in the course of an abortion.
And now, abortion providers will be required to dispose of fetal remains appropriately through medical waste incineration, cremation or burial. Disposing of aborted fetuses in trash cans and dumpsters, which has been common until now, will be criminalized.

So I ask you: What’s wrong with that?

Why aren’t feminists lining up to celebrate these regulations—regulations which preserve and protect women’s lives, while still permitting abortions under safe, regulated conditions?

Just the opposite appears to be true:

Planned Parenthood called on the Governor to veto the legislation, alleging that it “creates unnecessary, burdensome and costly licensing requirements for women’s health centers and will reduce access to comprehensive care for women in rural areas via a telemedicine ban.”
Michigan State Democratic Senator Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield), who is perhaps best known for performing the Vagina Monologues on the Capitol steps and who was banned from speaking in the Legislature for a day because of her obscenity, has protested loudly—calling the protective legislation “an assault on women’s rights.”
State Sen. Coleman Young II (D-Detroit) criticized his Republican colleagues for pushing forward with the anti-abortion agenda. He said, “Get the government from underneath women’s clothes. We’ve already had this conversation. Obama won, Romney lost, get over it.”
RH Reality Check, an online publication committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, called the legislation “the anti-choice super-bill”.

Oh, well.

Apparently, safeguarding women’s lives is not as important as safeguarding abortion and abortion providers.

The Michigan Catholic Conference, meanwhile, praised the new legislation.

A December 28, 2012 statement by the Conference quotes Rebecca Mastee, J.D., Michigan Catholic Conference Policy Advocate, saying:

“Licensing and inspecting abortion clinics for health and safety standards will serve to better protect those women who, regrettably, choose the path of abortion…. Michigan Catholic Conference applauds Governor Snyder for signing House Bill 5711 into law and extends its appreciation for the governor’s effort to prioritize women’s health and safety. Despite the partisan campaign rhetoric and theatrics that accompanied House Bill 5711 through its legislative journey, good public policy that promotes the dignity of women has proven to be the winner.”

The MCC further applauds Governor Snyder’s veto of legislation to restructure Blue Cross-Blue Shield due to abortion funding provisions within the law. The Michigan Catholic Conference explained:

“The Affordable Care Act (ACA) specifically allows states to opt out of abortion coverage in its health care exchanges, and there will be opportunities in the coming legislative session to further address abortion coverage in health insurance plans. No person or employer should be forced to pay for another person’s abortion, especially as it pertains to matters of conscience. Michigan Catholic Conference looks forward to working with the administration and the legislature to craft agreeable policy that ensures abortion—the intentional destruction of unborn human life—is not paid for at the expense of unwitting persons.”