Articles by Arcbishop Robert J. Carlson
St. Cyril articulated teaching on the Eucharist
Jun 21, 2012 / 00:00 amWe live in a time of confusion and controversy over what it means to be a Catholic Christian. Many diverse and dissonant voices tell us that our faith is old-fashioned and out of touch. Especially on matters involving human sexuality and the dignity of human life, Church teaching often is portrayed as repressive or intolerant. At best, our culture tends to regard religious teaching and practice as optional. At worst, those who take their faith seriously are regarded as a threat to ideologies that define the status quo. It was not so different 1,600 years ago. Controversies raged over the divinity of Christ, about the meaning of the sacraments and over the lifestyles of former pagans who had embraced Christianity and been baptized. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) was a bishop who wrote extensively on what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ in uncertain times. He was not always understood or accepted. He was accused of heresy, and he was exiled three times over the course of 20 years. We are blessed to have nearly two dozen "catecheses" of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. These contain his reflections on the prerequisites for baptism, conversion from pagan morals, the Sacrament of Baptism, the dogmatic truths contained in the creed, the Body and Blood of Christ and the eucharistic liturgy. All are intended to serve as a form of systematic catechesis in the Christian faith. Taken as a whole, these instructions seek to overcome the controversies of Cyril's time and clear up any confusion about what it means to live an authentic Christian life in the fourth century (and the 21st century as well). It's fascinating to read what St. Cyril had to say in the early years of Christian history about the principal doctrines of our faith. His writing is clear and uncomplicated and has become a model for all catechisms, including the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The truths that are the foundations of Church teachings do not change. We may come to understand things better (in a new light), or we can mature in our ability to express what we believe, but as the catecheses of St. Cyril make clear, the teaching we received from the apostles remains constant and unchanging even as new questions and controversies arise to challenge our most cherished beliefs and traditions. Catholic teaching on the holy Eucharist is an excellent example. What Cyril taught the catechumens, elect and newly baptized in the fourth century is exactly what we teach today. Before the invocation of the Blessed Trinity in the Eucharistic Prayer, the bread and wine are simply bread and wine. But after the celebrant invokes the Trinity, the elements are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ: "Take this, all of you, and eat it: This is my body which will be given up for you...Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood..." The technical term "transubstantiation" was not known in the fourth century. That was a later development -- a fuller understanding -- of the doctrine. But the foundational teaching is clearly articulated by St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his catechetical instruction. How clearly do we present this teaching today? Is it understood -- in spite of all confusion and controversy -- that the Lord is truly present in the Eucharist? (See Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; John 6:53-56; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.) The Real Presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine is one of the most powerful truths of our faith. We should teach this with unqualified clarity and we should meditate on this great mystery in our daily prayers and especially in our adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. From the very beginning of Christian history, holy men and women have reflected on Christ's presence in the Eucharist and have taught that the sacred transformation that occurs in the eucharistic liturgy is a sign and a cause of the transformation that should occur in the lives of all those who receive this great sacrament of Christ's love. Let's cut through all the confusion and controversy to the heart of the matter. In the Eucharist, Christ gives Himself to us really and truly. He enters into our world once again and becomes one with us -- body and soul, mind and heart -- in a perfect communion of divine love. One thing is clear. There can be no greater gift. Reprinted with permission from The St. Louis Review, official newspaper for the Archidiocese of St. Louis.
Silence is essential to the evangelization of the young Church
Dec 1, 2011 / 00:00 amSilence is not simply the absence of noise. It is a necessary condition for discernment and reflection, for meditation and prayer, and for "welcoming the word" into our minds and hearts.Silence is necessary for evangelization — welcoming God's word and integrating it into our daily lives. Unless we are able to filter out the ever-increasing bombardment of messages of social communication and mass media, there is no way we can welcome God's word. Or reflect on it prayerfully. Or act on it in our daily lives.Silence is essential to our ministry to the young Church. Young women and men are the targets of advertisements and the entertainment media. They are the constant recipients of seductive and alluring images that are meant to persuade them to think, dress, consume and behave in certain ways. They are told what to do and what to value. To counteract the barrage of secular or worldly communications directed at the young, we must preach the Gospel in word and action. But we must also make room for silence to allow members of the young Church to welcome the word and to discern what they are being called to be and do as followers of Jesus Christ.The patron saint of silence is St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus. In the Gospels he does not speak a word. He listens. He reflects. He acts. St. Joseph welcomed the word of God into his mind and heart. He welcomed Jesus, the Word made flesh, into his family and into his loving care. The silence of St. Joseph speaks louder than words. It gives bold witness to his unique vocation as redemptoris custos (the guardian of our redeemer).If we want to reach out to members of the young Church and encourage them to welcome God's word in their lives, we need to help them discover what it means to be silent. If we want to foster vocations to ordained ministry, to consecrated life, to marriage and to the dedicated single life, we must help young men and women discover times and places where they can turn off the noise of modern life and tune in to the grand silence of God's holy peace.Parents: Create quiet times and places in your home. Be quiet yourselves and help your children learn the importance of prayerful silence in their lives.Parishes and schools: Promote silent prayer, eucharistic adoration, retreats and days of recollection for everyone -- but especially for the young. Discourage the tyranny of busyness and help members of the young Church discover how liberating and enriching it is to listen attentively for the word of God in the silence of an open heart.Pope Benedict XVI has rightly proposed "Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization" as the theme for World Communications Day 2012. The paradox is that silence is rarely seen as a means of communication. Women and men of faith know better. We know that God's voice is often heard most clearly in the still, small voice that whispers to us in silent prayer.Silence can speak louder than words or music. It can help us integrate the noise around us and be attentive to God's call in our lives. Silence is necessary to evangelize the young Church and encourage vocations.Let's help our children and youth discover this great paradox. Let's help them discern who they are — and whom God is calling them to become — in the quiet moments of their lives.Reprinted with permission from the St. Louis Review.
Praying for those who have died is a spiritual work of mercy
Aug 11, 2011 / 00:00 amCatholic Christians always have believed in the importance of praying for those who have died. We call this a spiritual work of mercy. We also believe that the dead pray for us — that they intercede for us as advocates. This means, of course, that we believe there is a real relationship that continues to exist between the living and the dead. And like all personal relationships, we believe that our connection (communion) with those who have died is nourished and strengthened by personal, and sometimes intimate, communication.We have the ability to help those who have died. (That's what works of mercy are, acts of kindness or assistance or forgiveness.) And those who have died can, and do, help us through their intercessory prayers.As Christians, we do not believe in false or superficial forms of communication with the dead (séances or voodoo or other forms of superstition). We communicate with those who have died through our prayer.Do you believe in the power of prayer? Do you accept our Church's teaching that we can — and should — reach out to those who have gone before us in faith? And that the communion of saints includes both the living and the dead?Many years ago, when he was a professor of theology, Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) wrote a series of scholarly reflections on death and eternal life. In one of these he writes: "The possibility of helping and giving does not cease to exist on the death of the Christian. Rather does it stretch out to encompass the entire communion of saints, on both sides of death's portals."If we take this seriously, it means that we have a duty to pray for those who have died. Prayer is always directed to God, but we Christians believe that Mary and all the saints can assist us in our communication with our Heavenly Father. They intercede for us, whether we ask them to or not, but they also pray with us. That means they accompany us on our individual spiritual journeys, and if we let them, they can and do communicate with us along the way.Praying with the people we love who have died doesn't require a lot of words. In fact, prayer is more about listening than about talking. When we pray, we place ourselves in God's hands. We open our hearts to Him. We listen for His word, and we seek to do His will. Praying with Mary and the saints (and all who have died) is no different. It's about being open and receptive to what God has to say to us through them. And it means sharing our deepest hopes and fears, our joys and our sorrows, our frustrations in daily living, and our desire to be better persons and to grow in holiness as disciples of Jesus Christ.When I talk to family members and friends who have died, I tell them what is in my heart — my hopes, my fears and my frustrations. I thank them for the gifts of love and friendship they shared with me. I ask them to forgive me for any mistakes I made when they were still with us on earth. And I forgive them for any offenses they may have committed against me. Finally, I ask them to help me be a better man and to be a wise and humble bishop.My conversations with family members and friends who have died take place in the context of prayer. I pray with and for them, and I believe that they pray with and for me.May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. And may they pray for us always as we promise to pray for them until we are all united with Christ on the Last Day in the place He has prepared for us.Reprinted with permission from the St. Louis Review.