History shows the basic tenets of the Mass have been in place for nearly 2000 years. “As early as the second century we have the witness of St. Justin Martyr for the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration. They have stayed the same until our own day for all the great liturgical families.” (#1345)

What comes to mind when you hear the word “liturgy”? Monks hidden behind brown cloaks chanting Latin? Collective recitation of the Lord’s Prayer? Or perhaps candles, incense, and choirs? The word means: “a particular arrangement of worship services.” With that definition, even the most unorganized churches have some level of liturgy.

For many Protestants, Catholic Liturgy is a common source of confusion and misunderstanding. It can be overwhelming and uncomfortable for someone who doesn’t understand or know how to participate (or not participate) respectfully. Many Protestants are, in fact, drawn to the concept of liturgy because of the reverence often seen lacking in their churches.

Last week, we journeyed through Bible History from the giving of the Law (1450BC) to the Latin Vulgate (405AD).  That left us with a complete Bible canon written in Latin.  This week, we will continue moving forward in time and see the progression of the Bible from Latin to English.

Who authored the first written words of Scripture? Technically, God did (Exodus 31:18, 32:15-16; Deuteronomy 9:15-17). Twice. Moses got mad and smashed the original stone tablets, so God wrote them again (Exodus 32:19, 34:1; Deuteronomy 10:1-2). Have you ever wondered how we got from those stone tablets to the multitude of translations available today?

At first glance, through a Protestant lens, the Table of Contents in a Catholic Bible reveals titles not found in mainstream Protestant Bibles. Without an understanding of Biblical history, it is easy to judge this “unfamiliar” at best and “heretical” at worst.

Do most Catholics pray the Rosary every day?  No. “Devout Catholics” (Monks, Nuns, etc.) often pray a daily Rosary.  “Lay Catholics” more often pray through it once a week. 

Last week we looked at the history and purpose of the Rosary. This week, we’ll look at how Catholics use it to pray.

Many people could identify this picture as a Rosary (even if they didn’t know the word).  Rosaries are sometimes worn as fashion accessories (necklaces or bracelets), hung from rear-view mirrors, or displayed as home décor.  All Rosaries follow a common pattern but are fashioned from diverse materials.  They may be as ornate as precious gemstones or as simple as a knotted rope.  Nowadays, there are even Rosary apps for smartphones.

Billy Graham once said something like: Some day you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t believe it. I shall be more alive than I am now.

Viewed through a Catholic Lens, it is accurate to say Catholics don’t “pray to dead people.” Some of the prayers are what Protestants call “intercessory,” because someone is standing in the gap for another.   When the prayers slide from intercession to supplication, the lens becomes blurry. Asking a saint or angel to provide something may seem like God is excluded and His divine attributes transferred to created beings.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7) *

Ironically, every piece of US currency bears the motto “In God We Trust.” Now, perhaps more than before, the question remains. Do we? Do we trust in God or government? God or Wall Street? God or the CDC?

Catholics pray to dead people. Looking through a Protestant lens, that is a logical deduction. Why?

Tran-sub-stan-ti-a-tian. It’s a big word with a big meaning that defines a big difference between Catholics and Protestants. There is no dispute regarding the origin of Communion/the Lord’s Supper/the Eucharist.

One of the original divides between Catholics and Protestants centers around the authority of the Pope. Five hundred years after Martin Luther’s 95 THESES (1517), most of what we know about the Pope comes from the news or Facebook.

If you grew up in Wisconsin, you have probably tasted a Friday Fish Fry. This Midwestern culinary tradition isn’t a tourist gimmick. Instead, there is a logical explanation stemming from a faith practice called “Meatless Fridays.”

While you are out and about this Wednesday, you may see people with smudges on their foreheads and wonder if you should say something. Or perhaps you will be participating in this long-standing tradition and some outgoing child points and says, “You have dirt on your head.”

When I heard those words, my daughter and I were at work in our small garden. Preparing the spring soil for autumn’s harvest, under the warmth of the sun, her words awaited my reply.

We come into the world with eyes open to everything new around us. In an instant we go from dark to light and spend our first years seeing with innocent eyes. As we grow, nature and nurture create the “lenses” through which we see the world. Some are a part of our biology, our internal wiring. Others come through the time and place God ordains for us. Still others are formed out of experiences, choices, and situations often out of our control.