Blessings we should know, some are famous, some others are curious. Instruments of faith and grace to let the Holy Spirit descend on those who are worthy.

Blessings have always been part of devotees’ lives with ancient formulas, rituals made of gestures that we often take for granted, but which express a thousand-year old heritage, full of meanings (and signifiers) that are deeply rooted in the history of religion itself.

If we look up the word “blessing”, we find the following definitions:

Liturgical act or ceremony used to bless somebody or something: water b; act under which divine grace descends on devotees: ladle out a b. || urbi et orbi b. solemn papal blessing to the city of Rome and to the world

Act that, in an eminent way, symbolizes a wishful and protective disposition: give children a b.; wish, good invocation: you will have the b. of all goods.

Person or thing that is cause of good

Of course, we will focus on the first and most important meaning of the word. According to the Catholic Church, a blessing is a request made by someone, usually a religious minister such as a bishop, a presbyter or a deacon, to let God’s grace fall on someone else. It is an invocation of favor and benevolence for someone or something. The Church includes the blessing in the Sacramentals, that is, “sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.”(Article 1677 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church). They are mostly oral formulas, even if they sometimes consider using particular gestures: for example, the sign of the cross with a hand movement, or the sprinkling of holy water. In some cases, also the Head of the family can invoke them on his beloved ones.

In the Old Testament blessings were meant mostly as a way to ask God to influence earthly and material life of those relying on Him; he was asked to grant the asker a wealthy and numerous family, a long life and prosperity. In some books, we find references to more spiritual blessings, such as wisdom, peace and justice. Jesus will reconnect to that vision of blessings in the New Testament. Within the Jewish culture, a blessing is always a divine prerogative, even when a man utters it. In this case, God sends his blessings (or curses) through a mediator. These men become blessings to other men, chosen by God to take his favor or his condemnation among their fellow men.

In the New Testament, Jesus becomes the personification of God’s blessing, His instrument of benevolence and redemption for all men. Jesus not only blesses his disciples, the sick, the children, but he is a blessing himself, an inexhaustible source of God’s Love and His endless generosity.
“God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1,3)
Saint Paul speaks about the “full measure of the blessing of Christ” (Rm 15,29)

The Church welcomed all of the blessings in a liturgical book, the Book of Blessings. It contains all formulas for blessings that are useful in any occasion, and the blessings rituals that presbyters and deacons need to know. Let us look at some of the most important and popular blessings. We chose ten.

The Papal Blessing (apostolic blessing)

Apostolic Blessings are special blessings that only the Pope can ladle out, or a bishop or a minister of equal level. The Pope can also send a written apostolic Blessing, when necessary and only in specific occasions. In order to obtain a papal blessing, one needs to issue a request to the Office of Papal Charities, by sending a permission given by the Church authority. Papal blessings, given by the Pope or a Bishop, often include the plenary indulgence. Before the second Vatican Council, even a blessing ladled out by a priest in the event of an Extreme Unction was accepted as a papal blessing. The papal blessing is granted during some sacraments (Christening, First Communion, Confirmation, Wedding); when a priest is ordained or takes Holy Orders; when a lay man takes the Holy Orders (secular consecration); when a deacon is permanently ordained; for a meaningful wedding anniversary (silver wedding, golden anniversary, etc.); for some particularly important birthdays (18, 50, 100, etc.)

Urbi et Orbi blessing

The Urbi et Orbi blessing is probably the most famous among the papal blessings: the Pope ladles it out on some special occasions, during major holidays (Christmas and Easter) and on New Year’s Eve. It is also the first blessing published by the Pope after his election to the papal throne. It is a particularly powerful and important blessing, because it comes with a plenary indulgence for all those who are in the presence of the Pope, but also for those who are watching it on medias. The Latin expression Urbi et Orbi means “To the city (of Rome) and to the world”.
The Pope utters the blessing in Latin, and the devotees reply “Amen”.

“May the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, in whose power and authority we trust, intercede for us before the Lord.
Amen.
Through the prayers and merits of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, may Almighty God have mercy on you and forgive all your sins, and may Jesus Christ bring you to everlasting life.
Amen.
May the almighty and merciful Lord grant you indulgence, absolution and the remission of all your sins, a season of true and fruitful penance, a well-disposed heart, amendment of life, the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit and final perseverance in good works.
Amen.
And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you forever.
Amen.”

Eucharistic blessing

The Eucharistic blessing is the blessing practiced exposing Christ’s Body in the Ostensory on the altar, where everybody can see it and kneel down to pray. It is strictly connected to the practice of Eucharistic adoration then. Before the second Vatican Council, Eucharistic blessing was the most diffused and solemn liturgical practice, since it involved the consecrated bread at its center, that is, the most Holy Sacrament.
Bishops, presbyters and deacons can ladle out the Eucharistic blessing. It is divided into different stages:

• Exposition: the ostensory is taken out of the Tabernacle and placed on the altar. Devotees kneel singing an hymn, while the minister spreads incense on the Eucharist;
• Adoration: each devotee prays in silence;
• Invocations: Lauretan and ejaculatory litanies are recited;
• Oration: the minister recites his prayer in front of the most Holy Sacrament;
• Tantum ergo: devotees sing the last two verses of the Pange Lingua, while the minister spreads incense again;
• Benediction: the minister raises the ostensory and silently makes the sign of the cross to all devotees;
• Reposition: while the minister places the ostensory back on the altar, all recite the acclamation Blessed be God. While the prayer goes on, the most Holy Sacrament is put back into the tabernacle.

Padre Pio blessing

Among the ‘modern’ saints, Padre Pio is probably the one who most encouraged those turning to him for comfort and advice to rely on God in any moment of their life. According to the Saint from Pietrelcina, the only way worth of being traveled is the one where God is a constant presence next to us. Men only need to adapt their will to His, and let the Holy Spirit work through Him with blind faith and trust, with no clamor nor anxiety because Jesus knows what is better and can ensure that everything falls into place according to His Father’s will.

The blessings that Padre Pio used to ladle out to his followers were then focused on this invitation to lay down every anxiety and pain, and trust God and His infinite mercy, love Him above all and trustfully wait for the fruits of that love.

Here is an example of a goodnight blessing:

“May the blessing of God be a spare, support and guidance! Start a Christian family, if you wish for some serenity in this life. May the Lord give you children, and the grace to direct them on the way to heaven.

Do not strain for things that generate haste, perturbation and anxiety. Only one thing is necessary: raise your spirit and love God. With this thought, I wish you goodnight… in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Praise Jesus and Mary. And goodnight to all“.

Saint Francis blessing

Among the many companions Saint Francis loved, Brother Leo has a particular role. It is not by chance that his remains are buried next to the poor from Assisi. He was a man of great culture and a skilled hand writer. He was also a secretary to Saint Francis, staying next to him in all the most meaningful moments of his life, joining him in the writing of the New Rule. He was also his father confessor. Francis used to call him God’s sheep due to his pureness, the spontaneity of his heart; he was the one that was allowed to see and touch the stigmata he received on Mount Verna. The love Francis felt for him was immense, and we can still have a glimpse of it today thanks to a precious relic that got through to us and is now stored in the cathedral of S. Francis in Assisi: the chartula. It is a piece of paper with the text of the Laudes to God on one side, and a blessing that Saint Francis dedicated to Brother Leo to support him in a difficult time on the other side:

Benedicat tibi Dominus et custodiat te,

ostendat faciem suam tibi et misereatur

tui convertat vultum suum ad te

et det tibi pacem.

Dominus benedicat frater Leo, te

Benedicat, benedicat,

benedicat tibi Dominus

et custodiat te Frater Leo, te

 

The Lord bless you

and keep you.

May He show His face to you

and have mercy.

May He turn His countenance to you

and give you peace.

The Lord bless you, Brother Leo

bless you

bless you

the Lord bless you,

and keep you, Brother Leo.

This ancient blessing is shaped by the love between the two friends; it got through to us acquiring a universal value. The blessing of Saint Francis has become a gift from the Saint to all men, of any time and country; a wish to enjoy the love of God, His benevolent and merciful look, which is valid today and forever, for anyone in despair or in need or encouragement.

The nuptial blessing

The nuptial blessing is that moment during a wedding ceremony when the Priest blesses the two spouses. It usually happens after the ring exchange or after the Eucharist liturgy, but the spouses can arrange a different moment with the priest. At the same way, they can choose the formulas for the blessings for spouses, which differ slightly one from the other. As a general line, the Catholic wedding that takes place during a Eucharistic Celebration is divided into the following moments:

1. Introductory rites
2. Memory of Baptism
3. Readings from the Bible
4. Homily
5. The reception of consent
6. The giving of rings
7. (Nuptial blessing)
8. The Universal prayer
9. Invocation for the saints
10. Eucharistic liturgy
11. (Nuptial blessing)
12. Closing rites

The habit of having a priest or a bishop giving the nuptial blessing is quite ancient. Some documents prove that it was already popular in the IV century, but not mandatory. In fact, at that time wedding was mainly a private agreement between the spouses and their families, to which a minister could possibly participate to bless the couple. From the XI century, the presence of a priest celebrating the wedding became mandatory, and the Council of Verona (1184) officially included the wedding in the list of sacraments, and as such, it had to be regulated by ecclesiastic laws. From 1215, with the Lateran Council IV, the Church defines the liturgy for weddings in all of its religious and juridical aspects. The following councils will confirm and expand this regulation.

This is what the Liturgy dictates:

84. After the Our Father, the prayer Deliver us is omitted. The Priest, standing and facing the bride and groom, invokes upon them God’s blessing, and this is never omitted. In the invitation, if one or both of the spouses will not be receiving Communion, the words in parentheses are omitted. In the prayer, the words in parentheses may be omitted if it seems that circumstances suggest it, for example, if the bride and bridegroom are advanced in years.

The bride and bridegroom approach the altar or, if appropriate, they remain at their place and kneel. If the blessing is anticipated after the ring exchange, the celebration continues with Our Father and the Deliver Us, according to the Roman Missal.

We said that the spouses can choose among different formulas for the nuptial blessing. Let’s see one:

(The Priest, with hands joined, calls upon those present to pray with these or similar words)

Let us pray to the Lord for this bride and groom, who come to the altar as they begin their married life, that partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ they may always be bound together by love for one another.

(And all pray in silence for a while. Then the Priest, with hands extended over the bride and bridegroom, continues to say:

Holy Father, who formed man in your own image,

male and female you created them,

so that as husband and wife,

united in body and heart,

they might fulfill their calling in the world;

O God, who, to reveal the great design you formed in your love,

willed that the love of spouses for each other

should foreshadow the covenant you graciously made

with your people, so that,

by fulfillment of the sacramental sign,

the mystical marriage of Christ with his Church

might become manifest in the union of husband and wife among your faithful;

Graciously stretch out your right hand over these your servants (Name and Name),

and pour into their hearts the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grant, O Lord, that, as they enter upon this sacramental union,

they may share with one another the gifts of your love

and, by being for each other a sign of your presence,

become one heart and one mind.

May they also sustain, O Lord,

by their deeds the home they are forming.

(and prepare their children to become members of your heavenly household

by raising them in the way of the Gospel).

Graciously crown with your blessings your daughter (Name),

so that, by being a good wife (and mother),

she may bring warmth to her home with a love that is pure

and adorn it with welcoming graciousness.

Bestow a heavenly blessing also, O Lord, on (Name), your servant,

that he may be a worthy, good

and faithful husband (and a provident father).

Grant, holy Father, that,

desiring to approach your table as a couple joined in Marriage in your presence,

they may one day have the joy

of taking part in your great banquet in heaven.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Blessing of animals

The habit of blessing animals dates back to the medieval age and is of farming origins. Once people used to bless cows, calves, sheeps, pigs and courtyard animals. Back then, the wellbeing of animals was strictly connected to people’s wealth, since the majority of entire families’ sustenance depended on milk, eggs and meat they could obtain from animals. Today things are a bit different, and animals such as dogs, cats and other small pets are taken to receive the blessing. They are not necessary animals as they were once, but they make people’s lives more pleasant with their company and affection, and remind people of how important it is to show respect and take care of such small creatures.

This is what the Book of Blessings says about it:

According to the providence of the Creator, many animals have a certain role to play in human existence by helping with work or providing food and clothing. Thus when the occasion arises, for example, the feast of some saint, the custom of invoking God’s blessing on animals may be continued.

The present order may be used by a priest or deacon. It may also be used by a layperson, who follows the rites and prayers designated for a lay minister.

(Nuovo Benedizionale, chapter XXXIV, title: Blessing of animals, nn. 1058-1059/1074.)

We must not consider the blessing of animals as a gratitude towards God for creating them as support, comfort and sustenance for people. By blessing them, we thank God for the whole creation, for the immense gift He gave us, raising us above all and giving us a wonderful world so that we could enjoy it as we like.
The ritual of the blessing of animals is celebrated during the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, considered as protector of pets, on January 17th.

The blessing goes:

O God, you have done all things wisely;

in your goodness you have made us in your image

and given us care over other living things.

reach out with your right hand

and grant that these animals may serve our needs

and that your bounty

in the resources of this life

may move us to seek more confidently the goal of eternal life.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The blessing of Homes

Even the blessings of homes, as of the families living in them, are quite popular in our country. The parish or his collaborators, who go from home to home usually during solemn events such as Easter, give these blessings. In doing that, ministers follow the example of Jesus’ apostles who, at His instigation, went to people’s homes to take the gift of peace (Mt 10,13). On this occasion, the families living in those homes and the homes themselves are sprinkled with holy water.

The New Book of Blessings recites:

Pastors must regard as one of their primary pastoral duties the faithful visitation of families to bring the message of Christ’s peace. They will thus obey the command of Christ to his disciples: “On entering any house, first say: ‘Peace to this house’” (Luke 10:5).

Pastors and their assistants must therefore consider as a sacred trust the custom of an annual visit, particularly during the Easter season, to the families living in their parish. The occasion is a rich opportunity to fulfill pastoral responsibilities that grow in effectiveness the more the priests come to know the families.”

(Nuovo Benedizionale, chapter XIII title Annual Blessing of Families in their Own Homes, nn. 434-435.)

The visit includes the reading of the Word of God and the blessing prayer, with particular care to the presence of children or older people. The formula of that blessing has many variations, here is one:

Blessed are you, God our Father,

for your gift of this house as the dwelling place of this family.

Grant that those who live here

may obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

through their works of charity

let them show what grace your blessing brings,

so that all who visit this home

will find the spirit of love and peace

which only you can give.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Irish blessing

Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland, left this blessing to us, better known as the Blessing of the Irish traveler. He was born in a noble Roman family, was kidnapped as a teenager by Irish pirates and lived as a slave of an Irish King in Northern Ireland. Later, when he received the call, he spent his life evangelizing Irish people, who were living in multiple tribes at the time. He spent most of his life on the move, traveling and meeting different people and cultures. His blessing expresses this inclination to travel. It is addressed to those who are never tired of discovering new places and meeting new people.

May the road rise up to meet you,

may the wind be always at your back.

may the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

The Easter blessing

The Easter blessing celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, and makes those who receive His strength part of His victory over death. With this blessing, recited by the head of the family on Easter, which indeed celebrates Jesus’ triumph and the accomplishment of his mission of love and salvation, devotees are blessed as God’s children, and therefore indirectly also God Himself, in a circle of redeeming faith and reciprocal Love.

To give the Easter blessing, ministers use holy water, recalling Baptism and the rebirth of every Christian, and the blessed olive, symbol of peace and reconciliation. We must not consider the Easter blessing as some sort of home lucky charm though! This ritual must not leave any room for superstition: evil stays away from homes not thanks to this blessing, but because those receiving it and living in them are able to live in harmony, serenity and in dialog with God. No magic then, but the cohesion of a sanctified family, blessed in front of God’s eyes. The whole family should be present during the Easter blessing. It is also possible to set up a small altar with a picture of Jesus next to the pictures of the family members. Before lunch on Easter day, the family reunites around the table and the head of the family introduces the prayer:

HEAD OF FAMILY: In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

EVERYONE: Amen.

HEAD OF FAMILY: From the Gospel of Luke (Lc 24, 30-31)

When he was at the table with them,

He took bread, gave thanks,

broke it and began to give it to them.

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,

Short silent pause.

EVERYONE: Our Father…

HEAD OF THE FAMILY: We praise you, God Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

so that in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead

you give us hope of new and eternal life.

Bless our family gathered around the table,

strengthen the bonds that unite us

and let us diffuse the joy of the Risen Lord

to those we meet.

He lives and reigns for ever and ever.

EVERYONE: Amen. Hallelujah.

Can you eat the host if it falls on the floor? Should you stand or kneel down? Gluten-free hosts are effective according to the Church?
10 questions and 10 answers about Eucharist.

 

We will never get tired of repeating the fundamental and essential importance of Eucharist in Catholic Church celebrations, and in general, in every Christian’s life. Do we really know all we should about the hosts and the wine for the mass? We already discussed the difference between the consecrated host and the particle. We also examined another delicate and current matter, that is, hosts for celiac, gluten-free hosts.

In this article we would like to draw up a quite exhaustive list of useful questions and answers concerning the Holy Sacrament, not in its innate and irrefutable value, nor in the solemn meaning it has to those approaching it with a devoted soul and reaching out towards the Mystery in it that has been renovating itself for thousands of years. What we wish to collect here is a brief list of notions and knowledge that we hope can be useful, or at least curious, for those reading them.

1. Can you eat the host if it falls on the floor?

No, you cannot, only the priest can decide whether you can eat it or put it back in its place. Before the promulgation of the Vatican Council II, the possibility that a host could fall on the floor while it was given to a devotee was a big problem. It was an act of great profanation, even if in most cases it happened regardless of the two involved parties’ will. When it happened, only the priest was allowed to pick it up. The floor where the most Holy Sacrament had fallen had to be covered with a light cloth, and then washed after the ceremony. In addition, the water used to wash it had to be collected and poured into a sacred tub, used to collect water from containers and sacred linen purification, and the remains of blessed objects. Today things are a bit easier. This rule does not exist anymore. Since the devotees are allowed to receive the consecrated host in their hands, it wouldn’t be a problem if the devotee himself would be the one picking it up. However, out of respect, it is still preferable to let the priest do so. Once it has been picked up, the host is put aside or consumed by the minister right away. The important thing is that it must not be put back with the others, nor offered to someone else. We always have to remember that the consecrated host is effectively Christ’s Body, and as such, it must be treated with respect and veneration, even in its smallest parts.

2. Communion on your hand or in your mouth?

 

It’s the same, just choose the right attitude to approach the Sacrament. During the General Audience in Piazza San Pietro on March 21st, Pope Francis talked about the right ways to approach Communion and receive the Holy Sacrament. The Holy Father first explained the deep meaning of Eucharist, on how we feed with Christ’s body and blood through the sacramental communion, to become part of Him (“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” Gv 6,56), stating then that each time we receive the communion we look a little bit more like Jesus, we transform a little bit more into Jesus. He then cleared the ways: “The faithful normally approach the Eucharist in a processional manner, as we have said, and receive Communion standing with devotion, or on their knees as established by the Episcopal Conference, receiving the Sacrament either on the tongue or in the hand, if allowed, as preferred.” (cf. girm 160-161). It makes therefore no difference whether you receive the host on your tongue or hand, standing or kneeling, the important thing is the attitude you have when approaching the Communion, what you carry in our heart during this emotional and special encounter with Jesus.

3. Is gluten-free host accepted by the Church?

Yes, it is, even if it must respect the minimum percentage of gluten established by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. We spoke about that recently, it is a quite thorny matter, because given the raising demand due to the increasing number of celiac people, or anyway gluten-intolerant, the Church opinion seemed to be a bit confused. The issue was to determine what was the accepted percentage of gluten in the flour, main ingredient of hosts, which would not cause damage to devotees, but at the same time could be accepted by the current dispositions in the field of Eucharist. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith established that hosts must contain wheat starch even in a minimum amount: “Low-gluten hosts are valid matter, provided that they contain the amount of gluten sufficient to obtain the confection of bread, that there is no addition of foreign materials and that the procedure for making such hosts is not such as to alter the nature of the substance of the bread.” (circular letter to all Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences, June 19th, 1995). Now things look much clearer. Gluten-free hosts (with a maximum amount of gluten of 20 mg/kg) or with low gluten (maximum 100 mg/kg) will be accepted by the Church and considered valid matter for Eucharist.

4. Only those who confessed are allowed to receive the Communion?

 

It depends on the gravity of sins. For those approaching Communion having committed light and minor sins, true penance and commitment not to sin anymore is surely enough. Of course, Confession is very important, but it must be intended because of a real repentance, not a pass that washes away all guilt no matter what. It is a precious gift we receive from God because we regretted our actions and chose to do better. In the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, which talks about the Gospel announcement and is addressed to bishops, Presbyterians and deacons, to consecrated people and lay faithful, Pope Francis lingers on the need that the Church be an open house at all times, for those approaching it with a pure heart longing for grace. It exhorts priests not to act as grace inspectors, but as facilitators. No one, entering a church, should ever find a closed and cold door, but all the comprehension and love they expect when going back to the Father’s home. Everyone can then be part of the ecclesiastical life and of the community. Under this point of view, the access to Sacraments must be open to everyone as well. Eucharist in particular should not be intended as a prize for the smartest or most worthy, but also and most of all, as an encouragement for the weakest, something that can fuel their faith and their will to do well.

5. Should you stand or kneel to receive the Communion?

It makes no difference. We already quoted what the Holy Father said about that during the General Audience in Piazza San Pietro on March 21st: what is important is not the way, but the how, the attitude we have when approaching the Sacrament. Before the Vatican Council II the most popular rule was kneeling, receiving the host directly on our tongue. After the Council, it was possible to choose whether to receive the most Holy Sacrament standing or kneeling. Today it is most common to receive the Communion standing, on our hand or tongue: or kneeling, with the host on our tongue.
Communion was born as a community act. During the last supper, Jesus was with his Apostles around a table, and he offered them first the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, His blessed body and blood. With time, this community ritual became more and more individual and private. A clear example is that instead of sharing a common bread, the devotees began taking hosts, or particles, offered them by the Minister himself. Since 1967, devotees can choose if they want to receive the Communion on their knees, standing, on the tongue or in the hand. They only need to remember that what they are doing is not an act of individual devotion, but a common one, and that implies understanding other people’s choices and needs.

6. Can the Priest avoid saying “Christ’s Body” during the Communion?

No, he cannot. The liturgical reformation reinstated the original formula to be recited when the faithful receives Christ’s body and blood. If he wouldn’t, that would mean diminishing that moment, the highest and most precious of the celebration, its solemnity, and take out the aim itself of the Mass.

7. Is it necessary to cover the Eucharistic host during the mass?

You can do that, but it’s not mandatory. In the past it was normal, even though the reasons people did that were more practical than sacred. It was necessary to cover the wine glass, the plate and the glass for the hosts in order to protect the precious content from flies and dirt. This exquisitely practical need strengthened its value with time, so much that it became a usual norm. Today the priest decides whether it would be better to cover the glass and the pyx containing the consecrated hosts with their cloths. He cannot cover the big host, the one used for the Consecration.

8. What should a lay minister wear when distributing the Communion?

Usually the extraordinary minister of the Communion should wear a tunic or a garment approved by the Episcopal Conference, but that is not an essential obligation. Let’s remember that the extraordinary minister of the Holy Communion is a lay man fulfilling the role of officer of the most Holy Sacrament in case of actual need. That might happen during particularly crowded Masses, or when the Minister is not able to fulfill his duties, such as a dying man that wants to receive the Eucharist or other contexts where there are more sick people to communicate and not enough priests to do that. A Priest must issue the mandate to the extraordinary minister. For a permanent mandate, the chosen person must be at least twenty-five, for a temporary one it is enough to be twenty-one. Of course, he has to be a morally worthy and appropriate person, since he will have to communicate the others. At the same time, it will be enough to wear clothes that are appropriate for the celebration and express respect and devotion.

9. Only wheat bread for the Eucharist?

Absolutely yes. Since the Council of Trento, the Church itself stated that they didn’t have the power to change the tradition of wheat bread, even though in time the idea of other flours was evaluated, especially in those regions and cultures where wheat is not regularly used. But it was decided to avoid that. After all, point 282 of the Roman Missal says: “The bread for celebrating the Eucharist must be made only from wheat, must be recently baked, and, according to the ancient tradition of the Latin Church, must be unleavened.” The Church condemns any too casual interpretation of the rule, and admonished those Ministers of the Church who tried to make their hosts more desirable by adding sugar or honey, or even aromatized with fruits. In Holland, they even tried to switch the Mass wine with beer! The intervention by Pope Francis cast every doubt: with a circular letter from the Congregation for the Divine Worship, the Holy Father reaffirmed that: “The bread, that is the host, must be unleavened, purely of wheat and recently made, so that there is no danger of decomposition.”

10. How many times can you receive the Communion?

You can receive up to two Communions per day, as long as they are both during a Holy Mass. Actually since 1967 there is no maximum number of Masses that can be attended in one day, but there is a rule for the number of times you can receive the Communion. It is advised not to exceed two Communions, as it might result in an excess of devotion that could make lose sight on the real value of the act. This is valid for priests as well; they can only celebrate two masses per day, only if necessary, and therefore can receive a maximum of two Communions per day. The Code of Canon Law says:” Apart from those cases in which the law allows him to celebrate or concelebrate the Eucharist a number of times on the same day, a priest may not celebrate more than once a day. If there is a scarcity of priests, the local Ordinary may for a good reason allow priests to celebrate twice in one day” (Canon 905) In this matter, such as in many others concerning faith, it’s not quantity that counts, but quality. It is better to receive Communion once a week, but with your heart ready and your soul entirely dedicated to God, rather than multiple times a day, but with the wrong attitude.

Communion is the highest and solemn moment in a Mass, when bread turns into Christ’s Body. Here are a few mistakes we should avoid when approaching Eucharist.

The Eucharist. The Blessed Sacrament. Holy Communion.

Whatever we choose to call it, it is undoubtedly the most profound and solemn moment of the Mass. During the consecration, transubstantiation takes place—the miracle in which bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the moment when the faithful are invited to approach the Mystery of all mysteries, participating in the gift that renews, time after time, a promise of love and salvation that has endured for over two thousand years. The altar, the chalice, the pyx, the paten, all become instruments of an ancient ritual, yet always new, which is consumed in front of the devotees’ eyes, but mostly in their hearts and souls yearning to be a part of it. Jesus’ sacrifice is consumed in front of His children, in a solemn and emotional atmosphere. For those who really believe, for those who feel that the white bread is not just water and flour anymore, but the Holy Spirit invested it with something deeper and more powerful, it is hard to keep emotions inside. That’s how it is, the moment of the communion is always special, even after years that it is repeated at every celebration. Or, at least, it should be so.

Receive the Communion in a respectful way

There are different ways to get closer to the Holy Sacrament, different ways to welcome Christ’s Body: taking it into our hands, letting the priest gently put it on our tongue, storing it until we get back to our seat. It all comes down to two options: receive the communion in a respectful or in a disrespectful way.

No one judges personal choices, the little pet-peeves we carry throughout our lives, and that most of the times are harmless. This is not the point then. Since ancient times, in the first Christian communities, people who approached Eucharist were recommended to do so with great respect and devotion. Hands should be clean and placed to resemble a cross, women’s hands should be wrapped in a veil, and in general, it was fundamental to avoid any act that could desecrate Christ’s Body in that solemn moment. In order to reduce that possibility to the minimum, in the Medieval age it was mandatory to kneel down and receive the communion directly in one’s mouth, to express all of the devotion and respect that such an occasion required.

Later, the Vatican II granted the dioceses the freedom to decide whether to allow the devotees to receive the Host in their hands or directly in their mouth.

But, as we mentioned, receiving the Host in our hands or in our mouth is just one of the aspects concerning the right or wrong way to get close to the Holy Sacrament. Besides how we choose to receive the Host, the attitude we have when we do that is more important. What we are about to receive is Christ’s Body, in each single part, in each crumb. To do that we must be careful, give faith and respect with every act, show adoration and decency.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem wrote this already in the IV century a.C.:“When you get closer, don’t go forward with the palms of your hands stretched out, nor with your fingers apart; instead, with your left hand make a throne for your right hand, because this hand must receive the King and, in the cavity of your hand, receive Christ’s Body saying Amen. Sanctify your eyes carefully then, through the contact with the Holy Body, then take it and be careful not to miss any of it. If you were given specks of gold, wouldn’t you be taking them with the utmost care, paying attention not to lose anything and not damaging them? Won’t you be paying much more attention to something more precious than gold and hard stones, so that you will not miss even a crumb of it? After having connected to Christ’s Body, […] while waiting for the sermon, give your thanks to God, who considered you worthy of such great mysteries.”

That because each consecrated Host is Christ’s Body and Blood, His Soul and His Divinity. Jesus is entirely present in it, as the Council of Trent stated:“ If any one denieth, that, in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, are contained truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ; let him be anathema”. (D. 883)

The Council also says that Christ is present in any single fragment, any crumb of the Host. Also in this case, denying this statement is worthy of an excommunication. Transubstantiation makes sure that Christ’s Body replaces bread substance itself, and as bread substance stays the same even in its single crumbs, so all Christ is contained in each part, as small as it can be, of the Host, broken into pieces and crushed.

Even after the Mass, consecrated hosts that have not been given keep storing Christ’s Body in them, and for that reason they must be properly stored in the Tabernacle, where they are worshipped.

In addition, Hosts fragments fallen during the distribution must not be stepped onto nor swept away, because that would be a serious profanation.

So what should we do or not do when receiving the communion, in order not to lack respect that would ruin not only the act itself, but Christ’s Body, which we are about to receive?

1. Let’s begin from the ‘before’ the Communion. If you can, avoid eating too much; on the contrary, it would be good practice to fast until after the mass. Why? Because what we are approaching is a huge banquet for our soul, and it would make no sense to stuff ourselves in advance! The tradition of ‘Eucharist fasting’ is ancient, and was passed through time with more or less strict rules. Today it is enough to fast at least one hour before the communion.
2. Decide ahead if you want to receive the Host in your hands or on your tongue, if you want to stand or kneel down, in order to avoid sudden and useless movements. The officer should be able to understand your intentions immediately, and act consequently.
3. If you choose to receive the Host in your hands, do not flail around, do not stretch your arms out too much. You have to let Christ’s Body into your hands, not catch it! If you want to receive the Host in your mouth, the best option is to keep your hands together and steady in your lap.
4. Do not wear gloves when you receive the communion in your hands. What you are about to receive is the most precious, pure and immaculate thing in the world. Keep that in mind at all times.
5. If you chose to receive the Communion on your tongue, your mouth must be empty. It seems obvious and trivial, but it happens often that distracted devotees approach the Holy Sacrament while chewing gums or candies. Needless to say, that is definitely inappropriate.
6. Stay concentrated while waiting. While in line to receive the Host, try to keep your mind focused on what is about to happen, on the immense gift you will be given shortly. You will think later about the commitments, worries, deadlines, job you have planned after Mass. In that moment your whole being should only be reaching out towards the grace you are about to receive.
7. Do not hold yourself back. Let emotions take over. As we wrote at the beginning, receiving Christ’s Body is an extraordinary miracle, which renews itself each time. It is perfectly normal to be overwhelmed, to be touched, and there is nothing bad to just give in to the feeling coming over in these moments, whether it is joy, gratitude or grief.
8. Once the Host is in your mouth, it makes no sense to keep it there for long. A further wait will not give Christ’s Body more reality, nor make the Communion any more solemn. On the contrary, to some extent, keeping the Host in your mouth for a long time will make you lose sight on the rituality of the moment you are experiencing. It must be consumed straight away; there will be plenty of time to pray afterwards.
9. No distractions after Eucharist. Once again, while we receive the Host, while it is in our mouth, we must be aware of what is happening and of the immense gift we were given. No distractions, no mind-wandering, nor inappropriate thoughts.

 

10. Lastly, and this can seem trivial, try not to be ungrateful. Being able to receiving Christ’s Body is a gift, but not one taken for granted. We must consider ourselves lucky to be living in a country and an era where we can freely approach the Holy Sacrament, with no fear of being persecuted or even killed for our choice of faith, our creed. Better keep that in mind.

Have you ever thought about how weddings are celebrated in the rest of the world? Italian habits and customs are deeply rooted in centuries-old traditions, but it would be interesting to find out about particular traditions of other countries, such as lucky days to get married, what the bride must wear, and many more.

The most diffused form of union between a man and a woman in our country is the catholic wedding, celebrated in church. It is no small thing. Wedding is one of the seven sacraments, fulfilment of life for many devotees. Besides the choice to share our existence with someone else, the catholic wedding implies the birth of a connection consecrated by Christ, and as such, it is sacred and unbreakable. Woe to taking such step lightly. Especially nowadays, where a more dynamic and open lifestyle sometimes gives us the impression that nothing lasts forever, there is the need for a strong acknowledgement before making such an important choice.

That is why those who want to get married in church need to attend a marriage preparation course, which helps the future couples to understand if they are really ready to tie the knot. But the marriage preparation course is just one of the duties that the church imposes to those who want to celebrate their religious wedding. Both spouses need to satisfy some essential requirements, and collect documents that state the truthfulness of their status.

First of all, both need to be baptized and have received confirmation. Without those two sacraments in fact, it would not even be possible to say they belong to the Church. They can request their baptism and confirmation documents to the church they attended at the time. Furthermore, they must not be divorced, that is, they must not have already got married in church to someone they later divorced. For divorced people there is no possibility for a second catholic marriage, but only civil union, unless they obtain the annulment from the Sacred Roman Rota before the wedding. Widows and widowers can instead have a second marriage in church.

Many documents are also necessary, and they need to be collected ahead. Besides the already mentioned certificates of baptism and confirmation, all the documents necessary for a civil marriage are needed: birth certificates, residence certificates, citizenship certificates. More, for a religious wedding the spouses will need to present a statement of freedom to marry, which states that the person requesting it has never been married before; the certificate of completion of a marriage preparation course; the church clearance statement, needed only in case the spouses want to get married in a different parish that theirs or outside their residence district.

To be clear, getting married in church is not only an annoying collection of paperwork and fulfilment of the above-mentioned requirements. A religious wedding is the successful completion of a shared path of love and human growth, the prelude to the birth of a new family, and as such, a reason for great joy for the spouses and for those who love them. An occasion for celebration then, to be shared with the beloved ones, eating, toasting and dancing.

Many are the Italian habits connected to the day of the wedding. Let’s begin by saying who has to pay, more or less symbolically, for it. According to the tradition, the groom has to buy the bouquet, as his last gift as fiancée, and have it delivered to the bride’s house on the morning of the wedding. The bride has to throw it at the end of the ceremony, so that her unmarried friends can try to catch it and, according to the story, be the next in line to get married. A more recent tradition says that the mother-in-law should buy the bouquet, as well as the bridal veil, and that she also adjust it according to the future daughter-in-law’s hairdo. About the bridal veil, it should be one meter long for each year of engagement!

The wedding gown instead, as the entire trousseau, are at the expense of the bride’s family. Throughout time, many superstitions were born concerning this particular aspect of Italian weddings. The groom must not see the gown before the due day, but even the bride should not look at herself in the mirror wearing the gown before then, unless she takes off one shoe, one earring or one glove. The traditional color of the bridal gown is white, even though in the last few years many other colors have spread, even unusual ones. But you need to be careful, some colors are bad luck! Ivory is an omen of disarray in the couple’s life; pink of big financial problems; red can even be an omen for death! On the contrary, blue means truthfulness, green means shyness, and black means regret… even if a marriage celebrated when there is regret is definitely not a great start! Guests, on their side, should avoid black and white in their dresses for the ceremony. It’s not over here. If the bridal gown is white, then the bride must wear something blue, as we mentioned as symbol of truthfulness, but also purity; she needs to wear something old, to symbolize the unmarried life left behind; something new, to represent the new life coming; something given, which stands for the love of her dearest ones; and something borrowed, to remind the connection with her family.

We were talking about who buys what… According to traditions, the groom’s family must buy the house, the furniture (except the bedroom), the groom’s dress, the wedding rings and must pay for the honeymoon. What is left, that is the trousseau, invitations, flowers and so on, are at the expense of the bride’s family. This rule was obviously very strict in the past, but now there are many different options. Times have changed, the spouses pay for their wedding most of the times, or anyway families split the expenses according to their actual availability.

The sacred party favors for the wedding cannot be missed. They were small boxes to contain sweets, and were very popular among noble women since 1600; in Italy, they became part of the wedding trousseau since 1700, when Vittorio Emanuele, prince of Naples, and Elena of Montenegro offered them as thank you gift to all the guests who attended the celebrations for their wedding. They must be the same for each guest, and they are usually made of crystal, silver, limoges, even though today party favors made of other materials, maybe fair-trade, are very popular. The party favor must contain an odd number of sugared almonds, no fewer than five. Why this number? To guarantee that the spouses good health, fertility, long life, happiness and wealth.

Concerning the lucky days to get married, we should listen to the popular old adage that says that you should not marry, leave or begin art on Friday nor Tuesday, because you risk not finishing it. Propitious days are Monday, dedicated to the moon and therefore to brides, and Wednesday, considered a very lucky day. Today young couples tend not to follow such superstitions, but the work commitments of all guests result in celebrating most of the weddings on Saturday or Sunday. Careful: according to superstitions, Saturday is considered the most unlucky day to get married! About the month, January guarantees love, kindness and faithfulness; February is the triumph of love; March is bringer of joy, but also pains; April only promises good things; May is unlucky; June brings the spouses under Juno’s protection, the goddess of weddings; July brings financial problems; August is a prelude to an instable life, full of changes; September brings prosperity and joy; October guarantees a lot of love but not much money; November brings joy and happiness; December is a guarantee of an eternal and safe love.

Many other habits and superstitions connected to weddings have ancient and curious origins. For example, the presence of the bridesmaids around the bride is said to have Egyptian origins. In fact, in the ancient Egyptian society, the bride’s friends surrounded her to protect her against evil spirits. Another habit against evil spirits is to accompany the wedding procession with loud noises, such as trumpets and car horns, while throwing rice to the couple exiting the church brings fertility and wealth. The tradition of throwing rice was probably born in China: a good genie, moved to pity by the suffering of many citizens during a famine, pulled out all of his teeth and threw them in a swamp, where they became seeds and gave life to plants whose fruits were as white as teeth. Since then, rice has become a symbol of wealth.

And the wedding rings? The groom is in charge of buying them, and must be worn on the left ring finger, where, according to ancient Egyptian traditions, a vein directly connected to the heart flows, and therefore privileged channel for feelings. Wedding rings are called also “vere” in Italian (true, real), synonym of faithfulness. If, unluckily, a wedding ring should fall on the floor during the ritual, only the officer can bend over to pick it up, or an immense bad luck will fall upon the spouses.

One last fact: the groom’s tie and the bride’s garter. Cutting the groom’s tie and distribute the pieces among the male guests demand a money offer in exchange. The garter instead, recalls for an ancient habit according to which the groom’s friends that are still unmarried should steal the bride’s garter and wear it on their hats. Today the groom throws the bride’s garter or her right shoe.

Let’s take a look at what happens in the rest of the world.

Every country, every culture, is different form the others in many aspects. Even concerning the celebration of a wedding, we find weird habits throughout the world: some are really bizarre and incomprehensible for us, while others are not that far away from our concepts. Let’s examine some of them.

In India, weddings follow the Hindu ritual. Or better, the rituals, since there are at least 11 different types of wedding rituals, according to the religion. The only common element is the color of the bridal gown, which must be red. In fact, red symbolizes fertility and wealth for Indians. The bride is lavishly adorned and, besides jewels and accessories, her hands are adorned with elegant arabesques painted with henna. They also hide an enigma: among the complicated quibbles, the initial letter of the groom’s name is hidden. If he will be good enough to find it, he will show that he will be a good head of the family! Indian spouses are carried to the altar sitting on a throne under a rain of yellow flowers. Weddings are mainly celebrated in October, considered a propitious month because the Good forces win over Evil forces.

Also in Iran the spouses sit on a throne. A silk veil is laid out on their heads, upon which a woman crumbles two sugar cones. After the ceremony, the spouses must utter their wedding vows looking at themselves reflected in a big mirror, which will guarantee light and brightness to their future.

In the Jewish wedding, guests carry the groom and the bride on their shoulders, and they will try to kiss while others sing and dance. If they succeed, their union will be prosperous and happy, and they will be able to overcome any obstacle together! The bride’s family takes her to the groom’s house, and after to the chuppah, the wedding canopy, usually holding lit candles in their hands. The rabbi recites a sermon and blesses the wine in a chalice, which is then offered to the spouses, who drink and exchange rings. After reading the marriage contract, the rabbi utters the seven blessings that will protect the wedding. That is done above a second chalice, which, in the end, is put on the floor by the groom and broken with a kick. This curious gesture is to recall the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, and the ousting of the Jews from the Holy Land.

In Morocco the spouses exchange a date, symbol of fertility and wealth, and the bride is immerged in a milk bath with her friends to be purified, while in Greece a sugar cube is put inside the bride’s glove, so that she won’t lose her sweetness. In Greece, spouses enter the church holding white candles and join hands once they’ve reached the altar, to symbolize the union of their souls.

In Russia as well the spouses take candles to the altar, and they must keep them lit for the whole ritual. The bride, until recently, should wear blue.

In Scandinavian countries there are many curious habits. In Sweden the groom cannot go to the bathroom during the reception, or the other male guests might kiss his wife! The bride carries a golden coin, given by her mother, in her right shoe, and a silver coin, given by her father, in her left shoe, to guarantee wealth and luck. In Finland the bride goes on her own to pick up the wedding gifts at the guests’ homes, joined by an old man. She can choose to get married in a house made of ice and get there on a reindeer sleigh. In Denmark the groom and the bride exchange clothes to confuse evil spirits. Both the groom and the bride must be careful: during the dinner, every time the bride leaves the room, all other women run to kiss the groom, and so do all men with the bride when the groom is away!

What happens in the East? In China the bride is carried around is a sedan and keeps silent through all the day of her wedding. Since white is the color of mourning in China, no bride will ever wear anything white on her happiest day, nor will she wear blue or grey, other colors associated to sadness. Red, on the contrary, which stands for fortune and wealth, is the most popular. The Chinese wedding has its peak with the tea ceremony. There is a morbid habit that concerns the dead: since in China it is believed that if a man dies young and unmarried he is doomed to be alone for eternity, sometimes his relatives organize a wedding between deceased people. In Japan, grooms often wear colorful kimonos and the brides wear a white cloth, to symbolize her will not to be jealous. Before the ceremony, both the groom and his closest guests perform a purification ritual with the water coming from the fountains outside every temple. During the ceremony, the spouses must drink three small sips of sake from three different cups. In Thailand, some monks used to purify the spouses a few days before their wedding by making them bath in the holy water. Today it is enough to make them wash their hands and heads in a basin. The same water is then used the day after: the guests must pour some in the spouses’ hands to sanction their wedding.

What makes Padre Pio, known today as Saint Pio from Pietralcina, such an adored and celebrated figure since he was still alive, and yet so discussed? The popular adoration he received since his youth is probably due to his fame as thaumaturge, to the miraculous events of which he is said to be protagonist, the same for which he also received many criticisms even from the ecclesiastical world.

We surely need to remember the human and spiritual adventure of this man. He was born and lived between two centuries, crossed the XX century, with the two World Wars and all the disorders that changed Europe and the world face, but yet, he didn’t lose his passionate spirit, and at the same time he was so human that he liked jokes and funny stories. The same way we have to remember what he did for many, many people, who, directly or indirectly, turned to him looking for help and comfort. His human and religious impact really marked a century, and his memory keeps arousing conflicting emotions and such a strong devotion that it is quite impossible to ignore him.

His human life is quite popular.

He was born in Pietralcina, in Benevento, in 1887, son to humble farmers. He was baptized with the name of Francesco Forgione. His mother was a very pious woman, completely devoted to Saint Francis of Assis, and that love for the poor of Assisi is the reason behind his name Francesco.

He showed interest towards a religious life since he was young, entered a convent when he was only fourteen, and soon took the cloth as Capuchin friar, with the name of Fra (Friar) Pio. In the following years, he lived and studied between the convent of Serracapriola and Pietralcina, often forced to rest because of his delicate health, which will haunt him his whole life. Already in this first period of life, he experienced spiritual events out of the norm, among which the “temporary” stigmata, wounds that appeared and disappeared on his hands for years, and his frequent dialogues with God. He became priest at only 23, in 1910. In 1916, he went for the first time to the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he will stay, following Jesus “suggestion”, who would assure him that place would be good for his health.

In San Giovanni Rotondo Padre Pio received the “final” stigmata after some visions, and they will never disappear; at the same time, he was said he scented like sweet flowers, which anyone going close to him would smell. Other miraculous signs that will show from this moment and will lead to his beatification are the bilocation, prophecy, devotees’ mind and heart reading. The convent where he stays becomes soon a place of pilgrimage from of all over the world. This will also bring hostile reactions, investigations on the man and religious person, which will lead the public opinion and the Church itself to split in two about the priest; he was forbidden to celebrate the mass and offer the confession for some time. That would not discourage his devotees though, nor did it end the pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo, they got even more intense. Some European royals also visited him, and around Padre Pio, the ‘living Saint’, a real cult was born, which spread relentlessly, especially after World War II.

When he died on September 23rd 1968, more than a hundred thousand people attended his funeral. He was beatified in 1999, and sanctified in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, with the name of Saint Pio of Pietralcina. He his celebrated on September 23rd since then, and is considered protector of the volunteers of the civil protection and of catholic youth.

Many miracles were attributed to him, but the one that granted him sanctity was the healing of Matteo Pio Colella, a seven-year-old kid affected by a sudden bacterial meningitis and considered hopeless by doctors. His parents and many Padre Pio followers moved for him, and many others began praying, addressing their pleas to the Friar from Pietralcina, who was already long dead at the time. Both Matteo’s mother and the boy, after he woke up from the coma, stated they had a vision of Padre Pio. The young boy got better, was released from hospital and healed completely, against all odds.

He was attributed with many prophecies as well; the most famous is probably the one involving Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II. In 1947, Padre Pio met him and predicted his rise to the papal throne, but also the terrible aggression he would have to face. There are no proofs that the Pope received this prediction though.

After fifty years from his death, Padre Pio of Pietralcina is still object of an amazing popular devotion, but also of criticism and doubts, which anyway don’t overshadow the unconditional love of those believing and relying on him, and the many issues tied to his extraordinary experience as a man and a priest.

The Capuchin order

It is impossible to talk about Padre Pio without the smallest hint to Capuchin Minor Friars, the religious order he belonged to. It is one of the so-called Mendicant Orders, born after the experience and model offered by Saint Frances. Following the example of Saint Frances, the Capuchins preached the return to the Church absolute poverty in particular, a value that at the time of the order foundation, around 1520, was a bit lost. A Franciscan friar, Matteo da Bascio, gathered some of his brothers who shared his thought and his aspiration to go back to a humble and simple life, made of prayer, hermitage and service towards poor and needing people. The ecclesiastical Authority, frowned upon those ideas, even though very noble, especially in a time where the Lutheran Reformation made the Catholic Church instable and every dissident position was considered a potential threat.

Da Bascio and his followers were not subversive though. They just wanted to live their human and spiritual existence according to the principles of poverty. In order to do that, at the beginning they looked for hospitality at the Camaldolese monks, to whom they owe the characteristic garment with the hood, from which they will take the name from. Later, they were granted to live as hermits in complete poverty and preaching to poor, and were able to establish as hermit Minor Friars, thanks to the approval bull “Religionis Zelus” granted by Pope Clement VII in 1528. The order became bigger and bigger between 1600 and 1700 when many convents were built, especially in France, but also in missions. In fact, the Capuchins turned out to be great preachers, and thanks to this gift, they operated as missionaries everywhere, obtaining a great appreciation.

Today Capuchins belong to the three male orders part of the Franciscan Family: the Friars Minor (called also Observants), the Friars Minor Conventuals and the Friars Minor Capuchin. The Franciscan family is the biggest and most varied spiritual family of the Church. In it, there are friars, nuns and laymen united by the charisma of Saint Francis of Assisi and by the will to live following his precepts of poverty, obedience and chastity. In Latin the capuchin order was called Ordo fratrum minorum capuccinorum, whose acronym O.F.M.Cap. is still used in some contexts. Besides the hooded garment, the Capuchins inherited the tradition to wear beards from the Camaldolese monks. Still today, Capuchins’ characteristics are a long and unshaved beard, the typical light brown tunic with a big hood on the shoulders and a rope as belt.

The reasons that brought so many followers and benevolence to the Capuchin friars from people, and with time also from the ecclesiastical hierarchies, are their choice to live a simple and poor life, dedicated to contemplation and prayer; their ability as preachers, given their deep empathy, which let them come into contact even with the simplest and ignorant people, through a comprehensible spiritual dialog so that everyone could understand immanent matters, problems and needs; their will to be close to people, to help them also in their material struggles, to be “friars for the people”, friars of the world.

The strong key of this order, besides the austerity and sanctity of their lives, is still today their ability to enter the local societies with many initiatives dedicated to the community wellbeing. Their service is not only religious apostolate, but also social, addressed to the healing and wellbeing of the devotees, to charity and so on. Prayer then, alone or shared with brothers and devotees; but also preaching, confessions (Padre Pio is an example in that, given the amazing number of confessions – it is said to be about six hundred thousand people – he collected in his life), prayer groups, spiritual listening and guidance, often tied to local churches, help to the sick, prisoners, drug-addicts, the poor, but also young people. Many are the associations and brotherhoods connected to the Capuchin friars whose goals are beneficial and assistance activities all over the world. Even the activities of missionaries abroad is still going on, both as practical support (food, medicines, cures) and spiritual apostolate, in Africa, Asia and America.

 

Jesus told his disciples and his friends that they should pray, always, and never get tired of it. From that exhortation comes the Liturgy of the Hours, which schedules the moment of prayers during the day, so that every moment of our lives is a praise to God. That is how a good Christian should live every day, in communion with Christ, observing night and day with prayers. That is not always easy. The frenzy of modern life, work, and many commitments make it very difficult for most of the devotees to comply with the many appointments given by the Liturgy of the Hours, even the two on the canonical Hours, the morning Prayers and the Vespers, which should be celebrated everyday at the beginning of the day and at sunset.

But Jesus is aware of this obstacles, he’s close to us every moment of our life, and knows well how difficult it is to complete every task some days. That way he understands if we cannot dedicate enough time to prayers everyday, if we “skip” one sometimes, or we just give it brief moments.

There is a good way to start the day though, right after waking up, and it is the morning Offer.

What is this about? It is easy, the name itself explains it: it is about offering our day to Jesus.

So, when we open our eyes, or even before that, our first thought should be: “Lord, I offer You this day.”

Is that all? It actually is. Everyone can enrich their prayer with personal words, or choosing among the many morning Offers composed by devotees throughout the centuries.

The morning Offer helps us face the day with the right energy, fully aware that, since the moment we woke up, Jesus is by our side, that our victories are his victories, our disappointments are his disappointments, and all the good and the bad that will happen to us during the day will be shared with Him. It is a way to offer ourselves in the hands of God, to state that we accept his will, and that, in any case, it will be a good day, because we dedicated it to Him.

Pope John Paul II aknowledged that the morning Offer is a fundamental act in the life of each devotee. There is no spiritual growth without the morning Offer.

It’s like saying: “A good start…”

Clearly, saying it is not enough to make sure the day will be perfect. As our Pope Francis pointed out “Prayer is not a magical wand!” But it is proved that those who constantly rely on this good habit, receive a remarkable energy to face the day with an extra kick.

As we were saying, many great devoted men and women wrote about the morning Offer throughout the centuries. There are no specific rules on what to say and how to say it, nor a univocal outline. Since it is about a dialogue between God and us, we should express ourselves in the way we prefer, laying our heart bare, and entrust our spirit to the Hands of the Lord.

The first thing to do is obviously thanking Jesus for giving us a serene night and for watching over our sleep, and ask for forgivness for the sins we might have committed, and for those we are going to commit in the coming day. That should give us the awareness that the day that is opening in front of us is full of opportunities to make mistakes, but also to do good things that make us feel good and draw us nearer to Grace. With this awareness, we should prepare to face everything the day will bring us, thanking God for giving us the chance to live it, and to do it at our best, if we only want it.

During the morning Offer, we have to plan what our day will be like, according to what we are going to face: work, meetings, visits. If we are ready, we will face every moment with the right energy, with the right mental approach, with the right words in our mouths, and we will avoid getting angry, losing control or patience, being disappointed, making someone angry or letting their grudge affect us. Promising Jesus that it is our resolute purpose to do our best in order to make our day worth of him, we commit to behave properly, to make him proud of us. Again, it is important to stay humble during the Offer. All we are, all we can do, we owe it to God, and Him only. We couldn’t do anything good on our own, nor avoid doing evil. We must invoke Him and his endless Mercy, so that he can guide or steps, our choices, and support our heart, our hands, and our words with his Strenght. Also in this case, we have many words written by more capable men that we can make ours in order to make our prayer appreciated, our offer a joyful hymn, and a wonderful way to start our day.

It will also be nice to involve the whole family in that. Some prefer to recite the morning Offer in communion with the beloved ones, their children for example. Others prefer to do it privately, encouraging their beloved ones to do the same. There is no wrong way to dedicate a new day to Jesus, as long as it is done, and with our heart on our lips.

Choosing to recite prayers we invented is also a way to give thanks to God, to show him that our thoughts are always leaned towards him. It is like declaring our love for him with our own words, maybe lower and less efficient than the ones coming from psalmists or saints, but they are surely heartfelt, pronounced with the zeal of a devoted soul.

As an alternative, you can find so many prayers, even on the internet, to give a voice to your love, to your morning greeting.