The Blue Scapular, by Benjamin Cabeen
The Blue Scapular was given to Servant of God Ursula Benincasa, who founded the Congregation of the Oblates of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Hermitage of the Contemplative Nuns of the Immaculate Conception. Both societies were approved by Pope Gregory XV on April 7, 1623.
Those who wear the Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception and belong to the Marian Fathers confraternity can receive a plenary indulgence if they are in a state of grace and free from attachment to sin, have an intention for someone, perform an act of indulgence, receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, and pray for the Pope. They can only get the indulgence on the day they are invested into the Scapular of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, August 15, December 25, February 2, Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension, May 18, and August 7.
Those who wear the scapular of the Immaculate Conception and do not belong to the Marian Fathers Confraternity receive graces and help from Mary when they piously wear it. Coming next: the White Scapular of the Trinity.
Christmas Caroling, by Emma Bidelspach
Christmas caroling can impact your community in many positive ways. Caroling can bring many smiles and happiness to the elderly and homebound people. When people are homebound, they can oftentimes feel more isolated from the community, so caroling can bring a sense of joy to them. Christmas caroling can be fun for the person caroling as well, by lifting up people’s spirits. Caroling with good friends and family can be even more enjoyable. Caroling doesn’t have to be hard; just sing some familiar hymns and tunes as you walk through a neighborhood or nursing home. Christmas caroling helps everyone to get into the Advent and Christmas spirit.
The Mass as a Sacrifice, by Thomas M. Cabeen
The Catholic Church solemnly holds that the Mass is a sacrifice. The full name of the Mass is, after all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass must meet certain criteria to be classified as a sacrifice. We find the criteria for sacrifice in the Old Testament, beginning with the sacrifice of Noah after he and his family left the ark (Gen. 8, 20-22). First there must be a physical gift. A sacrifice cannot be offered with an idea or spirit. Second, the gift must be offered up to God. This offering means the gift then must become a victim. Third, the offering (oblation) must be made by an authorized person. This means that an ordinary person cannot perform a sacrifice. We call such an authorized person a priest. Fourth, the oblation must have a religious purpose. This religious purpose is fourfold: it must be in adoration of God, thanksgiving to Him, expiation (also called atonement) for our sins, and petition to God’s Divine mercy. The final criterion for sacrifice is that the oblation must be offered with the hope of it being accepted by God. All these criteria are met in Christ Jesus’ Crucifixion (the Sacrifice of the Cross) and in the Sacrifice of the Mass.
Using the five criteria for sacrifice we can show that Christ’s Death, and therefore His Mass, are indeed a sacrifice. On the cross the physical sacrifice is Jesus Himself, and in the Mass it is the same Jesus, the Eternal Victim. Christ was made a victim by humbling Himself to the point of death on the cross. This is represented in the dual consecration of bread and wine into Body and Blood. Christ, who is the Ultimate Authority, offered Himself at the Last Supper and continues to do so through the Church and by the priest and the faithful. Jesus accomplished all the religious purposes of sacrifice on the Cross. He gave honor to God, attained expiation for our sins, and merited for us salvation form sin and eternal life in heaven. Through the Mass he gives us the fruits of His passion and death while giving honor to God. Finally, Jesus’ oblation was obviously accepted by God, for Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. God then accepts the Sacrifice of the Mass, not as a new sacrifice, but as a continuation of the Sacrifice of the Cross when He accepted the Sacrifice of the Cross itself.
In conclusion, the Mass is truly the Holy Sacrifice offered by God the Son because it fulfills all criteria of a sacrifice as set forth in the Old Testament.
This article was written using Fr. John Laux’s Mass and the Sacraments, TAN Books, 1990
Good News Team and Contributors
Editor in Chief: Thomas M. Cabeen
Co-President: Ryan Hanson
Webmaster: Benjamin Wells
Contributors: Avery Bidelspach, Emma Bidelspach, Evelyn Wagner, Benjamin Wells, Alex Hanson, Gabriel Ringwald, Ryan P. Hanson, Mary Catherine Vallejo
Poet: Benjamin Cabeen
Head of Distribution: Benjamin Cabeen
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