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Q u i c k Q u e s t i o n s
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This Rock
Volume 20, Number 7
 September-October 2009 
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Who Came Up with the King James Bible?
Q: Can you tell me when, why, and by whom the King James translation was published?
A: King James I of England appointed a commission to revise the "Bishop’s Bible." The first edition of this "Authorized Version" (also known as the "King James Bible") appeared in 1611. For more details see the Catholic Encyclopedia article titled "Authorized Version" at catholic.com.
—Jim Blackburn
Q: How do I know if I have sinned in my thoughts? After all, we cannot control our thoughts.
A: We sin in our thoughts when we deliberately entertain (ponder, meditate upon) thoughts we know to be impure or otherwise immoral. Fleeting impure or immoral thoughts that cross our mind without conscious deliberation are better classified as "temptations" and should be rejected.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: A friend of mine believes that if he is in a "right" standing with God and prays heavily beforehand, then he is able to have communion with grape juice and crackers or bread, and it would equate to what a priest does at the consecration. He says that he doesn’t need some "guy" blessing some bread and wine/grape juice to have "communion" with his Lord.
A: The biggest difference between your friend’s understanding of the Eucharist and that of the Catholic Church is that he thinks that we initiate communion with the Lord. Moreover, "if he is in a right standing" with the Lord is a mighty big if! Who determines that—some "guy" like him? Besides sounding a tad arrogant, such a stance is not scriptural (see John 6). Jesus’ apostles didn’t decide to have Communion with him on their own. Jesus initiated the Eucharist and stated quite emphatically that it was truly his body and blood. When most of his disciples left him because of this, there is no evidence that he called them back to explain that he was only speaking symbolically. What the Catholic Church teaches is totally consistent with Scripture (Jn 6:51) and with what the early Church taught.
So the Eucharist is a Communion with the Lord that he established and maintains through the authority he gave to Peter and his successors. Many people have died defending the reality of that Blessed Sacrament. The Communion is both a spiritual union and a physical union that is initiated by Jesus Christ himself—not the result of subjective human fervor. See our tracts on the Eucharist at www.catholic.com/library/sacraments.asp.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: I read that St. Bonaventure said when St. Francis of Assisi died he was transformed into an angel. Does the Catholic Church recognize this as truth?
A: No. The Church teaches that angels and human beings are entirely different orders of creatures and do not transform from one to the other. Since St. Bonaventure is a Doctor of the Church, I doubt he taught that St. Francis of Assisi became an angel at death. Without having seen the material you read, my guess is that your sources misunderstood St. Bonaventure’s intent. In the past, it was common for consecrated religious to call their founders "our seraphic father" or "our seraphic mother." This was not intended to mean that the person had actually become a seraph, anymore than a mother describing her child as a "little angel" intends to say that her child actually is an angel. In the same way, it is possible that whatever St. Bonaventure actually said about his order’s founder was hyperbole that has been misunderstood.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: When I asked a staff member at my parish how to dispose of blessed palms, I was told, "Just throw them in the grill next time you cook out." Is this correct?
A: It is recommended to dispose of blessed sacramentals by burning those that can be burned, so the advice you were given was not completely off the mark. However, it would be fitting not to use blessed sacramentals as fuel for your next barbecue. Perhaps after you have cleaned up after your next barbecue and before you put away your grill, you might use the grill to burn the blessed palms and then spread the ashes in your backyard.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: After his death Jesus descended into hell, but when the good thief asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus said, "this day you will be with me in paradise." These facts seem contradictory. Can you explain?
A: Jesus descended into hell to deliver the righteous who awaited him in "Abraham’s Bosom"—or "paradise" as the Jews called it. It seems that it was there that the good thief would be with Jesus on that day. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture explains, "‘Paradise’. . . signified for the Jews the abode of the blessed. Here, if taken literally in its context, it signifies primarily the limbo of the just" (968).
—Jim Blackburn
Q: Where can I find the directive for the proper storage of the consecrated oils and blessed oils of the sick?
A: See the USCCB’s Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship (available at www.usccb.org):
The consecrated oil of chrism for initiation, ordination, and the dedication of churches, as well as the blessed oils of the sick and of catechumens, are traditionally housed in a special place called an ambry or repository. These oils consecrated or blessed by the bishop at the Mass of Chrism deserve the special care of the community to which they have been entrusted. The style of the ambry may take different forms. A parish church might choose a simple, dignified, and secure niche in the baptistry or in the wall of the sanctuary or a small case for the oils. Cathedrals responsible for the care of a larger supply of the oils need a larger ambry. Since bright light or high temperatures can hasten spoilage, parishes will want to choose a location that helps to preserve the freshness of the oil. (117)
—Peggy Frye
Q: What is the proper way to approach a priest who allowed "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to be played during a funeral liturgy? I think it’s a disgrace.
A: Rather than risk confrontation over what probably was a well-intentioned concession to a grieving family, I recommend presenting the priest with constructive suggestions for how to accommodate grief-stricken families while still preserving the dignity of the funeral liturgy. For example, you might recommend he suggest to families that such songs be played at a wake for the deceased instead of at the funeral.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: I am, unfortunately, homosexual and have drifted away from the Church as a result. I really need spiritual help and direction regarding this situation and have nowhere to turn. I’m involved in an 18-year relationship with another man; however, it has become platonic over the past several years. I pray and talk to God constantly and hope he still hears me. I have recently returned to Mass but am fearful that I am committing a sacrilege. Please tell me what I can do to rid myself of this horrific guilt.
A: First of all, you do know where to turn. You already have. You speak with the Lord frequently. Now, listen to him. Spend time before the tabernacle. He has allowed you to experience this cross. The crosses we experience are actually for our own benefit, though most of us would never have chosen them for ourselves. They give us the opportunity to respond to all that he suffered for us.
All you need to do is go to confession and live a chaste, devout life. Offer him all your homosexual tendencies. Make an oblation of them. Allow him to be your life companion. Your life is replete with meaning. You have the gift of faith that he has deliberately given you. Make the most of it! I suggest that the materials and ministry of Courage: http://couragerc.net.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: I have an old crucifix with skull and crossbones on it. Do you know what this symbolism means?
A: Pious legend held that Adam was buried at Mount Calvary and so the skull and crossbones symbolize Adam. The skull and crossbones also symbolize death and so putting one at the base of a crucifix symbolizes Christ’s triumph over death (1 Cor 15:53-57).
—Michelle Arnold
Q: I am profoundly uncomfortable with the style and level of devotion suggested by St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716). "Slavery" to the Blessed Virgin Mary suggests that the only way to Jesus is through her. How can there be a personal relationship with Jesus if he is constantly angry with us, and we have no access to him except through his Mother?
A: It is important to remember that St. Louis de Montfort was writing in the style of an 18th-century Frenchman and not in that of a 21st-century American. His writing contains a lot of hyperbole and purple prose. But his devotion to the Blessed Virgin was based on a true insight: Jesus Christ chose to enter the world through the Blessed Virgin and, in his sovereign freedom, chooses to bestow grace on the world through her. This doesn’t mean that he is an angry God whom his Mother must placate, but that he is a devoted Son who chooses to allow his Mother to cooperate in his work of salvation. If you don’t care for the Marian devotional style of centuries ago, you may wish to look into more modern Marian devotional literature.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: If Jesus was using hyperbole when instructing his listeners to pluck out their eyes or to cut off their hands and feet if these should cause them to sin (Mt 5:29-30, 18:8-9; Mk 9:43,47), why wasn’t he using hyperbole when he told them to eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6:48-58)?
A cynic would argue that human convenience invokes "hyperbole" when confronted with a direct command to maim oneself, but in the absence of such a high-risk proposition, taking things literally is fine.
A: Most of Jesus’ disciples left him when he told them that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6). He could easily have explained that he did not mean that they literally had to eat his flesh and drink his blood. But he didn’t.
Context, for the most part, shows us when Scripture is using hyperbole and other literary forms as well—under the guidance of the Church’s magisterial authority. The Church’s understanding of Scripture is laid out in the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council, available at www.vatican.va.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: During a Mass in which two or more priests concelebrate with a deacon present, why does the deacon elevate the blood (while one of the priests elevates the body) at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, instead of the other priest?
A: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal instructs the deacon (when present) to do this. "At the final doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer, the deacon stands next to the priest, holding the chalice elevated while the priest elevates the paten with the host, until the people have responded with the acclamation, Amen" (GIRM 180).
At a concelebrated Mass without a deacon, a concelebrating priest carries out this duty. "If a deacon is not present, his proper duties are to be carried out by some of the concelebrants" (GIRM 208).
—Jim Blackburn
Q: I recall a married Catholic couple who separated but did not divorce so that one or the other could enter religious life. What are their names?
A: You may be thinking of Cornelia Connelly (1809-1879), who with her husband Pierce, an Episcopalian minister, converted to the Catholic Church. Pierce decided he wanted to become a Catholic priest, but, in those days, no special dispensation existed to allow an Episcopal priest convert to be ordained and share a common life with his wife. To accommodate his vocation, Cornelia became a nun and founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
Pierce’s vocation did not last. He eventually left the priesthood and the Church altogether, denied Cornelia contact with their three children, and pressured her to abandon religious life to resume life with him and the children. She refused and entrusted her children’s future to God. She has not yet been canonized, but she has been declared venerable. You can read more about her in Ronda De Sola Chervin’s book The Kiss from the Cross.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: Last night at our charismatic prayer group, we discussed receiving the Eucharist under one or both species and what, if any, is the difference. I think we may receive just the body or blood (though the body is preferred) and receive all of Jesus—that consuming just the body or just the blood does not mean you have not fully partaken in the Eucharist. The group responded that while that is true, depending on the prayers over the gifts during various seasons, the body and blood give us different graces and that they have different roles. What is right?
A: Your understanding is correct. I cannot imagine where your group received such information. Both species are of equal value. The Eucharistic prayer does not change with the liturgical seasons. Prayers in the other parts of the Mass change with feasts, memorials and seasons, but not the Eucharistic prayers.
Of course, what is most important about the Eucharist is that it is the Person of Jesus. He is a Person—not some amalgam of powers that provide aid according to our periodic needs. He could easily have instituted the Eucharist with bread alone. But by using wine as well, he is able to express the fact that he indeed died. A body that is separate from its blood has died. So the Eucharist is the great living sign of his Passion. This—and this alone—is what is implied by the chalice.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: Is Brian a saint’s name?
A: Yes. St. Edmund Arrowsmith (1585-1628), one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, is also known as "Brian Arrowsmith" because Brian was his birth name. He preferred his confirmation name Edmund and is more commonly known by that name. There is also the Elizabethan martyr Bl. Brian Lacey (d. 1591).
—Michelle Arnold
Q: Is it possible that a murderer could go to heaven while some of his victims are condemned to hell because they were killed in a state of sin?
A: Yes, it is possible that a killer could be saved while his victims are not. It would depend on the state of the respective souls at the time of their deaths. If a killer is not culpable for his crimes due to mental illness, or if he repents for having committed them before his death, he can die in a state of grace and be saved.
Twentieth-century Frenchman Jacques Fesch (1930-1957) not only repented for killing a police officer but, in the years before his execution, so progressed in holiness that a cause for his canonization has been opened.
As for the victims, one of the realities of the Christian life is that we never know when the hour of our death is to be—when it will be immediately necessary to give an account of our lives to God (cf. Mt 24:42-44). We are responsible for the state of our soul each and every minute of the day. If a life is unexpectedly cut short, we hope the person died capable of salvation and that the Lord will have mercy, but if the person dies deliberately rejecting God and thus goes to hell, then he does so by his own choice.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: I have friends who insist that it is okay to make a wish at 11:11 since they are not taking it seriously. But I believe wishing is sinful because it breaks the commandment, "Thou shall not have false gods before me." Am I correct?
A: Basically, the definition of wish is a desire for something. Under that definition, even Jesus Christ expressed wishes at times:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" (Lk 13:34).
Sometimes people express the hope that they have that certain wishes will be granted by stating the wish while doing some specific act (e.g., blowing out candles, watching a shooting star, pitching coins into a fountain). Unless there is a belief that the action will magically bring about the wish, which most people do not entertain, there is no superstition involved (cf. CCC 2111). Certainly, there is no idolatry.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: Our church has both boys and girls serving at the altar during Mass and they currently wear the muslin or flax albs. My family is considering purchasing several sets of black cassocks and white surplices for the altar servers. May girls wear these garments?
A: If girls are allowed to be altar servers in your parish and diocese, then it appears to me that they may wear the garments made available for such service. In any event, I do not know of any ecclesial legislation that would forbid it.
You should be aware though that, as the extraordinary form of the Roman rite of the Mass becomes more widespread, eventually the Church may have to reconsider whether customs and disciplines common to the ordinary form of the Mass (e.g., altar girls, lay lectors, no head coverings for women, Communion in the hand, standing to receive Communion) will be allowed in the extraordinary form—and vice versa. Absent such instruction from the Church, and out of respect for tender consciences that may be unnecessarily scandalized by what they perceive to be "innovations" to the extraordinary form, it may be prudent to respect the customs and disciplines particular to each form during the celebration of those forms of the liturgy unless and until the Church determines otherwise (cf. Rom 14).
—Michelle Arnold
Q: My non-Christian friend has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She has little time left and I’d like to share the gospel with her. Can you give me any suggestions?
A: Assuming your friend is open to the discussion, here is one possibility. John 3:16–17 is often considered the entirety of the gospel of Christ in a nutshell: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."
You might ask her if she has heard of how God’s Son saved the world. If she knows that it was through his passion, death, and resurrection, then affirm that. If not, give her the answer. In either case, show her a crucifix. Through his suffering and death, Christ saved the world. But he did more than that. He also gave human suffering value. When we offer up our sufferings to him in union with the suffering he endured, our suffering can be used by God to help others – perhaps to give them hope, comfort, or the gift of faith.
Suggest to your friend that she might like to keep the crucifix with her to meditate on when the pain of her illness becomes difficult. Offer to answer any questions she has and to pray with her if she would like. If the discussions go well and your friend indicates interest, suggest that she talk to a Catholic priest or deacon about the possibility of baptism. Baptism washes away original sin and all sins committed prior to it. And, by becoming a member of the body of Christ through baptism, through her suffering she will be able to, like St. Paul, "complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church" (Col. 1:24).
It should be reiterated though that if your friend is not interested in discussing this with you, pray for her (e.g., the Divine Mercy chaplet), comfort her, be with her, and entrust her soul to the mercy of God.
—Michelle Arnold
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Catholic Answers
