Why does the priest wear different colours?	The vestment colour for the priest is set by the different liturgical seasons in the year. The colours are: White - feasts, Christmas, Easter, funerals Black - All Souls Day Red – martyrs, Holy Spirit, Pentecost Green – ordinary season Blue - Mary Purple - Lent and Advent Pink - 3rd Sunday of Lent and Advent Gold or Silver - used with or in place of white Fr. Kevin
Why is water poured into the chalice and mixed with the wine?	This is a symbolic action that reminds us of a number of things: a) that of the water and blood that flowed from the side of Jesus on the cross. b) that Jesus is both fully human and divine and as the water and wine mix together and can not be distinguished one from the other so to it is with the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Also we are requesting that we also might share in this oneness of Jesus. Fr. Kevin
What are theological virtues? Caitlin	Theological virtues are good habits of the mind or will which are supernaturally infused into the soul and whose focus is God. The three theological virtues are faith, hope and charity. In other words they are gifts from God that have been placed into our hearts and souls so that we might come to know, love and serve God better. Fr. Kevin
Why is the disciple Thomas called The Twin?	Thomas is only referred to as the twin in John's Gospel. There appear to be two minds as to the meaning behind the use of the term twin. The 'Twin" a blend of skepticism and pessimism which goes with a melancholic temperament, such as seems to have been that of Thomas. A mixture of Thomas's doubt - I will only believe when I see and can touch, and Thomas's declaration "my Lord and my God". Two sides of one person. In the Nag Hammadi find of 1945 the Gospel of Thomas was re-found after having been lost since the fourth century. We had only some small fragments of this Gospel to go by. One of the traditions that arose in the early church was based on this Gospel and the Gospel of John and that was that Thomas was the twin brother of Jesus. According to early tradition the saying of Jesus were recorded by 3 of the twelve apostles, Matthew, Thomas and Philip. Only the works of Matthew found their way into the biblical canon. The so called Book of Thomas the Contender relates a conversation between Jesus and Thomas who is identified as Jesus' twin brother. No where else in tradition or scripture or in any other writing of the early Fathers is there any reference to Jesus having a twin brother. Often in the Hebrew language the term cousin or family member was often mistaken for that of brother. Also Jesus made use of the term brother and sisters when addressing his followers. In the early Church there was also the identification of those who followed the teachings of Jesus as being brothers and sisters in Christ. Much confusion has followed. The more common and current understanding is the first I have given. Fr. Kevin
What is the purpose of the CWL and who is welcome?	The objectives of the League shall be to unite Catholic women of Canada: to achieve individual and collective spiritual development to promote the teachings of the Catholic Church. to exemplify the Christian ideal in home and family life. to protect the sanctity of human life to enhance the role of a Catholic woman who is 16 and older can become a member women in church and society to recognize the human dignity of all people everywhere to uphold and defend Christian education and values in the modern world. to contribute to the understanding and growth of religious freedom, social justice, peace and harmony. Fr. Kevin
In a nutshell, what exactly is the RCIA? And how would it apply to someone baptized a protestant, but drawn to Catholicism? Gerry	RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the process by which someone who is not Catholic is instructed and journeys into an understanding of the Catholic faith, teachings, mysteries and relationship with Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. It is the usual process by which some one Baptized in another denomination or a non-baptized person comes to accept or at least understand the Catholic faith as encouraged and lived out in the Roman Catholic Church. Fr. Kevin
Why are we given a grace day during Lent to NOT follow our Lenten promises? The forty days does not include Sundays. Why is that?	The answer to why we do not fast on Sunday is wrapped up in the understanding of Lent itself. Lent (springtime) is the forty days (not including Sundays) of fasting, prayer and penitence before Easter. The origins - and duration - of Lent are related to the development of Easter. (Remember Sunday is also referred to as little Easter). During the first three centuries most Christians prepared for Easter by fasting for only two or three days. (During the early centuries the observance of the fast was rigid: only one meal a day was allowed and flesh-meat and fish were forbidden.). In some places, this paschal fast was extended to the entire week before Easter (the period now known as Holy Week). In Rome this paschal fast originally may have lasted three weeks, but by the fourth century it had developed into a lent of forty days, the time Jesus was in the desert. Sunday because of it's direct connection to Easter, thus the title little Easter, was seen as a time of feast not fast. As the scriptures tell us when the bridegroom is with us we are to celebrate not fast. Sunday not only is the bridegroom with us he also offers himself fully to us in the form of his body and blood. Thus we are invited to celebrate with the bridegroom not fast. Fr. Kevin

Why does the priest wear different colours?

The vestment colour for the priest is set by the different liturgical seasons in the year. The colours are:

White - feasts, Christmas, Easter, funerals

Black - All Souls Day

Red – martyrs, Holy Spirit, Pentecost

Green – ordinary season

Blue - Mary

Purple - Lent and Advent

Pink - 3rd Sunday of Lent and Advent

Gold or Silver - used with or in place of white

Fr. Kevin

Why is water poured into the chalice and mixed with the wine?

This is a symbolic action that reminds us of a number of things:

a) that of the water and blood that flowed from the side of Jesus on the cross.

b) that Jesus is both fully human and divine and as the water and wine mix together and can not be distinguished one from the other so to it is with the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Also we are requesting that we also might share in this oneness of Jesus.

Fr. Kevin

What are theological virtues?

Caitlin

Theological virtues are good habits of the mind or will which are supernaturally infused into the soul and whose focus is God. The three theological virtues are faith, hope and charity.

In other words they are gifts from God that have been placed into our hearts and souls so that we might come to know, love and serve God better.

Fr. Kevin

Why is the disciple Thomas called The Twin?

Thomas is only referred to as the twin in John's Gospel. There appear to be two minds as to the meaning behind the use of the term twin.

The 'Twin" a blend of skepticism and pessimism which goes with a melancholic temperament, such as seems to have been that of Thomas. A mixture of Thomas's doubt - I will only believe when I see and can touch, and Thomas's declaration "my Lord and my God". Two sides of one person.

In the Nag Hammadi find of 1945 the Gospel of Thomas was re-found after having been lost since the fourth century. We had only some small fragments of this Gospel to go by. One of the traditions that arose in the early church was based on this Gospel and the Gospel of John and that was that Thomas was the twin brother of Jesus.

According to early tradition the saying of Jesus were recorded by 3 of the twelve apostles, Matthew, Thomas and Philip. Only the works of Matthew found their way into the biblical canon. The so called Book of Thomas the Contender relates a conversation between Jesus and Thomas who is identified as Jesus' twin brother. No where else in tradition or scripture or in any other writing of the early Fathers is there any reference to Jesus having a twin brother. Often in the Hebrew language the term cousin or family member was often mistaken for that of brother. Also Jesus made use of the term brother and sisters when addressing his followers. In the early Church there was also the identification of those who followed the teachings of Jesus as being brothers and sisters in Christ. Much confusion has followed. The more common and current understanding is the first I have given.

Fr. Kevin

What is the purpose of the CWL and who is welcome?

The objectives of the League shall be to unite Catholic women of Canada:

to achieve individual and collective spiritual development
to promote the teachings of the Catholic Church.
to exemplify the Christian ideal in home and family life.
to protect the sanctity of human life
to enhance the role of a Catholic woman who is 16 and older can become a member women in church and society
to recognize the human dignity of all people everywhere
to uphold and defend Christian education and values in the modern world.
to contribute to the understanding and growth of religious freedom, social justice, peace and harmony.

Fr. Kevin

In a nutshell, what exactly is the RCIA? And how would it apply to someone baptized a protestant, but drawn to Catholicism?

Gerry

RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the process by which someone who is not Catholic is instructed and journeys into an understanding of the Catholic faith, teachings, mysteries and relationship with Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. It is the usual process by which some one Baptized in another denomination or a non-baptized person comes to accept or at least understand the Catholic faith as encouraged and lived out in the Roman Catholic Church.

Fr. Kevin

Why are we given a grace day during Lent to NOT follow our Lenten promises? The forty days does not include Sundays. Why is that?

The answer to why we do not fast on Sunday is wrapped up in the understanding of Lent itself. Lent (springtime) is the forty days (not including Sundays) of fasting, prayer and penitence before Easter. The origins - and duration - of Lent are related to the development of Easter. (Remember Sunday is also referred to as little Easter). During the first three centuries most Christians prepared for Easter by fasting for only two or three days. (During the early centuries the observance of the fast was rigid: only one meal a day was allowed and flesh-meat and fish were forbidden.). In some places, this paschal fast was extended to the entire week before Easter (the period now known as Holy Week). In Rome this paschal fast originally may have lasted three weeks, but by the fourth century it had developed into a lent of forty days, the time Jesus was in the desert. Sunday because of it's direct connection to Easter, thus the title little Easter, was seen as a time of feast not fast. As the scriptures tell us when the bridegroom is with us we are to celebrate not fast. Sunday not only is the bridegroom with us he also offers himself fully to us in the form of his body and blood. Thus we are invited to celebrate with the bridegroom not fast.

Fr. Kevin