Mary, Help of Christians is one of the numerous names by which Catholics have come to know and love Mary.  It refers specifically to the aid that Mary gives as intercessor, meaning one who prays with and for us to God.
The title of “Helper” has been applied to Mary at least as far back as the fourth century. Because of her closeness to Christ and her unique role in bringing about God’s plan, Catholics have traditionally viewed her as a particularly effective intercessor.  The title as we know it now came into being in 1571, when the Ottoman Empire prepared to invade Europe.  In the face of this threat, Pope Pius V called on Catholics to pray for Mary’s intercession.  The Turks were defeated at the…

Catholics differ from some Christian Churches which accept the Scripture as the only source of God’s revelation. Catholics have a strong belief in the truth of Scripture, but we also believe in tradition as a way in which God continues to reveal truth to us. Tradition can include beliefs, customs, prayers, and worship, the teaching of popes, bishops, theologians and Church councils. It’s our process of continually reflecting on the way in which the Word of God encounters our own experience as a community of faith.
Catholic understanding is that tradition includes the Scripture, and began before the gospels and letters were written. We do believe that Scripture is a unique revelation from God and…

There are many prayers to St. Joseph referring to him as “the dispenser of the treasures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” but I’ve been unable to trace the origins of this phrase.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus grew gradually over the Middle Ages but did not become a widespread Catholic devotion until the private revelations of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1673). In his encyclical (letter) on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, titled “Haurietis Aquas”(1956), Pope Pius XII noted that the heart of Jesus was nourished by the loving home life he shared with Mary and Joseph.
I’ve been unable to find any further history of the tie between St. Joseph and devotion to the Sacred Heart. Perhaps…

An interesting question that has more to do with art than religion!
The answer is that it really depends on the artist who made the crucifix.  Take a look at a number of different crucifixes…
Some have Jesus with his head bowed depicting his death.  The artist wants us to concentrate on a Jesus who died for us.  Another might show Jesus kind of pumped up and looking refreshed.  This artist wants to show that the cross cannot hold Jesus back from defeating death.  A third might show a twisted agonizing face of Jesus which allows the viewer to concentrate on a God who suffers for his people.
So yes, there is some symbolism there but it varies with each artist’s depiction of what they are asking us to…

Why do women no longer have to have their head covered while at mass?  And why do some still do it?

There has long been a practice of women covering their heads in public, and especially in holy places, across religious traditions.  Paul makes note of it in 1 Cor 11:4-16.  Drawing upon this, as well as tradition and local custom, as in the Middle East, the 1917 Code of Canon Law originally required women to cover their heads in church (#1262).

Especially after Vatican II, the practice of wearing veils has largely faded away among Catholics in the West; non-Western Catholics and those who prefer a traditionalist or Tridentine observance of the faith here may still wear them more regularly.  Some say this veil was…

Yes.  A cross is simply the “t-shaped” instrument that was used for crucifixion which now, bears more of a symbol of triumph for Christians.  A crucifix however, is any image of that same cross with Jesus’ body (known as the corpus) depicted on it.
Catholics are free to wear either and to have either on display in their churches although most Catholic Churches would choose to have a crucifix on display while many Protestant churches opt for the cross.  In other cultures the image depicted on the crucifix may also be more vivid depicting a suffering Jesus more dramatically as well.…

The answer to this lies in the Jewish marriage customs of the time.  During this period, there were two distinct parts to the marriage process.  The first was betrothal, which was a binding exchange of consent made in the presence of witnesses.  Betrothal could only be ended by death or by divorce.
Following the betrothal, the bride remained with her family for a period of several months before moving into her husband’s home, where they lived together as man and wife.
At the time of the Annunciation, Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but they had not yet lived together (and, obviously, had not had sexual relations).  The news of her pregnancy, as you can imagine, would have been quite an unpleasant shock…

What about the other Gospels that aren’t in our canon of scripture?
Why are they not considered valid?
Ultimately, it was the bishops – the leaders of the Church – who made
the final decision but this decision was not reached in some
smoke-filled back room. It was a decision that was based upon the
experience of early Christians – people like you and me – who, in the
first century, had come to embrace certain books as worthy of being
considered inspired by God while designating other works as either
falling short of that or just downright missing the mark. This being,
said, there was no definitive list or canon of the New Testament until
the 4th century. Much of what was not included in…

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrates an appearance of the Virgin Mary at Tepayac, a hill northwest of Mexico City. For evidence we have both a story and a painting.
The story tells of an Indian convert to Christianity around 50 years of age. His Aztec name had been Cuauhtlatohuac, but at his baptism he was given the name Juan Diego. While walking in the hills he heard music and saw a bright light. This led him to a beautiful lady at Tepayac, on December 9, 1531. She had the features and the dress of a young Indian woman. She wore a blue mantle covered with stars. She spoke to Juan Diego in her own Nahuatl language and called herself “Our Lady of Guadalupe” and “the Mother of the True God through whom…

Images of Jesus, Mary, and the saints usually painted in a gesture of blessing meant as an aid to prayer and meditation, directing our minds and hearts to that holy person.  These are very popular in the Greek Orthodox Church especially.  Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words so here is a picture of an icon.…

Did Mary Have Labor Pains?

There’s lots of debate around this one.   After the Fall, in Genesis 3:16, God tells Eve, “I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children.”    The Genesis author thus portrays labor pains as the consequence of original sin.
Catholics, however, believe that Mary was conceived without original sin: “[Mary] was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life.” (CCC 411).  Given that, many conclude that she would not have suffered labor pains.  This view was held by many early Church Fathers, and was mentioned in the Catechism of the Council of Trent.

That…

Question:  Why does Mary visit her cousin Elizabeth?  It doesn’t make sense to me for a pregnant woman to take such a long journey.

Any woman who has traveled while pregnant can tell you that it isn’t fun.  For Mary, the trip would have been  especially grueling: she traveled to a town eighty miles away, likely on a donkey, without the comfort of paved roads, air conditioning, or shock absorbers.
Why does she do it?  Well, think about what has just happened: she’s been told that she is pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.  She’s also learned that her cousin Elizabeth, believed to be too old to conceive, is expecting as well.  Mary must have been bursting to talk to a woman who could personally…

Over the centuries, there have been thousands of reported Marian apparitions.  Very few have been officially approved by the Church.  Even those that are approved (including Guadalupe and Lourdes) are considered “private revelation.”  In other words, they aren’t a necessary component of a Catholic faith.
That said, Marian apparitions have reenergized the faith of many Catholics.  Apparitions have led to   renewed prayer and repentance (Fatima), to the building of a church (Guadalupe), and to physical healing (Lourdes).   Typically, Mary appears to children, the poor, or the marginalized.  In doing so, she reaffirms the dignity of the powerless.
In 1996, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger –…

How does a book get to be in the Canon of Scripture?  Who decides?
Well, if you’re looking to get a book into the Bible, you’re too late!
The Canon of the Bible was closed in the first century of the Church.
Who made the decisions?  In the first century after Christ, rabbis in
Palestine gathered to form the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old
Testament). They selected only those thirty-nine books that were written
in Hebrew and had existed for what they considered to be a significant
period of time. Around the same time, however, Greek-speaking Jews were
using an Old Testament canon that included seven other books that were
written in Greek or were of a more recent authorship than those in the
Hebrew…

I teach religion in a secular college and have been asked to teach a course on Catholicism.  I’m obviously somewhat limited here so what should I cover over the course of the semester?

Catholicism itself could cover hundreds of courses.  But, that being said, I understand that a secular setting might not be the most appropriate place to discuss doctrine.  I suggest that your best bet would probably be to approach the material in one of three ways that would sidestep the doctrine yet lend it heft and context:  1) historically; 2) by looking at practices, rituals, and beliefs to see how they have developed over time and learn what they say about the faith; or 3) by major thinkers, figures, moments, or ideas…

The tabernacle is the chamber where leftover Eucharist is reserved for the sick or dying or to be used at a later mass.
If the consecrated body and/or blood of Christ is present inside there is a lit candle above or beside it. Most Catholic churches and some Episcopalian/Anglican churches observe this. Catholics genuflect before the tabernacle as a sign of reverence.  Usually tabernacles are focused in a central location behind the altar although some have them off to the side on a side altar.…

The letters refer to the different “orders” that the priest or sister belong to.   For example:
Fr James Martin, S.J. :   S.J. stands for Society of Jesus which is the formal name for the Jesuits.  So Fr Jim would be a Jesuit priest.
Fr David Dwyer, C.S.P.:  C.S.P. stands for Community of St Paul which is the formal name for the Paulists.  So Fr Dave is a Paulist Father.
Sr. Christine Wilcox, O.P.:  O.P. stands for Order of Preachers which is the formal name of the Dominicans.   So Sr. Christine is a Dominican Sister.
As you can see sometimes the letters stand for what the order’s charism is as it does for the Dominicans who have a central mission regarding preaching.
Now I know what…

As a mom myself, I’d love to know the answer to this one.  To me, it seems logical that the woman who gave birth to him should be the first one to see him after the Resurrection.    That said, God’s ways are not our ways; there was clearly some reason why other people got to see him first.  Short of asking Jesus himself, we can only speculate …perhaps he chose his first witnesses based on who would be most critical in continuing his mission, say.

The fact that Mary didn’t get the first visit, though, doesn’t diminish the unique role that she played in Christ’s ministry.  From the moment that Christ was conceived (remember that Mary was the first to experience the Incarnation!) through to the early days…

What’s the deal with the book of Revelation?  It seems kinda demonic
more than something from God to me.
The Book of Revelation is one of the most misunderstood and abused books
of the Bible. It is easily misunderstood because it is filled with
symbolism whose meaning is often lost on today’s audience. It is abused
because some people take advantage of the seemingly nebulous meanings of
the symbols in the book and assign their own meanings to them in order
to frighten others into thinking that the end of the world is near. So,
why is the Book of Revelation written in such a strange and unique
style? It’s actually a form of literature called apocalyptic literature
which deals, not with a catastrophic…

The two most popular Catholic prayers that surround food traditions are the simple “Grace Before Meals” and “Grace After Meals.”
One need not pray these prayers on Thanksgiving if you are Catholic, prayers from your own words are, of course, fine.
However, if you are looking for more structure in your prayer these two simple ones work well.
Grace Before Meals
Bless us O Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ Our Lord.  Amen.
Grace After Meals
We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
While Grace After Meals is seldom ever prayed it indeed does express Thanksgiving.  The…