We do not have the answers to every question – but the very asking of the question is the beginning of the answer. So why don’t you send us your questions and let us together find the answers to our questions.

SIMBANG GABI

There are priests that are gradually doing away with the tradition of Dawn Mass every December by celebrating it in the evening. Is this okay for the Church?

There are occasions when the priest has too many Masses to say and in more than one church so he is forced to put the Dawn Mass in the evening. There are also well-off suburban churches who go for the easier option and persuade the priests to change even though there is no real necessity. I think this is a pity because there is a bit of magic and memory in the sacrifice of the Dawn Mass and that traditional snack with old friends as the sun comes up. Long may it survive. But then the only way it will is if you and your friends make your voice heard at the Convento. After all you are the Church.

BUKAS LALAW

Bukas Lalaw is a popular belief of Filipinos that after someone has died, his/her spirit has 40 more days to stay here on earth and after that goes to heaven or to hell. We even prepare a sort of party and a special Mass for this. Is this necessary or after the burial can we just go ahead with our lives without anymore having this Bukas Lalaw?

Not only in the Philippines but in Ireland and other countries there is a custom of having a Mass and ‘goodbye’ get-together more or less after a month. Basically this is a sort of closure on the official period of grief. A sign that life has to go on. I guess most cultures and religions have something similar and that is very necessary as a part of the ending of our period of intense grieving. I suspect that rationale about the spirit being around for so many days was added after. We need closure and to engage the problems of life again, specially if death has been very traumatic.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Is it okay for me to receive Communion every Mass without receiving the 1st Holy Communion? If not what should I do?

The normal way for a young person is to receive Communion after careful preparation. If this takes place in a class setting with much ceremony, known as First Communion, well and good. But when an older person receives Communion for the first time then naturally there is no group ceremony. It is a quieter affair though maybe much deeper. In this case the only requirement is that there will be proper preparation. I am sometimes afraid that we pull people into Communion without this preparation, especially in cases where there is a marriage revalidation. The result could be that they would never really appreciate its tremendous meaning.

NO FEE, NO MASS

In our parish, there was this priest that did not give a funeral Mass because the family could not afford to pay the funeral Mass fee. Did he have the right to do this? Can the family of the dead file a case in court against him?

I don’ think that refusing a funeral is a legal offence and so it would be outside the court system. But it is a serious blow to Christian values and ultimately to the Christian community and frankly the community should approach that priest and discuss the matter and if necessary have a word with the Bishop. Of course these things might have a lot more behind them than comes out in the first hearing. But the Gospel says: Freely have you received, freely give. In my parish in the mountains years ago the people were very poor and I made it quite clear that there would never be a charge for funerals; that meant a few of the well-off missing out, but it also meant that many of the poor who had never asked for a blessing on their dead (but brought them straight to the cemetery), now did bring them to the Church or to my convento.

SPOTLIGHT FOR SANTA CLAUS

I think Santa Claus is stealing the spotlight away from Jesus Christ, the true reason why we’re celebrating Christmas. Is Santa Claus acceptable to the Catholic Church?

You are referring to the creeping commercialism coming into the celebration of Christmas here in the Philippines. Basically religious traditions are being latched on to by financial interests and they are manipulating them to their own profit. But Santa Claus is of course St. Nicholas whose feast day in the Philippines is on December 10 and so naturally he is acceptable to the Church. The power and control of enormous international commercial interests is growing all the time and Christians need to try to hold on to their spiritual events and not let them be highjacked by others. How does your group plan to celebrate the birth of Christ this year?

PURGATORY: TRUTH OR MYTH

Purgatory is to be found in the scriptures, and in tradition, and it makes common sense.

Scriptures: See second Maccabees 12:46 where Judas Maccabees offers prayers for the dead that they might deliver from their sins.

Tradition: From the beginning the Church has honored the dead and offered prayers for them, especially the Eucharist, so that thus purified they may enter the beatific vision of God. (Catechism of Catholic Church # 1032)

Common sense would tell us that no one would want to enter God’s presence with unrepented sin in one’s heart even though these sins were not great enough to be a complete denial of God or refusal of His love. I think we will all be very happy to enter a place of purification before entering His presence. This in my opinion would surely be a moment, an instance, a state of joyful anticipation though like all purification not without pain. It is often felt that some people offer up their feelings in this life and achieve some purification even here.