May 12, 2023

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Christ’s suffering and dying on the cross…”

Q: What did Christ accomplish by suffering and dying on the cross? -J.M.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: Your question touches on a core truth of Christ’s mission in the world. As “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” Christ by his death on the cross accomplished the definitive redemption of men (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 613). His is also the sacrifice of the new covenant, which restores man to communion with God by reconciling man to the Almighty through the “blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (also see 613). Sin offends an infinitely good God, and we as finite creatures could never fully make up for our transgressions; it took God himself to pay the price for our redemption.

Soberly the Church notes that “sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured” (see Catechism, 598). Indeed, the Church does not hesitate to impute to Christians the gravest responsibility for the torments inflicted upon Jesus (see 598).

Not all is dark, however. Christ inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth. This fulfilled God the Father’s will “to raise up men to share in his own divine life” (see Catechism, 541). The Father does this by gathering men around his Son, Jesus Christ. This gathering is the Church. In a striking way, Christ would accomplish the coming of his kingdom by his death on the cross and resurrection (see Catechism, 542). “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32).

In other words, by suffering on the cross and rising from the dead (we can never separate the Crucifixion from the Resurrection), Jesus gave us hope — hope that God’s love for each one of us is so unconditional and so powerful that we can always count on it, in spite of our sins and sinful tendencies.

All this carries a practical aspect for our daily lives. Christ’s passion and death gives a new meaning to suffering. We can offer our own suffering back to Christ and unite it with his redemptive passion. By “offering it up,” we can help turn suffering into something valuable.

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Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Should I Miss Mass to Appease My Husband?”

Q: I’m going on holiday in a couple of weeks with my husband. I’m a practicing Catholic and my faith is very important to me, increasingly so in recent years. My husband isn’t Catholic or religious at all, and he struggles with this change in me. He’s made a couple of comments about how, surely, I won’t be going to Mass on holiday. I don’t want to cause an argument. but I’m not sure what to do. It doesn’t feel right not to go to Mass on Sunday, but it also feels wrong to push something that I know will cause friction. My husband has had a tough year with health issues, so I want to give him the best holiday possible, but I know God has to come first. I’ve tried to think of a compromise — whether it’s watching a Mass online or just going to for part of the Mass (communion) and streaming the rest — but I know that’s not right. If you have any advice at all, I would be really grateful. – H.J.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: As you say, God has to come first.

No one, including your husband, has the right to hold you back from attending Mass. You won’t help your husband by pushing God onto a back burner.

Missing Mass to appease your husband will only bring a false peace in the household.

You yourself won’t be at peace, knowing that you are ignoring Our Lord’s command to give him due worship. At the end of life, you will answer to God, not to your husband.

Moreover, pushing God out of the marriage certainly won’t help the bond. So it seems a bit of tough love is called for here, for the benefit of your husband. Intensify your prayers and sacrifices for him, and remember him in a special way during the time you are at Mass,

The only way you can hope to convince your husband of the value of the Catholic faith is by practicing it well.

 

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!