Why Do We Say Rise Again

Father Kenneth Doyle

Q. Thank you for your column, which helps me to understand the nuances of our religion. Hither is my question: In both the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, we say that Jesus "rose once again" from the expressionless; the word "again" puzzles me — did Jesus rise twice? (McFarland, Wis.)

A. Every calendar week, several questions are submitted from readers beyond the country to be answered in this cavalcade. Given the space limitations, I am forced to select merely one or two. When making that choice, I try to gauge which ones might be on about people'southward minds. The problem, of course, is that there is a built-in bias: I come across things through the prism of my own mind. If an issue has never occurred to me, I tin't imagine how it could be creating a trouble for anyone else. And and then for months, I accept resisted responding to the question you have raised, just because the word "again" in the creed never struck me as odd. Merely since several readers take now mentioned information technology, I concede that the use of the word does merit an explanation.

If you expect at any dictionary, yous'll observe that the kickoff and most mutual significant of "again" is "over again," which suggests repetition and prompts the logical question, "When did Jesus e'er rising before?" Only another meaning — acceptable and ofttimes used — is "anew"; and and then we say, "The man tripped and fell, but he got correct upwardly again," or "I woke upwards during the nighttime, only I rolled over and went dorsum to sleep again."

And so Jesus rose only once, on Easter Sunday. He lived once, he died once, and now he lives again.

Q. I was married outside the church building in 1979. In 2003, I was divorced. I am a practicing Catholic and attend Mass regularly. Is information technology all correct for me to receive holy Communion? And if I were to remarry, could I be married in the church building? (Promise, Ark.)

A. I would estimate that you connected to attend Mass even after your 1979 wedlock, and that was the right choice. Far too often, someone who has been married outside the church gives up going to Mass at all, feeling that it is pointless since they have separated themselves from participating fully. Just existence present at the Eucharist, besides offering comfort and guidance in life'south challenges, tin too prompt people to regularize their status in the church so every bit to be eligible to take Communion.

If you lot have not done and then yet, you should offset receive the sacrament of penance. Tell the priest of your 1979 marriage outside the church, every bit well as any other serious matters since the time of your last confession. Then, having been forgiven, you lot would by all means be welcome to receive holy Communion.

If you are contemplating remarriage, you should come across with a priest to make full out a curt questionnaire regarding your 1979 matrimony. The priest would then submit this paperwork to your diocesan marriage tribunal for a determination of what is chosen technically the "Absence of Approved Form" — i.due east., a determination that the 1979 union ceremony did non "count" in the eyes of the Catholic Church building. This unremarkably has a very curt turnaround, a few weeks maybe — non the full-scale disparateness process, since your 1979 ceremony never was recognized by the church as valid. Having done this, you would and so be costless to be married in a Catholic ceremony, with a Mass if you so cull.

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Questions may exist sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@gmail.com and xl Hopewell St., Albany, North.Y. 12208.

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Source: https://catholicphilly.com/2013/09/catholic-spirituality/the-meaning-of-the-phrase-jesus-rose-again/