Is a rose a flower? It is difficult to answer "yes" about this beauty, this representative of human love on Valentine's Day and on coffin displays, this adornment of floats and race horses, whose petals are strewn before brides, whose fragrance is perhaps the world's oldest perfume, this religious symbol and gift to Juan Diego. "Flower" is too simple a term. It doesn't capture the rose-ness of roses!
Is Communion in the hand a diabolical attack on the faith? Some high ranking leaders in the Universal Church have suggested this. Cardinal Robert Sarah, who heads the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship, the Pope's administrative department that monitors all things sacramental and liturgical, asks, "Why do we insist on receiving Communion standing and on the hand? Why this attitude of lack of submission to the signs of God?" He laments that this practice has weakened belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
My friend almost fell into Sandra's lap! We had boarded the subway in Washington D.C. during rush hour, and were reaching for poles by her seat, when the train started with a jerk. Sandra was a senior lady, tiny, with bright eyes fringed with gray brows. We started chatting, and the conversation quickly became pretty amazing and filled with the light of the Risen Christ.