The Ambo
THE AMBO: The Tridentine Mass (9/8/2007)
Dear Faithful Scribe,
I have been reading a lot about how a couple of months ago the Vatican said something about permission to have something called the Tridentine Mass. What kind of Mass is this? Is it a different kind of Mass than the one we have? If so, how? More...
THE AMBO: Historical Origins (4/29/2007)
As any regular reader of this space will avow, Your Faithful Scribe has a fascination of all things historical. A beloved friend who is aware of this fact has shared the following. While they are not of a religious nature, they are of amusing interest. More...
THE AMBO: Patron Saints (4/22/2007)
Okay, here's one for you. This weekend is the Little 500. Is there a patron saint of bicyclists? More...
THE AMBO: What does Love mean? (4/15/2007)
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" See what you think. More...
THE AMBO: Easter Questions (4/08/2007)
Why is Easter on a different date every year? Where do the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs come from? More...
THE AMBO: Palm Sunday (4/1/2007)
Do you know anything about the history of Palm Sunday? More...
THE AMBO: The Stations of the Cross (3/25/2007)
You gave us some information about the Sign of the Cross a couple of weeks ago. What is the background of the Stations of the Cross? More...
THE AMBO: On the Existence of God (3/18/2007)
A University professor at a well-known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question, "Did God create everything that exists?" More...
THE AMBO: The Sign of the Cross (3/11/2007)
What is the background of the Sign of the Cross? Where does it come from? Why do we do it? More...
THE AMBO: We Adore You, O Christ (2/25/2007)
Next week we at St. Paul are going to have a special opportunity of prayer. On Wednesday through to Thursday we will be having a day to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This is a particularly Catholic devotion which calls us to meditation on the most important aspects of our faith. More...
THE AMBO: God is like. . .II (2/18/2007)
Last week Your Faithful Scribe shared some advertising slogans observed by 5th graders in a religion class which they thought would also apply to God. Here are some more. More...
THE AMBO: God is like. . . I (2/11/2007)
A Devoted Believer passed on to Your Faithful Scribe the following. It seems that a fifth grade religion teacher gave her class an assignment to watch television commercials. They were to consider how the slogans for products being advertised could be used as slogans for God. Here are some of the results of their findings. More...
THE AMBO: God: The Sports Fan? (2/3/2007)
Is it a sin to pray for the Colts to win the Super Bowl this weekend? More...
THE AMBO: Holy Days of Obligation (1/21/2007)
I am confused. I was always taught that New Year’s Day is a holy day of obligation. Yet, this year we were told that it was not. What are the holy days of obligation? When are they days of obligation and when aren’t they? Who decided this? More...
THE AMBO: The Precepts of the Church (1/14/2007)
When I was growing up we used to learn about something called The Precepts of the Church. I haven’t heard anything about them lately. Are they still around? Are we still bound by them? What are they anyway? More...
THE AMBO: De praedicaribus (1/7/2007)
In hearing people talk they refer to preaching as either sermons or homilies. Are these the same things or is there a difference between the two? More...
On the First Day of Christmas. . . (12/17/2006)
While most of us are aware of and many are enchanted (and some annoyed) by the traditional Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas", how many of us are aware of the fact that the twelve days are actually part of the liturgical year? More...
THE AMBO: Some Advent Questions (12/10/2006)
Why do we use blue rather than purple during Advent here at St. Paul? Since Christmas falls on Monday this year and the Masses on Sunday evening are Christmas Mass, does coming to Mass on Sunday evening count for the Sunday Mass also or do we have to go to church twice? After all, during the year we have Sunday evening Masses that count for Sunday.
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THE AMBO: Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God (12/3/2006)
Does the Catholic Church still teach about mortal and venial sin?
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THE AMBO: Communion Bread (11/26/2006)
Why is it that communion bread can only be made out of flour and water? and no other ingredients? More...
THE AMBO: Infant Baptism (11/19/2006)
Why do we baptize babies but other faiths baptize older children or adults? More...
THE AMBO: November: The Month of the Dead (11/5/2006)
Bummer. Is there any more depressing way to begin a month than by having it dedicated to dead people? More...
THE AMBO: A Time and a Place for Everything (10/29/2006)
You addressed the distractions of some children during Mass. Would you please address the proper respect for the Church outside of Mass? More...
THE AMBO: Eucharistic Intolerance (10/22/2006)
We know that in the course of the Mass bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. If, however, someone is an alcoholic, can they still receive the blood of Christ? It has, after all, been changed and is no longer wine. More...
THE AMBO: The Tree of Life (10/15/2006)
You will undoubtedly have noticed the wonderful new hanging in the church. It is the work of our high school youth group. You will remember that a group of ten teens went to Oklahoma last summer on a service trip. More...
THE AMBO: I Wanna Hold Your Hand (10/8/2006)
Why do we hold hands during The Lord’s Prayer at Mass? Do we have to? I have heard that some parishes in the area have put a stop to it. More...
THE AMBO: The Dominican Habit (10/1/2006)
Why do you guys wear white robes all the time? More...
THE AMBO: Up Against the Wall (9/24/2006)
That painting behind the altar is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen in a church anywhere. It seems to loom ominously over everything and I find it distracting. Can you explain it to me? More...
THE AMBO: Let Us Stand (9/17/2006)
Next Weekend St. Paul will be instituting the prescription of The General Instruction on the Roman Missal in which the congregation at Mass is asked to remain standing for the while of the Communion Procession. This was a subject addressed in The Ambo which is repeated below. More...
THE AMBO: Let the Children Come to Me (9/10/2006)
This is an embarrassing issue to raise because it is so politically incorrect but I’m going to do it anyway. I have a problem with the noise, running around, and general distraction caused by children misbehaving at Mass, the 10:30 Mass especially. More...
THE AMBO: Images (Date Unknown)
One of the wonderful things about our religion is the great images and symbols in which we are able to immerse ourselves. The great thing about these is that, in many cases, they are able to have immediate meaning without our even having to think about it. More...
THE AMBO: Lift High the Cross (Date Unknown)
Noticing something new in the Church this Lent, 
was intrigued and so, did some snooping to discover who the artist might be. More...
THE AMBO: The Role of the Assembly (Date Unknown)
Okay, boys and girls, pretty much left you high and dry the last time, leaving you with little or no help in doing what you were asked. More...
THE AMBO: The Role of the Assembly (Date Unknown)
“When is this ever going to be over?” “If this isn’t hell it’s at least purgatory.” “I AM SO BORED!!!!!” We have all heard people say this in relation to coming to church. More...
THE AMBO and the Altar (Date Unknown)
Last weekend was chatting with loyal and inquisitive parishioner Bob Karpinski. Bob asked about the arrangement of the sanctuary furnishings and whether their placement had any particular significance. More...
THE AMBO: Jumping Through Hoops (Date Unknown)
Sarah was in the RCIA program in her local parish. During Lent of the year she was to be received into the Church she was experiencing extreme difficulty with three co-workers. More...
THE AMBO: Cremation (Date Unknown)
What is the Catholic teaching on cremation? More...
THE AMBO: “In the Beginning” (Date Unknown)
The Holy Scriptures, starting with the book of Genesis, opens with the words: “In the beginning,” tells the story of God’s unrelenting love for us. More...
THE AMBO: Intercommunion Revisited (Date Unknown)
On August 6 responded to a question concerning intercommunion between Catholics and Protestants. Two readers wrote with questions regarding this article. More...
THE AMBO: INRI and IHS (Date Unknown)
How come on some pictures of Jesus on the cross there are the letters IHS above his head and other times INRI? What do they mean and why are they there? More...
THE AMBO: Children of an Annuled Marriage (Date Unknown)
If you have an annulment does that make your children illegitimate? More...
THE AMBO: Intercommunion (Date Unknown)
Why aren’t we allowed to receive communion at a protestant church? More...
THE AMBO: Celibacy (Date Unknown)
How come priests can’t get married? More...
THE AMBO: Liturgical Colors (Date Unknown)
Why do we have different liturgical colors? More...
The Ambo: A Marriage Question (7/17/2006)
History records that the Church forbade a man to marry his brother’s widow. Why? Is that still Church law? Not that I have any plans. . . More...
THE AMBO: Liturgical Curiosities Continued (Date Unknown)
Why do some parishes read or sing the psalm from the ambo? What does the priest say when he washes his hands? Why do servers have to wear robes? More...
THE AMBO: Liturgical Curiosities Continued (Date Unknown)
If a priest has been saying Mass for a gijillion years, why does he still need a book to read the prayers? More...
THE AMBO: Liturgical Curiosities Continued (Date Unknown)
What’s with all the up and down and up and down crap? More...
THE AMBO: Liturgical Curiosities Continued (Date Unknown)
Why do we have to go to church every Sunday? More...
THE AMBO: Liturgical Curiosities Continued (Date Unknown)
Why is it that some parishes celebrate Easter throughout the whole liturgical Easter Season while here at St. Paul the garden flowers and pond and lilies all disappeared so soon? More...
THE AMBO: More Liturgical Curiosities (5/23/2006)
Why is the first reading from the Old Testament and when it isn’t, why isn’t it? Why does the priest put some water into the wine? Do priests need to wear collars at Mass? More...
THE AMBO: Liturgical Curiosities (5/15/2006)
A number of questions have come to which we will now attempt to answer. If anyone has any more questions please feel free to send them by e-mail to: theambo@hoosiercatholic.org and will attempt to respond. More...
THE AMBO: On Baptism (5/10/2006)
One recent morning at Mass the first reading was from the Acts of the Apostles 8:26-40. This passage accounts the apostle Philip encountering an Ethiopian eunuch who happened to pick up a book of the prophet Isaiah while vacationing in Israel. More...
The Ambo: Sealed With a Kiss (5/2/2006)
The sacrament of Reconciliation, AKA Confession, is one of which all too many people are terrified. This is terribly unfortunate as it is one of the most healing and liberating experiences the Church has to offer her members. More...
THE AMBO: Drop ME off at the Door (4/25/2006)
Once, in response to a query from about why an individual kept his eyes closed during Mass, the individual responded, “It’s because I find other people distracting when I’m trying to pray.” More...
THE AMBO: Jesus Is Alive! Let Us Celebrate With Exclamation Marks!!!!!!!!! (4/10/2006)
We made it through Lent! We made it through Holy Week!!! Now we get to celebrate!!!!!!!!!!! More...
THE AMBO: The Role of the Assembly (1/24/2006)
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