tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77470778064055427772024-03-13T10:15:30.994-05:00Liturgy & Catechesis Shall KissA marriage made in heaven - now playing on earth!jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.comBlogger377125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-3733925400375847082018-01-13T19:59:00.001-06:002018-01-15T13:05:46.225-06:00Musings: When the "Spiritual But Not Religious" Crowd Asks Oprah the Big QuestionsSo, I'm home on a cold Saturday night, recovering from a foot injury, with a little extra time on my hands when I happen to check something on Amazon. I discover I can read some magazines for free as a Prime member, so I decide to see what's up in <i>O Magazine </i>from Oprah - just because it's free and because I haven't looked in a while.<br />
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Every month this year, Oprah will be soliciting answers to a question from readers. I was stunned by this:<br />
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With the exception of the question about James Cameron and <i>Avatar </i>sequels, these are, at heart, all spiritual questions. These are the cries of the heart that at least some people are hungry to learn answers for. Yet all of these can be answered in the teachings of Jesus Christ in Scripture - and through what the Church teaches about them and through our practices of the faith (i.e.,"religion"). </div>
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<i>Will anyone ever look at me the way my dog does? </i> <b>God does. </b></div>
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<i>How can I best honor my friend's memory? </i><b>Pray for his/her eternal salvation and remember him/her at Mass... and never not know that he/she is still present. (Communion of Saints)</b></div>
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<i>Why can't Democrats and Republicans think of us instead of just themselves when it comes to healthcare? </i><b>Multiple answers: Catholic social teaching, Jesus' teachings about being merciful and his example as a healer without judgment against the poor and sinners, and for Catholics, going to Mass regularly to receive the Eucharist worthily in the quest of becoming a person of self-giving love like Jesus...</b></div>
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<i>How can we make war obsolete? </i>S<b>ee some of the answers to the previous, but learning to love is a basic. So are Jesus's teachings about non-violence. Trusting that there will come a day when swords will be beaten into plowshares at the end of time may be our best hope here, but it's at least a hope. </b></div>
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<i>How does one learn to give unconditional love in a world that judges everything about you? </i><b>Look at how God loves us -everything in scripture points to his faithfulness to his half of the Covenant, no matter who we are.</b></div>
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<i>Who hurt you so bad that you need to do the same to others? </i><b>A truly sad question, but one rooted in a lack of understanding of mercy and the difficulty of humans living according to "Do unto others as you would have them do to you." </b></div>
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<i>Hello, God. Are you there? </i><b>A question even the faithful will occasionally ask, but one that begs for evangelization, catechesis, spiritual accompaniment and the support of a faith community. </b></div>
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If these are the questions the "spiritual but not religious" people are asking, the mission fields are out there, people. We just have to learn how to approach them as Jesus did, where they are, instead of coming on as Church Triumphant or as Church Judgmental. These folks have, for the most part, rejected "religion" - so we need to understand that the encounter with Jesus Christ has to come first. "Religion" is, after all, how we live faith. It is not, itself, faith. </div>
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<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-43271288206093788312017-09-25T10:22:00.003-05:002017-09-25T10:22:45.776-05:00Review: Liturgical Catechesis in the 21st CenturyJust finished my full reading of an amazing book. <i>Liturgical Catechesis in the 21st Century: A School of Discipleship</i> by James C. Pauley of Franciscan University in Steubenville is an effort to steer religious education toward a mystagogical apprenticeship formula, including proclamation of the kerygma, liturgical catechesis and individual mentorship. <br />
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In this book, Dr. James Pauley presents liturgical catechesis as an important tool to form disciples who grow through sacramental living. He also sees the importance of recognizing and supporting the faith journey of each person, not merely assuming that a convenient "slot" in a school-model catechetical program fits all people. Pauley cites Sherry Weddell's individualized recognition of people's differing rates of spiritual growth, and steers that toward what the writers of the General Directory for Catechesis asked when they wrote that the Catechumenate (RCIA) should be the inspiration and model for all catechesis. (GDC 90)<br />
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Pauley outlines an approach that combines proclamation of the kerygma (the Good News of Jesus Christ) with fostering skills that allow people to encounter God through the signs, symbols, words and actions of the liturgy. When supported by appropriate catechesis and personal relationship, such an approach can form people who find in the liturgy a touchstone to deepen their relationships with God, the Church and other members of the Body of Christ.<br />
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Pauley lays out the history and vision of the Second Vatican Council's desire for "full, conscious and active participation" in the liturgy and the ways in which we can be changed by liturgical experience and by mystagogical reflection on that experience. Never denying the scope of the challenges to changing the paradigm in today's Church, he gives real-life examples and concrete suggestions for developing a more liturgical catechesis in the parish. His suggestion is that parish leaders take "baby steps" when working toward a new way of presenting the faith. This kind of change is not easy, but it is very necessary if we are to form people who practice the Catholic faith in a lifelong way by attending weekend liturgy.<br />
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Key to Pauley's vision is a model of apprenticeship that involves discerning the needs of the individual person and mentoring him/her in developing skills that allow full engagement with the liturgy and the ability to receive its fruits. These benefits can take the form of a deeper relationship with God and a life-giving understanding of the ways in which fully participating in the liturgy opens us to God's grace and helps us to change and grow in holiness. Chapter 8, in which he describes three skills: "Attuning Ourselves to God," "Uniting Ourselves to God," and Cooperating with the Grace of God", is pure gold. Not only does he specify and define these three important skills, but he gives particular actions steps for the catechist to help mentor learners to develop these skills.<br />
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In the last part of the book, Pauley gives over his authorial voice to four experts on emerging practices: Sr. Hyacinthe Defos du Rau, OP, of the "Come Follow Me" program for catechesis and initiation of young children is the first. She is followed by Mary Mirrione, of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based approach for children. Jim Beckman, whose expertise in youth ministry and in empowering parents to mentor their teens in faith, is next. Finally William Keimig discusses a truly liturgical format for RCIA formation.<br />
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All of these programs have in common a liturgical catechesis/apprenticeship model and have shown great success in real practice, which is why Pauley gives space to them in the book. The inclusion of these helps the reader see how a eral-world apprenticeship in Christian liturgical life can be successful in forming missionary disciples who grow through a fruitful encounter with Christ through the liturgy and the liturgical year.jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-41185815227242004292017-08-13T09:52:00.001-05:002017-08-13T13:38:48.840-05:00Let's Stop Making Mass Attendance an Add-on to Catechesis!More than once in my work as a diocesan administrator, I have encountered parish staffs who attempt to force families of children and youth in catechetical programs to go to Mass. Their methods range from a requirement to pick up a bulletin or sign in with the ushers to punch-cards to prove Mass attendance, sometimes accompanied by threats of withholding the sacrament the child is preparing for if attendance at Mass is not at a certain threshold.<br />
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Some parishes ask parents (and older students) to sign an agreement about Mass attendance. I was even told recently that at one parish a child with near-perfect class attendance was not advanced to the next grade level because her parents almost never took her to Mass (!)<br />
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I have to come right out and say it: all of this is shameful and manipulative - and ultimately ineffective - as shown by the continuing decline in the numbers of our Catholic people attending Mass regularly. We can see it by the number of families who simply disappear from the parish after their children have received the Sacraments of Initiation. They have been initiated, in their minds, into nothing in particular. Like secular life-events that are commemorated, their sacramental initiation is safely tucked away in the scrapbook of life instead of being a living reality that continues to enrich them and invite them to lives of holiness.<br />
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While a few families may intuitively benefit from the experience of being forced to go to Mass, most resent it (and I get the phone calls that tell me so!) Many will only comply until they get what they came for - that sacrament certificate- and some will even tell their children outright that after Confirmation they don't have to go to Mass.<br />
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There IS a better way.<br />
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While parish catechetical leaders and clergy should certainly encourage Mass <b>attendance</b>, why aren't they encouraging and forming people for Mass <b>participation</b>? Mass is about much more than just showing up!<br />
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People will receive the full benefit of the power of the Mass only if they understand <b>why</b> they are invited to the table of the Word and table of the Sacrament. Mass is more than just something Catholics do. It is the heart of Catholic faith and practice for a reason.<br />
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What is that reason? Well, not because God needs our praise - he certainly has enough glory without anything we do. Jesus had something else in mind when he said "Do this in memory of me" and instituted the Mass. He was inviting us to become a changed people and he continues to do that today. When asked where he lived, he said "Come and see." Where does he live today? At Mass. (See <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Sacrosanctum Consilium</i> 7</b></a> for the four ways Christ is present in the Mass.)<br />
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Basically, God wants us to offer ourselves at Mass to be changed by the Word and by the Eucharist. He wants us to grow in holiness, to become more like Jesus Christ - people of self-giving love. (For more on that, see Tim O'Malley's excellent book:<b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JRHSF0Y/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank"> Liturgy and the New Evangelization: Practicing the Art of Self-Giving Love</a> </b>) We do that by listening actively and openly to the Word and by offering ourselves along with the bread and wine to be changed. This is the heart of the sacramental encounter.<br />
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<b>What the Mass does is change who we are. It is NOT something we merely attend. It is also a "rehearsal" for the heavenly banquet. So, why do we continue to "take attendance" as if it is a required class?</b><br />
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James Pauley, in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Liturgical-Catechesis-Century-James-Pauley/dp/1616713607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502630338&sr=8-1&keywords=Liturgical+catechesis+in+the+21st+century" target="_blank"><b><i>Liturgical Catechesis in the 21st Century: A School of Discipleship</i></b></a>, argues that the transforming grace of God, enacted through the liturgy, is central to how people become disciples. He also points out that catechesis, unconnected to the liturgy, fails to connect people to this important wellspring of evangelization. He proposes an apprenticeship model, individualized and powered by mentoring, rooted in the liturgy. In short, he proposes a revolution in how we think about the relationship between parish religious education and the liturgy.<br />
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What do we need to get there? It begins with parish leadership and clergy realizing that catechesis is more than just forming people in doctrine and practice, but should be about forming disciples - people who are willing to re-form the agenda of their lives around the self-giving model of Jesus Christ rather than the agendas of self and world. It begins with realizing that the true engine that powers the formation of disciples is not dispensing knowledge about the faith, but the Mass itself, which is the setting for personal transformation.<br />
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Parish catechesis will continue to falter and be marginally effective in making the next generation of Catholics until we learn that <b>faithful, full and active participation in the liturgy is the primary power that will make our teaching about Catholic faith effective. </b>Going to Mass not a mere add-on practice. It is not a hoop we ask people to jump through to get something else they want. It is the heart of who we are and can become.<br />
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<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-41631504279150943142017-07-29T09:04:00.000-05:002017-07-29T10:50:31.986-05:00Nevertheless She Persisted: St. Martha's Profession of FaithToday is the feast of St. Martha, that woman so often maligned as NOT having "chosen the better part" because she insisted on the tasks of hospitality while Jesus was in her home. She is portrayed in Luke 10:38-42 as a querulous, busy woman, who complained that her sister Mary was not helping with the tasks of serving the 13 guests who had suddenly appeared in their home.<br />
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But that is not all we know of Martha in scripture. In John 11:19-27, the first choice for today's Gospel at Mass, she runs to meet Jesus, who has finally come to see Lazarus, having learned he has died.<br />
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First, she scolds the Lord with "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." However, she continues with "But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." She is setting the stage for the possibility that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead. Why? Because she believes.<br />
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After an exchange during which she assures him she believes that Lazarus will rise on the last day, Jesus says to her:<br />
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"I am the resurrection and the life;<br />
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,<br />
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.<br />
Do you believe this?"</blockquote>
Never one to hold back, Martha replies with a strong and unequivocal profession of faith: "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." Recognize the words of this exchange? They are paraphrased in the final two verses of the popular hymn by Suzanne Toolan, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0waGNif2_g" target="_blank"><b>"I am the Bread of Life."</b></a><br />
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It's no wonder the Church chooses this reading for the Third Scrutiny for those entering the Church as catechumens. This is not just about the raising of Lazarus, but about the power of faith in Jesus Christ.<br />
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In the medieval world, she was portrayed as the saint of Christian service, but also as a strong force in defense of truth, sometimes shown with holy water and an aspergillium. The French legend still celebrated in Provencal today that she <b><a href="https://curiousrambler.com/2016/06/09/saint-martha-and-the-tarasque/" target="_blank">tamed the man-eating dragon Tarasque</a></b>, which she then led around on a thin chain like a pet, is a vision of a woman of power. Legend even has it that<b> <a href="https://monasticmatrix.osu.edu/commentaria/iconography-st-martha-some-considerations" target="_blank">Jesus Christ himself came down to celebrate her funeral Mass</a>. </b><br />
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Today, on her memorial, remember the woman who stood up to Jesus and boldly told him it was his fault her brother had died, but that she believed Jesus could do anything. What a model of faith - and persistence - for today's doubtful world!<br />
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<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-77929628472629178012017-06-29T08:00:00.000-05:002017-06-29T08:00:15.835-05:00NOTES FROM NOTRE DAME SYMPOSIUM ON LITURGY & LIFE 2: "Jesus Christ in the Liturgical Year"<b>"Jesus Christ in the Liturgical Year" - Simone Brosig, PhD</b><br />
Second set of notes from the June 19-23 symposium at University of Notre Dame. Videos of the talks will be posted on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ICLnotredame/videos" target="_blank">McGrath Institute for Church Life YouTube Channel.</a><br />
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<i>Simone Brosig is Director of Liturgy, Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Tim O'Malley</td></tr>
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Name your favorite moment in liturgical year.<br />
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School liturgy example from real life - it's all about them. Diocesan school leadership Masses on August 31 and Nov. 1st built around "theme of the year" - same music, same readings, all picked to support the theme, unaware that the liturgical year is primary. They started with their agenda - it was not about encountering Christ. Liturgical year should be their starting point.<br />
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See Sacramentum Consilium 10, General Norms on the Liturgical Year p. 2<br />
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Liturgical year first started with Easter, then gradually, over time, it became a season... By 4th century Christmas was added. These 2 cycles make up the lit year - everything else is geared around them.<br />
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Proper of Time takes precedence. (SC 108) Easter Cycle, Christmas Cycle, Ordinary time. Sanctoral time (saints' days) is secondary.<br />
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Starting with Advent at the beginning was not a practice until the 10th or 11th century.<br />
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Liturgical year not conceived as a whole. It grew out of the Paschal Mystery. Every encounter of the liturgical year provides opportunity to encounter a particular aspect of Christ's grace.<br />
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We should ask where did we meet Jesus this year in the celebration of ______?<br />
This helps us develop our spirituality and attitudes.<br />
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See SC 12 - we are touched by the mysteries of redemption.<br />
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Liturgical year shapes us and our discipleship. An instrument of evangelization and invitation to encounter with Jesus Christ.<br />
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People who aren't connected to the liturgical year aren't connected to themselves. (Her story - stressful family issues around Christmas had distanced her from Advent/Christmas) Spiritual director told her to participate in the whole Christmas cycle. That practice gradually changed how she sees Advent and Christmas.<br />
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To connect to the liturgical year, we have to connect to ourselves. It can shed new light on our inner life.<br />
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Advent to Dec. 16 - Eschatological emphasis. Dec 17-24 - oriented toward the Lord's birth.<br />
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Cycle A<br />
Psalm 85 - first Sunday - comfort<br />
Psalm second Sunday - promise<br />
Communion antiphon 3rd Sunday - courage<br />
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Overall Advent is an invitation to get in touch with our fears and vulnerabilities. Not penitential in the same way as Lent. Devout and expectant delight. Yet, we may discover our own exile.<br />
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When the Baby comes, we put aside our agendas. That's what the liturgical year calls us to. Paradox of triumph through weakness.<br />
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Liturgical year is not a passion play. We are not expected to change our moods to correspond with it. Even in the 50 days, we may experience grief. The good news of the Resurrection comes with an edge - we remember his suffering, Palm Sunday reminds of us the willingness of Jesus to go to Jerusalem even though it meant death. The Empty Tomb is not a source of joy, but of grief until the Resurrection is discovered.<br />
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Evangelization through the liturgical year needs to be invitational, not directive. Ritual greetings of the Eastern church are faith statements:<br />
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.<br />
Jesus is born. Let us glorify him. (invitation)<br />
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Liturgy and Life<br />
We need to discover moments in the Liturgical Year that we look forward to. We need to allow the liturgy to work on people. It's not directive, it's invitational.<br />
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- The Word is a starting point. Proclaimed well, liturgical preaching...<br />
- Music should shape the celebration<br />
- Bring the liturgy to the life of the parish - sing seasonal music at meetings and gatherings<br />
- Good liturgical art. We can create it to sanctify other spaces - and bring it home Candlemas candles and Advent wreaths bring the liturgical year into the home.<br />
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Liturgical practices can become part of identity. Ash Wednesday, for example. Young adults mark time, take it into their bodies and identify.jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-5122333247844839102017-06-26T21:34:00.003-05:002017-06-28T22:25:52.759-05:00NOTES FROM NOTRE DAME SYMPOSIUM ON LITURGY & LIFE 1: "On Jesus Christ and the Liturgy"First set of notes from the June 19-23 symposium at University of Notre Dame. Videos of the talks will be posted on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ICLnotredame/videos" target="_blank">McGrath Institute for Church Life YouTube Channel.</a><br />
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<b>"On Jesus Christ and the Liturgy" Fr. Khaled Anatolios, PhD</b><br />
<i>Fr. Kahled is a priest in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and Professor of Biblical Studies/Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity at University of Notre Dame</i><br />
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"There is one thing I ask of the Lord: to dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 27<br />
Christ is the point of human encounter with God. Two natures together in one person.<br />
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Church Fathers referred to Psalm 85:10 "Truth has sprung up from the earth..." - with the incarnation God is no longer just in heaven (Augustine)<br />
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Liturgy is the event in which the encounter of God and humanity become available and we can participate in it. It is a Christological encounter. A multitude keeping festival = the Church. In the liturgy we become one body, one spirit in Christ. We encounter each other in Christ.<br />
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Liturgy as Exodus. Every liturgy is Passover. We pass over to freedom in the spirit from death in sin. It begins as soon as we begin our preparations for going to Mass. But it doesn't happen through our efforts. Christ doesn't wait for us. He goes out to accompany us. It begins with the family preparation. But also within spiritual preparation. What do we need to be liberated from?<br />
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Liturgy as Kingdom. In Eastern Church, we begin "Blessed is the kingdom in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus came to say that "the kingdom is among you" (literal translation of the Greek)<br />
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PENITENTIAL RITE AND DOXOLOGY (The "Gloria")<br />
If the liturgy is a Passover, we begin by leaving something behind. In the Penitential Rite we declare our liberation from sin in Christ and announce the kingdom. (Repent!) And leave behind what is not the kingdom.<br />
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Christ never receives our confession, because he has already given his grace to us and has repented on our behalf. He leaves behind all that<br />
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LITURGY OF THE WORD<br />
Epistle to the Hebrews opening. Continuity - God the Father gathers up all the ways he has been speaking and places it in Christ. Scripture is communication of the incarnation. The opening of the Epistle clears the way for the proclamation of Christ. When we hear Jesus proclaimed in the Gospel, we encounter him.<br />
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LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST<br />
Liturgy as sacrifice - we need to recover the meaning. Last Supper: "This is my Body" = This is my Life. "This is my Blood" = This is my death. Christ can do this because he is in command of his life and death. (John 10:18) This communicates the sacrifice. <br />
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See Hebrews 10:1-14<br />
Jesus's self offering is his whole will to the Father. He offers all of us in himself. Perfects for all time those who are sanctified. It is a love covenant with God - "here I am to do your will."<br />
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What happens to sin in the middle of that offering? How does Christ take away the sin of the world? (As Lamb of God.) In real sacrifice, you have to enter into - to empathize with the other. Christ enters into our humanity with all its messiness and becomes part of it... His pain was greater than any human pain because he suffered all the woundedness of the world because he empathized and took on all our suffering. He did this while in the Trinity, so it becomes part of the holiness of the Trinity.<br />
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Eucharist needs to be spiritually digested because it's spiritual food - it is digested spiritually by contemplation and through reflection on Scripture.<br />
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EPICLESIS<br />
The Holy Spirit is the "extrovert" member of the Trinity. It comes down and transforms the bread and wine and then it transforms us. Every Eucharist is a Pentecost.<br />
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GO IN PEACE<br />
Jesus never says "Peace be with you" except after the Resurrection. The peace of Jesus is a definitive peace. The peace of a fullness of communion, of encounter between God and humanity. Humanity is fully integrated into the life of God - and we are sent to bring this peace to the world.<br />
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Q&A<br />
Pope Benedict in <i>Sacramentum Caritatis</i>... we bring the pain and suffering of the world and offering them with the gifts.<br />
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We lift up our hearts with Gods help. We get new hearts from God at the liturgy.jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-87045254855580272242017-05-08T07:34:00.000-05:002017-05-08T07:41:25.840-05:00BOOK REVIEW - Jesus: The Story You Thought You Knew How's your walk with Jesus these days? That's really the question that Deacon Keith Strohm wants to know. <br />
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In his new book, <b><i><a href="http://amazon.com/Jesus-Story-You-Thought-Knew-ebook/dp/B071DMZSZG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494244308&sr=8-1&keywords=Keith+Strohm" target="_blank">Jesus:The Story You Thought You Knew</a></i></b> (Our Sunday Visitor) Strohm retells the story of salvation from Creation to you - explaining it in an easy, accessible way. It's a bit like being on the road to Emmaus and having Jesus break open the scriptures that explain who he is, why he came and why he died and rose again.This isn't a long book, but it's one to spend time with.<br />
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Strohm preaches it. This is not so much a narrative, but a series of engaging, evangelizing tracts. The book reads like a collection of extended homilies with a purpose. Each chapter is a powerful encounter with the truth of the <i>kerygma, </i>from the story of Creation to the Cross and beyond. All this is presented with the fervency of witness, by a man who has walked the journey himself.<br />
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Strohm, former director of the Office for the New Evangelization of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a protegee of Sherry Weddell (<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Forming-Intentional-Disciples-Knowing-Following-ebook/dp/B008H4NAPI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1494245603&sr=1-1&keywords=forming+intentional+disciples+by+sherry+weddell" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Forming Intentional Disciples</a>)<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>and the Siena Institute, has, with this endeavor, put his own voice out there as he strikes out on a new part of his own journey, an independent ministry, <a href="http://www.m3catholic.com/" target="_blank"><b>M3 Ministries</b></a>, which is in development.<br />
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In this short but powerful book, each "Act" of the story, as he refers to them in "How to Use This Book," is an invitation to a journey - one that begins with Strohm laying out the scriptural background and its meaning. He then adds theological implications and includes stories and examples from his own real, imperfect human life, ending with an invitation to reflection on pertinent scripture passages. The chapters conclude with life implication questions to consider individually or to use in group discussion, which means it could be used for evangelizing older teens, adults, or as part of RCIA pre-catechumenate sessions.<br />
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Once the reader has encountered the meaning of the Great Story, he/she is invited into relationship with Jesus - to repentance and participation in the sacraments, to openness to the Holy Spirit and finally to discipleship and action.<br />
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This is a book to savor and study. If the reader takes the time to go to the scripture passages, to read and pray over them, there is ample opportunity for conversion. There is real potential for becoming a disciple who understands who Jesus is, why he came, and what he means for us today.<br />
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<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-66719849899071834892017-04-30T17:07:00.003-05:002017-04-30T17:59:39.410-05:00BOOK REVIEW - Bored Again Catholic: Journey to the Center of the Mass<div>
Timothy O'Malley and I come from two very different generations. I'm a baby boomer grandma with a pastoral studies degree and 30 years practical experience in liturgy and catechesis, working in diocesan ministry. He's a millennial with a young family, a doctorate, and an academic directorship in addition to a teaching career at Notre Dame. However, he can certainly speak wisdom to someone my age... actually to people of any age. </div>
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When I started reading his latest book, <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.osv.com/MyFaith/Article/TabId/586/ArtMID/13752/ArticleID/21789/Bored-Again-Catholic.aspx" target="_blank">Bored Again Catholic: How the Mass Could Save Your Life</a>, </b>a little voice in my head kept telling me that Tim lives in a different reality than I do. Although he has much to say to young adults, especially to students in college (and campus ministers), who are his intended main audience, he acknowledges in his introduction that this book might offer the rest of us, who struggle to convince young people to go to Mass "something that will revive your weary souls." OK, I thought. We'll see. </div>
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For the first few chapters, I read through my teaching lens, thinking about the catechetical potential of the book and what I could recommend in it for others who minister in parish life with teens and young adults. Since I work primarily with directors of children's religious education, I was mentally including young adult parents of children in faith formation programs. I pretty much distanced myself from the book and honestly underestimated its effect on me personally. </div>
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I will admit that from the first I was aware that going back and really exploring the questions and suggested practices at the end of each chapter could take me much deeper and that this book had great potential that would not yield itself up to a first quick reading, but I shelved those thoughts for later exploration.</div>
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Today, at the first Mass I participated in since reading the book, God had other ideas about how to upset my carefully cultivated distance from this book. It started at the "Gloria." Yes, I was the cantor - and of course it's Easter Time and I usually can lead this with joy, but today, the comparison from Chapter 6 of the "Gloria" to a "fight song" such as we sing for our favorite team at an athletic event hit me. I felt a burst of great energy and delight as I led the people in the singing. In fact, I felt renewed and refreshed. </div>
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At the Gospel, which was today about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, I immediately recalled the reference to this same Gospel reading in Chapter 12 "The Homily", where Jesus' interchange with the two disciples is referred to as "the Gospel of Luke's most famous homily." The goal of the homily, O'Malley says, "is not to report on the most recent findings in historical-critical scholarship. It is instead to show us the coherence of God's narrative of love." That's a theme in this book: the love of God shown through the sacrifice of Jesus is at the heart of the Mass. I felt it as the Mass continued, and I as able to offer myself unreservedly, to join in the sacrifice more wholeheartedly than I had been of late. In short, this book affected me more than I initially thought it would. </div>
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<i>Bored Again Catholic </i>is much more than an explanation of why one should not succumb to boredom at Mass. Instead, it is an extended meditation on the connection between liturgy and life, a virtual journey to the center of the Mass. It is at one and the same time revelation, information and an engaging tale of how one man has found ways to enter into "full, conscious and active participation" in the Mass and how to truly offer himself in sacrificial love (the theme of his previous book, <i><b><a href="https://www.litpress.org/Products/3764/liturgy-and-the-new-evangelization.aspx" target="_blank">Liturgy and the New Evangelization: Practicing the Art of Self-Giving Love</a></b></i>. Tim may not be everyone, but he offers himself, exposed in his humanity, as a model, showing us how his inner journey with elements of the Mass can serve as an example. </div>
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A significant treasure in this book is the author's personal witness to his own struggles and how he has let the graces of word and sacrament shape his interior life. He shows us how engaging faithfully in the repetition of listening, praying, responding, and offering one's life as part of the sacrifice of the Mass can bear fruit. Tim is not shy about sharing his and his wife's battle with infertility - or his joy in adoption, which, as he tells it, became possible because of the work he engaged in during the liturgy. Again, he models a faithful response to Christ's sacrifice of love and our work in re-echoing that in our own lives as we continue to grow spiritually through faithful openness to God's work in us.</div>
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And no, it's not all about struggle. Tim shares with us charming moments of family joy, silliness and triumph. The antics of his toddler son at home and at Mass are a welcome dose of little things from real life that echo the imperfections of human life and the mission of love on which the Mass sends us. </div>
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His explanations of the meaning and structure of the Eucharistic Prayers and the Lord's Prayer are joyful catechesis at its best. It is clear he loves these words and wants others to do the same. Indeed, it is clear throughout the book that what O'Malley really offers is an invitation to a life in which the Mass has a primary role. This is the invitation we want young adults to receive and take to heart: that the Mass has the power to uplift and change them, to send them forth to be people of sacrificial love. </div>
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There is plenty of additional treasure to be discovered in the questions and suggested practices at the ends of each chapter. I would urge you to take time with them, I plan to. In fact, this is a book to be savored and studied, marked up and revisited - by adults of any age. </div>
jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-58697107153702473722017-04-14T19:29:00.000-05:002017-04-14T19:35:51.168-05:00Good Friday: We Come to the Cross as We AreOur Good Friday Passion Service ended about an hour ago. It was marked by solemn, beautiful silence and reverence. Not exactly a full house, but our English celebrations often aren't in my mostly Spanish-speaking parish. But the community gathered there to hear the Passion and venerate the Cross was just enough. Everyone who was meant to be there was.<br />
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During the Veneration of the Cross, I watched as Father, one of our deacons-in-training and the two Eucharistic Ministers carefully raised the cross to a position where most of us could reach it, nearly upright. I came forward, gave the cross a bit of an embrace before I kissed it. Then I wound my way back to my seat.<br />
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As I looked up, I saw her. One of our parishioners has severe disabilities that keep her confined to a motorized wheelchair. She inched her way forward in the line, pulled her chair up next to the cross, but was still unable to reach it. As she started to struggle to her feet, our pastor and one of the ministers instantly, as if synchronized, reached out and supported her by the arms, pulling her up so she could kiss the wood of the cross. As she sat back down and shifted her chair to move away, I found myself in tears.<br />
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We each come as we are to the cross. When we do it as a community, when we help one another, it speaks of the wondrous love of God who came among us to suffer and die on that Cross. Tonight I have another Triduum snapshot to add to my memory scrapbook.<br />
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<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-31017992232907557382017-04-13T11:04:00.003-05:002017-04-13T11:09:52.385-05:00Paschal Mystery: How the Easter Triuduum Helps Us Walk With Grief<div class="tr_bq">
It's Holy Thursday morning, and once again, we stand at the brink of the celebration of the Easter mysteries. In fact, what we will experience from tonight through Easter day is the heart of what we pray at Mass every time: "The Mystery of Faith" - the very death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which we call the Paschal Mystery.</div>
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Meanwhile, real people are suffering their own versions of paschal mystery. In a conversation this morning on social media, a friend whose wife died of cancer a while back reminded me that he had learned his wife was losing her battle with the disease from a phone call while on his way to the celebration of Good Friday. I am conscious that another friend learned a few days ago that his wife's cancer has metastasized and is now inoperable. </div>
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Almost eight years ago, I suffered a major loss when the man I had intended to marry died suddenly. Most of us, if we have lived long enough, are, like Jesus, men/women of sorrow, well-acquainted with grief. Grief and suffering are very real and inevitably a part of the human life in which Jesus came to earth to share with us.<br />
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This is where deeply surrendering to the experience of the Easter Triduum and walking through the Paschal Mystery can be restorative. If we are open and ready to accept the message that the love of God for us is so strong that Jesus, by his dying and rising changed human death forever, we can receive healing of those deep wounds that grief impresses on the heart.<br />
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As usual, what we pray in the liturgy throughout the church year, especially in the celebration of funerals, is what we believe.<br />
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In him the hope of blessed resurrection has dawned,<br />
that those saddened by the certainty of dying,<br />
might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come.<br />
Indeed for your faithful, Lord,<br />
life is changed not ended,<br />
and, when this earthly dwelling turns to dust,<br />
an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.<br />
(Preface for Christian Death I)</blockquote>
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For as one alone he accepted death,<br />
so that we might all escape from dying;<br />
as one man he chose to die,<br />
so that in your sight we all might live for ever.<br />
(Preface for Christian Death II)</blockquote>
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Even more impressively, in Preface V, we have this:<br />
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For even though by our own fault we perish,<br />
yet by your compassion and your grace,<br />
when seized by death according to our sins,<br />
we are redeemed through Christ's great victory,<br />
and with him called back into life.</blockquote>
We don't even have to go to a funeral or memorial Mass to hear this reassurance of eternal life. It is, of course, embedded in the prayers of <i>every</i> Mass. However, at the Masses of Easter we will hear it reemphasized:<br />
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For he is the true Lamb<br />
who has taken away the sins of the world;<br />
by dying he has destroyed our death,<br />
and by rising, restored our life. (Preface I of Easter)</blockquote>
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Through him the children of light rise to eternal life<br />
and the halls of the heavenly Kingdom<br />
are thrown open to the faithful;<br />
for his Death is our ransom from death,<br />
and in his rising the life of all has risen. (Preface II of Easter)</blockquote>
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What is the message? HOPE. In the midst of the suffering of this world, we have the promise that this earthly life is not all there is. Hearing this message over and over again, for all the years necessary until we each are ready to let go of tears for our beloved dead and can instead manage to see their faces as "the children of light" and feel their presence around the altar at every Mass - this is the power of the Eucharist to heal the effects of grief. </div>
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Each person heals from a great loss at his/her own rate. I cannot pretend that grief ever really goes away. Anyone who has walked its dark corridors will tell you it's a myth that time heals it all. Grief always lurks behind that closed door of the heart, waiting to ambush us when we are "triggered" into remembering, as Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote so perceptively:</div>
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<i>Time does not bring relief; you all have lied <br />Who told me time would ease me of my pain! <br />I miss him in the weeping of the rain; <br />I want him at the shrinking of the tide;<br />The old snows melt from every mountain-side, <br />And last year’s leaves are smoke in every lane; <br />But last year’s bitter loving must remain<br />Heaped on my heart, and my old thoughts abide. <br />There are a hundred places where I fear <br />To go,—so with his memory they brim. <br />And entering with relief some quiet place <br />Where never fell his foot or shone his face <br />I say, “There is no memory of him here!” <br />And so stand stricken, so remembering him.</i></blockquote>
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For me, preparing to enter the great mystery of the Three Days is a reflective time for emptying myself and reaffirming that the reason we can find joy in celebrating these intense days of walking with Jesus Christ through suffering and death is that he has indeed risen from the dead and offered our deceased loved ones - and us - the gateway to eternal life with God. </div>
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When the words of the <b><a href="http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/easter/easter-proclamation-exsultet.cfm" target="_blank">Easter Proclamation</a></b> (Exsultet) ring out in the darkness at the beginning of the Easter Vigil, I will be there trembling with barely suppressed joy because I truly believe that "This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld." Because of what Jesus did, death can no longer conquer us. It is not the end. Our loved ones are alive in him.</div>
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As Christians, we must each, whenever we are ready, climb out of our personal despair from grief at the death of those we love. We can, through faith, join them around God's altar when the earthly liturgy meets the heavenly liturgy at every celebration of the Mass, knowing that someday, we too will be rejoicing around God's throne, united with them in him, for all eternity. </div>
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Today, I pray for all who grieve and for all those facing the certainty of the death of those they love, that they may receive the gift of faith that I have been granted, and through the power of the liturgies of the Three Days, come to know the truth that for their beloved ones, that "life is changed, not ended."</div>
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jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-55782372096213652202017-04-12T16:29:00.000-05:002017-04-14T13:37:06.251-05:00Easter Triduum: Opening the Mystery<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>The following is something I wrote that has just been published in our diocesan magazine, <i>Christ is Our Hope.</i></b></span><br />
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In 1987, I experienced my first Easter Vigil when I came into Full Communion with the Catholic Church. My main memories are of my family being there, of the large brass image of a descending dove on the canopy above the altar, of receiving communion for the first time. Thirty Easter Vigils later, I must say, that “night of all nights” never gets old for me. Each year I experience anticipation, excitement, and joy in a different way. It’s been like Forrest Gump’s famous box of chocolates. You never know just what you’re going to get! <o:p></o:p></div>
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As I have experienced the Easter Triduum (the “Three Days”) in the years since, as a music minister, liturgist and catechist, I have come to love the Vigil on Holy Saturday night as the climax of those special days. I’d like to share some of my own spirituality, impressions and experiences, hoping to invite others to a deeper celebration of the Easter mysteries.</div>
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Each Holy Thursday I take the day off from work to prepare, sometimes helping at my parish to set up the Altar of Repose for the evening liturgy. I run any personal errands that would have occupied my weekend and quiet myself in anticipation. If I am to serve as a cantor, I rehearse my music. As evening approaches, I begin to consciously observe the Triduum fast – turning off the TV to better focus myself. I arrive at church early, and as the Mass of the Lord’s Supper begins, I slip into a familiar groove – a mix of excitement and contentment. I feel “at home” in the celebration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the years, I have had Holy Thursday “moments.” Watching the holy oils, blessed by the bishop at the Chrism Mass, be presented for use in the parish. The time I had my feet washed. The beauty and joy of watching others wash and be washed, in the image of Jesus and his disciples. The singing of songs with texts that speak of the love of Christ and our love for one another. But always, the final, beautiful solemn procession honoring the Eucharist, accompanied by the ancient chant “<i>Tantum ergo</i>.” The silent departure, without formal dismissal, always seems to say we are not yet finished – we must come back because there’s more. For those who choose to stay, the silence and candle-lit beauty of the Eucharistic vigil is a true invitation into Jesus’ Passion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Good Friday should be for all of us, a quiet day of fasting and penance. (I find it truly sad that some people must work these days.) The reading of the Passion is, for me, always an emotional experience – because it is hard not to visualize Jesus’ betrayal and suffering. The long, formal intercessions and the starkness of a simple Communion service instead of a Mass remind us that this day is different from all others. Christ has died. The rest is yet to come. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the years when I had a garden, I used to spend the afternoon after the Good Friday liturgy hand-tilling the soil with a spade for new planting. The achingly hard work and silence were a way for me to be in solidarity with Christ’s suffering. These days, since I now live in an apartment, I simply go home and fast from the television and internet – which for me, is true sacrifice!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Holy Saturday morning is a special time: Jesus is still in the tomb and all Creation holds its breath. If we are keeping the Triduum fast, focusing more on “being” in the Three Days, this is the time to begin preparation for Easter. At home, this might be cooking and cleaning, perhaps going to church for the blessing of the Easter foods. In churches all over the world, this is when many helpers prepare the worship space and catechumens and candidates who will be initiated are in final retreat and rehearsal for the night’s liturgy. Flowers are arranged, altars are dressed, the people’s candles and the new paschal candle are prepared. When all is ready, all go home to await the setting of the sun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As darkness falls, it gets exciting. At St. John’s, we gather in a circle around a large outdoor bonfire in the middle of the courtyard, to bless the new paschal candle. One year, as our pastor recited the words “Christ, the Alpha and Omega…” as he pressed the incense nails into the candle, I saw something astonishing. Across the circle from me, her wrinkled face lit by firelight, was an elderly Hispanic woman, with tears streaming down her cheeks. I found myself overwhelmed and grateful for her simple, open emotion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The procession into the church with the candle, the lighting of the people’s candles from its flame, and the chanting of the Exsultet – the great song of praise to the candle, the light of the Risen Christ and the proclamation of the Resurrection, when we are invited to rejoice with all the powers of heaven – is the most beautiful moment of the year:<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the night, <br />
when once you led our forebears, Israel's children,<br />
from slavery in Egypt<br />
and made them pass dry-shod through the Red Sea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the night<br />
that with a pillar of fire<br />
banished the darkness of sin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the night<br />
that even now, throughout the world,<br />
sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices<br />
and from the gloom of sin,<br />
leading them to grace<br />
and joining them to his holy ones.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the night,<br />
when Christ broke the prison-bars of death<br />
and rose victorious from the underworld.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(The <i>Exsultet</i>, from the Roman Missal)<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we sit down and extinguish our candles, we listen to the readings of the Vigil, the story of our salvation, from Creation to the coming of Christ. We sing once again the “Glory to God,” silenced since the beginning of Lent, then, we hear from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans that the Resurrection of Christ makes all the difference. The triumphant return of the “Alleluia” and the Gospel proclamation of the Resurrection lift us into the presence of the living Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How fitting it is, that after the homily, those coming into the Church through baptism and Confirmation are initiated, joining us for the first time at the table of the Lord. I have had the privilege of preparing some of these RCIA candidates over the years, and it is always an occasion for joy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of my favorite memories is of Jose, who approached the font with the casual expression of a typical young man, but who emerged from the baptismal waters with a beautiful smile and an obvious quiet joy that made me want to shout: “IT’S IN THERE!” He had met Christ in the water of new life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After the baptisms, the entire assembly renews its baptismal promises, ending with “This is our faith. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus.” Renewed as a people and ready to resume our places in the Body of Christ, refreshed in the light of his Resurrection, we prepare and partake of communion, as at any regular Sunday Mass. Everything is now familiar, but I am convinced we cannot be the same as we were before the Three Days. If we have fully surrendered to the experience, we have truly walked with Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>
jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-88901300980888811302017-04-12T15:41:00.000-05:002017-04-12T15:41:12.931-05:00Wednesday of Holy Week: Standing on TiptoeIt's a sunny afternoon as I write this. By this time tomorrow, I will be in final preparation for the start of Easter Triduum. In the background, I'm listening to the CD of music for Triduum prepared by our parish music director. It's bilingual music, often rhythmic and heartfelt, other times lyrical and sometimes almost sensuous, like this version of Psalm 51<br />
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One gift of being in a parish where the majority of my fellow members are Hispanic is that the music and style of worship often really speaks more directly to that part of my heart where the joy lives, rather than first to the head. It's the gift of a simple, less complicated faith, which is what speaks to me most clearly right now. I need to shed the layers of formality and go directly to the joy.<br />
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So it is, that I stand on tiptoe this Wednesday afternoon, leaning forward in joyous anticipation of the mysteries of the Easter Triduum.<br />
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Macrina Wiederkehr captures my feelings this afternoon perfectly in this delightful poem:<br />
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"Standing on Tiptoe"<br />
On tiptoe we stand, Lord Jesus<br />
eagerly awaiting<br />
your full revelation<br />
always expecting you<br />
to come some more.<br />
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Our hands and hearts<br />
are open to your grace.<br />
Our lives are still waiting for<br />
the fullness of your presence.<br />
We are those who have been promised<br />
a Kingdom, and we can never forget<br />
Yet we have a foot in both worlds<br />
and we stumble.<br />
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But still we stand<br />
on tiptoe<br />
owning our kingdom-loving hearts<br />
and our earth-eyes<br />
We lean forward<br />
and hope.jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-15749338153033459032016-11-26T09:58:00.000-06:002016-11-26T18:13:23.939-06:00Advent Reflection: Finding A Light of Hope in a World of Darkness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And so it begins: our annual journey toward the Incarnation at Bethlehem, toward the Christ Child who is also the King of Glory. Each Advent is about new beginnings, yet this year, after a brutally antagonistic election and its aftermath, that seems just a little beyond reach.<br />
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Personally, I am tired and rather discouraged that the battle for decency, justice, human solidarity and peace seems so much more difficult these days. For now, at least, it looks like many of humankind's baser instincts have been unleashed upon our nation - from all sides of the political divide.<br />
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That's why I read that marvelous Collect in the Roman Missal for the First Sunday in Advent differently this year:<br />
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Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,<br />
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ<br />
with righteous deeds at his coming,<br />
so that, gathered at his right hand,<br />
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom.<br />
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,<br />
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,<br />
one God, for ever and ever.</blockquote>
<b>Resolve.</b> For me, that is a strong "ask" this year. Negativity cannot be allowed to triumph. Injustice, hatred, prejudice and anger cannot be allowed to triumph. Most of all, fear cannot be allowed to triumph.<br />
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I want to <b>run forth</b> to meet Jesus, but my heart is too heavy for that sort of eagerness right now. Lord, grant my heart wings and give the strength to stand upright in your light.<br />
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What are the <b>righteous deeds</b> God asks? The core message of the Gospel certainly calls us to love our neighbor. But today, who is our neighbor? For me, my literal neighbors are the Mexican-American family across the hall, the white-like-me single mom and her teenage son next door, the Muslim family down the hall, the East Indian and Eastern European families upstairs, the maintenance guys who only speak Spanish... Yes, these are all my neighbors. Broader than that, however, my neighbors are my "friends" online - people of all races and orientations - on all sides of that very contentious political spectrum.<br />
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What righteous deeds will make me worthy to possess the Kingdom? Jesus has defined them in Matthew 25 and the Tradition of the Church has interpreted these as the Works of Corporal Mercy:<br />
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To feed the hungry.<br />
To give drink to the thirsty.<br />
To clothe the naked.<br />
To welcome the stranger.<br />
To visit the sick.<br />
To visit the imprisoned.<br />
To bury the dead.</blockquote>
This year, this list seems to present an even bigger challenge. It seems to me that if we profess to follow Christ, we should not only perform these acts on a personal level, but also stand firmly against those who, out of self-interest, desire for financial gain, and prejudice wish to abandon the very people who most need our help. Should we not speak up when the disabled are mocked, when the elderly are threatened with loss of the "entitlements" for which they have worked their entire lives, when refugees are refused asylum, when women are insulted and assaulted because of their gender, and when all immigrants come under suspicion? Should we not speak up when the rich are rewarded for being rich and the poor are penalized for being poor? And should we not speak up against these forms of injustice just as loudly as we have spoken up.in the name of God for the rights of the unborn? As the song says, if I don't do that, what good am I?<br />
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This is not mere politics. This is a fight for Christian principles against a climate of self-interest and self-righteousness. This is resistance against a culture in which many no longer see justice for all as necessary, because some are more valuable than others. It is a fight to preserve the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all, not just for some.<br />
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I want to be able to present Christ with righteous deeds, but today, the responsibility seems particularly heavy. Lord, lift me up and strengthen me to serve and advocate for the "other" - those who are unfortunate, different and rejected.<br />
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As I light the first candle on my home Advent wreath tonight, I will most ask for hope. Hope that I might be a light in the darkness. Hope that I will not lose heart. Hope that other people of good will will likewise work while the night is upon us so that when the dawn of the Son of Justice arrives, we will be able to say we fought the good fight in his name.<br />
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Come, Lord Jesus!<br />
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<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-69638607605004207532016-10-13T07:51:00.002-05:002016-10-13T07:54:14.842-05:00"Feast Day" - The Liturgical Year Board Game: Good, Low-Tech Fun & Learning<i><b>Feast Day!</b>, </i>the<b> <a href="http://feastdaygame.com/">newly-released board game</a></b> for ages 6-adult, is a personal project from Steve Botsford, a former youth minister, designed to help kids learn about the seasons and feasts of the Liturgical Year and the significance of parts of the Mass. Like a traditional board game, it comes with a colorful board, four markers - one for each person or team playing, a die and a set of cards corresponding to the seasons of the liturgical calendar. This visually attractive game is intended for families, schools, parish religious education, and home-schoolers and can be played either by individuals or teams. That makes it suitable for use in a classroom situation. <br />
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Game play is simple. Players place their markers on the Christ the King space, then roll the die and move through 52 spaces, one for each Sunday of the year, Whenever a player lands on a space, the player to the right draws a card from the pile that corresponds to that season and reads the question to him or her. If the player answers correctly, he or she keeps the card.<br />
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The questions on the cards are mostly pretty basic - asking the color or meaning of the season, the significance of a symbol used during the season or the ways we celebrate the Liturgical Year. The Ordinary Time deck includes questions about the Mass and the Bible. Occasionally, some questions even invite brief reflection, such as this one: "During Advent we watch for signs of God's love in the world. Name one place you can see signs of God's love." <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s25ZcAzNX6Q/V_sStIm45YI/AAAAAAAA3OU/y1ckUO8geDEFZAe944pEQdxJTEBHZuvwQCLcB/s1600/2016-10-04%2B09.42.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s25ZcAzNX6Q/V_sStIm45YI/AAAAAAAA3OU/y1ckUO8geDEFZAe944pEQdxJTEBHZuvwQCLcB/s320/2016-10-04%2B09.42.19.jpg" width="320" /></a>If a player lands on a space with the <i>Feast Day! </i>logo, everyone shouts "Feast Day!" and the player draws a card from the Feast Day stack. These cards contain interesting facts about the liturgical year, but no question. In effect, it's a free card - with bonus learning about how special days are celebrated during the Liturgical Year.<br />
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The first player to travel all the way around the board and land on the Christ the King space chooses a season and attempts to answer a question from that card pile. If the question is answered correctly, the game is over and players count their cards. The player or team with the most cards wins the game.<br />
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My take:<br />
This would be a great addition to any home or classroom to test knowledge of Catholic liturgical basics and encourage learning about the liturgical year by children, parents and even teachers and catechists. The graphics on the board are colorful and engaging, the game play simple enough for younger children. There is a nice variety of questions that can appeal to all ages. I like that it gives a team-play option. When playing this in teams in a classroom, the teacher or catechist could, if time runs out, count cards as the end of class approaches, if the game is not completed.<br />
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While <i>Feast Day!</i> may not be as glitzy or "modern" as app-based learning games like <a href="http://www.catholicwords.com/"><b>Catholic Words and Games</b></a>, it is attractive, simple and easily used in classrooms where a projector and screen are not available or the catechist reluctant to use technology. Board games may be low-tech, but they are versatile, easy to use and here to stay. At a reasonable price-point of $34.95, with potential appeal to all ages and a durable, heavy-duty box and board, this is a game worth getting and enjoying for years.<br />
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<i>Feast Day!</i> is a great learning tool and can be fun, too. <a href="http://feastdaygame.com/"><b>Go here</b></a> to order it now, while there is a free shipping offer. (Grab the free quick review guide for the liturgical seasons while you're on the site, too.)<br />
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NOTE: I was provided with a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.<br />
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<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-17204900117909508042016-08-29T07:30:00.000-05:002016-08-31T12:40:44.313-05:00In Which I Discover Why Biblical Literacy Is Important to Understanding the MassLast Monday night, I spent two hours with the catechists in my parish, teaching Part 2 of<i> From Mass to Mission </i>in a bilingual format<i>. (See<b> <a href="http://liturgycatechesisshallkiss.blogspot.com/2016/08/when-adults-learn-that-mass-is-much.html">my post about the experience of Part 1 here</a></b>.) </i>The room was nearly twice as full as it was for the previous session. More catechists came, and some even brought their teenage children. I sort of expected that. since typically Hispanic folks invite their friends and family to things they get enthusiastic about. Have to admit, it made me smile to see so many there. I was determined to make the night worth their while.<br />
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The subject for the evening was Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Concluding Rites of the Mass. I went through the Offertory and taught them about how to offer themselves with the bread and wine - how to offer their hearts and lives to the Father to be changed with the Gifts at the Epiclesis. We worked our way through the Eucharistic Prayer and they learned about joining in the Liturgy of Heaven, remembering the Last Supper, transubstantiation, Real Presence and such. <br />
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Then, we got to the Lamb of God. I asked if anyone knew why Jesus was <i>Cordero de Dio</i>s, the Lamb of God. Not really. So, I mentioned the Passover, the blood of the lamb on the doors of the Israelites and the concept of being saved by the Blood of the Lamb. About that time, a few looked confused, and one woman asked for clarification. It seems they didn't know the story of Moses, the Pharaoh, the plagues, the Angel of Death and the death of the Egyptian firstborn children that ultimately resulted in the freedom of the the Israelite people. Luckily, my DRE, who speaks Spanish fluently, got up and in 5 minutes, told the entire story. Then, they understood. The lights went on.<br />
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The rest of the evening went pretty much as expected as we learned about receiving and being changed by the Eucharist and being sent forth on the mission to evangelize. Those present expressed gratitude at the end for what they had learned.<br />
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In reflecting later on what had happened that night, I realized that when teaching about the Mass, one cannot assume people have the Biblical literacy to understand the connection between the Last Supper, the Passover and the Lamb. It also occurs to me that the image of the angels and saints worshiping in heaven along with us might be less-rich for those who don't know the images from Revelation, although they do hear about that at Sunday Mass upon occasion. There are probably more issues about understanding the Mass that lack of familiarity with basic Bible stories would affect.<br />
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In short, I learned something else I cannot assume when teaching about the Mass.jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-82338084038520631772016-08-20T09:45:00.000-05:002016-08-21T14:47:19.582-05:00When Adults Learn that the Mass is Much More Than They Thought...Last night, I was privileged to spend a couple hours with 28 of my own parish's fellow catechists, all Hispanic, almost all of whom attend Spanish Mass. I have known some of these folks for years, but last night, I watched them grow, right before my eyes as I presented an adapted-for-catechists version of my book,<i> From Mass to Mission for Children. </i>What I experienced confirmed my suspicion that many Catholic adults know very little about the Mass except the basics of external participation.<br />
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The format was a bilingual presentation... with bilingual slides and the help of one of the catechists who translated what was said. The informal camaraderie of a community of learners was quite evident. These catechists definitely appreciate one another and our director.<br />
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As I unfolded the structure and meaning of the Introductory Rites and the Liturgy of the Word, I noticed that lots of notes were being taken. Their responses to questions about how they personally prepare for Mass revealed a wide range of practices, but many of those in the room had a real "aha moment" when they learned that looking at the readings ahead of time and considering what they need to pray for at that Mass are good practices.<br />
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They did not already know (except those who are readers at Mass) that there are 3 cycles of Sunday readings - and years dedicated to Matthew, Mark and Luke, nor did they know about the relationship between the Old Testament readings and the Gospel, or the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing the Word from the ear to the heart of the listener.<br />
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When we talked about what they had heard, there was such wonder and joy in their ideas on how they will now attend Mass differently.<br />
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It was a very good session - and I definitely felt the love and appreciation. I bet they all come back on Monday for Part 2 - and maybe they will even bring a few friends.<br />
<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-78378672693639345872016-07-05T06:30:00.000-05:002016-07-05T06:59:12.053-05:00(Overdue) Book Review: Jared Dees - "To Heal, Proclaim and Teach"What if parish ministers treated everyone they encountered as if they truly wanted them to become disciples of Jesus Christ? What if they used the same methods Jesus did to attract his followers? These are the important questions that Jared Dees attempts to answer in <i><b><a href="https://www.avemariapress.com/product/1-59471-619-6/To-Heal-Proclaim-and-Teach/">To Heal, Proclaim and Teach: The Essential Guide to Ministry in Today's Catholic Church.</a></b></i><br />
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Dees starts by noting the crisis in catechesis, which has resulted in many young people leaving the Church after Confirmation. He begins probing the problem by noting the 5 stages of evangelization described in the National Directory for Cathechesis, all of which are inspired by the Catechumenate (RCIA): <span style="text-align: justify;">Pre-Evangelization, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Missionary Preaching, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Initiatory Catechesis, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Mystagogical or Post-Baptismal Catechesis and finally, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Permanent or Continuing Catechesis</span><br />
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In effect, Dees implies, we tend to move right into the third stage without giving attention to the first two. Then, we skip the 4th stage and wonder why people are not around or not interested in the fifth. An experienced teacher himself, Dees admits that he, too, has spent a great deal of time doing things in less-than-effective ways.<br />
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Jesus, Dees points out, had a specific method. He reached out to people in ways that they most needed. Quite often, Jesus first healed people, either physically or by attending to what it is they needed most spiritually. Then, he proclaimed his message about the love of God the Father. Only when he had done these, did he teach them. The disciples and those most closely connected to Jesus received a deeper form of teaching. The crowds, however, he taught in parables, because they were not ready for the fullness of knowledge of the faith. "In other words, writes Dees, "we do not teach the unevangelized. We cannot expect them to understand the mysteries of God's Kingdom because they are not yet ready."<br />
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The first step is healing. We need to listen, get to know people and understand their deepest longings. Catechists cannot move forward effectively if they do not know those whom they teach. We need to help people discover the sin and brokenness in their own lives. We do that best when we get in touch with our own brokenness - so that we can recognize it and approach it authentically in others. This, of course, echoes the "threshold conversations" of Sherry Weddell's <i>Forming Intentional Disciples, </i>aimed at building up trust. <br />
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The second step is to proclaim. He suggests we share four things with those we evangelize: the Paschal Mystery, personal testimony, saint stories and the way we live. (See Chapter 6 for how to have something to share on these.)<br />
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The third step is to teach. Not in the ways that currently bore young people, but by challenging them to look at the world differently: <br />
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In order for us to to be truly remarkable teachers and catechists, whether it is in religious education of children, youth ministry, marriage preparation, RCIA, or adult faith formation, we have to think of ways to present our beliefs in ways that challenge conventional thinking about the world. We have to offer new and creative insights into the stories and teachings Catholics have heard for years or even decades. Or, at the very least, we need to make sure that we do not strip all sense of wonder and awe out of the process. (p.105)</blockquote>
It all hinges on Chapter 6, "Be Evangelized." Dees issues a series of nine challenges to the reader to deepen his or her own faith... and skills for sharing it. We cannot accompany learners unless we ourselves live our faith.<br />
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The rest of the book is dedicated to exploring methods for one-on-one evangelization, for fostering small groups, and to suggesting specific age-appropriate approaches for children, teens, college students, young adults and adults. <br />
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Dees has offered us a blueprint for deepening our formational approach in parishes from teaching ministries to what Pope Francis calls "accompaniment." Parish ministers who, like Jesus did with the disciples at Emmaus, listen first, then reveal what people most need to hear in ways that reach them deeply will revolutionize parishes by truly forming disciples.<br />
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<i>I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair review. </i><br />
<br />jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-53031415428328245302016-06-27T08:08:00.003-05:002016-06-27T08:08:56.622-05:00Liturgical Catechesis Should Make Jesus in the Eucharist as attractive as... BACON!I had a chuckle or two over <b><a href="https://www.romancatholicman.com/secret-weapon-increasing-mass-attendance-serve-bacon-coffee-social/">this funny post this morning about a mythical parish (St. Simon the Sulfite) attracting people to Mass by serving bacon at after-Mass hospitality</a>. </b><br />
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Many people will go out of their way for bacon. People also testify to their love for bacon all over the internet by sharing pictures, recipes and other signs of bacon-joy. We don't see much of that kind of passion for Jesus, whom we consume in the Eucharist at every Mass.<br />
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The goal of liturgical catechesis should be to change that from a blasé attitude to one of intense longing that echoes the longing of the psalmist:<br />
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We've got work to do.jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-1921365170307374772016-06-23T22:34:00.002-05:002016-06-23T22:34:51.685-05:00Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 8: Liturgical Catechesis - An Apprenticeship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span><b>JAMES PAULEY: "Liturgical Catechesis: an Apprenticeship in Mystery and Mission"</b></span></div>
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<span>Cultural shifts in US affect how we do catechesis. </span></div>
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<span>Jim Beckman in <i>Becoming a Psrish of Intentional Disciples</i> proposes small group ministry</span></div>
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<span><b>"Apprenticeship" in the <i>Decree on Missionary Activity</i></b></span></div>
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<span>"The catechumenate is not a mere expounding of doctrines and precepts, but a training period in the whole Christian life, and an <b>apprenticeship</b> duty drawn out, during which disciples are joined to Christ their teacher." [14] </span></div>
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<span><b>Characteristics of an Apprenticing Relationship:</b></span></div>
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<li><span>We put ourselves under the direction of someone who has mastered/is mastering the craft</span></li>
<li><span>Objective: learning a new way of seeing and learning new abilities</span></li>
<li><span>Learning happens through the experience of sustained presence with the other.</span></li>
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<span><b>Three Related Concepts: </b></span></div>
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<li><span>Pope Francis has freqently mentioned "Spiritual Accompaniment" (EG 169-170)</span></li>
<li><span>GDC 47 "Slow Stages" of Evangelization - Before relationship with God is proposed there needs to be a sustained conversation</span></li>
<li><span>Sherry Weddell's Forming Intentional Disciples: Thresholds of Conversion. - We need to study the person... And tailor our approach based on who they are. </span></li>
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<span><b>How Would "Apprenticeship" Inspire our Catechetical Approaches?</b></span></div>
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<li><span>The Content of Faith would e communicated in a genuinely <u>personal</u> way</span></li>
<li><span>All that is taught would e oriented to how it may be lived</span></li>
<li><span>Time would be set apart to allow for responsiveness, dialog and mentoring</span></li>
<li><span>Participants would learn a new way of <u>seeing</u> and a new way of <u>living</u></span></li>
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<span>Sophia Cavelleti allows time for silence... </span></div>
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<span>Apprenticeship model is most germane to liturgical catechesis because the liturgy is a place of encounter with God. </span></div>
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<span>See CCC 1624 on marriage role of Holy Spirit... </span></div>
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<span>If catechist is teaching in impersonal way, the richness will be missing</span></div>
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<span><b>Four Necessary Skills Needed to Live a Rich Sacramental Life</b></span></div>
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<li><span><b>The ability to disengage from distractions and attune ourselves to God in the sacramental action</b> - How do we help people disengage and attune to God? How the catechist starts the session is crucially important.</span></li>
<li><span><b>The ability to "see" and "receive" and "give" in a sacramental way</b> - Seeing in a sacramental way gives us the ability to unite ourselves to see the invisible in the visible (Sohia Cavaletti) we need to help people to see the invisible. Then, we need authentic witnesses</span></li>
<li><span><b>The ability to unit the mind and heart to the language of the liturgy</b> (is this even possible today - is it too much to expect? Children can. See Sophia Cavalletti <i>Religious Potential of the Child</i>, p. 43 </span></li>
<li><span><b>The ability to be <i>responsive</i> to the gift God gives so that a change is effected in how we <u>live</u></b></span></li>
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<span>3 challenges to doing this. From 2013 institute of church life survey</span></div>
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<li><span>Lack of trained personnelL</span></li>
<li><span>Insufficient intentional disciples</span></li>
<li><span>Catechesis takes place in larger groups</span></li>
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<span>Maybe we start out small...</span></div>
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<span><b>Organic Opportunities Today for Apprenticeship:</b></span></div>
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<li><span><b>It remains a deep conviction within our tradition that parents are the primary educators of their children... -</b> Challenge to help parents apprentice the sacramental life.. Need homes where faith is lived organically</span></li>
<li><span><b>A vitally important element of our ecclesial vision is that adult evangelization and catechesis is "the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as thoat of old age." (GDC 275)... </b> We must pour our efforts into evangelizing adults </span></li>
<li><span><b>We can invest deeply in the mentoring roles that are already clearly defined... -</b> Invest in mentoring roles sponsor, godparent...</span></li>
<li><span><b>We recognize that the year after receiving a sacrament is a sensitive period... </b>- The neophyte years is important. In marriage, the 1st year establishes behaviors</span></li>
<li><span><b>The practice of spiritual direction is an already familiar model...</b> Spiritual direction is an apprenticeship model</span></li>
<li><span><b>Opportunities may be found in catechetical sessions as they are currently structured... </b>Build time for mentoring into catechetical sessions </span></li>
<li><span><b>Many of the Saints [our mentors] apprenticed others in the Christian life... </b> If the task is beyond our strength, like St. Therese, turn to God</span></li>
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<span>Our catechesis should be rooted in respect for the mystery of God and the person.</span></div>
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jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-37663440435881402632016-06-23T21:41:00.001-05:002016-06-23T22:35:56.694-05:00Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 7: Preaching - Relational Evangelization<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>KARLA BELLINGER: "Liturgical Preaching and Evangelization"</b></div>
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YOU matter. YOU are the way. Pope Francis embodies this. Jesus was like that too. This is a theological statement. Yet we wonder if any word WE say matters. Do our words matter?</div>
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When the Holy Spirit asks say yes! You matter, words matter, liturgical words matter!</div>
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Many people have deep feelings about preaching.</div>
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Name one word that comes to mind about Sunday preaching: (<i>mine is "Forgettable"</i>)</div>
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Is preaching epiphenominological? (i.e., <i>Does it cause something to happen to the listener?</i>) Too many people say "I come for the Eucharist not for the preaching." The homily is the 21st century hair shirt!</div>
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Priests and deacons think: Is anyone listening? </div>
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Those in the pews think: Are you talking to me? </div>
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Preaching is a relationship... When we don't have the connection there is a gap. Deep feelings on both sides... A conversation we are not having.</div>
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Study: 94% of those who gave feedback gave it to preachers they liked. Only one in four catechetical leaders would pass a comment they heard on to a preacher... Zero would do it if the feedback was negative in nature.</div>
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Preaching is relational.</div>
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We need: new methods, new ardor, new expression</div>
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Andrew Greely said 1 out of 6 are preaching well. CARA study says 1 out of 6 people in the pews is active. <u>The target audience is the other 5</u>.</div>
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Preachers should aim at those who only come once a year... If preacher yells at them or the music is bad, why would they ever come back?</div>
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<b>For evangelization the homily that speaks to the inner circle does not work</b>.</div>
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7-10 minutes can make or break a parish for a visitor.</div>
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The homily matters to the relationships in the church. Connection and authenticity. Be real. Young people: don't talk AT us. Talk TO us.</div>
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Go deeper!</div>
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The focus should be on How can our people get an "A" in life? Let's call on the Holy Spirit to help us do this.</div>
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Q & A </div>
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What does going deeper mean? The spirituality of the listener and the preacher's content both matter.</div>
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Preachers need to get out among the non-active to listen.</div>
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What would a seminary formation in authenticity look like? Like vinyl siding: paint scratches off aluminum siding. Vinyl siding is the same on the inside as on the outside.</div>
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<a href="http://liturgycatechesisshallkiss.blogspot.com/2016/06/notes-from-2016-notre-dame-symposium-8.html"><b>.NEXT NOTE: James Pauley, Liturgical Catechesis and Apprenticeship</b></a></div>
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jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-68952884709868079032016-06-23T21:16:00.002-05:002016-06-24T10:00:16.706-05:00Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 6: Music - Connecting Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>FR. ANTHONY RUFF "What does Church Music Have to do With My Life? Music and the New Evangelization"</b></div>
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<b>The Problem</b></div>
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Young people think organized religion is not for good and that rituals of the church are meaningless. Inherited structure is meaningless. </div>
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But his students are curious open and searching for meaning. They are often surprised that the rituals of the church can have meaning. It's news to them that liturgy is participation in salvation history.</div>
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Why is it a surprise that the rites are saving? Poor catechesis?</div>
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What happens in the Eucharistic prayer? EVERYTHING</div>
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<i>Christian Symbol and Ritual</i> Bernard Cooke and Gary Macy starts with human experience... Very Rahnerian. He uses it to teach, because students today need that approach.</div>
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Five aspects of Ritual:</div>
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<li>Hermeneutic of experience</li>
<li>Maturation</li>
<li>Presence</li>
<li>Service</li>
<li>Friendship</li>
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Rahner <i>Foundations of Christian Faith</i> all experience is open to God</div>
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vs. Von Balthaasar <i>Intentions A very Critical Intorduction</i> (Kilby) beauty aesthetic acknowledging the beauty of revelation</div>
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Rahnerian starting point is a better approach in the Church today rather than zealots with an attitude that church teaching is good and the world is evil</div>
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Book he uses is Patrick T McCormick, <i>A Banqueter's Guide to the All-Night Soup Kitchen of the Kingdom of God</i>. Students don't see any of this as spirituality. No connection between social justice and spirituality. Spirituality, in reality, is an entire world view.</div>
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<b>MUSIC</b></div>
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How is it meaningful?</div>
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Does it relate to spirituality?</div>
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Does it relate to my life?</div>
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We need a realistic piety around texts we sing</div>
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Do the texts of the songs line up with our longings?</div>
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Or, are they epiphenomenological? (Do the texts cause the longings?) Or are the songs overly cut off from the real world? Do we balance our faith and doubt?</div>
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We don't want to be pious in a sloppy way. No need for a layer of lace and holy water </div>
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Instead, we need to respect artistic ability and musical impulse. Do musicians have to be disciples? Sing to the Lord 39 says yes, but we should expect them to be human and not to be perfect.</div>
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<b>The Appropriate use of Tradition</b></div>
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SC 112 we need a Thesaurus Musicae Sacrae </div>
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Overly traditional impulse comes from a sense that what we have is not working. It's not all bad... </div>
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Idealization of chant and stylistic Euro-centrism ignore the culture people come from.</div>
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Some agendas more chant, fewer hymns...</div>
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The reform of the reform starts with Musical tradition and points to the liturgy... Is backwards. We should start with liturgy and work toward musical tradition</div>
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Alcuin Clark <i>T&T Clark Companion to Liturgy</i>. Critique </div>
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nothing positive about congregational singing or participation</div>
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Musical traditionalism attempts to make music meaningful. Escapist. Misreading of hermeneutic of continuity</div>
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We can indeed have a preferential option for tradition in Vatican II </div>
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We need a hybrid hermeneutic for interpreting SC chapter 6. </div>
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Theological dynamic,culturally sensitive rite plus a solid musical tradition </div>
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Music-Makiing as embodied Spirituality: </div>
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Sacred Music divinizes us by humanizing us.</div>
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Great tradition of music making in the church as humanizing got subverted In The 18th and 19th century when we first had concerts. "Concert culture"</div>
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Before 19th century most music making was without any written page </div>
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CONCLUSIONS</div>
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We need:</div>
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<ul>
<li>More comfort with our bodies and voices</li>
<li>Greater relationality in our ensemble music- making -see Voice Care Network website</li>
<li>Naturalness in proclamation of texts</li>
<li>Comfort with rhythm and dance</li>
<li>Relationality in engagement of assembly - cantor eye contact...</li>
<li>Affirmation of musical professionalism - Greater musical skills enable us to be more human</li>
</ul>
</div>
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Multicultural music we need openness to all culture</div>
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<a href="http://liturgycatechesisshallkiss.blogspot.com/2016/06/notes-from-2016-notre-dame-symposium-7.html"><b>NEXT NOTE: Preaching and the New Evangelization</b></a></div>
jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-51632712811668815542016-06-21T23:43:00.002-05:002016-06-24T10:00:01.606-05:00Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 5: Ritual - How Do We Form People in a Visual Culture<div>
<b>KIMBERLY BELCHER: "Ritual Formation and Evangelization"</b></div>
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History, ritual and formation in the liturgical movement</div>
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1. Narrative of the past </div>
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2. Explains one aspect of the present evolution. Romanticism</div>
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Metzger book <i>History of the Liturgy</i> as example: everything took place before 12th century or between then and Vatican II. Liturgy is something that takes place in old books. For most people text is not the most important thing about their experience of the liturgy.</div>
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<b>Liturgy's boundaries</b> </div>
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Through 20th century boundaries were the 7 sacraments. Text studies fairly limited.... Jewish texts, etc. </div>
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also Liturgy of the Hours </div>
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Liturgical Year</div>
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Rites of Burial</div>
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Occasional rites a any public prayer in common</div>
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Renewal was limited to input of books and output of books. That is not sufficient.</div>
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<b>Liturgy's meaning</b></div>
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Aidan Kavanaugh Three Days story of baptism romanticized</div>
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Paul Bradshaw and Max Johhnson The eucharistic liturgies - deconstructs the romanticism... There was no golden age of the catechumenate...</div>
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History and the worshiping subject. Guardini (1918) on the church as beyond the body of the faithful. In 1964. He said in the 19th century we moved to qwindividualistic inward act and lost the sense of being a member of the body of Christ </div>
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<b>Some implications of ritual</b></div>
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Traditional -----> pluralistic. In a traditional worlds there is only one way.. The way you have always done it and your parents etc. we forget there was evolution</div>
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Oral----> Post-literate. Transition to culture not adept at interpreting body language, imagery etc. but are adept at texts. (Now that is transitioning to a culture of images again.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Distinction between public and private eroding</li>
<li>Knowledge is embodied and interpretive</li>
<li>Individuals do not live in stable symbolic communities it contrict their social worlds through pastiche </li>
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Ritual: a system of mutually interpreting human behaviors that function as connected tissues....</div>
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<b>Ritual and meanings</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Meaning is fluid, not fixed</li>
<li>Meanings are constructed by practice and reflection over time - we have to go back to it over and over so the ritual can speak to us when time arises</li>
<li>Individuals are now capable of subversion-assigning sago a practice a earning opposite that prescribed by authority - confirmation</li>
<li>Ritual can be a space for production of meanings rather than having a meaning of its own</li>
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Solutions</div>
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Hermeneutics </div>
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Allowing space for questions</div>
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<b>Ritual: defying bounds</b></div>
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Ritual is "connective tissue". Can be stretched but retain its connection</div>
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<li>Liturgy has intrinsic tension between its nearness and distance from the everyday</li>
<li>Liturgy promotes connections bwtwymundane experience, private prayer, and social and cultural life</li>
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<b>Ritual and renewal</b></div>
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Not just about new books or old books!</div>
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Nathan Mitchell is it possible that modern people don't know how to make a ritual act?</div>
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We need to learn to dance! We need to give people permission to thrive in the culture the live in that isnverynnegative</div>
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<b>Liturgical evangelization: </b></div>
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Make space to LISTEN</div>
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To decolonizing cultures </div>
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To those we minister to</div>
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Build up the partial</div>
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Foster BODY practice. Doesn't just happen in the Eucharist.</div>
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How does our culture re-learn how to process?</div>
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Video of Kenyan dances at papal Mass</div>
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Photography as tool to help people reintegrate their lives</div>
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<ul>
<li>REFLECT and remember use photos to help the,m remember </li>
<li>SPEAK a common language from our experience</li>
</ul>
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Pictures of 2 churches from Flickr...</div>
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Pictures take a sustained gaze to generate theological reflection</div>
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We need to get together to generate sustained reflection on our rites -theological reflection in communities. </div>
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Ritual evangelization is to assist people in liturgy, not to assess</div>
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Q & A</div>
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Doing this together communally builds up an assembly that understands how better to celebrate</div>
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In our cultures athletes and musicians understand doing things over and over until we get it right.</div>
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<a href="http://liturgycatechesisshallkiss.blogspot.com/2016/06/notes-from-notre-dame-symposium-6-music.html"><b>NEXT: NOTES 6: Music and the New Evangelization</b></a></div>
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jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-46115215304718060072016-06-21T23:25:00.002-05:002016-06-24T10:00:35.040-05:00Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 4: Sociology - the Mobile Culture<div>
<b>MICHAEL MCCALLION: "Liturgy, Sociology and the New Evangelization" </b></div>
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We have a communal relationship with the liturgy. </div>
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The problem: we have to stay put in order to have community. We have "collective effervescence" - too much individualism.</div>
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What is the optimal level of social connectedness? </div>
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We need communal relationship with Jesus. But our first impulse is individualism and we have such mobile lives... We live de-synchronized with friends and family.</div>
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What are the ways we create community in the liturgy?</div>
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Common repertoire of liturgical music is important. People in pews appreciate fewer songs. They don't sing if they don't know the songs.</div>
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It boils down to "Playing well" with the liturgy.</div>
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How do we evaluate if?</div>
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We need fewer meetings, more processions.</div>
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Pp 129 -133 in Tim I'malleys book. Eucharistic center - Who's going to do this? </div>
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We need better trained staff, more commitment to develop better liturgy</div>
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It's the music... people</div>
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The issue is upward social mobility. We move away... Makes it hard to form community.</div>
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Q & A:</div>
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Disses <i>Rebuilt</i> for breaking up community...</div>
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Architecture facilitates or hinders community</div>
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Balance -Needs to internalize faith and take it out into the homes personal and communal in balance.</div>
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<b><a href="http://liturgycatechesisshallkiss.blogspot.com/2016/06/notes-from-th-2016-notre-dame-symposium.html">NEXT NOTES: 5: "Liturgy, Formation and Evangelization"</a></b></div>
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jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-23326338708384865412016-06-21T23:14:00.002-05:002016-06-24T10:01:12.759-05:00Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 3: Popular Culture - What Can We Learn from It?<div>
<b>DORA TOBAR: "Popular Culture and Liturgy in the New Evangelization" </b></div>
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Popularized cultures in North American church's evangelization scenario:</div>
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Secularized Spiritual Culture - more pervasive. Sacred is recognized in society but we in the church fail to recognize it as sacred. We need to make pact with it.</div>
<ul>
<li>Spirituality without form - new age - trying to break free from tradition. Defines itself by contrast with established religiosity. People are thirsty for spiritual experience </li>
<li>Spiritual spontaneity </li>
<li>Search for wholeness and holistic integration with reality</li>
<li>Search for personal-existential relationship with the sacred</li>
<li>Feminine aspect of humanity and women's leadership </li>
<li>Incarnational-existential relationship with divinity in a new integral cosmology(looking for a new cosmology that makes sense in our reality </li>
<li>Creation-friendly religion (Pope Francis is trying to do this</li>
<li>Wholeness rather than an ideal human perfection</li>
<li>Integrality without dualism </li>
<li>Inner consciences and discernment rather than hierarchical authority</li>
<li>Spirituality and real, concrete stories (religion as experiences of individual people</li>
<li>Authenticity before worldly powers</li>
<li>Sibling model of brotherhood rather than hierarchical difference </li>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
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New spirituality is not collective, but is a personal experience. </div>
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Hispanic popular piety- characteristics result of centuries of intercultural dialog</div>
<ul>
<li>Is magic - sense that is supra-rational and intuitive </li>
<li>Is symbolic and rich in images (natural and supernatural) people want to touch God</li>
<li>Is emotional- exististential</li>
<li>Festive-theatrical </li>
<li>Collective and politic religiosity identifies and unites them</li>
<li>Is natural cosmic religiosity- follows natural times and moments (bad when their is a new cosmology for new generation)</li>
<li>Family rooted tradition transmitted at home by mothers and grandmothers -issues arise when families no longer speak a common language between the generations.</li>
</ul>
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Charismatic Hispanic Movement</div>
<ul>
<li>Spiritual gifts (charisma) available to contemporary and ordinary Christians</li>
<li>Preachers -often women- give testimonies, not lectures</li>
<li>Music and invocations to pray allow everyone to participate</li>
<li>Rich in emotional and existential connection - many bodily expressions are involved</li>
<li>Worship is centered on establishing wa personal connection with God</li>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
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Lot of commonality between these three spiritualities. All are outside the temple, all rely on the Holy Spirit...</div>
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Charismatic movement engages more in renewed experience of faith than traditional devotions.</div>
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For younger Hispanics raised in modern cosmology, traditional symbols don't make sense.</div>
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See EG 123, EN 48, AAS 68 popular religiosity </div>
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Popular religiosity has much to teach us, has missionary power. EG 124</div>
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Nw evangelization has - Pope Francis (in common with popular religiosity)</div>
<ul>
<li>Incarnational-sympathetic commitment with human pain </li>
<li>Not message to pass but personal encounter with JC</li>
<li>Joy and festive Attitude mark the style </li>
<li>Discerning and openness is pastoral attitude</li>
<li>Jesus, with his Holy Spirit is primary agent EG 11. & 49</li>
<li>Starts at intimacy with Holy Family</li>
</ul>
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See SC 40!!!! If people cannot understand the liturgy in their culture, adaptations must be made</div>
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Question: Should we do more Liturgical catechesis or should we make liturgical language more accessible to today's people's cultural range of comprehension?</div>
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Inculturation is not simply adaptation is dialog that allows people to fully and consciously participate in the liturgy. Pastoral suggestions:</div>
<ul>
<li>Happy popular beauty connect liturgy with heart and soul of the people </li>
<li>Personal-exististential language in preaching is essential</li>
<li>Listen to the Spirit</li>
</ul>
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<b><a href="http://liturgycatechesisshallkiss.blogspot.com/2016/06/notes-from-2016-notre-dame-symposium-4.html">NEXT NOTES: 4 - "Liturgy, Sociology and the New Evangelization"</a></b></div>
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jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747077806405542777.post-4998082360545737122016-06-21T22:58:00.002-05:002016-06-24T10:01:53.482-05:00Notes from the 2016 Notre Dame Symposium 2: Liturgy in a Digital World<div>
<b>DANIELLA ZSUSPAN-JEROME: "Digital Media and the Liturgical Capacity of the Christian"</b></div>
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The myth of the Golem (Jewish) symbol of dark side of technology... he was a created monster... Digital technology is our Golem today. Digital culture has spiritual implications profound relationship to the liturgy.</div>
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Not talking about technology IN the liturgy. EWTN Mass -example: book, glasses, TV camera... We forget these are also forms of human technology.</div>
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Techne (Greek) =art, skill or craft</div>
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Practical things that extend human capacity - always paired with human action</div>
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Technology sometimes has become symbol in the liturgy. Candle is example. So is microphone headset... it means leadership.</div>
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However, objects and tools matter. They make sense in broader cultural context. Multiple meanings "Madonna headset" became a name for the headset mic, for example.</div>
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Technology always has a interactive human element.</div>
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Digital culture has subcultures, lots of layers.</div>
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LENSES to look at technology:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Values - innovation participation, ubiquity, collaboration simultaneity, creativity</li>
<li>Beliefs - newer is better, belonging matters over content, partipation matters, access is possible</li>
<li>Practices - <i>(missed it - sorry)</i></li>
<li>Artifacts- mobile devices with cameras, apps, bio-responsive technology, social media platforms, Internet of Things</li>
</ul>
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Curation - focusing and filtering information to avoid information overload. Individuals choose trusted filters. The Missal and Lectionary are examples of curation of texts.</div>
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Key question: How do we (re)establish the liturgy as primary curator of meaning?</div>
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Connection: we are plugged in all the time and loosely connected to others through information... Belonging to the network. Continuous partial attention. We are not in the habit of going deep.</div>
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How can the liturgy be way to move us from connection to communion?</div>
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Self instrumentalization. Data about us is currency of digital age. As data we are means to an end. We are willing to do this as a price for continual connection. Violent communication is one outcome. (We are critical and some people do not care what they say (trolls)</div>
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How do we recover encounter instead of instrumentality and primacy of person in communion?</div>
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Liturgy gives us an Incarnational model for culture, including digital culture. see <i>Ad Gentes</i> 10</div>
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The incarnation speaks to digital culture. Communion et progressio 11. </div>
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Liturgy embodies culture. Offers context for how incarnation offers model for digital world</div>
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Communicating in the manner of the incarnation:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Listen First - Mary as open to welcome the Word her fiat is trust choosing a posture of -trust and authenticity </li>
<li>Words Give Life - Mary with child in womb - mutual encounter communication - body and presence</li>
<li>Self Gift in Love Christ is perfect communicator. Communication begets communion. Deeper connection to liturgy</li>
<li>Bear the Fruit - openness to Spirit... faithful and authentic communication Galations 5:22 in the liturgy how do we connect the Word as fruit</li>
</ul>
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What can the liturgy do? What can it not do? What do we want it to do? How can it reveal the pattern of the incarnation? How can it be prophetic?</div>
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Q & A</div>
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Shallowness of encounter in parish life... Distinction between digital culture and reality is not there</div>
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Value of the new. (New is better.)</div>
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Relationship between digital culture and the aesthetic....<br />
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<a href="http://liturgycatechesisshallkiss.blogspot.com/2016/06/notes-from-notre-dame-symposium-3.html"><b>NEXT NOTES: 3 - "Popular Culture and the New Evangelization</b>"</a></div>
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jdonliturgyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15729552755992633453noreply@blogger.com0