Liturgy & Catechesis Shall Kiss

Martin Luther King, Jr. - Called to Prophesy

2012-01-16T09:22:00.005-06:00

This powerful excerpt from a speech given in 1967 to the Southern Christian Leadership Council shows why Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a prophet in his time and a true witness to the message of the Gospel.

Martin Luther King - Where Do We Go From Here? (Conclusion) from MLK Speeches on Vimeo.

His unfailing sense of the call of Jesus Christ to all people to create a just world, where the hungry are fed and the poor uplifted was extraordinary - and his delivery an authentic call for all to cooperate with God to recreate the world into a living image of the Kingdom is timeless.

Dr. King was a gift to our nation, whose speeches are worth listening to again and again. The blatant racial prejudice he fought against has lessened, to be sure, but the oppression of the poor by the rich and the failure of our nation and world to deliver justice for all still rings true. One cannot but hear echoes of the current economic situation and political debates in what he said, and wish perhaps, that more had changed.

Hey Kids! If Football Players Can Genuflect, So Can You!

2012-01-10T08:31:00.000-06:00

OK, it's not often the culture of sports hands us a genuine liturgical catechetical opportunity. The furor surrounding Tim Tebow's public gesture of faith of kneeling in prayer on the football field has caused a storm of controversy and a flurry of photos in newspapers and on the internet:

along with numerous parodies, including references to the three Magi kneeling, to Darth Vader and other familiar persons and has spawned a T-shirt meme and a new term: "Tebowing".

So, why not use this as a way to teach kids that it is OK to genuflect? In my parish, where I volunteer as a catechist to a group of older kids preparing for Confirmation, because most of them have missed prior years of faith formation, genuflecting in church does not come naturally. I think I will tell them that if a sports hero can do it, so can they. Just saying. Thanks, Tim.

A "Tourista" Sits in on Guadalupano Celebration

2011-12-12T08:38:00.000-06:00

Well, this year I did it. I got up in the middle of the night to get ready to go to church for La Danza and Las Mañanitas - the pre-dawn Mexican cultural celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have wanted to to this for a while, and as the vice chair of our Pastoral Council, I kind of felt I should do this. Maybe I missed them, but the only other "Anglo" I saw in the room besides myself was my pastor, who speaks fluent Spanish. I, on the other hand, speak only a little, understand maybe half of what I hear, and felt a bit like the proverbial tourista.

As I came into the back of church, I recognized Oscar, a talented musician who directs and plays with the 1:00 p.m. Sunday Spanish choir - dressed in full regalia - complete with feather headdress. He smiled and mugged for my camera. Later, he took his place beside the altar and began to beat the drum that summoned about 30 colorfully dressed dancers, mostly women and teens, to the front. For the next 25 minutes they stamped, swayed, spun and shook maracas, in honor of the Virgin, as Oscar drummed out various rhythms. Their performance was beautiful, strange and a bit primitive. Certainly like nothing I have ever seen in church before. The colorful costumes seemed a bit skimpy for a December day in the Midwest, but soon the dancers were mopping their brows from their exertion, despite the chilly room.

Once they had finished, Rosalinda, a parish reader and fellow member of Pastoral Council, stepped up to the microphone and read a long text about the story of Juan Diego and the Virgen. Then, a seven-man mariachi band came up and began to play and sing. I know enough Spanish to know that many of these were, in effect, love songs to the Virgin, singing of her as the "queen of hope" and identifying themselves as Guadalupano, people of Guadalupe - her children. The people joined in most of these,singing by heart and from the heart. Of course, having no music and not knowing them, mostly all I could do was listen and add in the refrain occasionally, when I could pick it out. I could sense their great love, even if I could not fully understand the texts.

Throughout the hour and a half of the pre-Mass celebration, some women, from the back of the church shouted out phrases that seemed to have set responses, almost as if they were cheerleading. I have to admit, this morning was a strangely fascinating if rather foreign experience. I felt a strange sensation of being an outsider, yet not a total stranger. It's my parish, but it's their parish too. Despite the language and culture gap, we all belong, in our own way, to the community of St. John the Baptist. The Virgen is my mother in faith too, even if by adoption. Maybe someday, I will feel more at home with the whole thing. Until then, I will keep stretching my comfort level to join them when I can.

Rejoicing in a World That Has Forgotten Joy

2011-12-11T08:40:00.001-06:00

Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thes: 16-17)

On this, the Third Sunday of Advent, the apostle Paul issues us a challenge to be joyful and prayerful - in all circumstances. That, frankly, can be difficult as the holidays approach - especially for those who grieve.

Many of you know that two and a half years ago, I lost the most significant person in my life. I am, however, not the only one. Many people have experienced deep and painful loss and face the coming of Christmas with some degree of depression. A time of year that is traditionally focused on family, love, and being with people we care about, can only tap into memories and regrets about the person or persons who are no longer with us. For people of faith who grieve, this time of year can be particularly painful, because the relationship with God may be somewhat conflicted. In the larger context, I believe we live in a world where many people are not only unhappy, they have forgotten, or perhaps seldom, if ever, experienced true joy.

There is a real difference between happiness and joy. One is temporal and temporary, the other runs deeper. A person can, I have found, be unhappy about the circumstances of life, but still have an underlying sense of joy that stems from something deeper. For me, that is from knowing that even if I find it hard to trust God after my experience of great loss, I know instinctively that God has never truly abandoned me and is simply waiting for me to sort it all out.

For people of a secular bent who have little or no sense of the presence of God, superficial, temporary happiness based in possessions (which can be lost) and people (who may either fail us or die) may be all there is. Those who do not have an experience of the love of God, if they lose someone or something significant, have only themselves and their relationships with others to rely on. All of those things are fallible. As Teresa of Avila said: "God alone is enough."

The readings today call us to pray anyway - to pull ourselves out of ourselves and look ahead to the coming of one who is greater than we are and to have faith that in the end, everything will indeed be alright. Only that kind of faith can bring true joy. In the meantime, we are called to hope. Here are two songs, appropriate for this Sunday that for me express this perfectly:

What We Learned This Weekend: Mass and Conditioned Response

2011-11-28T07:46:00.000-06:00

This weekend, I was at two Masses - one as the cantor, one as a choir member - and experienced the roll-out of the new translation twice. In both cases, the experience was a bit mixed - some hits, some misses.

At the Saturday night Mass, when our pastor used the longer form of the greeting: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" - I had a brain-freeze. I had been practicing for months to respond to "The Lord be with you" and that's what was on the Mass card. Miss number one. The second time, it was better - I was ready.

What I quickly discovered is that when I hear "The Lord be with you" - if the card was not in my hand and I had just finished a cantor function, such a singing the Alleluia, I was still on "autopilot" and responded dutifully - "And also with you." (makes sheepish face) About half of the Assembly apparently had the same issue. The responses were mixed.

It was better at the second Mass - and the choir led many of the responses, but again, as we were shuffling music to prepare for the eucharistic acclamations, we lapsed into the old response.

So, what did I learn on New Roman Missal weekend? I, and most other people are a bit like Pavlov's dog. Apparently, even when you know better, it will take a while to readjust and correct our response. Meanwhile, I feel just a bit drooly!

New Missal: Advent - Time to Put on Your Running Shoes!

2011-11-26T09:11:00.005-06:00

This weekend, as parishes around the U.S. begin to use the new Roman Missal, we will discover very early that there are differences - beyond the people's responses. The Collect for the First Sunday in Advent is a real eye-opener:

Grant your faithful, we pray, Almighty God,
The resolve to run forth to meet your Christ\
with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom
Through our Lord....

Hmm - running forth with righteous deeds... this is a far cry from the previous translation's admonition to prepare our hearts "so that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming." Gone is the passive sense that we, like the wise and foolish virgins of the parable, are simply waiting for the Bridegroom to show up to start the celebration. Missing is that whole "preparing the way" thing. Instead, we have a visual image - we are gearing up to run toward Christ as if we are long-lost lovers. Kind of like this:

This is a big change. One that will have me, at least, re-evaluating my image of Advent as a quiet time of preparation. Time to get those righteous deeds ready and put on my running shoes!

Prepare! Prepare!

2011-11-25T18:05:00.001-06:00

Advent will once again be upon us tomorrow night. Another church year draws to a full close - and with it the admonition to ready ourselves for the coming of the Lord. Our God, who once came among us clothed in human flesh, calls us to remember, to embrace Him fully in the here and now, and to ready ourselves for the End Times, as if they would come today (which they could, if it were God's will).

This song, for me, captures perfectly what Advent is all about.

May your time of preparation for His coming be truly fruitful and blessed.

Let's Start a Movement: Occupy Thanksgiving - Be Thankful for What You HAVE

2011-11-18T23:59:00.002-06:00

Earlier tonight, it occurred to me that with the news this year that Target and other stores will be open Thanksgiving night (and some even earlier in the day) that a line has finally been crossed. It's time for those of us who respect tradition and family values to stand up and refuse to be sucked into the consumer maelstrom that has been taking over our country with increasing insistence.

It's high time that large consumer outlets looking to make a profit stopped telling us what to do and when. It's time that the Christmas industry stopped co-opting Halloween and Thanksgiving. It only happens because we let it. This year, don't encourage them. Start a backlash. Stay home. Shop after your holiday celebration. We should first be thankful for what we HAVE... only then is it appropriate to go out and get more stuff. (Maybe!)

This guy beat me to it: Occupy Thanksgiving. Love the graphic.

We should first be thankful for what we HAVE... only then is it appropriate to go out and get more stuff.

But then, maybe first we should try to Occupy Advent.

Principles, Attitudes and Strategies for Liturgy with Children

2011-11-15T07:24:00.001-06:00

Tonight I will be speaking to a group of parish catechists about liturgy with children. Here is the handout I have put together for them. (Note that the reason I have been asked to speak to them is partly because there have been some issues regarding the regular addition to religious education Masses of performances by the children, designed to showcase them and to motivate applause.)

1. Children have a natural sense of the sacred and a wonderful capacity for connecting with symbol and ritual. Good liturgy with children means giving them an opportunity to participate in the roles of the Liturgy and experience its power – NOT in adding “extras to the Liturgy to make it “child-friendly,” not in artificially turning it into a teaching moment.

2. The liturgy has roles. Children need to participate to the greatest extent possible in the liturgy. Therefore, they need an opportunity to take on the liturgical roles. (Directory for Masses with Children, 22) Liturgy is work. Children are naturally helpful, so they will eagerly take on the work of those roles if they are properly trained. Don’t just ask them to read. Teach them how to proclaim. Don’t just ask them to bring up the gifts. Show them how to do that with reverence and grace.

3. Liturgy is NOT entertainment. Nothing in the liturgy should showcase any person or persons in such a way as to generate applause. The Mass is a prayer to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. It is never about us. And the assembly is not the audience expecting to be entertained.

4. The same gifts and talents are NOT given to everyone. This is not the Little League, where “no child shall be disappointed.” Children should be given liturgical roles for which they show some aptitude, not because it is “their turn.” Some children can sing: they belong in a children’s choir. Some can walk with grace and dignity – they should be in processions or should carry banners. Some can read clearly – they should be readers.

5. The people in the pews (the Assembly) have a specific “job description”. They are not the “audience” watching a performance. Teach children their proper role in joining in the Mass responses, spoken and sung. Teach them to listen – actively – to the Word of God. Teach them to offer their lives to God along with the gifts of bread and wine. Teach them to truly prepare themselves to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Teach them to pray in thankfulness after receiving the Eucharist and to know what it is they are being sent out into the world to do as the Mass ends.

6. Children are tactile, sensory and able to grasp the significance of symbols. When appropriate, use the liturgical symbols: water, bread, wine, oil, fire lavishly and well. Help kids experience them, become familiar with them and delight in them.

7. Have them practice the songs that will be sung before the day of the Mass. Catechists can be given a tape or CD with the Mass songs.

So, what CAN children do at liturgy? They can take the proper liturgical roles. (Ask your parish music and liturgy director or parish members who train liturgical ministers to assist)

PREPARING FOR THE MASS:
1. Make a banner (These can even be made from heavy paper and mounted on a pole)
2. Decorate the altar or the liturgical space for the season with artwork or assist in placing fabric, flowers or other objects
3. Be part of a committee to choose the songs that will be sung (working with the musician or parish liturgist)
4. Be part of a committee to help write the General Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful)
5. Decide to which charity the proceeds of a monetary or food collection will go.

AT MASS:
1. Be informed members of the Assembly, participating in the sung and spoken responses of the Mass, even if they serve in other ministries.
2. Be a minister of hospitality: greeter or usher, seating parents and/or handing out programs
3. Be an altar server (preferably they are students who do this on weekends because of the many details they need to know.)
4. Be part of the opening procession, carrying a banner
5. Be a song –leader or member of a choir
6. Be a reader
7. Be the psalmist (sung or spoken)
8. Bring up the gifts of bread and wine (the only things besides a monetary collection that should go up in that procession)
9. Be a communion usher, indicating when a row should get up to join the line
10. Collect books or song-sheets from Mass participants as they leave - and thank them for being there

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY:

Directory for Masses with Children (1973)

General Instruction ofthe Roman Missal (2011 edition)

Today’s Liturgy withChildren (article collection for liturgical catechesis)

TheLiturgical Catechist website

Getting More Out of the Mass - Part 5: Praying the Responsorial Psalm

2011-11-13T09:50:00.001-06:00

In the fifth part of this series, I would like to expand comments I shared recently at our parish Roman Missal sessions. This is another piece about the particular points of "internal participation" by the Assembly. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

During the Liturgy of the Word, there are two particular places for musical participation by the people. The first of these is the Responsorial Psalm. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says: "After the First Reading follows the Responsorial Psalm, which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and which has great liturgical and pastoral importance, since it fosters meditation on the Word of God." (61)

The key word there is "meditation" - which clearly implies an engaged inner engagement with the text during the Psalm. This is not passive listening, or simple enjoyment of a song and joining in a refrain.

The cantor here takes on a specialized role: "It is the psalmist’s place to sing the Psalm or other biblical canticle to be found between the readings. To carry out this function correctly, it is necessary for the psalmist to be accomplished in the art of singing Psalms and have a facility in public speaking and elocution." (G.I.R.M. 102) Notice the role implies the ability to proclaim Scripture well - this goes beyond merely being a good singer, because the Psalm is more than a mere song. Ideally, the cantor will not just sing the Psalm, but pray it as well - sincerely interacting with the text, connecting spiritually to the words and how they have impacted his/her own life in the past, and impact it in the present moment.

As a cantor/psalmist myself for almost 24 years, I have often been encouraged to make the Psalter my prayer book - to have a living relationship to the words I sing and proclaim and to make the Responsorial Psalm a moment of genuine prayer. There is no substitute for that. The authenticity of the cantor's prayer life should be transparent during the Psalm. Therefore, the act of singing is secondary to the expression of the meaning of the text, which should come from the depths of the heart, without being so overly dramatic as to be distracting to the Assembly.

Much of this expression can be accomplished through eye contact with the Assembly, the sincerity of the facial expression and the dynamics (level of loudness/softness) as the Psalm is proclaimed. Ideally, the cantor should sing a joyful psalm of praise with conviction and joy, or a psalm of contrition with a genuine sense of his/her own sinfulness and unworthiness. It does not matter if the musical form is chant or through-composed. The inner engagement of the singer should be transparent. The Psalm is not merely an expressionless chant. It is not merely a pretty song. It is never a performance. Instead, it is a moment when the proclamation of the Scriptural text is incarnated - brought to life through the authenticity of the cantor.

Certainly, it helps if the cantor has the musical ability needed to make the singing of the psalm "beautiful," but knowing the music and being able to sing well is secondary to the ability to proclaim the text. The ability to make the music simply a vehicle for the prayer is what every cantor should strive for in his/her ministry. When this is done well, the Psalm becomes a genuine dialog of prayer between the people and the cantor. During the Responsorial Psalm, the cantor/psalmist is - like the priest in the rest of the Mass - the leader of prayer. While the cantor is the collective voice of the people as individual private human beings, each living their relationship with God along with all the emotions and situations described in the psalms, the priest is in his role leader of the voice of the Mystical Body of Christ, the gathered Assembly, raising the public prayer of the Church to the Father.

What is the role of the people during the Psalm? To listen and actively meditate on the words of the verses and to make both the verses they hear and antiphon they sing their own personal prayer - to "own" the Psalm as the voice of something in their own human experience.

Next: the Gospel Acclamation.

Getting More Out of the Mass - Part 4: Being Hearers of the Word

2011-11-11T16:28:00.003-06:00

In the fourth part of this series, I would like to expand comments I shared recently at our parish Roman Missal sessions. This is another piece about the particular points of "internal participation" by the Assembly. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

As we settle into the pews after the Introductory Rites for the Liturgy of the Word, the internal participation of Assembly members should shift from a posture of united prayer through Christ to the Father to one of receptivity and openness. Now, we listen. The Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass says this about the Word of God in the Participation of the Faithful:

When God communicates his word, he expects a response, one, that is, of listening and adoring "in Spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:23). The Holy Spirit makes that response effective, so that what is heard in the celebration of the Liturgy may be carried out in a way of life: "Be doers of the word and not hearers only" (Jas 1:22). The liturgical celebration and the participation of the faithful receive outward expression in actions, gestures, and words. These derive their full meaning not simply from their origin in human experience but from the word of God and the economy of salvation, to which they refer. Accordingly, the participation of the faithful in the Liturgy increases to the degree that, as they listen to the word of God proclaimed in the Liturgy, they strive harder to commit themselves to the Word of God incarnate in Christ. Thus, they endeavor to conform their way of life to what they celebrate in the Liturgy, and then in turn to bring to the celebration of the Liturgy all that they do in life. (6)

This, then, is not passive listening, but an actively engaged listening that requires the hearer to open him or herself up to the Word in a way that would allow them to become "conformed" - i.e. possibly/probably changed.

The important role of the Holy Spirit in the proclaimed Word is further described here:

The working of the Holy Spirit is needed if the word of God is to make what we hear outwardly have its effect inwardly. Because of the Holy Spirit's inspiration and support, the word of God becomes the foundation of the liturgical celebration and the rule and support of all our life.
The working of the Holy Spirit precedes, accompanies, and brings to completion the whole celebration of the Liturgy. But the Spirit also brings home to each person individually everything that in the proclamation of the word of God is spoken for the good of the whole gathering of the faithful. In strengthening the unity of all, the Holy Spirit at the same time fosters a diversity of gifts and furthers their multiform operation. (9)

"...brings home to each person individually..." - that means the Word is, with the help of the Spirit, actively seeking YOU. Next time you go to Mass, remember that during the proclamation of the Word, God's Word is alive and active - and a bit like a heat-seeking missile - targeted to the most vulnerable parts of your life - the ones most in need of conforming to what we celebrate at Mass.

Getting More of the Mass Part 3: Joining in the Prayer of the Church

2011-10-29T09:17:00.005-05:00

In the third part of this series, I would like to expand comments I shared recently at our parish Roman Missal sessions. This is another piece about the particular points of "internal participation" by the Assembly. (Part 1, Part 2)

After the singing of the Glory to God, the altar server brings the Missal to the presider and, after he opens it, he says "Let us pray." Ideally, he leaves a moment of silence here, although in practice, we all have been at Masses where there is no more than a split second. Here is why silence is so necessary: this invitation to pray is not so much about the words he will speak in the Collect (formerly the Opening Prayer), as it is about what each person present is being asked to do at this point.

The new General Instruction of the Roman Missal says this:

Next the Priest calls upon the people to pray and everybody, together with the Priest, observes a brief silence so that they may become aware of being in God’s presence and may call to mind their intentions. Then the Priest pronounces the prayer usually called the “Collect” and through which the character of the celebration finds expression. (54)

This, again, is a point on which we have not really catechized people well. Their internal participation piece here is the adding of their own intentions for prayer for that day. Again, since most people have had little catechesis on the Mass since childhood, I am not sure many were taught that this is a point in the Mass where they have a role of their own and that this is not just about the prayer Father is about to say.

The practice by many priests of leaving little or no silence here says to me that either they were not properly formed about the purpose of the silence, or they have little regard for the participation of the people. (One of the small delights for me of celebrating Mass with my new local Bishop, R. Daniel Conlon, has been that he leaves significant and noticeable silences at all of the points in the Mass where the rubrics direct the priest to do so.)

So, what is the catechetical implication for this? Adults and children need to know they have the right to come to Mass bringing their own intentions for the celebration to lay before God at the altar. Besides the published intention of the Mass that day, this prayer of the people, offered through Christ to the Father, carries their own individual needs and intentions for the needs of their families and friends to the very throne of God. So, part of the preparation of every person coming to a Mass should be a moment to consider what they need to offer up to God that day in prayer.

Study Shows American Catholics Vary on Understanding the Real Presence

2011-10-26T07:27:00.001-05:00

The recent survey of American Catholics published in NCR is quite revealing not only about attitudes about the faith, but also about how well catechesis has succeeded or failed. When it comes to belief that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Christ, results are unsurprising, if somewhat disheartening for those of us in the work of catechesis. The reasons for attending Mass are also revealing. Three out of four said they go because they "enjoy the liturgy."

The report on knowledge and beliefs about the Eucharist is here.

This is definitely a call for liturgical catechesis of adults!

Getting More Out of the Mass - Part 2: Sign of the Cross

2011-10-21T08:34:00.001-05:00

In the second part of this series, I would like to expand comments I shared recently at our parish Roman Missal sessions. This is another piece about the particular points of "internal participation" by the Assembly. (Part 1)

In speaking of the Sign of the Cross, I want to share a favorite quotation from the great liturgical scholar Romano Guardini (1885-1968):

When we cross ourselves, let it be with a real sign of the cross. Instead of a small cramped gesture that gives no notion of its meaning, let us make a large unhurried sign, from forehead to breast, from shoulder to shoulder, consciously feeling how it includes the whole of us, our thoughts, our attitudes, our body and soul, every part of us at once, how it consecrates and sanctifies us. It does so because it is the Sign of the universe and the sign of our redemption. On the cross Christ redeemed mankind. By the cross he sanctifies man to the last shred and fibre of his being. We make the sign of the cross before we pray to collect and compose ourselves and to fix our minds and hearts and wills upon God. We make it when we finish praying in order that we may hold fast the gift we have received from God. In temptations we sign ourselves to be strengthened; in dangers, to be protected. The cross is signed upon us in blessings in order that the fullness of God's life may flow into the soul and fructify and sanctify us wholly. Think of these things when you make the sign of the cross. It is the holiest of all signs. Make a large cross, taking time, thinking what you do. Let it take in your whole being,--body, soul, mind, will, thoughts, feelings, your doing and not-doing,-- and by signing it with the cross strengthen and consecrate the whole in the strength of Christ, in the name of the triune God.

(Sacred Signs,p. 14)

As we begin Mass, if we keep the importance of this ritual action in mind, we will begin our communal prayer in the best possible way - involving our entire selves.

Next: the Collect

Getting More Out of the Mass - Part 1: Joining in the One Voice of the Body of Christ

2011-10-20T08:39:00.000-05:00

(This is the first in a projected series of posts based on the talk I gave on the new Roman Missal at my parish this week, describing the changes in the words of the Mass, but along the way, helping people understand their role at Mass as the Assembly. I want to expand some points and share - in hopes that some would use these to enrich catechesis on the Mass. )

It has often been said we get more out of the Mass if we put more into it. But what should the average person in the pew "put in"? We teach children and young people - and adults entering the church - external participation: that they should sing, say the words, and do the postures (stand, sit and kneel). But do we teach them what should be going on inside? Internal participation is what should be going on in our minds and hearts as we do these physical things and during the spaces and silences in the Mass which are specifically there so that we can add our part of the prayer. Why do we go to Mass? Not merely to sing and say the words. Not merely to do the same postures and gestures that others are doing. These are external signs of an internal disposition.

Every Catholic pretty much knows they should enter the worship space, genuflect to the tabernacle, and kneel for prayer to prepare themselves for Mass. But from what I see as a cantor, facing the Assembly, many are not quite so clear on their role in the song during the Entrance Rite. We are not merely there to listen to the music and watch the procession of the presider and ministers. However, from the number of people who do not even open the songbook, even in a community where many do sing, it is clear no one has ever told them why it is important to do so.

Why should everyone join in the song-- even if we hate our voice and think we cannot sing? (A common excuse, by the way.) What is the purpose of that song? Quite simply to help us to "park our egos" at the door. By joining our voices to the song, no matter if it is repeating the chanted entrance antiphon or a congregational through-composed song, we become part of the one voice - the one sound of the assembled Body of Christ. For the hour we are at Mass, we take on our proper role as members of that Mystical Body. We claim our identity not as individuals, but as members. This is true full and active participation. It signifies our assent to taking on the role of members of the Assembly - the People of God at worship, doing our "work" in the liturgy: lifting our prayer to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, with the leadership of the ordained priest in his proper role.

This internal disposition as part of a corporate identity is why, later, at the Creed, we say "I believe..." - it is a statement of belief - that we say in our oneness, not just as individuals. It is also the same reason the Church asks that national symbols remain outside the worship space - as demonstrated by the rubric which asks that flags be removed from a casket at a funeral, and replaced with the pall, symbolic of our baptismal membership in this gathered assembly. As members of the Mystical Body, we have no individual identity as belonging to a particular nation. This is an attitude. It is what makes Mass not "about ME".

Want to know more? Read Mystical Body, Mystical Voice, by Douglas Martis and Christopher Carstens (Liturgy Training Publications) and Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship.

Next: The Sign of the Cross.

Of Hobgoblins, Cups, Chalices (and Grails)

2011-10-17T23:13:00.002-05:00

Last week at choir practice at my parish, our choir director asked me why in the new Roman Missal the Latin word "calix" is translated as "chalice" in the Words of Institution but when we sing Memorial Acclamation B, it is "Cup". We had, at all our parish Masses last weekend, watched the LifeTeen parent/adult video on the Roman Missal changes, in which it explains in some detail the first usage. However, on Thursday night, as the choir practiced the new acclamation, the difference struck her. I could not give her an answer. So, I asked.... several people through the social networks.

Knowing he'd have the Latin text close at hand, I first checked with Jeffrey Pinyan. I asked him if the Latin was the same in both places. He assured me it is - and that he did not know why there was an inconsistency. Next, I checked in with Diana Macalintal of the Diocese of San Jose. She speculated that perhaps the Memorial Acclamation is quoting 1 Cor 11:26.. and referred me to another blog post by Fr. Ray Blake, that says in the original Greek, the scripture uses "poculum". This leads me to wonder - are we translating the Latin text of the Missal, or are we going back to Scripture (just saying!).

When I asked Jerry Galipeau, he admitted he did not know either, but that very question had been raised at one of his sessions the week before. He proceeded to put the question into a post on his blog the next day. His post has just been picked up by Fritz Bauerschmidt over on the Pray Tell blog. Both posts are generating a number of interesting comments, but no definitive answer.

Amid all the complicated answers, there are those who simply say what Fr. Richard Fragomeni answered when I spoke to him about it before he celebrated a regional Mass with some of our catechists Saturday morning: "It's probably just a mistake in translation of the Latin."

Maybe it is indeed a case of "Why ask why?". Ralph Waldo Emerson may have said it best: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Then again, maybe Stephen Spielberg had it right all along (wait for it):

The Pope: Catholics - Don't Be Lukewarm - A Catechetical Challenge

2011-09-26T09:08:00.002-05:00

On the last day of his visit to Germany, Pope Benedict put it very bluntly: If you are lukewarm about your Catholic faith and do not practice it in everyday life, even the agnostic, who is at least struggling with the question of whether there is a God, is closer to God than you are.

As another blogger put it so well: "Sitting in church does not make you Catholic... any more than standing in your garage makes you a car."

As I have repeatedly said in this space, we have a massive failure to show most people why Catholic faith matters. The situation in most parishes in my area continues to deteriorate. While about 10 years ago, if you asked kids in a religious education class how many went to Mass the previous weekend, you would get somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 who said yes, that number is dwindling to just a couple kids in each class in many parishes.

Parents continue to drop kids off so they can feel like they "raised their kids Catholic". Too often, they not only do not attend Mass, but do not send their children to religious education during non-sacrament-preparation years. The excuses, of course, are many - conflicts with sports, too expensive, too busy... Worst of all, most of these families disappear from the parish after their kids have celebrated the sacraments -- as if to say. "Done that - check it off my 'good parent list'."

What the Pope says matters. John, in the Book of Revelation, was told to tell the Angel to write:

“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. (Rev. 3:15-17)

How are we, in parishes, challenging and helping Catholics to move from lukewarm to burning with the fire of the Spirit?

Some Clues from the Business World About Designing and Marketing Adult Faith Formation

2011-09-25T19:59:00.003-05:00

This week in my diocese, we will have our fall gathering of adult faith formation leadership for discussion and sharing. One issue that is sure to come up is the perennial one: how do we get people to participate in what we offer? Although in our June event with John Roberto of Lifelong Faith Associates, he suggested that parish leaders need to move toward ways to individualize people's experiences through technology and a well-curated website that speaks to their needs, I suspect most of our people aren't ready to begin that.

Most parish leaders will remain in our current mode: typically in the Church we come up with a presentation we think will be what people need to hear, we make bulletin and pulpit announcements, maybe posters, and we wait for people to come to us. Afterwards, we bemoan the lack of attendance, but then start over and do the next event in pretty much the same way. As a friend of mine used to say: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got."

The problem is, however, that we make a lot of assumptions when we offer programs. The simple fact that a minority of Catholic adults participate in adult faith formation offerings seems to be due to our inability to convince them of the value of those programs. Lacking the technology expertise, time and motivation to move into an individualized offering, web-curation stage, the very least we can do is look at how we choose or design programs, and, after that, how we market them effectively. One place to look for assistance with this is to experts in product design creativity, promotion and motivation.

In the book Subject to Change: Creating Great Products and Services for an Uncertain World, David Verba, of Adaptive Path, suggests that
"When a person engages with your products, services and environments, a set of distinctly human qualities comes into play. A person's experience emerges from these qualities:

I don't have the answers, but I suggest it might be use for parish leaders look at their programming in light of how well they are fulfilling the motivations, expectations, perceptions people have - and in looking at how the programming meshes with these six things. Knowing more about that can help us design offerings and publicize them in ways that honor who the target audience is. It isn't good enough to say, in effect - "Hello, we are the Church, we know what's good for you, please come to our event."

Joy Evangelizes

2011-09-25T09:26:00.001-05:00

Catholic TV has just posted a series of short videos from Jesuit Fr. James Martin on the importance of joy, humor and laughter in the spiritual life. He says, in this first one:

"An essentially positive outlook shows people that you believe in God, that you believe in the power of life over death, that you believe in the Resurrection. Joy draws other people to God."

"Why would anyone want to join a group of miserable people?" he asks. To which I say: AMEN! If you're Catholic and you believe God is in every moment of your everyday life, please tell your face!

Go HERE to view the video on the Catholic TV page, along with Father Martin's other related short segments on joy, humor and laughter in the spiritual life.

"Deliver Us, Lord, From Every Evil and Grant Us Peace in Our Day.."

2011-09-19T23:22:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I am really glad I am Catholic.

About 10 days ago on one of my social networks, someone related an episode at his home, when visiting friends were horrified that he kept a loaded gun in the house and wanted to carry it whenever walking outdoors. This had sparked a long discussion among his contacts about gun rights. I openly expressed my own discomfort with guns - and that I found it hard to understand why anyone felt they needed to carry one. Based on that discussion, my friend opened a new one a few days later asking women to share how they keep themselves safe. Many of the women - and the men who eventually joined in the commentary - saw a great need to be armed at all times. One man mentioned his wife walked more confidently now that she has a gun and knows how to use it. Another man shared that with the bad economy, he fears that crime will be increasing, so he is getting a gun because he wants to be ready.

I countered that I felt reasonably safe at home and going out, even at night without a gun. Even though I frequently go into a neighborhood plagued by crime when I participate in activities at my inner-city parish, I feel reasonably safe. My faith community has always responded to any threat with common sense and preventive strategies. We look out for one another. No one has need of a gun. I am simply unworried. I mentioned to the others that at every Mass we Catholics pray to be delivered from anxiety - and that I believe that God will protect me. I think they were polite, but probably could not understand my attitude any more than I could understand theirs.

One of the great gifts of being a believing Catholic is a sense of trust in God's providence. It is truly a case of lex orandi, lex credendi - what we pray is what we believe. Near the end of the Lord's Prayer at every Mass, we pause as the priest prays the Embolism prayer.The name, which evokes images of a "bubble", comes from a Greek word meaning interpolation - currently this is:

Deliver us Lord, from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

in the new translation, which we will begin using on November 27, 2011, it is rendered:

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant us peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Then, a short time later, we are invited to "offer one another a sign of Christ's peace."

This peace, this delivery from "anxiety" or "distress" is an important part of being Christ's people. As Jesus told his disciples he would soon be leaving them, he said "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27)

This is one of the gifts that Catholic faith can offer to people living in a troubled world. Inner peace, delivery from anxiety. True followers of Jesus live in the moment, trusting that God is here now, and will be here in the next moment. Common sense, yes. Living as if you are in a war-zone, beset with constant fear for personal safety, not so much.

How Can We Share the Beauty and Joy of Catholic Faith?

2011-09-18T22:13:00.004-05:00

Today, Pope Benedict renewed his call for all Catholics to participate in the new evangelization of the world. In the face of an increasingly secularized world, he defined "new evangelization" as the great need for "regions of ancient Christian tradition" to "rediscover the beauty of faith." That's important. "Beauty" implies an appreciation, not simply a knowledge of doctrinal correctness of faith. What Benedict is asking is that we share what it is to live as a Catholic in the fullest sense.

Miriam Webster online dictionary defines beauty as "the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit: loveliness."

Certainly, an understanding of how Catholic teaching supports this beauty is important... but it is not the first thing we should present. Rather, we need to win people's hearts by sharing the joy of being Catholic. Only then can we help them understand how Catholic teaching supports and strengthens the lifestyle of faith.

In the section of the General Directory for Catechesis that defines catechesis as an "essential moment in evangelization" (61-63) it also states that "The fact that catechesis, at least initially, assumes a missionary objective, does not dispense a particular Church from promoting an institutionalized programme of primary proclamation to execute more directly Jesus's missionary command. Catechetical renewal should be based thus on prior missionary evangelization." (62)

So, how do we go about "primary proclamation" in a way that expresses the beauty of the faith? About a week ago, I heard Fr. Robert Barron do a live 30-minute webcast, during which he defined his goal in producing the Catholicism video series and the accompanying book as to present the beauty of the faith. He also said that we Catholics need always to "evangelize with joy". At the time he said it, I was struck by his conviction that joy is key to our mission to share the faith.

We must be about expressing the beauty of faith with joy - not with somber finger-pointing at the evils of the secular world. Not by judging people who do not live the way of our faith, but by inviting them to "come and see" that Catholic faith, lived fully, in conformity with Church teaching, is a key to a joy-filled life - even during times of suffering and disappointment. We need to invite people to a lifestyle which leads to eternal life - rather than simply presenting it as a moralistic lifestyle that seems all too often to be one of abstinence from what people naturally want.

I'm going to come right out and say it: I am convinced that too often outsiders (including inactive Catholics) see us Catholics as people who say NO, not as people who say YES. They see us as moralistic finger-waggers - and they probably think all we do is talk about sex, while being unable to clean up our own act. As a result, the American public is not exposed to the fullness and beauty of what the Church does teach about sex - and everything else, because the NO about the Church is often drowning out the YES. (That, by the way, is pretty much one of the reasons Father Barron gave for why he chose to spend several years of his life and risk thousands of dollars to create the Catholicism videos... because he wanted to present the fullness of the beauty of the Catholic Church - to counteract the bad press the Church has gotten recently because of the sex-abuse crisis.)

Where do we find the beauty of our faith? We must invite others to consider and desire the good, the true and the beautiful by exposing them to the Catholic Church as a community of living examples of full and joyous faith - and showing them that the true underpinning for this kind of life is a balanced formation based on the Six Tasks of Catechesis:

Promoting knowledge of the faith
Liturgical education
Moral formation
Teaching to pray
Education for community life
Missionary initiation

Primary proclamation of the Gospel and concentration on all six of these tasks are needed for the fullness of "new evangelization." If we present the whole faith as what the General Directory calls the "symphony of faith" (136) without any one component loudly drowning out the others, we show to the world the full beauty of that "symphony."

Lastly, where do we find the joy that makes expression of this beauty fully possible? It should shine forth hrough our liturgies, certainly, drawing people into a coherent sense that what we pray is what we believe with deep conviction. This joy should be an evident part of our lives in the public sphere - people should look at Catholics in good times and bad and see an inward serenity in the midst of a troubled world that does not come from mere temporal happiness, and want to know why we have it, and how they can get what we have. So, if you are Catholic and enjoying it, please tell your face! Then, go find something you find beautiful about the faith - and share it.

Liturgical Word for the Day: "Kavanah"

2011-08-28T15:48:00.002-05:00

This morning, I caught a show on my local ABC affiliate that featured an interview with three Jewish rabbis - talking about the upcoming high holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. During the discussion, each rabbi shared a bit about his/her own preparation and interior disposition for leadership of the liturgies of these celebrations. Of course, since our tradition in the Church is rooted in Jewish liturgy, there were similarities to our own worship. However, I was struck by a particular word one rabbi used to describe the attitude that he must have to be able to lead prayer authetically: kavanah.

One webpage about Judaism describes it this way:

The mindset for prayer is referred to as kavanah, which is generally translated as "concentration" or "intent." The minimum level of kavanah is an awareness that one is speaking to G_d and an intention to fulfill the obligation to pray. If you do not have this minimal level of kavanah, then you are not praying; you are merely reading. In addition, it is preferred that you have a mind free from other thoughts, that you know and understand what you are praying about and that you think about the meaning of the prayer.

I think this delightful concept is a treasure we need to explore more deeply as Catholics. When we celebrate the Mass, whether as presider, liturgical minister, or as a member of the assembly, we should have that kind of interior intentional focus. De musica sacra et sacra liturgia (Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy) written in 1958, at the time when the concept of "active participation" was first being universallly promoted, puts the concept this way:

22. By its very nature, the Mass requires that all present take part in it, each having a particular function.
a) Interior participation is the most important; this consists in paying devout attention, and in lifting up the heart to God in prayer. In this way the faithful "are intimately joined with their High Priest...and together with Him, and through Him offer (the Sacrifice), making themselves one with Him" (Mediator Dei, Nov. 20, 1947: AAS 39 [1947] 552).
b) The participation of the congregation becomes more complete, however, when, in addition to this interior disposition, exterior participation is manifested by external acts, such as bodily position (kneeling, standing, sitting), ceremonial signs, and especially responses, prayers, and singing.

53 years on, it is possible that we may have lost the original balance between interior and exterior participation. We focus on asking people to sing, to say the prayers, etc, but I see very little evidence that in our catechesis of children, youth and adults that we more than sporadically make an effort to help people understand what should be going on in their mind and heart during Mass. To be sure, most people who are willingly at Mass naturally make an effort to be involved in what is happening during the liturgy. They sing, sit, stand, process, and listen. However, are they doing kavanah? Are their minds free of other thoughts? Do they understand what they are praying about, and do they think about the meaning of the prayer?

When we begin using the Third Edition of the Roman Missal in the coming months, will people be engaged more deeply because they now have to think about the words? Or will they be put off by long, complex sentences and difficult words? I am convinced that the quality of interior engagement with the liturgy in the months and years to come will be due to the quality of the catechesis provided to people on the new Missal.

New Roman Missal: "People of Good Will" - What Does That Mean?

2011-08-06T15:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a friend of mine currently revising a musical setting of the Gloria using the text of the new Roman Missal sent me an advance sample. I commented to him that the two longer notes on “good will” in the refrain force the singer, in effect, to accent “good” instead of “will” as one might expect, and that was interesting. His response was that he did that intentionally to help focus people on the meaning of the phrase.

That, however, got me thinking. What does it actually mean to be “people of good will”? What will people in the pews in Catholic parishes, asked to sing this “new” phrase think that it means?

Miriam Webster online gives several definitions that seem to apply to some degree:

1 a : a kindly feeling of approval and support : benevolent interest or concern…

2 a : cheerful consent b : willing effort

Urban Dictionary.com is more realistic, perhaps:

“A factor of humanity that is lacking in most people. Good will is the basic component of "good people," that is, those who are nonmalignant, those with clean motives, and those who possess a lack of cruelty and viciousness.”

So, to be people of good will in the worldly definition means merely to have a kindly feeling of approval and support, to give a cheerful consent or make a willing effort and/or to have clean motives and a lack of cruelty and viciousness? Is this our proper response to God and to God’s sending of his Son? Seems a little bit inadequate, does it not?

The translation of the song of the angels in Luke 2:14 in the New American Bible is actually “…peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests”- instead of the Mass text translation of “et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis” from the Novus Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible from which the Third Edition of the Roman Missal is derived.

If God’s favor rests on his people, if we are those privileged to be the objects of God’s love, I would hope we would have more than the dictionary-definition response! Based on the teaching of Jesus and the Church, I would define the attitude that makes up Christian “good will” as follows: joyful, open and willing reception of the Good News, evidenced in a life of loving charity and eager service to others.

What do you think? How will you help adults, youth and children understand this?

St. Ignatius and I, or Cherchez le Jesuit

2011-07-30T23:38:00.000-05:00

As we celebrate the feast day of St. Ignatius, I have to acknowledge that he is the saint who pursues me a bit like the hound of heaven. For some reason, almost every major spiritual crisis in my life has somewhere in it had the influence of a Jesuit, whether in person, or through something I read.

In addition, I am extremely visual, and Ignatian meditations on Scripture tend to affect me deeply, because I really can enter the story. For that discovery, I acknowledge my debt to Fr.J. Michael Sparough, SJ, whose leadership of a meditation at a retreat at a key time in my life and subsequent personal advice helped me realize that God was trying to get my attention. At any rate, I have often found myself in a time of discernment, during which I feel an urge to look around to see where the Jesuit influence is.

What is it about St. Ignatius? The methodology of discernment, I think, along with the working philosophy that God is to be found in all things. He is not an easy saint to follow, certainly. I have an attraction to parts of the Spiritual Exercises, but the idea of finding the time to go through the entire discipline is a little daunting. Still, the impulse is there, in the background, waiting for the right time.

In the meantime, I have to admit that the vagaries of my life journey lately have convinced me of the inevitability of turning my life over to God's will and not mine. My own attempts at achieving goals have been met with mixed success and not a little failure. The following song pretty much says it. Take a listen, and bring to mind this great leader of the Church, St. Ignatius -- then ask how he may be speaking to you.

A Story of Unexpected Love

2011-07-27T07:53:00.000-05:00

Last night, after the featured presentation of "Sherlock" on my local PBS station, I almost changed the channel. I am glad I didn't. They showed a short Oscar-nominated film in Dutch, with subtitles. I normally have little patience for subtitled films, since I am an avid multi-tasker, and when I have to focus on reading rather than hearing the dialog... well, you know how that is! About a minute and a half into this, however, I stopped having the urge to reach for the remote. This film, about an aging office clerk with romantic inclinations ends up being a story of great love, in a most unexpected way. I am thinking this might be a great conversation-starter for parish faith formation. Watch and see if you agree if "there is no greater love than..."

"The Mass in Scripture" - Expanding Catechesis for the New Roman Missal Through Lectio Divina

2011-07-17T21:16:00.004-05:00

Stephen J. Binz's Lectio Divina Bible Study: The Mass in Scripture is a marvelous, deep study of the scriptural roots of the Mass which can prepare people to begin using the texts of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. This resource gives adults an opportunity to grow in understanding the Mass through its biblical sources by discovering and praying over Scripture either individually, or as a group. In the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina, the assumption is that "the reader trusts that God is present and speaks to his people through the inspired word, working profoundly through our minds and hearts."

Beginning with early Christian accounts of the liturgy and its Jewish roots, Binz gives a brief outline, with questions for reflection. He then opens with the first Lectio exercise - reflection on the Apostle Paul's teaching on the Lord's Supper, 1 Cor.11:17-19, which he calls "the Church's oldest existing teaching on the Eucharist." Binz then guides the reader/participant through the process: Listening, Understanding, Reflecting, Praying and Acting. This is the process which will be used for the next 30 sessions.

The subsequent sections of this book consist of 6 "lessons" each, which focus on:
Honoring God in Covenant Worship
Introductory Rites of the Mass
The Liturgy of the Word
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Communion Rite and Dismissal

While most resources about the Mass begin with the Sign of the Cross, Binz rightly starts with the Entrance Antiphon - and a scriptural reflection on what it means to process to the house and altar of God. Not only does he have lessons on the words we speak, but when an action has a scriptural significance, he guides the participant through that as well. An example is Lesson 12, "Praying to the Father, Through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit" - in which we are guided through the scriptural roots of the Collect prayer. Another is Lesson 24, where we focus on the scriptural tradition of sacrifice.

How can this in-depth study be used? Binz gives three options: individual study (with suggested accountability to another person), group study in a weekly format meeting to go through all 30 lessons, or group in a 6-week intensive format where people meet once a week to share about the entire section.

What is immediately obvious from any of these options is that this study is a definite commitment. It is not for the casual Catholic, but rather for those who are willing to make an effort to explore their faith and are ready for the consequently deeper reward of greater understanding. Participation in this process can give people an opportunity to encounter the biblical roots of the Mass, to pray and reflect on those passages, and to allow that process to enrich the prayer of the Mass.

While The Mass in Scripture is a fine response to the call for a deeper catechesis on the Mass to coincide with the implementation of the new texts, it is definitely not for every group in a parish. It IS, however, perfect spiritual nourishment for Small Christian Communities and other people of mature faith who regularly and faithfully attend and fully participate in the Mass. I am of the mind that we should feed our most faithful and engaged parishioners the choicest spiritual food, if they are ready and hungry for it. This resource definitely fills that need at this important time in the Church.

A Community of Song - Family of Support

2011-07-12T07:41:00.002-05:00

I was privileged to be part of a very special rehearsal last night. Approximately 30 veteran choir singers from 5 parishes and some young singers from a local Catholic high school convened at one of our area parishes to practice music for a funeral. As far as pick-up choirs go, this one was excellent - with a pretty good balance among the voice parts. The Holy Spirit called together a group of people who not only are up to the challenge, but who have the hearts to bring their best.

Our director, Todd, a talented young man who had called us together to prepare music for the funeral of his older brother, Mark, who had suffered for the past several years from a brain tumor. Todd is an excellent director, organist and a composer and arranger of church music in his own right. Todd and Mark's mother, Janet, an alto who has sung for many years with several local choirs was also there to sing. The high school students - about 8 of them - were all young people who had experienced Todd as a teacher there - they had driven probably about 45 minutes to an hour to join us. The rest of us were local - and have sung with Todd and/or Janet over the years in several area parishes.

We all met some new music for the first time last night, but what some people did not know, the rest of us did, so all in all it was a good rehearsal. However, good as the musicianship was, the point was the gathering of a community of friends - people who feel close enough to this family in their time of grief to give up an evening and a half day tomorrow morning to be there to celebrate Mark's birth to eternal life - to pray together in song.

Anyone reading this who is an experienced choir singer will understand. Belonging to a parish choir is very close to an experience of Small Christian Community. For most of the year, choir friends pray together twice a week (at rehearsal and Mass) in word and song. We share each other's joys and sorrows willingly over a period of years - and our commitment to each other is quite strong.

Parish musicians are a bit like each other's second family in many ways. We give up time around Christmas and Easter to be at church to sing rather than spend that time with our families. We laugh together, we enjoy each other's good news, and we pray, cry and hug each other through the bad times. I have been privileged to experience this in three parishes myself. It is a special privilege to belong the the parish musicians' community, and one that fosters a spirit of great commitment in many good people. It is an example of Christian community at its very best. The rest of the parish can certainly learn from this model of fidelity and commitment.

Last night was special. Tomorrow will be even more so, when, at the funeral, we will sacrifice our time and offer up our talent to help a family lay a beloved son and brother to rest. None of us will give a second thought to what else we could or should be doing with that time. We know what is important.

Resources for Liturgical Catechesis in Spanish

2011-07-10T07:48:00.001-05:00

Just updated my website, The Liturgical Catechist, with a new page of resources in Spanish (some biligual).

There are a few nice ones created especially to be bilingual, but, as is typical of most resources in the Church, most are simply resources originally written in English translated (or with sub-titles). It is what it is. Someday, perhaps, when we have more people from the Hispanic culture who have been well-educated in liturgical theology and practice, we may see more resources created from within the mindset of their culture. Until then, these are pretty good and readily available from major Catholic publishers. As always, if you have suggestions for additions to my resource lists of things that are specifically liturgical-catechetical, please let me know.

When the Catechist Fails to Live Up to His Role

2011-07-06T08:07:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was tough for many Catholics, especially for regular EWTN viewers and "fans" of the now-infamous Father John Corapi, an admitted former drug addict who underwent a major conversion a number of years ago and who for the last few years has been a regular feature, explaining Catholic teachings. If you were under a rock yesterday and missed all the commotion, there is a good summary of the facts here and a summary of what has been said around the blogosphere here. Corapi's religious order's summary of his misbehavior includes cohabitation with a former prostitute, drugs and sexting, as well as hiding millions of dollars in assets despite his vow of poverty.

Normally, I would not comment in this space on scandals in the Church, but since the latest involves a television catechist and preacher, it seems appropriate to evaluate what has happened in light of that role. This news reveals a sordid secret life beneath the public persona and a stunning lack of authenticity. Corapi's situation, the scandal and dismay it has caused among the faithful are a good illustration of the damage that can result when a person acting in the role of trusted catechist fails to live up to the role in his or her private life.

It is no surprise that Catholics are divided even in the face of this evidence, in their opinion of Corapi. Many who defended him in the past continue to do so. Others are not so sure. I will only say that I very occasionally watched him on EWTN to see what he was about and personally found his style to be too "ranting". I have never liked people that feel they have to shout to be heard. In retrospect, I wonder if this was not a case of trying to convince himself of the truth of his own words.

Untypically, Corapi himself, who rather sadly resembled Anthony Weiner in his protestations of innocence and blame-laying at the beginning of this debacle, has so far been silent about these latest developments. However, his Twitter feed this morning promises a "very special announcement" tomorrow. Not holding my breath, although I do admit to the kind of natural curiosity one has when watching a train wreck or other disaster.

I wrote a few weeks back about the guideline that catechists have "authenticity of life." The Guide for Catechists says, "The work of catechists involves their whole being. Before they preach the word, they must make it their own and live by it... The truth of their lives confirms their message. It would be sad if they did not 'practice what they preached'..." And sad it is, as we are now seeing in Corapi's case. Now, of course, this guideline does not mean that a catechist has to be perfect - we are, after all, a church filled with sinners. However, when the split between the public teacher and the private man is revealed to be so great, his credibility as an instructor on Catholic doctrine (including morality) is irreparably compromised. Many people trusted and loved this man, and thought of him as holy. Now they have to untangle the lie of his private life from the truth of anything he taught. That simply should not be happening.

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass - Review

2011-07-04T22:27:00.002-05:00

Want a simple book for the average Catholic to enrich knowledge of the Mass and help people deal with the changes of the Roman Missal? A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do in the Liturgy by Edward Sri may be the answer for people who want a way to take ownership of the Mass and navigate the changes. While not without some minor deficiencies, this resource is written at the right level for many parish communities and for the background of its people.

Sri's enthusiasm and love for the liturgy of the Mass is evident throughout the book, and his explanations are simple and thorough. While this is a book that explains and tells, rather than letting adults discover the richness of the liturgy, it has its place among resources a parish should consider when planning their fall formation on the Roman Missal. It is written at a popular level and in a very positive tone. In fact, there are places where the reader senses the delight with which Sri enjoys the Mass.

Sri gives not only the scriptural roots of the Mass, but he also gives an explanation of the Liturgical Year, cycles of readings, and other essential elements of the Mass along the way. He explains why we read what we read, and the dynamics between the hearer and the proclaimed Word. He even discusses the dynamic between personal belief and intellectual belief in the Creed and the history and meaning of intercessory prayer. He traces the Old and New Testament roots of the Eucharistic Prayer. He does not assume that his reader knows any of this - and for many adults, that is a good tactic and starting point. He glosses his explanations with pertinent quotations from Vatican II documents, popes, theologians and liturgists.

Sri's explanation of the Liturgy of the Eucharist is occasionally a bit reductive (as when he discusses how the bread and wine symbolize the offering of our lives "and all our little sacrifices," referencing Jeremy Driscoll's book on the Mass instead of connecting it to the more powerful call to claim the priesthood of the laity and offer our very lives along with all our joys and sorrows in paragraph 901 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church). He discusses the relation between the Sanctus and the hymn of the angels at Christ's birth, but misses the opportunity to define the "new" term "hosts" - about which some adults, unfamiliar with the language, have had questions as to whether this refers to the Communion bread... when it refers actually to armies of angels.

I also found it more than a little disconcerting that he moves immediately from the discussion of the "Lord I am not worthy" to an aside on how receiving Communion must be like how Mary felt at the Annunciation, as if the Marian connection is the only one to be made at that point. It IS a legitimate element of eucharistic spirituality, but again, not the only one. After a one-sentence explanation of the actions of the priest at the purification of the vessels and the Prayer After Communion, Sri then jumps immediately to the Concluding Rites without any instruction to the communicant about the meaning of the Communion procession, the purpose of song at this point, the communicant's posture or what they should be doing after receiving or when the priest sits. There is no mention of the silence after Communion or of the role of internal prayer. It just seems as though something essential is missing here in terms of catechesis. Since Sri did a nice job earlier in many of his explanations, going beyond Scripture to focus on the meanings of postures and gestures, I was actually surprised at how quickly and superficially he moved at this point and thereafter to the conclusion of the book.

Back to what he does do well, when discussing the revised texts of the Mass, Sri gives extensive and clear explanations for why the change expresses something essential about the Mass. He also shows how the new wording reclaims the scriptural roots of the Mass. In fact, I found it useful to keep a Bible nearby when reading, since Sri gives many Scripture references. It is by taking the time to read the pertinent Scriptures that the reader can take things deeper. When Sri does quote Scripture, I found it interesting, though not unpredictable, that like many more "traditional" Catholics, he uses the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition, rather than the New American Bible, which is the one we hear read at Mass.

I would point out that I have not seen the DVD or the study guides and workbooks that Ascension Press has produced for this book. In itself, I would give Sri's book three-and-a-half stars out of 5... it has limitations, certainly, as do many of the resources for the new Roman Missal. However, for the majority of people in the pew, this book will do little harm and a great deal of good. If nothing else, it will help people reclaim an enthusiastic sense of the rhythm and scope of the Mass, its roots in Scripture, as well as its beauty.

What We Need is Better Catechesis on Marriage

2011-06-28T08:01:00.004-05:00

Lots of cyber-ink has been expended in discussing the passing of the same-sex "marriage" law in New York and discussions, especially among Catholics, has been heated. The issue, it seems to me, is that there is confusion between the American cultural understanding of marriage and the Church's. The difference is that for most, marriage is only about human love, not a divine institution that is an integral part of God's plan for human beings.

The American cultural understanding is that marriage is primarily about ratifying the love of two persons. The Church's view, in contrast, is that while that is certainly true, marriage, as a sacrament, has a larger purpose. Therein lies the the difference. The understanding that many people who support gay "marriage" are working from is simply reductive.

Elements of the larger sacramental purpose include the formation of a family unit which will be fruitful and open to creating and nurturing new life (children), which forms the basic building block of society and images the love of God. Sacramental marriage is the natural result of the complementarity of male and female, who find their fulfillment in each other, and is the result of Natural Law and God's intention. It is not only the way we create loving environments for raising children, it is simply and most naturally the best way we provide those children with a model that validates and balances their own gender identity so that they can grow up to take their own natural roles in their own families. Along the way, sacramental marriage is a school for love and gratitude and a mutual journey of human and spiritual growth. The giving of oneself in sexual union is not only human, physical gratification, but a spiritual experience that mirrors divine love. You can read more about Catholic teaching on marriage here.

Of course, we have not always lived up to this ideal. In a world where marriages frequently fail because one or both partners is unable to live up to the "job description" we have not really been our own best advertisement for this vision. However, it remains the vision in spite of our limited ability to live it out because God's plan for man and woman is rooted in both biology and psychology. Humans were created as male and female for a reason. We are different. Necessarily so. Our difference is the original, unchanging biological mechanism for procreation and continuation of the human race. The psychological balance of male and female is one of the building blocks of family and society. We frankly offer different and complementary gifts. While in our modern society gender roles may be less strictly defined, the partnership of male and female remains the most common expression of human family around the globe.

This is not to say that a committed same-sex couple cannot engage in at least some of the elements of a good marriage. This is not to say that their love is not real, and certainly not to say that they should not have the same rights in the civil realm. This is not even to say that they cannot raise children in a loving home (although in my experience, those children can sometimes be confused or troubled.) However, what those who deny the validity of Catholic teaching fail to see is that the purpose of a same-sex union is imperfect because it is primarily about validating love, and that the other elements are not present. The difference, of course, is mostly on two counts - the complementarity provided by two genders is absent, and the fruitfulness is, of course, missing. What is less obvious (and frankly a lower priority for those who see marriage as a purely human union) is that such unions are not the result and expression of Natural Law and God's plan.

The issue, as I and some other commentators see it, is that since many young men and women today are not choosing sacramental marriage in the Church, and since so many Catholics see same-sex unions as logical and necessary from a human standpoint, we have failed to pass on a sense that the Church's view of marriage is either valid or important. It is a fact that a significant number of marriages fail, mostly because the commitment is to nothing larger than love and sexual gratification. It is a fact that fewer Catholic young people are seeking sacramental (or for that matter even civil) marriage. That being acknowledged, it is important that we revisit the purpose of a lifelong union between man and woman.

This is, quite simply, a call for better catechesis of our own people about the meaning and purpose of the Sacrament of Marriage. We certainly cannot and should not tell non-Catholics what to believe, or how to conduct their lives in the civil sphere. What we can and must do is help our own people understand the special differences between a union that merely images human love, and one that images the fulfillment of divine love. Quite simply, the same-sex union of two people, though it may be loving and positive, is not the same as marriage.

A sacramental concept of marriage has something greater and more sacred to offer, and we need to preserve that treasure and pass it on to our younger generation. This is quite simply a call to textbook publishers, catechetical leaders, preachers, parents and others who help form young people to do better. If we don't, Catholic marriage will increasingly be seen as no different than anyone else's civil union.

What Language Barrier? We are One!

2011-06-25T09:55:00.003-05:00

Music and the Mass are universal languages. You don't always have to understand to get the gist. Last night, my parish, St. John the Baptist in Joliet, celebrated our patronal feast with a bilingual Mass that brought our aging Anglo population and our vibrant young Hispanic people together. The event was celebrated by our bilingual Anglo pastor, Fr. Fred Radtke and our recently ordained Hispanic (bilingual) associate, Fr. Rommel Perez, a combined choir featuring members of our frankly aging English choir and one of the very young and energetic Spanish choirs, and a small but hearty crowd of about 125 people from both language communities. (OK, it was a Friday night.. you had to be really committed to be there)

Beginning with a sprinkling rite around the outdoor statue of St. John the Baptist and ending with a rousing rock-and-roll Spanish praise song: "Eres Todopoderoso" (translated so we could do it in both languages) it was a celebration of who we are: a community that is coming together, more and more, around the sacraments and the concept of community, despite our differences. Both priests preached separately - not translated - but the homilies were really more or less about the same thing. Fr. Fred talked with passion about his vision for a unified community. Fr. Rommel, from what I could understand with my barely adequate Spanish, preached with great enthusiasm about what a wonderful community San Juan Bautisto is and how we are one.

The music, as is usual at these combined celebrations, featured both groups at their best. As I said, Oscar's Spanish choir is definitely younger, but it, too, holds a mystery - the seeds of the future. The youth in the choir all speak and sing perfect English. In time, the music in this parish will become even more bi-cultural, I suspect, as will the parish, since we are beginning to see a few more young Hispanic families at the English Mass. We will always, for the foreseeable future, need celebrations in both languages.

For the present, we are definitely at our best when we gather both cultures around one table for liturgy. The energy, youth and future is definitely on the Hispanic side, but the older Anglos have vision, stability and a deep understanding of Church to offer. It's a great combination. Today, when we come together to celebrate our parish festival with games, music, food and fundraising, we will also be at our best. We are One Body. We all need each other. Together we will build a future that looks very different from today's reality. What is clear is that we will do it together - because nobody is going anywhere.

Time to register: VLCFF Roman Missal Implementation Course

2011-06-24T15:35:00.000-05:00

Beginning August 7 there will be another opportunity to take the 5-week University of Dayton online course "Roman Missal: Preparing for the New Translation." This will be my third time as facilitator of this particular course - and I can tell you this is a great experience for parish leaders and high-functioning catechists. The course walks students through the changes in the people's parts of the Mass, the possible benefits of helping Catholics to renew their understanding of the Mass, and allows leaders to work through some strategies and ways of speaking about the changes to people in their parishes, sharing ideas and challenges along the way. It's a good opportunity to work through some issues, and hear from other leaders.

Register here

Course Summary:

In the U.S. on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011, we will implement the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. Unlike the revised liturgy of over forty years ago, we will not see any major changes to the way we celebrate Mass. What will be different is the translation, a slight rearrangement of the texts in the book itself, the addition of some new prefaces, new proper prayers for the saints that have recently been added to the church calendar. Most of this the average person in the pew won't even notice. What will be noticed is the people's responses. Just as we learned the English responses fairly quickly over four decades ago, we will no doubt do the same with these new texts now. Why this new Roman Missal? Why the new translation? What opportunities does this have for us to learn more about Mass and pray better? These and other such questions will be addressed in this course.

My New Website is "Ready for PrimeTime"

2011-06-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

Well, it's up and launched. I have been working on a personal website to share resources for liturgical catechesis - and it now has enough on it to be useful, although I will continue to add items to it.

The Liturgical Catechist features what I consider the best and most-useful resources for catechesis for, about and from Catholic liturgy. These are the websites, books, videos and more that I consider essential to the ministry of every catechist and every liturgist. Take a look... and bookmark it if you like what you see. Thanks!

Liturgical Catechesis Expert Removed From Ministry

2011-06-21T20:18:00.000-05:00

I am deeply saddened to learn that one of the best voices out there on the beauty and power of Catholic liturgy has been removed from ministry due to a credible accusation of sexual misconduct. Fr. J. Glenn Murray, SJ is one of my liturgical catechesis role models. His video from Loyola Press, "Why We Go to Mass" is a classic - explaining in a lively and memorable way why Mass is NOT boring.

Murray,a popular speaker and primary author of the USCCB document Plenty Good Room: the Spirit and Truth of African-American Catholic Worship, has been removed from ministry by the Jesuits and put on administrative leave. So sad.

Permission to Sing the New Translation Granted

2011-06-17T11:18:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. The USCCB has voted to allow parishes to begin using the sung parts of the Mass employing the new translation early - beginning in September, if the local bishop permits. Here is the statement. Kudos to the bishops for realizing that Advent is rather a poor time of year to begin singing new settings. Sentiment around the web (on Facebook and the blogs) has been mixed, but mostly positive.

This change will mean that parishes can begin learning the new Gloria text in the fall, so that the first time they sing it will not be at Christmas liturgies. Sure, the people who only come for Christmas and Easter will be confused, but that, frankly, is not our problem. (I am of the mind that "you snooze, you lose".) At least the "regulars" in the pews and the musicians will have had exposure to it during September through November, so Christmas renditions of the Gloria should be properly strong and unconfused.

I have been in consultation with our parish music director - and after an experience last fall where we attended a choral reading session with both new Mass settings and re-worked familiar ones, we are in agreement that new, at least for now, is better. Somehow, music and words get entrenched in our brains together, so that changing words to familiar tunes (and adding extra notes to accommodate the extra words) seems to make it much more difficult. We, as trained musicians and pretty good sight readers normally, found it very hard to put new words to old music. Maybe later, when we learn the new words well, it will be easier to go back and resurrect old settings.

So, with the opportunity to introduce the new sung parts more gradually, and the spoken parts beginning in Advent, parishes should have an easier time of it. The bishops' decision is one of great common sense.

Pentecost: the Gift of Mission - not "School's Out for Summer!"

2011-06-11T18:05:00.004-05:00

Pentecost often seems a bit of an afterthought in parishes. Pastors and music directors may be tired from a busy round of First Eucharist, Confirmation and even Ordination liturgies, as well as other "rites of spring" such as graduations and weddings. Art and environment ministers, who have been propping up the dying flowers of Easter, are lucky to grab a few swatches of red fabric with which to adorn the worship space for this weekend. Catechetical leaders are too often "done" for the year, with classes over, there is no perceived need to catechize about the significance of Pentecost. Cantors and choir members who have been doggedly singing "big" Easter Season musical selections for weeks, may only be looking forward to a summer hiatus from rehearsals and performances that will come after those pesky "add-on" celebrations of Trinity and Body and Blood. God's tired people, we may only be looking forward to summer. We approach this great feast almost unconscious of its significance.

What do we need to make Pentecost a true celebration of the presence of the Spirit in the Church and in our lives? As the raising up of our identity as a people sent out to renew the world in the name of God? I am convinced that the "school year model" is the chief difficulty.

Psychologically mimicking the cultural calendar emphasis on "startup" in the fall, we begin giving the celebrations of the Liturgical Year attention in September. (Ever notice how poorly we promote the August 15 celebration of the Assumption as if we expect no one to show up?) We work hard through October and November on music, environment, and other elements of the celebration to make Advent and Christmas "big", and then we sigh with relief in January. We rev up again to prepare liturgically and catechetically for Lent, then the Easter Triduum. Entering the 50 Days, filled with those initiation sacrament celebrations, ministers can feel like we have been working hard for months and just want to "cruise" through until the traditional summer "shut down" of rehearsals and liturgical ministry meetings and preparations.

The energy needed to sustain the 9-month blitz of the school year model can be increasingly missing. Too few people doing too many tasks: too few and aging volunteers, often serving in multiple ministries; too few staff members asked to do more because the economy has meant reduced ability to provide support staff. The solution? Perhaps in part, it is to re-evaluate and re-focus on why we are here in the first place.

The Church was created for both celebration ("Do this in memory of me.") and mission ("Go forth and preach and teach..."). We are here not merely to be comforted and to sustain the services we provide to our existing membership, but to be "sent forth" to love and serve - and to tell others the Good News. If this were better understood, we would see the importance of Pentecost - as the day to re-commission all the baptized, to affirm the staff and volunteers, and everyone who lives the faith.

Rather than seeing this weekend as the liturgical afterthought that ends the Easter Season and (almost) kicks off the summer break, we should see Pentecost as time to re-commit the entire Assembly to our core identity and mission. There is no "vacation" period in the Liturgical Year. Pentecost calls ALL of us to continue to be who we are: 24-7, 365 days a year. To do that, we need everyone in the Church to serve in the work needed to celebrate and go forth. There should be no watchers and pew-sitters, only workers. Many hands make light work, as my grandmother used to say! Come holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love... and the energy needed to spread it!

What is "Authenticity of Life"?

2011-06-05T23:18:00.002-05:00

Today was the 45th annual World Communication Day in the Church, and as usual, there was a papal statement attached to the event. This year's title is "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age". The phrase "authenticity of life" particularly jumped out at me, because I have been reflecting recently on what that means in point 8 in the Vatican's 1993 "Guide for Catechists". Here it is:

8. Coherence and authenticity of life. The work of catechists involves their whole being. Before they preach the word, they must make it their own and live by it . "The world (...) needs evangelizers who speak of a God that they know and who is familiar to them, as if they saw the Invisible". What catechists teach should not be a purely human science nor the sum of their personal opinions but the Church's faith, which is the same throughout the world, which they themselves live and whose witnesses they are.
Hence the need for coherence and authenticity of life. Before doing the catechesis one must first of all be a catechist. The truth of their lives confirms their message. It would be sad if they did not "practice what they preached" and spoke about a God of whom they had theoretical knowledge but with whom they had no contact. They should apply to themselves the words of St. Mark concerning the vocation of the apostles: "He appointed twelve, to be his companions and to be sent out to preach" (Mk 3:14-15).
Authenticity of life means a life of prayer, experience of God and fidelity to the action of the Holy Spirit. It implies a certain intensity and an internal and external orderliness, adapted to the various personal and family situations of each. It might be objected that catechists, being members of the laity, cannot have a structured spiritual life like that of religious and that therefore they must content themselves with something less. But in every life situation, whether one is engaged in secular work or in the ministry, it is possible for everyone, priest, religious or lay person, to attain a high degree of communion with God and an ordered rhythm of prayer, including the finding of times of silence for entering more deeply into the contemplation of God. The more intense and real one's spiritual life is, the more convincing and efficacious will one's witness and activity be....

Compare what Pope Benedict says today of the online persona:

In the digital age too, everyone is confronted by the need for authenticity and reflection. Besides, the dynamic inherent in the social networks demonstrates that a person is always involved in what he or she communicates. When people exchange information, they are already sharing themselves, their view of the world, their hopes, their ideals. It follows that there exists a Christian way of being present in the digital world: this takes the form of a communication which is honest and open, responsible and respectful of others. To proclaim the Gospel through the new media means not only to insert expressly religious content into different media platforms, but also to witness consistently, in one’s own digital profile and in the way one communicates choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically. Furthermore, it is also true in the digital world that a message cannot be proclaimed without a consistent witness on the part of the one who proclaims it. In these new circumstances and with these new forms of expression, Christian are once again called to offer a response to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is within them (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).

So, what is "authenticity of life?" It means that what you see is what you get. A true Christian witness, whether acting as a catechist or interacting online preaches the Gospel at all times because he or she lives it. In the words at the Ordination Rite of a priest or deacon being presented with the Book of the Gospels., a catechist is asked to "Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach." At all times.

A catechist - or any true Christian - should not have a separate church life and another public life. How we conduct ourselves every day, whether online, in the classroom, in the workplace or other public forum should be of one piece and should always reflect the teachings of Christ and his Church. Even when dealing with issues about which we may personally struggle with accepting Church teaching, we must at all times present a coherent picture of that teaching, and not our own opinion. That is what being "authentic" means. And it's not always easy. When Christians speak, we represent Christ and his Church - in a world that needs to hear the authentic voice and not just another personal opinion. St. Paul puts it well to the Corinthians:

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. (1 Cor. 2:12-13)

This is our call - to be effective witnesses - and we are able to do that because, as St. Paul puts it in verse 16, we "have the mind of Christ." Therefore, whenever speaking in public, whether online, or as a catechist, we put our authentic Christ-filled voice at the service of Christ and his Church.

What if We did Theological Reflection on Using Technology in Worship?

2011-05-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

Father Paul Turner, whose address to the 9th liturgical congress at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome I mentioned in my last post, asks some provocative questions of the Academy about culture and liturgy, including about the potential use of technology in worship:

We could also use some theological reflection on the uses of technology. St. Peter’s Square has introduced big screens for papal celebrations. Should we be imitating these in our parishes? Is video projection a natural outgrowth of our adoption of microphones and electric lights, which replace acoustically sound buildings and the play of candlelight? If so, then what does this say about the incarnational theology that has made the Catholic Church one of the greenest assemblages of believers around, encountering God in bread and wine, water and ash, palm branch and olive oil, perfume, bare feet, the phases of the moon, the rising of the sun, the music of the human voice, and the hallowed place of pipe organs? Is there a theology of technology that would help develop our liturgies? Would there be fewer concerns over the printed translation of the third edition of the missal if we used electronic readers instead of hardbound books? Is the controversy over the missal ultimately homage to the printing press? What if we got updates to the translation as frequently as our hard drives downloaded updates to their software? How might that change the authority within the church and the prayer of the people of God?

Definitely food for thought. The large-screen thing maybe not so out there - we do that at large diocesan events already, such as our Youth Leadership Conference, and some parishes already use screens for the words to the songs. I suspect that may be a practice that will gradually spread - especially in large parishes, where visibility in a huge worship space can be poor for many. In our diocese, for example, new churches must be built to seat at least 1100. When spaces are full for Easter and Christmas, remote TV screens don't really seem that out of the realm of possibility.

Using a reader and not a book, however, will probably take longer to catch on. Perhaps less so for the Missal than the Lectionary, which of itself, is a symbol. (I cannot imagine the priest or deacon reverencing an e-reader by kissing it, or holding it up for the Assembly to see!) However, there have already been stories in the news about a few priests using readers at the altar, which most reporters treated as a gimmick rather than a sensible alternative. It would definitely require priests to do some pre-Mass setup with his choices of prayers ahead of Mass, but would certainly be easier for a younger altar server to hold a reader than the heavy new Missal!

What Father Turner proposes in his paper, is not simply about the use of technology. His entire address is calling for a truly updated engagement of liturgical practice and current culture (including ethnic multiculturalism, attitudes about marriage and more). Since our use of technology is becoming the hallmark of today's culture, it is appropriate that we ask these questions. Thanks, Father Turner, for having the courage to "go there."

Confirmation: The Sacrament in Search of Pastoral Practice

2011-05-29T12:09:00.001-05:00

Today, in my mostly Hispanic parish in inner-city Joliet, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with 80 or so young people. As one of the parish catechists, I have walked with 21 of them this year. As a parish musician, I will have the privilege of helping them celebrate. But for many of them, I suspect, this is simply the end of a process that was pretty much pasted onto their teenage years. Despite my best efforts, I am betting most of them will simply go through the motions of the ritual and then go on with their lives as if it never happened. It will be merely a memory in a photo album of a day they got dressed up, went to church and then had a family party.

I know there were a few moments of evangelizing catechesis this year, but that may not make up for an entire life already spent in minimal connection to the Church and to faith. Of the 21 teens, only about 3 acknowledged regular Mass attendance. For the rest, it was occasional, or never, even though we talked about it at almost every session. Trusting in the grace of the sacrament today, I know this is for their good and part of God's plan for them somehow, and I can only hope that at least some will experience further conversion later in life and come to the practice of their faith. I'd like to think that something I said or did will remain in their memory and someday come to fruition. However, as a catechist, I can truly say, this was not my problem, but a problem with how the Church has presented Confirmation.

The text of a recent speech by Father Paul Turner to the 9th liturgical congress at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome (posted over at the PrayTell blog) tells part of the story:

The utter absence of consistent pastoral practice around the world reflects a theology of confirmation in disarray. A sacrament applied to various somewhat related circumstances, confirmation continues to frustrate parents whose teens refuse to attend catechesis, children who think it has everything to do with the bishop, and bishops who enjoy visiting parishes but would prefer to spend their time in a broader exercise of pastoral leadership. Confirm a child of catechetical age at the Easter Vigil, and many parents will wonder how a non-Catholic kid younger than their own can get confirmed, but theirs cannot. The Academy has provided some helpful elucidation, but not enough to effect changes. Parishes struggle to make sense of confirmation, and the best we can do is to reassure parents that the frustration is not their fault.

I suspect that teen participants in the preparation process are similarly confused. The insistence that teens re-memorize formal prayers and Mass responses they have forgotten because they never use them, that they suddenly engage in "service hours" and attend a mandatory retreat, along with the requirements to pick a saint they may have never heard of before and to connect on faith issues with a sponsor can make this entire process a foreign country from which teens are glad to receive their exit visa (the Confirmation certificate).

When we insist that teens attend two years of religious education prior to Confirmation (common in my diocese and supported by policy) and make that two years seem like a review of everything they should have learned, because we are pretty sure none of them will come back ever for further catechesis, we shoot ourselves in the foot. We get what we expect: teens who see this as their last catechesis... because catechesis is something in which they are forced to participate. Like mandatory day-school attendance, this can seem like a "sentence" to time served, enforced by parents, until they grow up and can make other choices for how to spend their time.

While there is some pastoral wisdom out there (I recently heard Sr. Gael Gensler advise a group of parish DRE's that a sponsor for Confirmation should be someone embedded in the parish community life and should be chosen at the beginning of Confirmation preparation instead of near the end), I suspect that by-in-large, we have not made much progress in making sense of Confirmation. Instead of a relational, community-immersed apprenticeship in the life of Christian discipleship, most parishes continue to present classroom-model instruction that is minimally formational and does not provide opportunities for spiritual conversion beyond the obligatory retreat.

I know I cannot fix this by myself. Next year, faced with another group of teens, I will struggle valiantly to supplement the program with whatever I can to evangelize them, but I fear I will always fall short for most of the teens - because of the insufficient structures and systems the Church has continued to provide and the limited resources of my one-DRE-with-no-assistance parish. I can't change the world, but maybe, just maybe I can change a heart or two. I pray that today, at least a few of "my" kids will receive the sacrament with hearts open to God's grace.

Rapture, Revisited

2011-05-20T08:57:00.001-05:00

Wow - all the scuttlebutt on the blogs, Facebook and Twitter about 89-year-old Rev. Harold Camping's claim, based on some arcane numerology involving scripture, that the Rapture ("Judgment Day") will occur on May 21 (tomorrow) has me reminiscing. There was the Millennium thing - when many people thought it would happen at the stroke of midnight January 1, 2000. Then, with the popularity of the Left Behind book series, there was a resurgence of interest between then and 2003. The thing that frightened me then was that so many Catholics were reading these books or absorbing the message that Scripture says a Rapture is part of the end-times scenario.

After an experience with a catechist who was teaching kids that there was a "Rapture," I was privileged to "ghostwrite" the CCI (Catholic Conference of Illinois) "Statement on Left Behind Books and Videos" - and during the process came to the conclusion that better catechesis about what the Church really teaches about the End Times is part of the solution. The bishops agreed: We, the Catholic Bishops of Illinois, call upon those responsible for faith formation to provide planned, coherent, and informed catechesis to all age groups about Church teachings on the end of the world, based on scripture and tradition.

While there has been some minor progress - at least one book and an article in a major national magazine was written in response to the statement - I am afraid the information has not filtered down to the average Catholic. Still, it is heartening that most people are joking about tomorrow because they realize that Rev. Camping is a crackpot and that his private revelation, based on the numbers, predicting tomorrow's non-event is just one more in a series of dire predictions about the end of the world and is nonsense.

Tomorrow night, as I join other members of National Association of Catholic Media Professionals (NACMP) at their evening social before the NCCL annual conference in Atlanta, I will lift a glass with the others, celebrating the Rapture that wasn't. We will not know the day nor the hour of Christ's coming. It is a clear case of MYOB and don't worry about it. Jesus will come when he gets here. And he is only making the return trip once.

What Does the Silence Have to Teach Us?

2011-05-17T19:37:00.001-05:00

Today I was privileged to participate in a Mass in our Pastoral Center chapel to welcome our new Bishop-elect, Most Rev. R. Daniel Conlon, who will be installed as Bishop of Joliet on July 14. Much shorter than our tall auxiliary, Bishop Siegel, he entered almost unobtrusively at the end of the opening procession, took his place at the presider's chair and began the Greeting in a confident, resonant voice. Impressive.

Delivery of the prayers - excellent. Homily - short, pithy and totally appropriate.

Even more impressive, however, was his observance of significant periods of silence during the Mass. Even more than what he said, was the space he left around the words. When he said "Let us pray," he actually allowed enough silence for all present to bring a thought to mind - something few presiders bother to do. He did this several times during the Mass.

I came away with a clear impression that Bishop Conlon cares deeply about the celebration of the Mass - but even more deeply about the ability of the faithful to be part of it. Good qualities to be sure.

Why is the experience of silence during Mass essential? Pacing, rhythm and space have as much to do with good liturgy as the spoken parts. In the silences, we can either gather our prayers into one, or just wonder when the presider will continue. In the silences, we can either meditate on the proclamation of the Word that we have just heard, or gather wool - our choice. What makes the difference? Good catechesis on knowing why we have silence in the liturgy at all.

In the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal (#45), we are told, “Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times.” It is "sacred" because it is in the silence that we meet the holiness of God - and discover the depths of the holiness of our relationship to God and to the Body of Christ.

Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship 118 fleshes out this wisdom about silence during liturgy:

118. Music arises out of silence and returns to silence. God is revealed both in the beauty of song and in the power of silence. The Sacred Liturgy has its rhythm of texts, actions, songs, and silence. Silence in the Liturgy allows the community to reflect on what it has heard and experienced, and to open its heart to the mystery celebrated. Ministers and pastoral musicians should take care that the rites unfold with the proper ebb and flow of sound and silence. The importance of silence in the Liturgy cannot be overemphasized.

During the Mass, we are to have silence at these five times:
• at the Act of Penitence (to reflect on our sins and God's forgiveness)
• after the priest says, “Let us pray” before the Opening Prayer (to allow us to gather our intentions for prayer - which is why it is also called the Collect.)
• after each reading from Scripture (to reflect on what we have just heard)
• after the homily (to reflect on what we have just heard)
• after all have received Communion (to allow time for people to pray privately in thanksgiving to Christ in the Eucharist.)

This last silence is perhaps the least practiced and the least understood. During the Communion procession and song, we are all actually to be singing, lending our voice to the thanksgiving of the assembled Body of Christ. It is only after that, when the presider sits after the Eucharist is reserved in the tabernacle, that it is time for personal prayer.

The final "Let us pray" at today's Mass spoke volumes. We were being given permission to add our own prayers - that this new bishop, newly appointed and sent to us - will be a channel of God's Grace for the Diocese of Joliet. Somehow, I think he will.

End-of-the-Year Reflections on Confirmation Catechesis with Hispanic Kids

2011-05-12T07:53:00.000-05:00

It was with mixed feelings of regret and relief that I finished up my final class yesterday with 21 confirmandi from my parish. They have been great kids - and I wish them well. The next time I see them will be at the celebration of Confrmation in a couple of weeks, when they join 60 other parish teens to receive the anointing that will complete their initiation into the Church. I live in hope that for at least some of them, I made a difference this year. I like to think I saw some glimmers of understanding and engagement, however. I also hope they know how much I care about each one of them.

While teaching has normally been a bit "like falling off a log" for me, I have to admit this was a hugely challenging year. These children of immigrants, who live in the cusp between the Hispanic culture and the mainstream American one, were largely a closed book. They were reluctant to participate in class, though I used story, was often personally revelatory in an effort to model how faith sharing is done, asked questions that related to their lives, some one-on-one sharing activities, and more. I even used that ice-breaker "beach-ball" with the questions on it that students are supposed to answer when they catch the ball. Sadly, the only time they seemed to be fully engaged all year was during the final two classes - and the engagement was not around the lesson, but was about the pressure they felt as they were being asked to complete the recitation of their required memorized prayers. Not exactly my highest catechetical priority, frankly - but individual accountability apparently hit them where they live.

I have to admit I had some sense of relief a few Saturdays ago when an experienced retreat leader, my friend John Donahue-Grosssman, admitted to me during a break in the Confirmation retreat that he had trashed his plan for the day and was re-tooling his approach - because the kids were not responding to the usual ice-breaker activities. We had arrived at nearly the end of the morning and the kids were still stiffly sitting there giving each other very minimal answers to the faith-sharing questions. It was not just me, apparently. These kids ARE hard nuts to crack.

I shared with John the wisdom I had received at the beginning of the year from the diocesan leader for Hispanic youth ministry - that the greatest issue for these kids is self-esteem. I mentioned that the parish catechists, in their mid-year meeting, had expressed a concern that they did not understand these students - and wanted help in learning who they are. That, for John, affirmed his sense that he needed to do some values-clarification and affirmation exercises with them. His afternoon with them was more successful, but he admitted this was hard work.

Why were these Hispanic teens (from a recent immigrant population) difficult to catechize? First, obviously, is that self-esteem issue. Most were reluctant to share personal thoughts or feelings on any topic, even when I worked overtime to help them feel "safe" in our group. It wasn't even peer pressure in the normal sense - since these kids went to a variety of different day schools, and were at several different grade levels and only a few knew each other outside of class. A few of them were less reluctant to participate, but even their example was not enough to galvanize the rest of them into participation.

They have one foot in each culture - and each child has a different mixture of elements. Some were familiar with traditional Hispanic devotional activities because their families still practice them. Some regularly attended Spanish Mass. For most of the others, however, this was not true. Activities in catechetical texts often assume the students have full familiarity with elements of American culture. That, frankly, was not true for my group. Also, as a musician, I like to use music in the faith formation classroom - but I never knew which church music to use to illustrate a point with these kids, because they attend Spanish Mass when they do go - and I only know some of the bilingual music - which was not familiar to them. Liturgical catechesis - on the symbols of water, oil etc. worked a little better than some other things - but largely throughout the year, the only signs of understanding were pretty much non-verbal: the widening of the eyes and leaning forward, the sudden abandonment of the typical bored-teen facial expression and body language.

Did I reach them? Did I make a difference? I hope so. I know I planted a lot of seeds. I hope they know know that God made each of them a unique, valuable person and loves them unconditionally, that Jesus came to save them and to be their friend, support and nourishment, and that their parents had them baptized (and confirmed) because they care. I hope they understand the importance of the sacramental life and that these initiation sacraments call them to participate in the celebration of the Mass and in active engagement with the Body of Christ - the faith community. I hope they know that the community of St. John the Baptist - and indeed the Catholic Church - cares about them and can serve as support and a home-base that will be there for them in their deepest hour of need. I hope they know that I care about who they are and who they will become - and about their faith life, present and future.

I will be praying for them between now and Confirmation and beyond.

How DO We Reach People with the News that Faith has Something to do With Life?

2011-05-10T22:48:00.003-05:00

Something I have been struggling with for the past couple of years is a sense that the Church is not doing a very good job of reaching many of its people in ways that truly foster a living faith. It is a great source of frustration that catechetical ministers try harder than ever, but somehow we still seem to be losing ground with many of the families that bring children pretty much only for formation for sacraments.

When we see classrooms full of students preparing for First Eucharist and Confirmation who seldom, if ever, attend Mass - and who have difficulty articulating just why it is important that they prepare for and receive the sacraments - that tells us that many people reach adulthood without understanding the big "why" of faith and its practice and that they pass on this cluelessness to their children. There seems to be a pervasive belief that sacraments are like diplomas that parents should make sure their children receive - so there is evidence that they were good parents and did all the expected stuff on the "good parenting list." There is little sense that Sacraments of Initiation have anything to do with commitment to the Church and the faith community.

Even worse, some parents seem to think they can "custom-order" sacraments to fit their expectations - like the woman who screamed at me on the phone recently because she had just found out that her daughter would not be confirmed by a bishop. (This year, in our diocese, since we are waiting for a new bishop and our auxiliary cannot possibly do all Confirmations, pastors were given permission to Confirm in their parishes.) Obviously this was not the ceremony the woman felt she had paid for with her daughter's tuition and sacrament fee. The obligatory photos with the bishop would not be available for her daughter's album. Her tone and anger were the same as if she were scolding the florist for her daughter's wedding because she had heard there would be no roses available for the wedding bouquets. It was as if this experience for her was simply a commodity - something to be purchased to provide her family with an expected experience and the expected memorabilia. She is far from alone in that attitude.

So, how DO we reach the kids while we still have them in formal catechesis - and the adults who need "remedial" formation? By the authentic proclamation of the story of faith and true welcome into the community. We have baptized and initiated people who have not necessarily experienced the kind of life-changing formation that leads to conversion. We have failed to pass on the story. Frankly, if the Church is to continue, we need to do better.

By the "story" I actually mean, the stories. The BIG STORY of Jesus Christ, his revelation of the Father to us through his teachings, his life, death and resurrection - plus the authentic stories of people in the community who have a living faith. We need to proclaim the kerygma again and again, until people hear it. The community of faith also needs to tell its stories. The RCIA process, during which an adult is drawn into the embrace of the community through story, witness and an apprenticeship of relationship to community members willing to share their own faith is a perfect model of how this works.

In my own experience as a convert 24 years ago, I most remember the stories. There was my sponsor, Don, who was schooled by religious sisters who instilled in him a living sense that God loved him. There was Jerry, who as a protestant spouse of a Catholic dutifully attended Mass for 11 years with his wife, until someone finally asked him why he was not a Catholic... so he was one of the first to go through the restored RCIA. There was Sarah, who had been a faithful Catholic all her life, raised a large family, and had been active in liturgical ministry for years. There was the dedication of Sister Theresa, who led the RCIA and enabled people to share their stories of faith and relationship to the Church. As we studied various formational topics and broke open the Sunday scriptures, I not only heard the story of Jesus Christ and his Church, but I heard many stories from the life experiences of those on the RCIA team.

These stories and others, I remember, along with the loving welcome of the community of St. James parish in Rockford, where after the Rite of Acceptance, I was given a warm personal welcome by many individuals that I still treasure to this day. The connections I developed over the next few years were part of what helped make me truly and deeply Catholic, and propelled me into ministry. I may not remember much of the specific doctrinal items that were presented during my RCIA process, but I clearly remember the stories, the people and the relationships.

So, how do we reach the people on the margins of the Church who need this experience of the faith stories and the welcome? Another chicken-and-egg conundrum, I am afraid. How does the community reveal itself to people who seldom if ever come to the parish - and then only to drop their children off? If they do come to Mass occasionally, that is only slightly better - because they at least hear the Gospel. However, the likelihood of them experiencing the witness of the community or any connection to it is slim.

That puts a huge burden on those "captive audience" moments - the parent meetings and other experiences when they are present. Directors of Religious Education, Youth Ministers, and those who lead these kinds of experiences need to be authentic and powerful proclaimers of the Good News in scripture and story. We don't get many chances to reach people - so we had better not waste the opportunities we have.

The Arrogance of Interpreting God's Will According to Our Own Desires

2011-05-02T07:53:00.001-05:00

This morning the news media and internet are buzzing with reactions to Osama Bin Laden's death in Pakistan. Images of waving American flags are everywhere, and Irving Berlin's classic "God Bless America" seems to have found its place as the anthem of the moment, as people literally dance in the streets all over the country. President Obama has raked in his political hay, claiming this is an example of how "Americans can do anything if we put our mind to it."

Why does this feel so jarring? All I have felt ever since learning of Bin Laden's death has been a pervasive sense of sadness. A human being died. An act of righteous retribution has been carried out. Is the world a better place? Will terrorism cease? Not necessarily - all that can be assured is that many people feel this act of revenge has been long overdue.

Greg Kandra over at The Deacon's Bench blog has reminded us of Jesus' command to love our enemies - and how hard this is in this situation. My own son, in the Air Force, has admitted he found it hard not to have mixed feelings as his base exploded into celebration last night. It is not wrong or unpatriotic to feel conflicted. It is simply Christian. If we believe that the merciful will receive mercy, that those who live by the sword will die by the sword, that the peacemakers are the children of God, we should feel somber and reflective.

No doubt there is a sense that justice has been done. Yet Osama was a man who also saw himself as fulfilling the wishes of his God. Jihad, however misinterpreted by extremist Muslims, is holy war - conducted to cleanse the earth of unbelievers. On the flip side is the sentiment that, as one woman told a TV reporter, that Osama is burning in Hell and deserves it. Both Muslim extremists and Americans, in effect, see themselves as having carried out the will of God.

However, whose will is all this? Did God want thousands of innocent people to die in the twin towers? Osama and other militant Muslim extremists would say yes. Did the America carry out the will of God in killing this human being for what he did in masterminding this event? Most Americans would say yes. Both, however, cannot be right.

What we have here is two different views on the will of God. However, based on the words of his Son, neither is necessarily correct. An "eye for an eye" is an Old Testament concept. "Love your enemies" and "turn the other cheek" are Jesus's revision. Which is God's will in this situation? This is one of those questions to ask when we finally see God face-to-face. No doubt some will hear God say "That wasn't what I had in mind at all." Maybe all of us will hear that. In our human arrogance, do we dare act as if we know the answer?

Laying the Blame Where it Belongs

2011-04-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

A Facebook friend posted this video today from RealCatholicTV.com on what the Pope has to say about the state of Catholic faith in the world today. While the Pope makes some really good points about the need for re-evangelization of our own people, the RCTV commentator chooses to interpret the fault as lying with bishops and priests who allow abuses in the Novus Ordo liturgy... a typical attack stance among those who see the Latin Mass as the cure for everything that ails the Church. Take a look. The Pope's comments, sifted out from his Holy Week homilies, are worth hearing:

Now, taking the Pope's comments at face value, we hear that his fear is that many Catholics are lukewarm in their faith and either unable to discern evil when they encounter it, or simply able to dismiss evil. That sounds like the malaise of a post-modern, self-centered, consumeristic culture, not just a failure to celebrate the Mass well. Certainly good celebration of the liturgy is a factor that helps transform people and the Eucharist of itself has the power to convert. But, if Catholic adults are poorly catechized and do not participate in opportunities to be formed in faith other than the Mass, the majority are not going to experience conversion through the Mass alone.

A chicken and egg issue, you say? Sort of. Does deep conversion happen because you celebrate Mass well, or do you celebrate Mass well because you are deeply converted? Both. (Lex orandi, lex credendi and all that!) But just as necessary is good faith formation and re-evangelization of people who already think they are Catholic, but who in reality never learned what faith has to do with real life. We need to reach them with a sense that Catholic faith is not just a one hour on Sunday factor in their lives, but an entire lifestyle.

One answer is not simply eliminating "liturgical abuse", in the sense that it is usually thought of. Better, more inspired liturgical celebrations that lead people to a sense of the sacred is certainly called for. If "lukewarm" liturgy is an abuse, however, it is not just endemic to the Novus Ordo. Better liturgical formation of both clergy and of the laity is one possible and needed solution. The General Directory for Catechesis listed liturgical catechesis as one of the "doctrinal lacunae" in the content of catechesis. If people do not truly understand the Mass in all its depth, how can they be open to conversion by celebrating it? The current implementation period for the new Roman Missal is certainly a ready-made opportunity to renew our understanding of the Mass and its potential.

However, even beyond renovating our celebrations, we need to focus attention on providing good overall catechesis and opportunities for conversion of Catholic adults. Too many remain in a child-like understanding of faith because they have had little or no formation since they were children. Jonathan Sullivan of the Diocese of Springfield, IL explores that dynamic very well in this recent post on where adults really are in their faith development. Another underpinning for the converted life is good experiences of scripture study and prayer (thanks to Marc Cardonella.)

If parish communities were to provide good adult faith formation that speaks to where people actually are, leading them to a lived understanding of what Catholics believe (Creed) good liturgical understanding (Sacraments), a knowledge of how Catholics should make decisions and treat others (Life in Christ), deep experiences of prayer methods and practices (Prayer), underpinned by experiences that enable them to develop appreciation and love of Scripture, it could change Catholic adults into functioning passionate disciples of Jesus Christ.... Well, doesn't that sound familiar? This is, of course, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, supported by Bible study - the basic content of all catechesis. Adults with a full understanding of how the content of faith relates to their lived experiences turn around and celebrate that well by fully and deeply participating in the Mass... which can lead them to deeper conversion through the Eucharist.

So, yes, the Pope is right to be concerned. However, the answer is not as simple as going back to the old Latin Mass or eliminating "liturgical abuse" by clergy and laity in the Novus Ordo parishes. What we have, my friends, is a failure to catechize. We have, as I have often said, failed to help people discover why faith matters.

Leaving the World Behind (mostly) for Three Days

2011-04-25T22:20:00.003-05:00

This year, the powers of darkness and distraction were especially hard at work in my life as I prepared to enter the Easter Triduum. I was struggling with the remains of a significant sinus infection (always scary for a cantor approaching these all-important and very strenuous liturgies). On Tuesday, my home computer suddenly and unexpectedly stopped connecting to the Internet. Add in a long, tiring rehearsal Monday night, the disappointment that the Hispanic instrumentalists and most of their choir would not be able to join us due to work conflicts, a few financial challenges and a lingering general exhaustion (probably a legacy from the upper respiratory thing - as well as an unrelenting schedule), throw in a pinch of flare-up of arthritis from the cold rainy weather that had persisted for over a week and I felt especially challenged.

However, all of this seemed to disappear on Thursday afternoon, after I spent some unexpected extra time in the office that morning because of lack of home internet access. I went home and discovered that my normal joy and anticipatory excitement about the Triduum was beginning to return. Last year had been a huge challenge for me, as the first Easter after the death of the man I had planned to marry. Face it - it's hard to see Paschal Mystery through to Resurrection when you are in the depths of grief. Then I had been a bit "off" on the guitar and the Spanish verses of the songs and was frankly struggling to get through things. I really don't remember much from that year, except that it had been considered to be too muddy to have the Vigil fire outdoors... and the failure to have the fire outdoors started me off on "the wrong foot" that night.

This time, I discovered that the lack of the computer (on which I am accustomed to spending quite a bit of time) was in fact, a blessing. Having only my smart-phone available to keep light tabs on email and Facebook, freed me up to focus my energy elsewhere... and by Thursday night, I had enough of said energy to devote to the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper. I even managed to do a passable job on a psalm on I had never sung Spanish verses before. So deeply involved was I in the music that I found myself surprised later by praise from several about that psalm. I had simply prayed it, as I normally do (with added concentration on the new parts)... without any particular awareness of the musicianship. It was the same for all of Thursday... concentrating on doing my best... yet deeply aware of the beauty of the celebration.

The evening ended with me spending some time in quiet Adoration, but also with an unexpected call to assist our new deacon with the solemn stripping of the altar. He had been assigned this but had no help and no real preparation. For me, since I had done this for years at previous parishes, it was like coming home to a familiar task. The slow, reverent movements of removing flowers and candlesticks from around the altar, the careful removal and folding up the of the layers of altar dressing, deliberately calculated to be the least disturbing to those gathered to keep vigil with Jesus in the Eucharist - these, I found unexpectedly soothing. They pulled me into a different mental space - one of servanthood and nurturing. I have always associated this moment with the work of the women who, as the sun set on the day of Crucifixion, helped remove Jesus from the cross and carefully wrapped him in his shroud as they laid him in the tomb. (In one of my parishes, several women would join me as we removed our shoes, knelt in adoration before the Eucharist and then carried out this faithful, necessary work.) It seemed a good ending to the day.I drove home without my accustomed car music, humming strains of some of our songs from that night.

Friday, I went in to rehearse the Exsultet with my pastor (who was chanting the Spanish parts) and the music director, then readied myself for the afternoon celebration of the Passion. Since I would only be there in my role as choir member - no instruments, no vocal solos - I could relax into it. The celebration was simple and heartfelt - and went well. I found myself deeply moved at the simple, solemn proclamation of the passion, and the people's sincere reverence for the cross. A few minutes breather afterwards and a second rehearsal for our bi-lingual Exsultet and I could go home. A quiet evening, but with a growing sense of anticipation for what was to come. In rehearsing, I had peeked ahead into what was yet to come... and I wanted to be there.

Saturday dawned a little drizzly at first, but clearing and windy later. I woke with an irrepressible smile as I thought of the night ahead. I breakfasted and drove down to the church to help prepare the space for the great liturgy of the Vigil. Again, I had no desire for driving music - I realized that fasting from all other music was in fact, focusing me on the dynamic movement of the Three Days. By 11 a.m. we workers had re-dressed the altar, put out candlesticks, flowers and plants, decorated the stand for the Paschal candle, put out the towels for the baptisms and prepared the small candles for the people. Home to rest, prepare an early dinner, dress in my Easter Vigil best, and get back down there...

Shouldering my guitar, equipment bag and my bodhran (Celtic drum), I drove over to pick up my friend Judy, who does not drive, and we headed back to church. The darkened room hummed with quiet anticipation as I connected the pickup on my guitar and set everything in place. As we began, we processed out to the bonfire in the courtyard of the friary, to witness the blessing of the Easter fire. I scooted in ahead of the returning procession to be ready at the cantor stand -- and as the Easter candle entered and spread its light throughout the room, echoed in lit candles held by the assembly, we began my favorite moment of the liturgical year - the solemn chanting of the Exsultet - the proclamation that THIS is the night when Jesus rose from the dead - which Christians everywhere gather to celebrate with great joy.

The Vigil was in motion... and I was swept forward on a wave of Easter joy. Somehow, every note, every Spanish word, every guitar riff fell into place of its own accord over the next 3 hours and 7 minutes... exhaustion, arthritis, lingering illness and the bitter-sweet dregs of great grief at what could never be - all forgotten for the duration. The great, galloping flamenco-style psalm that follows the Exodus reading required and received every ounce of me - blazing out in what had to be my best rendition ever. It was as if it were no longer I that was doing the work of the musical celebration, but that Spirit-inspired joy was pouring though my lips and my fingers as I played, sang and accompanied our bilingual choir. As the catechmens were baptized and they and several others were confirmed, as we celebrated the Eucharist of paschal triumph, and sang our way out to "Jesus Christ is Risen Today/El Senor Resucito" my feet almost did not touch the ground the entire night.

Scurrying to my car to avoid the downpour of rain, I took my friend home, then spent another two hours winding down before I could go to bed. Was it hard work? Yes. Did it take all my resources of skill and energy? You bet. Was it worth it? Of course! Living the pinnacle of the Church Year is not supposed to be easy. In the spirit of liturgy as "work of the people" it calls us to give our utmost and finest effort - to invest ourselves fully by leaving our worries behind for the great Three Days and giving back the gifts we each have to offer to the community's celebration.

What I have written here was my personal story. Yet each person present during the Three Days brought their own story to the celebration. In return, the celebration not only affirms who we are in Christ and what we believe as his baptized disciples, it has the potential each year to change us for the better.

Entering the Narrow Gate: Following Jesus in Holy Week

2011-04-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

Today begins another of those moments in the liturgical year when we step out of our own time and into "God time." Celebrating Jesus' Passion on Palm Sunday is one of those past-present experiences - it happened 2,000 years ago, but it is coming to life again among us as we hold our own palm branches and hear the great story of his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. Our own song of triumphant entry rings out as the ministers process to the altar for our celebration.

As we settle into our celebration, we hear of the Suffering Servant in the first reading and in the poignant responsorial psalm. From the writings of St. Paul, we hear that Jesus is given the "name above every other name." As the Passion is read, we watch as Jesus celebrates Passover with his disciples, washes their feet and gives them the great gift of the Eucharist. We listen in sorrow as he is arrested, tried, scourged and nailed to a cross - and with those who were at the foot of the cross so long ago, we feel their pain and loss. Then we go home to finish the final days of our Lenten journey and to prepare for the Three Days.

For me, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of Holy Week are always an interesting mixture of anticipation, interior preparation, and a sort of background focus on what is to come, in spite of the ongoing business of everyday life. Inevitably there is a major rehearsal for us musicians - where, unlike most people in the pews, we get a foretaste of everything that is to come, from Gesthemane anguish to Alleluia joy. However, in the liturgical year spirit of "already-not-yet" we know the time has not yet arrived - at the same time we also know we will be ready when it does.

So, how does having heard the Passion this weekend prepare us for the great Three Days of the Easter Triduum? I think we do this today so we can carry the story in our hearts and ponder it until we hear it again, beginning Thursday night. This is not an ordinary week - and we enter it so that we will not be ordinary people, but extraordinary ones, transformed by this annual celebration of Paschal Mystery.

"Jesus, I Didn't Do This to You!"

2011-04-16T18:47:00.001-05:00

We tell people that Jesus Christ died for their sins. However, I wonder how many of them realize their own responsibility for Jesus' suffering and death - as members of the human race. This moving and powerful new 5-minute video from Eric Groth (Outside da Box) envisions what happens when the reality of responsibility and the possibility of conversion collide.

Watch it. HERE.

You'll want to watch it more than once. Then ask yourself: do you sound like "Mom" or like "Big Brother"?

The Catechetical Problem of Being "Too American"

2011-04-12T08:16:00.001-05:00

This morning is NOT a happy catechetical moment for me. In fact, I have to admit I am feeling downright crabby. In the wake of yet another heated discussion on Facebook with other Catholics where I encountered refusal to accept the teachings of the American bishops based on dislike of the USCCB, I have to admit I am becoming increasingly tired of those who stubbornly do not accept the fullness of Church teaching - who reject or discount the statements and teachings of bishops duly appointed by Rome to lead us in America because they disagree with the "politics" or the make-up of the USCCB. That body may not be "perfect" but these are bishops the Holy Spirit has chosen for us. In a hierarchical church, the reality is that these are our shepherds, like it or not. For a significant portion of the Catholic population, however, these leaders are not only discounted, they are downright disrespected.

Consequently, I am going to step out on a limb here and make a statement of faith. This is important - because as I see it, this is one of the issues that sometimes becomes a significant stumbling stone to adult catechesis.

As an educated, thinking human being in a democracy, I admit I don't always immediately agree with every teaching of the Church either, but I never close the door to what is taught. I especially do not close the door because I don't like the "messenger." I continue to study the issue and to pray on it - with a view to finding out why my spiritual leaders have asked this of me - to discovering why God is asking this of me. As a disciple in the Catholic Church, I know my teachers and leaders have been sent by the Spirit, even when I find it difficult to agree with them. Yes, they are human, but they are the ones sent in the name of the Church. I have a duty to listen to them in humility, even when I disagree.

Call me idealistic, but I find it sad that I have been mistaken in assuming that Pope John Paul II's accusation that Americans were "Cafeteria Catholics" was insulting and incorrect. Apparently, it is still very much in vogue, even among those who say they have a great attachment to all things Roman, including the Pope and the Latin Mass, to pick and choose what teachings and which shepherds of the Church to follow. Sadly, these Catholics often accuse others of the same thing, depending on the issue. Maybe I am not "normal", but I thought that being Catholic calls us to rise above petty, personal and political beliefs to assume an attitude of humility and obedience to those assigned to our spiritual care and guidance - and to work together to make this a better world.

To be Catholic means to accept even Church teachings we find difficult - or to be open to finding our way to acceptance. These discussions have shown me just how closed the minds of some Catholic adults are. As a catechetical minister of the Church, I tell new catechists that no matter what their personal opinion, they must always teach from the "center" of Church teaching or when speaking publicly. Last time I checked, the USCCB was part of the Magisterium - the engine within the Church that interprets the teachings of Rome for those of us who live in America. We may indeed hold private opinions, but in discussion in public - even on Facebook among "friends", it is not wise to air them - that, frankly, is damaging to the unity of the Body of Christ. It is also hurtful.

Sadly, what divides Americans along political lines (liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican, Coffee Party and Tea Party) often divides us spiritually as well.To be an adult Catholic in America is not just to be "anti-abortion" in our political beliefs. It is also to follow the teachings of the Church - from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the statements made by the Pope and by bishops around the world, most particularly those assigned to our spiritual care here in this country. American bishops have issued teaching statements about the right to health care, fair treatment for immigrants, preferential treatment for the poor, the definition of marriage, and consistently urge our nation's legislators to adopt public policies that promote preservation of families and justice for all - not just for those who are like us.

To be Catholic is is not just to think spiritual thoughts when we are at Mass and to spend hours in Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament working out our own salvation. It is also to rise above self-interest and cooperate as the Body of Christ with the grace of God to build a better world - one in which the vision of Mary's Magnificat approaches reality: when the poor will be fed and the rich sent away empty. In that world, there will be no room for politics, no tolerance for bigotry or lack of charity. I find that this agenda is too disturbing for some Catholics. The idea that we are called to a life in the world consistent with the teachings of the Gospel seems to them to be a radical "liberal" agenda. If so, then Jesus and Mary were among the most radical liberals of their time. It's no wonder the authorities felt it necessary to crucify him. In their name this morning, I pray that my brothers and sisters in Christ may be guided to find their way not just to personal piety, but will be outwardly directed to charity and love for all people, including immigrants, the poor, and those much-despised bishops of the USCCB.

And no, in the interest of the unity of the Church I will not engage in verbal fisticuffs in the comments. Go ahead - disagree... but in the memorable words of Darth Vader: "Search your heart. You know it to be true." Un-friend me if you must, but you know I have a point.

Fifth Sunday in Lent: The Discipleship of Love of Neighbor

2011-04-09T17:37:00.000-05:00

Here is the last installment of our parish bulletin series for Lent - taken from RCIA 75:

We have been, through our journey together this Lent, looking at how baptism calls us to be disciples who give a good example to those learning the faith from us: the adults preparing for baptism and the children who were baptized as babies. Our final element is one of the most important for Christian life – after the example of Christ, we are “to practice the love of neighbor, even at the cost of self-renunciation.” (RCIA, 75) A true disciple gives until it hurts. We are asked to love even those who may not love us, who are not our friends or family, who are strangers – whenever they are near us and in need, they become our “neighbor.” How do we do this? We are called to die to our own desires, so that we may do the right thing for others when they are most in need. Like Lazarus, we will then live.

This concludes our Lenten exploration of our baptismal call to be disciples. Next week, we follow Jesus through his Passion to the Cross, the grave, and to the Resurrection at Easter. When we renew our baptismal promises at the liturgies of Easter, may we be more truly disciples of Jesus Christ – and may those who are baptized and formed in faith in St. John’s community always see the fruits of our discipleship and learn from us.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

An Ambitious Video Project - Mystagogical Preparation for the Easter Triduum

2011-04-02T07:43:00.003-05:00

Want to experience the Easter Triduum differently this year? Looking for a unique way to do in-depth preparation? Timothy O'Malley, Director of University of Notre Dame Center for Liturgy has embarked on a 20-segment video series on the new blog Oblation: Liturgy and Evangelization. He promises to provide a guide to mystagogical reflection on the Easter Triduum, so that by learning how to read the symbols embedded in the Three Days we can better access the mysteries that are so much a part of that great celebration of Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection.

In Episode 1, O'Malley says "we don't do mystagogy well, because we do mystagogy wrong". He points out that too often we limit mystagogy to reflection on the rites the catechumens have experienced at the Easter Vigil. What if, he suggests, we thought about it as "the spiritual theology necessary for an adult formation into faith" - if we saw liturgical catechesis as a way of helping people see the world sacramentally? As a way of revealing the mystery of the triune God? Take a look at his opening episode - here.

O'Malley's hope is that this approach will make a difference to how people experience the Easter Triduum. Join him every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the remainder of Lent - to participate in this project - and to see how it affects your experience of Triduum this year.

Fourth Sunday of Lent: Discipleship of Christ-like Deeds

2011-04-01T07:33:00.000-05:00

Here is the installment for the Fourth Sunday of Lent that will appear in my parish bulletin this weekend:

As baptized disciples of Jesus, we should be good examples of mature Catholic faith for adults preparing for baptism and children baptized as infants learning faith from us. We do this whenever we follow “supernatural inspiration” in our deeds. (RCIA 75) What does that mean? It means whenever we face a choice of how to act, we think first about what God would want us to do. A popular expression describes this as “What Would Jesus Do?” How do we know what God wants, or would Jesus would do in any situation? Our conscience tells us, sometimes quickly, sometimes after some period of prayer and discernment. As Christians, our actions should never be ours alone. They should reflect the moral teachings of Jesus, Tradition and the teachings of the Church.

We are called to be different – to go against the culture of the world in making decisions that are best for God’s plan, not just for “me” right now. Jesus said it best: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

This is a call to see as God sees, not as man sees, as Samuel saw the potential king in the young David in the first reading this week. As disciples we need to have a well-trained conscience, know Scripture and Church teaching, and pray for God’s guidance in all we do - to see the right choice – God’s choice, not our human one.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

First Scrutiny - Moved to Tears

2011-03-27T14:16:00.002-05:00

This morning at Mass, we celebrated the First Scrutiny with our catechumen. Casey is a very young adult, and very unchurched. She came to us this morning, her hair in a messy pony tail, wearing jeans with holes and a hoodie with the word "Love" emblazoned on the chest, and was seated in the front row.

As the cantor, I could see her clearly. Her participation in Mass was minimal, but it was clear she was listening. The story of the Woman at the Well seemed to engage her attention. After the homily, she stood up, obviously only knowing the bare outline of what was to happen (as is proper, she was not over-rehearsed). She stood in the center aisle, among the people, with her sponsor, bowing her head as the invitation to prayer over her and intercessions were read.

Then the surprise happened.

The presider asked the people from the parish community seated immediately around her to stand and place their hands on Casey's shoulders. A group of people rose and joined her and her sponsor as the Prayer of Exorcism was read, asking for healing and protection for her from Satan as she enters her final preparations for baptism at the Easter Vigil. Her face told it all - she got it. She was fighting back tears all through the prayer at the enormity of the realization that the entire community was supporting her and holding her up in prayer. It was powerfully evident that she understood that Christ wanted her for his own so much that his whole people was praying for her in love.... that "Love" on the front of her shirt had finally found the reason she had chosen to wear it this morning.

Good liturgy finds ways to foster those "gotcha" moments - to demonstrate the love of God in such ways as can move participants along in their journey to conversion. This morning, Casey was moved to tears - and later on to delight, as near the end of Mass, a couple renewed their marriage vows on their 25th anniversary - once again surrounded by the love and affirmation of the community. She grinned with joy as she realized what was about to happen when they came up - this, too, was obviously new to her. Again, she got it.

Church is essentially the love of Christ poured out to and through his community of faith. We have to keep trying to find good ways to show that through how we celebrate - to newcomers and to each other.

Thanks to Jerry Galipeau, for his great idea from his recent workshop about placing her in the center of the people and inviting them to lay hands on her.... it works! And thanks to my parish RCIA leaders and pastoral staff - for having the courage to try this.

Third Sunday of Lent: Discipleship of Hope in Christ

2011-03-25T23:23:00.000-05:00

The following is the article that will appear in this week's bulletin at my parish, as the third installment of our reflection on the qualities of a mature disciple, as outlined in paragraph 75 of the RCIA.

Third Sunday of Lent: The Discipleship of Hope in Christ

At baptism, we were called to become disciples of Jesus. Adults preparing for baptism and children baptized as infants look to us to teach them how to become people who “in all things… keep their hopes set on Christ.” (RCIA 75) A true Christian never loses hope, never gives up, because he or she knows that Jesus has already won the victory – that through his suffering, death and Resurrection, Christ has defeated sin and death. No matter how much we suffer in this life, we know that Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place for us with God, where we and our loved ones who end their earthly life as baptized, believing disciples of Christ, will live, not die. Nothing can overcome that promise. What does that mean for our daily life? Our baptism calls us to be beacons of hope in a very dark world. While non-believers point to evil in the world, we must not fear to show that as Christians we are not afraid.

Look at Jesus, not at the darkness. Like the woman at the well, know that he is the Messiah, our Savior. Show your children and those preparing to become Christians that this is not a world of despair, but one of hope. Even in worldly unhappiness, we can have a deep, unconquerable joy because of the “living water” Jesus gives us and because of what He did for us.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

Second Sunday of Lent: Discipleship of Witness

2011-03-19T13:44:00.002-05:00

Here is what will appear this weekend in my parish bulletin - the second installment of our examination of the 5 elements of mature discipleship described in paragraph 75 of the RCIA:

As we continue our Lenten journey with those to be baptized at Easter, we are their examples of mature baptized disciples. RCIA section 75 says that those preparing for baptism learn from the community to “give witness to the faith.” All the baptized should be evangelists for Jesus Christ in their words and deeds – and give testimony publicly to the goodness of God. We do that when we live the teachings of Jesus in all our relationships and commitments, but we also should never to be afraid to tell about our faith. The adults preparing for baptism and the children of our community look to us to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and to learn to speak of it themselves. Quite simply, this is how the Catholic faith is passed on. Do you live your faith “out loud?” Do you talk to your children and friends about how God has helped you?

We learn of Jesus’ Transfiguration in today’s Gospel from the words of the disciples who were there that day and saw what happened. The witness of the Gospel writers, who carefully preserved every detail, has passed the faith down to us. Our baptism calls us to pass it to others. Lent is a time to consider how we can have the courage to be a witness.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

A Social Networking Death - Comfort from the Church Virtual

2011-03-18T01:03:00.002-05:00

Bob Piercy, a talented, creative man and a fixture on the liturgical music and workshop scene as well as the amateur stage in the Joliet and Chicago area, passed away tonight after a long battle with "graft vs. host disease" a complication of bone marrow transplants. He will be missed. You can read more about him here.

I first met Bob in 1990 at the Office for Divine Worship in the Archdiocese of Chicago, when I was temporary coordinator for the Office of Christian Music and Worship for the Diocese of Rockford. I can remember several trips I made up there with members of the Liturgical Commission to consult about what to do about our closed office. Over the intervening years our paths crossed occasionally at conferences. I watched as he published several resources on praying liturgically and singing with children. He was good at what he did. My last conversations with him were some months ago when he still hoped to prepare lesson plans for children for implementation of the new Roman Missal. Over time, it became clear this would not happen, as his energy level was much too low to work. I sensed his frustration at wanting to do so much and being able to do so little.

Tonight, as he lay dying, someone in the room was reading to him from emails and Facebook postings - as people who knew him over the years sent in their prayers, gratitude and best wishes. A post on his wall tonight explained that someone was reading these to him and that he seemed comforted by this. The wall shows many, many people sending their thoughts.... which continue beyond the post from the family that Bob had gone to be with God.

Although many of his friends were miles away, thanks to Facebook and email, they could still affirm him and support him in prayer as he crossed into eternal life. The "Church Virtual" - the community of people who cared about Bob, near and far, was indeed gathered tonight. Rest in peace, Bob. You are loved. You will be missed.

What Good Am I, If... A Cry for Charity and Justice

2011-03-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Just found this powerful song from iconic British pop singer Tom Jones, who has reinvented himself as a gospel singer. His moving rendition of "What Good Am I" particularly struck me as a powerful call to love our neighbor - to step out of our egocentrism and reach out to help, in charity and the change the lives of the unfortunate by working for justice. A great song to meditate on for Lent.

Here are the lyrics:

What good am I - if I'm like all the rest
If I just turn away - when I see how you're dressed
If I shut myself off - so I can't hear you cry
What good am I?

What good am I - if I know and don't do
If I see and don't say - if I look straight through you
If I turn a deaf ear - to the thundering sky
What good am I?

What good am I - while you softly weep
And I hear in my head - what you say in your sleep
And I freeze in the moment - like the rest who don't try
What good am I?
What good am I?

What good am I then - to others and me
If I've had every chance - and yet still fail to see
With my hands tied must I - not wonder within
Who tied them and why - and where must I have been?

What good am I if I say foolish things
And I laugh in the face - of what sorrow brings
And I just turn my back - while you silently die
What good am I?
What good am I?
What good am I?

The Discipleship of Prayer

2011-03-12T08:17:00.001-06:00

Sharing what will be in our parish bulletin this week as we ask people to meditate on how well they are living the baptismal call to discipleship.

First Sunday of Lent: The Discipleship of Prayer

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) describes the formation of those preparing for baptism at Easter as a time they learn from others in the faith community. What do they learn from us? First they learn “to turn readily to God in prayer.” That assumes that we who are already baptized and have grown to maturity in the faith are good examples – for these adults and for our children, who are watching us to discover what their baptism means. Do you spend time with God? Do you pray to God whenever you need to make a decision? Do you pray using Scripture? Do you pray regularly, alone and with others? Do you teach your children to pray? These are all important parts of being a disciple of Jesus – and he is the first and best example.

Jesus began his ministry, as we see in today’s gospel, with 40 days in the desert, where he spent time alone, in prayer, meditation and solitude. Lent calls for us to spend time doing the same, for our own good, and for the good of those who are looking at us as examples of mature faith.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

Lent: Reflecting on and Recovering our Baptismal Call to Discipleship

2011-03-10T07:05:00.001-06:00

I was very interested to see that Pope Benedict, in his Lent 2011 statement, referred to the baptismal character of Lent - the underlying reality that defines how we should live the season. He said that baptism is a call to develop "the adult stature of Christ."

In our parish, it is customary for our Liturgy Planning Committee to determine a focus for each major liturgical season. Last year, we focused on the baptismal character of Lent, taking an action or symbol for each week from the Rite of Baptism itself and focusing on words from the rite that define our baptismal call:

WEEK 1: Exorcism/Anointing: "May you have strength in the power of Christ our Savior"
WEEK 2: Chrism: "As Christ was anointed as Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live..."
WEEK 3: White Garment: "You have become a new creation. and have clothed yourself in Christ"
WEEK 4: Lighted Candle: "Receive the light of Christ...This light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly"
WEEK 5: Ephphetha: "May the Lord Jesus... touch your ears to receive his word, and his mouth to proclaim his faith"

This year, we actually developed the same theme the Pope proposed, how we strive to reach that "adult stature of Christ". We decided to continue our reflection on baptism, this time, focusing on the behaviors a mature disciple of Jesus Christ should be developing as defined in paragraph 75 of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

The following is the focus statement that will appear this weekend to assist our community in reflecting more deeply.

As we begin Lent, our focus at St. John’s will be the call we each received at our baptism to be a disciple of Jesus. As we walk with those who will be baptized at Easter on the final weeks of their journey to the font during Lent each year, we are asked to re-examine how we are living up to our own Christian initiation. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) describes the process of growing to maturity as a Christian as becoming a person who turns readily to God in prayer, is a witness to the faith, sets his/her hope in Christ, is inspired to Christ-like deeds, and who practices love of neighbor even at cost to self. The St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee, a bilingual group of six people who study the readings together to plan our celebrations for upcoming liturgical seasons, has determined that these elements of discipleship will form our focus for Lent this year.

Over the weeks of Lent, we invite you to consider your own call to discipleship. How often and well do you pray? Do you witness to your faith in your family, work and other settings? Are you a person of Christian hope? Are your actions inspired by Christ? Do you love others enough to make sacrifices for them? Please consider using this list in your personal prayer time, or posting it next to your bathroom mirror, so you are reminded each morning to live up to your baptismal call. May our Lenten journey together as a parish community be a time to become more truly disciples of Jesus Christ.

Remember....

2011-03-09T06:55:00.000-06:00

Lent, as the Pope reminded us in his message for Lent this year, is essentially a time to reconnect with our baptism. We are asked to reconnect to the grace of the sacrament and to our baptismal call, to become the people God wants us to be. Starting today, for 40 days, we engage in a communal retreat with other people of faith, encouraged by the readings of the Mass and strengthened by the Eucharist. On our forehead, where once, when we were claimed for Christ at baptism, the oil marked us with the Cross, on Ash Wednesday we receive the mark of our failure to live up to our potential as true disciples. This video captures the essence of that:

Christian Art & Spiritual Formation: There's Going to be an App for That!

2011-03-06T10:10:00.003-06:00

I experienced a wonderful workshop last week on the power of Christian art given by Professor Eileen Daily of Loyola University, Chicago. She offered some interesting, easy steps to lead ordinary people to meditate on Christian art from many eras and artists, using some simple questions to focus. It was an interesting experience - both when done in a small group and as an individual meditation.

The process involved each person selecting a choice from her collection of art prints removed from purchased books and mounted on cardboard - that they could hold and look at closely during the meditation and discussion time. We were guided in terms of what to look for in certain genres. I chose the William Blake "Virgin and Child in Egypt", and Andy Warhol's "Camouflage Last Supper" paintings. It was an "aha" moment for at least several people in the room, including me. I will never look at these in the same way. However, there is no substitute for standing in front of a real work of art and experiencing it as the artist originally intended. Those experiences have the power to move people even more deeply.

Daily's own journey to this work began with a powerful moment of conversion that she had in front of a painting in the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art, which propelled her on a personal quest that involved a career change and has involved her in academic work in this area, including writing a teaching guide and CD-Rom called Beyond the Written Word: Exploring Faith Through Christian Art.

Now Daily is moving her passion to the next level. The project is to create a mobile app for phones. The iChristian Art app will be a way to allow people to visit an art museum, stand in front of an artwork and experience it with a guide to scriptural references, symbols, and more. In effect, the art will become catechetical, but "painlessly" so that average people can learn more about scripture and its stories without sitting in a classroom or church. Daily says, "This project started out as a book but then I realized that most people don't bring reference books to the museum. Ah, but, most people do bring their phones." Take a look at her eloquent video explanation of what she is working on, here.

This project, however, will need about $9,000 to complete - mostly in terms of getting the hundreds of pages of texts of the meditations included. If you can help, check out her fundraising page here.

A Social Media Lent? What's Missing?

2011-03-04T20:03:00.003-06:00

Just found this nifty site: Living Lent from the Catholic Young Adult Ministry of the Diocese of Tulsa. It promises to assist users to keep their Lenten commitments by sending daily reminders of their sacrifices, sending reminders on Fridays to abstain from meat, notifying users of special feast days and Sundays, and displaying a community of users who are recommitting to their promises so others are encouraged to follow. In effect, it’s a social media Lent. You journey with a community of accountability, with reminders along the way to keep you on track.

Using social media as a kind of support group is an interesting option in terms of Lent. Lent, by its very nature, should be a communal activity. Lent is really a time for the parish community to recall what it means to be a baptized disciple of Jesus Christ as they accompany those to be baptized to the Easter sacraments. The Pope has noted the connection to baptism in his Statement for Lent 2011. However, so many people are ignorant of this core theology of Lent. Most, following what they remember being taught as children, at best treat it as a private 40-day personal meditation on sin, not really sharing their journey with others, besides the traditional off-handed comments about “What I am Giving Up for Lent.” Others simply go through the motions of giving something up, out of habit.

The idea behind the site is, at its heart, good. However, the only links on the site are to an examination of conscience, act of contrition and Stations of the Cross. If all the site does is provide accountability for the disciplines of Lent, without catechesis on their purpose, it misses a golden opportunity. This means it is about the disciplines of Lent without describing the tradition: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is about chronicling the actions without doing much to change the heart. A connection is lost when all that is present is the external action and an invitation to contrition and to meditate on the Crucified Christ – without the great big “why” of it all.

We are not only baptized into Christ’s death, but his life as well. In the Rite of Infant Baptism we are anointed “priest, prophet and king” according to the model of Jesus. (See Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 897ff) We receive a baptismal call to grow into mature disciples – people of prayer, witness, and hope, who consider what God wants before acting, and who practice love of neighbor at the cost of self (see the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, paragraph 75.) Lent is a time to recover this meaning, to reconnect with our baptismal call… and we do most deeply it within community.

Unfortunately, the developers of this website are missing the bigger picture. What they are doing is reinforcing an old misunderstanding of Lent as a time only of self-mortification and reflection on the plight of Jesus on the Cross with the purpose of somehow cleansing us to celebrate Easter. The reality is that it is much greater than making a commitment to a chosen discipline. Lent is a time to recover our identity as baptized disciples, to let go of all that keeps us from living out our baptismal call well. That requires a journey of conversion that we undertake hand in hand with our faith community, and no, there really is not an app for that.

Where is the App for the New Roman Missal People's Parts?

2011-03-04T18:22:00.001-06:00

From the Department of What If...?

What if a Catholic wanted to look at the new people's parts outside of Mass - but they really are more wired than book-based in terms of how they learn and function? What if there were an app that allowed people to view the new responses, explore a little explanation, and maybe even go to other sites to learn more about the scriptural roots or history of this part of the Mass in the Church? There are plenty of pamphlets and books for people - but will the average Catholic-on-the-go read them? There are websites aplenty - but you have to know about them or be linked there.... Hmm.

Oh, how I wish I were a software developer!

What They Don't Know...Catechists and the Necessity for Ongoing Liturgical Catechesis

2011-02-27T22:49:00.001-06:00

Recently, as I facilitated the University of Dayton VLCFF course "Introduction to Liturgy", one of the participants, a second grade catechist, remarked that until she took the course, she did not even know what the word "liturgy" meant. This, coming from a catechist for those preparing for First Communion. (I am very glad she took the course - obviously she had a large gap to fill and she is beginning to work on that!)

What do our catechists really know about liturgy? I suspect for many the answer is "only a little". I have facilitated this course a number of times, and every time, when the course is over, participants, mostly the catechists, tell me how much they learned they had not known before. I have watched as many of them learned there are three cycles of readings at Mass, that the second part of the Mass is called Liturgy of the Eucharist, and that the Offertory includes the bringing forward of bread, wine and gifts for the poor. I have read comments from so many who cannot believe what a difference it makes when they attend Mass when they understand the structure, purpose and the importance of their role as members of the Assembly.

These are the same well-meaning people who will be catechizing children and youth about the changes in the Mass next fall. There is still time for some liturgical catechesis in the parish to help them understand what the materials for the transition assume they already know - the basics of the Mass. Need I say more?

Worshiping as a Stranger in a Not-So-Strange Land

2011-02-20T21:51:00.001-06:00

This morning, our parish pastoral council members (mostly Anglos) met at the 9:30 Spanish Mass to join our brothers and sisters in their worship - in a show of solidarity - and as a sign that the parish has lay leadership. We have been trying to face our current reality as a mostly Hispanic parish by inviting increased representation from the Spanish-speaking community -- and this gesture seemed like a great idea.

So, nine of us attended, seated in a pew near, but not in the front. Of course, it was the Mass - and we all know the ritual and structure... it's universal, right? Well, mostly. I tried to navigate the experience with my muy poco español and more than a little uncertainty.

I was determined to participate, since that is a high value for me... so I valiantly opened the missal, located the Ordinary of the Mass in Spanish, which enabled me at least to attempt the longer people's spoken parts. Of course sometimes they spoke faster than I could read! (muy despacio, por favor!). Many of the sung acclamations were familiar to me from having sung at bi-lingual Masses... although I admit I had to chuckle a bit when they got to the Memorial Acclamation and out came "Christo ha muerto, Christo resucitado... " which was NOT a choice in the missalette. (So, tell me again that in November we English worshipers won't be able to sing "Christ has died, Christ is risen..."?)

I was able to follow about half of what was said in the readings, prayers and the homily - it helped that I had already heard the readings Saturday night because I had been cantor at the English vigil Mass. What I think I heard, was pretty much a simple run-through and explanation of the meaning of the readings. No frills, but not bad. The straight dope, more or less.

As to joining in the singing, I learned I really have to get better at my numbers in Spanish - because it was hard for me to find the two selections the 15-member choir announced and led that were from the Spanish hymnal - the only time I had a hope of joining in the songs. I did locate one of them after the second time they sang the refrain, because I could pick out the first few words and find it alphabetically.

Most of the songs, however, including three they did at Communion, were not announced and not in the book - but that didn't stop almost everyone, from the children to the grandmothers, from singing along loudly... all the words by heart - and from the heart. In the end, for the final song, all we Anglos could do was stand and clap along with the rhythmic clapping, having very little idea what was being sung so enthusiastically, yet somehow feeling a part of it all. Maybe I should do this more often.

New Roman Missal - Will it Take a Graduate School Education to Understand It?

2011-02-18T19:47:00.002-06:00

An interesting post over at the Pray Tell blog about a readability test run on parts of the new Roman Missal reinforces the need for lots of catechesis and help for children and youth... and most average adults as well, because of the vocabulary and sentence structure of the Mass texts. The test was conducted by Father Padraig McCarthy, a retired priest from Dublin, Ireland.

The result that jumped out for me is that according to the tool he used to test it, the amount of education a person needs to understand the new wording jumps, in some cases, to 16 or more years of formal education. The jump in the number of words per sentence, for example, means, according to Father McCarthy that

... it will make full active conscious participation in the Liturgy very difficult for many people who do not have a college education, and even for many who have! It goes contrary to what paragraph 25 of Liturgiam Authenticam states: “So that the content of the original texts may be evident and comprehensible even to the faithful who lack any special intellectual formation, the translations should be characterized by a kind of language which is easily understandable.”

Whatever one thinks, it is a "done deal" that these are the texts we will be implementing in November. This is not the vernacular of 21st century people - and the average member of the English-speaking Assembly at Mass will need all the help that catechists and priests can give to understand the new words. What we may need to help them is a translation of the translation!

New Roman Missal Course from University of Dayton VLCFF - Register Now!

2011-02-18T08:41:00.000-06:00

A second section has been opened up... and there is still time to register for the new 5-week online course "Roman Missal: Preparing for the New Translation" which begins its first run on March 13. I am excited to be one of the facilitators of this excellent course created by Sr. Joyce Ann Zimmerman, which will lead you through the background and meaning of the changes and challenge you to reflect on how you handle change - to prepare you as a parish leader to help others negotiate the changes. Click the link above to view the course description.

If you are new to VLCFF, view the course description and then go to the home page and click on the lower left where it says "become a new student" - then click calendar, scroll down to Cycle 2, and find the course name. Click to register. If your diocese is a member of VLCFF, the registration fee is $40 - otherwise $90...

Don't miss this chance to prepare yourself to help your parish become an MRIII - compliant parish that not only complies with the Vatican's desire that we use the new translation, but one that embraces a renewed and fuller understanding of the Eucharist and why the words we say at Mass really do matter!

Parish Kits for Roman Missal Implementation

2011-02-09T07:46:00.000-06:00

Diocese of San Jose is providing an excellent parish kit for implementation of the new Roman Missal. Take a look at what will be included here. Kudos to Diana Macalintal of their ODW and those who prepared this kit! Great idea. These are essential resources.

The Gift of Technology - Online Connection and Learning

2011-02-04T18:15:00.001-06:00

Just spent an entire day online in a virtual meeting that was not only exciting and engaging but well worth spending a day on: the annual Diocesan Partner's Convocation for University of Dayton VLCFF (Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation) the brainchild of Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski. Originally, I had planned to drive to the event, as I had for the past 3 years, but the weather in the Chicago area had other ideas this year. Actually, except for missing out on the great food, participating through the Virtual Conference Center (VCC) with pretty much half the people at the meeting was almost like being there.

Perfected over the last couple of years, the VCC interface, typical of many webinars in style, is the face of things to come. We could see the PowerPoint, a video and sound feed of what was being said by presenters and those with microphones, and at the same time, could chat with the moderators and other online participants. In that way, we were able to engage in real dialog with others in the room. Obviously, this kind of gathering has many possibilities for distance faith formation in the future.

What did I learn today? Quite a bit. I heard about finalization of courses for the lay ministry formation and youth ministry certificates. I heard about plans for growth and future certificate programs and courses. I heard about an openness to updating the technology in the original message-board and internal email interface to provide an experience attractive to young adults - and about many other plans... but I also heard a commitment to keeping courses at a basic level and remaining true to the original vision of the VLCFF - to make faith formation accessible to nearly everyone with access to a computer, no matter how slow the connection.

What emerged from the reports and dialog was that the VLCFF is growing rapidly - with increased use across the board each year - including the near-doubling of participants in Spanish online courses in the last year alone. Registration for the current cycle is over 900 students - from dioceses all over the world. VLCFF expects to break the 1000-mark soon. Courses are inexpensive - participants from member dioceses get a discounted price of $30 for 3-week seminars and $40 for a 5-week course. (Even if your diocese is not a member, the top price for a course is only $90.) Offerings are varied - Catholic belief, scripture, liturgy, media, Christology, ministry competencies, prayer and lots more.

New offerings will include a liturgy track - with one of the first new courses coming later this spring: an online course on the Revised Roman Missal, created by Sr. Joyce Ann Zimmerman. (More news about that when it is available)

As a regular facilitator of VLCFF courses myself, I have to say, this is really great stuff. Where else, for a low dollar amount, can catechists, Catholic school teachers, liturgy committee members, RCIA team members, and Catholics who want to learn more about their faith meet and share with others from all over the world, while engaging in reading and sharing about great faith-related topics? Why not check the link above - and consider becoming a new student!

"Gripping" New Youth Catechism: Will Youth Read a 300-page BOOK?

2011-02-03T13:22:00.001-06:00

This just posted by Catholic News Agency: "Pope promotes 'gripping new Youth Catechism" . This 300-page book is supposedly written in a youth-friendly style and will be translated into 13 languages by April, 2011. It will also be handed out at World Youth Day.

Nice try. Long overdue. Now, when was the last time you met a teen who would actually read a 300-page book? Someone needs to start creating the searchable YOUCAT i-Phone / iPad app.

Postmodern Self Help: New Opiate for the Masses

2011-01-30T10:25:00.001-06:00

Checking out at a discount store yesterday, I had a few minutes while waiting to peruse the magazine covers near the check-out counter. One particular cover caught my eye because of the promises it made: "Shortcuts to Bliss!" "Happy Healing" "No More Tiredness" "Melt Away Pounds!" It occurs to me that these kinds of promises of self-help quick fixes offered by various gurus on fitness, happiness, etc. are the current opiate of the masses rather than religion. (as Karl Marx famously wrote: "Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes"). Times have changed, Herr Marx.

Having just read Father Dwight Longenecker's well-articulated post "The Collapse of Cultural Catholicism" in which he laments the dwindling number of people who take their faith seriously enough to show up for church, largely because they think they are good enough Christians on their own and have no use for the Church, it struck me that there is a relationship.

We are a society that not only thinks it is all about us, but that we can fix anything if we only try this or that system of behavior, or think positively enough. The Prosperity Gospel evangelists promote an attitude that if you are not rich, happy and leading a perfect life, it's your fault because you are not praying hard enough for those good things. The New Age version of this comes from guru Eckhart Tolle - made famous by Oprah Winfrey's choice of his book. He would say that if you are not happy, it is because of your negative attitude. The "universe" wants good things for you - all you have to do is plug into the positive energy. Supermarket self-help magazines direct people to the Self-Help aisle in the bookstore - which seems to get larger all the time, to find the latest books about systems for fixing everything about the human condition. Only around the corner are the corresponding New Age spirituality books which promise to fix your soul.

Organized religion is rapidly being rejected by people who have no use for what they do not understand - because it is not all about them. What we have is a failure to evangelize. Because they do not understand what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ really has to do with their everyday life, they turn away and look for love "in all the wrong places" - depending on their own ability to follow somebody's "system" for happiness and fulfillment. The Church is not doing well at communicating the relationship of Paschal Mystery to everyday life. For that, I have to put some of the blame on the clergy - in my 24 years as a Catholic, I have only heard one homily that even mentioned it.

Jesus Christ has the ultimate system for self-improvement: his teachings and his example of life, submitting his will to that of the Father. Until people who call themselves Christian acknowledge that and stop turning whichever way the popular wind blows, we are really living in an era of "anti-Christs" - people who draw people away from Christ with promises of happiness. We live in a time where people no longer are addicted to religion, as Marx postulated. Instead, they are addicted to self-help, and to the latest system that promises health, wealth and happiness... until something newer and better comes along. No wonder few of them attend church any more.

Questions of Allegiance, Proper Attire, and Good Liturgy

2011-01-25T08:45:00.001-06:00

Good post from Joe Paprocki over at Catechist's Journey on an incident at Mass last weekend where the priest, at the dismissal, moved the deacon's chair away from the presider's and announced to a Chicago congregation by yelling "Go Packers" that he himself was a Packer fan in "Bear country" - tainting the closing rite with partisanship and catching boo's from the people. Comments are interesting - and the discussion of the wearing of sports jerseys to Mass is interesting. Take a look.

One of my contentions is that we have become a society in which most people are uncomfortable with formal, ritual occasions - and that many people no longer know how to dress for Mass because it is a foreign experience. Maybe one of the things we need catechesis on is respect - and how one's garb and demeanor at Mass indicate that!

Fierceness and Courage - Poetry Party over at Abbey of the Arts

2011-01-22T12:55:00.001-06:00

Well, this probably takes some courage here - to pour out my heart in poetry and let you all see it - and you might not think that it has much to do with liturgy or catechesis... but as a writer and a former student of Renaissance poetry, it is always a latent possibility that I will break forth in verse!

This morning I responded to the invitation in the Abbey of the Arts blog to write a poem or reflection about fierceness and courage - with this picture as inspiration:

The catechetical moment here is that I never know when the Spirit will inspire me to respond with verse. I have piles of unpublished poems - most of which represent some attempt to reflect on something going on in my life. It's a form of catharsis - and in many cases, like journaling in prose, a form of prayer. The formational part of spiritual poetry for me is that it allows me to mine the depths of my relationship with God. A good poem can teach the writer as much as it expresses to a reader. Here is what I wrote this morning (still awaiting moderation over at A of the A:

A Song of Fierce Avoidance

Like a lion, God, you hunt me without rest, seeking to draw me with gentle paws

to your mighty heart of love.

Heedless, I cling desperately to whatever briefly comforts me, often seeking

everything but you.

I claw and struggle, fighting to find my true self, amid a bramble

Of memory, sorrow and desire,

always trying to go back to a past that cannot be recovered,

to missed opportunities, wasted joys, and ignored blessings.

I stumble blindly through thickets heavy with memory, regret and grief,

knowing you are near, yet doing everything I can to escape

the inevitable snare of your love,

refusing to admit my need, reluctant to trust you alone

with my future.

Teach me the courage to allow myself to be caught by you –

and to become like a newborn lamb,

lying trustingly, resting my head against you alone for comfort,

the thunder of your love loud in my ear,

drowning out all other voices – even my own.

There - my soul is bare - for whatever worth the reader may find in it. This is where I am, still working my way through the grief of losing the most important person in my life a year and a half ago. I know God is there - I just struggle with surrender to the current reality.... as we all do at times.

Why not try your hand at poetry, reflection or another kind of response to the topic of fierceness and courage - follow the link in the second paragraph above and join the party!

The Wisdom of Catechists

2011-01-09T17:42:00.001-06:00

Yesterday at my parish, we had a morning-long meeting. About 25 of us were present - for a time of prayer and sharing. It was a time to bring catechists from both the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking cultures together - most present preferred to speak Spanish at their tables, but there were two tables of us consisting of bilingual Hispanics and some Anglos. It was truly a case of discerning the wisdom of the community - and there was a surprising amount of agreement.

After some quiet personal reflection on how well we were doing with such things as understanding, living and sharing the faith and listening to our students, we were asked to engage in small group process on two questions: "What do you need to work on?" and "What do you need?"

For the first question, the two goals named most often were obtaining a better knowledge of the faith and learning who our students are as young Hispanics living in the American culture. Scripture study and a better knowledge of the Catechism were named for the first. On the second point, we named a real need to listen, to explore and to understand the variations among our students (Spanish-speaking at home or not, born here or not, first or second generation here, etc.) We agreed that most of our students prefer Spanish Mass and when they know their prayers it is more often in Spanish, even when students are fluent in English. The difficulties they described pretty much can be summarized simply: not all students in their classrooms participate in the two cultures in quite the same way. Several of the Hispanic catchists very eloquently named that it was important to show teens that faith is not just fiction.

As to the second area - what they need, catechists asked for Bible study, formation, parent meetings and parent formation or more closely mandated parent contact with the catechists. It was suggested that perhaps we have a parent conference night when catechists can interact with the parents. There was an energetic discussion of the failure of parents to assist catechists - and the prevalent attitude that parents seem to have that they are relying on the religious education program to form their children in faith - while most families fail to practice that faith, do not go to Mass, or teach children the prayers they should know. The consensus was strongly that more parental involvement on all fronts is needed - and that perhaps more contact with parents or parent formation would help.

Strange, but this sounds a great deal like what parish directors of religious education (a group I am normally with on a more regular basis through regional cluster meetings) name whenever they are asked what they need: formation for themselves, and strategies for more catechist and parent formation.

A Matter of Justice for the Children,,,

2011-01-05T09:00:00.001-06:00

Just read an interesting op-ed piece from the New York Times about how the inequality between the rich and the poor affects the emotional psychology of the poor, leading to crime and illness. Couple that with this video from Fr. Allan Deck about immigrant families - and how the kids tend to disrespect the authority of their parents because their parents are disrespected in American society as illegals - which leads to gang activity:

Those of us who catechize and serve pastorally the children of immigrants, and/or those living in lower economic situations need to take note. How much do these potentially troubled children and youth need our help? More than we know. Pray for justice for the poor and for immigrants in this, and all nations.

What's in an Epiphany?

2011-01-04T07:31:00.000-06:00

In these days following the Sunday celebration and before the official calendar celebration of the Epiphany, we remember how marvelous a gift the Incarnation is - that we have a God who came down to earth to live as a human being...and all that means for us that the Light of the World came to dwell in the world as flesh.

However, the word "epiphany" is also often used popularly to indicate what Oprah Winfrey calls an "Aha Moment" - a situation where one has a sudden realization of a truth. The term was first used in that way by James Joyce, in Stephen Hero and Ulysses - as Stephen Daedalus (the "young man" from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and a main character in all three works) thinks about collecting his own "epiphanies" - scintillating moments of insight - into a book. You can read a good explanation of this literary use of the term here.

I think I had one this weekend. At our 11:30 English Mass, during the procession with the gifts, three men (two Hispanic and one Anglo who was "drafted" from the pews) came forward, dressed in colorful home-made satin robes and crowns, carrying gold, frankincense and myrrh. After Mass, they stood in the back of church and handed out foil-wrapped chocolate coins to everyone. While this has been a long-standing tradition at all the Spanish Masses, this year for the first time they brought it to the entire community. I found myself overwhelmed emotionally as they came up, because I had not expected it. The Hispanic community was sharing with us their traditional cultural expression of the celebration of Tres reyes.

Also over the weekend my pastor shared with me a document to be discussed tonight which he had me email to our parish council, suggesting that the council become who the parish is now (75-80% Hispanic) - and not remain representative of our past as an inner city white parish (all members save one are from the Anglo community and most of them have been in leadership roles for many years.) Our representation needs to come from both communities, and our meetings may no longer be all in English. Of course, this will not happen without some courageous action and some discomfort. It is simply a long-overdue but necessary change needed for the parish to move into the future and to stop clinging to the past.

In discussing this with a friend and fellow council member, I came to the realization that both "communities" have much to learn from one another. The sharing of the cultural and liturgical celebrations and the living enthusiasm and heart for the faith that the three kings represented this weekend is one gift the Hispanic community brings to enliven the parish. The gifts of wisdom, of years of experience in lay ministries and an understanding of the American church is what we older Anglos bring to the table. All these are needed for us to become more fully who we are as parish.

To make this possible, we will have to "re-birth" the council - and the parish into its current identity. Those who have desperately clung to memories of a past, when the parish had many ministries, parish retreats, Renew groups, and community activities and was full of life in our familiar Anglo ways need to acknowledge the death of most of that as many former parishioners left and the rest of us aged, became tired and overwhelmed - and the new birth among us of a lively parish that manifests itself in large and joyful celebrations of Tres reyes, Las mananitas, Las posadas, Quincinearas, El dia de los ninos, and El dia de los muertos.

THAT is an epiphany. So, tonight that beast (in the words of Willam Butler Yeats) needs to go "slouching toward Bethlehem" in hopes of a new birth - a new manifestation of what it means to be St. John the Baptist Parish Community. This is the cultural revolution that is happening in Catholic parishes all over America. Tonight, at our parish, we step up to the plate to see if we are open to the challenge to be reborn - to cooperate with God in re-creating our community's identity.

Implementing the New Missal Translation: Attitude is All

2010-12-15T07:03:00.006-06:00

The patter on the internet regarding the new Roman Missal has settled down a bit after the initial dismay of some when the leaked texts appeared to be so entirely contrary to the stated principles of translation and, in many places, of good English. One commentator even referred to it as "the wretched received text." So, as we go forward, with the anticipated release of the full text in the early spring, do we implement the new Missal - with the strong possibility that much of the language is both off-putting and awkward - with resignation or with enthusiasm?

One bishop has definitely chosen enthusiasm. Bishop William Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Center, has published a short pastoral letter, Belong More Deeply and put up this great video for youth and young adults:

Gotta give him credit - he sells it!