The History of the Christmas Feast

The Church, since it is a living organism (the Body of Christ) continually evolves. This is sometimes most noticeable in the celebrations of the liturgical year. We sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit left no liturgical calendar with the Apostles on that First Pentecost!

Prior to the fourth century, Sunday was the primary feast in the Church. A yearly commemoration of the Pasch (Easter) was celebrated from an early time and from that came related liturgical days (Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday leading to the Easter Vigil, for example).

The origins of the Christmas feast are not entirely clear. According to Adolf Adam's book, The Liturgical Year, there is concrete evidence that the celebration of the birth of Christ was occurring on December 25 in Rome in 336.

But scholars are divided as to the reason for the selection of December 25 for this feast. Some believe it was to "baptize" a pagan festival of "the Unconquered Sun-God" to the the Syrian sun-god Emesa established throughout the Roman Empire in 274 (to be celebrated each year on December 25, the day of the winter solstice). After all, Jesus Christ is the Sun of Righteousness, the Light of the World, never to be conquered.

Other scholars believe that third-century Christians wished to calculate the exact date of Jesus' birth.

The Christ-as-sun symbolism that was so deep-rooted in the Christian consciousness caused them to pay special attention to the equinoxes and solstices. One opinion was that John the Baptist was conceived at the autumn equinox and born at the summer solstice. But since according to Luke 1:26 Christ was conceived six months after John, he was conceived at the spring equinox (March 25) and was therefore born on December 25. (Adolf Adam, The Liturgical Year, p. 123)

Regardless of how or why, the date of December 25th took root in the west. In the fourth century the Church was neither as centralized as it is today nor did it have the ability to communicate quickly. Still, this feast spread rapidly even to those places in the east that celebrated January 6 as the date of the manifestation of God in flesh. In fact, many calendars had both celebrations.

Today in the western Church December 25th marks the date of Christ's birth into the world. God put on human flesh and became like us in all things but sin. In the west January 6 (Epiphany) celebrates the revelation of God in Christ to all the nations.

Midnight Mass also has ancient roots, dating back to the fifth century when the pope would celebrate Mass in a chapel (designed to be a replica of the cave of Christ's birth in Bethlehem) deep beneath the basilica of Saint Mary Major.

Lessons and Carols

This Sunday, December 20, the Madison Diocesan Choir will present its annual Lessons and Carols at 4 p.m. in the Chapel of the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. Bishop Robert C. Morlino will preside. Admission is free but all are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Catholic Multicultural Center food program. The O'Connor Center is wheelchair accessible.

The Service of Lessons and Carols was created in late-nineteenth century England. Today its most popular incarnation is at King's College (Cambridge, England) where the King's College Choir, founded by King Henry VI (1421-1471), presents a program each Christmas Eve which is broadcast to the world. Nine Scripture readings ("Lessons") recall salvation history, from the Fall in the Garden of Eden to Redemption in Christ Jesus. In between the Lessons the choir sings Christmas carols, anthems and motets and the congregation joins in on some popular carols.

The Diocesan Choir began this tradition in the early 1990s under the direction of dynamic conductor Jorge Gonzales. For nearly twenty years the Choir has ushered in the last week of Advent with this service, the only break coming in the Jubilee Year of 2000 when the choir performed J. S. Bach's great Magnificat in D-major (BWV 243) with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the newly-renovated O'Connor Center Chapel.

In recent years the Diocesan Choir has added a second performance on the Vigil of the Epiphany. This year they will sing at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Milwaukee on Saturday, January 2, 2010.

Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!

Having celebrated the Third Sunday of Advent, our thoughts now turn to the final preparation for Christmas. While Advent has a dual nature--preparing to recall and celebrate the Lord's first coming as well as looking for his return at the end of time--the last days of Advent start to focus us more clearly on the former (see General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar, nos. 39-42).

O Come, O Come Emmanuel has become for many people the quintessential Advent hymn. It is based on the seven O Antiphons, which are still used today as the antiphons for the Magnificat at Evening Prayer December 17-23.

For evening prayer, they follow this order:

• O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
• O Adonai (O Sacred Lord of Ancient Israel)
• O Radix Jesse (O Flower of Jesse's Stem)
• O Clavis David (O Key of David)
• O Oriens (O Radiant Dawn)
• O Rex Gentium (O King of All Nations)
• O Emmanuel (O Emmanuel)

These texts date back to the earliest centuries of Christianity and, in what seems a precursor to backmasking, they are arranged to provide a hidden message. If you take the first letter of each Latin title and reverse the order, it spells: Ero cras, which at least some scholars believe was a hidden message of the hymn meaning, Tomorrow, I come!

The hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, rearranges the verses and uses a translation by nineteenth-century hymn writer John Mason Neale. The origins of the tune are unclear, but it seems to date back into at least the fifteenth century.

I always find it amazing, that for centuries Christians have been calling on the Lord to come, using basically these same texts and often the same tunes. How many times has God heard this plea? How many times has the Church lifted her voice in this manner? After so many generations it may be easy for the Church to become complacent. But we know he will come when we least expect it, like a thief in the night!

I hope you enjoy the clip below. It is a setting of Veni, Veni Emmanuel by twentieth-century composer Zoltan Kodaly. Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!

We go together or not at all

I sometimes hear people who consider themselves to be very orthodox Catholics disparage other Catholic people whom they judge to be un-Catholic. This seems to mirror the political divisions with the underlying presumption that if you believe something different than me you are un-patriotic or even un-American.

Division such as this is a tough issue for those of us in the Church. There are beliefs that all Catholics are called to profess. These beliefs are meant to shape the very way that we live our lives. If individuals don't accept aspects of the faith or if they don't allow these beliefs to shape their actions, they are not able to live the life to which they have been called.

At the same time we acknowledge that all are sinful and fall short of our call. People who consider themselves very holy often treat others as obstacles to their own salvation. People who feel that creed and dogma are meaningless often lack the foundation to live out their deep and faithful convictions.

So what are we to do?

Yesterday (December 9) the Holy Father appointed one of Detroit's auxiliary bishops, Daniel Flores, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville in Texas. At age 45 he is the second youngest bishop in the U.S. He seems to me wise beyond his years, as witnessed in his opening statement at a press conference yesterday.

...we walk together on the pilgrimage of life and history toward our heavenly homeland. (Hasta que en el cielo descansamos.) God calls us to an unimaginable glory, and we travel this pilgrimage of life together. We journey together with hope. We work so that no one grows too weary on this road we travel. If we leave behind anyone who might be discouraged on this road, if we do not make such a person's interests our very own, then Christ will not let us cross to the heaven he has prepared for us. We go together, or we do not go at all.

This is why unity is so important to Christians. Notice that he didn't say, "Come with me or you will be left behind" or "this is what the Church teaches and if you don't like it, you can go to another church." No. We have a responsibility to help each other.

I believe that St. Paul's metaphor of the body is a key to our understanding this. "If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy" (I Cor. 12:26). We also have the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and, of course, the Prodigal Son (all in Luke 15). We don't ignore what separates us. Rather, we always seek reconciliation. Unity is a reality of the Eucharist.

Christ personally unites himself with each one of us, but Christ himself is also united with the man and the woman who are next to me. And the bread is for me but it is also for the other. Thus Christ unites all of us with himself and all of us with one another. In communion we receive Christ. But Christ is likewise united with my neighbor: Christ and my neighbor are inseparable in the Eucharist. And thus we are all one bread and one body. A Eucharist without solidarity with others is a Eucharist abused.

Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience on December 10, 2008

I certainly don't have all of the answers. However, the concept which I hear more and more that there should be a smaller, more faithful Church seems to deny the Eucharistic reality of unity. More faithful? Yes! Smaller? No!

Unity isn't just about bringing other people with me. It perhaps has less to do with others and more with myself. And unity isn't simply something that would make things nicer. "Unity is the essence of the Church" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 813).

God of power and might,
we praise you through your Son, Jesus Christ,
who comes in your name.

He is the Word that brings salvation.
He is the hand you stretch out to sinners.
He is the way that leads to your peace.

Eucharistic Prayer for Masses of Reconciliation (II)

Christ (and those who bear his imprint and name) does the action. He brings salvation, reaches out to sinners and provides the road to peace. He doesn't point and say, "Salvation is over there." He doesn't look at sinners and say, "When you come over to me I will forgive." He doesn't say, "I'm going ahead, I hope you find the way."

Theologians such as Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas do not consider this understanding of Eucharist as a sacrament of unity something trivial or arbitrary, the fruit of pious exaggeration, something that one might just be permitted to say after dealing with the dogmatic truths of the real presence and the sacrificial character of the Eucharist. On the contrary, this understanding is essential in their eyes; indeed, it is the essential truth about the Eucharist…the unity of the Church is the reason why the Eucharist exists.

Cardinal Walter Kaspar. Sacrament of Unity, pages 119-120.

This Advent would be a great time to reach out to one with whom you need to be reconciled. Be the one to stretch out your hand, to be the way of peace, to live out the reality of the Eucharist!

"This Sacred Council"

Forty six years ago today--December 4, 1963--the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) [CSL] was promulgated during the Second Vatican Council. This was the first document of the Council that was approved and promulgated, and its opening lines establish the goals of the Council in general:

This sacred Council has several aims in view: it desires to impart an ever increasing vigor to the Christian life of the faithful; to adapt more suitably to the needs of our own times those institutions which are subject to change; to foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ; to strengthen whatever can help to call the whole of mankind into the household of the Church. The Council therefore sees particularly cogent reasons for undertaking the reform and promotion of the liturgy.

The CSL was the first of four Constitutions promulgated during the Second Vatican Council. The others were on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), the Church (Lumen Gentium), and the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et spes). Constitutions are the most authoritative documents issued by a Council. The Second Vatican Council also issued three declarations and nine decrees.

There is much division in the Church today over what the Council "really wanted" or what the documents produced by the Council "really said." While it is healthy and good to vigorously debate these important aspects of our faith, I have failed to see a real debate of these issues during the past decade. What I mostly observe is an apologia from this perspective or that, which skewers the opponent and shows the ultimate wisdom and holiness of the "correct" interpretation. In fact, one blog I visited recently referred to those who thought differently as "evil," and said that they want to bring the Church down. While we certainly have issues that must be resolved, I have to say that I have never worked with anyone, regardless of their ideology, who wanted anything less than a flourishing and vital Catholic Church!

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy built upon nearly a century of papal pronouncements. Pope St. Pius X (1903-14) described the necessity of the faithful's "active participation" in his motu proprio on sacred music, Tra le sollecitudine (1903). Pius XII's (1939-58) encyclical Mediator Dei (1947) speaks of the Mystical Body of Christ. During his pontificate the liturgical movement was gaining momentum. While Pope Pius severely discouraged innovation and experimentation at the local level, he allowed for limited use of the vernacular language, outside of Mass and mostly in mission lands, for some of the rites. He reformed the rites of Holy Week (1951, 1954) and reformed the calendar, eliminating all celebrations of the octaves, with the exception of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.

Pope Pius X wrote in Mediator Dei:

The Church is without question a living organism, and as an organism, in respect of the sacred liturgy also, she grows, matures, develops, adapts and accommodates herself to temporal needs and circumstances, provided only that the integrity of her doctrine be safeguarded. (paragraph 59)

This certainly prefigures the opening of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy quoted above. The Constitution goes on to say:

In order that the Christian people may more certainly derive an abundance of graces from the sacred liturgy, holy Mother Church desires to undertake with great care a general restoration of the liturgy itself. For the liturgy is made up of immutable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change. These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy or have become unsuited to it.

In this restoration, both texts and rites should be drawn up so that they express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and as befits a community. (paragraph 21)

This brings liturgical reform, 60+ years old, to its next level and has set the stage for what has followed. I think that any level-headed person sees that the reforms, though often awkwardly implemented, have been a source of grace for the Church.

In my own mind, I have seen two major issues that all of us who prepare and celebrate liturgy need to address. The first is a rather cavalier attitude toward the liturgical texts, rubrics and rituals of the Roman Rite. There is a sense that if something doesn't work or feel right, I will change it. Conversion requires the exact opposite: If something doesn't work or feel right, I must change. I think that this conversion requires a great deal of humility and trust in the Spirit. While often the most visible infractions in this area occur when a priest omits a part of the Mass or changes words, this often manifests itself quietly in the return to practices which were changed or omitted during the reforms, thus nullifying paragraph 21 of the CSL (above). (In any honest approach we have to first remove the plank from our own eye before helping our neighbor remove the speck of dust from his own!)

The second issue has to do with ongoing catechesis for the congregation regarding their important role in the liturgy.

...in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain. Pastors of souls must therefore realize that, when the liturgy is celebrated, something more is required than the mere observation of the laws governing valid and licit celebration; it is their duty also to ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects. (CSL 11)

Notice that the liturgy's effectiveness doesn't depend on the priest, the organist, the choir, the lector, the environment, or any of the myriad of things that we fuss about. It depends on the people in the pew!

Helping people "take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged...and enriched" is not easy and can't be accomplished with a bulletin article now and then. This type of catechesis requires a full-court press in the schools and religious education programs, in adult education, through homilies and, most importantly, through well-celebrated liturgy. It has been my experience that people want to know more about the liturgy and about their faith. We don't want to sell them short.

Finally, I think that we have to acknowledge some inherent tensions in liturgical norms and documents. For example, we know that the Council confirmed Latin as the language of the Roman Rite (CSL 36). At the same time it said that the people should be able to understand the liturgy with ease (CSL 21) and take part fully aware of what they are doing (CSL 11). This creates a tension and no sentence trumps another. We have to reflect on ways to reconcile these two seemingly different approaches.

So happy anniversary. Much has been accomplished but much more lies ahead.

You may want to check out this blog sent to me by a colleague: http://www.liturgicalleaders.blogspot.com/

Making Time

Christians used to express their relationship with Jesus. ... The meaning of the expression advent also includes that of 'vistatio', ... a visit, which in this case means a visit from God: He enters my life and wishes to address Himself to me...

In daily life we all know the experience of having little time for the Lord, and little time for ourselves. We end up becoming absorbed by 'doing'. Is it not often true that it is activity itself that possesses us, society with its multiple distractions that monopolises our attention? Is it not true that we dedicate a lot of time to entertainment and leisure activities of various kinds?

Advent, this potent liturgical period we are entering, invites us to remain silent as we come to appreciate a presence. It is an invitation to understand that the individual events of the day are signs God addresses to us, signs of the care He has for each of us. How often does God make us aware of some aspect of His love! To maintain what we might call an 'inner diary' of this love would be a beautiful and rewarding task in our lives. Advent invites us and encourages us to contemplate the living Lord. Should not the certainty of His presence help us to see the world with different eyes?

Homily of Pope Benedict XVI
First Vespers for the First
Sunday of Advent
November 28, 2009
Translation from Vatican News Service

It's not too early to think about......Easter!

The Liturgical Institute, housed on the grounds of Mundelein Seminary outside of Chicago is hosting a one day conference, Treasures of the Triduum, on Friday, January 22, 2010. Registration materials and workshop descriptions are available by clicking on the link above.

Advent Online

The U. S. Bishops have a nice page devoted to Advent, including an online Advent Calendar. Check it out at www.usccb.org/advent.

Giving Thanks

Tomorrow our nation celebrates Thanksgiving, a day that, unfortunately, is in danger of being overshadowed by the shopping frenzy of "Black Friday." In the United States most consider the celebration of pilgrims together with native Americans as the origin. It seems that our ancestors had a real sense gratitude to God for the blessings received.

Giving thanks to God lies at the heart of prayer in the Judeo-Christian tradition. In fact, our word Eucharist comes from a Greek word, eucharistein, which means "to give thanks and praise." It grew out of the Jewish prayer of blessing, often used during meals, recounting God's great works of creation, redemption and sanctification. (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1328).

When people speak to me about their participation in the Mass, they often speak of in terms of the many graces that they receive from God--spiritual refreshment, peace, forgiveness, etc. These are excellent things, but I think what we receive is only part of the story. The other part is what we give back to God.

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy says,

the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. (paragraph 10)

Font and summit.

This, to me, is a reminder that we are not simply there to receive, but to give back to God the things we have (that he has given us). We give back our lives, our hearts, our work and our joys with the realization that everything that is good comes from him because he loves us (not because we deserve it!). We also give back our pain, suffering, sadness, and troubles. It was through pain, suffering and humility that God saved the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we give the challenges of our lives back to God, he can transform them into something magnificent as well (if not in this world, in the next).

Gratitude also needs to be part of our daily prayer. In my own prayer life I feel much more centered when I am able to thank God for creation, life, family, work, Church and the countless blessings seen every day. When I do so, I find that there seems to be less for which to ask.

I often find myself focusing on what I "need" rather than the great blessings God has bestowed on me. I have a wonderful wife and children, loving and generous parents, a nice home, meaningful work, and plenty of food (to name a few of the most important blessings). Many, many fathers go to sleep every night wondering if their children will have a meal the next day or if they will be safe from community or ethnic violence. Many women and children are abused and don't know where to turn. Many elderly are abandoned. Many children are starving. My "needs" certainly are insignificant in comparison.

My wife--the real liturgist in the family--began a practice in our family as part of our dinnertime prayer. Each person needs to say something for which they are thankful. When I am being terrorized by my children or am disappointed with my work, it's always good to give thanks for these things. The terror or disappointment will pass, but God's great gifts remain for ever!

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the night,
With the ten-stringed harp, with melody upon the lyre.
For you make me jubilant, LORD, by your deeds;
at the works of your hands I shout for joy.
How great are your works, LORD!
How profound your purpose!

The just shall flourish like the palm tree,
shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon.
Planted in the house of the LORD,
they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall bear fruit even in old age,
always vigorous and sturdy,
As they proclaim:
"The LORD is just; our rock,
in whom there is no wrong."

Psalm 92:2-6, 13-16 (NAB)

Appear and Inspire

Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire. W. H. Auden (1907-73)

November 22 is the annual day to honor Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians and sacred music. Unfortunately, this will not be celebrated liturgically this year, but we can still remember and feast in honor of this holy saint!

Saint Cecilia lived in the second or third century in Rome. As with many early Christian saints there is relatively little known about her life. It is thought that she came from a noble Roman family and that she was given in marriage, against her will, to a non-Christian named Valerian. After evangelizing Valerian and his brother, the two were baptized and were soon martyred. While trying to bury their bodies, Cecilia was captured and condemned to death. According to legend, her persecutors first tried to kill her by suffocating her with steam, but that failed. They eventually cut her throat with an axe. Legends say that she still sang a hymn of praise to God as she lingered on for three days.

Devotion to St. Cecilia began quickly thereafter (she is one of the women mentioned in the Roman Canon). She had founded a house-church, and Pope Paschal I erected a church above her house in the Trastevere region of Rome in the ninth century. Her body, along with her husband and his brother and another man martyred with them were exhumed from the catecombs and were buried in the church.

The photo above is of one of my favorite pieces of art. Stefano Maderno (1576-1636) carved this emotional portrayal of the saint after her body was moved in 1599 to its current place under the main altar. This is how her incorrupt body was found lying before it was moved. The axe marks were visible in her neck and her arm was outstretched with three fingers extended (which was, of course, explained as a testimony to her faith in the Triune God). While at first glance the statue is graceful and flowing, a longer examination reveals the awkwardness of her position. Carved into the floor in front of the altar is this statement:

Behold the body of the most holy virgin Cecilia,
whom I myself saw lying incorrupt in the tomb.
I have in this marble expressed for you the same saint
in the very same posture.

A nice description of the church is available by clicking here.

While there is absolutely no evidence supporting it, legend claims that St. Cecilia invented the organ. In honor of the Saint I thought that you might appreciate the clip below--the last two movements of Handel's Ode for Saint Cecilia's Day, HWV 76, led by the great Baroque interpreter Ton Koopman.

But bright Cecilia raised the wonder higher:
When to her Organ vocal breath was given
An Angel heard, and straight appeared
–Mistaking Earth for Heaven.

Preparing Children for Advent & Christmas

It seems to me that children's books dealing with faith and church have been getting better. Perhaps more than any other season, the Advent-Christmas cycle provides fertile ground to capture the imaginations of children with some quality books. I asked an expert--my wife--to put together a very short list of her favorites. I have added links to Amazon.com so that you can learn more.

The Donkey's Dream by Barbara Helen Berger (especially good for Advent)

How Jesus Came by Thomas Wahl, OSB (especially good for Advent)

B is for Bethlehem by Elisa Kleven

Jesus The Word by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones, illustrated by Shelly Hehenberger

What Star Is This? by Joseph Slate, illustrated by Alison Jay

The Animals' First Christmas Adapted by Gaby Goldsack, illustrated by Linda Clearwater (especially good for toddlers and preschoolers)

Who Is Coming to our House? by Joseph Slate, illustrated by Ashley Wolff (especially good for toddlers and preschoolers)

Enjoy!

U.S. Bishops Approve Final Missal Texts

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is meeting this week in Baltimore. The Conference has embraced communications' technology and has a webpage dedicated to the meeting and streaming video is available. You can also follow this on Facebook and Twitter. With all of this technology you can follow the latest debate on their discussion of end-of-life issues, the sanctity of marriage, or "Hotel's choice of muzak makes for some odd juxtapositions with the bishops. This morning: Livin' la Vida Loca" (posted this morning on Twitter). If only Twitter had been around during the Second Vatican Council!

In liturgical matters, the bishops approved several components of the translation of the Roman Missal including the Proper of Saints, the Roman Missal Supplement, the Roman Missal Commons, Propers for the USA, and USA adaptations for the Roman Missal. All of these will be sent to Rome and must receive the recognitio (confirmation or ratification) of the Holy See.

More on Catholics with Disabilities

Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people" (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.

In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit... (C0nstitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 14; emphasis added)

Over the years I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on this particular paragraph of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. "Participation" is a loaded word, and we learn more about it as time marches on. We have come to recognize that our participation has both external and internal components. The external both shapes and expresses the participation of the spirit. This can be done through singing, listening, kneeling, or even sitting in silence.

The baptismal rights and duties of Catholics with Disabilities often are not a parish priority, even though the participation by all the people is called for by the very nature of the liturgy itself! There are many practical issues surrounding making worship accessible, but the vast majority of the parishes tend to quietly set these aside rather than taking time to work with people with disabilities to come up with solutions. We are fortunate in this country to have the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. Their knowledgeable staff and useful website provide resources for all Catholics. The Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions also has published an excellent resource, Guiding Principles & Strategies for Inclusion in the Liturgy of Catholics with Disabilities, which can be downloaded from their website.

Today the Holy See announced that it will host a conference, Effata! Deaf people in the life of the Church, in the Vatican's new synod hall November 19-21. A press release from the Vatican News Service said that this conference "arises from the need to promote and improve commitment in this field of disability in order to achieve true integration for deaf people."

We have done some work with deaf ministry in this diocese. This has been accomplished because of some very dedicated lay people and their unwavering support of deaf people. St. Joseph Parish in Madison has become a home of sorts for this ministry. St. Joseph and St. Dennis Parishes in Madison each have a signed Mass each week. A priest who is fluent in American Sign Language occasionally comes from the Green Bay diocese and meets with the deaf community and celebrates the Sacrament of Penance, counsels people as needed, and celebrates the Mass.

While this small band of dedicated ministers do so much, there is much more to be done. The first step always is to ask! Consult those with disabilities in your parish and get input on how we can make our parishes and the Sacraments accessible so that all of the baptized may exercise their right and duty of participation!

Solemnity of Christ the King

We are approaching the end of our liturgical year, the Solemnity of Christ the King. Its position on the liturgical calendar helps remind us that all that we do as Christians leads us into the Kingdom of Christ, one with God the Father.

The feast was established only 84 years ago by Pope Pius XI, partially in response to the ongoing celebration of the sixteenth centenary of the Council of Nicea (325) which defined the dogma of the Son and the Father "of one being," (consubstantial) and added the words "whose kingdom shall have no end" to the Profession of Faith (still known as the Nicene Creed).

In the years following the First World War, Pope Pius XI was concerned that the great devastation brought by modern warfare had taught nothing to nations and peoples. In his encyclical Quas Primas (December 11, 1925) he began:

Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ; and that We promised to do as far as lay in Our power. In the Kingdom of Christ, that is, it seemed to Us that peace could not be more effectually restored nor fixed upon a firmer basis than through the restoration of the Empire of Our Lord. (Quas primas, 1)

Rather than commissioning studies or convening a conference, Pope Pius XI determined that the best way to help people understand the concept of Christ's sovereignty was by commemorating it in the liturgy.

For people are instructed in the truths of faith, and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year - in fact, forever. The church's teaching affects the mind primarily; her feasts affect both mind and heart... (Quas primas, 21)

He declared the final Sunday of October to be the date of this feast's observance. He believed that it would provide a fitting introduction to the Feast of All Saints, who considered Christ their glory. He also felt that this date, late in the Church year, vividly expressed "the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year." (Quas primas, 29)

With the reform of the liturgical calendar after the Second Vatican Council, the solemnity was moved to the last Sunday of the Church year.

Primary source: The Liturgical Year: Its History and Its Meaning After the Reform of the Liturgy (Adolf Adam, tr. Matthew J. O'Connell), Liturgical Press.

Veterans' Day

God of power and mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst
and wipe away our tears
that we may all deserved to be called your sons and daughters.
We as this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
--From the Sacramentary, "Mass in time of war or civil disturbance"

Ninety-one years ago today the hostilities of the war to end all wars ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month with an armistice. In our country, of course, this is Veterans' Day.

We owe a great deal of thanks to all veterans who have protected and defended our nation. Perhaps the greatest thanks we can offer is our own heroic efforts to promote peace and to love one another as members of the heavenly household--God's sons and daughters.

The Communion of Saints

In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, a minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle; we sing a hymn to the Lord's glory with all the warriors of the heavenly army; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ, until He, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with Him in glory. (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 8)

One of the frequent criticisms of the way we celebrate the reformed liturgy is that it lacks reverence or that it has lost its sense of the mystery. It's a criticism with which I tend to agree (at times). However, the critique often goes on to disparage the liturgical reform, liturgy in the vernacular, communion in the hand, and many other things that have become common place since the reform. These are criticisms which I heartily reject!

The "Mystery" of course, refers to the Paschal Mystery. We don't use the word mystery as Agatha Christie does. We won't ever have enough clues to "solve" this mystery. Instead, it is "mysterious." It is hidden. It is something we can never fully comprehend. No matter how much we study, how intensely we pray, or how often we go to church, this is not something that can be grasped by mere mortals!

November seems like an appropriate time to speak about the heavenly nature of the liturgy. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy says that through our participation in our parish (earthly) liturgy we take part in a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy. These are difficult words for me to grasp, because our earthly liturgies often seem anything but heavenly! In the earthly liturgy the choir may sing out of tune, the organist forget the key signature, the lector may mumble or mispronounce "brazier" in a way that makes you giggle, the priest may preach too long or never really prepare, there are people present whom we don't like, it may just be plain boring. Surely this is not what the heavenly liturgy is like!

I often like to "translate" the phrase of paragraph 8 cited above to say that the liturgy gives us a "glimpse" of heaven. While glimpse doesn't necessarily do justice to "foretaste," I think it can foster a meaningful reflection. Every parish church is somehow (mysteriously) present at the heavenly altar, praising the Father through the Son in unity with the Holy Spirit and with the angels and saints. I like to consider looking up at the ceiling and seeing it as a window to heaven. The alternative is imagining a mirror on the ceiling, so that instead of seeing heaven we only see ourselves with all of our shortcomings!

The glimpse that we have is imperfect as is our own participation. However, by seeing what is really there, we see through the earthly things to the heavenly realities.

For example:

• God gathers a people to himself, not just the ones I would invite to church but even people I don't like (gasp!).
• Christ speaks to us in the Holy Scriptures. We don't just hear about events in salvation history or about Christ. God isn't bound by time and space like we are! They are made present for us now! That is why in the Exsultet we sing "This is the night" rather than "That was the night."
• Having prepared us with his word, Jesus Christ feeds us with his very own Body and Blood. Pope Benedict XVI made the keen observation,

If man eats ordinary bread, in the digestive process this bread becomes part of his body, transformed into a substance of human life. But in holy Communion the inverse process is brought about. Christ, the Lord, assimilates us into himself, introducing us into his glorious Body, and thus we all become his Body. (General Audience, 10-Dec-2008)

Could this be what heaven is like? Perfect reconciliation, perfect praise, perfect union with and in Christ? These are but a few of the things which we glimpse in our liturgy.

While many critiques of contemporary liturgical practice in our country are legitimate, I have to say that getting in touch with the mystery goes far beyond language and other actions. At its core is how we participate in the liturgy and how well we look for glimpses of heaven!

Sing to the Lord Workshop

The Office of Worship is presenting a workshop for liturgists and musicians on Saturday, November 14 at Saint Mary Parish in Platteville.

The U. S. Bishops’ document, Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship will be the focus of the morning’s discussions. The workshop will cover both theological and practical information about music in the liturgy.

Please pre-register for this workshop by visiting www.madisondiocese.org/worship or by calling the Office of Worship at (608) 821-3080. A registration fee of $5 per person ($15 total for three or more people from the same parish) is requested. Copies of the document Sing to the Lord ($10) may be purchased when you pre-register. Purchasing this document is recommended but not required. They are available as supplies last.

Saint Mary Parish is located at 130 West Cedar Street in Platteville. It is wheelchair accessible. If you have other special needs, please contact the Office of Worship.

All Saints Evening Prayer

On Sunday, November 1 at 5 p.m. the Madison Diocesan Choir will join musicians from the Luther Memorial Choirs for an ecumenical celebration of Evening Prayer.

Luther Memorial celebrates Evening Prayer on All Saints Day each year and this year the director of music, Bruce Bengston, invited our Diocesan Choir to join them. The combined choirs will sing two anthems together. Both the Youth Choir and Bell Choir of Luther Memorial also will provide music.

The liturgy will be celebrated in the beautiful Luther Memorial Church on University Avenue and starts at 5 p.m. It will last less than an hour. All are welcome.

They Follow the Lamb Wherever He Goes

Sunday is All Saints Day, one of the great solemnities of the Church. When solemnities of the Lord fall on an Ordinary Time Sunday, they normally take precedence over that Sunday (as All Saints does this year).

As early as the fourth-century, there is evidence that there was a feast of all martyrs. Contemporary accounts show that this feast was celebrated on May 13 in some locations. In others it was celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost and still others on the Friday after Easter.

Around the year 609 Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon (a former pagan temple given to him by the emperor) to the Blessed Mother and all of the martyrs. May 13 was the date of the consecration and reports show that 28 wagonloads of bones were brought to the Pantheon from the catacombs. The Pantheon, of course, still stands today with altars to the saints encircling the rotunda.

In the eighth century Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in Old Saint Peter's Basilica to All Saints. At some point (perhaps because of this), All Saints began to be celebrated on November 1. [The source for all this info is The Liturgical Year: Its history and its meaning after the reform of the Liturgy by Adolf Adam (tr. Matthew J. O'Connell).]

One of my favorite Latin motets is O quam gloriosum est by the Spanish priest-composer Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611). The text continues to be part of our liturgy, as the Magnificat antiphon for Evening Prayer II for All Saints Day.

How glorious is that kingdom where all the Saints rejoice with Christ
clothed in white robes, they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

I hope that you enjoy this rendition!

For Christ Will Be His All

I received the following email from MorningStar Music Publishers this morning:

Beloved composer, organist, and church musician Dr. Paul Manz passed away in St. Paul Minnesota on Wednesday evening, October 29, after several weeks of hospice care. He was 90 years old. He died surrounded by his family while they sang his famous motet "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come." Funeral services will be held in St. Paul on Sunday afternoon, November 8. Paul's many compositions, recordings, and hymn festivals have influenced the art and practice of church music in the United States since the 1960's. His playing and teaching has influenced untold numbers of organists throughout this country who considered him a mentor and friend.The staff at MorningStar has had the privilege of working with Dr. Manz over our 22 year history, and we will miss him greatly.

More information is available at the MorningStar Music Publishers' webpage.

May the angels lead him into paradise,

May the martyrs come to welcome him

And take him to the Holy City,

The new and eternal Jerusalem.

May he have eternal rest.

Images of God in the Roman Missal

A little over one month ago, the St. John's College Seminary hosted their annual "Godfrey Diekmann, OSB Lecture" on the images of God in the new translation of the Roman Missal.

The major presentation was given by Msgr. Bruce Harbert, Executive Director of the International Commission for English in the Liturgy (ICEL) and the mover and shaker behind much of the new translation. A response was given by Rev. Dr. Carl P. Daw, Jr., best known to many for his wonderful hymn texts and as Executive Director of the Hymn Society. Both talks are available online. Both talks are worth reading.

Msgr. Harbert spoke in detail about the philosophies of the new translation, citing many specific instances. "Retranslating the Missal," he said, "is like cleaning the Sistine Chapel: the work enables us to see riches that have been previously hidden." Examples discussed (the translations of digneris, dignatus, benignus, pius, pietas, etc.) were well-documented and showed a desire to ensure an appropriate attitude toward God--one which acknowledges him as Creator and us as Created; one which confirms his consistent justice and mercy and our need for that mercy.

In general, there is an attempt to "elevate" the language. "Those who claim that the liturgy should follow the patterns of ordinary speech," Harbert said, "overlook the existence of a silent consensus that liturgical language should have a degree of formality."

Rev. Daw's response addressed many of these points. He spoke of the roots of the English language and the influence other languages have had on our own. He expressed concern regarding some conflicting points in Liturgiam Authenticam (the document governing the translation) and addresses inconsistencies in the way some phrases are translated. The issues he cites are not simply nit-picking the work of another. He addresses underlying theological concerns in a very thoughtful matter. In conclusion, he says,

I can fully appreciate the impulse to lend dignity to the language of the liturgy, but I am concerned about the attendant implication that God works only in situations removed from ordinary existence. It seems to me that the language of the liturgy ought to avail itself of every opportunity to affirm that God can make the common holy, can redeem that which seems least promising, can turn persecutors into proclaimers, can transform what seems worthless into something beyond price.

As I stated earlier, these presentations are both interesting and insightful. They show that translation is not a science. Often many words are available and the translator must sort through appropriate words and, ultimately, translate them as best he or she can within the guiding philosophy. However, when all is said and done, regardless of one's praises or critiques of these translations, we will have a Roman Missal that some will love and some will hate--but we all must use! And this prayer is the prayer that expresses and forms our unity as the Body of Christ!

On a final note, the namesake of this lecture, Fr. Godfrey Diekmann, OSB (1908-2002), is a prominent name in the liturgical movement. He was one of a handful of scholars who assisted in preparing liturgical material for the Second Vatican Council and he taught for decades at St. John's in Collegeville. His unswerving confidence in the aims of the reform were infectious.

Fr. Diekmann taught many of my friends and colleagues. I met him (briefly) about ten years ago when I was attending a meeting in Collegeville with other directors of Offices of Worship from the Midwest. I still recall that he waited outside the chapel for us one day after Morning Prayer enthusiastically greeting us and encouraging us to keep working! I was so very impressed that this brilliant and influential man was humble enough that he'd wait around just to say hello to a bunch of diocesan employees! He, like Christ whom he tried to imitate, was greatest because he made himself least of all.

The Madison Diocesan Choir

The Madison Diocesan Choir's Christmas CD, "With Joyful Steps" is available for sale and can be ordered online or by emailing the choir.

This is a live recording of the Choir's 2007 Lessons and Carols. Soprano Jamie-Rose Guarrine and cellist Karl Knapp are the featured soloists, and their performances (which include selections from Mozart's Great Mass in C-minor and Handel's Messiah, as well as favorites such as Gesu Bambino, Fantasia on Greensleeves and Ave Maria) are beautifully done. The Choir teams up with Jamie-Rose for The snow lay on the ground and Gustav Holst's Christmas medley, Christmas Day.

The Diocesan Choir is composed of nearly 70 singers from numerous parishes in our Diocese. I have had the privilege of conducting this ensemble for over 17 years. While it sounds like a cliche, they are like a family and are always there for each other in both the good and bad times. The Choir is partially funded by the Annual Catholic Appeal, but members support the Choir through donations. They also pay their own expenses when traveling to the far-flung corners of the Diocese to sing for parish or diocesan events.

The Diocesan Choir has a long and rich history. Founded in 1972, the group has had a quiet impact on the Madison music scene. They originally formed as a group whose sole mission was a tour of France. Of course, they all loved it and continued under the auspices of the Diocese. They were then named the Diocesan Festival Choir. In 1975 the choir split into two distinct groups--the Diocesan Choir, which was funded in part by the diocese and sang for diocesan liturgies, and the Festival Choir, which became a prominent Madison concert choir under the direction of David Lewis Crosby. The Festival Choir is still active and performs unique and quality programs.

The Diocesan Choir also developed a children's choir. At some point, the diocese ceased funding this and the group struck out independently as the Madison Children's Choir which eventually was incorporated with the Madison Boychoir as the Madison Youth Choirs.

The Choir also supported (through the loan of our handbells) the foundation of the popular Madison Area Concert Handbells, conducted by our former accompanist and assistant director, Dr. Susan Udell. They also assisted the Diocese of Superior as they founded their own diocesan choir through the loan of music and consultation with their founders. The Choir was instrumental in the founding of our own Diocesan Hispanic Choir, conducted by former member Toni Kellor. This first-of-its-kind ensemble began in 2001 and the two choirs performed together on occasion. Unfortunately, this choir was eliminated in the budget cuts of this past summer.

In my mind, the Diocesan Choir is one of the success stories of our Diocese. It has supported the prayer and musical formation of the people of our diocese for nearly 40 years and it has been involved with community and ecumenical outreach from the beginning. It has received the support of the bishops of Madison but is guided by a dedicated Board of Directors (all members) who help sustain and grow the Choir. Retired members continue to be part of the choir family and support the choir in many different ways. I'm glad they have put up with me these past 17 years!

A Real Head-Scratcher

At many of the workshops that I present, I often like to share this story, so forgive me if you have heard it before.

One of the first presentations that I ever gave as a parish liturgist/musician many years ago was to candidates seeking initiation through the RCIA. After spending some time with what I thought was a magnificently detailed and inspiring presentation on the Mass, I asked if there were any questions. A hand went up and a woman asked: "Why do Catholics scratch their heads before the Gospel is read?"

It took me a moment to grasp what was being asked. Then I explained that many people use their thumb to trace the sign of the cross on their foreheads, lips and hearts. Some older Catholics learned a prayer to go with this, but the basic idea is that we remind ourselves (before Christ speaks to us through the Gospel about to be proclaimed) that we desire the cross of Christ to be on our minds, lips and hearts.

The following Sunday I watched people in the congregation before the Gospel, and it did indeed look as if everyone (including myself, I suppose) had an itch at the same time! It was a moment of conversion for me. How often have I done this gesture (which, interestingly, is not prescribed by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal) without a thought? How often have I genuflected, bowed, dipped my fingers in the baptismal font, or done any number of gestures without a thought? How often have I said "Amen" without fully hearing the prayer? How often have I prayed the Lord's Prayer with more thought to asking forgiveness than for the grace to grant it?

This list could go on and on.

The visionary Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (no. 11) reminds us that while God grants graces to all freely, those that "cooperate" with this grace will reap its full effects.

But in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain...

The U.S. Bishops made it even clearer in their original 1972 document, Music in Catholic Worship (3):

We are celebrating when we involve ourselves meaningfully in the thoughts, words, songs, and gestures of the worshiping community ‑‑ when everything we do is wholehearted and authentic for us ‑‑ when we mean the words and want to do what is done.

Both texts remind us that our participation isn't an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. Our gestures and words aren't simply part of a magic formula. They both express and shape our belief. If I think about tracing the cross on my forehead, lips and heart, maybe I will listen to the Gospel more attentively. Maybe I will pray more fervently to live my faith. Maybe each day I will find my mind turning more readily to God, my lips more likely to proclaim his life-giving words, and my heart softening to his will. This simple gesture thus expresses my desire for faith and shapes it! What a gift we have in the Church's liturgy--when we choose to "cooperate with divine grace."

Preparing to Prepare

Believe it or not, there are only four more Sundays left before the beginning of Advent! Now is the time to consider how best to help the people of your parish celebrate Advent in a way that really helps them prepare a place in their heart for the Word Incarnate.

Liturgy Training Publications (LTP) has a booklet, available in English and Spanish, called "What Am I Doing for Advent This Year?" This affordable booklet ($1 each, with significant discounts available for 25 or more copies) would be a wonderful gift for parishioners. Rather than adding one more thing to people's hectic schedules, this allows them an opportunity (on their own schedule) to reflect upon how they will use the days of Advent to prepare for Christmas.

LTP also recently released "Keeping the Seasons / Celebremos los tiempos litúrgicos: Reproducibles for Advent-Christmas 2009 - 2010." This seems to be the heir of their popular Welcome Yule series of bygone days. As the title states, this resource provides handouts with text and graphics that can be used in parish bulletins, newsletters, or in any number of interesting ways. Since it is available on a CD-ROM, the material can be manipulated to the specific needs that you have.

For children, "Build Your Own Bethlehem" is an activity book to help the Gospels come alive. Two new publications, "Advent Calendar Activity Sheet" and "Create Your Own Christmas Season Booklet Activity Sheet," provide an opportunity for families to come together during the season and talk about faith.

LTP has other resources for Advent and Christmas at www.ltp.org. Advent comes upon us like a thief in the night!

Can you drink the cup that I drink?

This past Sunday's Gospel (Mark 10:35-45) provides, in my mind, one of the most compelling reasons for offering Communion under both species. The sons of Zebedee wanted a prestigious place in heaven, seated on the right and left of Jesus Christ. In short, they wanted to be great.

Jesus answers with a question: "Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" This question foreshadows Jesus' prayer in the Garden: "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!" (Matthew 26:39)

Humility--submitting wholly to God--is an active pursuit, always done with God's help. We carry our own cross, drink from the cup of suffering, die to our own ambitions and seek God's will.

Many seem opposed to Communion under both kinds. I suppose the argument is that it is not necessary, since the Catholic Church teaches that "Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts" (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 1377). Others are worried about profanation because of the possibility of spilling the consecrated wine. There also are concerns regarding health issues, particularly for individuals with suppressed immunity. All of these issues must be considered and addressed so that if Communion is offered under both species it is "preceded and continually accompanied by proper catechesis" (Redemptionis Sacramentum no. 100).

But current liturgical documents state (although in an increasingly guarded manner) that Communion under both species shows the Eucharistic banquet through a fuller sign (see General Instruction of the Roman Missal nos. 85, 283; Redemptionis Sacramentum nos. 100-107). I also would add that it provides us with the opportunity to answer Jesus' question ourselves, "Can you drink from the cup that I drink?"

In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus instructed the Apostles on greatness. It is not about status, power or control. It is about service as the "slave of all." This is the prize for those who drink from the cup of Christ.

Can we be "Simply Catholic?"

Cardinal Francis George, OMI, the cardinal archbishop of Chicago, has written a book called The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion and Culture. I have not yet read the book but it sounds as if it would be a good read for those of us concerned about polarization within the Church.

When interviewed for the National Catholic Reporter, Cardinal George noted that he believes we are losing our proper focus as Catholics:

For both [liberal and conservative Catholics], bishops take on an importance that’s disproportionate. Liberals and conservatives both define themselves vis-à-vis authority...

Liberals are critical of [authority], although they’ll use it when they’re in power. Conservatives would tend to be less
critical, but equally dependent upon it.

Consequently, when you get into the church, you get the conservatives unhappy because bishops aren’t using power the way they’re supposed to, the way they want them to. You get liberals who are unhappy because [the bishops] have any power at all. Both of them are defining themselves vis-à-vis the bishops rather than vis-à-vis Christ, who uses the bishops to govern the church. It’s not a Christ-centered church, as it’s supposed to be, it’s a bishop-centered church.

According to press reports, he goes on to speak about being "Simply Catholic," helping those in need and living a life steeped in prayer. Sounds like a great idea!

Liturgical Lexicon

Have you ever come across a word or phrase in liturgical books or conversation that was new to you? Did you ever wonder why we call the lectern an ambo? What does the phrase ex opere operato mean?

The National Association of Pastoral Musicians has a "Liturgical Decoder" online. While it isn't exhaustive, it is a useful first resource when we come across a word or phrase that is foreign to us or when we want to learn the origin of a particular word. The answers are clear and succinct and the information is reliable.

While you are on the NPM website, check out some of their other excellent resources.

Wisdom

Each Sunday, prior to praying the Angelus with pilgrims, the Holy Father offers a brief reflection or gives some type of remark. Below is the Vatican News Service account of yesterday's Angelus, which the Holy Father based on the second reading of Sunday's Mass. These seem to be appropriate words for our Church and country. (The complete English text should be posted by the Vatican in the next day or so.)

VATICAN CITY, 20 SEP 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, before praying the Angelus with faithful gathered in the inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father commented on a passage for the Letter of James, the second reading of today's Mass, which focuses on the question of true wisdom.

"Like God from Whom it comes, wisdom does not need to impose itself by force because it possesses the indomitable vigour of truth and love, which is self affirming", said Pope Benedict. "Therefore is it peaceful, mild and compliant; it is not partisan, nor does it use lies; it is indulgent and generous, and may be recognised by the fruits of goodness it brings forth abundantly.

"Why not pause now and again to contemplate the beauty of this wisdom?" he added.

"Why not draw - from the uncontaminated font of the love of God - the wisdom of the heart which detoxifies us from the dross of lies and selfishness? This applies to everyone but, first and foremost, to those who are called to be promoters and 'weavers' of peace in religious and civil communities, in social and political dealings, and in international relations."

The Holy Father noted how, "in our own time, perhaps because of certain typical internal dynamics of mass societies, we not infrequently see a lack of respect for truth and for keeping one's word, alongside a widespread tendency to aggression, hatred and violence."

Yet, "in order to accomplish works of peace, we must become men and women of peace", he said, "enrolling ourselves in the school of the 'wisdom that comes from on high', in order to assimilate its qualities and produce its effects."

"If each person, in his or her own environment, manages to reject lies and violence in their intentions, words and actions, carefully cultivating feelings of respect, understanding and esteem for others, this would perhaps not resolve all the problems of daily life, but it would make it possible to face them more serenely and effectively."

Liturgy and Catechesis

This Sunday marks the annual observance of Catechetical Sunday in the United States. The theme is "Catechesis and the Proclamation of the Word." This usually passes by without a lot of fanfare. Some parishes may bless catechists at Mass or highlight this important ministry in some way or another. Liturgists tend to roll their eyes at another "liturgical add-on" imposed by the catechists.

Each year, the USCCB issues excellent resources for this weekend (resources that, unfortunately, rarely make it into the hands of parish liturgists and musicians). It is a sad fact in our Church that those responsible for catechesis and those responsible for liturgy often don't talk. It's not the fault of anyone--it is simply reality.

That's why I am particularly impressed with one of the articles that the USCCB posted this year called Catechesis and Liturgy: Harmony or Fragmentation? It provides an honest look at the relationship between catechesis and liturgy in the average Catholic parish.

...the intimate relationship between catechesis and liturgy is not always evident in our ministry. There has been an unintended but real “disconnect” on the pastoral level between catechesis and liturgy, and between catechists and liturgists. In fact, the General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) identifies this relationship as one of the problematic areas of our ministry in recent years, affirming that, although “catechesis is intrinsically bound to every liturgical and sacramental action,” it is nevertheless often the case that frequently. . . the practice of catechetics testifies to a weak and fragmentary link with the liturgy: limited attention to liturgical symbols and rites, scant use of the liturgical fonts [traditions], catechetical courses with little or no connection with the liturgical year; the marginalization of liturgical celebrations in catechetical programs. (GDC, no. 30 [Washington, DC: USCCB, 1997])

If you have the time, the entire article is worth reading (it isn't very long). It might even be good to share this with your pastor and other staff members as a starter for discussion. Liturgists and catechists need to talk. And we all need to listen and learn so that the liturgy truly is, as it says in the Catechism (1074), the "privileged place for catechizing the People of God."

Memo from the Bishop's Office

Bishop Morlino has issued a memorandum regarding the liturgy and influenza. Click here to read the memo or visit the Office of Worship web page.

Glory in the Cross

In the midst of gearing up for school and choir, the additional meetings and training sessions, as well as trying to squeeze the last bits of summer out of September, two important dates of the liturgical calendar often sneak by without much notice: the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) and Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15).

The date for the feast of the Holy Cross dates back to fourth-century Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was dedicated on September 13 and the next day the True Cross was brought outside the newly-dedicated church for all of the faithful to venerate. Today we still venerate that cross every time we make the sign of the cross or pray before the cross. In fact, we glory in the cross (Galatians 6:14).

The next day (September 15) we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Mary stood at the foot of the cross next to her son and this day stands immediately next to the feast of the cross.

These two days allow us to contemplate one of the great mysteries of God's plan, that of the role of suffering. Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid suffering, but suffering and sorrow are integral to the whole plan of salvation:

The one who desires to avoid suffering, to keep it at bay, keeps life itself and its greatness at bay...There is no love without suffering - without the suffering of renouncing oneself, of the transformation and purification of self for true freedom. Where there is nothing worth suffering for, even life loses its value. The Eucharist - the centre of our Christian being - is founded on Jesus' sacrifice for us; it is born from the suffering of love which culminated in the Cross. We live by this love that gives itself. It gives us the courage and strength to suffer with Christ and for him in this world, knowing that in this very way our life becomes great and mature and true. (Pope Benedict XVI, June 28, 2008).

The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows also is one of the few days on the calendar that still has a sequence, "Stabat mater dolorosa." One the most beautiful (and sorrowful) musical settings of this is by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-36) who himself died at a young age due to tuberculosis. Below is the first movement, for soprano and alto soloists (sung in this video by a countertenor).

September 11th

Lord Jesus Christ,
who are called the Prince of Peace,
who are yourself our peace and reconciliation,
who so often said, "Peace to you,"
grant us peace.

Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love.
Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.
Enlighten our rulers
that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace.
May all peoples of the earth become as brothers and sisters.
May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.

Prayer for Peace of Blessed Pope John XXIII

***

Father, all powerful and ever living God,
we praise and thank you through Jesus Christ our Lord
for your presence and action in the world.

In the midst of conflict and division,
we know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace.

Your Spirit changes our hearts:
enemies begin to speak to one another,
those who were estranged join hands in friendship,
and nations seek the way of peace together.

Your Spirit is at work when understanding puts an end to strife,
when hatred is quenched by mercy,
and vengeance gives way to forgiveness.

For this we should never cease to thank and praise you.

Preface from the Eucharistic Prayer for Masses of Reconciliation (II)

Community, Unity, Love

The Holy Father often uses his time during his Wednesday General Audiences to teach about the great saints. Yesterday (September 9), he preached about St. Peter Damian, the 11th-century monk, reformer, and "intrepid man of the Church," according to Pope Benedict XVI.

There were two very profound thoughts in the pope's talk, as related by the Vatican News Service. First, he spoke about St. Peter's life as a hermit, where he sought solitude and rigorous self-denial and penance as a way to break his ties to the world and deepen his communion with the Lord. Pope Benedict added:

"Today too, even if we are not monks, it is important to know how to create silence within ourselves in order to listen to the voice of God. ... Learning the Word of God in prayer and meditation is the path of life."

For most of us, silence is difficult. But it can't be a luxury, for indeed God uses the silence to speak to us. Even in our public prayer, the liturgy, silence is required so that we may hear the Lord's voice and let it speak to our inmost being.

However, as Christians, we don't live for ourselves only. As wonderful as our communion with the Lord may be, it calls us to something more. Pope Benedict continued:

"[C]ommunion with Christ creates a unity of love among Christians..."

How many times have we heard people (including ourselves), in faithful zeal and love of the Lord, deny this Communion not in word, but in lack of love? We speak often of the secularization of society and the Church. Perhaps this is most clear when the language of division encroaches upon our Church. In our country, this often is fueled by political differences as well.

I sometimes pray that I may see others as the Lord sees them. We know that God has created all people in his image and that each life is important. He loved us first (I John 4:19), even before we loved him and he will love us to the end (John 13:1). He loves us with all our faults, yet he wishes us to overcome these; he loves us even while in sin, but he seeks our repentance; he loves us even while in darkness, but he leads us to the light.

And what is love? According to the Apostle Paul (I Cor. 13:4-13) it is patient, kind, neither jealous nor pompous, not inflated or rude, it is not selfish and not quick-tempered, and doesn't brood over injury. Love doesn't rejoice when things go wrong but in the truth. It endures for ever in hope.

For me, this is how I discern a person's message of faith (including my own). Are they (or I) kind and patient? If the answer is "yes," love is there (and God is love). Are they arrogant and pompous? Rude, rash, selfish? If so, then love is not there. And when love isn't there, it doesn't let us off the hook. We still have to love that person or those people who may dislike us or even hate us.

This is a life-long project (at least it is for me!). Pope Benedict's words about St. Peter Damian help keep us focused and remember:

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (I John 4:7-8, NAB)