Catholic Sensibility

The liberal news blog Crooks and Liars gets its claws into Pope Benedict’s recent statement blaming the 70′s for pedophilia. Any conservative Catholics feel like going into the lion’s den on this one? I sure don’t.

I find the commentariat there hostile, yet illuminating. Is it a good reason why the “new evangelization” is focusing on inactive Catholics? Who knows? That’s not how I remember John Paul II’s call to “cast into the deep.” The deep includes people who are much more than faithful Catholic skeptics like me. These people are hostile to the Church, and hostile because of the perception of institutional immorality.

These folks are still covered under the mandate of the Great Commission. Anybody interested in going Matthew 28:16-20 on them?

Just finished up the second of two New Year’s Eve weddings. Nice couples, both. The parish priests split ‘em, each taking one. So I got to hear two different wedding homilies tonight.

I was struck by Fr Jon’s homily in the 7:30 wedding, responding to the question of how one knows they have fallen in love with the right person. When the love expands and embraces other people. So during the vows I was fingering my wedding band and thinking how this was true with my wife and me.

The easy sign is children. We were unable to conceive biologically, so we adopted a daughter about nine years ago. I’ve enjoyed doing weddings with my wife–she’s a fantastic singer and great assistant when I plan music with couples. We’ve also done liturgical music together for almost twenty years. And wherever we’ve done that, it’s been part of our task to expand our group, to lasso in new singers and encourage them in musical and liturgical leadership.

I think that children aren’t quite enough. And in a society that struggles with what marriage means, it’s a good benchmark for any couple. With same-sex couples, does the love expand and embrace others? Is it a clear sign that love has been planted in the world, and that the world is a little bit richer for the commitment of two people? And obviously, a Catholic couple’s sacramentality is based on this. Long after the children have been raised and left home. Does the love still spread in evidence of the presence of Christ? Good thoughts for a New Year’s Eve night. Whether you are partying like an animal or going to bed early, think about the love in your life. Where is it going? Where are you going? Are you evidence of Christ? How do you know?

The OCF references the GILH for the most-appropriate “hinges,” Morning and Evening Prayer:

350. At morning prayer the Christian community recalls “the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the true light enlightening all people (see John 1:9) and ‘the sun of justice’ (Malachi 4:2) ‘rising from on high’ (Luke 1:78).” (GILH 38) The celebration of morning prayer from the office for the dead relates the death of the Christian to Christ’s victory over death and affirms the hope that those who have received the light of Christ at baptism will share in that victory.

351. At evening prayer the Christian community gathers to give thanks for the gifts it has received, to recall the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the saving works of redemption, and to call upon Christ, the evening star and the unconquerable light. (GILH 39) Through evening prayer from the office for the dead the community give thanks to God for the gift of life received by the deceased and praises the Father for the redemption brought about by the sacrifice of his Son, who is the joy-giving light and true source of hope.

Would these qualities of morning and evening prayer help determine if one of them would be more suitable? My sense is that both hours present the “sacrifice” and the resurrection well enough. The choice of psalmody and even music will likely be more helpful in focusing the mood of either of these celebrations.

My friend John mentioned the use of Compline. With the focus on the end of the day, on simple repeatable psalms, looking to one’s final death, and the dedication of the community to the Blessed Mother, I can see how this would be also a very moving experience. In a community that prays the Office daily, I can understand the preference for Morning or Evening Prayer–it would be a “bigger” celebration. But for a parish that doesn’t pray the Hours: the call for mercy and forgiveness after a personal examination of conscience, the Canticle of Simeon, and the Marian antiphon would be powerful connectors to the grace of Christ and the hope for eternal life by means of that grace.

The paragraph that follows is one of the best summaries of the importance and purpose of the Liturgy of the Hours:

349. In the celebration of the office for the dead members of the Christian community gather to offer praise and thanks to God especially for the gifts of redemption and resurrection, to intercede for the dead, and to find strength in Christ’s victory over death. When the community celebrates the hours, Christ the Mediator and High Priest is truly present through his Spirit in the gathered assembly, in the proclamation of God’s word, and in the prayer and song of the Church (GILH 13). The community’s celebration of the hours acknowledges that spiritual bond that links the Church on earth with the Church in heaven, for it is in union with the whole Church that this prayer is offered on behalf of the deceased.

Gold, and to a lesser extent, silver, had been the primary work of federal government’s branch mint in California since 1852. They had to do something with all the precious metal they were finding in pans and such. Rather than transport precious gold all the way back east to Philadelphia’s main mint, somebody got the bright idea to bring the mint to the metal.

Decades later, when the California Gold Rush was a memory shared on a grandpa’s knee, the San Francisco Mint began punching out a relatively small number of cents for the West Coast.

In 1908, the Indian princess was till “heads,” and 1.1 million cents had the little “s” on the reverse side. In 1909, the total output for “s” cents was 2.6 million, distributed between Mr Linc0ln and the lady. Up to six million in 1910, down to four million in ’11. Until 1916, it was four million or six million and change. In the times of the Great War, production ramped up at all the mints. San Francisco punched out 139 million in 1919, a mark that would not be surpassed until World War II.

When I was growing up in upstate New York, these “s” cents were relatively scarce. I hoarded every one I could find. From about age four, when my dad came home from work, our evening routine included “checking his change.” The oldest “s” cent I found was a very well-worn 1911. The mint mark was almost rubbed off.

My good friend Sam has uncovered a piece I’ve long sought for my collection: one of those 2.3 million Lincoln first-years from San Francisco.

This is not the really valuable find, the one with the designer’s initials on the reverse side. It’s just a scarcity–not the kind you’ll ever find in pocket change these days.

I know you can get all these items on the internet. And you’re relatively safe from Chinese forgeries by steering clear of acquiring the super-valuable rarities. Go to a trusted dealer–not the laughable hacks on shopping channels. (800% markups are not unknown.)

To me, there’s something more satisfying about the gradual assembly of a coin collection the old-fashioned way: browsing a dealer’s showcases and making friendly conversation on the way. I’ve known Sam for over ten years, since I made his establishment a regular stop when I would visit hospitalized parishioners in Fort Dodge. One of the pleasures of coming back to Iowa is the occasional trip north to catch up with an old friend and shoot the breeze about a shared love.

An interesting confluence of commentaries in the Catholic blogosphere today. California Catholic Daily spent eight days straining the “NCR heterodoxy” from John Allen’s piece to trumpet the joy of a “new curia” under Pope Benedict. Paul Inwood reports on the “disaster” in the CDWDS that, supposedly, over whom, even the same Pope Benedict is wringing hands.

Lots of people say they know the pope’s mind. Maybe they think it, too. In the age where two modern(ist) things happen: the internet giving instant information, and traveling cardinals trot the globe to meetings, appearances, and campaigning for papabile, we are for sure entering a new age of the Church. It will be interesting to see if the neotraditionalist Church can straddle that fine line: picking cafeteria items that roll the calendar back to 1955, while taking advantage of the instant communication that let’s everybody know everybody’s business at lightning speed.

My pastor, Fr Jon Seda, had a really good homily on Holy Family Sunday. He spoke of the distinction between dysfunctional families and holy ones. Holy families do not lack conflict, but they know how to resolve it and move past it. I included the Gospel Acclamation and proclamation of Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 in our parish’s liturgy Facebook page. All together, it clocks in at less than nine minutes.

A note on the music: I had sung Howard Hughes’ “Joyful Alleluia” a number of years ago. Occasional commenter Patti and I once attended a parish that used it with their “organ Masses.” When I surfaced it for the Christmas season Alleluia last year, the music leaders were disappointed we were using it for such a short time. So we brought it back for the Easter season, too. Every parish needs something in seven time in its metered repertoire.

Naturally, I don’t play the accompaniment the way it’s published.

Part IV of the Order of Christian Funerals gives instruction, rubrics and other texts for the Office for the Dead. For an in-depth discussion of the Liturgy of the Hours, I refer readers here to the archives under the category “GILH” (the General Introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours).

We’ll take a bit of time with the OCF sections 348 through 396. Maybe you’ll be convinced that the Liturgy of the Hours is a sound way for the faith community to celebrate some aspect of a believer’s funeral.

348. The vigil for the deceased may be celebrated in the form of some part of the office for the dead. To encourage this form of the vigil, the chief hours, “Morning Prayer” and “Evening Prayer,” are provided here. When the funeral liturgy is celebrated the evening before the committal, it may be appropriate to celebrate morning prayer before the procession to the place of committal.

The rite “encourages” the consideration of Lauds or Vespers. Vespers would be my personal preference for my own funeral vigil.

A very stimulating discussion is in progress at the Chant Cafe on liturgical music. A side discussion on Sing to the Lord, has elicited a challenge: do a  Catholic Sensibility-style discussion on the document there. Invite comments through the lens of chant musicians, but open the boxes up to broad commentary from all.

Go on over and encourage my friend to do it. That way I won’t have to do it here.

Did you know that the Order of Christian Funerals contains a Psalter? OCF 347 gives a simple introduction to the twenty-seven pages that follow:

The following psalms with their antiphons may be chosen for use in various places within the rites.

Funeral liturgy of the word, processions, committals, small group prayer: all of these are possible landing places for the psalms.

When I first browsed this section in 1989, I was struck by the new antiphons attached to many of these psalms. Just a few examples:

“Remember me in your kingdom, Lord” with Psalm 23.

“Eternal rest, O Lord, and your perpetual light” with Psalm 51

“Caught up with Christ, rejoice with the saints in glory,” also with Psalm 51.

An interesting choice for one of the royal psalms, the 93rd: “From clay you shaped me; with flesh you clothed me; Redeemer, raise me on the last day.”

The entirety of Psalm 119 is given. Each set of eight verses is its own reflection on the Law. Each has an assigned antiphon.

Here’s the complete listing: Psalms 23, 25, 42, 51, 93, 114, 115A, 116, 118, 119, 121, 122, 123, 126, 130, 132, 134.

I can think of a few omissions: 27, 62, 63, 103, 131 off the top of my head. There are a lot of poorer repertoire choices than the psalms left off the OCF 347 list.

As a composer, I haven’t really attended to these psalms and antiphons. I have one decent setting that I might post later this week, and perhaps two others that need some polish. The ubiquitous “The Lord is my shepherd” does get a lot of thunder. If there are any composers reading, what sort of work have you done with the OCF Psalter?

This is not a commercial to buy science fiction books. Just some thoughts.

Connie Willis’ publisher came out with part two of her enormous tome Blackout/All Clear a few months ago. This one story about time travellers in 1940 Britain was split into two separate 600-page books. I was looking forward to this “series” as I was for her brilliant novel The Doomsday Book. If you haven’t read the old book, don’t read the new one/s yet. Read her award-winning 1992 novel instead.

Ms Willis put a massive amount of research into Blackout/All Clear. It would have been a better effort as a single novel with judicious editing. I admit I got impatient, but I was hooked enough on the characters and the premise that I skipped more quickly over the middle sections of each book to get to the goodies.

Connie Willis is a fantastic author. Her short stories on the Blitz, first novel Lincoln’s Dreams, and The Doomsday Book–all brilliant, as I’ve mentioned above. She teases with some great bits in this new novel. Have the time travellers from 2060 really changed history and are the Germans really rolling up the Thames? Did that guy really die? Why is she revealing the ending, if it really is the ending? The twists and turns keep coming, and don’t get resolved until the very last pages. It’s a very satisfying beginning and resolution. Too much detail in between. Too bad; this story could have been as great as the other works of this author.

I read Ian McDonald’s The Dervish House, a tale of near-future Istanbul. It’s “accidental” science fiction in the sense that it’s mainly about economics in the guise of a thriller.

That said, I enjoyed the book. Except for the situation of the young boy, who supposedly has such a fragile heart condition that loud noises can kill him. His parents plug his ears. Problem solved, right?

Um, sound is transmitted through the air and through solids. There’s no ear to heart connection on this one. If a loud noise, like a bomb going off, is near this kid, he’ll feel it through walls and the sound waves travelling from his room into his chest, and boom.

The best science fiction book of this lot was another economic tale, The Windup Girl. Except that it was also post-apocalyptic, with a manageable helping of genetics. Paolo Bacigalupi’s first novel is an immensely satisfying read. Everybody is pretty much a bad guy, and perhaps not so much the title character who suffers inhuman degradation and persecution. But she’s one of the last people standing at novel’s end.

Like McDonald, Bacigalupi is looking to the Third World for his setting of future humanity. Makes sense.

In all of these books, I imagine where the religious sensibility fits. What would I be doing in these novels? Little enough religion in either of the last two novels here. Most sf authors just don’t have a handle on real religion to write about it. Or it’s been buried for other concerns.

While I prefer space opera, I do enjoy a well-written earthbound tale. If you have time or inclination for only one sf novel, read the latter of these three/four.

Read anything interesting lately?

I don’t really follow the NBA, but I like this comment:

I think the NBA is so important to Christmas that what we really need to do is increase from five games to 10, and we need to start them at midnight on what would have been Christmas Eve and play them all through the day so there’s not a minute of Christmas Day where there’s not an NBA game on TV. Because, it’s great.

The NBA is Christmas, to me, anyway. It’s what it’s all about.

I guess Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy drew the attention of the frowny faces in league management for being too whiny about playing on Christmas Day last year. But I like the man’s approach to sarcasm. He’ll probably get fined again, but as for the blogosphere, he would fit right in.

The NBA and other sports leagues can’t fine me, so I’ll just come out and say it: I think a Christmas break of a few days would be good for even professional sports. Send the athletes home. Let them cultivate family time. Give some teams off from the 22nd to the 25th. Others the 24th through the 27th. Send a message, that is, if you really believe the malarkey about player health, family friendliness, and all. Because, really: sports is not what Christmas is all about. Not even hockey.

I had a nice chat with a parishioner after 10:30 Mass this morning. Her dad came up from the Des Moines area for Christmas, and the family attended Midnight Mass with Lessons and Carols here. (I wish I could have had it captured on video to throw up on the parish’s liturgy Facebook page.) My friend related that her father, widowed just about a year ago, really found the half-hour before Mass edifying. Or enjoyable. Or spiritually fruitful–how do you capture the sentiment when our vocabulary fails?

Anyway, her dad wondered about the sparse crowd. Did people know, he asked, what they were missing?

To give my faith community its due, practically every college student is gone. Like them, many of our resident parishioners also leave to celebrate at parental homes elsewhere. You wouldn’t have known it at 5:30 Friday night. We had nearly 700 packed into the church for it. The “family” Christmas Eve was one of the best, quality-wise, I’ve ever been associated with. I really enjoyed playing with the kids. They did a nice job singing–we had about fifteen voices. I was also pleased to see some real talent in the orchestra: violin, two violas, bass, trumpet, clarinet, and two flutes. The middle school kids were all competent enough to be playing more regularly at weekend Masses–and I told them so. And the younger instrumentalists played quite well.

How did your parish’s attendance fare this weekend? We had about 140 for Midnight Mass. 200 for Christmas morning. 80 last night for Saturday night Mass. Then about 150 and 220 for our Sunday morning Masses today.

Isn’t it curious how our labors and expectations don’t usually translate into big crowds? We’d like to think that if we put tens of hours of rehearsal time and personal prep efforts into a big Mass that people will reward us and show up. In reality, many fine efforts in the Church go barely noticed. I find I’m really okay with that. In the present age, we really seem to be less in the excitement of a full flowering, and more in the stage of planting and nurturing a few seeds.

I used to worry a bit more about that, especially with maintaining energy and motivation for our college students. But I think there’s value in striving for the “better” and letting the “more” take care of itself. To a large part, I thinkn young people get it. They don’t see themselves as “entitled” to the adoring crowds. They know our efforts are about attracting people to Christ and to the Gospel. We attend to what is in our control: the quality of our own efforts, and the sincerity behind that.

Some musicians get pretty literal about the texts of the songs they sing during the Christmas season. In some musical repertoires, no mention of the Magi is permitted until Epiphany. Somebody tell that to the framers of the Lectionary. Today’s Gospel reading, for example, finds Joseph attending to his dreams after the departure of those foreign visitors:

Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.

And again after exile in Egypt:

Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
for those who sought the child’s life are dead.

Like his Old Testament namesake, this Joseph is attentive to dreams, especially the one announcing the special circumstances of the conception and birth of his wife’s son. Joseph the Dreamer: always liked that. And today’s annunciations: did you hear that each time, the angel instructs Joseph to rise?

I already have a seed in my mind of next year’s Advent Pageant in the parish: focus on those annunciations: Mary, Joseph, and shepherds, but also Isaiah, Micah, and Moses. They are so important, not only in salvation history, but in our lives. What has God announced for you, lately?

Happy feast-day to all the Mary Jo’s in the reading audience. And those who place +JMJ on their writings.

Let’s have a location check. OCF Part I covers the primary rites: prayers at death, vigil and related rites, funeral liturgy, and committal. Part II concludes with OCF 342–the last post in this series that covered rites and adaptations for funerals of children and infants.

343. Part III, “Texts of Sacred Scripture,” contains the Scriptural readings and psalms for the celebrations of the funeral. It is divided into four sections: “Funerals for Adults”, “Funerals for Baptized Children”, “Funerals for Children Who Died before Baptism”, “Antiphons and Psalms”.

344. As a general rule, all corresponding texts from sacred Scripture to the funeral rites are interchangeable. In consultation with the family and close friends, the minister chooses the texts that most closely reflect the particular circumstances and the needs of the mourners.

I could list all the several dozen options for funeral readings, but I don’t know that that would be particularly productive. OCF 345 and 346 note that during the Easter season, New Testament readings from Acts and Revelation are used instead of Old Testament passages. Occasionally, that can be a difficult and surprising piece not readily noticed by pastoral ministers, or even most clergy.

I remember a switch of pastors in one parish several years ago, and my funeral planner came to me with a complaint about the new priest’s urging that the Easter pattern be followed. “Is this correct?” she asked me. It is, I said, and I explained that the funeral liturgies align as much as they can, with the liturgical year. They knew, for example, that one doesn’t sing “alleluia” at a Lenten funeral.

I’ve also worked with clergy who fielded a request that both readings be Old Testament, or that a psalm be a reading, or even that two Gospel readings be proclaimed. There are many sensitive ways to approach these challenges, all without alienating mourners or offering up a violation of the Liturgy of the Word.

As for the comment boxes, feel free to share a meaningful (for you) reading from Scripture. Share also, if you wish, why.