Who would have thought Fox News and a teacher would enlist in the 2011 War on Christmas?
Let’s take a break from bashing bishops (who admittedly have had their own tussles with St Nick) and throw the grinchy-green spotlight on an educator and a telejournalist who have their own brand of holiday truth.
To be fair, both apologized.
Reporter:
It was careless and callous to say…what I said, in what could’ve been mixed company. So many kids don’t get to be children, that for those who do get to live the wonder and magic of Christmas, I would never spoil it intentionally. So I sincerely apologize.
And the teacher too.
Only twenty more days of Advent. Lots of time to be naughty, then apologize and position oneself to be nice. My younger brother and I always let up on our sister by early December, and we never seemed to suffer temporal consequences for what happened in ordinary time. Of course, we were also lobbying to add one more vote to the roast chicken bloc. Mom would take a family vote for Christmas dinner. One year our sister sided with Dad and we ended up with roast beef. After that, we made sure to lock down the poultry/stuffing/cranberry combo–even if it meant we had to be extra nice.
Hey readers: any good naughty/nice stories in your Christmas files?
With this post we begin an examination of Part One, CHAPTER III, “The nature, object and the duties of catechesis.” This Chapter covers numbered sections 77 through 91. It will probably take us through the rest of Advent. In these next posts, we will focus a bit more on the internal life of the Church, moving from the evangelical and catechumenal ministries.
77. Having outlined the place of catechesis in the Church’s mission of evangelization, its relationship with the various elements of evangelization, and with other forms of the ministry of the word, this chapter examines catechesis particularly in relation to:
– the ecclesial nature of catechesis, that is to say, the agent of catechesis, the Church animated by the Holy Spirit;
– the fundamental object of catechesis;
– the tasks whereby this objective is achieved and which constitute its more immediate objectives;
– the gradual nature of the catechetical process and its catechumenal inspiration.
Moreover, in this chapter, the proper character of catechesis—already described in the preceding chapter—is examined through the analysis of its relationship with other ecclesial activities.
Thoughts?
As long as a planner stays in the Psalter, the GIRM gives considerable leeway for the choice of the psalm after the first reading.
61. After the First Reading follows the Responsorial Psalm, which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and which has great liturgical and pastoral importance, since it fosters meditation on the Word of God.
By “pastoral” importance, I would say this includes the spiritual aspect of the life of faith. This would be one area where I see post-conciliar liturgy as extremely fruitful: placing the words of the psalms on the lips of everyday believers.
The Responsorial Psalm should correspond to each reading and should usually be taken from the Lectionary.
In the instances when the psalm text is not from the Lectionary, there is a presumption that the choice corresponds to the readings–not just the one preceding it.
It is preferable for the Responsorial Psalm to be sung, at least as far as the people’s response is concerned. Hence the psalmist, or cantor of the Psalm, sings the Psalm verses at the ambo or another suitable place, while the whole congregation sits and listens, normally taking part by means of the response, except when the Psalm is sung straight through, that is, without a response. However, in order that the people may be able to sing the Psalm response more easily, texts of some responses and Psalms have been chosen for the different times of the year or for the different categories of Saints. These may be used instead of the text corresponding to the reading whenever the Psalm is sung. If the Psalm cannot be sung, then it should be recited in a way that is particularly suited to fostering meditation on the Word of God.
This piece concludes the universal legislation on the Psalm. Note the first preference for the ambo. Note also the acceptability of a through-sung psalm, or one of the common texts provided in the Lectionary for Mass.
In the Dioceses of the United States of America, instead of the Psalm assigned in the Lectionary, there may be sung either the Responsorial Gradual from the Graduale Romanum, or the Responsorial Psalm or the Alleluia Psalm from the Graduale Simplex, as described in these books, or an antiphon and Psalm from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, including Psalms arranged in metrical form, providing that they have been approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. Songs or hymns may not be used in place of the Responsorial Psalm.
Here in the US, there is a wide variety of permitted sources: the Lectionary psalm(s) in any musical form. Permission for a metrical psalm implies a paraphrase of the psalm text. It seems open that if one uses the psalm of the day, there would be no need to select from a conference-approved source. And of course, such a resource currently does not exist.
That last sentence may have a few problems in context. I would presume it refers to a source text outside of the Psalter, and not the genre of the music. If anyone is aware of any official clarifications beyond a diocesan level, feel free to offer them with links. Otherwise, discuss away.
