Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
Daily Archive
3 January 2012
Posted by catholicsensibility under
Commentary,
Politics [2] Comments
At the Bench, Deacon Greg blogged about the Fox News commentator teeing off on what strikes me as a laudable and eminently Catholic practice. Alan Colmes is a self-professed liberal, but I’d like to recall his membership card for cloddish behavior. Is that permitted? Mr Colmes:
Get a load of some of the crazy things he’s said and done, like taking his two-hour-old baby when it died right after child birth home and played with it so that his other children would know that the child was real.
Some historical and cultural perspective… Before the West decided to smooth over the experience of death (hiding the returning coffins of honorable soldiers, turning funerals into glorified roasts of good deeds, and the obsession with looking young and keeping as far away from death as possible) people did sensible things, like waking the dead in their homes, inviting friends and loved ones to share difficult experiences, and finding strength in human companionship instead of the drugs of choice peddled on Fox and other corporate media outlets.
It’s more telling that Mr Colmes works for a corporation than it is he’s a liberal. It strikes me he’s drunk deeply of the Kool-Aid of our culture’s avoidance of death. His employer serves it up regularly.
Of course, this whole thing might be cooked up to allow the 24,349th journalist to poke his head above water in a very crowded political scene. I sure will be glad when Ron Paul stops robocalling me. I hope the dude gets a life, and if he finishes behind Mr Santorum, all the better.
3 January 2012
Now that we’ve been given the five sources, the Church is careful to illustrate that the boundaries between them are stark or well-defined. To the contrary, catechesis is a “living tradition” that incorporates the Bible, the liturgy, two millennia of bishops and theologians, and the lived witness of saints:
96. These are all the sources, principle or subsidiary, of catechesis but must not be understood in a narrow sense. (General Catechetical Directory, 45b) Sacred Scripture “is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit”, (Dei Verbum 9) Sacred Tradition “transmits in its entirety the word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit”. (Dei Verbum 9) The Magisterium has the duty of “giving an authentic interpretation of the word of God”, (Dei Verbum 10b) and in doing so fulfils, in the name of Christ, a fundamental ecclesial service. Tradition, Scripture and the Magisterium, all three of which are closely connected, are “each according to its own way”, (Dei Verbum 10c) the principle sources of catechesis. Each of the subsidiary sources of catechesis has its own proper language which has been shaped by a rich variety of “documents of the faith”. Catechesis is a living tradition of such documents: (cf. Synod of Bishops, Message to the People of God 9) biblical excerpts, liturgical texts, patristic writings, formulations of the Magisterium, creeds, testimonies of the saints and theological reflections.
The living source of the word of God and the “sources” deriving from it, and through which it is expressed, provide catechesis with those criteria for the transmission of its message to all who have made their decision to follow Jesus Christ.
3 January 2012
Posted by catholicsensibility under
Liturgy [10] Comments
I wonder how many priests have hit MR3 fatigue by post-Communion. I don’t know what you’re seeing, but rarely is a priest referring to the Missal for the final formula of the Mass. Most seem to be on autopilot, and of Pope Benedict’s newly-crafted bits, I heard them from one priest on one weekend. No more.
Do you have a favorite of these new texts? My thought is that these are among the few bright spots in the innovations in the English MR3. The choices are:
- Go forth, the Mass is ended.
- Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
- Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
- Go in peace.
I’m still hearing, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord (and one another).” But that’s not even an option. What about your parish?
3 January 2012
Three sections on ministers responsible for liturgical music. First, a few words about the psalmist. (Please don’t refer to this role as the “cantor.” It is not the same.)
102. It is the psalmist’s place to sing the Psalm or other biblical canticle to be found between the readings. To carry out this function correctly, it is necessary for the psalmist to be accomplished in the art of singing Psalms and have a facility in public speaking and elocution.
What is the function of the choir? Simple: to sing its own parts and to foster the singing of others.
103. Among the faithful, the schola cantorum or choir exercises its own liturgical function, its place being to take care that the parts proper to it, in keeping with the different genres of chant, are properly carried out and to foster the active participation of the faithful by means of the singing.[cf. Musicam Sacram 19] What is said about the schola cantorum also applies, with due regard for the relevant norms, to other musicians, and especially the organist.
The organist, too, and any other instrumentalist or singer exist mainly to render their own parts of the Mass and to foster congregational song.
104. It is fitting that there be a cantor or a choir director to direct and support the people’s singing. Indeed, when there is no choir, it is up to the cantor to direct the different chants, with the people taking the part proper to them.[cf. Musicam Sacram 21]
Without requiring a choir at every Mass (a difficult and demanding ministry stance, but not impossible) the Church gives an adequate set of preferences. If you don’t have a big choir, a small one will do. If you don’t have a small one, then a few singers. If not those singers, then a single cantor. It sets the bar for improvement just about everywhere. Speaking for my personal goals, I’ve always striven for a choir at every Sunday and holy day Mass. I haven’t always reached that goal, and I’ve worked for a pastor or parish or two who advocated the approach of all-eggs-in-one-basket. What about your parish?
