8 June 2012
In the second Christian millennium, a CDF condemnation would get you the rack. Today, it allows you to rack up sales.
I read where the Franciscans have offered a public statement of support for the LCWR. Rome becomes the agent of a selective unity. We need good theology, well discussed and discerned. We need unity. In the name of defending the faith, the CDF may well be endangering it.
8 June 2012
Thanks for the visits, daily and occasional. I especially appreciate the commentary, especially the people who disagree and keep me on my toes.
Some interesting statistics for you …
Your comments: over 14,000
Pieces of spam blocked: almost a quarter million. That’s discouraging that out of every 100 comments only six are legit.
Total visits, this site and the old one: almost 1.8 million.
Total posts not by me: Neil 590, Liam 13.
Posts on astronomy: 633. I need to look up more.
8 June 2012
My conservative foils in the Catholic blogosphere will probably howl over this one, but I once worked with a fairly liberal priest who told me I had a credibility issue with the parish’s lesbian and gay parishioners. I shrugged and said I had no idea how the LGBT committee came up with that. “You set them straight,” I said. “Right?” He gave me a blank stare. I did not know, but I suspected he was the source of that rumor.
I don’t have a problem telling people I am an ally. What does that mean? It’s not about being a culturewar ally, like Catholic conservatives teaming up with evangelicals or warmongers. It’s about being able to sit down with other people and cultivate real friendships. The church should have no problem with that.
I was reading about this legal initiative in Ontario, and the Church’s opposition. There’s a few things about this that strike me as off.
First, you can’t legislate good relationships. I realize the Ontario law doesn’t require people to get along. It doesn’t require the independent installation of one group. It seems to say that if students, on their initiative, want to form an alliance, no adult can stop them. On the other hand, if people insist on behaving without good manners, no law can stop them.
Second, a group is just a group. Groups can exist and do little to nothing, like committees. Sometimes they can do crazy and inappropriate things. I don’t think there are many Catholic schools out there who have disbanded athletic teams because of the danger of hazing or unsporting conduct.
One would think that the Catholic Church would take the initiative to form alliances on its own. It’s just a good idea.
8 June 2012
Here we are: the final contest for the most popular sacred song among readers on this web site. And trust me; it’s not anything less or more than that. I would not have guessed these two pieces of music would have made it, but there you have it. Have fun:
8 June 2012
Numbered sections 53-56 in Chapter II outline the events to take place during the Liturgy of the Word. Before the first word of scripture is uttered, the bishop has something to say:
53. The proclamation of the word of God is fittingly carried out in this way: two readers, one of whom carries the Lectionary, and the psalmist come to the Bishop. The Bishop, standing with the miter on, takes the Lectionary, shows it to the people, and says:
May the word of God always be heard in this place, as it unfolds the mystery of Christ before you and achieves your salvation within the Church.
After the people respond, ”Amen,” there is a procession:
Then the Bishop hands the Lectionary to the first lector. The lectors and the psalmist proceed to the ambo, carrying the Lectionary for all to see.
Section 54 designates the first reading, Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 8-10. The next Scripture is sung: the antiphon “Your words, Lord, are spirit and life” and Psalm 19: 8-9, 10, 15. After these, those preparing the liturgy have options from the Lectionary 701-706. The RDCA instructs that no lights or incense are to be used at the procession with the book of Gospels or its proclamation
II, 55 provides for the homily which “explains the biblical readings and the meaning of the rite.“
II, 56 instructs that the profession of faith follows, but not the general intercessions.
Others may wish to comment in detail on the Old Testament scriptures used. The emotional connection to the Law described in Nehemiah and Psalm 19B is remarkable. And totally foreign to the American understanding, which sees law as something to be followed in total obedience, yet circumvented, avoided, or minimized whenever possible. Many Americans see law as something akin to an unpopular boss. For the chosen people, it inspired a relationship of intimacy, as deep as family. Perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, true: these are words that describe a romantic love. We might ask why the Law is emphasized at the dedication of a church. I like to think of the Catholic genius for incarnation: that vital aspects of our faith are given a material reality. With this reality, we can better grasp the underlying truth. In other words, we don’t just know the Law, we walk through its doors, we sit in its presence, we see and hear what it has to offer.
Thoughts?
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