Catholic Sensibility

Liam sent me this news item from the Left Coast.

A bit of commentary in the article from a canon lawyer, and from a theologian. Likely no delay in a planned installation. And unless it pops up there’s a serious substance abuse problem, there shouldn’t be. From Bishop Cordileone’s statement:

I apologize for my error in judgment and feel shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself. I pray that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this.

I think people can accept this. A few eyes will be watching, perhaps, at dinners and drinking occasions.

I don’t like the feeling of losing sobriety. My first time was in college at a friend’s party. About five different bottles of wine were brought, and I thought it was incumbent on me to taste each one. When I tried to put my wine glass down inside my water, I knew I had my first experience with inebriation. I think it’s happened about five times since that I was unfit to drive; just once or maybe twice since graduating college. It’s a rarity I will have a second beer. But even if I don’t feel the fog, I often ask my wife to drive anyway.

As for the good archbishop, learning one’s limits and being confronted by them is a good thing. I seriously doubt this will be an obstacle to his taking the cathedra in San Francisco. I don’t think it should be. And being human: that’s a good quality for a bishop to share with his people.

David Gibson at RNS reports on Cardinal Dolan’s challenge to the major party candidates for US president and vice-president to sign a civility pledge. Not just any pledge; this was penned and promoted by Carl Anderson and the Knights of Columbus.

I don’t know if the Jovial One is out of his element on this. Does this request only cover the official Obama-Biden and Romney-Ryan campaigns? Or does it include the oodles of ads produced, with or without approval, by shadow and parallel political groups? What I mean is, if Mr Obama told the labor unions to cool it, and Mr Romney delivered the same message to the Koch brothers, would the pledge be expected to be adhered to?

And if so, how enforced?

And if not, isn’t the whole thing meaningless, as it’s mainly about the ads we have to endure between now and early November? Who the heck cares who penned or approved them?

Twice this Fall, Psalm 146:7-10 appears in the Sunday Liturgy of the Word. After the first reading on September 9th (23rd Ordinary Sunday) as well as November 11th (32nd Ordinary Sunday). I lassoed my new friend Lynette to sing a demonstration of this new setting I composed:

Praise The Lord My Soul

I used the text from the revised Grail Psalter, web page here.

I have always liked Psalm 146. Reliance on God is still a tough matter for me, and while I don’t identify with captives, the blind, widows, or most of the litany of the oppressed in verses 7-9, I can appreciate God’s commitment to justice. And I can aim at keeping faith forever, can’t I?

As for the music, I wanted to create something modal. But it also floats back and forth between C major and C mixolydian. I was thinking of the stately chords in this work of Alan Hovhaness, without going quite so far afield.

Note: Gratis permission is granted to Todd Flowerday to post to the Internet individual audio files of musical settings of the Revised Grail Psalms. These digital files may be distributed to, and downloaded by, the general public for use within their religious communities, provided no remuneration is exchanged for this use. Any composer wishing to sell his/her settings of the Revised Grail Psalms, whether at cost or for a profit, should contact GIA for permission. All other policies regarding copyright notice and other licensing stipulations must be observed; visit www.giamusic.com/RGP for
more information.

Pope Paul lays out the purpose of this document, as developed from the input of the bishops, and lensed through his own interpretation of the need. Or rather, “urgency,” of the situation.

Remember yesterday’s three questions?

• (W)hat has happened to that hidden energy of the Good News, which is able to have a powerful effect on (human) conscience?
• To what extent and in what way is that evangelical force capable of really transforming the people of this century?
• What methods should be followed in order that the power of the Gospel may have its effect?

This is how Paul VI began to respond:

5. We can all see the urgency of giving a loyal, humble and courageous answer to this question, and of acting accordingly.

In our “anxiety for all the Churches,”[2 Cor 11:28] we would like to help our brethren and sons and daughters to reply to these inquiries. Our words come from the wealth of the Synod and are meant to be a meditation on evangelization. May they succeed in inviting the whole People of God assembled in the Church to make the same meditation; and may they give a fresh impulse to everyone, especially those “who are assiduous in preaching and teaching,”[1 Tim 5:17] so that each one of them may follow “a straight course in the message of the truth,”[2 Tim 2:15] and may work as a preacher of the Gospel and acquit (themselves) perfectly of (their) ministry.

Such an exhortation seems to us to be of capital importance, for the presentation of the Gospel message is not an optional contribution for the Church. It is the duty incumbent on her by the command of the Lord Jesus, so that people can believe and be saved. This message is indeed necessary. It is unique. It cannot be replaced. It does not permit either indifference, syncretism or accommodation. It is a question of people’s salvation. It is the beauty of the Revelation that it represents. It brings with it a wisdom that is not of this world. It is able to stir up by itself faith – faith that rests on the power of God.[Cf. 1 Cor 2:5] It is truth. It merits having the apostle consecrate to it all his time and all his energies, and to sacrifice for it, if necessary, his own life.

Commentary:

This is a “meditation on evangelization.” Let’s keep this in mind as we follow the remainder of the eighty-two numbered sections. Paul VI gave us not so much a set of laws and commands, but more a structure on which to build our own best efforts. Those best efforts, the pope suggests, requires a “fresh impulse” behind a message that is faithful to Christ.

That said, this third parargraph contains a list of qualities with some pretty strong language, doesn’t it? Evangelization is a duty, necessary, unique, irreplaceable, not indifferent, not syncretism, not bending to others, salvific, beautiful, wise, stirring, truthful, and wholly apostolic.

$5M goes to National Cathedral repair from the 2011 earthquake than inflicted $20 million in damage. Citing the Lilly family’s long support for the National Cathedral, N. Clay Robbins, president and CEO of the Lilly Endowment:

Eli Lilly, one of the endowment’s founders, and his wife Ruth were devoted to the National Cathedral and provided major support for the cathedral’s northwest St. Peter Tower decades ago.

Rev Francis H. Wade, interim dean:

The cathedral’s mission has remained intact … and that is to serve as the spiritual home of the nation.

I noticed from the cathedral web site, a lot of video, plus the order of worship from yesterday’s liturgy. Still on Roman Missal 1, I see. Using the James Moore Psalm 34 refrain for the Fraction Rite. Two choral pieces from the Renaissance. “Modern” organ instrumentals. Any reader ever worship there?

Design a church for the people:

§ 33 § The Church is a holy people, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, whose members give thanks to God and offer the sacrifice of Christ. Together, they take part in the liturgy conscious of what they are doing, with reverence and full involvement. They are instructed by God’s word and nourished at the Table of the Lord’s Body; they are formed day by day into an ever more perfect unity with God and with each other—they are sent forth for the transformation of society, so that finally God may be all in all. And by offering “Christ, the Victim, not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him,” they learn to offer themselves.(GIRM 95)

Some might shrug and say that no matter what the characteristics of the setting for Mass: chapel or cathedral, field or gym or living room or catacomb, the effectiveness of the Eucharist depends on God’s grace, not the setting.

I think it is important for those building, designing, and renovating churches to be aware of what is important in liturgy. And that a building, though very important, is a setting for a deeper vitality. Keep these theological truths of BLS 33 at the forefront, and any project will be fruitful.

All texts from Built of Living Stones are copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

I was thinking back to that summer night when I was ten, and had anticipated all evening the walk on the moon after the successful landing of the lunar module, Eagle.

I could not keep my eyes open for the whole moon walk; I fell asleep on the living room floor after about an hour. I was miffed that my mom didn’t wake me up. But her motto was that if your body’s telling you it needs sleep, then you should sleep. Besides, there will be other moonwalks. Not enough, in my opinion.

I didn’t react to the word of Neil Armstrong’s death as much as others. In another decade or two, no human will be left alive who walked on the surface of the nearest heavenly body. We all grow old. We all die. But young people can still dream, either in wakeful anticipation, or on a living room floor on far-off Planet Earth. From the Armstrong family statement:

For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the Moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.