Confessor Station

Busy day today. First Reconciliation this morning. Thirteen second-graders, plus family. Still out of the church, so our lower lounge, ordinarily the setting for social life and large group catechesis, filled in as a space for worship.

Left, one of four confessor stations.

Catholics devote lots of pen and internet strokes to the orientation of the priest at Mass. I’ve never seen any discussion of the orientation at Penance. The old confessional booth usually finds the priest facing at right angles from the penitent, who is usually oriented toward the confessor.

Outside of the booth and leaving the screen behind, what orientation makes sense? Different priests I’ve worked with have different opinions. One liked to have the chairs facing each other. That is the way the “face-to-face” option is usually set up in the reconciliation chapel upstairs. Other confessors opt for side-by-side.

When we’re in our church, some stations are set up in pews, so the orientation is more the former. Otherwise, I angle the chairs at ninety degree, as imaged here.

Which makes sense given the Catholic understanding of Penance? Would some arrangements, and some clergy attitudes, cloud the action of Christ in the sacrament?

 

Before And After

What lessons to be drawn from this?

USCCB votes 203-14 to move on to the Liturgy of the Hours.

Bishop Brom of San Diego:

I’m hearing from the priests … that we not rush headlong into further translations and using the Roman Missal that we have now in its English version as the basis …

Bishop Matano of Burlington, Vermont:

I do think it is a bit counter-productive to go back in time and give a critique of the new Roman Missal.

USCCB votes 189-41 to move on to the Liturgy of the Hours.

Granted, there were speeches behind these comments, but let’s ponder some possibilities:

The bishops don’t care what their priests think, so what possibly could make anyone believe they are listening to lay people?

The bishops are tired talking about liturgy. They just want the MC to turn the page and point.

Twenty-seven bishops seemed to have changed their minds after the California intervention. But three bishops woke up and voted the second time who didn’t cast a ballot the first.

Is the curia thinking, “Thank goodness we have those Americans under our thumb. Now, what the bleep are we going to do with the Germans?”

Where does Father John “Slavish” Z fit in the notion that once a translation is complete, complaining about it “only opens the door to … disunity.”? I suppose it depend on if the Culture of Complaint is in its ascendancy or not.

PS: Nice work guys, on the economy. Four years into a depression and you can’t agree on a word of faith and hope. Do us a favor and don’t bother sending one out next time.

 

Not So Solemn All Saints Blessings

I meant to blog about this the other week, but consider yourselves forewarned for next year’s November 1 observance.

The solemn blessing for All Saints was so bad that the priest who used it for the vigil Mass on Wednesday night didn’t repeat it at either of the holy day liturgies here. When I first heard it I thought it was horrific, if not heretical. As I read it this morning, it’s not quite so bad. But you have to think about it. At which point in the Mass, you’re probably in the parking lot and on the way out anyway.

May God, the glory and joy of the Saints,
who has caused you to be strengthened
by means of their outstanding prayers,
bless you with unending blessings.

Freed through their intercession from present ills
and formed by the example of their holy way of life,
may you be ever devoted to serving God and your neighbor.

So that, together with all,
you may possess the joys of the homeland,
where Holy Church rejoices
that her children are admitted in perpetual peace
to the company of the citizens of heaven.

When I pray these prayers, I bow as requested, and since these solemn blessings used to be among my favorites (even though the cadence for “Amen” is handled with near universal awkwardness) I pay particular attention. So with the first invocation, I was distracted by being blessed with blessings. That may well be in the Latin original, but it reads like a middle school essay, stretched out to fill the word count.

Then I heard what sounds like unabashed pelagianism. In print, you might see after a moment of examination that it is the people who are freed from present ills through the intercession of the saints. I’d feel better attributing it directly to the grace of God, but at least it’s better than what I thought on first hearing, a clause describing the saints themselves. Again, the Latin original may not have “saints,” but it needs to be added for what amounts to a new paragraph. Basic English grammar. Necessary, because of the easy theological misinterpretation.

If “homeland” is not capitalized, I would presume it means an earthly country. Still, for the spoken invocation, it needs an adjective at minimum to indicate we are talking about heaven. On the other hand, if we can be blessed with blessings in the first invocation, I don’t see the problem with possessing the joys of heaven with the citizens of heaven.

Granted, the priest who rendered this tends to be less measured in his recitation of prayers. And holy days tend to be after thoughts inpreparation. Anybody else catch a stumble on this prayer? If it was even used?

 

Preaching In The 21st Century

I see on CNS that the US bishops do indeed have a new document on preaching in the pipeline. Considering that so many good ideas found in Fulfilled In Your Hearing went untouched, I did wonder many months ago why the JPII/B16 American episcopacy felt the need to reinvent the wheel. Or maybe they believe that FIYH has been fully implemented and it’s time to explore new ground. Archbishop Robert Carlson:

Everyone gets a chance to put their oar in the water. That’s what makes it a better document.

Eight USCCB committees is “everyone”? What about the people who have to listen to the homily? Archbishop Carlson on his dad’s input:

My dad used to say, “I know what happened 2,000 years ago. I need to know how to live my life today.”

I wonder if he invited his dad to give input on this new document.

The US bishops were on the right track in the 1980′s when they consulted widely on important matters of peace and the economy. Say what you like about the end result, but in theory, they listened to the laity and considered their broad input a contributing factor to each effort.

I am sure the final result will, if absorbed by the Church’s preachers, improve the overall level of the liturgical homily. The real connection that needs to be made, above bishops-laity, is bishops-priests. You priests out there: do you need a document on preaching from your bishops? And once it comes out, how do you plan to engage with it: individually, in priest support groups, on a diocesan level, with your bishop directly, or some combination?

 

Counting At Mass

October is the month for counting people in my archdiocese. We had a “storm surge” for the university’s homecoming observances this past weekend, especially at our later morning Mass.

Overall, with merging our Saturday liturgy into the other parish’s, numbers are down “in exile.” Our 8:30 and 7PM Masses are about the same. Last year, we had about 850 at our 10:30 Mass–yesterday it was 603. The auditorium where we’ve worshiped only holds 470. Instead of chairs in a narthex (our usual response to overflowing our 797 seats) we had video screens in the lobby. Far from optimal.

Anyone else out there responsible for counting heads? Do you do it in October, the high tide of church attendance (Excepting Christmas and Easter)?

 

One Easter, Not Two

Vatican Insider reports that Holy Land Catholics will join their Orthodox sisters and brothers in observing Easter on 5 May 2013.

Is the Catholic/Orthodox separation on Easter a big deal? About half the time the dates are separated by a week. One-fourth of the time, as in 2013, it’s about a month. Otherwise we’re aligned 25% of the time. How did things get out of whack on such a basic Christian thing?

The difference between the Gregorian calendar reform of 1582, and how Easter is placed as the Sunday after the first full moon of Spring.

Why now and not earlier? Who knows? Vatican II endorsed the idea of a single celebration of Easter across Christendom. The last bishops’ synod endorsed the idea, repeatedly. Obviously, we’d need to get all of the Reformation Churches with the program, too. A lot of them took a century or two to adopt Pope Gregory XIII’s initiative. Britain and its colonies came aboard in 1752. Here’s a good trivia question: which was the last US state to align with the other states in the Gregorian reform? Hint: it was before its own statehood.

Here is the 2010 USCCB statement on a shared Easter.

Hopefully this development will cut down on fistfights and other unseemly behavior.

 

 

 

 

A Gospel Pair

After this past Sunday’s Gospel (and possible direct engagement in preaching) can we anticipate sending away sad all the elder sister and brother believers, the ones who have kept commandments from their youth?

Direct engagement with the teachings of the Lord is good. Especially if we directly engage all his teachings. Especially the ones about which we feel less secure and safe.

 

Memorizing Wedding Vows

For the first time since I can remember, the couple at yesterday’s wedding recited their vows from memory. The priest held the book at the ready, but their eyes were on each other.

I’ve noticed a huge variety in clergy witnessing weddings at my parish the past four years. We’ve had six priests on staff in the past four years. And for the occasional wedding, we get an occasional other priest. They all conduct vows with great variety. Some stand between couple and altar, some between couple and people. Some insist on mic’ing themselves stating the vows; others the couple.

Most couples these days prefer to repeat after the priest or deacon. I don’t remember the last time I  noticed a couple getting questioned about their vows and responding “I do.”

Shortly after our engagement, I pressed my wife-to-be to memorize. She acceded, but on the condition that we practice daily from decision time till the wedding day. And so we did. But at the moment of the vows, the pastor held up one finger. I thought, “Oh, Father Russ, one finger. We’re number one.” The finger went to the book, and looking at my beloved, I knew it was time to begin, “I, Todd, take you, Anita, to be my wife …”

In the frequent renewal of vows we celebrate* the memorization has come in handy. No more nervousness. With nearly seventeen years, the vows have become familiar. They are now reinforced by years of joys and sorrows.

Whether or not a couple vows from memory on the wedding day, memorizing vows is still a good idea. Anybody else in the commentariat?

 

 

Lamb of God, Reclassified

Liam alerted me to the US BCDW’s directive to end the authorization of christological or eucharistic tropes for the Agnus Dei. I can’t find anything on the USCCB sites, but Jerry Galipeau has the word on his blog. I would take that as gospel, coming from him.

I don’t mind the reclassification of the Lamb of God from litany to liturgical song or acclamation. The litanic aspect remains in theory, but given the way the piece has been rendered through the centuries, I’d say any recovery of “litany” has been shelved. Does it matter? Maybe not.

On the whole, I applaud the gains made by the assembly for this part of the Communion Rite. As long as music ministers are diligent in beginning the Communion Song as the priest receives the Eucharist, the people get one, maybe two verses of a Communion Song before the procession begins. I hear a good amount of singing while Communion ministers get organized. On the whole, my two parishes have reaped benefits from the adjustments in procedures and the clarification that the Lamb of God is no longer a litany. The fraction rite no longer needs an extension except in the most extraordinary of situations.

I sum up my reaction as … meh.

 

Blood and Body?

I was having a discussion with a priest friend of mine about the order of receiving the Body and Blood at Mass. I said there was no legislation in place for the laity, only custom.

He said that priests are obligated by the rubrics to receive the Body, then the Blood.

There are no such rubrics for the people, I said. We may receive under one or either form. A priest is blocked from receiving under only one form. Lay people have greater freedom.

I recounted one experience where I left the piano during the refrain of a communion song. The minister assigned to give the Body to the choir was momentarily distracted, so I went to the cup first, then the other minister before scooting back to the keyboard.

My friend said, “Accidents are permitted.”

“It wasn’t an accident,” I said.

I certainly wouldn’t encourage a reverse order as a custom, but I’m not aware of any limitations on it for the laity, are any of you?

 

More On Sunday Mass Weddings

I like Scott Alessi’s piece on marrying at Sunday Mass. It’s a decision my wife and I have never come close to regretting. Here we are processing in together during the entrance song:

Isn’t that a great dress? My sweetie made it. Who’s the stiff in the suit? Not too nervous there, are we, bucko. The scan of the Mass just after we were called up for vows:

It can work. And once I get my sweetie’s permission to crack into the wedding picture album maybe I can scan more stuff.

 

Lectionary Readings in Braille

For the first time in twelve years, I’ll be working with a lector who is blind. My previous experience was a positive one, as the young lady prepared readings in advance and arrived at liturgy with a stiff piece of paper, rather parchment-like, punched with those small dots.

This semester, our parish has a grad student who reads via Braille. I sent her the readings for her assigned Sundays. She has told me she can “translate” these readings for her use.

A few discussion points for my commentariat, if you care to weigh in …

How many of you have had lectors who needed to proclaim the Scriptures from a Braille text? What are some of the ways in which you have interacted with these lectors to assist in their preparation?

On the institutional front, what do you suppose the approach is with Braille and the Lectionary? Does a Braille copy of a Lectionary reading have to have a copyright notice? Does it need to be aligned in sense lines like the Lectionary? What might other potential issues do you see as possibly coming from Rome or the USCCB on this front?

 

Where Not To Go For Daily Readings

An example of when not to send a pajama journalist to do a liturgist’s job: Patheos’ Daily Catholic Readings.

Where does this go wrong? The archaic English translation–not even an attribution to the translation, though I’m guessing at a glance it’s Douay-Rheims. Leaving the verse numbers in a text that has been clearly just cut-and-paste into the post. No reference on the liturgical day: Saint Monica or the Monday of the 21st week in Ordinary Time? No refrain of the psalm–just the verses set prose-style. It’s probably an American effort–the Patheos people probably don’t even realize that other English-speaking countries and even religious orders may operate on a different liturgical calendar when it gets down to the level of memorials, and the occasional feast.

A lot of bloggers just link the daily readings in the sidebar and let someone else do the dirty work.

Another approach, though one that would take considerably more work, would be to assemble a team of people to do daily reflections on the readings. A little bit of Scripture commentary, a little bit of linking between the passages, a few homily suggestions. You’ll probably never see that on Catholic Sensibility–I just don’t have time for a daily effort like that. But it sure would beat the steady drumbeat of Catholic forays into blogopolitics.

 

Orienting New Liturgical Ministers

This is a common sight in our church these days: liturgical minister orientation. Occasionally, two sessions occur simultaneously. On the left, our new liturgy peer minister, Jessica, is working with three new Communion ministers. On the right, 10:30 choir director Donna is putting a new grad student through the paces on how the psalmist functions at Sunday Mass.

I couldn’t stay for the end; I had another meeting to attend in another part of the building.

 

 

Sunday Masses for Various Needs and Occasions

The third edition of the Roman Missal includes a host of “Masses for Various Needs and Occasions.” Forty-nine in all. In doing research on the Roman Antiphonary and on our running topic of evangelization, I uncovered an interesting fact. Four of these Masses are permitted on Sunday. The anniversaries of a pope (election) or bishop (ordination), Christian unity, and evangelization.

Even in ordinary time, I’m deeply reticent about switching out Masses and their readings, even when the minimal option of reading number two is presented. That said, it’s rather heartening to see Christian unity and evangelization so well regarded that they are functionally on the level of a solemnity.

Also those anniversaries of a bishop and pope. Has any reader ever celebrated these on a Sunday? Or even on a weekday? Cathedral parish when the bishop is present, or even when he is not?

And Christian unity may be celebrated on a Sunday. Christian unity week falls predictably every January. It would seem a strong recommendation to observe it on a weekday–there I would be far less squeamish about substituting out an ordinary time weekday or even a memorial.

The rubrics are as follows:

2. FOR THE POPE, Especially on the Anniversary of Election

This Mass is said on the anniversary of the election of the Pope in places wherever special celebrations are held, provided they do not occur on a Sunday of Advent, Lent or Easter, on a Solemnity, on Ash Wednesday, or on a weekday of Holy Week.

3. FOR THE BISHOP, Especially on the Anniversary of Ordination

This Mass is said on the anniversary of the Ordination of the Bishop wherever special celebrations are held, provided they do not occur on a Sunday of Advent, Lent or Easter, on a Solemnity, on Ash Wednesday, or on a weekday of Holy Week.

17. FOR THE UNITY OF CHRISTIANS

This Mass may be used whenever there are special celebrations for the unity of Christians, provided it does not occur on a Sunday of Advent, Lent or Easter, or on any Solemnity.

18. FOR THE EVANGELIZATION OF PEOPLES

This Mass may be used even on Sundays of Ordinary Time, whenever there are special celebrations for the work of the missions, provided it does not occur on a Sunday of Advent, Lent or Easter, or on any Solemnity.

Only evangelization includes that clause, “This Mass may be used even on Sundays of Ordinary Time.” That inclusion is especially striking to me. The rubrics for Masses numbers 2, 3, and 17 say pretty much the same thing, but aren’t as explicit about the substitution. Why is that so? Evangelization is clearly a “need” that seems to recommend even more strongly a special occasion, a special Mass. When do you suppose this option should be utilized for a Sunday? The annual missionary speaker? This fall’s occasion of the synod on new evangelization? Some dedicated parish observance?