Opening Prayer

Glory Be …

Scripture

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:8-11)

Intercession

Loving God, as you inspired Thomas to teach to the generations to follow, open all minds and hearts to the sweetness of God, and allow our faith community to flourish under his patronage, as faith seeks understanding among believers and seekers alike.

Concluding Prayer

Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.

194. In the procession to the altar, in the absence of a Deacon, the reader, wearing approved attire, may carry the Book of the Gospels, slightly elevated. In that case, the reader walks in front of the Priest but otherwise walks along with the other ministers.

195. Upon reaching the altar, the reader makes a profound bow with the others. If he is carrying the Book of the Gospels, he approaches the altar and places the Book of the Gospels upon it. Then the reader takes his own place in the sanctuary with the other ministers.

196. The reader reads from the ambo the readings that precede the Gospel. In the absence of a psalmist, the reader may also proclaim the Responsorial Psalm after the First Reading.

197. In the absence of a Deacon, the reader, after the introduction by the Priest, may announce the intentions of the Universal Prayer from the ambo.

198. If there is no singing at the Entrance or at Communion and the antiphons given in the Missal are not recited by the faithful, the reader may read them at an appropriate time (cf. nos. 48, 87).

The expectation is simple: process, sit with ministers, render the readings. Most of these duties listed are for the second line of action. In many parishes, the readers, or lectors as they are more commonly known, sit in the assembly.

122. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is structured around four fundamental dimensions of the Christian life: the profession of faith; the celebration of the liturgy; the morality of the Gospel; and prayer. These four dimensions spring from a single source, the Christian mystery. This is:

– the object of the faith (Part One);

– celebrated and communicated in liturgical actions (Part Two);

– present to enlighten and sustain the children of God in their actions (Part Three);

– the basis of our prayer, whose supreme expression is the Our Father, and the object of our supplication, praise and intercession (Part Four); (Fidei Depositum 3d)

This four part structure develops the essential aspects of the faith:

– belief in the Triune God and in his saving plan;

– sanctification by him in the sacramental life;

– loving him with all one’s heart and one’s neighbour as oneself;

– prayer while waiting for the coming of his Kingdom and our meeting with him face to face.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church thus refers to the faith as believed, celebrated, lived and prayed. It is a call to integral Christian education. The structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church derives from the profound unity of the Christian life. It maintains an explicit interrelation between “lex orandi”, “lex credendi” and “lex vivendi”. “The Liturgy itself is prayer; the confession of faith finds its proper place in the celebration of worship. Grace, the fruit of the sacraments, is the irreplaceable condition for Christian living, just as participation in the Church’s Liturgy requires faith. If faith is not expressed in works it is dead and cannot bear fruit into eternal life”. (Fidei Depositum 2e)

Structured around the four pillars (Cf.Catechism 13) which sustain the transmission of the faith (the Creed, the Sacraments, the Decalogue, the Our Father), the Catechism of the Catholic Church is presented as a doctrinal point of reference for education in the four basic tasks of catechesis, (Cf. Part One, chap. 3) and for the drawing up of local catechisms. It does not, however, impose a predetermined configuration on the one or on the other. “The best structure for catechesis must be one which is suitable to particular concrete circumstances and cannot be established for the entire Church by a common catechism”. * Perfect fidelity to Catholic doctrine is compatible with a rich diversity of presentation.

* H.E. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Il Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica e l’otttsimo dei redenti in J. Ratzinger-C. Schönborn, Brief introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (original title Kleine Hinfürung zum Catechismus der Katolischen Kirche, München 1993) Roma 1994, pp. 26-27.

I remember when the Catechism was released some surprise that it was structured with an eye to matters other than morality or abstract teaching. It wasn’t alphabetized, like an encyclopedia. It actually bears up well being read cover to cover. (Though perhaps not at one sitting.)

Particularly laudable is the emphasis on the four pillars of belief, liturgy, lived faith, and prayer. And I also like the notion that doctrinal fidelity goes hand in hand with a flexibility of presentation. Thanks, Cardinal Ratzinger. Comments?

Opening Prayer

Glory Be …

Scripture

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Revelation 7:9-10)

Intercession

Holy God, as you received Thomas to the glory of sainthood, challenge me to imitate the sanctity of my brothers and sisters in heaven.

Concluding Prayer

Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.

The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, “To Hell with you!” There is no other way to put it.

Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh getting coarse deserves a closer look. He hasn’t been haunting the internet enough, nor the slightly paranoid circles of Catholic thought.

Actually, I can think of another way to put it that is closer to Catholic thinking in those circles. It involves only two words, including one that begins with the letter f. Really: why be simply condemnatory when obscene takes it up another notch? Isn’t that what we’re all about these days: elevating to a higher level of English text?

For the record, I didn’t get the memo from the White House on this one. I’m not buying the schtick that’s starting to emerge from the USCCB on this. I didn’t buy FOCA. I didn’t think their objections to the Stupak negotiations were particularly intelligent or thoughtful. And maybe they have good reason to be discouraged today. But after awhile the wolf cry gets a little old and whiny. Even when they use naughty words.

Maybe I’ve been discouraged a lot longer than these guys who have a guaranteed nursemaid situation. Barring, of course, any written or spoken bit of language with “women” and “ordination” between two periods. Bishops and clergy have it made for life, excepting significant moral misconduct on the scale of the f-word. What if they pony up an effort for national health insurance for Catholics? Cover every American on the Barque, and make sure that employers give us our allotment to run with.

If all the bishops have to offer the public discussion on this is outrage, sorry; that’s not good enough. I can get outrage on the Catholic net anytime I want. It’s time to lead, or simply, get the **** out of the way. Fill in your own blank.

Opening Prayer

Glory Be …

Scripture

In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and your renown  are the soul’s desire.
My soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:8-9)

Intercession

Hidden God, as Thomas waited for you in the unfolding of his life, calm me in uncertain times, and settle my doubts as I keep vigil with your saints and holy ones.

Concluding Prayer

Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.

First we read that when it comes to people involved in these duties, the Church suggests that fewer is not better:

187. The functions that the acolyte may carry out are of various kinds and several may occur at the same moment. Hence, it is desirable that these duties be suitably distributed among several acolytes. If, in fact, only one acolyte is present, he should perform the more important duties while the rest are to be distributed among several ministers.

Duties during the Introductory Rites:

188. In the procession to the altar, the acolyte may carry the cross, walking between two ministers with lighted candles. Upon reaching the altar, however, the acolyte places the cross upright near the altar so that it may serve as the altar cross; otherwise, he puts it away in a dignified place. Then he takes his place in the sanctuary.

189. Through the entire celebration, it is for the acolyte to approach the Priest or the Deacon, whenever necessary, in order to present the book to them and to assist them in any other way required. Thus it is appropriate that, in so far as possible, the acolyte should occupy a place from which he can easily carry out his ministry either at the chair or at the altar.

These duties are very familiar to us; they are usually performed by altar servers, often one or more youths. One item of discussion in some parishes is the last sentence in GIRM 189: where to seat the acolytes? At the priest’s chair in the sanctuary? With the assembly in the front row? Somewhere in between? That largely depends on the practicalities generated by an individual church’s architecture. How is it in your parish?

Regarding the Liturgy of the Eucharist …

190. In the absence of a Deacon, after the Universal Prayer and while the Priest remains at the chair, the acolyte places the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar. Then, if necessary, the acolyte assists the Priest in receiving the gifts of the people and, if appropriate, brings the bread and wine to the altar and hands them to the Priest. If incense is being used, the acolyte presents the thurible to the Priest and assists him while he incenses the offerings, the cross, and the altar. Then the acolyte incenses the Priest and the people.

191. A duly instituted acolyte, as an extraordinary minister, may, if necessary, assist the Priest in distributing Communion to the people.[Ministeria quaedam 6] If Communion is given under both kinds, in the absence of a Deacon, the acolyte administers the chalice to the communicants or holds the chalice if Communion is given by intinction.

192. Likewise, after the distribution of Communion is complete, a duly instituted acolyte helps the Priest or Deacon to purify and arrange the sacred vessels. In the absence of a Deacon, a duly instituted acolyte carries the sacred vessels to the credence table and there purifies them, wipes them, and arranges them as usual.

193. After the celebration of Mass, the acolyte and other ministers return together with the Deacon and the Priest in procession to the sacristy, in the same manner and in the same order in which they entered.

About what you expected? Remember that these duties as listed above are for parish-designated acolytes–servers, sacristans, Communion ministers. There is a formally installed office for these ministries. Ready to implement it in your own parish or diocese?

121. The Prologue to the Catechism of the Catholic Church states its purpose: “This catechism aims at presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church’s Tradition”. (Catechism 11) The Magisterium of the Church intends to render an ecclesial service for our times with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, recognizing that it is:

– “a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion”: (Fidei Depositum 4a; cf. Fidei Depositum 4b) it desires to promote the bond of unity in the faith by helping the disciples of Jesus Christ to make “the profession of one faith received from the Apostles”; (Catechism 815)

– “a sure norm for teaching the faith”: (Fidei Depositum 4a; cf. Fidei Depositum 4c) the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers a clear response to the legitimate right of all the baptized to know from the Church what she has received and what she believes; it is thus an obligatory point of reference for catechesis and for the other forms of the ministry of the word.

– “a sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms”: (Fidei Depositum 1f; cf. Fidei Depositum 4c) the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in fact, “is not intended to replace the local catechism (duly approved)” (Fidei Depositum 4d) but “to encourage and assist in the writing of new local catechisms which take into account various situations and cultures, while carefully preserving the unity of faith and fidelity to Catholic doctrine”. (Fidei Depositum 4d)

The nature or character proper to this document of the Magisterium consists in the fact that it is a comprehensive synthesis of the faith and thus it is of universal value. In this, it differs from other documents of the Magisterium, which do not set out to present such a synthesis. It differs also from local Catechisms, which, within the context of ecclesial communion, are destined for the service of a particular portion of the people of God.

The most famous of the local catechisms in the American memory is the Baltimore Catechism. The one most in the news today is YouCat. That should place those three books in perspective.

Any comments?

Universe Today covered Mr Gingrich’s comments from Florida

By the end of my second term we will have the first permanent base on the Moon and it will be American.

Love the moon base idea. I don’t think it would have to be American, and I’m very curious about how the former Speaker plans to pay for it. The current president couldn’t squeeze another $6B out of Congress for NASA. Does Mr Gingrich anticipate a Dem Congress willing to loosen up the purse strings?

Irony is the word of the day.

The timing is not understood, according to the USCCB. Here in parish life, we all know that it’s all about Catholic Schools Week. Even in my parish which doesn’t have a school, as such.

January is a busy month. I do understand the timetable, even if I might harbor doubt on the content. The announcement on the HHS regulations precedes their implementation by a presidential administration by exactly one year, a somewhat closer association than Roe v Wade, but just by two days.

Getting back to the irony, I think that Catholics who interpret the president and his administration as anti-Catholic, yes; this honor is ironic. My daughter was explaining the three forms of literary irony to us the other night. I found this definition in wiki:

In dramatic irony, the author causes a character to speak or act erroneously, out of ignorance of some portion of the truth of which the audience is aware. In other words, the audience knows the character is making a mistake, even as the character is making it. This technique highlights the importance of a particular truth by portraying a person who is strikingly unaware of it.

So maybe there’s more irony to this than expected. People who have convinced themselves of a certain point of view seem strikingly unaware that it’s not about them. But in the political view, it’s about an issue of rights and responsibilities that trumps a conscience matter for a minority of citizens.

Honestly, I don’t know how people are going to extract themselves from this. Millions of citizens need health insurance. Health insurance reform is going forward, and if the president backtracks on his milquetoast commitment to it, he’s going to anger a lot of supporters. And it is undeniable that the people most upset about this weren’t likely to vote for him anyway. Not even if he pins a medal on a Catholic school teacher. As for how this turns out, maybe all of us Catholic Church employees are in line to get big raises to cover our old insurance premiums. Too bad the institution can’t take a page from the Knights and set up their own system.

120. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the General Catechetical Directory are two distinct but complementary instruments at the service of the Church’s catechetical activity.

– The Catechism of the Catholic Church is “a statement of the Church’s faith and of Catholic doctrine, attested to or illuminated by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium. (Fidei Depositum 4a)

– The General Directory for Catechesis provides “the basic principles of pastoral theology taken from the Magisterium of the Church, and in a special way from the Second Vatican Council by which pastoral action in the ministry of the word can be more fittingly directed and governed”. (General Catechetical Directory Introduction)

Both instruments, each taken in accordance with its specific nature and authority, are mutually complementary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an act of the Magisterium of the Pope, by which, in our times, in virtue of Apostolic Authority, he synthesizes normatively the totality of the Catholic faith. He offers the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in the first place, to the Churches as a point of reference for the authentic presentation of the content of the faith. The Catechetical Directory, for its part, carries that authority normally vested by the Holy See in instruments of orientation by approving them and confirming them. It is an official aid for the transmission of the Gospel message and for the whole of catechetical activity. The complementary nature of both of these instruments justifies the fact, as already mentioned in the Preface, that this General Catechetical Directory does not devote a chapter to the presentation of the contents of the faith, as was the case in the 1971 General Catechetical Directory for Catechesis under the title: “The more outstanding elements of the Christian message”. (General Catechetical Directory Part III, chapter 2) Such is explained by the fact that this Directory, as far as the content of the Christian message is concerned, simply refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church”, which is intended as a methodological norm for its concrete application. The following exposition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church seeks neither to summarize its contents nor to explain this instrument of the Magisterium. It simply seeks to facilitate a better understanding and use of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in catechetical practice.

Does this strike you as adequate? The mission of 1972′s GCD was complemented by the 1992 Catechism. That mission was refined by the current document (1997) we’ve been examining, by fine-tuning its content and focus. Many of the principles of pastoral catechesis are considered the same or similar to that of twenty-five years prior.

184. Once the Prayer after Communion has been said, the Deacon makes brief announcements to the people, if indeed any need to be made, unless the Priest prefers to do this himself.

185. If a Prayer over the People or a formula of Solemn Blessing is used, the Deacon says, Bow down for the blessing. After the Priest’s blessing, the Deacon, with hands joined and facing the people, dismisses the people, saying, Ite, missa est (Go forth, the Mass is ended).

186. Then, together with the Priest, the Deacon venerates the altar with a kiss, makes a profound bow, and withdraws in a manner similar to the Entrance Procession.

Commentary:

Announcements are made at the discretion of the priest.

“Bow down” is an interesting translation of inclinate vos. The first sentence of GIRM 185 is new to the 2000 edition.

Next up, acolytes (187-193), readers (194-198), and concelebration (199-251), the last of which I think we will take in giant gulps, unless there’s a crying out for detail.

Opening Prayer

Glory Be …

Scripture

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Intercession

God of Life, as Thomas was sustained by the Bread of Life, nourish me through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Concluding Prayer

Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.

My daughter and I (who still have our 816 area code, by the way) were getting tons of robocalls from Republicans in December. There’s no real way to stop them. They don’t identify*. The only solace is that by election night you know they’ll be moving on to another state–hopefully not Missouri.

So yes, the operator to whom I spoke earlier today was truth-talking (I’m sure) when she said, “All your daughter had to do was to answer the phone two months ago and tell us it was the wrong number.” But there are other truths here. Some teens are still children in some aspects. Some young people don’t like talking to adults. Some adults don’t like to talk to teens, nor do they listen to them. Sometimes when you’re calling a number for two months and you don’t get any results, you chalk it up to the other person–whoever they are–not wanting to talk to you for any reason. And during an election year, sometimes even adults don’t want to be bothered talking to strangers. Sometimes you don’t need to talk to get the message.

Meanwhile, I will encourage my daughter to stand up for herself and, when appropriate, tell strangers who call her to stop the attempts and remove her number from their lists. For her part, the young miss will probably remind me that teenagers usually roll their eyes, grunt, and/or mumble, and that usually is enough to scare away the adults.

* Personally, I would prefer to see no anonymous calls at all anywhere. I think if every caller had to identify herself or himself, and communicate that in some way, we would have a greater level of honesty and truthfulness in telephony.

We don’t share the same cynicism: I distrust the entire political system; they only distrust the Dems.

They fuss about the government “forcing” the Church out of adoption. I know there are very few kids in the Church’s care. In many dioceses, they could be easily housed in the episcopal manse.

One recent commentator suggested I was “lost.” I happen to think that’s the place to be. In this case, with the one instead of the 99.

I got tired of marching and letter-writing. I had a friend who was married fairly early, and he and his wife were considering an abortion. After a chat, I was depressed and discouraged. I didn’t think I had made much of a difference, but several months later, their first child was born. I pondered the fruitless discussions I’d had in college with a girlfriend’s feminist friends and thought, “I did more good talking with a friend than arguing with strangers.”

I also get very fatigued with the lies, exaggerations, and deceptions. It’s convenient to say that Mr Obama is the most murder-crazed president in US history. Despite indications that Mr Nixon was worse because of his Court appointments, and Mr Clinton on his pro-choice timetable. But mouth foam knows no reason. Nor does it really have a prayer of success.

There’s more than one way to promote life. And unlike the assessment of another internet foil, Jesus is not going to quiz me on millions of aborted fetuses. I know of one that wasn’t aborted. There may well have been others, and if I knew, I wouldn’t say. And if I said, the dissenters would find some way to disagree anyway.

Abortion has made some pro-life people crazy. They need a vacation. It doesn’t all depend on them. If you bang your head against a brick wall long enough, you won’t knock it down. But you will make pudding in your head.

I like Lisa Miller’s piece this week in WaPo’s On Faith. I find the Santorum’s witness to be very inspiring. I think the former senator is naive and all-wrong in his politics. But his family is in the right place in their orthopraxis. From Ms Miller:

Abortion makes many Americans squeamish, but they want it to be legal (not unlike Romney’s stance when he was governor of Massachusetts). In a Time poll last summer, 64 percent of people said they thought a woman had the right to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester. In a Gallup poll around the same time, 77 percent said they thought abortion should sometimes or always be legal. The proportion who think abortion laws should be more restrictive than they are has hovered for a decade at about a third. And half of Americans, even those who think abortion should always be legal, also believe it’s morally wrong.

What has changed in the landscape of American abortion is not public opinion, but the recipients of abortions themselves. The number of abortions in America went down between 2000 and 2008, but the number of poor women who had them rose 18 percent. Women who have abortions are likely to have children at home, to be economically disadvantaged and to have a religious affiliation, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The income gap is at work in the abortion debate as well.

Politicians may not be able to hold two contradictory ideas in their head at the same time, but people can. In real life, people who yearn for babies sometimes lose them. People who don’t want, can’t afford, can’t sustain or can’t nurture a child conceive. Real people understand that at any moment they, or someone they love, could find themselves in either situation.

Life is full of contradictions. If you don’t know that, you’re too young, you’re too rigid, or you have a lot more problems that you should have. All I know is that there’s nothing wrong, illegal, or immoral talking a woman out of an abortion. If that “should” have happened fifty-four million times in the last forty years, that’s what? About two per Catholic? Maybe five or six each for the strong pro-lifers? Would you feel better knowing that if you talked one person a year out of an abortion, the problem would be solved? How long would it take? The time it takes to walk several miles? The time it takes to write a few letters? The time it takes to call a few names and throw a tantrum?

I hope my friend in the pro-life movement bundled up well yesterday and had good shoes. Exercise is good, as is renewing a sense of community with like-minded folks. I don’t see myself joining you. I prefer the lonelier stretches of wilderness rather than the 99.