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Monthly Archives: October 2006
How To Improve Church Music II: What the Diocese Can Do
Sacrosanctum Concilium 44 gives some direction here, if you’ll pardon our getting ahead of our Vatican II study, and recommends an actual institute “consisting of persons who are eminent in these matters, and including laymen as circumstances suggest. Under … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgical Music, Liturgy
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More Early Music
IU’s great program, Harmonia, is a weekly listen for me. I often browse the archives and listen to some of the programs from the past several years. Here’s last week’s program on early funeral music. Be warned: those of you … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgical Music, Music
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Sacrosanctum Concilium 10
Here’s where we get “source and summit” in Vatican II, one of the most-quoted sections of the whole constitution: Nevertheless the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is … Continue reading
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The Wisdom by which the World was Made
I assume that we will continue to reflect on liturgy and music (and various astronomical phenomena) in the coming weeks and months, but we might also find ourselves considering the relationship of faith and reason, the real subject of the … Continue reading
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Sacrosanctum Concilium 9
Is there more to life than liturgy? Vatican II suggests we also have evangelization: The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church. Before (people) can come to the liturgy they must be called to faith and … Continue reading
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Sacrosanctum Concilium 8
This is a pretty straightforward piece. Liturgy binds us with the community of heaven: the saints and angels in their worship of God in glory. In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which … Continue reading
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How To Improve Church Music I
This is a bit of a chicken and egg thing. Without leadership and commitment from the bishops and pastors, good musicians won’t be attracted to Roman Catholic parishes, at least not in the numbers we need. And if we lack … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgical Music, Liturgy
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Mission as Telling the Story of Jesus
The blog looks a little strange today. Someone seems to have absconded with our left-hand column. (I can’t do anything about it, but I trust that Todd soon will.) As many of you might have noticed, the 2006 Asian Mission … Continue reading
What Lies Beneath?
The remains of two Perth archbishops were exhumed from under the floorboards of St Mary’s cathedral in the Western Australia capital. (R)ecords from 1943 suggested the tombs had been moved to a newer section of St Mary’s, but did not … Continue reading
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Sacrosanctum Concilium 7
This section is much-quoted since the council. A reading of SC 5 & 6 is helpful in giving it a wider perspective than traditionalist critics are willing to offer it. You’ll remember that SC immediately began chapter 1 “General Principles … Continue reading
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Remembering Assisi
The Most Rev. William F. Murphy, bishop of Rockville Centre, has an article in the October 23 issue of America on this theme. The twentieth anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace, when Pope John Paul II gathered … Continue reading
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WMS MIA and other Weekend Adventures
We missed World Mission Sunday at my parish. There was the 9.6 minute video presentation, “The Truth About Cloning” after Communion at all Masses. Homilies were shortened to get the folks out in an hour. I’m also the closest thing … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Liturgy
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Ad Orientem
It’s the former name of the spiffy Irish Elk blog (see sidebar). Oh yes; it’s all the rage in the liturgy section of St Blog’s this year, too. I was having a pleasant discussion with cantor on Cantate Deo about … Continue reading
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Sacrosanctum Concilium 6
The two-fold aspect of liturgy is contained in this section. First, we are reminded of the salvific nature of preaching and evangelization: Just as Christ was sent by the Father, so also He sent the apostles, filled with the Holy … Continue reading
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Catholic Sensibility 
Dishwashing Duty
If it’s not already, the Catholic blogotariat will be atwitter about this one fairly soon: At the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion will no longer be permitted to assist in the purification of the sacred … Continue reading →