Monthly Archives: July 2008

Philippians as a Model for Preaching

(This is Neil) Since Todd has been providing excerpts from and commentary on Fulfilled in Your Hearing, I thought that I’d contribute a short post on preaching. And, since it is the Year of St Paul, and Philippians 2 makes … Continue reading

Posted in Exegesis, Neil | 2 Comments

FIYH 92-93: Letting Go

In a short section titled, “letting Go,” the bishops advise spiritually: [92] Sometime in the middle of the preparation process we should allow our­selves to step back from the work we are doing and give free reign to the subconscious … Continue reading

Posted in Fulfilled in Your Hearing, Liturgy, USCCB documents | Leave a comment

Satellite Imagination: End of the Age of the Eye

In 1892, we can note the last human eye discovery of a solar system satellite. The eye belonged to Edward Emerson Barnard who, working at the Lick Observatory in California, found a fifth satellite of Jupiter. Hereafter, every subsequent satellite … Continue reading

Posted in Astronomy, Satellite Imagination | 4 Comments

Blog Report

We had an all-day road trip yesterday to the Twin Cities and back to drop off the young miss for camp. Anita and I spent the afternoon at the Minnesota Zoo. I took some images there, especially of the flutterbys. … Continue reading

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Our Readability Level

(This is Neil.) Seriously? Movie Reviews

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Yves Congar on Ecumenism and Conversion

(This is Neil) … The more closely we strive for a deeper understanding of the divine mysteries, the more eloquently our works of charity will speak of God’s bountiful goodness and love towards all. Saint Augustine expressed the nexus between … Continue reading

Posted in Neil | 12 Comments

FIYH 89-91: Study and Further Reflection

A particular short-cut is a problem for preachers: [89] One of the major temptations of students when they are assigned a paper is immediately to run to the “experts.” The same temptation afflicts preachers. All too often our preparation for … Continue reading

Posted in Fulfilled in Your Hearing, Liturgy, USCCB documents | 1 Comment

Carnival of Space #64

I don’t have a contribution in the sixty-fourth edition, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mosey on over to the Music of the Spheres blog and check out all the great space stories of the week, as lensed through the … Continue reading

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FIYH 86-88: Reading, Listening, Praying

We get into some nitty-gritty preparation suggestions with these sections of FIYH. All of this advice is good. Reading in the original languages may be a challenge for some preachers, but the easiest and most fruitful idea is reading the … Continue reading

Posted in Fulfilled in Your Hearing, Liturgy, USCCB documents | 1 Comment

The Armchair Liturgist: Philippian Déjà Vu

For the first time in thirty-three years, Catholics observe of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on a cycle A Sunday. We get two close appearances of Philippians 2:6-11 in the Sunday readings. The Pauline hymn (composed or quoted–we don’t know) appears … Continue reading

Posted in Miscellaneous | 8 Comments

FIYH 84-85: Continua

Here’s a good discussion point worth considering: how many preachers plan a “continuous” homily reaching over two or more weeks to take advantage of the “continuation” principle in the Lectionary? [84] One final preliminary remark. The method that follows describes a … Continue reading

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Developing a Theology of Adoption

Somebody needs to do it. A quick look through the catechism and my volumes on post-conciliar documents shows but one reference to adoption. This from John Paul II’s 1981 apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio: It must not be forgotten however that, … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption | 2 Comments

The Armchair Liturgist: Managing Low Gluten Hosts at Mass

This topic was inspired by a parishioner at my new parish who has an extreme sensitivity to wheat gluten. We use the special low-gluten hosts baked by the wonderful Benedictine community in Clyde, Missouri. But let’s get practical. Sit in … Continue reading

Posted in The Armchair Liturgist | 15 Comments

Wedding Lectionary: 1 Peter 3:1-9

I will tell you truthfully this reading is not a top choice for the wedding liturgy. This, despite the fact that Peter links the Christian approach of slaves (1 Peter 2:18ff) and husbands (3:7) to that of the subordinate wife. … Continue reading

Posted in Rite of Marriage, Scripture | 2 Comments

Seeking Stripes on Dione

  The Cassini site has this nice June image of Dione from 374,000 miles posted today. On the lower part of the moon are the bright cliffs that the Voyager probes imaged in much less detail. Astronomers of the 80’s … Continue reading

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