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Monthly Archives: May 2009
Pentecost
For the origin of Jewish Pentecost, consult the Torah here. The festival fifty days after Passover was a dedication of the first fruits of the agricultural activity of the ancient Israelites. (No wonder the claim the discples had drunk too … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgy, Scripture
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Judicial Activism
When Republicans utter this term as an epithet against Judge Sotomayor, maybe they really mean “activism against our own preferences.” Consider the percentage of votes to strike down congressional legislation by 1991-2005 SCOTUS justices: Justice Thomas 65, Justice Kennedy 64, … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
8 Comments
Flirting With Disenfranchisement
A reader asked how I would deal with the following situation of a new music director expanding the liturgical music repertoire: “As I am sure you can read between the lines, I have become very frustrated with the situation (in … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgical Music
3 Comments
RCIA 65-66: Intercessions for/Prayer over the Catechumens
After the optional presentation of a gospel book, a bible, or a cross, the rite moves to its conclusion. 65. Then the sponsors and the whole congregation join in the following or a similar formulary of intercession for the catechumens. … Continue reading
Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites
1 Comment
Apology for an Anthem
Crunchy con Rod Dreher and his Texas confreres don’t get to many hockey games, do they? Richardson (Texas) school district officials issued an apology this week, after receiving complaints that a choir sang the Mexican national anthem at a school … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Politics
4 Comments
RCIA 61-64: Liturgy of the Word
Did you know that there are assigned Lectionary readings for the Rite of Acceptance? They are not used too often, but liturgical tradition would seem to indicate they could be used when the Rite of Acceptance takes place on a … Continue reading
Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites
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A Wedding Music Compass 2.0: Expectations of Wedding Musicians
As promised in the last post, I’ll give you some tips on wedding musicians today: what you can expect, how you should conduct yourself, what to ask. Stuff like that. As always, this advice is lensed through my experiences as … Continue reading
Posted in Rite of Marriage
5 Comments
Holy Years: How Frequent?
This isn’t intended to be a smart-aleck question, but a serious one. How often should the Church celebrate holy years? I noticed that Spain observes fourteen “Years of James” per century: every time the feast of St James falls on … Continue reading
Posted in Church News, spirituality
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RCIA 58-60: Some Options and an Invitation
All of the rituals of the past eight sections (RCIA 50-57) are presumed to take place outside the church proper (or inside the entrance or “elsewhere”) as RCIA 48 directs. Many parish adapt this somewhat, holding part of the liturgy … Continue reading
Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites
2 Comments
(Ecclesiastical) Death Comes For The Archbishop
CNS put this one at the bottom of today’s list. Just when you might have thought the sacred universe revolved around someplace in the US… I looked up Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo on the Catholic Hierarchy site. Ordained a bishop at … Continue reading
Posted in Church News, Ministry
5 Comments
Women Looking for Counterculture
I don’t begrudge comtemplative women’s orders their boom. I doubt any mature woman religious does either. The CNS news note about a new book seems to be incomplete, or I hope it is. The book, titled “The Foundations of Religious … Continue reading
Posted in spirituality
3 Comments
Notes on Liturgical Music
(This is Neil) The Covenant website has a very good short article by the Anglican priest Dan Martins promisingly entitled “Notes Toward a Comprehensive Theory of Church Music.” He makes three points of likely interest to readers of our blog: … Continue reading
Posted in Neil
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RCIA 56-57: Signing of the Other Senses & Concluding Prayer
Sorry for the delay in continuing this series. We left off with the signing of the forehead of the candidates with the cross. Unlike at infant baptism, other senses may be signed. First the rubrics: 56. The signing is carried … Continue reading
Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites
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Wireless Squatters, Clear Out!
Soon to be heard in a church–maybe your very own: Pray brothers and sisters that … phshphsh … twenty-four, we need an ambulance at four-one-nine Benedict Way, elderly white female not responding to stimulus. This has been coming down the pike for … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgy
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Survival of a Charism
The heat over the Irish child abuse report continues. Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin editoralizes today in the Irish Times. Archbishop Martin phrases this in a rather alarming way: survival. This newest shocking episode is going to set everybody back. I … Continue reading
Posted in Church News, Ministry
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Catholic Sensibility 