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Monthly Archives: September 2016
One Thing At A Time
As I’ve gotten back into flapping my arms in front of a group of singers the past fourteen months, I’ve been scouring the net as well as a library of music publications here in my office. I look for any … Continue reading
Posted in Ministry, Music
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Amoris Laetitia 179: Adoption
Pope Francis on adoption: 179. Adoption is a very generous way to become parents. I encourage those who cannot have children to expand their marital love to embrace those who lack a proper family situation. They will never regret having … Continue reading
Posted in Amoris Laetitia
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First Serve
Are you familiar with the principle? Other authors and parish ministers have used it; it’s not original to me. “First serve” involves the invitation to volunteering or parish ministry. A new parishioner or a prospective old-timer commits for only one time. In liturgy, it’s … Continue reading
Posted in Ministry, Parish Life
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Amoris Laetitia 178: An Expanding Fruitfulness
We open a section (178-186) titled, “An Expanding Fruitfulness,” with an acknowledgement of childlessness. Also a note that the sole purpose of marriage is not the breeding of offspring. 178. Some couples are unable to have children. We know that … Continue reading
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Intercessory Prayer for Liturgical Ministers
I’ve had two recent encounters with this notion of liturgical ministers praying for another person. In my last community, someone associated with our sister parish suggested the Communion ministers in each location, in Iowa and in Honduras, be matched up … Continue reading
Posted in Ministry, spirituality
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Amoris Laetitia 177: A Father’s Presence
Pope Francis echoes one of my observations from yesterday’s post: the vital role of consultation with the mother of one’s children. My main takeaway from AL 177 is the importance of a father just being present to his children. Nothing … Continue reading
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New Looks At Old Moons
I reading where they’ve finally detected evidence of water plumes on Europa, an ice-crusted moon of Jupiter. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and W. Sparks (STScI)) Video here. Very cool, and not just because of a surface temp of minus-260 F. … Continue reading
Posted in Astronomy, Satellite Imagination, Scripture
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Amoris Laetitia 176: Absent Fathers
Pope turns our attention to dad: 176. We often hear that ours is “a society without fathers”. We hear it. But is it really true? Among Americans, fathers as a whole spend more time with children than their dads spent with … Continue reading
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Hands Off Hands Together
My facebook feed included a link to Deacon Greg’s mild takedown on holding hands at Mass. Another link was cited, with some limp-wristed reasoning: The practice of holding hands while praying the Our Father comes from the Protestant world. The … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Liturgy
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2 Capos
Lots of guitar players have more capos than instruments. Unlike most rock gods, I have only one guitar. So I don’t have multiple instruments in alternate tunings ready to go from the roadie’s hand. Here’s my solution for drop-G tuning … Continue reading
Posted in Music
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Amoris Laetitia 175: Parents Support a Child’s Growth
Good parenting equips a child for a life of self-esteem: 175. A mother who watches over her child with tenderness and compassion helps him or her to grow in confidence and to experience that the world is a good and … Continue reading
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A Typical Sunday
Without a full-time pastor, nobody’s really present for all five weekend Masses in my parish. But me. Three sacristans share duties, and two of them switch off every other weekend at the four English-language liturgies. So they come close twice … Continue reading
Posted in Parish Life
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Amoris Laetitia 174: More On Motherhood
Pope Francis asserts that mothers work against the spread of individualism. More on the topic of motherhood: 174. “Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of self-centered individualism… It is they who testify to the beauty of life”.(Catechesis (7 … Continue reading
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Amoris Laetitia 173: A Sense of Being Orphaned
Today, continuing with the topic of parental love. The sense of being orphaned is not limited to those whose parents have die, but also those who have separated themselves from their children’s lives: 173. The sense of being orphaned that … Continue reading
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Catholic Sensibility 
When Cozy Trumps Courage
At the risk of entering into a Wonderland of vocabulary twisting, a few thoughts on what I find constitutes conservatives, liberals, and progressives. Liam described his current pastor in this comment. My observation was, “Hmm. Your pastor actually sounds very … Continue reading →