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Monthly Archives: June 2017
Cardinal Müller Gossip
Home from retreat, and I see the Catholic internet is abuzz with the gossip that Cardinal Gerhard Müller, head of the CDF, and Cardinal Ratzinger’s second successor, will soon be out. Granted, the man is not playing baseball, but it … Continue reading
How Composers Work
Home from retreat, and I see Liam’s link from a few days ago on composers at work. I don’t pay close attention to how others do it. I occasionally hear stories. One published composer once told of “how we did … Continue reading
Posted in Music
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Sporadic, More Sporadic
Heading off to retreat in a few hours, so less-frequent posting this month will become non-existent. I don’t find the energy to write up a week’s worth on my day off to schedule in day by day. Father John Veltri’s … Continue reading
Posted in spirituality
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Lament in the Psalms
As I’ve prepared my summer bible study for the parish, I’ve been watching the Lectionary psalms with new eyes. This coming weekend’s for example, here. As I was rehearsing with one of my psalmists this afternoon, a bible study participant, … Continue reading
Music For The Sprinkling Rite: From Your Side, O Christ
The last of five given Easter antiphons for the Rite of Sprinkling is an old, traditional text. The allusion is clear: the soldier plunging his spear into the side of the dead body of Jesus and from there, acclaiming him … Continue reading
Music For The Sprinkling Rite: O Chosen Race
The fourth choice for a Sprinkling Rite antiphon in the Roman Rite’s Easter Season comes from the New Testament. The context is the first letter of Peter, chapter 2 verse 9, part of a larger discourse on God’s house, built … Continue reading
Music For The Sprinkling Rite: You Springs
The third option for a Sprinkling Rite antiphon in the Roman Rite’s Easter Season comes from the long litany in the third chapter of Daniel. You remember the story: three young Jews who refuse to worship their king’s golden statue are hurled into … Continue reading
Looking At Liturgy In Unleash The Gospel III
One of the “markers” in the pastoral letter, Unleash The Gospel treats the “Holy Eucharist” directly. Archbishop Allen Vigneron cites Pope Benedict’s encyclical Sacramentum Caritatis to begin his point: In the Holy Eucharist we reach the summit of our participation … Continue reading
Ten Years Ago Here I
Every so often, I check back on what went up here at this site. I was struck by Neil’s offering ten years ago today, citing Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on people (of faith or not) getting along (or not). Secularisation, the great movement … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary
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Looking At Liturgy In Unleash The Gospel II
From Detroit this Pentecost, Archbishop Allen Vigneron released a pastoral letter, Unleash The Gospel. He mainly addresses the contemporary Church’s enormous need to recover a spirit of evangelization. And indeed, much much more than a spirit. His letter includes a plan … Continue reading
More Than An Octave
This time of year the discussion pops up in traditional-leaning Catholic circles. What happened to the Pentecost octave? Isn’t it a horrible thing it’s gone? A few of my facebook friends have opined on this and I’ve commented there. Just … Continue reading
Posted in Pentecost
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Looking At Liturgy In Unleash The Gospel I
From Detroit this Pentecost, a much-noticed pastoral letter, Unleash The Gospel. Archbishop Allen Vigneron zeroes in on the Church’s enormous need and challenge: evangelization. I could go into detail on this document–and there are many excellent details to read and … Continue reading
On Climate
When I changed majors halfway through college from straight biology to biology-geology, I had an opportunity to enroll in a summer course after sophomore year, GEO 204. I don’t remember the title, but it was about climatology. We focused a lot on ice … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Politics, Science
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Dual Role
I was lurking on another site and saw a piece of some interest, a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of playing a dual role as conductor and accompanist. It’s personally relevant because I bounce between these roles on occasion. … Continue reading
Posted in Ministry, Music
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Catholic Sensibility 
Cultural Appropriation
So, cultural appropriation has become a Thing. And people are losing jobs and/or livelihoods over it. May I side with this writer and throw a bit of gasoline on the conflagration by suggesting that some reactions to “inter-culturation” are positively … Continue reading →