Category Archives: Liturgy

Green Vestments 2: Shades

Posted on 8 September 2020 by

Some years ago, I blogged on Pope Benedict’s light green, right. It has an advantage: it’s a pastel coloring and not fluorescent or lime. Speaking of lime, some of these fruits have a pleasing darker color, and maybe that’s about … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy | 1 Comment

Green Vestments 1: The Basics

Posted on 7 September 2020 by

We are awash in looks at clergy with streaming Masses in pandemic times. Some of the looks are good. Some less so. Inexpert liturgists don’t take surroundings into account. Early in my career, they attempted to school me in the … Continue reading →

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On Testing

Posted on 22 August 2020 by

A facebook friend posted this policy with an affirmation for it: This rings familiar to the testing I provided in my last parish in which I oversaw altar servers. Most entered ministry in the 4th or 5th grade. After small … Continue reading →

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Fuel For Fire

Posted on 21 August 2020 by

I think it would take a whole college semester to analyze the post-Vatican II traditional movement in liturgy. We think the dogmatic councils of other eras settled things once and for all. But they really didn’t. After every council there … Continue reading →

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On The Clock

Posted on 18 August 2020 by

New Mexico archdiocesan preachers on notice: no more than five minutes. From the church memo: (The chancery had) received reports of some homilies going on for well over the 5-minute limit set by the Archbishop. This not only increases exposure … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Liturgy | 1 Comment

Office for the Dead

Posted on 5 August 2020 by

Some days ago, a commentator asked about the Office for the Dead. We blogged extensively on the funeral rites almost ten years ago. It seems that while I devoted a number of posts to the praenotanda, or instruction from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, Order of Christian Funerals | 1 Comment

The Armchair Liturgist Gets One Livestreaming Mass

Posted on 9 July 2020 by

My parish has fielded several negative comments about our livestreaming Masses the past three weekends of our “soft reopening.” We also see our numbers dropping in both attendance and in the internet experience. The reason given? The poverty of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, The Armchair Liturgist | 1 Comment

Disappointment

Posted on 7 July 2020 by

I was speaking with a liturgist colleague recently, sharing our experiences and perceptions of the return to worship. She has found the reopening with limits to be very much wanting. I shared the same. Certainly I understand intellectually the limits … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Liturgy, Parish Life | 3 Comments

Re-Closing

Posted on 6 July 2020 by

As my county looks to a delay in advancing through reopening phases, there’s not much of a liturgical difference between steps two and three. Still, we have an overall pause in progress west of the Puget Sound. Today’s parish wedding … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, Parish Life | 2 Comments

Liturgical Relevance

Posted on 3 July 2020 by

A brief commentary on PrayTell laments relevance, or more accurately, a particular clerical interpretation of it. I remember the associate pastor coming to our classroom in the period of 1970-72. I don’t know how school Masses were determined in terms … Continue reading →

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Mass In A New Era

Posted on 28 June 2020 by

I think I have a better notion of what the celebration of Mass was like in the mid-60s. I’ve been peeking here and there at bits of livestreaming from across the Catholic world. We’ve completed two weekends of my parish’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, Parish Life | 1 Comment

Psalmist Orientation in a Time of Pandemic

Posted on 11 June 2020 by

Usually, my parish’s music ministry rehearses on Thursdays. Two sessions, noon and 7pm. In ordinary times (as well as liturgical seasons) it is a time of camaraderie, hugs, catching up, sharing life and faith, certainly. Today found us gathering for … Continue reading →

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The Armchair Liturgist: Pandemic Gloria

Posted on 30 May 2020 by

Looking to a return to Mass in public, we are getting the first guidance for parish worship from our bishops in Washington state. I dreamed last night that people in the hundreds crashed our “private” livestream recording. It was tense. … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, Music, The Armchair Liturgist | 10 Comments

Not That Funny

Posted on 27 May 2020 by

As I have attempted to become more mature in my life, I discovered that what passes for good humor in some circles, flies like mud from a puddle in others. Some jokes are unfit for children, clergy, men, women, musicians, … Continue reading →

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The Armchair Liturgist Masks The Ministers

Posted on 24 May 2020 by

I know that the upper level liturgical muckety-mucks have weighed in against face masks for clergy. I confess our livestreaming priests don’t wear them. One, who shall go unnamed, has lost the spongy guard on the mic, leaving today’s presider … Continue reading →

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