Category Archives: Desiderio Desideravi

There is a desire here to move beyond the struggles we’ve seen in liturgy over the past half-century. Is it a vain hope? Time will tell. A final word: Let us abandon our polemics to listen together to what the … Continue reading →

At the risk of attracting attention from seventh-day Christians, here goes Pope Francis on the eighth day: 65. As the time made new by the mystery of His Death and Resurrection flows on, every eighth day the Church celebrates in the … Continue reading →

64. In the light of all that we have said above, we see that the liturgical year is for us the possibility of growing in our knowledge of the mystery of Christ, immersing our life in the mystery of His … Continue reading →

Every believer shares two aspects of liturgy: the year and the end or hinge of the week. High Church Christians might be more in touch with the details, but nearly every believer is in touch with the basics, even the … Continue reading →

We’re getting closer to the finish here. Pope Francis is speaking in hopes. The Jesuits would encourage us to answer the question: what is our desire? For Pope Francis, the desire is broad and rather open to interpretation. He wants … Continue reading →

61. In this letter I have wanted simply to share some reflections which most certainly do not exhaust the immense treasure of the celebration of the holy mysteries. I ask all the bishops, priests, and deacons, the formators in seminaries, the … Continue reading →

We continue with section 60 and how the clergy may be formed by the liturgy. Pope Francis concedes these are a few examples, and not the complete set of possibilities. But if one is confused about where to start, these … Continue reading →

Let’s split up section 60, because there’s a lot to digest here. Pope Francis, when he speaks of the education of the priest, seems to lean strongly to how the priest is formed by the liturgy itself. What are these … Continue reading →

Ordination, like baptism, imparts something permanent and eternal in the human being. Pope Francis suggests a similar attitude in the notion that ordination does not complete a personal achievement, but rather initiates them into an ongoing openness to the Holy … Continue reading →

One thing the last three popes had in common was a devotion to and regard for the Blessed Virgin. Some would attach her to the Church’s life of popular piety. Pope Francis would no doubt accept that. But he also … Continue reading →

57. For this service to be well done — indeed, with art! — it is of fundamental importance that the priest have a keen awareness of being, through God’s mercy, a particular presence of the risen Lord. Perhaps we could … Continue reading →

Let’s take two today. Paragraphs, that is. 55. There would be much more to say about the importance of presiding and what care it requires. On different occasions I dwelt on the demanding duty of preaching the homily. [See Evangelii Gaudium 135-144.] Here … Continue reading →

Section 54 has been one of the most-cited bits in the whole document, which, by the way, is copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione – Libreria Editrice Vaticana, and is found here on the Vatican site. 54. If it is true … Continue reading →

Let’s talk about a human expression that doesn’t include words or song. 53. Every gesture and every word contains a precise action that is always new because it meets with an always new moment in our own lives. I will explain … Continue reading →

Let’s get quiet. 52. Among the ritual acts that belong to the whole assembly, silence occupies a place of absolute importance. Many times it is expressly prescribed in the rubrics. The entire Eucharistic celebration is immersed in the silence which precedes … Continue reading →