Category Archives: The Armchair Liturgist

The Armchair Liturgist: Blessing New Hymnals

Posted on 26 August 2016 by

How do new hymnals in a parish get introduced? Fund-raising campaign? Negotiation with the finance committee? Your people come to Mass one weekend, and surprise! New books. Some of you may know the Book of Blessings provides for the blessing … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgical Music, Scripture, The Armchair Liturgist | 2 Comments

The Armchair Liturgist: Slowing Prayers

Posted on 19 June 2016 by

The Benedictine monks at St Martin’s Abbey have a careful pace to the psalms and certain texts, like the Lord’s Prayer. I was caught a few times, but even in a smallish community of twenty-something, it’s easy to get back … Continue reading →

Posted in Rite of Penance, The Armchair Liturgist | 2 Comments

The Armchair Liturgist Silences Cell Phones

Posted on 4 April 2016 by

The songleader was responsible for this announcement when I arrived at my new parish. “Please silence or mute your phones before Mass begins.” For Advent, we cut all announcements and went right to the music. I haven’t returned the notice. Parishioners … Continue reading →

Posted in The Armchair Liturgist | 12 Comments

The Armchair Liturgist: Sung Intercessions At Scrutinies

Posted on 25 February 2016 by

The occasional music director gets a request for something like this. We covered the scrutinies here years ago. Here is the discussion on the intercessions. The North American Forum promoted a deeper experience of these. These RCIA petitions are not … Continue reading →

Posted in Scripture, The Armchair Liturgist | 4 Comments

The Armchair Liturgist: Litany of Saints

Posted on 18 February 2016 by

How often does your parish sing the Litany of the Saints? Easter Vigil, check, because everybody does it and you did it for the last sixty years. Baptisms outside of Mass, but anybody ever do it when an infant is … Continue reading →

Posted in Scripture, The Armchair Liturgist | 3 Comments

The Armchair Liturgist: Silence Bracketing The Homily

Posted on 17 February 2016 by

I was thinking back to one priest friend who liked to launch into the Creed immediately on the heels of his homily. He would walk slowly and reverently back to the chair during. Many of us liturgists are accustomed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Scripture, The Armchair Liturgist | 4 Comments

The Armchair Liturgist: Groundhogs, Candles, or Crêpes?

Posted on 2 February 2016 by

How do you observe the turning point of winter, the Feast of the Presentation, or Pancake Day? It’s a holy enough day to bump an ordinary Sunday, but not to compel midweek Mass attendance. To me that suggests just another … Continue reading →

Posted in The Armchair Liturgist | 5 Comments