Faith Alone? Sheep and goats.
Posted by admin on Dec 20th, 2009
This is a funeral homily for another priest.
Ave Maria at the presentation of the gifts
Posted by admin on Sep 3rd, 2009
Just the other day I was listening to a priest discussing that very central part of our faith, the two natures of Christ, being both fully God and fully man.
In the course of his talk he reminded us that it was Mary who gave her son Jesus his humanity. That was her gift as it was the Holy Spirit in the conception of Christ that provided his divinity, so to speak.
This set me upon meditation on the Incarnation once more, a habit and practice that I have found very useful in understanding and deepening my Catholic faith. There is such wonder in that mystery, there is such depth of beauty and symmetry, there is such awe inspiring power in it yet such humility inspiring love. I shall never cease to meditate upon the Incarnation because I know I will never plomb its depths.
What did strike me the other day however, was a thought of how appropriate it would be, in the light of what the priest mentioned, to sing some form of Ave Maria during the collection and most definitely during the presentation of the gifts. Mary’s fiat was her giving of herself to God. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Thus, as she gave herself to the Holy Spirit to become the mother, the giver of her own flesh and blood to her son Jesus Christ, so too, as we give the gifts of bread and wine that the Holy Spirit will cause to become the body and blood of Christ on the altar, we are joining with her in our own small way, and following her supreme example. Would that we would also join her in our hearts, in giving ourselves over completely to Christ.
Irritant in the Liturgical discussion
Posted by admin on Aug 26th, 2009
There is something that really bugs me whenever the liturgical discussion comes to the fore. The latest I heard this was yesterday on the Across the Nation show with Bob Dunning on the Catholic Channel on Sirius. I don’t wish to pick on Bob Dunning because he is just one example of an understanding that is all too common. Besides that, he’s a nice guy, and does a good job as a broadcaster/host in the talk format on the Catholic Channel. While I don’t always agree with his opinions on issues, he usually has a balanced presentation and a wide range of guests.
Having said that, Continue Reading »
The Return of Christ
Posted by admin on Aug 12th, 2009
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.
28 Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
So what does he mean by this? Continue Reading »
A quick rewind…
Posted by admin on Aug 9th, 2009
This is from a couple of years ago upon the announcement of the Motu Proprio regarding the “Extraordinary Form” of the Mass. I love this one;
A taste of Reverence and Beauty
Posted by admin on Jul 28th, 2009
Who is the center of Centering Prayer?
Posted by admin on Jun 28th, 2009
Because of circumstances, mostly of my own making, I ended up going to an evening Mass in a local parish Church I had never been into before. Over the recent years I have heard rumors and characterizations of this parish and had been told by some that “I wouldn’t like it.” This not as a particular point about me, so much as a generalization about how different that Church is compared to my regular parish. Continue Reading »
Legalism or authentic compassion?
Posted by admin on Jun 28th, 2009
Last evening I heard a caller as I was flipping through my Sirius channels on the Catholic Channel on Father Dave Dwyer’s Busted Halo Show, who was discussing what a Catholic is, or who’s really Catholic.
The caller suggested that one person had said that if a person cannot adhere to this, this and this, right on down the line. Basically he was drawing a sort of legalistic picture. In contrast he was talking about a certain flexibility that people are not all on the same page at the same time.
Father Dave had a good answer. Continue Reading »
A gentle jab at the Protestantizing of the liturgy from Father Mitch
Posted by admin on Mar 12th, 2009
Here is the Gospel reading from March 11/09,
| Matthew 20: 17 - 28 |
|
| 17 | And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, |
| 18 | “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, |
| 19 | and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” |
| 20 | Then the mother of the sons of Zeb’edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. |
| 21 | And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” |
| 22 | But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” |
| 23 | He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” |
| 24 | And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. |
| 25 | But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. |
| 26 | It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, |
| 27 | and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; |
| 28 | even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” |
In his homily on EWTN Father Mitch Pacwa points out something, in an oblique way, that I had never seen in this passage. (It was a very packed sermon with a strong message from the passage from Jeremiah as well) Continue Reading »