Sunday, March 25, 2007
Pope Recalls Martyrdom of Oscar Romero
From Today's Angelus:
Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday recalled the 1980 slaying of El Salvador archbishop and human rights activist Oscar Romero, and praised those who lost their lives in carrying out their mission for the Roman Catholic Church.
Benedict reminded pilgrims in St. Peter's Square that Saturday had been the anniversary of Romero's killing, and that the church had dedicated the day to prayer and fasting for missionary martyrs.
He described they martyrs as "bishops, priests, other men and women clergy and lay people cut down in carrying out their mission of evangelization and human promotion."
Benedict said martyrs represent hope for the world "because they testify that the love of Christ is stronger than violence and hate."
Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday recalled the 1980 slaying of El Salvador archbishop and human rights activist Oscar Romero, and praised those who lost their lives in carrying out their mission for the Roman Catholic Church.
Benedict reminded pilgrims in St. Peter's Square that Saturday had been the anniversary of Romero's killing, and that the church had dedicated the day to prayer and fasting for missionary martyrs.
He described they martyrs as "bishops, priests, other men and women clergy and lay people cut down in carrying out their mission of evangelization and human promotion."
Benedict said martyrs represent hope for the world "because they testify that the love of Christ is stronger than violence and hate."
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Day of Prayer and Fasting for Missionaries
From Asia News Italy:
24 misisonaries - clergy, priests and lay readers of different nationalities- were killed last year. Not all of them died because of their faith, many- at least in appearance- were victims of aggression and theft as a result of social context of violence and poverty.
24 misisonaries - clergy, priests and lay readers of different nationalities- were killed last year. Not all of them died because of their faith, many- at least in appearance- were victims of aggression and theft as a result of social context of violence and poverty.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The Key to Pope Benedict XVI
Jesus Christ...AMEN!
From the editors of The National Catholic Register:
Pope Benedict, also, is simply and deeply devoted to the person of Christ, in all of his clarity and depth.
When secular newspapers write about Pope Benedict’s new post-synodal apostolic exhoratation Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity), they say things like “Pope Refuses to Yield” or “Benedict Loves Latin” as if the Holy Father were merely imposing his personal preferences on the Church.
But, from the very beginning, Benedict has been telling us exactly what he would do, and why he would do it. He started before the conclave that elected him, when he spoke about friendship with Christ, a concept he has returned to several times.
Noting that Jesus defines friendship as “the communion of wills,” he cited the old Roman definition of friendship — Idem velle idem nolle (same desires, same dislikes) — as the model of our friendship with Christ.
In his first message after becoming pope, he applied that lesson to the Eucharist. “I ask everyone in the coming months to intensify love and devotion for Jesus in the Eucharist,” he said, “and to express courageously and clearly faith in the Real Presence of the Lord, especially by the solemnity and the correctness of the celebrations.”
He wanted us to show our friendship with Jesus in the Eucharist not just by good feelings, but by a communion of wills — “by the solemnity and correctness” of our Masses.
This love for Jesus, which is both practical and passionate — we should say practical because it is passionate — is the key to Pope Benedict’s thinking. It is front and center in is private works (such as “On the Way to Christ Jesus”), in his official works before becoming Pope (Dominus Iesus — “The Lord Jesus” — foremost among them), and in his first encyclical and latest document on charity and the Eucharist.
This passionate, practical love explains many aspects of the new document.
It’s the reason why Pope Benedict is so poetic on the Eucharist. “What amazement must the Apostles have felt in witnessing what the Lord did and said during that Supper!” he writes in the introduction, “What wonder must the Eucharistic mystery also awaken in our own hearts!”
It’s also the reason he is so precise: “The Eucharistic celebration is enhanced,” he writes, “when priests and liturgical leaders are committed to making known the current liturgical texts and norms, making available the great riches found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of Readings for Mass” (No. 40).
Pope Benedict can be subtle: “It should be kept in mind that nothing is lost when the sign of peace is marked by a sobriety that preserves the proper spirit of the celebration, as, for example, when it is restricted to one’s immediate neighbors.”
He can be blunt: “Given the importance of the word of God, the quality of homilies needs to be improved.”
But the love of Christ pervades it all.
There is much in this document that needs to be brought to light. The Pope has specific words on everything from Communion at funerals and weddings to the proper use of music (Webster Young, on the previous page, would appreciate what he says). He says broadcast Masses should follow the local bishop’s norms, and that tabernacles should be placed in the center of most churches.
But it would be a mistake to look to the document for a list of “winners” and “losers” and try to determine on what issues Pope Benedict is a liturgical “conservative” and on which ones he is a liturgical “liberal.”
Rather, the document is exactly what our front-page headline declares it to be: a love letter to Christ, his friend and ours, the center of the Mass, and our life.
From the editors of The National Catholic Register:
Pope Benedict, also, is simply and deeply devoted to the person of Christ, in all of his clarity and depth.
When secular newspapers write about Pope Benedict’s new post-synodal apostolic exhoratation Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity), they say things like “Pope Refuses to Yield” or “Benedict Loves Latin” as if the Holy Father were merely imposing his personal preferences on the Church.
But, from the very beginning, Benedict has been telling us exactly what he would do, and why he would do it. He started before the conclave that elected him, when he spoke about friendship with Christ, a concept he has returned to several times.
Noting that Jesus defines friendship as “the communion of wills,” he cited the old Roman definition of friendship — Idem velle idem nolle (same desires, same dislikes) — as the model of our friendship with Christ.
In his first message after becoming pope, he applied that lesson to the Eucharist. “I ask everyone in the coming months to intensify love and devotion for Jesus in the Eucharist,” he said, “and to express courageously and clearly faith in the Real Presence of the Lord, especially by the solemnity and the correctness of the celebrations.”
He wanted us to show our friendship with Jesus in the Eucharist not just by good feelings, but by a communion of wills — “by the solemnity and correctness” of our Masses.
This love for Jesus, which is both practical and passionate — we should say practical because it is passionate — is the key to Pope Benedict’s thinking. It is front and center in is private works (such as “On the Way to Christ Jesus”), in his official works before becoming Pope (Dominus Iesus — “The Lord Jesus” — foremost among them), and in his first encyclical and latest document on charity and the Eucharist.
This passionate, practical love explains many aspects of the new document.
It’s the reason why Pope Benedict is so poetic on the Eucharist. “What amazement must the Apostles have felt in witnessing what the Lord did and said during that Supper!” he writes in the introduction, “What wonder must the Eucharistic mystery also awaken in our own hearts!”
It’s also the reason he is so precise: “The Eucharistic celebration is enhanced,” he writes, “when priests and liturgical leaders are committed to making known the current liturgical texts and norms, making available the great riches found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of Readings for Mass” (No. 40).
Pope Benedict can be subtle: “It should be kept in mind that nothing is lost when the sign of peace is marked by a sobriety that preserves the proper spirit of the celebration, as, for example, when it is restricted to one’s immediate neighbors.”
He can be blunt: “Given the importance of the word of God, the quality of homilies needs to be improved.”
But the love of Christ pervades it all.
There is much in this document that needs to be brought to light. The Pope has specific words on everything from Communion at funerals and weddings to the proper use of music (Webster Young, on the previous page, would appreciate what he says). He says broadcast Masses should follow the local bishop’s norms, and that tabernacles should be placed in the center of most churches.
But it would be a mistake to look to the document for a list of “winners” and “losers” and try to determine on what issues Pope Benedict is a liturgical “conservative” and on which ones he is a liturgical “liberal.”
Rather, the document is exactly what our front-page headline declares it to be: a love letter to Christ, his friend and ours, the center of the Mass, and our life.
Novelist, Catholic priest collaborate in new ‘Gospel’ of Judas
From Catholic News Service:
Archer, presenting The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot at a March 20 press conference in Rome, said he is a practicing Anglican who wanted his new book to be backed up by solid biblical scholarship.
So he convinced Father Francis J. Moloney, provincial of the Salesians in Australia and a former president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, to collaborate.
Father Moloney, who served on the International Theological Commission for 18 years when it was under the presidency of the future Pope Benedict XVI, provided scholarly criticism of the text and wrote the bulk of the theological notes and clarifications found at the end of the book.
Archer, presenting The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot at a March 20 press conference in Rome, said he is a practicing Anglican who wanted his new book to be backed up by solid biblical scholarship.
So he convinced Father Francis J. Moloney, provincial of the Salesians in Australia and a former president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, to collaborate.
Father Moloney, who served on the International Theological Commission for 18 years when it was under the presidency of the future Pope Benedict XVI, provided scholarly criticism of the text and wrote the bulk of the theological notes and clarifications found at the end of the book.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
For Lent: Learn Your Prayers in Latin
ANTE PRANDIUM
Benedic, Domine, nos et dona tua,quae de largitate tua sumus sumpturi,et concede, ut illis salubriter nutrititibi debitum obsequium praestare valeamus,per Christum Dominum nostrum.
BEFORE A MEAL
Bless, O Lord, us and your gifts,which from your bounty we are about to receive,and grant that, healthily nourished by them,we may render you due obedience,through Christ our Lord.
Hear My Witness to Fr. Dajczer's The Gift of Faith
From In the Arms of Mary Foundation:
Spring Fundraiser Luncheon - "The Silence of Mary" - April 21, 2007
Our 5th annual fundraiser in Seal Beach, California, will be held on Saturday, April 21st. This year's theme is "The Silence of Mary." Save the date and plan on joining us to hear Michael Dubruiel's witness: "A Vision of Faith-- a testimony of the power of The Gift of Faith
" and Rev. Arthur Gruszka's talk on the silence of Mary." All proceeds from the 2007 fundraiser will go directly toward our “Clergy & Religious support Fund” which helps us provide books for bishops and religious superiors to share with their priests, deacons, seminarians, religious sisters and brothers, as well as missionaries in the U.S. and worldwide.
Spring Fundraiser Luncheon - "The Silence of Mary" - April 21, 2007
Our 5th annual fundraiser in Seal Beach, California, will be held on Saturday, April 21st. This year's theme is "The Silence of Mary." Save the date and plan on joining us to hear Michael Dubruiel's witness: "A Vision of Faith-- a testimony of the power of The Gift of Faith
" and Rev. Arthur Gruszka's talk on the silence of Mary." All proceeds from the 2007 fundraiser will go directly toward our “Clergy & Religious support Fund” which helps us provide books for bishops and religious superiors to share with their priests, deacons, seminarians, religious sisters and brothers, as well as missionaries in the U.S. and worldwide.
Latin Mass Society Lauds Apostolic Exhortation
From Independent Catholic News:
In a statement the LMS particularly welcomed the Exhortation's call for 1) a re-emphasis on silent prayer, dignity and decorum in new rite celebrations 2) the reintroduction of Latin, particularly in international celebrations and in seminary training of new priests 3) the call for the laity to pray or sing the common prayers in Latin and for Gregorian Chant to be used wherever possible 4) the emphasis on a central or prominent position for the tabernacle which should not be obscured by the celebrant's chair 5) the renewed call for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic Adoration, including perpetual adoration. All these proposals are designed to reconnect the Church to its centuries-old liturgical tradition.
In a statement the LMS particularly welcomed the Exhortation's call for 1) a re-emphasis on silent prayer, dignity and decorum in new rite celebrations 2) the reintroduction of Latin, particularly in international celebrations and in seminary training of new priests 3) the call for the laity to pray or sing the common prayers in Latin and for Gregorian Chant to be used wherever possible 4) the emphasis on a central or prominent position for the tabernacle which should not be obscured by the celebrant's chair 5) the renewed call for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic Adoration, including perpetual adoration. All these proposals are designed to reconnect the Church to its centuries-old liturgical tradition.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary
From a homily by Pope John Paul II:Today we contemplate Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin, protector of the Incarnate Word, a man of daily work, steward of the great mystery of salvation.
It is precisely this last aspect which is given great emphasis in the biblical readings proclaimed a few moments ago, which explain to us how God involved St Joseph in the saving plan of the Incarnation. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). This is the incomparable gift of salvation; this is the work of Redemption.
Like Mary, Joseph also believed in the Lord’s word and came to share in it. Like Mary, he believed that this divine plan would be fulfilled through their willing co-operation. And this is what happened: the eternal Son of God became man in the Virgin Mother’s womb.
About Jesus — a newborn, then a boy, an adolescent, a young man, a mature adult — the eternal Father spoke the words of prophetic announcement which we heard in the first reading: “I will be his father, and he shall be my son” (cf. 2 Sm 7:14). In the eyes of those living in Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem, Joseph was Jesus’ father. And the carpenter of Nazareth realizes that in a way this is so. He knows it, because he believes in the fatherhood of God and is aware of being called, to a certain extent, to share in it (cf. Eph 3:14-15). And today the Church, in venerating St Joseph, praises his faith and total docility to the divine will.
On the occaision of the Episcopal ordination of Msgrs. James Harvey, Stanislaus Dziwisz and Piero Marini on March 19, 1998.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Open Book/Annunciations' Bestsellers List
Our Bestseller's List
What Books People who Read Amy's Open Book blog and Michael's Annunciation blog are buying this month.
March 2007 (3/18/07)
1. A Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life (Peter Kreeft)
2. The Roman Catholic Church: An Illustrated History
3. Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
4. Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It
5. Atticus: Novel, A
Last Month's Bestseller's
February 2007
1. The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
2. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
3. The Gift of Faith
4. The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
5. Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
Pope Benedict's Synopsis of His Apostolic Exhortation
In a neat paragraph:
“In the Eucharist God wanted to donate us His love, which pushed him to offer his life for us on the cross. In the last supper, by washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus left us his commandment of love: ‘As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13,34). But for this to be possible we must remain united in him as branches on a vine (Jn 15,1-8), just as He himself chose to remain with us in the Eucharist so that we con remain in Him. Thus when we eat of His body and drink of His blood in faith, His love passes to us and makes us capable in turn of giving our lives for our brothers. (Jn 3,16). This is where Christian joy, Christian love is born”.
From Today's Angelus.
“In the Eucharist God wanted to donate us His love, which pushed him to offer his life for us on the cross. In the last supper, by washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus left us his commandment of love: ‘As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13,34). But for this to be possible we must remain united in him as branches on a vine (Jn 15,1-8), just as He himself chose to remain with us in the Eucharist so that we con remain in Him. Thus when we eat of His body and drink of His blood in faith, His love passes to us and makes us capable in turn of giving our lives for our brothers. (Jn 3,16). This is where Christian joy, Christian love is born”.
From Today's Angelus.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Magister on the Apostolic Exhortation
A unique European view, highlighted by by headline:
“Sacramentum Caritatis”: Everyone to Mass on Sunday
A Christian cannot live without the Eucharist, Benedict XVI writes. In it, “the Lord truly becomes food for us, to satisfy our hunger for truth and freedom.”With the duty that stems from this, and in the political realm as well: to give “public witness to our faith”
“Sacramentum Caritatis”: Everyone to Mass on Sunday
A Christian cannot live without the Eucharist, Benedict XVI writes. In it, “the Lord truly becomes food for us, to satisfy our hunger for truth and freedom.”With the duty that stems from this, and in the political realm as well: to give “public witness to our faith”
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Sacrament of Charity (Part Two)
On Beauty in the Liturgy:
The beauty of the liturgy is part of this mystery; it is a sublime expression of God's glory and, in a certain sense, a glimpse of heaven on earth. The memorial of Jesus' redemptive sacrifice contains something of that beauty which Peter, James and John beheld when the Master, making his way to Jerusalem, was transfigured before their eyes (cf. Mk 9:2). Beauty, then, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God himself and his revelation. These considerations should make us realize the care which is needed, if the liturgical action is to reflect its innate splendour.
Not subject to the latest trends:
Since the eucharistic liturgy is essentially an actio Dei which draws us into Christ through the Holy Spirit, its basic structure is not something within our power to change, nor can it be held hostage by the latest trends. Here too Saint Paul's irrefutable statement applies: "no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:11).
Want active participation of the laity? Celebrate the rite faithfully! Amen:
The primary way to foster the participation of the People of God in the sacred rite is the proper celebration of the rite itself. The ars celebrandi is the best way to ensure their actuosa participatio. (114) The ars celebrandi is the fruit of faithful adherence to the liturgical norms in all their richness; indeed, for two thousand years this way of celebrating has sustained the faith life of all believers, called to take part in the celebration as the People of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-5, 9) (115).
Cathedral litugies, a model:
I would ask that every effort be made to ensure that the liturgies which the Bishop celebrates in his Cathedral are carried out with complete respect for the ars celebrandi, so that they can be considered an example for the entire Diocese (120).
The Power of the Rite vs. additions of whoever:
The eucharistic celebration is enhanced when priests and liturgical leaders are committed to making known the current liturgical texts and norms, making available the great riches found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of Readings for Mass. Perhaps we take it for granted that our ecclesial communities already know and appreciate these resources, but this is not always the case. These texts contain riches which have preserved and expressed the faith and experience of the People of God over its two-thousand-year history. Equally important for a correct ars celebrandi is an attentiveness to the various kinds of language that the liturgy employs: words and music, gestures and silence, movement, the liturgical colours of the vestments. By its very nature the liturgy operates on different levels of communication which enable it to engage the whole human person. The simplicity of its gestures and the sobriety of its orderly sequence of signs communicate and inspire more than any contrived and inappropriate additions. Attentiveness and fidelity to the specific structure of the rite express both a recognition of the nature of Eucharist as a gift and, on the part of the minister, a docile openness to receiving this ineffable gift.
Gregorian Chant:
Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).
The beauty of the liturgy is part of this mystery; it is a sublime expression of God's glory and, in a certain sense, a glimpse of heaven on earth. The memorial of Jesus' redemptive sacrifice contains something of that beauty which Peter, James and John beheld when the Master, making his way to Jerusalem, was transfigured before their eyes (cf. Mk 9:2). Beauty, then, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God himself and his revelation. These considerations should make us realize the care which is needed, if the liturgical action is to reflect its innate splendour.
Not subject to the latest trends:
Since the eucharistic liturgy is essentially an actio Dei which draws us into Christ through the Holy Spirit, its basic structure is not something within our power to change, nor can it be held hostage by the latest trends. Here too Saint Paul's irrefutable statement applies: "no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:11).
Want active participation of the laity? Celebrate the rite faithfully! Amen:
The primary way to foster the participation of the People of God in the sacred rite is the proper celebration of the rite itself. The ars celebrandi is the best way to ensure their actuosa participatio. (114) The ars celebrandi is the fruit of faithful adherence to the liturgical norms in all their richness; indeed, for two thousand years this way of celebrating has sustained the faith life of all believers, called to take part in the celebration as the People of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-5, 9) (115).
Cathedral litugies, a model:
I would ask that every effort be made to ensure that the liturgies which the Bishop celebrates in his Cathedral are carried out with complete respect for the ars celebrandi, so that they can be considered an example for the entire Diocese (120).
The Power of the Rite vs. additions of whoever:
The eucharistic celebration is enhanced when priests and liturgical leaders are committed to making known the current liturgical texts and norms, making available the great riches found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of Readings for Mass. Perhaps we take it for granted that our ecclesial communities already know and appreciate these resources, but this is not always the case. These texts contain riches which have preserved and expressed the faith and experience of the People of God over its two-thousand-year history. Equally important for a correct ars celebrandi is an attentiveness to the various kinds of language that the liturgy employs: words and music, gestures and silence, movement, the liturgical colours of the vestments. By its very nature the liturgy operates on different levels of communication which enable it to engage the whole human person. The simplicity of its gestures and the sobriety of its orderly sequence of signs communicate and inspire more than any contrived and inappropriate additions. Attentiveness and fidelity to the specific structure of the rite express both a recognition of the nature of Eucharist as a gift and, on the part of the minister, a docile openness to receiving this ineffable gift.
Gregorian Chant:
Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).
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