NICE!

Philothea

Just started Philothea aka Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. Its been sitting on my shelf for a year and I never looked at it. Shame on me! What a great book for the new Catholic. Its almost like a catechism on Catholic life so far. Spiritual direction in book form.

I wish I had a spiritual director but I wouldn't even know where to begin looking. We're getting 2 new priests for my parish soon but it seems they are pretty newly ordained. Everyone I've heard mention it agrees that experienced priests are the best ones. And even then the picking is slim. Some feel comfortable doing it and others don't.

I once asked my (former) Pastor about lay people being spiritual directors and if I can loosely quote him he said, "Its not the same thing." I think he's right. How could it be?

For now I rely on the saints.

Clean Up Time

Did you know I have a blog roll? Yup, just like everyone else!

I removed some links to dead blogs today on my sidebar. Most notable is the removal of "The Cafeteria is Closed" because he (frankly) opened the Cafeteria declared a food fight and then shut it down. I'd stopped reading it a long time ago not because of his views but because every other post was about someone else being naughty. There is only so much of that you can take.

I left the Spirit of Vatican II Faith Community even though the parody is over because its a fun read. Someone who hasn't seen it yet may get a kick out of it. (Jeff, if you are reading this, whats next?)

For this cause...

Ephesians 3:14
14 For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,


Daniel 6:10
10 Now when Daniel knew this, that is to say, that the law was made, he went into his house: and opening the windows in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day, and adored, and gave thanks before his God, as he had been accustomed to do before.


Romans 14:11
11 For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.


Philipians 2:10
10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth

Responsorial Psalm: Akward?

Ok so I've been going to the Daily Mass now since Tuesday and there is something I want to comment on. This really isn't related to this particular parish but the Ordinary Form in general. Being an Extra-Ordinary Catholic (heh heh...) there are few things about the Ordinary form that feel just a little out of place to me and so here goes...

I am mainly referring to the Responsorial Psalm. Sometimes the response is akward and to be honest, out of place. For example: Today's was a longer one: "Let my tongue be silenced if I even forget you!" It has an exclamation sign but we all said it in this strange drone kind of way. People only feel comfortable if they know what they are saying.

Personally, and since I pray the Divine Office, I find that the Psalms have their own rhythm without the re-occuring speed bump after every 3 or 4 lines. Its disconcerting. The Psalm used today is one of the most famous. (Super Flumina. Its beautiful, just read the whole thing below, in both languages.) It tells a narrative and I feel odd messing with it. (The new Liturgy of the Hours cuts the end because it may offend some people. ... )

DRBO of today's Psalm: I've highlighted the "Let my tongue" part, in the traditional form.

1 Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion: 2 On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments. 3 For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion. 4 How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? 5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.

6 Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee:[!] If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy. 7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem: Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. 8 O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us. 9 Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.

Now here is the Vulgate from the Psalter. If you speak it out loud you will notice a rhythm written in for the Latin.

1 Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus cum recordaremur Sion 2 in salicibus in medio eius suspendimus organa nostra 3 quia illic interrogaverunt nos qui captivos duxerunt nos verba cantionum et qui abduxerunt nos hymnum cantate nobis de canticis Sion 4 quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena 5 si oblitus fuero tui Hierusalem oblivioni detur dextera mea

6 adhereat lingua mea [adhere my tongue] faucibus meis si non meminero tui si non praeposuero Hierusalem in principio laetitiae meae 7 memor esto Domine filiorum Edom diem Hierusalem qui dicunt exinanite exinanite usque ad fundamentum in ea 8 filia Babylonis misera beatus qui retribuet tibi retributionem tuam quam retribuisti nobis 9 beatus qui tenebit et adlidet parvulos tuos ad petram

Then there is the problem, if you miss what you have to say then yer out of luck until you find it in the missalette. By then its over anyway, so just put it down and move on. I suppose this is active participation?

By the way, I am loving the daily mass. This is a minor issue for me. I think in general it woule be better for the entire congregation to read the Gradual out loud, in unison, in its place. Just an idea.

Hey Humbleline...

Someone who called themselves "Humbleline" left me a note and asked me not to publish it a few weeks ago. I'm just getting to mentioning it now. But if you are that person, I cannot respond because you left me no means to do. You can comment on this post or send a note to my email.

Bonus at Mass this morning.

Ok, so it wasn’t OUR Bishop this morning but the priest’s personal bishop…from India.  Still it was really nice to have Mass with a bishop.  There were probably 50% more people there, including some nuns.  They are the Caphuchin Sister’s of Nazareth.  Fr. Finelli (iPadre of SQPN fame) features them on his Video and Audio podcasts from time to time. 

 

I love nuns.  I don’t know any very well but I love being around them.  I counted 7 in total.  Radiant even when not smiling, their beauty captivates even the coldest of hearts.  Personally, I think among nuns some of the most beautiful women in the world exist.  If you’ve ever been around a joyous happy nun then you know what I’m talking about.  I wasn’t able to go but after mass they invited the congregation back to their convent for a tour.  Wish I could have gone!  It was an extra surprise to see them at mass.  Yet another grace perhaps?

Signpost along the way

Today is the 1 Class Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.  In the new calendar we call it merely a solemnity.  Same feast new name.  To mark the occasion I went, for the first time since becoming Catholic, to my local parish for a daily mass.  It marks a big step for me since I pretty much avoided doing this until now.  In a small town people “talk” and regardless of what they might say good or bad, (hopefully not bad!)  I’d just rather have them not say anything at all.  You all get the drift. 

 

But I have really been feeling the call to attend the daily.  Every morning I have for several weeks I’ve been waking up and thinking “you could make it” or “you could have gone today”.  I figured the feast was a good excuse as any to push myself out the door.

 

Anyway so I went and arrived at 8:01am  and they were already at the Confiteor.  It never fails to amuse me how quick the Liturgy of the Word goes in the new mass.  Without the prayers at the foot of the altar you can be five minutes late and have missed enough of mass so that it won’t count to fulfill your Sunday obligation.  But I digress…

 

It was a really great experience and I will be going back.  I counted 20 people including the priest.  After mass he mentioned he was meeting with the Bishop today and had invited him to say mass tomorrow morning because he loved us.  What a nice thing or a priest to say.  So I’m definitely going to back tomorrow because the Bishop agreed to say the daily mass.  What a treat to attend such an intimate mass with your Bishop eh?  I knew I would be rewarded in some fashion for taking the step to go to the daily.  It appears this is a nice welcome gift.

 

But this also marks another new step for me.  About a month or two ago now I was moved to begin volunteering at the adoration chapel.  I also received word this week that my organ work may be receiving a substantial boost.  Now this.  Daily mass of all things.  Pray that I keep it up.  But I have to wonder, what’s next?

 

 

Catholic Beat Down

A friend of mine at the parish brought in a debate on his computer for us to sample on Sunday. Wow. It was kind of like watching someone like Mike Tyson beat up an old lady on the street. The debate was Vin Lewis vs. James White. I went to Vin Lewis’ website www.allroadsministry.com and there is a free one available online to listen to. I have to say though that his technique, in my opinion, oversteps the bounds Christian charity. But his information appears solid from what I have looked at (except maybe his “Nulla Salus extra ecclesia” stuff – I haven’t looked at that yet) If you just want to hear someone berate James White because you are mad at him for some other debate he put out on his website, this is the one for you.

In the debate he calls James White a coward. Entertaining but not so charitable. If you can handle it have a listen…

A story from This Rock magazine.

My Old Church...closed?

Today I passed by my old Presbyterian Church. I do every week as I travel to a standing appointment with a client. This week was different though. As I made the turn at the corner the church sign read “THANK YOU!”. A Real Estate sign, though very small, planted on the corner. I knew there was talk of it closing. It must have happened.

This Church is a mainstay of the town. One of several in fact. In a small town like mine, a beautiful “town church” like this one is something of a landmark you can’t miss. Now it will be empty. Growing up in the public school arena even as recent as the 80s “What is your denomination” was not a rarely heard question, student to student. Methodists, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal. It gave us an identity if for nothing else attached us to our parents. “We go to the Presbyterian Church” or “I’m Presbyterian” was my call. In elementary school I had little understanding of what that meant. Oh I knew some things, like the Methodists always had donuts after their services and were almost identical to us. I knew the Catholics prayed to Mary and they were wrong. I knew the Episcopals were almost Catholic but weren’t. I had this funny idea that the Baptist Church was empty because I knew a sum total of zero people who attended it my age.

That is all in the past now. Today I doubt that many kids gets asked by their peers “What denomination are you?” Our culture of identifying with your faith is slowly being eroded. It’s a shame really. Most of the kids in my parish however can recite to you’re the Baltimore Catechism entirely by the time they are confirmed. The identity is strong. But that is probably an aberration.

As I reflect on the closing of the Church that I grew up in it makes me sad to realize than in just a short period of 10 years a congregation can go from being stable, hundred years or more old, and growing community to, well, dead. Growing up I remember our Sunday school classes were filled, Bible studies for the adults throughout the week. Our Youth Group was something we all looked forward to joining. Once I did it became one of the best things I did with my week. My NIV proves it. Most of the New Testament is out of place because whole chunks of it have fallen out. So what happened?

I don't want to talk here about the future of the mainline protestant communities. Although many of those current issues are germane reason for this individual congregation dying out.

Liberalism, Disagreement, and Identity. The beginning of the demise of the congregation begins with liberalism being imposed on it. Many years ago our pastor left. Selecting the new one took time so the Presbyteriate sent us a new one. A woman. That one single act sucked the life breath out of the whole place. Do you know who left? The big families with small children. That is a sure way to kill a congregation. As I've said here previously, they went and formed their own church across the river, which is now moving to a larger building. I also recently heard that some people left because the new pastor, once selected and a man, told the people who adhered to the Presbyterian confession. More people left. Once being a Presbyterian no longer matters then its only a matter of time before nobody cares to be one at all. Kaput.

As for the recent history of why it finally closed its doors I am unawares. But the signs were clear back then. Nevertheless, I’m kind of sad my old place is either ending or has ended. It did me a great service. The people there taught me to love God and I really believe if I had grown up Catholic I would not be one today. There was real grace operating in that church, at least in my case anyway.

I pray it does not become a bank. Please God, do not let it become a bank. A recent Byzantine Catholic parish in my area closed and it is becoming an unholy bank. This only lets the money-lenders back into the temple so to speak.