In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. ~ John 14:2a When I was a young parent (well not so young but let’s say a new parent) I scoured books searching for parenting tips and techniques. I can remember once reading something to the effect that “by now you should recognize your baby’s cry” and […]
It was a slow Saturday afternoon in the newsroom of the Washington Daily News. This was the fall of 1956, and the News, a Scripps Howard tabloid, published six days a week but not Sunday. When the last Saturday edition was off our hands, the rest of the day could be mighty quiet. A sub-editor […]
I admit there were times growing up when us kids rolled our eyes at the strange ways of Mom and Dad. The Old Coots (as they are sometimes known) could just be so out-of-step with the times. Granted, this was partly due to circumstances. My folks raised eight kids in the seventies, which were decidedly […]
I cut our dog this past weekend. I mean, I literally cut her! I was grooming her and intended to cut her hair but caught her skin instead, making a painful gash in her back leg. She yelped and jumped, whirling her head around and looking back at me in complete bewilderment. The tears came […]
Dear editor, I’m so sorry, but I didn’t write a column today. This must come as a shock to you as you are, on a weekly basis without fail, so accustomed to my promptness and professionalism—always amazing you with yet another award-winning piece delivered days before deadline. And believe me, I woke up today with […]
Public opinion about abortion in America can best be described as ambivalent: uncomfortable with unrestricted abortion, yet unwilling to ban it totally. Another word for public opinion on abortion is “stalemate.” It has not moved much over the years since Roe vs. Wade. One time it did move was when partial-birth abortion was being debated […]
“Love your enemies.” “Turn the other cheek.” (Mat 5:38-40). This sounds admirable to some, but preposterous to others. The 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche thought such talk promotes a society of weaklings. Karl Marx thought these words keep the oppressed under the thumbs of the capitalists. Does Jesus want us to be doormats, suckers who […]
If developments in Egypt have gone as well as one could hope for, future prospects remain unclear. The exciting part is over, now come the worries. Let’s start with three pieces of good news: Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s strongman who appeared on the brink of fomenting disaster, fortunately resigned. The Islamists, who would push Egypt in […]
Oops, somebody did it again! A friend’s page has been hacked, with links posted across dozens of their friends’ walls. What to do and how do they fix it? Stop the Hack So It Never Happens Think before you click. Even if it’s your best friend’s wall, DON’T click on a link if it promises you […]
We continue our examination of the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the Ecce Agnus Dei: After once again receiving the Lord’s blessing, The peace of the Lord be with you always, and responding, And with your spirit, the next change that we encounter takes place when the priest elevates the Host and Chalice and says: […]
In the final two installments of this series, we will focus our attention on the people’s parts in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, addressing each instance of change in the text as it comes. Suscipiat Dominus Shortly after the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharistic, we are encouraged to pray that our sacrifice may […]
We discover right out of the gate in the new translation that the Creed is a personal statement, Credo / I believe. Yes, we profess the faith of the Church in one voice with all of her members, but the Creed must be our own personal acceptance of that faith. And so we say, I […]
I had a good dose of reality the other night. I went to a Family Readiness Briefing with our oldest son, Matt. His brigade is being deployed soon and so the National Guard arranged a meeting to inform and support the soldiers and families as they prepare. As I looked around the auditorium, I saw […]
I miss her so much. My youngest child. My only girl. My ally in the house of hormones. Oh, of course I raised her to leave— prepared her for college so she could fly away and pursue her own education, see the world, meet new friends, develop her own life. And I love her school. […]
There has been increasingly more and more debate concerning the new document from the Vatican on the ordination of homosexual men to the priesthood. Since I am writing this before the release of the Vatican’s document on the subject, it not proper to assume what the Vatican will or will not do. This has not […]
I hope you’ve read Part I…if not please do before reading Part II. I mean, lest you think I start off all conversations telling you about my toned calves…. 😉 I don’t tire of hearing compliments on my toned legs. Maybe it’s karma or payback but without any deliberate effort on my behalf, I’ve got […]
I remember clearly the day I discovered I had the horrendous, incurable, life scarring disfigurement known as “being short”. The first day of first grade started smoothly—there I stood on the sidewalk outside my classroom for the requisite “First Day of School Photo Shoot”. I wore a smashing long, kelly green dress emblazoned with neon […]
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth, in the new translation becomes, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. This “new” wording represents a return to the Scriptural roots of the text (Luke 2:14) and the angels’ announcement of the Savior’s […]
The other day while I was at the YMCA, a group of mentally disabled adults and their caregivers joined us in the fitness room. It was obvious to me that this was a routine visit for them, because they knew exactly what to do. They found “their” machines, positioned themselves exactly right and waited patiently […]
Following the Introductory Rites, the next occurrence of change in the people’s parts of the Holy Mass occurs during the Penitential Rite, at the Confiteor, where three changes can be found. In the previous editions of the Missal we would say: I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I […]
If Charles Dickens blogged today, no one would read him. He used too many words. Boomers can have great ideas, but they have to relearn how to write if they want people to read them. Less is more. Long is never read. How can boomers with great ideas learn to sift for gold and shake out […]
NOTE: In order to make this examination of the changes in the people’s parts of Holy Mass easier to navigate, all of the text taken from the Missal will be in italics, while the newly translated text (where changes are found) will be in bold italics. During the Introductory Rites when the priest says The […]
The widespread misunderstanding of “active participation” in the sacred liturgy has undoubtedly been one of the most disruptive forces in Catholic life after Vatican II. It is no surprise, therefore, that this has often been the subject of recent papal instruction. In his 2007 apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI said, […]
Fully conscious and active participation. This is a phrase that has been invoked so often over the last four decades that it can almost be considered a mantra, and not without good reason. After all, it is according to the council the “aim to be considered before all else” in the matter of liturgical reform […]
