In the Book of Isaiah the prophet recounts his vision: He saw God, sitting before him on a “high and lofty throne”while the Seraphim stationed above cried out: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. All the earth is full of his glory.” Then at the sound of that cry “the frame of the […]
In a large urban parish which I attended some years ago I have noticed that the liturgical life seems to be shrinking in both action and attitude. The priests no longer hear confessions before Sunday Mass. On minor federal holidays the two regular daily Masses are reduced to only one mid-morning when most working people […]
This article is a reflection on how music has shaped my devotion to the Church. There will be links to my favorite music: liturgical, hymns and other. I’d be grateful if readers would note in comments their favorite music. I won’t say much about the psychology of music or how music affects the brain. A […]
A frequent refrain to those who love traditional liturgical piety is that our piety, while nice and beautiful, is no longer culturally relevant. They tell us it is near impossible to teach today’s generation with these bygone customs. One of the customs they believe this applies to most is the issue of saying Mass ad […]
From time to time in various debates about the liturgy, the principle of lex orandi lex credendi surfaces. While the Latin might be a little off putting, the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the concept as follows: When the Church celebrates the sacraments, she confesses the faith received from the apostles – whence the ancient […]
Catholics tend to have a love/hate relationship with the concept of a homily. In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis laments how everyone suffers when it comes to the homily. The priest suffers because he has to give it, and the laity suffers having to listen. This can be made worse by the fact that preachers can have […]
Liturgy is a lot like parenting. No. Liturgy IS parenting. Jesus Christ is the groom and His Church the bride. Together they have done a wonderful job of cosmically birthing a multitude of Christians. In an effort to raise their children to the heights of charitable virtue, they provided us with the rhythmic order of […]
“But this I have against you, that you have forgotten your first love.” (Apocalypse 2:3) When it is asked what the biggest problem in the Church is, people respond in a variety of ways. Various Catholics cite the loss of the sense of sin, loss of the dignity of the human person, the dictatorship of […]
In an interview by Edward Pentin of Zenit on July 25, 2013, Cardinal Raymond Burke was asked if the abuses of the liturgy that abounded after the Second Vatican Council affected the moral life of Catholics. “There’s no question in my mind,” he said, “that the abuses in the sacred liturgy, reduction of the liturgy […]
A Consecration Arms extended to heaven, he raises the chalice, The silver family heirloom, The one bequeathed to him by his priest uncle. Fingers cradle the priceless cup, The vessel that contains the Precious Blood. Pointed directly towards the heavenly throne The open mouth Of the chalice Of the priest Of the people gathered Readies […]
The end of November, 2011 saw the one-year anniversary of the “new” translation of the Ordinary Form of the Roman Liturgy. Like many others, I welcomed the new translation. When I began hearing some of its texts, I heard a more dignified, elevated language that spoke more directly to the heavenly Mysteries the Liturgy purports […]
It has been an entire year since the new changes in the English translation of the language used in the Sacred Liturgy which were introduced to the Church in America on the First Sunday of Advent in 2011. By most accounts it has been a success, but not without some criticism. One example was a […]
In the words of Billy Joel’s 1979 hit ballad, “Honesty,” “Honesty is such a lonely word; everyone is so untrue.” How much more true do those words ring today, some three decades later? To wit, I’d like to touch on three examples of rank dishonesty: one spiritual, one intellectual, and one liturgical. Spiritual Dishonesty In […]
For some time now, I have been reading The Priest In Union With Christ written by the late Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., described by some as “probably the 20th century’s greatest theologian” and “one of the Church’s all-time greatest authorities on the spiritual life.” Given the on-going attack on the nature of the priesthood, our […]
Did you know that our Holy Father wants you to have access to both forms of the Roman Rite Mass? Most Gen X and Gen Y Catholics only know one form of the Mass, but two forms are in use today: the Pauline (after Pope Paul VI) Usage or Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo or “Vatican Two […]
In college, I majored in American Literature but took acting classes because I enjoyed the immediacy of theater. On stage everything happens in the moment. On a recent Sunday I was celebrating Mass and began the ceremony with the sign of the cross and then extended my hands to deliver the greeting: Grace to you […]
Last Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the prayers we pray in the Mass started being used in the United States. Interestingly, the prayers on which the translation is based are not new. They are essentially the same official prayers of the Latin Rite which we have had for decades. Go to the […]
This year, Advent bears a unique treasure for Catholics, who have the rare opportunity to experience the Holy Mass with newly translated prayers. The revised Missal is aesthetically rich and spiritually dignified. Much like a compelling piece of art, the Mass can be enjoyed over and over again, but there is only one first encounter. […]
Celebrating Mass together is the most important activity we do in our lives, and yet it is the most misunderstood and under-appreciated. From the moment we wake up we have a list of things that fill our calendars and day planners, leaving the Mass barely surviving on Sunday mornings. When we finally get there, we […]
The experience of many Catholics at Mass reminds me of my cousin Stefano’s first time at an American football game. Coming from Italy, Stefano knew football very well—but his “football” is our soccer! So when he first visited the States, and our family took him to see the Chicago Bears, he failed to fully grasp […]
Bride and Bridegroom Beautiful changes have been made to the translation of the prayer that comes shortly before Holy Communion is distributed. Since Vatican II, the priest has said, “Happy are those who are called to His supper” as he held up the Eucharist. The new translation is more poetic and better fits the solemnity […]
“For all” to “for many” Of all the changes in the new translation, two small words used by the priest at the consecration are evoking the most questions. Those two words are “for many.” Currently, the priest refers to Jesus’ blood as having redemptive value “for all”: “This is the cup of My blood, the […]
From “We believe” to “I believe” Can a one-letter word really make a great difference? In the case of the revised translation of the Nicene Creed in the new Roman Missal, the answer is emphatically, “Yes!” Instead of starting the Creed by saying, “We believe in one God…” we will begin by saying, “I believe […]
In the prayer known as the Confiteor (which begins, “I confess to almighty God…”), the new translation cultivates a more humble, sorrowful attitude toward God as we confess our sins and accept responsibility for our wrongdoings. Instead of simply saying, “I have sinned through my own fault,” as was done in the old translation, we […]
