This means that at Sts Joachim & Ann Church, there will be no Masses with a congregation.  I will still say a Mass each day, but privately.  The church can still be open for private prayer, as long as we observe the health regulations.  I will have the church open during the regular Mass times, with the Blessed Sacrament exposed, for those who wish to pray privately.

Now that we are not able to receive our Lord in Holy Communion, we can still make a spiritual communion by expressing in your heart to Jesus your desire to receive Him and your love for Him.  Adore Him, repent of your sins, thank Him for his great love and mercy, lift up to Him your urgent petitions for yourself and others.

But let us not forget that there is a kind of presence of Jesus in the Holy Scriptures.  Now especially the time to find Jesus in the Bible.  Open your mind to the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Read slowly and intensely a short passage from the Bible, such as a story from the Gospels, or one of the Psalms.  Ponder what you read.  Listen to what the Holy Spirit may be whispering.   Speak to God what arises in your heart.  Rest with the Lord.

Check out our new parish website at aldergrovecatholic.com .      There we will keep you up to date.  I hope to post daily here and at the parish website.

Let us pray for one another that we grow in our love of God and of each other.

Fr Lawrence

Today we celebrate the day when the wise men of the East seek the Child. Today they are an example for us when we come into the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We noticed that found the one whom they were seeking, they were filled with joy, and prostrated themselves before him and gave him homage. What does that mean? In the Holy Scriptures, people would prostrate themselves upon entering God’s presence. The wise men, by this gesture, recognize Jesus as God.  Not content with this gesture of adoration, they give him gifts that reveal the true identity of this child.

The gold reveals that this child is a King, since only the rich people, like kings and rulers could afford this gold. The wise men were looking for the King of the Jews, and yet they found the King of the universe.

The incense reveals that this child is divine, which means that he is God. In the ancient world, incense was burned as an offering in the worship of a god.

The last gift, myrrh, was a special spice that was used in medicines and ointments. It could also be added to the wine and taken as a drink. Thirty-three years later, we read that Jesus would also be offered myrrh mixed with wine while hanging on the cross. Myrrh would also be used to prepare his body before placing it in the grave. This gift refers to the fact that Jesus would be the Saviour of the world with his death and burial and his resurrection from the dead.

These gifts do not only reveal things about Jesus. They also help us see how we can imitate these wise men by giving gifts to Jesus. In fact, we can give more precious gifts than gold, frankincense and myrrh. The greater gifts that God really wants are the spiritual gifts that we can offer.   Gold, incense and myrrh are symbols of how we can offer ourselves to God.

In the Bible, gold can symbolize wisdom. How can I give wisdom to God? He is the source of wisdom. However, when we obey the Lord’s commands, we are wise. We know that the ways of the Lord lead to true fulfillment, happiness and eternal life. Our obedience to the Lord is like gold in his sight.

The prayer in the Bible is symbolized by the smoke of incense that burns and rises to the Lord. We read in the Psalms, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you.” The Lord wants to be with us when we raise our hearts and minds to him in prayer. In prayer, this conversation with God where God speaks to us first in the Holy Scriptures and we meditate on his Word and respond to him, we offer him a gift of our mind and heart.

We remember that the myrrh symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, where he poured out his life for us. When we sacrifice ourselves, our time, our energies, our resources for the good of others, like Jesus, we offer God the gift of our life. Saint Paul writes: “…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Therefore, today we imitate the wise men in the Bible, kneeling before Jesus truly present under the appearances of bread and wine. We can add to this adoration, the spiritual gifts of our heart: golden obedience to his commandments, the fragrance of sincere prayer, and our sacrificial offering of a life lived for God and the good of our neighbour.

Here is the Gospel pericope:  As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to Jesus, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:17-30 NRSV)

]]> https://didobonaparte.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/jesus-calls-us-to-be-disciples/feed/ 0 didobonaparte Calling_of_the_Apostles_Peter_and_Andrew donnelly@rcav.org (Fr Lawrence A. Donnelly)noFor a homily on becoming a disciple of Jesus, click on the image.Fr Lawrence A. DonnellyFor a homily on becoming a disciple of Jesus, click on the image.Roman,Catholic,Saint,Jude,Radio,Free,Saint,Jude,Lawrence,Donnelly,Homily,Mass,Chant,Gospel,Christ https://didobonaparte.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/what-are-you-looking-for/ https://didobonaparte.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/what-are-you-looking-for/#respond Mon, 19 Jan 2015 20:14:05 +0000 http://didobonaparte.wordpress.com/?p=1566 For a homily oJesus asks two potential disciples what they are looking for.  They give a strange answer.  To find out what this has to do with you, click on the image for a homily.

“He descended into hell.”

The first meaning of this phrase from the Apostles’ Creed affirms that Jesus, like all men, truly died and his soul joined the souls of the just souls in the realm of the dead.  However, Christ descended there as the Saviour, freeing the spirits imprisoned there.  Holy Scripture tells us:  “… He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison…” (1 Peter 3.18-19).   On Holy Saturday morning, we commemorate Christ’s descent into “hell”.  This “hell” is not the hell of the damned, but the state called “Abraham’s bosom” in Scripture (Luke 16.22-26), where the souls of the just, while deprived of the vision of God, awaited to be freed so as to enter in Heaven.

In her liturgy, the Church gives us the service of Tenebrae on Holy Saturday morning, in which, like the two Mary’s, we keep watch at the tomb, lamenting the death of our Lord, who suffered so much for our sins.  But unlike those holy women at that time, we also commemorate Christ’s descent among the dead who frees the just from the chains of their “hell” so that they may enter into the glory of heaven.  As we sing the words of the tenebrae service, we enter alternately into the lamentation of the holy women, and the mind of Christ descending and raising up the just souls who awaited their liberation. (Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶¶ 632-635).

Click on the image above to listen to a recording of Tenebrae sung at St Jude’s Church, Vancouver, 2014.

In the talk, Kyle will refer to the illustration below of the “Three Stages” of the Message.The Basic Four Point Gospel Message

God so loved the world, he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3.16

1. God created you for a relationship with Him

2. Our relationship is broken through sin

 3. Jesus restores our relationship

 4. We need to respond to his invitation for repentance and relationship

Here follows some further teaching on giving a testimony of faith.  Click on the title to open a separate window.

Testimony Training

For most of us, our story begins with our parents’ faith at our Baptism. In a variety of ways, we chose this faith for ourselves as an adult or at an age of reason. It is important for Christians to be able to articulate how they have come to accept Jesus as saviour.

If we are not convinced of our NEED for Christ, how will we be able to effectively convey this truth and present this Person to others? To be effective in our evangelization, we should be able to articulate our conversion story: “What happened to me? How and when did I have a conversion? What has changed? How did I come to know God’s love and forgiveness in my life?”

Being able to give clear testimony to your faith and to glorify God’s saving action in your life is very important for every Catholic who wants to share his faith. However, some people struggle to find their exact conversion moment. Receiving training in how to give a testimony can be very helpful.

Why a Testimony?

Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.            1Peter 3:15-16

 God wants to use you as an instrument of salvation in another person’s life. The best tool you have is the story of your own experience! Here are some of the reasons why this tool is so effective:

• It is the Good News presented in terms of your own experience. It is the “subjective” or “experiential” side of the Gospel as opposed to the objective truths of the Gospel message (which are also essential!);

• It is the truth of a changed life that no one can deny because it happened to you.  No one can argue with your experience;

• It is non-confrontational. When you share your personal story with someone, it does not appear that you are trying to convince them of anything. People are touched because you are opening your life to them;

• It makes the facts of salvation, the reality of God’s Kingdom, concrete, real, specific and personal. It puts flesh and bones on the truths of salvation.

Identifying Conversion

Conversion happens in many ways. Someone might truly understand Jesus as Saviour at their initial conversion, but this understanding can also be gained through prayer, the confessional, Mass, hearing a talk, a faith-sharing group or growing up in a faithful family. Somehow, in these situations the individual has a meaningful encounter with the forgiveness, mercy and love of Jesus. Generally, there are three types of faith journeys/testimonies:

1) Definite Adult Conversion Moment. Many people can identify a definitive moment when they acknowledged Jesus as their Redeemer. They have a personal encounter with God and his truth at a very specific time and place (for example, on a retreat, praying to put Jesus at the centre of their life, etc.). There is often a “Paul” connected with their experience who assisted in reconciling them with the Father.

2) Season of Adult Conversion. Some people have a general idea of when things began to change, but they are not sure when they gave God permission to have Lordship in their lives. This may be a fair assessment of how they became a disciple. However, sometimes with more reflection, they can find a decision moment. It is very liberating for them when they do! Is it necessary to dig endlessly for a conversion moment? Of course not!  What is important is that the person can say, “I see that during this period of my life I received the love and forgiveness of Christ and chose to follow him as a disciple.”

3) Faithful One’s Whole Life. Some people have sought to put their trust in God and follow Jesus throughout their entire life. Instead of having a dramatic adult conversion, their story is one of faithfulness to God with many “yes’s” over the years. They have lived daily in the graces of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation – as should be the ordinary faith journey for all Catholics. This is a beautiful testimony of God’s grace, empowering them to habitually avoid and repent of sin, and reminding them of Jesus’ saving action in their lives.

It can be challenging to help people develop their testimony. Often the moment or season of conversion is not clearly defined in a person’s mind. He/she sees how life is different before and after conversion, but when this change occurred is not so clear.

Our challenge is to help illuminate the conversion process. There are two aspects we can help people to identify:

• Their personal decision to open their heart to Jesus or,

• If they have remained faithful to God since childhood, how has Jesus’ death and resurrection been personally understood or experienced?

The following story illustrates both scenarios:

A CCO staff member describes helping a student identify the moment of his adult faith decision.

I was working with a student on his testimony. He spent much of his energy trying to convince me that he always believed in Jesus and practiced his faith. That was fine, but pretty vague. I wanted to hear more. He wanted me to understand that he did not have a dramatic conversion. It was more of a gradual awareness and intimacy with Jesus. He tried to explain how there was not a moment he could identify but a whole lot of experiences, one of which was a weekend retreat he went on that had a particular impact on his faith. Seeing an opening, I asked him what it was that specifically affected him on that weekend. Frustrated with my line of questioning, he emphasized that it was not a moment or realization but that it was more simply a process of opening up his heart to Jesus. That sounded good but I wanted to know what moved him to open his heart. His patience with me was running thin. He repeated that it was not a moment, but the whole weekend that had affected him. I recognized that he had lived an authentic life-changing experience on this weekend but, like him, I was confused as to how the conversion came about. 

 After more probing questions, his story began to unfold. He explained how he went to the retreat feeling very distant from God, yet desiring to be closer to him. These words caught my attention, as I noticed that there had been a struggle of faith and that he was crying out. When I asked more about this, he started to see more clearly how things began to change for him. He recalled one of the retreat leaders explaining to him that Jesus would have died even if he were the only person in the world. He said that he had been moved to tears. It was at this point that he realized, probably for the first time in his life, that Jesus knows and is concerned with him personally. It was soon after this talk that the retreat participants were invited to give their hearts to Jesus.  He was the first to go forward.  

 None of the digging to find this moment was intended to deny the journey of faith this young man had lived. All of his life’s experiences were leading him to faith. However, it was very important for him to identify that he had in fact made an adult decision to make his faith his own. He was so excited that he had concretely encountered Jesus’ love and forgiveness, and chosen to follow him. With great joy and enthusiasm, he left that meeting telling everyone about his conversion moment, because now he recognized it.

We want every person to grasp that he/she is desperately in need of a Saviour. You may find that some Catholics are not able to articulate their conversion convincingly (or at all). In order to be effective witnesses to the Gospel, it is important for Christians to be able to answer: “How have I experienced Jesus as the one who saved me from sin, death and separation from God?”. As leaders, we can play a role in helping our faith study participants articulate their conversions in a way that is effective and relatable.

 Step 1: Unveiling 

The first step is to help participants unveil their faith journey. You can do this in two ways:

• Interview: You can take notes while you ask the participant questions about their lives, noting themes and key moments, and relaying it to them.

• Journaling: You can give them time to read the questions and they can spend time alone journaling their answers.

A testimony should include the following three aspects:

• What did your life look like prior to knowing Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour? (The Before)

• What was the turning point? How did you make the decision to live for Jesus? (The Central Turning-Point)

• How has your life changed since you have invited Jesus to be at the centre of your life? Since you have recognized Him as your Saviour? (The Now)

Here are some helpful questions you can ask during this important step:

The Before:

• Where were you spiritually before committing your life to Christ, and how did that affect you – your feelings, attitudes, actions, and relationships?

• What caused you to begin considering God/Christ as a solution to your needs?

The Central Turning-Point:

• Who was the “Paul” in your life? Where there several “Pauls”?

• What was it about this “Paul” and what they communicated to you that brought you to a clearer understanding of Jesus?

• At what time(s) of your life did you really understand that Jesus died on the cross for you, to save you from your sin and weaknesses?

• Did you ever make a decision to put Jesus at the centre of your life?

The Now:

• From what has Jesus rescued you?

• How is your relationship with Jesus different now?

• How did your life begin to change after you trusted Christ?

• What other benefits have you experienced since placing Jesus at the centre of your life?

NOTE: During the Interview or after they are done journaling, it is important to ask many clarifying questions to help them realize clearly how they came to be in a relationship with God. This is especially important for the Turning Point section; typically people don’t recognize they have one (yet many do), or they gloss over it.  For example: “I went on a retreat and now I just want to tell everyone about Jesus!”  You need to be asking: “What happened on the retreat? When? Where were you? What were you thinking/ feeling? What did you feel God was telling you? How did you respond? How did you feel after?” You will need to do this sort of digging away to get to the treasure below. God will be glorified when we expose the great miracle that was done in this person’s heart!

This step will help unveil any themes surrounding their stories and create an outline for their testimony.

Step 2: Writing a draft 

Now that the participant has a basic outline for their testimony, they can start writing it out.  We don’t need to worry about length at this point (we will refine it in step 3). The goal is to get a testimony with a beginning, middle, and end written out.

Just hand them your notes about their story and give them a few days to write something out using these guidelines:

The Before:

• Give some background (your family, education, etc) when appropriate.

• Don’t overemphasize the bad things that happened. This can be distracting and can glorify sin.

• Don’t generalize. Be specific when focusing in on important events or aspects.

• Own up to your mistakes. Our words should not blame anyone else.

• Leave out incriminating names and/or details.

The Central Turning-Point:

• Keep it simple, clear, and repeatable. Give specific details of what happened so that someone would have a model to follow in committing their life to Christ.

• Be specific.

• Concentrate on Christ, not on yourself. The key is what God did and your response.

• If conversion happened over a period of time, share the content of what you realized and asked for as you began to open your life to Christ’s forgiveness and leadership.

• For Example: “I can’t pinpoint an exact moment over the course of the year where something specific happened to me, but I can tell you right now the result of it is that I know God loves me! I know that Jesus died on the cross for me! I feel Him close to me every day and I know He has given me forgiveness and hope!”

The Now:

• Was there one key Scripture verse that had an impact on you? Share it. If not, do not force it.

• Give concrete differences in your life. Share benefits of having a new (or deeper) relationship with Christ (e.g. new outlook on life, forgiveness, freedom from fear, anger, etc.).

• Do not give the impression that everything is now 100%, but instead share how Christ helps you in your struggles (e.g. “I still get afraid, but the difference is now I know I am not alone.”).

• Invite/challenge them to look at giving Jesus a chance. End with a question or statement that requires a response.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

When the participant brings you back their first draft, it will most likely be too long. A 3-minute testimony is approximately one single spaced, typed, page. Sit down with them (or do so via email if necessary) and help them see what can be taken out. Often, in the first draft, there are many details that are unnecessary or unrelatable.

Here are some other tips to help you refine testimonies:

• Help the participant know how to communicate sensitive/personal aspects of their story in a discreet yet real way.  For example: sexual immorality – I was caught up in unhealthy and impure relationships; or suicidal – I had gotten so low that I didn’t see why I should go on living.

• Using people’s names in testimony can make new people feel more like an outsider; use more generic terms. Example: “A friend invited me to be in a Discovery faith study”, not “Frank invited me to…”

This step might take more than one try. Keep refining until you have a finished 3-minute testimony that is relatable and transferable.

I have some concerns about the document on Liturgy Guidelines. Aside from the formatting issues and the footnote numbers without any references, the comment about not using drums and tamborines during Lent implies that the rest of the year it is appropriate to use drums at Mass. Yet the use of drums sets and bongos is not appropriate at Mass since it is not in harmony with the Church’s teaching on sacred music. Although some may argue that there is no specific prohibition of drums, this does not imply that they are ought to be used. The Church has not specially prohibited the use of kazoos or balloons or toy pianos, yet these things are not to be used in Church.

In her official pronouncements on sacred music the Church has been the clear about what is the proper music for the liturgy, and what kind of music should not be used. The Church lays down three principles: 1) sanctity; 2)goodness of form; and 3)universality. The respecting of these principles has always been behind the making of good liturgical music. It was Pope Saint Pius X who explicitly taught these three principles for music in the liturgy and raised them to a “quasi canonical” status. He does so in his motu propio Tra le sollectitudini (November 22, 1903). In paragraph 2 he stated that “… Sacred music should possess, in the highest degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality.”

For sanctity, the music must evoke a certain holiness or sense of the sacred and so exclude any association in the minds of the listeners with secular forms and styles, not only in the music itself, but also in how it is performed.

Goodness of form means that it must be true art, “…for otherwise it will be impossible for it to exercise on the minds of those who listen to it that efficacy which the Church aims at obtaining in admitting into her liturgy the art of musical sounds.”

The principle of universality is observed when, even in different cultural and new forms of music, the musical offerings are “… subordinated in such a manner to the general characteristics of sacred music that nobody of any nation may receive an impression other than good on hearing them.” (Tra le sollectitudini n.2).
These three principles were referred to and upheld in chapter six of the constitution Sacrosanctum concillium from Vatican II, Musicam sacram (Congregation for Divine Worship, 1967), and restated explicitly in the monograph of Blessed John Paul II commemorating the centenary of Pope Saint Pius’s X Motu proprio Tra le sollectitudini (L’Osservatore Romano, January 28, 2004).

If we take these three principles and apply them to the use of drums, we will see whether they belong at Mass. In regards to sanctity, the issue is that drum sets and bongo drums are associated not with the sacred but with dance bands and entertainment. In a musical ensemble they provide the driving rhythm for dancing and physical movement and they appeal to the lower sensibilities. However, the liturgy and its music are meant to raise us to a higher level of sensibility. Rather than helping us center our thoughts and prayers on the heavenly realities we a celebrating in the Mass, the driving rhythm and sound of drums takes our thoughts “where you do not wish to go” (Jn 21.18), that is, to more secular venues.

The usual musical pieces performed at Mass in which drum sets and bongos are used do not possess sufficiently the quality of goodness of form. The melodic motifs and harmonic progressions of these pieces are mainly drawn from the musical formulae of pop and commercial music. They fall into the category which Pope Benedict would call “utility music” — easy to grasp and repeat, but neither memorable and nor worthy of serious study, unlike the pieces from the Church’s heritage of sacred music.

Drum sets and bongos at Mass also lack the quality of universality. There are many people, musicians and non-musicians, to whom this music would leave a bad impression. The assumption that everyone appreciates drums at Mass is not true. This style of music at Mass may appeal to a certain demographic but is annoying to others for good reason. It does lack universality.

Many may object to the use of drums sets and bongos at Mass on the basis of personal taste. However, those who appreciate the Church’s heritage of sacred music and who know the principles of sacred music have objective criteria upon which to base their objections.

In the intimate relationship of music and liturgy, Gregorian chant was proposed as a model by St. Pius X; to this end in his important motu proprio, there is a specific rule: “the more closely a Church composition approaches Gregorian Chant in movement, inspiration, and feeling, the more holy and liturgical it becomes; and the more it deviates from this supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple.” Tra le sollecitudini, ¶3. Drums sets and bongos are at the extreme “less worthy” end of the spectrum of appropriateness in Church.

For an example of an excellent liturgical diocesan document that offers solid teaching on music at Mass and useful guidelines for musicians and priests, click here for the pastoral letter of Archbishop Sample, penned when he was the bishop of Marquette. Now he is the current Archbishop of Portland.fff

Click on the image for a homily on what it means to become a follower of Jesus.

The Christian’s view of the meaning of life is can be boiled down to three points:
1) to believe in God as the greatest good to whom it is worth giving my life, and so therefore I should
2)glorify Him by doing his will as Christ came to teach and once my time on this earth has come to an end
3)to be happy with God in heaven for eternity.

In one sentence, I think that pretty well sums up the life of a Christian. Obviously there is lots more to say, especially centred around Jesus Christ as the Way the Truth and the Life, but everything about Jesus is about being brought to the Father, and coming to Father is coming to real life.

Coming up with a clear view of the world’s meaning of life is more complicated, as there is no one who can speak for the world. Here is my stab at expressing a worldly view of the meaning of life boiled down to three points:
1) I don’t know ultimately where I are going,
2) I don’t know what happens when my time on this earth has come to an end, so I should try to be as happy as I can until I die,
3) and anything or anyone in whom I put trust can let me down.

The contrast between these two views is striking. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who reads this to share their observations on the Christian and worldly views on the meaning of life, or their own version of these two views.

That They May All Be One
Click on the link above for a recording of a homily on 1 Corinthians 12.12-30 from Sunday III Per annum, Year C.

Spent my first night in the Birmingham Oratory. Here is a photo of the refectory. My spot is below the crucifix to the right. I enjoyed my first formal dinner. Sounds fancy, but it is very humble. We stand before our places, recite the angelus and the meal’s blessing in Latin. During the meal there is one of the Oratorians read from a pulpit in a corner of the room (I will eventually include a photo) while one of the Oratorians waits on the tables. Aside from the reading, all is in silence. At the end of the meal (simple), we stand again in front of our place and recite the thanksgiving in Latin, then we retire to the common room for coffee and a chat together seated on plain chairs around a round table in the centre of the room. In this room, there is the original painting of probably the most familiar image of Blessed Newman as well as probably the most flattering sketch of JHN. I am feeling all very new in my new surroundings. I look forward to the time when I will feel very at home. The community is very welcoming, so I suspect it won’t be long.

The Sacrifices of Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek

The Anamnesis

The Mystery of Faith

In this homily, I address the what, how and why of Our Lord’s command to his Apostles: Do this in memory of me. Click on the link.

A Memorial Where Past and Present Meet

What Was He Thinking: Mass as Sacrifice

Musical Guidelines for School Masses

Liturgy of the Word: Old Testament – Psalm – Epistle

Homily on the Liturgy of the Word

After the celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday until the Easter Vigil, time seems to stand still.  The Paschal Fast, which begins with Good Friday and continues on Holy Saturday until the Vigil helps us enter into this “between time” of waiting for the Lord’s Resurrection.  Yet this “between time”  is full of meaning.  We read in the Gospel of Luke how, after Jesus was laid in the tomb and a great stone was rolled against the entrance to the tomb, and everyone went away, while Mary Magdelene and the other Mary were left sitting opposite the tomb as if keeping watch (Matthew 27.61).  Little did they know something wonderfully  mysterious was taking place.

“He descended into hell.”

The first meaning of this phrase from the Apostles’ Creed affirms that Jesus, like all men, truly died and his soul joined the souls of the just souls in the realm of the dead.  However, Christ descended there as the Saviour, freeing the spirits imprisoned there.  Holy Scripture tells us:  “… He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison…” (1 Peter 3.18-19).   On Holy Saturday morning, we commemorate Christ’s descent into “hell”.  This “hell” is not the hell of the damned, but the state called “Abraham’s bosom” in Scripture (Luke 16.22-26), where the souls of the just, while deprived of the vision of God, awaited to be freed so as to enter in Heaven.

In her liturgy, the Church gives us the service of Tenebrae on Holy Saturday morning, in which, like the two Mary’s, we keep watch at the tomb, lamenting the death of our Lord, who suffered so much for our sins.  But unlike those holy women at that time, we also commemorate Christ’s descent among the dead who frees the just from the chains of their “hell” so that they may enter into the glory of heaven.  As we sing the words of the tenebrae service, we enter alternately into the lamentation of the holy women, and the mind of Christ descending and raising up the just souls who awaited their liberation. (Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶¶ 632-635).

Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him – He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . “I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.” (An Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday PG 43,440A,452C)

Click here for the audio file of Tenebrae sung at St Jude’s Church, Vancouver, Holy Saturday, 2012.

The Collect at Mass

When man comes into contact with God, mere speech is not enough. (Pope Benedict XVI, The Spirit of the Liturgy, p.136)

The new English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal is like manna from heaven for we English-speaking Catholics. Such a breath of fresh air for our celebration of the Eucharist. An important new feature in the altar editions of the Roman Missal is the increased amount of musical settings of the sacred words and the prominence of the musical notation in the actual text. Hopefully we priests will see this as encouragement to sing our parts of the Mass. The sung dialogue between priest and people lifts the sacred text to a heightened level and makes more manifest the fact that our participation in the sacred liturgy here below is our sharing in the heavenly worship before the throne of Almighty God. To facilitate more singing of the words of the sacred liturgy, there are sites that provide audio files of the music of the Roman Missal, such as Chant Café. However, one thing is lacking — audio files of the sung presidential prayers and prefaces for every Sunday and Solemnity of the year. In a small way, I would like to facilitate priests to sing their parts by furnishing mp3 files of the individual presidential prayers, or collects, and the prefaces. You can access these files through the menu item Sung Presidential Prayers on my home page.

Song and music fulfill their function as signs in a manner all the more significant when they are ‘more closely connected…with the liturgical action’”(CCC, n.1157). “Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when the divine offices are celebrated solemnly in song…” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n.113).

Singing is a lover’s thing. (St. Augustine)

A First Holy Communion Homily

Unfortunately, sometimes the music at the school Masses is not in accord with the spirit of the sacred liturgy. Paragraph 114 of Sacrosanctum concilium stipulates that the heritage of sacred music “is to be preserved and fostered with great care”, yet this treasury is hardly ever promoted in our schools nor are our Catholic students even acquainted with this music in its proper context, that is, in the liturgy.

One of the issues that needs to be addressed is the use of drums in the sacred liturgy. The Church’s own teaching and legislation on sacred music provides objective criteria for excluding the use of drums at school Masses.
Pope Saint Pius X lays down three principles for music in the liturgy that have a “quasi canonical” status in his instruction on sacred music, Tra le sollectitudini (November 22, 1903). In paragraph 2 he states that “… Sacred music should possess, in the highest degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality.”

For sanctity, the music must evoke a certain holiness or sense of the sacred and so exclude any association in the minds of the listeners with secular forms and styles, not only in the music itself, but also in its execution.

Goodness of form means that it must be true art, “…for otherwise it will be impossible for it to exercise on the minds of those who listen to it that efficacy which the Church aims at obtaining in admitting into her liturgy the art of musical sounds.”

The principle of universality is observed when, even in different cultural and new forms of music, the musical offerings are “… subordinated in such a manner to the general characteristics of sacred music that nobody of any nation may receive an impression other than good on hearing them.” (Tra le sollectitudini n.2).

These three principles of sanctity, goodness of form, and universality were referred to and upheld in chapter six of the constitution Sacrosanctum concillium from Vatican II, Musicam sacram (Congregation for Divine Worship, 1967), and restated explicitly in the monograph of Blessed John Paul II commemorating the centenary of Pope Saint Pius X’s Motu proprio Tra le sollectitudini (L’Osservatore Romano, January 28, 2004).

If we take these three principles and apply them to the use of drums, we will see whether they belong at Mass. In regards to sanctity, the issue is that drum sets and bongo drums are associated not with the sacred but with dance bands and entertainment. In a musical ensemble they provide the driving rhythm for dancing and physical movement and they appeal to the lower sensibilities. However, the liturgy and its music are meant to raise us to a higher level of sensibility. Rather than helping us center our thoughts and prayers on the heavenly realities we a celebrating in the Mass, the driving rhythm and sound of drums takes our thoughts “where you do not wish to go” (Jn 21.18), that is, to more secular venues.

The usual musical pieces performed at Mass in which drum sets and bongos are used do not possess sufficiently the quality of goodness of form. The melodic motifs and harmonic progressions of these pieces are mainly drawn from the musical formulae of pop and commercial music. They fall into the category which Pope Benedict would call “utility music” — easy to grasp and repeat, but neither memorable and nor worthy of serious study, unlike the pieces from the Church’s heritage of sacred music.

Drum sets and bongos at Mass also lack the quality of universality. There are many people, musicians and non-musicians, to whom this music would leave a bad impression. The assumption that everyone appreciates drums at Mass is not true. This style of music at Mass may appeal to a certain demographic but is annoying to others for good reason. It does lack universality.

Many may object to the use of drums sets and bongos at Mass on the basis of personal taste. However, those who appreciate the Church’s heritage of sacred music and who know the principles of sacred music have objective criteria upon which to base their opinions.
However, regarding that music which is part of the Church’s heritage of sacred music and specially mentioned in her pronouncements, such as Gregorian chant, polyphony, and organ music, there may be people who do not particularly enjoy it, yet even they would not say that this music is inappropriate at Mass.

Sacrosanctum consilium in paragraph 120, after lauding the organ as a liturgical instrument which “…adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things” it states:

“…other instruments also may be admitted for use in divine worship, with the knowledge and consent of the competent territorial authority …. This may be done, however, only on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful.”

To my knowledge, the archbishop has neither made the case for the appropriateness of drums at Mass, nor sanctioned their use in the liturgy. Beside, if drums would be appropriate at Mass, then it would seem any instrument would be appropriate, which is clearly not the case, nor is allowing all instruments into the liturgy what the Church’s documents have in mind.

Our Catholic school system has an obligation to bring our students to know and love that sacred music which is part of our Catholic culture and heritage. Sacrosanctum concilium states:

Great importance is to be attached to the teaching and practice of music in seminaries, in the novitiates and houses of study of religious of both sexes, and also in other Catholic institutions and schools. To impart this instruction, teachers are to be carefully trained and put in charge of the teaching of sacred music. (paragraph 115).

If the teachers themselves lack familiarity with the our Catholic heritage of sacred music, even Gregorian chant, then all the more necessary are explicit guidelines needed and encouragement for their formation so that they come to know and appreciate this repertory and so pass this appreciation onto their students.

The Congregation of Divine Worship’s instruction on music in the liturgy, Musicam sacram (1967) charges us:

In order to preserve the heritage of sacred music and genuinely promote the new forms of sacred singing, “great importance is to be attached to the teaching and practice of music in seminaries, in the novitiates and houses of study of religious of both sexes, and also in other Catholic institutes and schools,” especially in those higher institutes intended specially for this. Above all, the study and practice of Gregorian chant is to be promoted, because, with its special characteristics, it is a basis of great importance for the development of sacred music. (paragraph 52)

It’s Greek to Me – Kyrie

Archbishop Andre Mutien Leonard, Archbishop of Melchelen-Brussels

“(Families) need quickly, to find the best liturgical environment for their children. This is correct. In the short-term parents can look for those places most beneficial for the growth of a proper sense of the Liturgy for their children. If, unfortunately, they cannot find it in their own parish, they have the right, even the duty, to look elsewhere for celebrations of quality in both the doctrinal and the liturgical sense. It is not a question of running after aesthetically advanced celebrations, but of finding the truth of the Liturgy.”

(Looking Again at the Question of the Liturgy with Cardinal Ratzinger: Prodeedings of the July 2011 Fontgombault Liturgical Conference, edited by Alcuin Reid OSB, St Michael’s Abbey Press, Farnborough, 2003, p.34)

As a parish priest, I try to celebrate the sacred liturgy as found and described in the Church’s liturgical books. The Holy Father’s book The Spirit of the Litrugy also gives me inspiration and guidance. However, when a priest reads carefully and thoroughly what the Church asserts in her liturgical documents and attempts to put it into practise in the parish, he encounters grief from some parishioners. It is not uncommon that parishioners will abandon a parish because the liturgy is not performed in the way that they are used to, even if that way goes counter to the authentic practise as expressed in the Church’s official documents. This is very hard for a priest, for if he has the heart of a shepherd after the heart of Our Lord, he is pained to see members of his flock leave, even when their departure also includes some animosity against the priest. In my own case, since coming to my parish I have gradually changed the music at Mass so that it is more in line with the Church’s teaching on Sacred Music as found in her official documents. Check out my earlier post from February 21, 2010 entitled Why We Are Singing Gregorian Chant? This was a letter that I wrote to my parishioners, published in our parish bulletin, that was inspired by some of the negative reactions to the changes I was implementing. The objections came out of an ignorance of the Church’s official teaching on Sacred Music.
It also needs to be said that the improvement of the liturgical music situation was enthusiastically received by many. To know this is a great help to the priest, not to inflate his ego, but to encourage him in the right way. Sometimes the fear of unhappiness among parishioners can stop a priest from doing the right thing.

I would echo what Msgr Leonard would say concerning not only families, but even for the spiritual growth of individuals. You not only need to frequent the places where the Liturgy is celebrated in its fullness with solemnity, decorum, and reverence with fidelity to the rubrics for your own good, but also the laity need to show support to those priests who are zealous for the proper celebration of the Liturgy. Any priest who tries with zeal to put into practise the Church’s teaching in his ministry seems to always encounter opposition from one quarter or another. Priests and laity need to show support for each other.

The Adoration of the Lamb, detail from the Ghent Altarpiece, 1432

The Veneration of Relics

First of all, I would like to state that I do appreciate drums played well. Rhythm is an essential part of music and the drums highlight and drive the rhythm of a piece. However, a musical piece has rhythm in it whether or not there are drums. The question is their appropriateness at Mass.

That you would have to explain to a Catholic that drum sets and bongos do not belong in Church highlights this reality: Despite the fact that in her official pronouncements on sacred music the Church has been the clearest about what is the proper music for the liturgy, and what kind of music should not be used, there is precious little knowledge or awareness of these pronouncements even among musicians in the Catholic Church and the clergy.

To help us in discerning what is proper for use in the Liturgy and what to exclude, the Church lays down three principles: 1) sanctity; 2)goodness of form; and 3)universality. The respecting of these principles has always been behind the making of good liturgical music. It was Pope Saint Pius X who explicitly taught these three principles for music in the liturgy and raised them to a “quasi canonical” status. He does so in his motu propio Tra le sollectitudini (November 22, 1903). In paragraph 2 he stated that “… Sacred music should possess, in the highest degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality.”

What do these three terms mean?

For sanctity, the music must evoke a certain holiness or sense of the sacred and so exclude any association in the minds of the listeners with secular forms and styles, not only in the music itself, but also in how it is performed.

Goodness of form means that it must be true art, “…for otherwise it will be impossible for it to exercise on the minds of those who listen to it that efficacy which the Church aims at obtaining in admitting into her liturgy the art of musical sounds.”

The principle of universality is observed when, even in different cultural and new forms of music, the musical offerings are “… subordinated in such a manner to the general characteristics of sacred music that nobody of any nation may receive an impression other than good on hearing them.” (Tra le sollectitudini n.2).
These three principles were referred to and upheld in chapter six of the constitution Sacrosanctum concillium from Vatican II, Musicam sacram (Congregation for Divine Worship, 1967), and restated explicitly in the monograph of Blessed John Paul II commemorating the centenary of Pope Saint Pius’s X Motu proprio Tra le sollectitudini (L’Osservatore Romano, January 28, 2004).

If we take these three principles and apply them to the use of drums, we will see whether they belong at Mass. In regards to sanctity, the issue is that drum sets and bongo drums are associated not with the sacred but with dance bands and entertainment. In a musical ensemble they provide the driving rhythm for dancing and physical movement and they appeal to the lower sensibilities. However, the liturgy and its music are meant to raise us to a higher level of sensibility. Rather than helping us center our thoughts and prayers on the heavenly realities we a celebrating in the Mass, the driving rhythm and sound of drums takes our thoughts “where you do not wish to go” (Jn 21.18), that is, to more secular venues.

The usual musical pieces performed at Mass in which drum sets and bongos are used do not possess sufficiently the quality of goodness of form. The melodic motifs and harmonic progressions of these pieces are mainly drawn from the musical formulae of pop and commercial music. They fall into the category which Pope Benedict would call “utility music” — easy to grasp and repeat, but neither memorable and nor worthy of serious study, unlike the pieces from the Church’s heritage of sacred music.

Drum sets and bongos at Mass also lack the quality of universality. There are many people, musicians and non-musicians, to whom this music would leave a bad impression. The assumption that everyone appreciates drums at Mass is not true. This style of music at Mass may appeal to a certain demographic but is annoying to others for good reason. It does lack universality.

Many may object to the use of drums sets and bongos at Mass on the basis of personal taste. However, those who appreciate the Church’s heritage of sacred music and who know the principles of sacred music have objective criteria upon which to base their opinions.
However, regarding that music which is part of the Church’s heritage of sacred music and specially mentioned in her pronouncements, such as Gregorian chant, polyphony, and organ music, there may be people who do not particularly enjoy it, yet even they would not say that this kind of sacred music is inappropriate at Mass.

Ultimately, we come to Holy Mass not because we expect to pleased or entertained. We come to join ourselves to Christ’s offering of himself to the Father. At The Holy Eucharist, sacred art, vestments, architecture, language and music help draw us out of the mundane things of this world to join in the heavenly worship. Then, refreshed and strengthened by our sharing in the sacred action of Christ and his Church, we will be equipped to go forth into the world and bring the Good News to all creation.

The Fundamentals of the Mass — Sacrifice, Real Presence, Communion

Dear Professor,
I attended recently the conference at your institution. One of the admirable aspects of your institution is its preoccupation with fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium and to the ceremonial of the Mass. I thank you for a very enjoyable and inspiring conference. However, I feel an obligation to point out a certain disconnect in regards to the music at Masses during the conference. Although the musicians were obviously talented at their craft and were sincere in their execution, the music used during the Masses did not belong in the liturgy because it did not harmonize with the spirit of liturgy itself or fit the Church’s criteria for music admitted into the Sacred Liturgy.

Pope Saint Pius X lays down three principles for music in the liturgy that have a “quasi canonical” status in his Tra le sollectitudini (November 22, 1903). In paragraph 2 he states that “… Sacred music should possess, in the highest degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality.”

For sanctity, the music must evoke a certain holiness or sense of the sacred and so exclude any association in the minds of the listeners with secular forms and styles, not only in the music itself, but also in its execution.

Goodness of form means that it must be true art, “…for otherwise it will be impossible for it to exercise on the minds of those who listen to it that efficacy which the Church aims at obtaining in admitting into her liturgy the art of musical sounds.”

The principle of universality is observed when, even in different cultural and new forms of music, the musical offerings are “… subordinated in such a manner to the general characteristics of sacred music that nobody of any nation may receive an impression other than good on hearing them.” (Tra le sollectitudini n.2). These three principles were referred to and upheld in chapter six of the constitution Sacrosanctum concillium from Vatican II, Musicam sacram (Congregation for Divine Worship, 1967), and restated explicitly in the monograph of Blessed John Paul II commemorating the centenary of Pope Saint Pius’s X Motu proprio Tra le sollectitudini (L’Osservatore Romano, January 28, 2004).

The music offered during the Masses at the conference, did not respect these three principles. The style of music did not evoke the sense of the sacred and anyone who was knowledgeable in music would recognize in the musical pieces many elements, such as the melodic phrases, harmonies and rhythms, that are associated with secular forms and styles of music. If you took the musical pieces that were performed and removed the religious texts, anyone hearing that music in a secular setting such as a coffee house or folk concert would not have considered it in any way out of place. Also, the drum set and bongo drums are associated in everyone’s mind not with the sacred but with dance bands and entertainment. The role of drums in a musical ensemble is to provide the driving rhythm for dancing, to excite the emotions, and to appeal to the baser sensibilities. The liturgy and its music are meant to raise us to a higher level of sensibility.

The music itself was not true art and did not possess sufficiently the quality of goodness of form. The melodic motifs and harmonic progressions were drawn from the musical formulae of pop and commercial music. It falls into the category which Pope Benedict would call “utility music” — easy to grasp and repeat, but neither memorable and nor worthy of serious study, unlike the pieces from the Church’s heritage of sacred music.

Being neither authentically sacred nor true art, it lacked the quality of universality. There are many people, musicians or not, to whom this music would leave a bad impression. Because it jarrs against the sublime characteristics of the liturgy, every time it was played, it distracted or called attention to itself rather than helped one enter more deeply into the sacred action of the liturgy. The assumption that everyone appreciates this music at Mass is not true. This style of music at Mass appeals to a certain demographic but is annoying to others for good reason. It does lack universality. However, regarding that music which is part of the Church’s heritage of sacred music, such as Gregorian chant, polyphony, and organ music, there may be people who do not particularly enjoy it, yet even they would not say that it is inappropriate at Mass.

Many may object to the musical offerings at the Mass during the conference on the basis of personal taste. However, those who appreciate the Church’s heritage of sacred music and who know the principles of sacred music have objective criteria upon which to base their opinions.

Once again, I really appreciated the things I learned and the people I met while at the conference. I will keep you and your ministry in my prayers.

Audio of Tenebrae for Holy Saturday

CHRIST’S DESCENT AMONG THE DEAD
The service on Saturday morning also commemorates Christ’s descent among the dead, traditionally called the Harrowing of Hell. In the Apostles’ Creed we profess: “He descended into hell.” By “Hell” in this context, we do not refer to the Hell of eternal damnation, but rather to that state in which the souls since the beginning of the world, destined for eternal salvation, were held captive awaiting Christ’s saving sacrifice on the cross to open up the gates of heaven. The phrase “harrowing of hell” is an Old English term for Christ’s triumphant descent to these holy souls, which took place between his death on the cross and his resurrection, to free them from their captivity.

Here at Saint Jude’s, the psalms and the readings will be sung in English using the Gregorian tones. The beautiful responsories and the Gospel canticle, the Benedictus, will be sung on Gregorian chant. Booklets are provided so that all may join in the singing as they wish and translations provided for the parts in Latin.

EASTER BLESSING OF FOOD

Following the Tenebrae service, there will be the Easter Blessing of Food. This tradition comes from a time when the Lenten fast and abstinence was generally more vigorous when foods like fleshmeat, mild products and eggs were forbidden during the penitential season. With the coming of Easter, these foods were again allowed. The people showed their joy and gratitude by first taking this food to the church for a blessing. Also, they hoped that the Church’s blessing on these foods would bring benefits to both soul and body.

When I was preparing for the Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form for Passion Sunday (the fifth Sunday of Lent), I noticed that the Gospel reading contained the following words:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’. So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:58-59)

Through this striking change in the look of he church, we have an example of how the Roman liturgy, and especially the Extraordinary Form, helps us enter more deeply into the events that we commemorate through the liturgy and also makes the biblical texts more memorable.
In the Ordinary Form of the Mass, that Gospel containing the words “Jesus hid Himself” is moved from the Sunday to Thursday of the fifth week of Lent.
I am glad that in my parish I have the opportunity to celebrate both forms of the Roman Rite. If more people
had access to the Extraordinary Form, it would enrich their appreciation for the Roman Rite and “…the two Forms of the usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching…” as Pope Benedict expressed in the letter to the bishops of the world that accompanied the Motu proprio ‘Summorum Pontificum’.

Immaculate Conception 2010

excerpts from . . .
Tra le Sollecitudini
Encyclical on Sacred Music
Pope Pius X
Encyclical promulgated on November 22, 1903

II. The different kinds of sacred music
3. These qualities are to be found, in the highest degree, in Gregorian Chant, which is, consequently the Chant proper to the Roman Church, the only chant she has inherited from the ancient fathers, which she has jealously guarded for centuries in her liturgical codices, which she directly proposes to the faithful as her own, which she prescribes exclusively for some parts of the liturgy, and which the most recent studies have so happily restored to their integrity and purity.

On these grounds Gregorian Chant has always been regarded as the supreme model for sacred music, so that it is fully legitimate to lay down the following rule: the more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement, inspiration and savour the Gregorian form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple.
The ancient traditional Gregorian Chant must, therefore, in a large measure be restored to the functions of public worship, and the fact must be accepted by all that an ecclesiastical function loses none of its solemnity when accompanied by this music alone.

Special efforts are to be made to restore the use of the Gregorian Chant by the people, so that the faithful may again take a more active part in the ecclesiastical offices, as was the case in ancient times.

excerpts from . . .
MUSICAE SACRAE
Encyclical on Sacred Music
Pope Pius XII
Encyclical promulgated on December 25, 1955

14. The choral chant began to be called “Gregorian” after St. Gregory, the man who revived it. It attained new beauty in almost all parts of Christian Europe after the 8th or 9th century because of its accompaniment by a new musical instrument called the “organ.” Little by little, beginning in the 9th century, polyphonic singing was added to this choral chant. The study and use of polyphonic singing were developed more and more during the centuries that followed and were raised to a marvelous perfection under the guidance of magnificent composers during the 15th and 16th centuries.
16. Thus, with the favor and under the auspices of the Church the study of sacred music has gone a long way over the course of the centuries. In this journey, although sometimes slowly and laboriously, it has gradually progressed from the simple and ingenuous Gregorian modes to great and magnificent works of art. To these works not only the human voice, but also the organ and other musical instruments, add dignity, majesty and a prodigious richness.
42. It must be holy. It must not allow within itself anything that savors of the profane nor allow any such thing to slip into the melodies in which it is expressed. The Gregorian chant which has been used in the Church over the course of so many centuries, and which may be called, as it were, its patrimony, is gloriously outstanding for this holiness.
43. This chant, because of the close adaptation of the melody to the sacred text, is not only most intimately conformed to the words, but also in a way interprets their force and efficacy and brings delight to the minds of the hearers. It does this by the use of musical modes that are simple and plain, but which are still composed with such sublime and holy art that they move everyone to sincere admiration and constitute an almost inexhaustible source from which musicians and composers draw new melodies.
44. It is the duty of all those to whom Christ the Lord has entrusted the task of guarding and dispensing the Church’s riches to preserve this precious treasure of Gregorian chant diligently and to impart it generously to the Christian people. Hence what Our predecessors, St. Pius X, who is rightly called the renewer of Gregorian chant, 19 and Pius XI 20 have wisely ordained and taught, We also, in view of the outstanding qualities which genuine Gregorian chant possesses, will and prescribe that this be done. In the performance of the sacred liturgical rites this same Gregorian chant should be most widely used and great care should be taken that it should be performed properly, worthily and reverently. And if, because of recently instituted feast days, new Gregorian melodies must be composed, this should be done by true masters of the art. It should be done in such a way that these new compositions obey the laws proper to genuine Gregorian chant and are in worthy harmony with the older melodies in their virtue and purity.
45. If these prescriptions are really observed in their entirety, the requirements of the other property of sacred music – that property by virtue of which it should be an example of true art – will be duly satisfied. And if in Catholic churches throughout the entire world Gregorian chant sounds forth without corruption or diminution, the chant itself, like the sacred Roman liturgy, will have a characteristic of universality, so that the faithful, wherever they may be, will hear music that is familiar to them and a part of their own home. In this way they may experience, with much spiritual consolation, the wonderful unity of the Church. This is one of the most important reasons why the Church so greatly desires that the Gregorian chant traditionally associated with the Latin words of the sacred liturgy be used.

excerpts from . . .
Sacrosanctum Concilium

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Second Vatican Council Promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI On December 4, 1963

Chapter VI – Sacred Music
116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman Liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

excerpts from . . .

Musicam Sacram
Instruction On Music In The Liturgy
Sacred Congregation of Rites March 5, 1967

4. It is to be hoped that pastors of souls, musicians and the faithful will gladly accept these norms and put them into practice, uniting their efforts to attain the true purpose of sacred music, “which is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful.”

(a) By sacred music is understood that which, being created for the celebration of divine worship, is endowed with a certain holy sincerity of form. (Cf. St. Pius X, Motu Proprio ‘Tra le sollecitudini,’ n. 2.)
(b) The following come under the title of sacred music here: Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony in its various forms both ancient and modern, sacred music for the organ and other approved instruments, and sacred popular music, be it liturgical or simply religious.3

IV. The Language To Be Used In Sung Liturgical Celebrations, And On Preserving The Heritage Of Sacred Music

47. According to the Constitution on the Liturgy, “the use of the Latin language, with due respect to particular law, is to be preserved in the Latin rites.”

50. In sung liturgical services celebrated in Latin:

(a) Gregorian chant, as proper to the Roman liturgy, should be given pride of place, other things being equal. Its melodies, contained in the “typical” editions, should be used, to the extent that this is possible.
(b) “It is also desirable that an edition be prepared containing simpler melodies, for use in smaller churches.”

52. In order to preserve the heritage of sacred music and genuinely promote the new forms of sacred singing, “great importance is to be attached to the teaching and practice of music in seminaries, in the novitiates and houses of study of religious of both sexes, and also in other Catholic institutes and schools,” especially in those higher institutes intended specially for this.37 Above all, the study and practice of Gregorian chant is to be promoted, because, with its special characteristics, it is a basis of great importance for the development of sacred music.

Excerpts from….

Letter to the Bishops on the Minimum Repertoire of Plainchant
“Voluntati Obsequens”
Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship April 14, 1974

The following is a translation of a letter that was sent to all bishops and heads of religious orders, together with a book of chants, “Jubilate Deo”. The letter was published in Latin in the April 1974 issue of Notitiae, (pages 123 126) and in French in “La Documentation Catholique” June 2, 1974.

Eminence, Excellency,
Our congregation has prepared a booklet entitled, “Jubilate Deo”, which contains a minimum selection of sacred chants. This was done in response to a desire which the Holy Father had frequently expressed, that all the faithful should know at least some Latin Gregorian chants, such as, for example, the “Gloria”, the “Credo”, the “Sanctus”, and the “Agnus Dei”.

It gives me great pleasure to send you a copy of it, as a personal gift from His Holiness, Pope Paul VI. May I take this opportunity of recommending to your pastoral solicitude this new initiative, whose purpose is to facilitate the observance of the recommendation of the Second Vatican Council “…steps must be taken to ensure that the faithful are able to chant together in Latin those parts of the ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.

In effect, when the faithful gather together for prayer they manifest at once the diversity of a people drawn “from every tribe, language and nation (Ap. 5:9) and its unity in faith and charity. Their diversity is manifested in the present multiplicity of liturgical languages and in the vernacular chants which, in the context of one shared faith, give expression to each people’s religious sentiment in music drawn from its culture and traditions. On the other hand, their unity finds particularly apt and even sensible expression through the use of Latin Gregorian chant.

Down the centuries, Gregorian chant has accompanied liturgical celebrations in the Roman rite, has nourished men’s faith and has fostered their piety, while in the process achieving an artistic perfection which the Church rightly considers a patrimony of inestimable value and which the Council recognized as “the chant especially suited to the Roman liturgy.”

One of the objectives of the liturgical reform is to promote community singing in assemblies of the faithful, so that they might the better express the festive, communal and fraternal character of liturgical celebrations. In effect, “the liturgical action becomes more dignified when it is accompanied by chant, when each minister fulfills his own role and the faithful also take part.

Those who are charged with responsibility for the liturgical reform are particularly anxious to achieve this difficult objective. To that end, the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship appeals once again, as they have often done in the past, for the proper development of singing by the faithful.

Gregorian Chant
At the same time, the liturgical reform does not and indeed cannot deny the past. Rather does it “preserve and foster it with the greatest care.” It cultivates and transmits all that is in it of high religious, cultural and artistic worth and especially those elements which can express even externally the unity of believers.
This minimum repertoire of Gregorian chant has been prepared with that purpose in mind: to make it easier for Christians to achieve unity and spiritual harmony with their brothers and with the living traditions of the past. Hence it is that those who are trying to improve the quality of congregational singing cannot refuse to Gregorian chant the place which is due to it. And this becomes all the more imperative as we approach the Holy Year of 1975, during which the faithful of different languages, nations and origins, will find themselves side by side for the common celebration of the Lord.
Those who because of their special vocation in the Church need to have a deeper knowledge of sacred music ought to be particularly careful to observe a proper balance between popular chant and Gregorian chant. For this reason the Holy Father recommended that “Gregorian chant be preserved and be sung in monasteries, other religious houses and seminaries, as a special form of chanted prayer and as something of high cultural and pedagogic value.”
Further, the study and the performance of Gregorian chant remain “because of its special characteristics, a very useful foundation for the cultivation of sacred music.”

In presenting the Holy Father’s gift to you, may I at the same time remind you of the desire which he has often expressed that the Conciliar constitution on the liturgy be increasingly better implemented. Would you therefore, in collaboration with the competent diocesan and national agencies for the liturgy, sacred music and catechetics, decide on the best ways of teaching the faithful the Latin chants of “Jubilate Deo” and of having them sing them, and also of promoting the preservation and execution of Gregorian chant in the communities mentioned above. You will thus be performing a new service for the Church in the domain of liturgical renewal.
The contents of this booklet may be reproduced free of charge. To help people understand these texts, one may add the normal vernacular translation.

Excerpts from…

General Instruction of the Roman Missal
(Third Typical Edition)2002

41. All other things being equal, Gregorian chant holds pride of place because it is proper to the Roman Liturgy. Other types of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful.

Since faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is fitting that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, set to the simpler melodies.

103. Among the faithful, the schola cantorum or choir exercises its own liturgical function,
ensuring that the parts proper to it, in keeping with the different types of chants, are properly
carried out and fostering the active participation of the faithful through the singing.87 What is said
about the choir also applies, in accordance with the relevant norms, to other musicians, especially
the organist.

excerpts from . . .

The Fitting Role of Sacred Music in the Holy Liturgy
Pope John Paul II

Description: Pope John Paul II published this study of sacred music, called a chirograph, for the 100th anniversary of the Motu Proprio, ‘Tra le Sollecitudini’.
Larger Work: L’Osservatore Romano, January 28, 2004

7. Among the musical expressions that correspond best with the qualities demanded by the notion of sacred music, especially liturgical music, Gregorian chant has a special place. The Second Vatican Council recognized that “being specially suited to the Roman Liturgy”17 it should be given, other things being equal, pride of place in liturgical services sung in Latin18. St Pius X pointed out that the Church had “inherited it from the Fathers of the Church”, that she has “jealously guarded [it] for centuries in her liturgical codices” and still “proposes it to the faithful” as her own, considering it “the supreme model of sacred music”. Thus, Gregorian chant continues also today to be an element of unity in the Roman Liturgy.

8. The importance of preserving and increasing the centuries old patrimony of the Church spurs us to take into particular consideration a specific exhortation of the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium: “Choirs must be assiduously developed, especially in cathedral churches” . In turn, the Instruction Musicam Sacram explains the ministerial task of the choir: “Because of the liturgical ministry it exercises, the choir (cappella musicale or schola cantorum) should be mentioned here explicitly. The conciliar norms regarding the reform of the Liturgy have given the choir’s function greater prominence and importance. The choir is responsible for the correct performance of its part, according to the differing types of song, to help the faithful to take an active part in the singing. Therefore,… choirs are to be developed with great care, especially in cathedrals and other major churches, in seminaries and in religious houses of study”. The schola cantorum’s task has not disappeared: indeed, it plays a role of guidance and support in the assembly and, at certain moments in the Liturgy, has a specific role of its own.

From the smooth coordination of all the priest celebrant and the deacon, the acolytes, the altar servers, the readers, the psalmist, the schola cantorum, the musicians, the cantor and the assembly flows the proper spiritual atmosphere which makes the liturgical moment truly intense, shared in and fruitful. The musical aspect of liturgical celebrations cannot, therefore, be left to improvisation or to the arbitration of individuals but must be well conducted and rehearsed in accordance with the norms and competencies resulting from a satisfactory liturgical formation.

10. Since the Church has always recognized and fostered progress in the arts, it should not come as a surprise that in addition to Gregorian chant and polyphony she admits into celebrations even the most modern music, as long as it respects both the liturgical spirit and the true values of this art form. In compositions written for divine worship, therefore, the particular Churches in the various nations are permitted to make the most of “those special forms which may be said to constitute the special character of [their] native music”. On the lines of my holy Predecessor and of what has been decreed more recently by the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, I have also intended in the Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia to make room for new musical contributions, mentioning in addition to the inspired Gregorian melodies, “the many, often great composers who sought to do justice to the liturgical texts of the Mass”.

12. With regard to compositions of liturgical music, I make my own the “general rule” that St Pius X formulated in these words: “The more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement, inspiration and savour the Gregorian melodic form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple”. It is not, of course, a question of imitating Gregorian chant but rather of ensuring that new compositions are imbued with the same spirit that inspired and little by little came to shape it. Only an artist who is profoundly steeped in the sensus Ecclesiae (mind of the Church) can attempt to perceive and express in melody the truth of the Mystery that is celebrated in the Liturgy. In this perspective, in my Letter to Artists I wrote: “How many sacred works have been composed through the centuries by people deeply imbued with the sense of mystery! The faith of countless believers has been nourished by melodies flowing from the hearts of other believers, either introduced into the Liturgy or used as an aid to dignified worship. In song, faith is experienced as vibrant joy, love and confident expectation of the saving intervention of God”.

Saint Teresa looked at her with love and said, “My dear sister, have you forgotten that Jesus is still on earth , and that He lives near you — yes, in the house with you (for there was a church in the convent where the nuns lived that had a tabernacle), and often in your very soul.  Have you also forgotten that you can see Him and can speak to Him as often as you like?  Is not Jesus with us in the Most Holy Sacrament?  Why then do you wish to have lived long ago, since that same Jesus who lived with Mary and Joseph lives also with you?

Today, you will come close to Jesus in a way like never before?  Although you do not see Him like the boys and girls 2000 years ago, through your faith and knowing what you have been taught about Jesus and Holy Communion, you believe in Him and know Him.  We are not missing out on anything living at this time.  We remember what Jesus said to Saint Thomas after He rose from the dead: “Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen, yet have come to believe.” (John 20.29)

Long ago Martha and Mary received Jesus into their house as a guest.  Today Jesus is coming into the house of your soul.  To get ready, just before Holy Communion time we say “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.”  You will say these words today with a joy and a love like never before.

To receive so great a guest as Jesus, how do we prepare?  You have studied hard about Jesus in Holy Communion.  You have learnt and said your prayers.  You have made your First Confession.  But how do we get ready just before receiving Jesus?  Notice that receiving Holy Communion takes place during the Mass.  All that we do at Mass prepares us.  It is important to pay attention to all that goes on at the altar, to sing along, to answer the prayers along with everyone, to listen, and during the silence, to pray.

Your heart has to be full of love and desire for Jesus.  Our behaviour and actions at Mass show our love and desire.  We cannot go and get Jesus a drink, or share our lunch with Him, or invite Him to play, or give Him a hug and a kiss like we can with our family and friends.  We show Jesus our love and desire in church by our reverence in how we act — when we genuflect with care,when we  make the sign of cross thinking about what we are saying and doing, when we show respect for God’s house by not running and chatting.

How fortunate we are at Saint Jude’s because we have a communion rail.  We can receive Holy Communion kneeling, which is a sign of our respect and adoration of Jesus.  Saint Augustine tells us that no one eats the Body and Blood of Jesus, unless he has first adored it.

Even the way we receive Jesus in Holy Communion is important.  In Canada we may receive both on the tongue and in the hand.  For your first time, you will receive on the tongue.  Why?  Because receiving Jesus in Holy Communion on the tongue shows more reverence.  How so?  First of all, we remember that we are not receiving a thing, but Jesus Himself.  Because of who Holy Communion is, we need to get ready.  The priest gets ready by washing his hands before Mass and just before the Eucharistic prayer during which the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus.  After having given Holy Communion, he also washes his fingers which touched the consecrated hosts.  Why all this washing?  It is done out of  reverence for Jesus, whom the priest has touched with his hands.  Even the water that was used for this last washing is not thrown down the drain, but the priest drinks it, because it may have in it small pieces of the hosts.

We know that when we touch some things, very small pieces of those things can stay on our hands.  The host of Holy Communion acts just like bread, even after it becomes Jesus.  We know that where there is bread, very often there are crumbs.  Most of the time, we do not worry much about them, but in Holy Communion, the entire piece of bread has become Jesus.  When crumbs fall away from that the host, those crumbs are also Jesus.  Each and every crumb after the consecration is the entire Jesus.  Because of the crumbs, the altar servers help with Holy Communion by carrying the communion paten, the round metal plates with a handle, to catch any crumbs that may come off the hosts.  We do not want the crumbs to fall on the ground and then be treated like dirt.

Communion in the hand can make for many crumbs.  Sometimes when the priest places the host in the hand of someone, it breaks in pieces.  What happens to those crumbs?  They may fall on the ground and get treated like dirt.  Also, the people receiving the Host in the hand do not wash their hands after Holy Communion like the priest has to do to take care of any small pieces which may be sticking to his fingers.

When we receive on the tongue, there is far less chance of  there being many crumbs which can fall on the ground because the host is handled less.  In some parts of the world, the bishop does not allow communion in the hand.  This is out of reverence for the presence of Jesus in Holy Communion.

After we have received Jesus, we go back to our seats.  What should we do then?  We do not talk to other people.  We now talk to Jesus.  In the Bible we read how Martha and Mary welcomed Jesus into their house.  We are more blessed because we have received Him right into our own body and soul.  What do I say to Him?  First of all, thank Jesus for coming to you in this special way.  Praise and adore Him.  Tell Jesus how much you love Him.  You can also talk about how sorry you are for ever having offended Him.  With Jesus so close to you, talk to Him about those for whom you pray, like your family, relatives, and friends.  During this special time, your parents will help you to this by making you be quiet and prayerful.

I pray that this day will be the beginning of a new and deeper friendship with Jesus.  May you be filled with the joy that Saint Peter talks about in his letter when he says: “Although you have not seen Him, you love Him and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1.8)

I think the only way to remedy this tragic situation is to let the news come out, so that there will be no more the possibility of retreat back into a culture of silence.  Those responsible for the abuse  and for the inaction to put a stop to it should be made accountable.  In his column of March 25, 2010 National Post, Fr. de Souza puts the current scandal into a wider context.  He states:

The sexual abuse scandals are a result of the Church’s infidelity to her own identity and mission.

This infidelity was not only in the instance of dealing with sexual abusers, but also in other areas of church discipline from the 1960’s to 1980’s. 

Doctrinal dissent was not corrected, but often celebrated. Liturgical abuses, both minor and outrageously sacrilegious, were tolerated. Bishops simply stopped inquiring into priestly asceticism, prayer and holiness of life. Non-Catholics often have an image of the Catholic Church as a ruthlessly efficient organization with a chain of command that would make the armed forces jealous. The reality for most of the 1960s to 1980s was the opposite. A priest could preach heresy, profane the Holy Mass, destroy the piety of his people and face no consequences. The overseers decided to overlook everything. It is any surprise, then, that when accusations of criminal immorality emerged they too were dealt with inadequately, if at all?

As a youth and young adult during that period, I was a aware of the doctrinal dissent and liturgical abuses and wondered why steps were not taken to bring things back in line with the Church’s teaching and practise.  As I learned more and more about the Church’s tradition and heritage, I was saddened that I was not able to experience more of these things in my own parish.  For instance, when I  discovered Gregorian chant and the Church’s sacred music in my last years of high school, I wondered why none of this was being used in the local churches.  My parents made sure that we had a musical formation and so I began studying the piano at the age of seven.  Even in my teens I could see that most of the music we had at  church  was banal.  As far as quality was concerned, the pieces I studied in my weekly piano lessons were more worthy of the house of God than what we usually sang at Mass. (Of course, I am not advocating using those piano pieces at Mass.)

Fr. de Souza’s article is well worth the read.  In the Church we need to change from a culture of laxity to a culture of fidelity and integrity on the theological, liturgical, and moral level.  Bishops are entrusted with the authority to protect and guide the sheep.  Our Holy Father Pope Benedict is leading the way, as Fr. de Souza points out.  Now stop looking at this and read Fr. de Souza’s column "Culture change in the Church"!

Homily for Sunday V of Lent

Here is a written summary of this homily:

Since the Second Vatican Council, there has been and increase in people receiving Holy Communion.  It seems that almost everyone in the congregation who has made their first Holy Communion comes forward to receive.  However, since the mid-sixties, there has been a decline in those going to the sacrament of Confession.  This seems odd, since going to Confession makes us better prepared to receive Holy Communion.  Therefore, if people are receiving Holy Communion more often, they should also be going the the sacrament of Confession more often.  Sadly, this is not the case.  Why is there a decline in the use of this sacrament?

There can be many reasons for this.  Are our consciences becoming dulled?  Are we becoming complacent regarding sin.  Are we less sensitive toward God, taking his mercy and forgiveness for granted?   Or do we think that we cannot possibly offend God since we are not doing the terribly bad things that others do like stealing, cheating, lying, committing adultery, etc.

Fr. Larre, in speaking to the priests of our diocese, thinks one of the reasons for fewer people going to Confession is that they do not know the difference between the act of contrition and the sacrament of Confession.  An act of contrition is a prayer to God in which we tell Him we are sorry for our sins out of love for Him, and that we promise, with the help of his grace, to do our best not to sin again.  It is a good prayer and one that we should pray every night before we go to sleep.  However, as good a prayer as it is, making an act of contrition is not the same as going to Confession, nor does it have the same effects.

First let us recall what is a sacrament.  There are seven of them, and they all have three things in common.  They include an outward sign, they were instituted by Christ himself, and through them we receive from Christ his grace.  This grace makes us share in the very life of God.  Now the reason there are seven sacraments, and not just one, is that each of them are geared toward a special aspect of our life and the life of the Church.   For instance, the grace received in the sacrament of Marriage not only unites the man and the woman, but it also enables them to be good husbands and wives, fathers and mothers.  In the sacrament of Holy Orders, a man becomes a priest and the grace he receives make it possible for him be a good priest.

Of what special help is the grace received in the sacrament of Confession.  We know that in the sacrament our sins are forgiven.  The grace received deepens our relationship with God.  It brings peace between the penitent and God and the penitent and the Church, the Body of Christ.  This grace also heals the damage to the soul left behind by sins.   It also strengthens us to resist temptation in the future.  And, if we a guilty of mortal sin, whereby we lose sanctifying grace, and are no longer in the state of grace, the grace received in Confession restore us to life so that we once again share in God’s own life and are brought back into the state of grace.

One of the consequences of falling from the state of grace, is that we cannot receive Holy Communion again until we have confessed our mortal sins in Confession.   If we do receive Our Lord in this state, Holy Communion will do us no good, In fact, not being in the state of grace and receiving the Sacred Host is worse since it would be s sacrilege.  Saint Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, among whom there was a serious problem in this regard, says: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.  Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself (1 Corinthians 11.27-29).

Some people have stopped going to Confession because of an unpleasant experience in the past.  The priest could have been too harsh or blunt.  However, we cannot let that make us abandon this great sacrament.  There are plenty of other priests that we can go to who will show us the compassion of Christ.

Sometimes people stop going to the sacrament because they feel that they have not, or cannot, forgive someone from their past.  They want to forgive, but they still feel ill will towards that person, and think that they cannot go to Confession until they have no more bad feelings towards the offending person.  However, we have to remember that forgiveness is primarily an act of the will.  If in your mind you desire and decide to forgive someone, you have indeed forgiven them, even if you still have in your heart bad feeling towards them, feelings you wish were not there.  Those unwanted bad feelings against the forgiven person are part of the wounds left behind by sin.  Just as physical wounds don’t heal instantly, so too, these spiritual wounds take time to heal.  If the Lord allows these to remain, it could be that He wants us to continue praying for healing.  We need to also remember that Confession is a sacrament of healing — spiritual healing — and it also has a role to play in helping us overcome the wounds left behind even by sins already forgiven.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to increase within us the desire for a deeper union with God.  May He inspire us to use the sacrament of Confession more frequently.  Once an month is not too often.  Let Him continue working our ongoing transformation in Christ  that he works in Confession as He prepares us to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion ever more worthily.

Looking at the physical effects of sex activity for teens the statement reports:

By every measure, adolescent sexual activity is detrimental to the well-being of all involved, especially young women, and society at large. Children and adolescents from 10 to 19 years of age are more at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) than adults.² This is due to the general practice of having multiple and higher risk sexual partners, and to the immaturity of the cervical tissue of girls and young women. The CDC recently stated that of the 19 million new cases of STIs annually reported in the United States, 50 percent occur in teens and young adults under 25 years of age.³ Twenty-five percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV occur in those under 22 years of age.⁴ This translates into one in four sexually active female adolescents being infected with at least one STI.⁵

The college’s report also considers the psychological damage of teenage sexual activity.

Even if sexually active teens escape acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and becoming pregnant, few remain emotionally unscathed. Overall, one in eight teens suffers from depression,¹⁰ and suicide has risen to become the third leading cause of death for adolescents, paralleling the rise in STIs within this population.¹¹ Infection with an STI has long been recognized as a cause for depression among teens. More recently, however, adolescent sexual activity alone has been acknowledged as an independent risk factor for developing low self-esteem, major depression, and attempting suicide.¹² In studies that controlled for confounding factors, sexually active girls were found to be three times as likely to report being depressed and three times as likely to have attempted suicide when compared to sexually abstinent girls.¹³ Sexually active boys were more than twice as likely to suffer from depression and seven times as likely to have attempted suicide when compared to sexually abstinent boys.¹⁴ This is not mere coincidence. Scientists now know that sexual activity releases chemicals in the brain that create emotional bonds between partners. Breaking these bonds can cause depression, and make it harder to bond with someone else in the future.¹⁵

Its analysis of the “comprehensive sex education” programmes that takes place in many schools cites practises that are actually promoted.  It is shocking to imagine that schools would be teaching these things to our young people.  There is lots of good information in the report and is  worth reading for anyone interested in the topic.  You can find it at: http://www.americancollegeofpediatricians.org/Abstinence-Education.html.

Although not stated, the report shows that even from a purely natural point of view, traditional sexual morality makes sense and is the best way for human beings and will lead to happiness even on a purely natural level.  Practising abstinence until marriage is really part of the natural law.  We don’t even need God to reveal these things to us.  Traditional sexual morality is really woven by God into our very nature.  We have to help your young people find these truths which are part and parcel of their human nature.

References
¹Freedman, L.P. “Censorship and Manipulation of Reproductive Health Information.” Coliver, S, ed. “The Right to Know: Human Right Access to Reproductive Health Information.” Philadelphia, Penn.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995: 1-37. qtd. in Hendricks, Kate et.al. “The Attack on Abstinence Education: Fact or Fallacy?”
Medical Institute for Sexual Health, 2006.
²US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in Reportable Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States, 2007. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; January 2009; available at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats07/trends.htm.
³Ibid.
⁴Sulak, PJ and Herbelin, S. “Teenagers and Sex: Delaying Sexual Debut.” The Female Patient; Vol. 30, May 2005, p30.
⁵Oral Abstract D4a – Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Bacterial Vaginosis among Female Adolescents in the United States: Data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004; presented at the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference; March 11, 2008; available at: http://www.cdc.gov/stdconference/2008/media/summaries-11march2008.htm#tues1

¹⁰Meeker, Meg. Your Kids at Risk. Regnery Publishing, Inc., Washington, DC, 2007, p. 68
¹¹Ibid.
¹² Hallfors DD, Waller MW, Ford CA, Halpern CT, and Brodish PH, Iritani B. “Adolescent Depression and Suicide Risk: Association with Sex and Drug Behavior. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 27 (2004): 224-230.
¹³McIlhaney, J and McKissic Bush, F. Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children. Northfield Publishing, Chicago. 2008, p.78.
¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵Ibid pp. 77-78.

“If parents don’t respect the beliefs of the Church, or live in a manner that openly rejects those beliefs, then partnering with those parents becomes very difficult, if not impossible.”

As the archbishop states, the school “partners” with parents in the Catholic upbringing of their children.  In this partnership between home and school, what is taught at school has to harmonize with what is taught at home.  As you could imagine, Archbishop Chaput of Denver was  pilloried in the press, which gave him the opportunity to teach publically about the reason for Catholic schools.    He states:

“The main purpose of Catholic schools is religious; in other words, to form students in Catholic faith, Catholic morality and Catholic social values. … Many of our schools also accept students of other faiths and no faith, and from single parents and divorced parent families. These students are always welcome so long as (my emphasis)  their parents support the Catholic mission of the school and do not offer a serious counter-witness to that mission in their actions. …”  Therefore, the “idea that Catholic schools should require support for Catholic teaching for admission, and a serious effort from school families to live their Catholic identity faithfully, is reasonable and just.”

“Church never looks for reasons to turn anyone away from a Catholic education. But the Church can’t change her moral beliefs without undermining her mission and failing to serve the many families who believe in that mission.”

Because a same sex couple is involved, the issue becomes emotionally charged.  The archbishop explains the Church’s teaching on this matter:

“Church does not claim that people with a homosexual orientation are ‘bad,’ or that their children are less loved by God. Quite the opposite. But what the Church does teach is that sexual intimacy by anyone outside marriage is wrong; that marriage is a sacramental covenant; and that marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. … These beliefs are central to a Catholic understanding of human nature, family and happiness, and the organization of society,” and “The Church cannot change these teachings because, in the faith of Catholics, they are the teachings of Jesus Christ.”

Sending this child to a school where the values between the home and the school are clearly at loggerheads is not fair to the child.  What a position to put a young child into.  The school teaches one morality and the home another.  Will the teachers of the school have to refrain from teaching the whole Catholic faith in order not to hurt the feelings of the child or upset the parents of that child?  What about the other parents who choose the Catholic school because they want the whole and authentic teachings of the Faith for their children?

The archbishop is right.  The partnership between the school and the same-sex couple will not work.  The couple is expecting the school to provide something it just cannot – support for their lifestyle.  They may demand  respect for their way of life, but what about respect for the mission of the Catholic school and the other parents who send their students to that school precisely for its Catholic mission of handing on the Faith whole and entire.  I am sure there are many other schools, public or private, in Boulder where this child can have a good education.  He or she is not being denied an education.  However, in this situation, it is the poor child who is the victim, being denied something far greater – a stable family with both a mom and a dad.

There are two other videos that are part of the series.  I will post them on a later date.

This is a summary of a homily given at the funeral of a long-time parishioner of mine.  I have included the readings, 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18 and and John 11.17-27, upon which the homily was based.  Click on the underlined text to listen to the podcast of the homily summary.

Do not grieve as others who have no hope

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have written and spoken to you about Gregorian chant before and the reason why we sing it in our parish.  Here are some excerpts from Vatican documents that make clear the mind of the Church.

At the Vatican Council II, in 1964, which began a reform of the liturgy, the Church allowed that Mass could be said in the vernacular tongue.  Although Mass could now be said in English, that in no way was meant to abolish Latin at Mass, or singing in Latin.  In fact, the Vatican II liturgical document, written in 1964, allowing English says: “the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, n.36). (Nota bene. When official Church documents refer to “Latin rites” it is referring to Catholic dioceses where the official language of the liturgy is Latin, such as for Roman Catholics.)  Regarding the use of Gregorian chant, the same document reminds us: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman Liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.”  (n.116).

To further the reforms of the council, the Vatican came out with an instruction on liturgical music in 1967 called Musicam Sacram. Obviously allowing for the use of the mother tongue at Mass, it also quotes Vatican II: “According to the Constitution on the Liturgy, ‘the use of the Latin language, with due respect to particular law, is to be preserved in the Latin rites.'” and orders that: “Pastors of souls should take care that besides the vernacular ‘the faithful may also be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.'” (n.47). About the chant, it repeats Vatican II: “Gregorian chant, as proper to the Roman liturgy, should be given pride of place.” (n.50).

Pope Paul VI would later insist on the use of the chant seven years later, in 1974. He had the Congregation for Divine Worship send to all the bishops a booklet of  Gregorian chants that all Catholics should know along with a letter saying: “Our    congregation has prepared a booklet entitled, ‘Jubilate Deo’, which contains a  minimum selection of sacred chants. This was done in response to a desire which the Holy Father had frequently expressed, that all the faithful should know at least some Latin Gregorian chants, such as, for example, the ‘Gloria’, the ‘Credo’, the ‘Sanctus’, and the ‘Agnus Dei’. It gives me great pleasure to send you a copy of it, as a personal gift from His Holiness, Pope Paul VI.   May I take this opportunity of recommending to your pastoral solicitude this new initiative, whose purpose is to facilitate the  observance of the recommendation of the Second Vatican Council ‘…steps must be taken to ensure that the faithful are able to chant together in Latin those parts of the ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.'” (Voluntati obsequens).

The ability of Catholics from all over the world to be able to sing together Latin Gregorian chant, for Paul VI, was a sensible expression of the unity of the Church. The letter goes on: “Down the centuries, Gregorian chant has accompanied liturgical celebrations in the Roman rite, has nourished men’s faith and has fostered their piety, while in the process achieving an artistic perfection which the Church rightly considers a patrimony of inestimable value and which the Council recognized as ‘the chant especially suited to the Roman liturgy.’…Those who are trying to improve the quality of congregational singing cannot refuse to Gregorian chant the place which is due to it.” (ibid.).

Pope John Paul II, in 2003, writes to commemorate the 100th anniversary of an instruction of Pope Saint Pius X, in which the saint back in 1903, already had seen the importance of restoring the use of Gregorian chant in churches. “Among the musical expressions that correspond best with the qualities demanded by the notion of sacred music, especially liturgical music, Gregorian chant has a special place. The Second Vatican Council recognized that ‘being specially suited to the Roman Liturgy’ it should be given, other things being equal, pride of place in liturgical services sung in Latin. Saint Pius X pointed out that the Church had ‘inherited it from the Fathers of the Church’, that she has ‘jealously guarded [it] for centuries in her liturgical codices’ and still ‘proposes it to the faithful’ as her own, considering it ‘the supreme model of sacred music’. Thus, Gregorian chant continues also today to be an element of unity in the Roman Liturgy.” (The Fitting role of Sacred Music in the Holy Liturgy).

My motive for having you all learn to sing the chant is part of my priestly fidelity to lead you more deeply into the mind of the Church on sacred music and ultimately to enter into the true spirit of the Mass, which the chant, in its beauty, movement and text is geared to do. Admittedly it is a challenge for us all, but once we have a familiarity with this great treasure of the Church, we will find consolation and spiritual benefit.

In Christ,

Fr. Lawrence Donnelly

The apostles ask for greater faith. They could have asked for greater success, fame, or even wisdom. Yet our Lord gives them an odd answer – maybe even a slight rebuke. Then comes a parable that, at first glance, puzzles. What does it have to do with faith? If you want to grow in faith, in trust in your trust in God, you must serve Him. But even further, to serve with this attitude of obligation, that is, serving God is part and parcel of faith, without expecting recognition or thanks, tests and also strengthens faith. It’s as if Our Lord says: “You want your faith to grow, then serve as someone who is only doing what he ought to do. And no one expects thanks or recognition for those tasks that are his duty to perform.” This attitude is difficult to acquire. It takes a supernatural attitude to life, a real dying to self, and love of God and neighbour – and faith. Notice too that the slave in the parable does eventually get to eat and drink, but only after he has finished his period of service to his master. For the Christian, that period of service ends when our time in this world comes to an end. Then we will eat and drink at the banquet of the Lamb in the heavenly kingdom. The secret to serving as a true disciple of Our Lord is keeping in mind that great banquet. Every time we share in the celebration of the Mass we strengthen that attitude and hope.

Last week, one of our very long-time parishioners passed away: P N. He was someone who optimized this passage from Scripture. He served God right up to then end. P N was ever ready to help, served with dedication and distinction, and never made his service dependent upon getting either thanks or recognition in return. He never had a bad word to say about anyone and showed mercy and kindness to everyone, even the most difficult persons. He will especially be remembered for his care of the poor and as a dedicated member of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and charter member of the Knights of Columbus. Requiescat in pace. (May he rest in peace.)

Here is an excellent link to an article by Ian Gentles, the research director at the De Veber Institute of Bioethics.Lessons on ‘repordictive health’ from Europe

• scripture study
• catechesis
• music
• Gregorian chant
• sacred art and liturgy
• Latin language
• Saint Philip Neri and the Oratory

For many years, Saint Philip Neri has been an inspiration for me both as a laymen, and especially as a model for priesthood.  I am seeking to form a community of priests, seminarians and laymen who are interested in living the Oratorian ideal of Saint Philip with the hope of establishing eventually a bona fide Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Vancouver.