If you are in the San Jose area tonight (Tuesday, May 31) and have a free evening, come by the San Jose Municipal Stadium for the San Jose Giants baseball game. I'll be singing the National Anthem a few minutes before 7:00p.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Oh Say Can You See?
If you are in the San Jose area tonight (Tuesday, May 31) and have a free evening, come by the San Jose Municipal Stadium for the San Jose Giants baseball game. I'll be singing the National Anthem a few minutes before 7:00p.
A Blessing for Travelers
(Adapted from the Book of Blessings, "Blessing of Pilgrims")
Loving and gracious God, you always show mercy to those who love you,
and you are never far away from those who seek you.
Remain with your servants as they travel far from home,
and guide their way by the light of your Word.
Shelter them with your protection by day, give them the light of your grace by night,
and as their companion on their journey, bring them to their destination in safety.
May they see your face in everyone they meet,
and know the depth of your love on every road they walk.
At the end of their journey, may they return to us once again
with renewed faith and hearts full of joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
FILED UNDER: PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
Loving and gracious God, you always show mercy to those who love you,and you are never far away from those who seek you.
Remain with your servants as they travel far from home,
and guide their way by the light of your Word.
Shelter them with your protection by day, give them the light of your grace by night,
and as their companion on their journey, bring them to their destination in safety.
May they see your face in everyone they meet,
and know the depth of your love on every road they walk.
At the end of their journey, may they return to us once again
with renewed faith and hearts full of joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
FILED UNDER: PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
Classifieds: Seek and Ye Shall Find
Available: Music Director and Liturgist
Local liturgist with MA degree in same from Santa Clara University, 12 years experience as choir director, and 14 years experience as Director of Liturgy seeks a full-time position in the Diocese of San Jose as liturgy director, music director, or combination of both. Interested also in parish or school secretarial positions. Available immediately, and resume available upon request. Please contact Caroline Thomas at carolmarth@aol.com or (408) 226-2558.
Available: Music Director
Tom Willbanks is actively seeking work in the Diocese of San Jose as a director of music ministry. He is currently completing a Doctoral degree in music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and holds the Master of Music degree (2002, piano performance) from this school, as well as the Bachelor of Music (2000, w/honors, piano performance) from San José State University. Tom has served the Diocese of San Jose since 1987, and would really like to come back home to work and to continue his service. He can be reached at (402) 304-5062, or by e-mail at twillbanks@neb.rr.com. Tom will gladly send his resume upon request.
FILED UNDER: CLASSIFIEDS
Local liturgist with MA degree in same from Santa Clara University, 12 years experience as choir director, and 14 years experience as Director of Liturgy seeks a full-time position in the Diocese of San Jose as liturgy director, music director, or combination of both. Interested also in parish or school secretarial positions. Available immediately, and resume available upon request. Please contact Caroline Thomas at carolmarth@aol.com or (408) 226-2558.
Available: Music Director
Tom Willbanks is actively seeking work in the Diocese of San Jose as a director of music ministry. He is currently completing a Doctoral degree in music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and holds the Master of Music degree (2002, piano performance) from this school, as well as the Bachelor of Music (2000, w/honors, piano performance) from San José State University. Tom has served the Diocese of San Jose since 1987, and would really like to come back home to work and to continue his service. He can be reached at (402) 304-5062, or by e-mail at twillbanks@neb.rr.com. Tom will gladly send his resume upon request.
A Blessing for Graduates
Eternal God,in you we live,
and move,
and have our being.
In your will
we find our purpose,
and in your wisdom
we find our joy.
Bless these graduates
who have completed
a course of study
and now begin
a new part of their lives.
Let them not be troubled
about the past nor
anxious about the future,
but let them be concerned about the moment they must now live.
Strengthen their faith and ease their fears
that they may courageously follow your Spirit
and live fully the life you give them.
When doubt and confusion about their purpose surround them,
light their way and give them peace in your plan for them.
Let them use the gifts they have received in their studies
that they may become a source of inspiration
and blessing for the world.
And when each day is ended, give them delight in knowing
that the good work you have begun in them
shall come to completion in you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
FILED UNDER: PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Catechumenate Training Survey
Many of you already know Sr. Miriam Malone, SNJM, who has provided several formation and retreat opportunities in the diocese for catechumens and those who work with the Rite of Chistian Initiation of Adults.
FILED UNDER: INITIATION
While Sr. Miriam had been the Director of Christian Initiation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, she developed a formation program for those who wanted to better implement and direct the catechumenate process in their parish. Sr. Miriam is offering our diocese the opportunity to participate in a similar formation program for catechumenate leaders and team members in our own diocese.
Through her SNJM Fire for Ministry team, she is offering a 10-session program that provides the participants:
- intensive training in every element of the initiation process;
- liturgical experiences of the rites of the catechumenate;
- training in mystagogical reflection on these rites as the basis for catechesis;
- practical strategies for forming team members, catechists, sponsors, and the assembly in the initiation process;
- models for evangelization and catechesis during all periods of initiation;
- faith sharing and community building with other pastoral ministers;
- evaluation skills, critique of current practices, and opportunity for post-program follow up.
Her program takes place over 10 full-day monthly gatherings (approximately 6-7 hours each) at the cost of $35 each gathering. Participants would commit to all 10 gatherings since an integral component of faith sharing requires a consistent community. Limited partial scholarships would also be available through the Office of Pastoral Ministry. Workshops would take place either at the Villa Holy Names Spirituality Center in Los Gatos or at a local parish in the diocese.
Before the liturgy office can contract Sr. Miriam, we would like to find out if this kind of program would be feasible and of interest for those who work with the catechumenate or are planning to implement the catechumenate in their parish.
If you are a catechumenate director, a member of a parish catechumenate team, a pastor, or person commited to implementing the catechumenate in your parish within the Diocese of San Jose, please take one minute to fill out the survey below. Your information will be kept confidential and will only be used to compile a summary of responses from our diocese. If you have any questions about this survey or the proposed training program, please contact Diana Macalintal.
FILED UNDER: INITIATION
Friday, May 20, 2005
Most Holy Trinity
3=1, three in one, three-leaf clovers—this was basically what teachers and homilists taught me about the Trinity when I was growing up. Now I was never good at math, and this theological geometry problem never made sense to me. So it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I finally figured out what the great “mystery” was to this most mysterious of doctrines.I learned about St. Gregory of Nyssa and his theological companions, his brother Basil and their friend, Gregory. In the early 4th century, these Cappadocian Fathers basically established how the Father is related to the Son, and how they are related to the Spirit thus laying out a doctrine of the Trinity.
One of the concepts about the Trinity inspired by the Cappadocian Fathers is the idea of perichoresis, literally meaning a circular dance. For Gregory and many of the Eastern mystics, the Trinity is not an equation but a dance—a relationship between persons, a right-ordering of creation.
The Trinity then is less like a thing and more like an action we participate in. It is a dance of love between the Father and the Son united by the Holy Spirit. It a dance between lovers so intimately bound to one another that if they stopped loving each other, they lose their identity. And because of their profound intimacy, they become even more distinct from each other, growing ever deeper into the persons they were meant to be. Their union is creative, beautiful, and attractive, drawing others into their love, and opening new possibilities and ways of being for and with others and each other. Difference is not conflict but the necessary push and pull that make the dancers confident in their steps. Distinction is not separation but communion of other with other. Theirs is a dynamic relationship. Love is constantly poured out for the other and received in joy. The unfolding of their self-sacrificing union is the definition of beauty. Delight is the space between them. All things, whether joyful or painful are caught up into their boundless love and re-shaped into the deep mystery of the Holy in which death is life and giving all we have is to be filled with blessing upon blessing, pressed down and overflowing.
To understand the Trinity then, we need look no further than our most intimate relationship with another person. The mystery of the Trinity is the same mystery of the irrational illogical unreasonable love of parent for child, of spouse for spouse, of partner for partner. Every time we give when we have nothing left, every time we forgive when there is no reason to, every time we have fallen so deeply in love that all we want to do is dance and jump and yell out for joy or else we’ll burst for keeping it in—that is the mystery of the Trinity. It’s the daily sacrifices we make for our family, it’s the feeling of solidarity in the struggle and pain of those who are strangers to us, it’s the human capacity to love and hope and create despite an unknown future.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit which we have just celebrated, all creation is caught up in the dance of the Father and the Son. All people, distinct from each other, are seated at the same table and feast upon the same heavenly food making them one united body dancing in love with the one loving God. As we bask in the glow of the Easter fire of Pentecost, may we dance with all creation and move with grace to the kingdom of God.
In this week’s DSJ Liturgy Notes you’ll find:
- Holy Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration
- Ordination Choir – June 4, 2005
- Resources for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord
- L.I.F.E. Liturgy Seminar
- A Day of Reflection for the Creative Artist
- Looking for a Singing Bowl?
- Lector Workshop – May 28, 2005
- Video Tribute to John Paul II
- Summer Courses at Santa Clara University
As we continue this Year of the Eucharist, you might consider participating in some form of Eucharistic adoration, whether it’s simply praying before the tabernacle or organizing a procession, exposition, and benediction on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (May 29, 2005 this year). During the week between Most Holy Trinity and the Body and Blood of the Lord would also be a good time to practice this venerable form of prayer. The articles above—Holy Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration and Resources for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord may be helpful for you in preparing these opportunities for prayer.
Though we are officially in ordinary time, the scent of Easter still lingers in the air as we celebrate these following Sundays. May all our Sundays be reflections of Easter, every liturgy a dance of the Trinity, and every Eucharist a call to deeper commitment to the Body and Blood of Christ.
Diana Macalintal
Associate for Liturgy
FILED UNDER: OPENING ARTICLES
Holy Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration
This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in The Valley Catholic, April 19, 2005.
The Year of the Eucharist is an appropriate time to reexamine the relationship between the sacramental celebration of the Eucharist and eucharistic devotions. The Second Vatican Council formed us to understand that the Sunday liturgy is the source and summit of our faith. Everything we are about as Catholics must begin and end with the celebration of the Eucharist, especially the Sunday Mass. Pope John Paul II reminds us, “Among the many activities of a parish, none is as vital or as community-forming as the Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist” (Dies Domini, 35). It is no surprise, then, that the teaching of the Church regarding eucharistic devotions places the Sunday liturgy as the source and goal of all other forms of worship, including eucharistic devotions: “The celebration of the Eucharist is the center of the entire Christian life….‘The celebration of the Eucharist in the sacrifice of the Mass,’ moreover, ‘is truly the origin and the purpose of the worship that is shown to the Eucharist outside Mass.’ [Eucharisticum Mysterium, 3e]” (Eucharistiae Sacramentum, 1, 2).
In other words, the Mass must be the first and central place of our devotion. This seems clear. However, we tend to think of “devotion” as quiet, personal reflection. This is, indeed, what we mean when we speak of private devotion such as praying before the tabernacle. But to show true devotion in the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council tell us, “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 14).
Given the teaching of the Church, communities that wish to increase the devotion to the Eucharist among the faithful would attend first of all to the elements of the Sunday liturgy that foster full, conscious, and active participation. Some of these include: beautiful music and enthusiastic singing, clear and powerful proclamation of the Word, preaching that is intimately connected to the lives of the faithful, full and sensual symbols, sharing fully in Communion (both Christ’s Body and Blood), and shared, common posture throughout the liturgy, particularly during the Communion rite.
The devotion we show to the Eucharist through our full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass strengthens and sends us to practice devotion to the Eucharist on a daily basis. The primary way we do this is by living out the final words of the Mass: “Go to love and serve the Lord.” Thus our love for Christ in the Mass will be authentic if we show that love for Christ outside of Mass as well. We show love for Christ when we love those whom Christ loved—the poor and the outcast. In this way will all creation be united in Christ in true communion.
Worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass then helps us to strengthen our love for Christ. It makes us hunger for Communion—not simply the consecrated bread and wine, but the common union of all people joined in Christ. Thus it is a tradition that is warmly encouraged by the Church. The Second Vatican Council said, “Popular devotions of the Christian people are to be highly commended, provided they accord with the laws and norms of the Church, above all when they are ordered by the Apostolic See” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 13). There are many forms this may take, but there are three that most Catholics practice or are familiar with. These are: 1) simple adoration, 2) exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction, and 3) perpetual exposition.
Each of these forms of adoration is focused on the reserved sacrament that is consecrated at Mass, and all forms of eucharistic adoration recognize that “[t]he primary and original reason for reservation of the Eucharist outside Mass is the administration of viaticum [Communion for the dying]” (Eucharistiae Sacramentum, 5). Therefore, our prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is not so much an inward act as it is a call to focus on others—the poor, the weak, and the dying who are nearing the fulfillment of their communion with Christ. Furthermore, our adoration of the Lord present in the sacrament increases our hunger to do the mission of the Eucharist: “the spread of the Gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values” (Mane Nobiscum Domine, 24).
FILED UNDER: LITURGY
The Year of the Eucharist is an appropriate time to reexamine the relationship between the sacramental celebration of the Eucharist and eucharistic devotions. The Second Vatican Council formed us to understand that the Sunday liturgy is the source and summit of our faith. Everything we are about as Catholics must begin and end with the celebration of the Eucharist, especially the Sunday Mass. Pope John Paul II reminds us, “Among the many activities of a parish, none is as vital or as community-forming as the Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist” (Dies Domini, 35). It is no surprise, then, that the teaching of the Church regarding eucharistic devotions places the Sunday liturgy as the source and goal of all other forms of worship, including eucharistic devotions: “The celebration of the Eucharist is the center of the entire Christian life….‘The celebration of the Eucharist in the sacrifice of the Mass,’ moreover, ‘is truly the origin and the purpose of the worship that is shown to the Eucharist outside Mass.’ [Eucharisticum Mysterium, 3e]” (Eucharistiae Sacramentum, 1, 2).In other words, the Mass must be the first and central place of our devotion. This seems clear. However, we tend to think of “devotion” as quiet, personal reflection. This is, indeed, what we mean when we speak of private devotion such as praying before the tabernacle. But to show true devotion in the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council tell us, “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 14).
Given the teaching of the Church, communities that wish to increase the devotion to the Eucharist among the faithful would attend first of all to the elements of the Sunday liturgy that foster full, conscious, and active participation. Some of these include: beautiful music and enthusiastic singing, clear and powerful proclamation of the Word, preaching that is intimately connected to the lives of the faithful, full and sensual symbols, sharing fully in Communion (both Christ’s Body and Blood), and shared, common posture throughout the liturgy, particularly during the Communion rite.
The devotion we show to the Eucharist through our full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass strengthens and sends us to practice devotion to the Eucharist on a daily basis. The primary way we do this is by living out the final words of the Mass: “Go to love and serve the Lord.” Thus our love for Christ in the Mass will be authentic if we show that love for Christ outside of Mass as well. We show love for Christ when we love those whom Christ loved—the poor and the outcast. In this way will all creation be united in Christ in true communion.
Worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass then helps us to strengthen our love for Christ. It makes us hunger for Communion—not simply the consecrated bread and wine, but the common union of all people joined in Christ. Thus it is a tradition that is warmly encouraged by the Church. The Second Vatican Council said, “Popular devotions of the Christian people are to be highly commended, provided they accord with the laws and norms of the Church, above all when they are ordered by the Apostolic See” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 13). There are many forms this may take, but there are three that most Catholics practice or are familiar with. These are: 1) simple adoration, 2) exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction, and 3) perpetual exposition.
Each of these forms of adoration is focused on the reserved sacrament that is consecrated at Mass, and all forms of eucharistic adoration recognize that “[t]he primary and original reason for reservation of the Eucharist outside Mass is the administration of viaticum [Communion for the dying]” (Eucharistiae Sacramentum, 5). Therefore, our prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is not so much an inward act as it is a call to focus on others—the poor, the weak, and the dying who are nearing the fulfillment of their communion with Christ. Furthermore, our adoration of the Lord present in the sacrament increases our hunger to do the mission of the Eucharist: “the spread of the Gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values” (Mane Nobiscum Domine, 24).
FILED UNDER: LITURGY
Ordination Choir - June 4, 2005
Singers and instrumentalists, you're invited to participate in the Ordination Choir for the Diocese of San Jose. On Saturday, June 4, 2005, at 9:30a in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, Bishop Patrick J. McGrath will ordain five men to serve as priests for the diocese. Participate in the choir and you'll get the best seat in the house without having to become a Bishop!Rehearsal for Ordination Choir
Tuesday, May 31, 2005, 7:00p - 9:00p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, parish hall
RSVP with Julie Wind - 408-283-8100 x2205
free parking on the street or in public lots after 6:00p
Ordination Celebration
Saturday, June 4, 2005, 9:30a
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
FILED UNDER: EVENTS
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Resources for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord
The Liturgy Office of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has put together an extensive set of resources for the celebration of the Year of the Eucharist, especially the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ that takes place in the United States on Sunday, May 29, 2005. (In England and Wales, the solemnity takes place on the Thursday after the Most Holy Trinity. The booklet referenced below includes several sections on how to make weekday holy days more significant in the life of the parish.)You can find all their resources here (you will need Adobe Reader to access the materials). Below is an excerpt from their booklet on Celebrating the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
===
The Liturgies of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord
Each of the three elements described below requires, and will repay, careful preparation. The greatest attention should be paid to the preparation of the liturgy of the Mass. A planning sheet is provided at the end of this booklet
I. Liturgy of the Hours
The Offices of the Solemnity are found in the Volume III of the Divine Office. The Offices may be prayed in their own right, but may also be prayed during a time of Exposition. In addition they provide a resource for prayers and readings for other times of prayer.
II. Mass
a) Proper texts
The Proper of the Mass is found on pp 348-9 of the Roman Missal. One of the two Prefaces of the Holy Eucharist should be used (P 46 and P 47, Roman Missal, pp 467-9).
b) Penitential Rite
Themes related to the Solemnity are to the fore in a number of examples of Form C of the Penitential Rite, examples c ii, c vi, c viii (Roman Missal, pp 361-4).
c) Solemn Blessing
Any of the Solemn Blessings I – V for Ordinary Time may be used or of the Prayers over the People 1-24 (Roman Missal, pp 574-5 and 579-83 respectively).
d) Music
Some general notes are offered here. More detailed guidance on music and the Liturgy of the Eucharist may be found in the document Music and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Particular care should be taken on this day with regard to the music used at Mass, and especially during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Priority should be given to singing the key sung elements of the Common of the Mass – the Gospel and Eucharistic Acclamations, and the Gloria. In the Communion Rite best practice should be followed with regard to the Communion Song and the Period of Silence or Song after Communion.
Care should be taken to choose a Communion Song which can begin immediately after the communal recital of ‘Lord, I am not worthy to receive you...’ and continue until all the assembly have received Communion. So as not to encumber the assembly with books or service sheets during the procession the song may be led by a cantor or choir and include a repeated response or refrain from the assembly.
Suitable settings include:
Settings of Psalm 115 (116) (The Blessing Cup)
Settings of Psalm 33 (34) (Taste and See)
Amen, Amen So Shall It Be — Foster
Take and Eat — Joncas
How Blest — Schiavone
Eat This Bread — Taizé
Come Christ’s Beloved — Walsh
Although the Communion Song can be followed by another Song after Communion it may be preferable to allow a time of silence to allow for members of the assembly to offer their prayer of thanksgiving in silence, and to contemplate of the mystery celebrated. (This would be particularly appropriate if a time of extended exposition was to follow after Mass, or if a final hymn was to be sung.) If hymns are being sung then it is better for them to be sung as Entrance or Final Hymns rather than at other times.
III. Procession
A Eucharistic Procession ‘is a prolongation of the celebration of the Eucharist: immediately after Mass, the Sacred Host, consecrated during the Mass, is borne out of the Church for the Christian faithful to make public profession of faith and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament’ (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 162)
Wherever it is possible in the judgement of the diocesan Bishop, a procession through the public streets should be held, especially on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ as a public witness of reverence for the Most Holy Sacrament, for the devout participation of the faithful in the eucharistic procession on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is a grace from the Lord which yearly fills with joy those who take part in it’. (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 143)
The Church’s guidance for such processions is given in the ritual book Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass (part of the Roman Ritual).
It will normally begin immediately after the celebration of a Mass. It should normally go from one church to another, but may return to the same church where it began.
a) Music
No particular songs are required to be used during the procession, but suitable ones would include those listed above for use during Communion. Again it is helpful if the songs are sung by a choir with a chant for all participants (as many will be familiar with from the practice in Lourdes). Traditional hymns might most easily be sung at the beginning or end of the procession, when the congregation is stationary.
b) Good order of the procession
As already noted the decision as to whether a public procession may proceed belongs to the Bishop. Matters that he is likely to take into consideration are the likelihood of the procession provoking reactions of disrespect of the Church or blasphemy towards Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.
When a public procession cannot be held, the tradition of holding eucharistic processions should not be allowed to be lost. Instead, new ways should be sought of holding them in today’s conditions: for example, at shrines, or in public gardens if the civil authority agrees.(Redemptionis Sacramentum, 144)
Well in advance of any planned procession, the appropriate permissions must also be obtained from any necessary civil authorities – for example the local council or police force for processions taking place on public roads. The civil authorities will indicate the necessary health and safety measures that should be observed for the well-being of worshippers and the general public.
FILED UNDER: LITURGY
L.I.F.E. Liturgy Seminar
Each summer when I'm at St. John's Abbey and University, I run into liturgical, pastoral, and catechetical ministers from all over the country who come to the Abbey for two weeks to immerse themselves in the celebration, reflection, and study of liturgy. They're not students of the University, but are participants of an intensive seminar sponsored by Liturgical Press and the Abbey. If you're looking for a short break from the usual summer vacation, check out this great opportunity.
FILED UNDER: EVENTS
L.I.F.E.
Liturgy in a Formative Environment
July 17 - 19, 2005
St. John's Abbey and Unversity
Collegeville, Minnesota
FILED UNDER: EVENTS
A Day of Reflection for the Creative Artist
Santa Clara University, through the Bannan Center for Jesuit Education, offers a free lecture series open to the public. The next one is this Saturday.
The Book of Job in a Suffering World:
A Day of Reflection
on the Vocation of the Creative Artist
How can artists work in solidarity with the poor beyond slogans? Inspired by the Jesuit ideal of igniting imaginations to change our suffering world, this day of reflection will bring together artists and activists to explore how to engage social justice issues in light of the perplexing questions raised by the Book of Job.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Sobrato Commons
This event is free and open to the public
Lunch and Dinner on your own
Information: J. David Pleins at jpleins@scu.edu
Information: J. David Pleins at jpleins@scu.edu
On-campus Parking restricted due to Law School graduation
Panels and Artistic Presentations
10:00a - 11:00a The Vocation of the Creative Artist
Gene Hines - film maker, mythology teacher, mentor
Michelle Blair - documentary maker
Neil Ferron - poet, writer, student
11:15a - 12:00p A Digital Meditation on the Book of Job
“The World’s Night is Spreading Its Darkness”
Featuring Sheeva Sabati and Sebastian Kadlecik
Written and Directed by Mark Larson
12:15p - 1:00p Crafting Stories of Justice: The Book of Job
Mark Larson - artist-in-residence
Kristin Kusanovich - Theatre and Dance faculty
Daniel Lee - film maker, SCU Alum
2:00p - 3:15p Telling Stories of Human Suffering Today
Ron Hansen - novelist, English faculty
Scott Rains - disabilities activist
Philip Riley - Religious Studies faculty
Carolyn Silberman - Theatre and Dance faculty
Paul Soukup - Communication faculty
3:30p - 5:00p Solidarity Begins Slogans
Sarah Attwood - SCAAP
Jason Beyer - Religious Studies faculty
Michael Colyer - Arrupe Center
Pat Green - DISCOVER Grant recipient
Patricia Narcisco - community service leader
Elizabeth Thompson - SCU Career Center
8:00p The Prometheus Bound
Performance in the Mission Church
Translated by Henry David Thoreau
A Solo Performance by Sebastian Kadlecik, SCU Alum
Directed by Mark Larson and Kristin Kusanovich
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Looking for a Singing Bowl?
A singing bowl is an instrument that is used in many Asian cultures as a call to worship, a meditative accompaniment to prayer, a healing device, and a tonal kind of "incense" that lifts prayers up to heaven. I’ve used singing bowls as a wordless call to worship during Masses in Lent and Advent and at other liturgies. It’s a great way to set the tone for a celebration.You can buy singing bowls from many places, even online. But the best place I’ve found is in person at the Berkeley Himalayan Fair. This fair happens once a year and is a great source for singing bowls and colorful fabrics. You'll find lots of vendors each selling tons of singing bowls of all shapes, sizes, and sounds.
The Himalayan Fair
Live Oak Park, Berkeley
If you can't make it to Berkeley, I found a great local shop that not only has singing bowls but many other Asians instruments such as bells and drums.
Global Beads
345 Castro Street, Mountain View
650-967-7556
If you're nowhere near Berkeley or Mountain View, just do an online search for "singing bowls" and you'll find thousands of singing bowl vendors with both online and tradition brick-and-mortar storefronts. You can also look for them at many music stores that sell ethnic instruments, yoga centers, and businesses that specialize in Asian goods.
Here's how you can test the quality of your singing bowl:
- Hold your hand open and flat, and balance your bowl on your palm. Try not to let your fingers touch the sides of the bowl since this will deaden the sound.
- Feel its weight. Bowls of thinner material usually sound more metalic than thicker more solid-weighted bowls.
- Using a wooden stick, strike the bowl's side once just below the lip. Keep your stick parallel to the ground as you hit the bowl.
- Start with a soft gentle strike. Then try a medium force. Then finally, give your bowl a good strong hit. Let the tone die down each time before hitting the bowl to test how long the bowl sounds with each type of strike.
- Finally, make your bowl sing. Holding the bowl in your palm, gently strike the bowl with your stick. Then, as the bowl is ringing, hold the stick upside down at a 45 degree angle. Place the stick against the outside edge of the bowl's rim, and rub the stick slowly around the circumference of the rim using even pressure all the way around. This motion is similar to rubbing your finger around the lip of a wine glass to make it vibrate. If you're bowl starts to "chatter", slow down your motion. You'll probably need to practice this a bit. Some bowls are harder to make sing than others. Each bowl will be different.
Tones will vary in pitch depending on the size of your bowl. Listen for a clarity in the bowl's tone. Some bowls will have a "buzzing" sound; some will sound "tinny"; some bowls will make several "notes" simultaneously. This will sound discordant. (Don't get this sound mixed up with the pleasant natural harmonics that occur with any tone.) Most likely you will want a bowl that makes a clear "pure" single tone that doesn't fade too quickly. If you don't get a clear sound, make sure you are not dampening the sound too much with your hand and that you are striking the bowl solidly just beneath the lip. If you still don't get the quality of sound you want, find another bowl.
Before you make a final decision, think about how you plan to use your bowl. If you want to use it for liturgies in a large church, you will probably need a larger bowl to fill the space. Different kinds of mallets will also give you a different sound. A mallet with a crack will give you an imperfect sound. A mallet wrapped with felt gives a less harsh sound but might also be too quiet for your needs. You can often ask the vendor for a different mallet that goes better with your bowl. Also note that the small cushions that often accompany the bowls are not always necessary to use. Only bowls that you cannot hold comfortably in your hand will need a cushion.
An average-sized bowl (6-9 inches in diameter) of good quality can run you about $75-$100. The stick is always included in the price. Cushions may or may not be included.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Lector Workshop - May 28, 2005
Be afraid no more when you lector! Learn new skills and brush up on your proclamation technique. St. Mary parish in Gilroy will be hosting a lector workshop in English open to all lectors in the diocese. The workshop will be led by Nick Wagner, author of Nine Steps to Becoming a Better Lector.Lector Workshop
Facilitator: Nick Wagner
Saturday, May 28, 2005
8:00a - 9:30a
St. Mary Parish Church
RSVP with Rose Barry at rose@stmarygilroy.org
FILED UNDER: EVENTS
Video Tribute to John Paul II
The National Funeral Directors Association has put together a very lovely collage of images of Pope John Paul II. Click here to view it.
FILED UNDER: POPE
FILED UNDER: POPE
Summer Courses at Santa Clara University
Don't let your mind get fried this summer. Exercise it and update your liturgical and theological skills. The Graduate Pastoral Ministries Program at Santa Clara University offers summer courses open to all. This summer they have several excellent classes in the liturgical field with great professors from all over the country coming to enjoy the Silicon Valley summer. There are also scholarships available (deadline for scholarship requests is May 16, 2005).
Click here for the full summer schedule.June 20-July 1, 2005
Liturgical Spirituality
Richard McCarron, Ph.D.
An introduction to the historical, theological, and cultural issues underlying the liturgical and spiritual traditions of the Christian churches.
Choral Conducting and Choir Techniques
Thomas Colohan
An examination of the techniques of choral conducting as well as the choral training necessary for developing a well-balanced choir. Focuses on solving choral problems encountered in both small ensembles and large choirs.
Fundamental Theology
Jim Nickoloff, Ph.D.
A consideration of revelation as God’s self communication. What is the relationship of revelation to Christian faith.
July 11-July 22, 2005
Principles of Liturgy
Mark Francis, CSV
Students will explore the theological foundations for the reform of the liturgy after the Second Vatican Council; history, biblical roots, liturgical development with particular attention to the impact on contemporary parish life in the multicultural church.
June 27-July 1, 2005
A Word from the Lord: The Preacher's Art
J-Glenn Murray, SJ
This course will explore the process and practice of preaching. Each participant will receive practical experience.
FILED UNDER: EVENTS
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
More Mother's Day Resources
The prayers below and more (you'll need Adobe Reader to see the other prayers) come from the Worship Commission for the Lutheran Church of Australia. The prayers are excellent and their website is even better!---
God our Father, we pray:
for new mothers,
coming to terms with both the joys and demands of motherhood;
for pregnant mothers, expectant and wondering, or fearful;
for those mothers who are tired, stressed, ill or depressed;
for those who struggle to balance the demands of work and children;
for those who have to struggle with difficult decisions
about whether or not to become a mother or to have another child;
for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;
for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;
for those who have children they do not want;
for those who raise children on their own;
for those who have lost a child through death or abortion;
for those who care for the children of others;
for those whose children have left home;
for those whose children have rejected their love;
and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.
Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,
and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,
living not for themselves, but for God and for others.
Amen.
---
Loving God,
we thank you for adopting us into your family
through the miracle of baptism,
and for calling us to be brothers and sisters to each other
through Jesus, the only Son of God.
Today, loving Father, we pray for our mothers:
- who cared for us when we were helpless
- who comforted us when we were hurt
- whose love and care we usually took for granted, as we often take your love for granted.
- those who are grieving the loss of their mother, maybe even years after they were separated
- those who never knew their biological mother, and now yearn for her
- those who have experienced the wonder of an adopted mother's love
- the families separated in wars. Lord, give them special blessings.
so that we can love in the way he loves us and all people.
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
---
Loving Father in heaven,
we thank you for the love of the mothers you have given us,
whose love is so precious
that it can never be measured in dollars and cents,
whose time does not seem to be measured
in the hours they put in per week,
whose patience seems to have no end
and can even seem to stretch past breaking point.
May we see your loving hand behind them and guiding them.
We pray for those mothers who fear they will run out of love,
or time, or patience,
and ask you to bless them with your own special love
and the gifts of more time and more patience.
And we pray for children and fathers,
that they may appreciate, love and support their mothers and wives.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord and brother.
Amen.
FILED UNDER: PRAYERS
Monday, May 02, 2005
What Makes A Good Church?
The people at Busted Halo.com say that the 20 and 30 something crowd consistently tell them that the hallmarks of a great parish mix these elements:
- Mystery: young adults long for a sense of the contemplative in ritual.
- Hospitality: young adults want to feel welcomed in their spiritual home.
- Relevant Preaching: messages that resonate with their everyday experiences.
- Joyful Singable Music: music that they like to both listen to and sing along with.
Then check out Busted Halo's Church Search and see if your parish is one recommended by the young adults there.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Suggested Intercession for Mother's Day - May 8, 2005
Ascension Sunday - May 8, 2005Click here for the day's readings.
For those who have mothered us into birth,
For those we call “mother” who have taught us to be disciples of Jesus,
For expectant mothers and those whose wombs ache for motherhood,
For all who have borne the pain of losing a child,
And for mothers who have passed into the heavens yet are with us always:
May the gentle and strong mothering Spirit of God be their guide and their peace.
We pray to the Lord.
For mothers far away from their children:
For those in the military and those in other lands, bring them home;
For mothers separated by divorce, pain, or conflict, give them peace.
May they believe in the promise of God
and hope in Chirst who calls all creation to be united in him.
We pray to the Lord.
FILED UNDER: INTERCESSIONS, PRAYERS
Friday, April 29, 2005
Neophyte Mass and Cathedral tours – May 6, 2005
The Diocese of San Jose invites all who were baptized during this Easter season, all who were received into full Communion with the Catholic Church, and all who celebrated any of the sacraments of initiation during the Easter season, along with their friends, godparents, family, and fellow-parishioners to celebrate Eucharist together in Easter joy.Neophyte Mass
A Mass Celebrating New Life
Friday, May 6, 2005, 7:30p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
Tours of the Cathedral begin at 6:15p
Last tour at 7:00p
There will also be free tours of the Cathedral Basilica led by catechumenate leaders of the Diocese. These “magical mystagogical tours” start at 6:15p that night and continue every 15 minutes. The last tour begins at 7:00p. Bring your questions and your cameras and celebrate the new life that has begun in our Church.
For more information, contact Diana Macalintal at Macalintal@dsj.org or 408-983-0136.
FILED UNDER: EVENTS
Ascension Sunday – May 8, 2005
In the western dioceses of the United States, the celebration of the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred from the Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the Seventh Sunday of Easter which falls this year on May 8. The readings and prayers for the Ascension should be used on May 8 in place of those for the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
Confirmation of Adults – May 15, 2005
On Sunday, May 15, Bishop McGrath will welcome adult candidates for Confirmation to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph. The liturgy will be a Liturgy of the Word with the Rite of Confirmation.Additional information and registration forms have been sent to all pastors and catechumenate directors via email. If you have not received a form and wish to send candidates from your parish to this celebration, please contact Diana Macalintal at Macalintal@dsj.org or 408-983-0136.
Diocesan Confirmation of Adults
Sunday, May 15, 2005, 3:30p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
80 S. Market Street, San Jose
Candidates and sponsors must arrive by 3:00p
Sunday, May 15, 2005, 3:30p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
80 S. Market Street, San Jose
Candidates and sponsors must arrive by 3:00p
Pre-registration required - Contact Macalintal@dsj.org
Suggested Intercession for Orthodox Easter - May 1, 2005
Since the second century there has always been a controversy in the Christian church regarding the date of Easter. Some Christians wanted to celebrate Easter on the fourteenth day of Nisan (the first day of the full moon in the first month of spring). Others wanted to celebrate it on the Sunday after the fourteenth day of Nisan. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD, from where we get the "Nicene Creed"), decided that Easter would always fall on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring.But the controversy was not over, since there wasn't a common agreement about when spring (the vernal equinox) began. In addition, some churches also wanted to acknowledge the Jewish calendar, especially its celebration of passover, by assigning Easter to the Sunday after passover. And even here, there were also discrepancies within the Jewish calendar.
But that's just the beginning! Pope Gregory XIII in 1578 introduced a reform of the Julian Calendar which had somehow added ten days to the year (an issue too complicated for me to explain, but you can read more about it here). This new Gregorian Calendar, which is still used today, was adopted by most of the Christian churches. However, many churches that had over the centuries broken ties with the Bishop of Rome for differences in theology, spirituality, and practice (a break solidified in 1054 with the excommunication of the Patriarch of Constantinople by the Bishop of Rome), continued to use the Julian Calendar.
That's where we stand today. The Orthodox Churches (in Greece, Russia, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania and Cyprus) who still use the Julian Calendar will celebrate Easter this year on Sunday, May 1, 2005. Over the last century, there has been increased efforts to find a common calculation for the date of Easter. (Discussion at Vatican II even proposed a fixed date.) The late Pope John Paul II made some bold steps toward dialogue with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. As the Orthodox Church celebrates Easter this weekend, let us also pray for further reconciliation among all Christians.
Click here for a very simple "Tale of Two Easters."
Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 1, 2005
Suggested Intercession
Click here for readings.
For the Orthodox Church as they celebrate Easter,
for days of abundant joy and feasting,
for deepening faith revealing the presence of the divine,
for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
to lead all Christians to reconciliation and unity.
We pray to the Lord.
FILED UNDER: INTERCESSIONS
Classifieds: Seek and Ye Shall Find
Wanted: Choir Director for English Choir
St. Patrick Proto-Cathedral in downtown San Jose seeks a choir director. Responsibilities include: Plans and implements the music for the 10:30a Sunday Mass from September through June for the assembly and choir. Conducts weekly rehearsals. Recruits new members. Plans and coordinates the music for parish celebrations through the liturgical year, such as Christmas, St. Patrick's Day (bi-lingual), Palm Sunday, Triduum (bi-lingual), First Communion, Confirmation, Thanksgiving Day (tri-lingual), Holy Days. Meets regularly with presider, liturgy coordinator, and liturgy committee. Prepares music for rehearsals and Masses. Prepares worship aids for special occasions. Maintains the music library. Qualifications: BA music, further study in liturgy, scripture, and liturgical music. Good organizational, administrative, and relational skills. Contact the parish office for further information: 408-294-8120.
Wanted: Lector Workbooks
If you have any extra Lector Workbooks for 2005, Year A (published by LTP) that you are willing to donate, Therese Engkilterra is seeking six copies. Please contact her at 408-867-3634 x530.
Available: Boy Scout troop equipment
A local Boy Scout troop is disbanding and has equipment to donate to other Boy Scout troops in need. If interested, please contact Charlene Stanley at 650-917-1174.
FILED UNDER: CLASSIFIEDS
St. Patrick Proto-Cathedral in downtown San Jose seeks a choir director. Responsibilities include: Plans and implements the music for the 10:30a Sunday Mass from September through June for the assembly and choir. Conducts weekly rehearsals. Recruits new members. Plans and coordinates the music for parish celebrations through the liturgical year, such as Christmas, St. Patrick's Day (bi-lingual), Palm Sunday, Triduum (bi-lingual), First Communion, Confirmation, Thanksgiving Day (tri-lingual), Holy Days. Meets regularly with presider, liturgy coordinator, and liturgy committee. Prepares music for rehearsals and Masses. Prepares worship aids for special occasions. Maintains the music library. Qualifications: BA music, further study in liturgy, scripture, and liturgical music. Good organizational, administrative, and relational skills. Contact the parish office for further information: 408-294-8120.
Wanted: Lector Workbooks
If you have any extra Lector Workbooks for 2005, Year A (published by LTP) that you are willing to donate, Therese Engkilterra is seeking six copies. Please contact her at 408-867-3634 x530.
Available: Boy Scout troop equipment
A local Boy Scout troop is disbanding and has equipment to donate to other Boy Scout troops in need. If interested, please contact Charlene Stanley at 650-917-1174.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Day of Prayer - May 26, 2005
For leaders of catechetical, justice, liturgical, youth and young adult ministries in the Diocese of San Jose, the Office of Pastoral Ministry offers
A Day of Prayer and Reflection:
Whatever Happened to Joy?
Celebrating the Year of the Eucharist
Facilitator: Timothy Mullner
Timothy Mullner is the General Manager of Benziger, a division of Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. He has taught in the adjunct faculty of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and is a contributing author to Continuing the Journey: Celebrating 40 Years of Vatican II. Timothy Mullner has been involved in parish and diocesan ministry as keynote speaker and workshop presenter at numerous national conferences. This day of prayer is sponsored by Benziger-Macmillan/McGraw-Hill.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
"Blessing of Brains"
A prayer for students during midterms, papers, exams, and finals.God, Creator of all things and of human intellect,
bless these students with orderly thinking,
curiosity for the work of your creation,
and a creative spirit in their studies.
Lord Jesus, Son of God, help them remain focused.
Give them eyes to see the connections between their study
and its value for life and service to others.
Energize them and get their brains working.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them
to give them flexibility of thought and expression,
good memory and calm nerves,
the ability to organize their thinking
and comprehend theories and facts
that they may express them with flair and clarity.
May your Spirit help them
to overcome moments of discouragement
and to rejoice in their accomplishments.
God our Wisdom, in whom we move, live, and have our being,
bless your sons and daughters.
Bless their brains and every part of their lives.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
FILED UNDER: PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Tabat Scholarship for Students of Liturgy
Below is an announcement for a $1000 scholarship for those participating in graduate studies in liturgy. In 2003, I was awarded the Tabat scholarship which helped me in my studies at St. John's University, School of Theology, in Collegeville, Minnesota. The scholarship has been awarded every year since 2002 by the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, a national organization made up of the diocesan commissions of the United States that collaborate with the US Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy.I encourage those of you who have a vocation to serve the Church as parish liturgy directors to explore pursuing an advanced degree in liturgy, theology, or liturgical studies. We are blessed to have Santa Clara University, the Graduate Theological Union, and the University of San Francisco in our own backyard. All of these offer advanced degrees in the field of liturgy or theology.
Some other schools to consider that offer graduate degrees in liturgy are St. John's University in Minnesota, Chicago Theological Union, University of Notre Dame in Indiana, the Catholic University of America, and Washington Theological Union, both in Washington, DC. Some of these and many other schools throughout the country also offer summer-only programs or online courses to help you complete a graduate degree on your own schedule. Some even offer full or partial scholarships for laypersons pursuing graduate studies in liturgy or ministry.
Contact me if you want to talk about what it's like to do graduate studies in liturgy.
The Tabat Scholarship
Sister Joan Tabat, a School Sister of St. Francis, was a pioneer and a tireless worker for liturgical renewal. She held numerous musical and liturgical credentials and was a well-respected and honored member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM). Most of all, Sister Joan excelled in the day-to-day pursuit of excellence as a pastoral musician. She had an amazing ability to bring out the music in people. Oblivious to conservative or progressive titles, Sr. Joan was driven by a deep wisdom and love for the church and commitment to the principles of Vatican II. Sr. Joan died in an automobile accident on September 25, 2000.
A grant of $1,000 in honor of Sr. Joan Tabat, SSSF, will be awarded at the national meeting of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions in Buffalo in October, 2005. The purpose of the grant is to provide assistance with the purchase of books, the continuation of research, or the payment of tuition.
The Tabat scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a graduate degree in a program of liturgical studies to prepare for service in the Church of the United States in an academic, diocesan, or parish setting.
Applicants should send the following to the FDLC National Office, 415 Michigan Avenue, NE, Suite 70, Washington DC 20017 (nationaloffice@fdlc.org) no later than June 30, 2005:
- A curriculum vitae;
- A short description of how the grant will be used;
- Two letters of recommendation, in a sealed envelope, from professors or from someone knowledgeable about the person's work.
Pope Benedict XVI's Inaugural Homily
Here is a translation of the homily delivered by Benedict XVI during the Mass to inaugurate his pontificate, held in St. Peter's Square on April 24, 2005.
Your Eminences,
My dear Brother Bishops and Priests,
Distinguished Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
During these days of great intensity, we have chanted the litany of the saints on three different occasions: at the funeral of our Holy Father John Paul II; as the Cardinals entered the Conclave; and again today, when we sang it with the response: "Tu illum adiuva" – sustain the new Successor of Saint Peter. On each occasion, in a particular way, I found great consolation in listening to this prayerful chant. How alone we all felt after the passing of John Paul II – the Pope who for over twenty-six years had been our shepherd and guide on our journey through life! He crossed the threshold of the next life, entering into the mystery of God. But he did not take this step alone. Those who believe are never alone – neither in life nor in death. At that moment, we could call upon the Saints from every age – his friends, his brothers and sisters in the faith – knowing that they would form a living procession to accompany him into the next world, into the glory of God. We knew that his arrival was awaited. Now we know that he is among his own and is truly at home.
We were also consoled as we made our solemn entrance into Conclave, to elect the one whom the Lord had chosen. How would we be able to discern his name? How could 115 Bishops, from every culture and every country, discover the one on whom the Lord wished to confer the mission of binding and loosing? Once again, we knew that we were not alone, we knew that we were surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God. And now, at this moment, weak servant of God that I am, I must assume this enormous task, which truly exceeds all human capacity. How can I do this? How will I be able to do it? All of you, my dear friends, have just invoked the entire host of Saints, represented by some of the great names in the history of God's dealings with mankind. In this way, I too can say with renewed conviction: I am not alone. I do not have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone. All the Saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me. And your prayers, my dear friends, your indulgence, your love, your faith and your hope accompany me.
Indeed, the communion of Saints consists not only of the great men and women who went before us and whose names we know. All of us belong to the communion of Saints, we who have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we who draw life from the gift of Christ's Body and Blood, through which he transforms us and makes us like himself. Yes, the Church is alive – this is the wonderful experience of these days. During those sad days of the Pope's illness and death, it became wonderfully evident to us that the Church is alive. And the Church is young. She holds within herself the future of the world and therefore shows each of us the way towards the future. The Church is alive and we are seeing it: we are experiencing the joy that the Risen Lord promised his followers. The Church is alive – she is alive because Christ is alive, because he is truly risen. In the suffering that we saw on the Holy Father's face in those days of Easter, we contemplated the mystery of Christ's Passion and we touched his wounds. But throughout these days we have also been able, in a profound sense, to touch the Risen One. We have been able to experience the joy that he promised, after a brief period of darkness, as the fruit of his resurrection.
The Church is alive – with these words, I greet with great joy and gratitude all of you gathered here, my venerable brother Cardinals and Bishops, my dear priests, deacons, Church workers, catechists. I greet you, men and women Religious, witnesses of the transfiguring presence of God. I greet you, members of the lay faithful, immersed in the great task of building up the Kingdom of God which spreads throughout the world, in every area of life. With great affection I also greet all those who have been reborn in the sacrament of Baptism but are not yet in full communion with us; and you, my brothers and sisters of the Jewish people, to whom we are joined by a great shared spiritual heritage, one rooted in God's irrevocable promises. Finally, like a wave gathering force, my thoughts go out to all men and women of today, to believers and non-believers alike.
Dear friends! At this moment there is no need for me to present a program of governance. I was able to give an indication of what I see as my task in my Message of Wednesday, April 20, and there will be other opportunities to do so. My real program of governance is not to do my own will, not to pursue my own ideas, but to listen, together with the whole Church, to the word and the will of the Lord, to be guided by Him, so that He himself will lead the Church at this hour of our history. Instead of putting forward a program, I should simply like to comment on the two liturgical symbols which represent the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry; both these symbols, moreover, reflect clearly what we heard proclaimed in today's readings.
The first symbol is the Pallium, woven in pure wool, which will be placed on my shoulders. This ancient sign, which the Bishops of Rome have worn since the fourth century, may be considered an image of the yoke of Christ, which the Bishop of this City, the Servant of the Servants of God, takes upon his shoulders. God's yoke is God's will, which we accept. And this will does not weigh down on us, oppressing us and taking away our freedom. To know what God wants, to know where the path of life is found – this was Israel's joy, this was her great privilege. It is also our joy: God's will does not alienate us, it purifies us – even if this can be painful – and so it leads us to ourselves. In this way, we serve not only him, but the salvation of the whole world, of all history. The symbolism of the Pallium is even more concrete: the lamb's wool is meant to represent the lost, sick or weak sheep which the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life. For the Fathers of the Church, the parable of the lost sheep, which the shepherd seeks in the desert, was an image of the mystery of Christ and the Church. The human race – every one of us – is the sheep lost in the desert which no longer knows the way. The Son of God will not let this happen; he cannot abandon humanity in so wretched a condition. He leaps to his feet and abandons the glory of heaven, in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it, all the way to the Cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity; he carries us all – he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. What the Pallium indicates first and foremost is that we are all carried by Christ. But at the same time it invites us to carry one another. Hence the Pallium becomes a symbol of the shepherd's mission, of which the Second Reading and the Gospel speak.
The pastor must be inspired by Christ's holy zeal: for him it is not a matter of indifference that so many people are living in the desert. And there are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of God's darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life. The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth's treasures no longer serve to build God's garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance. The symbol of the lamb also has a deeper meaning. In the Ancient Near East, it was customary for kings to style themselves shepherds of their people. This was an image of their power, a cynical image: to them their subjects were like sheep, which the shepherd could dispose of as he wished.
When the shepherd of all humanity, the living God, himself became a lamb, he stood on the side of the lambs, with those who are downtrodden and killed. This is how he reveals himself to be the true shepherd: "I am the Good Shepherd . . . I lay down my life for the sheep," Jesus says of himself (John 10:14). It is not power, but love that redeems us! This is God's sign: he himself is love. How often we wish that God would show himself stronger, that he would strike decisively, defeating evil and creating a better world. All ideologies of power justify themselves in exactly this way, they justify the destruction of whatever would stand in the way of progress and the liberation of humanity. We suffer on account of God's patience. And yet, we need his patience. God, who became a lamb, tells us that the world is saved by the Crucified One, not by those who crucified him. The world is redeemed by the patience of God. It is destroyed by the impatience of man.
One of the basic characteristics of a shepherd must be to love the people entrusted to him, even as he loves Christ whom he serves. "Feed my sheep," says Christ to Peter, and now, at this moment, he says it to me as well. Feeding means loving, and loving also means being ready to suffer. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good, the nourishment of God's truth, of God's word, the nourishment of his presence, which he gives us in the Blessed Sacrament. My dear friends – at this moment I can only say: pray for me, that I may learn to love the Lord more and more. Pray for me, that I may learn to love his flock more and more – in other words, you, the holy Church, each one of you and all of you together. Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves. Let us pray for one another, that the Lord will carry us and that we will learn to carry one another.
The second symbol used in today's liturgy to express the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry is the presentation of the fisherman's ring. Peter's call to be a shepherd, which we heard in the Gospel, comes after the account of a miraculous catch of fish: after a night in which the disciples had let down their nets without success, they see the Risen Lord on the shore. He tells them to let down their nets once more, and the nets become so full that they can hardly pull them in; 153 large fish: "and although there were so many, the net was not torn" (John 21:11). This account, coming at the end of Jesus' earthly journey with his disciples, corresponds to an account found at the beginning: there too, the disciples had caught nothing the entire night; there too, Jesus had invited Simon once more to put out into the deep. And Simon, who was not yet called Peter, gave the wonderful reply: "Master, at your word I will let down the nets." And then came the conferral of his mission: "Do not be afraid. Henceforth you will be catching men" (Luke 5:1-11). Today too the Church and the successors of the Apostles are told to put out into the deep sea of history and to let down the nets, so as to win men and women over to the Gospel – to God, to Christ, to true life.
The Fathers made a very significant commentary on this singular task. This is what they say: for a fish, created for water, it is fatal to be taken out of the sea, to be removed from its vital element to serve as human food. But in the mission of a fisher of men, the reverse is true. We are living in alienation, in the salt waters of suffering and death; in a sea of darkness without light. The net of the Gospel pulls us out of the waters of death and brings us into the splendor of God's light, into true life. It is really true: as we follow Christ in this mission to be fishers of men, we must bring men and women out of the sea that is salted with so many forms of alienation and onto the land of life, into the light of God. It is really so: the purpose of our lives is to reveal God to men. And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him. The task of the shepherd, the task of the fisher of men, can often seem wearisome. But it is beautiful and wonderful, because it is truly a service to joy, to God's joy which longs to break into the world.
Here I want to add something: both the image of the shepherd and that of the fisherman issue an explicit call to unity. "I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must lead them too, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd" (John 10:16); these are the words of Jesus at the end of his discourse on the Good Shepherd. And the account of the 153 large fish ends with the joyful statement: "although there were so many, the net was not torn" (John 21:11). Alas, beloved Lord, with sorrow we must now acknowledge that it has been torn! But no – we must not be sad! Let us rejoice because of your promise, which does not disappoint, and let us do all we can to pursue the path towards the unity you have promised. Let us remember it in our prayer to the Lord, as we plead with him: yes, Lord, remember your promise. Grant that we may be one flock and one shepherd! Do not allow your net to be torn, help us to be servants of unity!
At this point, my mind goes back to Oct. 22, 1978, when Pope John Paul II began his ministry here in Saint Peter's Square. His words on that occasion constantly echo in my ears: "Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!" The Pope was addressing the mighty, the powerful of this world, who feared that Christ might take away something of their power if they were to let him in, if they were to allow the faith to be free. Yes, he would certainly have taken something away from them: the dominion of corruption, the manipulation of law and the freedom to do as they pleased. But he would not have taken away anything that pertains to human freedom or dignity, or to the building of a just society.
The Pope was also speaking to everyone, especially the young. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. Amen.
[Translation issued by Vatican press office]
FILED UNDER: POPE
Your Eminences,
My dear Brother Bishops and Priests,
Distinguished Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
During these days of great intensity, we have chanted the litany of the saints on three different occasions: at the funeral of our Holy Father John Paul II; as the Cardinals entered the Conclave; and again today, when we sang it with the response: "Tu illum adiuva" – sustain the new Successor of Saint Peter. On each occasion, in a particular way, I found great consolation in listening to this prayerful chant. How alone we all felt after the passing of John Paul II – the Pope who for over twenty-six years had been our shepherd and guide on our journey through life! He crossed the threshold of the next life, entering into the mystery of God. But he did not take this step alone. Those who believe are never alone – neither in life nor in death. At that moment, we could call upon the Saints from every age – his friends, his brothers and sisters in the faith – knowing that they would form a living procession to accompany him into the next world, into the glory of God. We knew that his arrival was awaited. Now we know that he is among his own and is truly at home.
We were also consoled as we made our solemn entrance into Conclave, to elect the one whom the Lord had chosen. How would we be able to discern his name? How could 115 Bishops, from every culture and every country, discover the one on whom the Lord wished to confer the mission of binding and loosing? Once again, we knew that we were not alone, we knew that we were surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God. And now, at this moment, weak servant of God that I am, I must assume this enormous task, which truly exceeds all human capacity. How can I do this? How will I be able to do it? All of you, my dear friends, have just invoked the entire host of Saints, represented by some of the great names in the history of God's dealings with mankind. In this way, I too can say with renewed conviction: I am not alone. I do not have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone. All the Saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me. And your prayers, my dear friends, your indulgence, your love, your faith and your hope accompany me.
Indeed, the communion of Saints consists not only of the great men and women who went before us and whose names we know. All of us belong to the communion of Saints, we who have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we who draw life from the gift of Christ's Body and Blood, through which he transforms us and makes us like himself. Yes, the Church is alive – this is the wonderful experience of these days. During those sad days of the Pope's illness and death, it became wonderfully evident to us that the Church is alive. And the Church is young. She holds within herself the future of the world and therefore shows each of us the way towards the future. The Church is alive and we are seeing it: we are experiencing the joy that the Risen Lord promised his followers. The Church is alive – she is alive because Christ is alive, because he is truly risen. In the suffering that we saw on the Holy Father's face in those days of Easter, we contemplated the mystery of Christ's Passion and we touched his wounds. But throughout these days we have also been able, in a profound sense, to touch the Risen One. We have been able to experience the joy that he promised, after a brief period of darkness, as the fruit of his resurrection.
The Church is alive – with these words, I greet with great joy and gratitude all of you gathered here, my venerable brother Cardinals and Bishops, my dear priests, deacons, Church workers, catechists. I greet you, men and women Religious, witnesses of the transfiguring presence of God. I greet you, members of the lay faithful, immersed in the great task of building up the Kingdom of God which spreads throughout the world, in every area of life. With great affection I also greet all those who have been reborn in the sacrament of Baptism but are not yet in full communion with us; and you, my brothers and sisters of the Jewish people, to whom we are joined by a great shared spiritual heritage, one rooted in God's irrevocable promises. Finally, like a wave gathering force, my thoughts go out to all men and women of today, to believers and non-believers alike.
Dear friends! At this moment there is no need for me to present a program of governance. I was able to give an indication of what I see as my task in my Message of Wednesday, April 20, and there will be other opportunities to do so. My real program of governance is not to do my own will, not to pursue my own ideas, but to listen, together with the whole Church, to the word and the will of the Lord, to be guided by Him, so that He himself will lead the Church at this hour of our history. Instead of putting forward a program, I should simply like to comment on the two liturgical symbols which represent the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry; both these symbols, moreover, reflect clearly what we heard proclaimed in today's readings.
The first symbol is the Pallium, woven in pure wool, which will be placed on my shoulders. This ancient sign, which the Bishops of Rome have worn since the fourth century, may be considered an image of the yoke of Christ, which the Bishop of this City, the Servant of the Servants of God, takes upon his shoulders. God's yoke is God's will, which we accept. And this will does not weigh down on us, oppressing us and taking away our freedom. To know what God wants, to know where the path of life is found – this was Israel's joy, this was her great privilege. It is also our joy: God's will does not alienate us, it purifies us – even if this can be painful – and so it leads us to ourselves. In this way, we serve not only him, but the salvation of the whole world, of all history. The symbolism of the Pallium is even more concrete: the lamb's wool is meant to represent the lost, sick or weak sheep which the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life. For the Fathers of the Church, the parable of the lost sheep, which the shepherd seeks in the desert, was an image of the mystery of Christ and the Church. The human race – every one of us – is the sheep lost in the desert which no longer knows the way. The Son of God will not let this happen; he cannot abandon humanity in so wretched a condition. He leaps to his feet and abandons the glory of heaven, in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it, all the way to the Cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity; he carries us all – he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. What the Pallium indicates first and foremost is that we are all carried by Christ. But at the same time it invites us to carry one another. Hence the Pallium becomes a symbol of the shepherd's mission, of which the Second Reading and the Gospel speak.
The pastor must be inspired by Christ's holy zeal: for him it is not a matter of indifference that so many people are living in the desert. And there are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of God's darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life. The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth's treasures no longer serve to build God's garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance. The symbol of the lamb also has a deeper meaning. In the Ancient Near East, it was customary for kings to style themselves shepherds of their people. This was an image of their power, a cynical image: to them their subjects were like sheep, which the shepherd could dispose of as he wished.
When the shepherd of all humanity, the living God, himself became a lamb, he stood on the side of the lambs, with those who are downtrodden and killed. This is how he reveals himself to be the true shepherd: "I am the Good Shepherd . . . I lay down my life for the sheep," Jesus says of himself (John 10:14). It is not power, but love that redeems us! This is God's sign: he himself is love. How often we wish that God would show himself stronger, that he would strike decisively, defeating evil and creating a better world. All ideologies of power justify themselves in exactly this way, they justify the destruction of whatever would stand in the way of progress and the liberation of humanity. We suffer on account of God's patience. And yet, we need his patience. God, who became a lamb, tells us that the world is saved by the Crucified One, not by those who crucified him. The world is redeemed by the patience of God. It is destroyed by the impatience of man.
One of the basic characteristics of a shepherd must be to love the people entrusted to him, even as he loves Christ whom he serves. "Feed my sheep," says Christ to Peter, and now, at this moment, he says it to me as well. Feeding means loving, and loving also means being ready to suffer. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good, the nourishment of God's truth, of God's word, the nourishment of his presence, which he gives us in the Blessed Sacrament. My dear friends – at this moment I can only say: pray for me, that I may learn to love the Lord more and more. Pray for me, that I may learn to love his flock more and more – in other words, you, the holy Church, each one of you and all of you together. Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves. Let us pray for one another, that the Lord will carry us and that we will learn to carry one another.
The second symbol used in today's liturgy to express the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry is the presentation of the fisherman's ring. Peter's call to be a shepherd, which we heard in the Gospel, comes after the account of a miraculous catch of fish: after a night in which the disciples had let down their nets without success, they see the Risen Lord on the shore. He tells them to let down their nets once more, and the nets become so full that they can hardly pull them in; 153 large fish: "and although there were so many, the net was not torn" (John 21:11). This account, coming at the end of Jesus' earthly journey with his disciples, corresponds to an account found at the beginning: there too, the disciples had caught nothing the entire night; there too, Jesus had invited Simon once more to put out into the deep. And Simon, who was not yet called Peter, gave the wonderful reply: "Master, at your word I will let down the nets." And then came the conferral of his mission: "Do not be afraid. Henceforth you will be catching men" (Luke 5:1-11). Today too the Church and the successors of the Apostles are told to put out into the deep sea of history and to let down the nets, so as to win men and women over to the Gospel – to God, to Christ, to true life.
The Fathers made a very significant commentary on this singular task. This is what they say: for a fish, created for water, it is fatal to be taken out of the sea, to be removed from its vital element to serve as human food. But in the mission of a fisher of men, the reverse is true. We are living in alienation, in the salt waters of suffering and death; in a sea of darkness without light. The net of the Gospel pulls us out of the waters of death and brings us into the splendor of God's light, into true life. It is really true: as we follow Christ in this mission to be fishers of men, we must bring men and women out of the sea that is salted with so many forms of alienation and onto the land of life, into the light of God. It is really so: the purpose of our lives is to reveal God to men. And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him. The task of the shepherd, the task of the fisher of men, can often seem wearisome. But it is beautiful and wonderful, because it is truly a service to joy, to God's joy which longs to break into the world.
Here I want to add something: both the image of the shepherd and that of the fisherman issue an explicit call to unity. "I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must lead them too, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd" (John 10:16); these are the words of Jesus at the end of his discourse on the Good Shepherd. And the account of the 153 large fish ends with the joyful statement: "although there were so many, the net was not torn" (John 21:11). Alas, beloved Lord, with sorrow we must now acknowledge that it has been torn! But no – we must not be sad! Let us rejoice because of your promise, which does not disappoint, and let us do all we can to pursue the path towards the unity you have promised. Let us remember it in our prayer to the Lord, as we plead with him: yes, Lord, remember your promise. Grant that we may be one flock and one shepherd! Do not allow your net to be torn, help us to be servants of unity!
At this point, my mind goes back to Oct. 22, 1978, when Pope John Paul II began his ministry here in Saint Peter's Square. His words on that occasion constantly echo in my ears: "Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!" The Pope was addressing the mighty, the powerful of this world, who feared that Christ might take away something of their power if they were to let him in, if they were to allow the faith to be free. Yes, he would certainly have taken something away from them: the dominion of corruption, the manipulation of law and the freedom to do as they pleased. But he would not have taken away anything that pertains to human freedom or dignity, or to the building of a just society.
The Pope was also speaking to everyone, especially the young. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. Amen.
[Translation issued by Vatican press office]
FILED UNDER: POPE
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Suggested Intercessions for April 24, 2005
Passover begins this year at sunset on Saturday, April 23 and continues until nightfall on May 1. Below is a suggested general intercession for our Jewish brothers and sisters as well as links to special intercessions for this weekend.
Fifth Sunday of Easter - April 24, 2005
Click here for readings.
For the Jewish people, those first chosen to hear the word of God,
for an exodus from the tyranny of fear
and freedom from the slavery of war,
for a passover into a world of peace.
We pray to the Lord.
Special intercession for Armenian Christians on the 90th anniversary of massacres.
Special intercessions for Pope Benedict XVI.
FILED UNDER: INTERCESSIONS
Fifth Sunday of Easter - April 24, 2005
Click here for readings.
For the Jewish people, those first chosen to hear the word of God,
for an exodus from the tyranny of fear
and freedom from the slavery of war,
for a passover into a world of peace.
We pray to the Lord.
Special intercession for Armenian Christians on the 90th anniversary of massacres.
Special intercessions for Pope Benedict XVI.
FILED UNDER: INTERCESSIONS
Who was Benedict XV?
Wikipedia has a brief but thorough article on Pope Benedict XV (1914 - 1922).Here is Pope Benedict XV's "Plea for Peace" during World War I.
Wikipedia also has a very thorough bio and extensive links on the life, work, and thought of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger who chose Benedict XVI as his papal name following his election on April 19th, 2005. According to Wikipedia, "many have commented that this choice was a direct nod to Benedict XV and a signal that Benedict XV's views of humanitarian diplomacy as well as a relaxation of the position against modernism will be emulated during his reign."
FILED UNDER: POPE
Archbishop John Quinn on the Papacy and Collegiality
In searching for some of the writings of our new Pope, I found the text of this 1996 lecture by Archbishop Quinn given at Oxford. As we begin this new chapter of our Church's history, it would be good to consider Archbishop Quinn's timely words:
Archbishop Quinn's insight reminds me of another statement on unity, this time from the liturgical standpoint:
Read Archbishop Quinn's work, The Reform of the Papacy (Ut Unum Sint), published in 1999.
FILED UNDER: POPE
In considering the papal office and the call to Christian unity, we have to confront the challenging truth that it is not permitted to defer unity until there is a Pope who can fulfill everyone's expectations or agenda. We cannot hold unity hostage until there is a perfect Pope in a perfect Church. Christian unity will require sacrifice. But it cannot mean that all the sacrifices must be made by those who want full communion with the Catholic Church while the Catholic Church herself makes no significant sacrifices. Of the individual Christian the Scripture says, "You have been bought at a price" (1 Cor 6:2). Similarly, we all have to face the fact that unity among Christians will be bought at a price. All will have to sacrifice. If we are serious about the goal of unity, we must be serious about the cost of unity.
Archbishop Quinn's insight reminds me of another statement on unity, this time from the liturgical standpoint:
The diversity of people present at a parish liturgy gives rise to a further problem. Can the same parish liturgy be an authentic expression for a grade school girl, her college-age brother, their married sister with her young family, their parents, their grandparents? Can it satisfy the theologically and musically educated along with those lacking in training? Can it please those who seek a more informal style of celebration? The planning team must consider the general makeup of the total community. Each Christian must keep in mind that to live and worship in community often demands a personal sacrifice. Everyone must be willing to share likes and dislikes with those whose ideas and experience may be quite different. (Music in Catholic Worship, 17)
Read Archbishop Quinn's work, The Reform of the Papacy (Ut Unum Sint), published in 1999.
FILED UNDER: POPE
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
The Young Pope Benedict XVI
As our Scriptures and our tradition have shown, God uses the most unlikely things and people to reveal God's presence to the world: burning bushes and agonizing crosses; virgins and sinners; the aged infertile and the newborn babe. And God does not care that the instruments he uses are imperfect (if he did, imagine how long he'd have to wait). As quoted today in Canada.com: "'God has taken the most unusual people and placed them in places of authority . . . and used them for His purposes,' said Adam Cardinal Maida of the U.S. 'So I believe that Cardinal Ratzinger, with all his gifts and talents and even some of his shortcomings, will somehow be able to reach others.'"
No matter what you might feel about the election of Pope Benedict XVI, one thing is certain. All of us still have the work of God to do. Pope Benedict XVI has declared in his first homily that Christian unity will be his primary work. So in the spirit of St. Benedict who in the 6th century led his community of monks to live their Christian spirituality through ora et labora, prayer and work, and with the humble greeting of the 21st century Pope Benedict XVI, let us put our divisions aside and get back to the work of proclaiming the Gospel to a world in need.
For those who still might judge our new Pope by his "insufficient tools," I offer you these words of a young Josef Ratzinger from 1963 who participated in the revolutionary work of the Spirit that was Vatican II. These words are quoted at the beginning of Christianity and the Religions: From Confrontation to Dialogue by Jacques Dupuis, SJ, (2000).
FILED UNDER: POPE
No matter what you might feel about the election of Pope Benedict XVI, one thing is certain. All of us still have the work of God to do. Pope Benedict XVI has declared in his first homily that Christian unity will be his primary work. So in the spirit of St. Benedict who in the 6th century led his community of monks to live their Christian spirituality through ora et labora, prayer and work, and with the humble greeting of the 21st century Pope Benedict XVI, let us put our divisions aside and get back to the work of proclaiming the Gospel to a world in need.
For those who still might judge our new Pope by his "insufficient tools," I offer you these words of a young Josef Ratzinger from 1963 who participated in the revolutionary work of the Spirit that was Vatican II. These words are quoted at the beginning of Christianity and the Religions: From Confrontation to Dialogue by Jacques Dupuis, SJ, (2000).
The servility of the sycophants (branded by the genuine prophets of the Old Testament as “false prophets”), of those who shy from and shun every collision, who prize above all their calm complacency, is not true obedience....What the Church needs today, as always, are not adulators to extol the status quo, but men whose humility and obedience are no less than their passion for truth; men who brave every misunderstanding and attack as they bear witness; men who, in a word, love the Church more than ease and the unruffled course of their personal destiny. (From “Free Expression and Obedience in the Church” by Josef Ratzinger, The Church: Readings in Theology, ed. Hugo Rahner, 1963.)United in love, let us work and pray for all who love the Church.
FILED UNDER: POPE
Mass of Inauguration
The newly elected Pope Benedict XVI will preside over the solemn Mass of inauguration of his pontificate this coming Sunday at 10:00 am (1:00 am San Jose time).
FILED UNDER: POPE, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
FILED UNDER: POPE, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
Mass of Thanksgiving for the New Pope
Bishop Patrick J. McGrath invites the faithful of the Diocese of San Jose to celebrate with him in person and in spirit a Mass of Thanksgiving for our new Pope, Benedict XVI, this Fifth Sunday of Easter, April 24, 2005, at 11:30a at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, 80 S. Market Street, San Jose.
For other liturgical events and prayers on the occasion of the election of the new Pope, click here.
FILED UNDER: POPE, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
For other liturgical events and prayers on the occasion of the election of the new Pope, click here.
FILED UNDER: POPE, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
Bishop Patrick McGrath on Pope Benedict XVI
The following is the statement of San Jose Bishop Patrick J. McGrath on the occasion of the election of Cardinal Josef Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI:
As the Bishop of San Jose, and in the name of the Catholic people of the Diocese of San Jose, I offer our support to and prayers for the new Holy Father, the 264th successor to St. Peter. Through the work of the Holy Spirit the Catholic Church is blessed with a new leader who will shepherd the world's more than one billion Catholics.
The new pope is a man of considerable intellect and a great thinker. I have found him to be a most gracious man and a good listener.
We now pray for the continued work of the Holy Spirit in the Church as we all humbly answer the call of Christ in our lives, in our Church and in the world.
FILED UNDER: POPE
As the Bishop of San Jose, and in the name of the Catholic people of the Diocese of San Jose, I offer our support to and prayers for the new Holy Father, the 264th successor to St. Peter. Through the work of the Holy Spirit the Catholic Church is blessed with a new leader who will shepherd the world's more than one billion Catholics.
The new pope is a man of considerable intellect and a great thinker. I have found him to be a most gracious man and a good listener.
We now pray for the continued work of the Holy Spirit in the Church as we all humbly answer the call of Christ in our lives, in our Church and in the world.
FILED UNDER: POPE
Urbi et Orbi: The City and the World
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;habemus Papam:
Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum Josephum
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Ratzinger
qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictum XVI.
I announce to you with great joy;
we have a Pope:
His eminence and most reverend Father,
Father Joseph
of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Ratzinger
who takes the name Benedict XVI.
Pope Benedict XVI's Urbi et Orbi Blessing
Dear brothers and sisters,
after our great Pope, John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me,
a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard.
I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows
how to work and how to act,
even with insufficient tools, and I especially trust in your prayers.
In the joy of the resurrected Lord, trustful of his permanent help,
we go ahead, sure that God will help.
And Mary, his most beloved Mother, stands on our side. Thank you.
FILED UNDER: POPE
Biographical Notes on Pope Benedict XVI
We have a pope! Habemus papam!
The bells are ringing at the Vatican and white smoke is rising.
FILED UNDER: POPE, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
FILED UNDER: POPE, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Third Week of Easter
I had just graduated from high school the spring before when I got a phone call from the chancery offices of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The then Archbishop Roger Mahony was inviting me to participate in the papal liturgy taking place at Dodger Stadium by being one of 100 people from the archdiocese to receive Communion “dale mani del Santo Padre”—from the hand of the Holy Father, as the Holy Communion ticket said.
I was floored. But not as much as when I sat on the field of Dodger Stadium that September evening. This small man (he wasn’t much taller than I am) commanded a presence that was so tangible, you couldn’t help but be swept up from the moment his “pope-mobile” circled the field.
Yet even with all the pomp and rock-star quality of the night, with the thousands that filled the stadium, and the millions more who watched on tv, the event that was Pope John Paul II always came down to simple relationship between two people: sharing food, exchanging dialogue, being completely present to each other even if only for a few seconds.
Whether it was before a crowd of millions or in private audience with a few, in person or over the tv, radio, or internet, at the altar table or the dinner table, with the People of God at prayer or in prayer with God himself, in life or in death, John Paul II was intensely present to those he encountered. His quality of presence changed people and changed a world. Like a sacrament, he revealed the intangible God through the tangible things of his life, and like good liturgy, we left his presence different than when we first arrived. He did not limit his presence to the walls of the Vatican, nor to the conventional ways of communicating, but went out to where the people are and to where they spend their time. In music videos and poetry, among teens and Cardinals, his presence could not be held back. He even could not resist being totally present to Sister Death, and in doing so, showed us all how to embrace life.
But as with all of us, Karol merely did his part in the plan of God. Each of us in this Body of Christ has a role to play that only we can do. And if we refuse that role, the world will miss it. Every time we say “amen” to that taste of bread or the sip of wine, whether from the hand of pope or neighbor, we say “amen” to our role in the Body of Christ. We say “amen” to each other who work with us in the Body. We say “amen” to the unknown places where the Spirit will lead this Body. Be not afraid to do then what you have been called to do, to be present to people most unlike you, and to go where you are being led. In memory of John Paul II, may our Church heed its “amen.”
I was floored. But not as much as when I sat on the field of Dodger Stadium that September evening. This small man (he wasn’t much taller than I am) commanded a presence that was so tangible, you couldn’t help but be swept up from the moment his “pope-mobile” circled the field.
Yet even with all the pomp and rock-star quality of the night, with the thousands that filled the stadium, and the millions more who watched on tv, the event that was Pope John Paul II always came down to simple relationship between two people: sharing food, exchanging dialogue, being completely present to each other even if only for a few seconds.Whether it was before a crowd of millions or in private audience with a few, in person or over the tv, radio, or internet, at the altar table or the dinner table, with the People of God at prayer or in prayer with God himself, in life or in death, John Paul II was intensely present to those he encountered. His quality of presence changed people and changed a world. Like a sacrament, he revealed the intangible God through the tangible things of his life, and like good liturgy, we left his presence different than when we first arrived. He did not limit his presence to the walls of the Vatican, nor to the conventional ways of communicating, but went out to where the people are and to where they spend their time. In music videos and poetry, among teens and Cardinals, his presence could not be held back. He even could not resist being totally present to Sister Death, and in doing so, showed us all how to embrace life.
But as with all of us, Karol merely did his part in the plan of God. Each of us in this Body of Christ has a role to play that only we can do. And if we refuse that role, the world will miss it. Every time we say “amen” to that taste of bread or the sip of wine, whether from the hand of pope or neighbor, we say “amen” to our role in the Body of Christ. We say “amen” to each other who work with us in the Body. We say “amen” to the unknown places where the Spirit will lead this Body. Be not afraid to do then what you have been called to do, to be present to people most unlike you, and to go where you are being led. In memory of John Paul II, may our Church heed its “amen.”
“I am happy and you should be as well. Let us pray together with joy.”
“Yo estoy muy feliz, y ustedes también deberían de estarlo. Oremos juntos con alegría.”
--Final words of Pope John Paul II
“Yo estoy muy feliz, y ustedes también deberían de estarlo. Oremos juntos con alegría.”
--Final words of Pope John Paul II
In this week’s DSJ Liturgy Notes, you’ll find:
- Liturgical Events on the Occasion of the Conclave
- Liturgical Events on the Occasion of the Election of a New Pope
- A Litany of Saints for the Diocese of San Jose
- Vigil of Readings for the Conclave
- Prayers for the Conclave
- Prayers Upon the Election of a New Pope
- The Pope’s Sense of Humor
- Novena of Mourning
- Funeral Homily by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
- Summary of Universi Dominici Gregis – this gives a good step by step process of what happens in conclave
- Too Tired for Mystagogy?
- Mystagogy My Mother Could Do
- Anniversary Retreat for New Catholics
Diana Macalintal
Associate for Liturgy
FILED UNDER: OPENING ARTICLES, POPE
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