The pope may move the Sign of Peace in the liturgy to an earlier spot (the article doesn't say but likely before the Eucharistic Prayer). This will move it away from communion and is a change that many more traditional Catholics have been clamoring for. I myself am unconvinced it makes much difference. I think the idea is not to have the sign of peace while the consecrated gifts are on the altar as it would disrupt the "vertical" with the "horizontal", i.e., greeting your neighbor while the Body and Blood of Christ are present is somehow offensive to God. Real traditionalists despise the Sign of Peace anyway so what difference does it make. :-) My point being, the Body and Blood of Christ will always be present (I mean in the tabernacle), except during the Triduum and when there are a lot of sick calls, so it doesn't save you much in reality. However such a move would make it more in agreement with the Byzantine Liturgy, which places it just before the Creed.
Recently in Liturgy and Feasts Category
This is a great short instructive video challenging people to consider what worship is really about. Is it about good music? Is it about what you "get out of it"? Or is it about offering yourself to God?
(Thanks to RC)
Merry Christmas to all!
Here is an interesting work. It's the Christmas song "It's About the Cross" by the band Go Fish (www.gofishguys.com) set to images from the Passion, the Jesus Film, the Gospel of John, The Nativity Story, It's a Wonderful Life, The Chronicles of Narnia, and other productions. The message is that Christmas is really ultimately about Jesus' death on the Cross. I suspect the piece is a gross violation of at least six or seven different copyrights but I'll close my eyes and chant "Fair Use!". (Thanks to Fr. Gregory at Koinonia.)
[Following Greg's suggestion I'm promoting this from a comment; thanks, Greg.]
In a post not too long ago I expressed frustration at the lack of an official term for the Latin/Tridentine Mass, and RC had pointed out that the motu proprio does refer to the 1962 Roman Missal as the "Missal of Bl. John XXIII", used in celebrations of the "extraordinary form of the Roman Rite". I am aware of such language (at least insofar as the "extraordinary form" is concerned) but I consider it too circumlocutory and awkward. If it suffices to call it the Mass of John XXIII that would be adequate. But getting into the "extraordinary form of the Roman Rite" gets a bit dicey in my book; you can't just say, "I'm going to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite this morning, how about you?" or worse, "I'm going to the Mass according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII of the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite this morning." It just doesn't work. No one is going to ditch "Latin Mass" (three syllables) for a 23-syllable monstrosity.
I have the same complaint about the new title for EMEs, "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion of the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar". Ok so that's not exactly it but it feels like it. Fourteen syllables to articulate who those people are administering communion. I think I've ranted about this before; I think perhaps we should call them emhcs (EHM-hicks) if we must use that term. Mbjtefrr doesn't have quite the same ring.
The Most Celebrated Easter Sermon
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
(By custom, if not by law, this is read in every Byzantine parish on the morning of glorious and holy Pascha)
Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!
Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.
To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!
You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!
Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!
Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.
He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?
Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!
2nd Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for Holy Saturday
From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday
The Lord Descends into Hades
Something strange is happening--there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: "My Lord be with you all." Christ answered him: "And with your spirit." He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: "Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.
I heard an interesting fact yesterday on Catholic Answers Live radio show. The question pertained to the meaning of 40 in Scripture (as it pertains to Lent). The guest, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, said that the number 40 has a natural connection: It is the average number of weeks of a human pregnancy (give or take a couple). So the number 40 has to do with creation, with bringing something forth. That explains why the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert (God was "giving birth" to them, forming them and perfecting them), why Jesus spent 40 days in the desert (he was preparing himself for his ministry, at least in one Gospel account), why Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai (giving birth to the Decalogue, as it were), and so on.
I had never heard this before so I found it fascinating.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. (Well — if you're American, anyway.)
As we celebrate today, keep in mind that Eucharist means "thanksgiving". We as Catholics celebrate thanksgiving every day when we celebrate the liturgy. It is our "thanksgiving sacrifice", referred to in Psalm 116:17 ("A thanksgiving sacrifice I will make; I will call on the Lord's name").
Which reminds me, I need to develop the habit of meditating on this aspect of the Eucharist each time I receive.
Here are two photos I took of Mt. Tabor that are appropriate for the Feast (click to enlarge):
Top Ten Excuses Given By the Guards At the Empty Tomb
10. "I thought he was the pizza delivery guy leaving. No wondered he smiled when I tried to give him a tip!"
9. "I was putting another denarius in the chariot meter!"
8. "With the earth shakin' and all the bright lights, we figgered we was abducted by aliens!"
7. "Since the tomb was already empty when the stone was rolled away, I'm afraid you're speaking to the wrong department. Let me give you a BR#245-A-Res form and direct you to Burial Services."
6. "As we've already stated several times before, according to the legal definition of "escape", we emphatically deny any wrongdoing in this matter!"
5. "We was HYPNO-TIZED! Centurion Bobicus is still clucking like a chicken!"
4. "You told us to secure the tomb as best as we know how (Mat. 27:65). We did! May I suggest an assessment of our current training program?
3. "All I know is, this better not mess up my early retirement package!
2. "Hey! What'd you expect? Did you tell us we were guarding the Son of God?--NOOOOOOOOO!"
And the number one excuse given by the guards at the empty tomb is:
1. "What's the big deal? He said He'd be back!"
Christ is Risen, Alleluia!
This is a bit tardy but I wanted to share the Exsultet of the Paschal Vigil which is such a beautiful prayer:
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!
It is truly right that with full heards and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin
to our eternal Father!
This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.
This is the night when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night when the pillar of fire
destroyed the darkness of sin!
This is the night when Jesus Christ
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant form the grave.
What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Here is a treatise on baptism I wrote about ten years ago. Since it's relevant to the feast, I thought I would post it. It's also available here. It talks about all the ways that baptism is prefigured in the Old Testament and the New Testament, along with some early Christian testimony about the meaning of baptism. If your Evangelical friends are telling you that Scripture says that being "born again" refers merely to a decision for Christ or to an emotional experience, this is what you need to read (since Scripture most certainly teaches that it refers to baptism).
Today, for the first time, I went to a Malankara Catholic Church in Dallas (I am visiting my family) — St. Mary's in Garland. (The Malankara Church was founded by St. Thomas the Apostle in India; it's one of two native Indian Catholic churches.) Let me tell you, I have never been to a more hospitable church in all my life.
Thomas (about half the guys are named Thomas) greeted me as I was one of the first to arrive. He gently redirected me to the men's side of the church (like Orthodox Jews and many Orthodox, worship is segregated), told me the liturgy was an Malayalam, and looked for liturgical books for me. Then I met the priest (Fr. Thomas) who asked me where I was from and graciously made it clear that I did not have to follow their custom of taking my shoes off (I really wanted to, so I did anyway). Someone else got me a phonetic liturgy book during the liturgy. At the end of the liturgy, the priest introduced me to everyone, and they clapped. Joseph introduced himself to me after the liturgy and invited me to join them for food. I was served first, at their hand since my hands were full. I sat down and people gathered around me and introduced themselves to me, and even put extra food down for me. They even noticed when I had enough and insisted I not feel obligated to eat any more, and took my plate away. May God bless them abundantly! Would that the other Catholic churches I visit were as gracious.
Back to the liturgy. My favorite part was what they said when they administered communion.
Today is the feast of our First Parents, Adam and Eve. Not many people know that they have feast day, or are venerated as saints. But it was them that Christ came to die for, as illustrated in this marvelous and ancient anonymous Holy Saturday homily:
Something strange is happening--there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: "My Lord be with you all." Christ answered him: "And with your spirit." He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: "Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.
I am convinced that Eve gets a bum rap. It's hard to tell their culpability, given the 6,000-some-odd years of experience we've had. "Well, duh, of course the serpent is Satan, your enemy! Didn't you read the book of Revelation? Where were you during CCD class?" Adam and Eve had just been created. Eastern tradition treats them as small children in adult bodies, because emotionally and psychologically, they were. Really, how was Eve supposed to know that God didn't speak through serpents? God speaks in lots of ways, why not through serpents, if you were just created and have no idea yet what's going on in the world (and especially if you've received no more catechesis than is portrayed in Genesis)? Maybe God changed his mind. What? God? Change his mind? Well, how was she to know whether he wouldn't? (By the way, I think God does change his mind, or at least from our perspective, he changes his instructions to us.)
