December 30, 2007
Ever wonder if our Sunday readings are from Cycle A, B, or C? Or if the weekday readings are Cycle 1 or 2? Or if Mass that day will be celebrating a special feast or saint’s day? Or what color the presider’s vestments will be? All of this can be found in the 2008 Liturgical Calendar published by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Although every parish has a copy of this information, it is helpful to also be able to access it online, especially while preparing a homily or planning for an upcoming Mass.
The Liturgical Calendar also provides helpful information about holy days of obligation and how they are celebrated in particular dioceses. For example, the calendar notes that in Hawaii, the Bishop of Honolulu received approval to designate Christmas and the Immaculate Conception as the only two holy days of obligation in the calendar year. Another variation relates to the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord. In the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Philadelphia and all of Nebraska, the Ascension is celebrated on the proper Thursday. Elsewhere in the US, the Ascension is transfered to the 7th Sunday of Easter, which will be May 4 in 2008.
Catholics sometimes wonder how there can be differences in practices such as these, especially within one country. But this shows how the universal church is attentive to the needs of particular dioceses, and how individual bishops can make requests and receive approval from the Vatican to best address the needs of their own dioceses.
To read more about the Mass and liturgical celebrations, visit ActiveParishioner.com’s website.
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Posted by APWeb
December 20, 2007
Since 1968, every January 1 has been celebrated as the World Day of Peace. Pope Benedict XVI has released his message for January 1, 2008, titled “The Human Family, A Community of Peace.”
The human family the Pope refers to encompasses both the small “natural” family in a home and the larger community of people in our society.
How a family deals with peace and violence, he notes, what it tolerates or rejects, will shape how individuals act in the larger society. “The family is the first and indispensable teacher of peace. . . The family is the foundation of society…because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace.”
So what happens if people do not first experience peace at home? One can pick up the daily newspaper in any large city and be confronted with acts of violence committed by individuals. Have these individuals ever experienced peace in their homes? If not, what responsibility do we have as a society?
Pope Benedict emphasizes that we must support and nurture individual families. But we must also work towards peace at a larger level. As citizens of the human race, we must work for peace at all levels, even if our small, individual efforts seem to be a mere drop in the bucket.
As we look forward to starting a new year, think of small acts that you can do that will bring a little more peace into the world, whether in your own family, amidst your friends, or in the larger community. Maybe if enough of us did this as one of our New Year’s resolutions, then our world could have a little more peace in 2008.
For books on peace from a Catholic perspective, click here.
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December 17, 2007
The following national Catholic organizations will be having their annual meetings in late December 2007 and January 2008:
- NCSC – National Catholic Student Coalition (December 28 to January 1) in Los Angeles, CA
- NOCERCC – National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy (January 28-31) in Clearwater, FL
Visit the ActiveParishioner.com Calendar for more details and future events.
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December 13, 2007
Can turning on the TV turn into a holy activity? Can watching the exploits of Charlie Brown and Rudolph help adults and children alike to “Prepare the Way of the Lord”? Absolutely, in some pretty surprising ways.
I have never outgrown my childhood addiction to Christmas specials, even the ones that turn up year after year, time and time again. Some Christians decry the popularity of such “secular” stories, claiming they distract from the primary faith story of Christmas. I even worried, a bit, about my own fairly serious attachment to the Grinch until one day, many years ago, I read a marvelous article by Catholic theologian John Shea which put my worries to rest for good. Shea points out that the response of every culture throughout the ages to the wondrous story of Christ’s birth has been to tell other stories that break open its meaning. Our best secular tales are not meant to compete but to complement – to make alive for us in ever-new ways all the unfathomed lessons embedded within Christmas.
Consider the Grinch, suggests Shea. Advent is about conversion — the change of heart — which occurs when at last we open our eyes wide enough to recognize God in our midst. When the sound of Whoville singing reaches his ears and the Grinch realizes that Christmas has come despite all of his efforts to steal it away, his eyes open large, his shriveled heart grows ten sizes, and real conversion happens. His choices, and his understanding of the world, will never be the same again.
Consider further, says Shea, the real message being proclaimed when the Peanuts gang finally embrace the efforts of the outcast, Charlie Brown, and gather around an unloved and unwanted tree to proclaim the Christmas message. Or when Rudolph
, the Rejected Reindeer, becomes a light in the darkness — the one who shows the way as nobody else can.
These are the profound truths of our Christmas faith: A child born in a stable is acclaimed Savior of the world. That which is weak, vulnerable, and rejected in ourselves — and in our world — has the power to improve our vision, deepen our compassion, enlarge our hearts and save us, if we let it. While it certainly won’t be my only Advent activity, I plan to sit down with my family in front of the TV quite a few times in the weeks ahead and Prepare the Way of the Lord by listening and watching well.
(Note: A more recent book by John Shea, titled Starlight: Beholding the Christmas Miracle All Year Long
, was revised this past year.)
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December 11, 2007
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy has recently announced a new website, www.bibliaclerus.org, which will be a bonus for history buffs, researchers, homilists, and any Catholic interested in digging deeper into older statements and official documents of the Catholic Church. Although those near a well-stocked Catholic library can find much of the same information, the beauty of using the internet is that first, it is available no matter where you are located, and second, items can be linked and cross-referenced.
Examples of content are the letters and sermons of Pope Leo the Great, including his homilies on the Nativity. Also included is the Book of Pastoral Rule of Pope Gregory the Great.
Did you ever wonder what the Catechism of the Council of Trent was like? You can find it on this site.
Interested in seeing how the Code of Canon Law has changed from the original 1917 Code? Just check this site to see both.
Perhaps the most helpful feature is the cross-referencing between biblical texts and other church documents. The viewer can select a verse from the New or Old Testament, click on a “comments” button, and view references by such individuals as St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom.
Although the website has much information, it is only hoped that more information will be added in the future. Some sections and links are yet unfinished, such as the homilies of Pope John Paul II. But this work is an incredible effort. And many will benefit from this venture.
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December 10, 2007
The Christmas season has many wonderful, traditional songs. Yet, every now and then, there is a new song that touches the heart deeply. My favorite ”new” Christmas song is Night of Silence, available in David Haas’ Christmas/Advent CD, Star Child
.
Written by Daniel Kantor, the song was inspired ”by the northwoods of Wisconsin and the sparkle of freshly fallen snow in the moonlight of a sub-zero winter’s night.” The song is often sung in Catholic parishes during Advent. It flows beautifully into Silent Night, with one verse from each song overlapping.
Night of Silence is truly an Advent song. What makes it so special is that it movingly describes the almost overwhelming darkness that exists before the dawn. In this case, the song describes the darkness in life just before Christ’s light breaks into our world on Christmas morning. Often Christmas songs focus on the birth of Jesus and what happens afterwards. But Night of Silence is dedicated to reminding us what it was like just before the dawn, just before Christmas morning.
Few of us have lived life without experiencing moments of such terrible darkness when one truly doubts if dawn will ever come. Whether it be the death of a loved one, a chronic illness or injury, the loss of a job, or the shattering of a dream, only hope – a hope borne of faith – can carry us through this darkness into the light. As Kantor’s first verse describes, “Cold are the people, Winter of life, We tremble in shadows this cold endless night, Frozen in the snow lie roses sleeping, Flowers that will echo the sunrise, Fire of hope is our only warmth, Weary, its flame will be dying soon.”
And so it is with Advent, a season that reminds us that despite the shortening days, despite the pervasive cold, despite the enveloping snow that blankets everything around us, dawn will come. Light will break into the blackness of hearts. Depite the darkness in our lives, the pain or sorrow, the longings or fears, “soon will we know of the morning.”
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Posted by APWeb
December 6, 2007
Are you in your 20′s or 30′s, or do you know individuals in that age range? Then check out Busted Halo, a Catholic website sponsored by the Paulists. During Advent, the website offers a daily reflection for spiritual seekers.
The website speaks in the language of young people today, which makes it very inviting for many. It seeks readers who are spiritually hungry and “trying to desperately find deeper meaning in their lives.” Grounded in the Catholic tradition, the website helps readers connect their lives with their faith.
Don’t expect boring or timid writings on this site. Busted Halo succeeds in its claim to provide a forum that is “open, informed, unexpected, unpredictable, balanced, and thought-provoking.” Busted Halo tells it like it is, and helps the reader uncover how God is right there, in the midst of everything.
Leave a Comment » | Advent, Catholic, Christmas, Spirituality, Young Adults | Tagged: 20's and 30's, Advent, Busted Halo, Catholic, daily reflection, online Advent calendar, spiritual seekers, Young Adults | Permalink
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December 3, 2007
Advent is a time, not just of waiting, but rather of hope-filled waiting. And so it is fitting that Pope Benedict XVI just released an encyclical letter titled “In Hope We Are Saved” (Spe Salvi facti Sumus) on November 30, 2007. The letter is also available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Latin.
The introduction is quite intriguing because it claims that salvation “is not simply a given.” Rather, it is “on the basis of …[Christian] hope… [that] we are redeemed.” It’s not often that you hear theological statements emphasizing the link between salvation and hope. The Pope goes on to explain this connection in the 27 page letter.
Key to understanding the Pope’s statement is the realization that he is speaking of a faith-filled hope. The Pope offers many quotes from the Bible and from theologians across the ages. He also cites many examples from history which have influenced our understanding of salvation and hope.
In a section on “The transformation of Christian faith — hope in the modern age,” the Pope brings the discussion to the present. He argues that Jesus’ message is not meant to be understood narrowly, only for individuals. But rather that the message also has a communal dimension. We have a “responsibility for the whole.” Hope must encompass both the individual and the larger community. It is not just one or the other.
As he explains, “Since I cannot be happy without others or in opposition to them, it remains true that a hope that does not concern me personally is not a real hope.” But this hope alone is not enough. We must also have hope for others and for our world.Put another way, “We need the greater and lesser hopes that keep us going day by day. But these are not enough without the great hope, which must surpass everything else.” And this great hope is a gift to us from God.
The letter also gives some ideas on how we can learn to better accept this gift of hope from God. These include prayer, action and suffering as a way to learn hope, and judgment (an idea which the Pope notes has faded in importance in modern times.) Mary is also seen as a model for hoping in the midst of life’s journey.
As we begin our Advent journey, we walk in hope.
Leave a Comment » | Advent, Encyclical Letter, Hope, Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican | Tagged: 2007, Advent, Christian hope, Encylical Letter, Hope, In hope we are saved, papal letter, Pope Benedict XVI, spe salvi facti sumus, Vatican | Permalink
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