Liturgy

Three years ago I decided to create my own Advent Wreath graphic instead of just using the normal animated gif that I used previously. If you would like it for your own blog you can use the html code below which uses some homepage server space that won’t effect the bandwidth for my blog. I will replace the graphic each week so that it correctly shows the number of candles that should be lit. On Christmas I will change it to another graphic I created for Christmastide.

<img decoding="async" src="http://home.comcast.net/~curtjester/curtjester_advent.gif" width="170" height="189">

Additionally underneath my Advent graphic on my left side I have created a JavaScript that gives a countdown to Christmas. If you want to do the same thing you can insert this script into your blog template with the following code underneath where you place the graphic. Though WordPress.com users would be out of luck since they don’t allow JavaScript.

<!-- Christmas Countdown - Jeff Miller--><br /> <script language="JavaScript"> function eventcount() { var now = new Date(); var message = ""; var event = new Date("Dec 25 2008 00:00:01"); var seconds = (event - now) / 1000; var minutes = seconds / 60; var hours = minutes / 60; var days = hours / 24; if ( (days%1)<.5) days++; days = Math.round(days); if (hours< 0 && hours >= -24) message = "Merry Christmas; Christ is born!"; else if (days > 0) message = "Only "+days+" praying day"+ (days>1?'s':'')+ " till Christmas!"; document.write("</p> <p>"+message+"</p> <p>"); } eventcount(); </script><br /> <!-- End Christmas Countdown --><br />

One of my readers sent me this video he created. I went to a Maronite Divine Liturgy once and it was quite beautiful. Just hearing the liturgy in Aramaic is quite cool. The Maronites also have always been in union with the Pope.

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See has approved three alternatives to “Ite, missa est,” the final words said by the priest at Mass.Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, today notified the participants in the synod of bishops on the word of God about the new alternatives. The final message is currently rendered in English: “The Mass is ended, go in peace.”

Benedict XVI has approved the alternatives, which were requested at the 2005 synod on the Eucharist to express the missionary spirit that should follow from the celebration of Mass.

According to Cardinal Arinze, the Pope had asked for suggestions to be presented. The congregation received 72, from which they prepared nine proposals. The Holy Father has chosen three.

The alternatives are in the revised third “editio typica” of the Roman Missal, which was printed last week, the cardinal said.

The alternatives are:

–“Ite ad Evangelium Domini nuntiandum”
–“Ite in pace, glorificando vita vestra Dominum”
–“Ite in pace” with “alleluia, alleluia” added during Easter season.

In English, these could be rendered along the lines of “go to announce the Gospel of the Lord”; “go in peace, glorifying the Lord with your lives”; and simply, “go in peace (alleluia, alleluia).” [artcle]

Other considerations are:

• Go in peace, please don’t race the priest to get outside first.
• Go in peace, coffee and donuts are available in the parish hall.

Rich Leornardi has video/photographs of Bishop Clark’s “installation” Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes parish for his newly appointed pastoral administrator and supporter of women’s ordination Sr. Joan Sobala.

The first video of the Bishop clapping along in beat to the “hymn” reminds me of the invention I am working on. It is called a “Clap Trap” and its purpose will be to trap any clapping going on during Mass. Whether it is in beat to a so-called hymn or applause for something it would emit a counter frequency to null out the clapping. In parishes I sometimes visit I find that clapping is trending up and I encounter it more and more.

As then-Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in The Spirit of the Liturgy:

“Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.”

Earlier today driving around Savannah, Georgia I saw a Protestant Church called “Christ Church” with a sign advertising the use of Gregorian Chant. I wonder if this is a quirk or a new trend? Certainly would like to see it catch on in actual Catholic churches.

Craptacular!