Liturgy

Radiant: St. Andrews Catholic
What’s old is new again at the 104-year-old building.

Metal clanged as workers raised scaffolding at the 104-year-old St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, where restoration of 15 stained-glass windows is nearing completion.

With a rag drenched in distilled water, crew worker Aaron Orth cleaned the face of St. Patrick in one of the large, ornate windows. He uses a pH-neutral solution to ensure that no damage is done to the lead casings around the glass.

"This will last for a long time," said Chris Dieter, field crew supervisor. "Before, you couldn’t see the windows because of the old protective coverings."

Gone are the drab Plexiglas-type coverings that had obscured the light. New clear coverings allow illumination of the windows’ brilliant reds, blues and golds, which shift and change with the play of sunlight and passing clouds.

There was a time when the person whom you despise now was above you; the one who is now a man was eternally perfect. He was in the beginning, without any cause; then he submitted himself to the contingencies of this world… That was so as to save you who insult him, who despise God because he took your crude nature…

He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, but when he rose from the tomb, he got rid of his shroud. He was laid in a manger but glorified by the angels, announced by a star, adored by the magi… He had to flee to Egypt, but he freed that country from the superstitions of the Egyptians. Before his enemies, he had “no stately bearing … nor appearance that would attract us” (Isa 53:2), but for David he was “fairer in beauty… than the sons of men” (Ps 45:3), and on the mountain, he shone more brilliantly than the sun (Mt 17:1f.). As man, he was baptized; but as God, he took away our sins. He did not need to be purified, but he wanted to sanctify the waters. As man, he was tempted; but as God, he triumphed, he who “conquered the world” (Jn 16:8)… He was hungry, but he fed thousands, he who is “the living bread come down from heaven.” (Jn 6:48.50) He was thirsty, but he cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me; let him drink” (Jn 7:37)… He knew what it was to be tired, but he is rest for all who “are weary and find life burdensome.” (Mt 11:28)… He was called a “Samaritan and possessed” (Jn 8:48); but it is he who saves the person who has fallen into the hands of thieves (Lk 10:29f.) and who makes the demons flee… He prayed, but it is he himself who hears prayers. He wept, but he puts an end to weeping. He was sold for a base price, but it is he who redeems the world at a high price: through his own blood.

Like a sheep, he was led to his death, but he leads Israel and now the whole earth to the true pasture. (Ezek 34:14) Like a lamb, he was silent; but he is the Word announced through the voice of the one who cried out in the desert (Mk 1:3). He was disabled and wounded; but it is he who heals every illness and every infirmity (Mt 9:35). He was raised up on the wood and he was nailed there; but it is he who restores us through the tree of life. He died, but he gives life and destroys death. He was buried, but he rose, and ascending into heaven, he liberated the souls from hell.

Saint Gregory of Naziance (330-390), Bishop, Doctor of the Church 3rd Theological Discourse via DailyGospel.org.

Galea Salutis has a detailed and interesting article on Communion under both species – The Law. As far as I can tell I believe his conclusions to be correct. I have heard Cardinal Arinze on his podcast say many of the same things.

American Papist has a good roundup on the rumors of the upcoming Moto Proprio giving wider permission for the Tridentine Rite. Anybody following Catholic news ever since Pope Benedict was elected will remember that we have been getting these stories steadily, though it certainly does look like the reports are much more credible this time.

Gerald Augustinus also has a roundup and I totally agree with him when he says:

A possible "liberation" of the Old Mass is a good thing, but the truly important issue is the "reform of the reform", the every(Sun)day Mass at your average parish.

It will be quite interesting to see the real document when it comes out as to the restrictions involved. To me this document signals a tacit acknowledgement of the failure of most bishops to respond to Quattuor abhinc annos and Ecclesia Dei recommending a "wide and generous " application of the directives of the 1984 indult. Wide and generous has not exactly been the reaction, rather more accurately "narrow and stingy" would be closer to the mark.

Though you have to wonder how more widely the Pian rite will be in most diocese even if it grants very generous permissions. I can hardly imagine it being more available in my own diocese than it already is. My parish church already has the indult Mass along with the new Mass partially in Latin. Most of the other parishes I am familiar with that celebrate the new Mass not exactly reverently, will be clamoring for the Tridentine rite.

I have thought at times about what would have happened if the Tridentine rite had never been replaced in the first place? I have a feeling that we would still have been treated to Clown and Polka Masses, only Ad Orientum and in Latin. This idea kind of gives me nightmares thinking of liturgical dancers at at High Mass.

I am not quite sure what is up logo for the next convention of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

Now at first look you might think that this is a labyrinth which is currently so popular among progressive retreat houses. Now I know labyrinths have been used in Catholic meditation for a long time such as the one Cathedral of Chartres completed in the year 1200. Though I can’t think of this there use ever being recommended by any saints or blesseds of the Church.

Regardless what is displayed in the logo is not a labyrinth. More properly it is a maze. As noted in Wikepedia "A labyrinth has an unambiguous through-route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate." The logo above has paths that do no reach the center and that you would have to backtrack to reach the center.

Since it is a maze I think it is an apt metaphor for NLM. Going the wrong way, getting lost, and confusion are quite apt to a maze and at times the efforts of NPM. Though you do wonder why the heck this symbol was selected for a group of musicians in the first place? What exactly does it have to do with the scripture from the high priestly prayer of Jesus in the Book of John?

I love this little blurb from the last conference held earlier this year.

"Liturgical documents can be our friends. Befriend the materials we need to know, especially newer elements for our consideration."

For me this really illustrates what I see as the attitude of some liturgical musicians when it comes to liturgical documents. For our consideration instead of being followed and being guided by. Maybe I read too much into a simple sentence but why in the world should you have to tell their member that Liturgical documents can be our friend, unless the general attitude is otherwise?

And of course there 2004 Pastoral Musician of the Year David Haas was on hand to teach. Though to be fair they also had also had classes on Chant. It is rather hard to remember sometimes that music publisher GIA does stand for Gregorian Institute of America.

Though some session raise my hackles a bit.

Explore how the use of Orff instruments can invite creative response and enrich music formation.

What the Church really needs are wooden xylophones for Mass.

The Singing Guitarist: Leading from the Guitar

The Organ: A Multicultural Instrument
PETER KURDZIEL
You’ll be surprised at how you can make the organ sound!

Ah but would you be pleasantly surprised or hair-raising surprised?

Jeffrey Tucker of The New Liturgical Movement has an essay in the Fall issue of Sacred Music called "The Mystery of the St. Louis Jesuits." The article is in reaction to the coffee table book put out on the St. Louis Jesuits by OCP earlier this year. The article gives a history of them and how it al involved. There is a lot of interesting information on the genesis of this group and how they evolved. He also relates what he calls " a scene worthy of the movie "Spinal Tap,"

I would love to see a mockumentary in the vein of Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind done on the St. Louis Jesuits. There is just so much to mock that the script would write itself just by paralleling their true history. There is one quote from Spinal Tap that could be used almost directly in a mockumentary on them In fact if you substitute the words Spinal Tap for St. Louis Jesuits this quote is perfect.

[Reading a review of Spinal Tap’s latest album]
Marty DiBergi: "This pretentious ponderous collection of religious rock psalms is enough to prompt the question, ‘What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap the St. Louis Jesuits, and couldn’t he have rested on that day too?’"

One of Amy Welborn’s commenters had a very interesting post on liturgical music and some of the history involved. Bad liturgical music is nothing new or the fact that composers have been influenced by the secular music around them and have attempted using it for liturgical music. Reform of secular influenced liturgical music has happened in the past and will no doubt continue into the future. I don’t think that this problem is uniquely an American problem and the situation is Europe is less rosy than what I think the commenter intends.

Last month there was an article in a Scotland newspaper Composer damns happy-clappy din that called the music at Mass "cultural vandalism." The same article could easily have been written in response to the music at most Catholic churhes in the U.S.

One thing that amazes me about Pope Benedict is that he can start of a homily with "I did not really prepare a homily today" and then go on and talk so deeply on a subject that you would otherwise be convinced that he would have to spend some considerable time writing it.

Amy has the homily in full which came from the Papa Ratzinger Forum. I really wish Teresa Benedetta, who does such wonderful and timely translation would post them also on a blog so that they would be easier to access and keep t rack of. The forums just are not easy to link and there is no RSS feed to easily follow it.

Amy Welborn has a post on Respect Life Sunday asking people what there experience was.

As I mentioned in an earlier post I did not go to my regular parish and the Respect Life Sunday homily included just some boilerplate.

"Today is Respect Life Sunday and we must protect life from conception until natural death?"

Once he got that out of the way it was back to the homily which was quite good just minus and specific pro-life content. It was kind of like a homily with a commercial in it. "This homily is brought to you by the Bishop’s conference and Respect Life Sunday. Please pray for our sponsors."

Catholic Church Conservation often finds the wackiest liturgies in Europe and his latest post takes the cake. The cover of an official Austrian Catholic Youth magazine seems like a parody indistinguishable from teen magazines. The pictures from the KEY2LIFE Mass have to be seen to be believed, especially the couple involved in "active participation."