Church and State

So, I continue to be dismal at updating my blog. I really can't wait till I get a new lap top. That would enable me to write during my commute.

Anyway, it has been an eventful week. Election time is always an emotional and intellectual stimulant. This was a pivotal election. Unity has been a big issue in our country for quite some time. Remember 2000? Sure we united over 9/11. It is easy to unite in a common anger/grief during a time of tragedy. Anger is a better uniter than grief, just look at Katrina. I recently saw a bumper sticker that read "We are definitely not united and most of y'all are sitting". The truth of this statement brought many thoughts to my head. Are we sitting in apathy, are we sitting in protest, are we "sitting on the fence", or are we just struggling to get by and trying to keep up with this crazy world is just too much? To steal a defense from a lawyer friend, "I am just doing the best I can."

Something hit me on election night, when my son asked me who I voted for in one of the "lesser" California races. I could not remember the name of the candidate I voted for just an hour before. With so many different government positions to fill, I did not have time (or the desire) to investigate the candidates enough to make my choice. So in some cases, I gave my vote away by going with a recommendation. In other cases, I gave my vote away by just confirming judges that I knew nothing about. In still other cases, I gave my vote away, by not voting for any candidate. Now this is not to say, I gave everything away. I knew exactly who I wanted as Governor, and I did research the propositions (some more than others). These were the reasons I voted, but how much of this countries leadership and direction is determined by people voting for someone or something that they know nothing about. That can be as bad as not voting at all. I think that is why campaigns hit us so hard with ads and mailings and recorded phone calls. I had Arnold, Bill, and Al all call me in one night (I figure since they know my home phone number we are on a first name basis). They hoped that we would remember just enough to vote the way they wanted us to, based on hearsay.

All this only related to what I really want to write about. I want to write about how we seem to separate Church and State in our personal political lives, just like we do in our business lives. A lot has been written about the politics of Evangelical Christians. I think this has had a negative impact on the views of Catholic Christians. I think Catholics are afraid to stand up for our beliefs because we don't want to be associated with the "religious right". Catholics are generally more low key. I could argue this is really because a lot of Catholics are struggling with their faith and don't know if they want to be associated with their religion at all, but that is another blog entry (State of the Church?).

The problem with the "religious right" is that they are focused on the wrong issues. They have been drawn into the areas that divide our country the most and have taken the stance that God is on their side, so vote for this candidate or this issue. I don't believe they are necessarily evil hypocrites, and I do believe they are trying to defend against real issues. They are just not the core issues. We have all lost sight of God's will, especially when it comes to politics.

So what is God's will? I would start with these two principles:

1) I believe the primary will of God is His command to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself(Mark 12:29-31). Another way to look at this is Micah 6:8
2) Our primary social charge is to take care of those in need (Deuteronomy 14:28-29 and James 1:26-27)

We have forgotten these principals. This is not to say the issues of Abortion and "Protecting" Marriage and the war in Iraq are not important. I believe we are approaching them wrongly. We have forgotten the poor, the fatherless, and the widow. Some have begun to notice this and remind us, even in the "religious right".

I believe until Catholics reconcile our crisis of Faith and stand up for the forgotten as Jesus taught us by his actions, we will continue to let this great nation become more divided or maybe even worse become so luke warm that we will crumble in apathy. May God place conviction and compassion in our hearts and mend our nation.

Grace and peace to you all.

How Great is Our God

Wow! Gina, Christian and I just got back from Joyfest at Great America (local theme park). Gina and I have been going to this day of Christian music together for years. Chris Tomlin was the headliner and his set was the most amazing concert experience I think I have ever had. I have been to a lot of concerts. I have had a lot of "worship" experiences. I was blown away by this night. It all began with one of the few covers that Chris sings. It was very cool that this prominent worship leader, who has written more songs that are used in worship than I can count, started off with our friend's song "Your Grace Is Enough". Although I generally prefer Matt's version of the song, this rocked. I was blown away with the thought that here were thousands of people, most of whom not only don't identify with the Catholic faith but might even have some animosity towards the Catholic Church, singing a song by a Catholic artist - loudly! Praising God through the words and music of an awesome, loving, faithful Catholic. God's Grace is indeed enough. Now Matt Maher would be the first to say that he hates the walls of misunderstanding and bickering that divide God's people (so do I) and I was honored to part of this event that blew all that away and allowed us to worship the Almighty God as one Church for a couple of hours. Thank you, Matt, for the song. Thank you, Chris, for sharing it with even more people and leading us in WORSHIP instead of performing a concert.
It was a concert for God, and we were all the performers. This was made clear from the beginning when the screen used to project the lyrics for every song said just that. Chris Tomlin's music is such a gift to us, as is Matt's. It is so singable and approachable. He sang a couple of songs from his new album that I had never heard before but I was singing along with him instantly. I hope that I am able to sing tomorrow at Mass, I was singing so loudly. I couldn't help myself. How great is our God!

A little venting

Hi,

Yes, I am still alive and there are things going on in the world to which I have been paying attention. We have had the Pope getting everyone excited about his choice of words while addressing the need for dialog with Islam. We have had an archbishop excommunicated. We have had a sex scandal involving young boys and a senator. Not to mention a few other ideas that have floated around in my head based on some things I have read. So buckle in, this might be a bumpy ride.

I have never been much of a diplomat. As I get older and presumably a little wiser (although I have learned that the two do not necessarily go hand in hand), I have learned the subtleties of communication and politics, but I am not always very good at them. Flattery is definitely not my strong suit, even with those I honestly care about, admire, or even make my heart skip a beat (just ask my wife). I do also recognize the beauty and importance of diversity of culture and thought, and that I certainly don’t have all the answers or can declare absolute truths. It amazes me at how cautious we all are about what we say about Islam. You may be saying, “Uh, Scott, they blow things up or cause riots when we tick them off”. To which I say, yes, there are extremists. Maybe even more than in other religions, and that definitely use large scale, publicized violence more often. That should not stop us from trying to engage people in communication and call out the things that are unacceptable in our point of view.

Speaking of extremists, Emmanual Milingo, the archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia, was excommunicated this past week for ordaining married priests in Washington, D.C. Marriage and the priesthood have been his main agenda for years now. He even went as far as getting married himself, but Pope John Paul II persuaded him to come back into the fold. Even now, the Church is definitely the religion of second chances (thank God), and Pope Benedict XVI is trying to give him another chance. Hear is an issue that is definitely causing a division in the Church. There are some that I am sure are applauding the "ordination". “It’s about time someone did this.” “I don’t see what the big deal is.” or “We wouldn’t have a shortage of priests if it weren’t for that celibacy rule from the dark ages.” To all of these, I say you do not understand the difference between a vocation and an occupation. The priesthood is not just an occupation. It is a vocation that also happens to be combined with the individual’s occupation – his daily work. I can see where it is easily confused, after all most married men have both a vocation and an occupation, so why would this be any different? The two are so intimately combined in the priesthood that they are impossible to separate. It is a matter of priorities. As a married man I can prioritize between my vocation as a husband and father and my occupation as a program manager. Allowing married priests as the norm (there are married priests that were ordain in other denominations) would be like endorsing polygamy. How do you prioritize between two spouses? I would argue you can’t without causing all kinds of misery, especially in modern culture.

Finally, we have Senator Foley. My first reaction was, you have got to be kidding me. The Co-chair of a committee that seeks to protect children is sending sexually explicit emails to kids? Not only is this appalling, it is almost laughably stupid? I am amazed that this took so long to come to light, but maybe I don’t understand the dynamics of this situation. I understand the fear and shame of an abuse victim, but this seems different. I guess it could be likened to sexual harassment. The boys were afraid for their futures if they turned in a well liked, powerful Senator. Still, I wish more of the bad guys/jerks of the world were stupid enough to give us a written record of their crimes/misconduct.

It is a crazy world. May God’s hand reach out and guide us and protect us. Wow, the commute must be making me a little edgy. This entry sounds more like my brother. :)

As for the other ideas I mentioned I will save those for now. They are both related to some good editorials in the San Jose Mercury News.

May God Bless us all with his grace and mercy.

God is Good

I have a really good excuse for not blogging this past week. I was on a wonderful retreat called Cursillo. I am exhausted. All I can say is that this showed me that God has won and the world does not stand a chance.

He was a beauty

Sure we all made fun of his enthusiastic accent and his boyish wonder. We all cringed a little when we saw him feeding the crocks while carrying his baby, which I am sure to him seemed as ordinary as a farmer that might go for a tracker ride with his child. I must say however, that I always get hooked when I am flipping through channels and come across Steve "the Crocodile Hunter" Irwin. He died today while shooting an underwater documentary after being stung by a stingray barb in the chest. I always thought he was a little crazy, but that is what enthralled me. My heart and my prayers go out to his family.

Work is for the person, the person is not for work

As we are about to celebrate Labor Day here in the United States, I must admit that this holiday means a little more to me this year. I am reminded about how blest I have been and how grateful I am that God has provided work for me. I hope that I am able to honor God in my work and in all that I do.

The U.S. Bishops have released a reflection for us entitled "A Labor Day Reflection on Immigration and Work". It has definitely reminded me that we always need to look beyond the politics and rhetoric of any issue and focus on people. The Gospel reading for today also got me thinking about my mindset and approach to life. It reminded me that tradition and law are wonderful gifts from God to help us find him, but ultimately the only law is the law of love that he writes on our heart. That does not mean we ignore the things that help us live with each other in a "civilized" world, but if we are only focused on the law, or the economy, or our fear, we will never listen to the voice of our Creator whispering in our hearts telling us we are all created in his glorious image. We all are precious in his eyes.

As you fire up the grill this holiday, or hit the department store sales, or go to work so that others can enjoy the day off, think about what a gift life is and what a gift work is, and praise God for all that he has give you.

New Beginnings

I started this blog back in the last week of March. My first entry was a new start. I have gone about a month without a post which is of course way to long. I have a good excuse. It was not that I had nothing to say or that I was having writer's block. I had been out of work for nearly six months, and I needed to focus all of my energy on my job search. Well I have achieved success. I started a new job at a digital audio technology company this past week. I am now ready to return to speaking my mind about all things Catholic and life in general.

The new job is not a full-time ministry gig like my last job, but it is at least somewhat music related and I have already been able to have a couple very open and wonderful conversations about my faith and ministry. I have a horrendous commute (total of four hours a day on trains), but I am starting to get used to that. The hardest adjustment has been being on such a tight schedule. Funny thing about the train is that it will not wait for me. The nice thing for my wife is that she knows exactly when I am going to walk through the front door. Kind of a cool thing is that I have started praying the rosary on the way home.

Other new beginnings are happening with the kids. My oldest son has started high school and is running cross-country. He is being put through some hard workouts. He is going to be in great shape. It is a lot of fun to see him mature and find his way in life. My other son has started kindergarten and my oldest daughter will be starting pre-school. Big changes for all of us. My wife says that she and our youngest are going to go take up ski-diving or something.

So, I hope I have not bored you to tears with all this. I say that as if anyone is still checking my blog after a month. :) I will continue with regular updates now that I am not so distracted with looking for a job.

Grace and peace,
Scott

This says it all

I don't usually like to post with just a link to another story, but to me this says it all. I may choose to comment on the politics in the Mid-East some time soon, but this story to me shows the very real, human impact of where extreme and violent ideologies lead. I know there are stories of this kind on both sides. Please take a moment to pray for a truly just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Insomnia

Wow, it has been hot here in Northern California. I know it has been hot pretty much all over, but in most places that it is usually hot and humid the houses have air conditioning. We are spoiled here with the fact that even during the warm days of summer, it cools down in the evening so A/C is optional. That has not happened the last couple of days. Our house is so hot, I just can't sleep. So, I thought I would get up and add an entry to my much neglected blog.

The problem is that I am so tired, I can't even think straight. There is a lot to talk about (Israel and Lebanon, Bush's 1st Veto, etc). I just don't know if I can think straight enough to write anything worthy of the server space.

On the upside, I was blessed with a wonderful evening with my wife. We were able to have a date, thanks to a birthday gift and some free baby-sitting (thank you Andrew and Olga). It was a great chance to reconnect with each other. Word's cannot express the love I have for this woman.

Good night.

Courage

Wow, two posts in one day. I am trying to make up some ground.

The grace of God is amazing. After my last post, I decided to go to Mass this morning. I miss going to daily Mass and really need to start again. It struck me last night at XLT (praise and worship, preaching, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament). That I have the opportunity to receive Christ in the Eucharist every day. I proclaim the real presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine (a huge stumbling block to many Christians), yet I choose not receive him everyday. I have a ton of "reasonable" excuses, but where are my priorities. Anyway, I went to Mass this morning and cried as we sang the opening hymn, "Servant Song".

What do you want of me, Lord?
Where do you want me to serve you?
Where can I sing your praises?
I am your song?

As part of my job search, I belong to a professional networking organization called ProMatch. There is a part of our meetings that we can ask for and/or offer connections. I use this part of the meeting a lot, and have often thought of asking if anyone would like to join me in prayer during the break. I came close one day, I even had a quote from Jeremiah that I was going to share. To my shame I have always wimped out for various reasons. Today, I did not wimp out. God gave me the grace to make his presence know and several people joined me to pray for the well being of the members of ProMatch and the economy in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was thanked for my courage, but it was not my courage, but God's grace.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

Rejection

It is fascinating to me how much our self-esteem is based on others' acceptance of us. That has been my experience. Even those that say, "I don't care about what others think," tend to say that to try to convince themselves or impress you. I am not saying that we all blow with the wind of public perception. There are plenty of people that have no power over us, because we don't let them. However, we all have a group of people that we relinquish this power to. For me currently, it is my family and recruiters/hiring managers. I know that the right job for me is out there, and that God will provide for me. I know that he is the only one that I need even try to please, and that he will love me even when I stumble.

Father grant me your grace and your peace and the faith to know your love.

Sts. Peter and Paul

I meant to write about this yesterday, but it was a busy day. Yesterday was the feast day for St. Peter and St. Paul. These guys are my heros (as they should be for every Christian). I think they are the perfect example of what Paul wrote about to the church of Corinth (1 Corinthians 12). Their gifts, their experiences, and their approach to sharing the Gospel were completely different, but they both proclaimed "Jesus is Lord" by the same Spirit.

Sts. Peter and Paul are my heros because I can relate to them both. I read about them in scripture and I can see a little bit of myself in each of them. Peter tried so hard, and every time he thought he had it figured out, he screwed up. Remember the whole "get behind me Satan" remark, and of course the denials. Even as the Church was growing, Paul had to correct him about his treatment of the gentiles. Yet, despite all of this, Jesus chose him, because he saw the real potential of this fisherman. I sometimes wonder what God sees in me. Does he see the potential of an Apostle or does he see a man that will always struggle with comfort and fear? I stumble often, and it is usually when I think I got this disciple of Christ thing figured out.

Paul was a know-it-all with a temper, who was humbled by God. My wife often calls me "Mr. Right", not only because I am the man that she married, but because I too can come across as a know-it-all. What can I say, I just happen to be correct a lot of the time, and if I don't know something, I generally will admit it. I know that sounds arrogant, but I am not trying to be boastful. See just like Paul. :) Paul conquered whatever fear might have held him back and just did it. This is not to say he jumped into danger without thinking. He was not stupid. He accepted that danger was part of the job description and trusted that God would protect him and sustain him, and God did.

Anyway, both of these men gave their lives for the Gospel. One was our first pope, the other was our first great evangelist. Through the intercession of these two great Saints, I pray for the grace to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Christ Jesus to everyone I meet as they did.

Clarification

Okay, so about my last entry. Yes, I realize that a portion of this money is going to programs I absolutely disagree with (i.e. Planned Parenthood). My point is that here is a man that has decided to give his billions of dollars of wealth away to a cause he believes will better humanity. I am sure (and I pray) that God will find away to use the Gates Foundation and its vast financial resources to do good for humanity.

You Can't Take It With You, and You Don't Want to Spoil the Kids

This week the second wealthiest man in the world, Warren Buffett, decided to team up with the wealthiest man in the world, Bill Gates to give away his fortune. Two things caught my attention in an interview about this about this:

1. Those that are given the wisdom and blessing of managing this kind of wealth need to look at the bigger picture.

"I always had the idea that philanthropy was important today, but would be equally important in one year, ten years, 20 years, and the future generally.

And someone who was compounding money at a high rate, I thought, was the better party to be taking care of the philanthropy that was to be done 20 years out, while the people compounding at a lower rate should logically take care of the current philanthropy."

Not that his motives were all about others

"I was having fun - and still am having fun - doing what I do. And for a while I also thought in terms of control of Berkshire."
"So if I had engaged in significant philanthropy back then, I would have had to give away shares of Berkshire. I hadn't bought those to immediately give them away."

2. I was also struck by his lack of interest in leaving a dynasty for his children

"I still believe in the philosophy - FORTUNE quoted me saying this 20 years ago - that a very rich person should leave his kids enough to do anything but not enough to do nothing. [The FORTUNE article was "Should You Leave It All to the Children?" Sept. 29, 1986.]

I am a big proponent for Stewardship. As the Bishops of the United States laid out in a pastoral letter, stewardship is the response of a true disciple. It is a recognition that everything we have is from God, and in order to show our gratitude we offer a portion back to God. I have no idea if Mr. Buffett is a believer. I do know that he recognizes that he has been given a great deal of blessing, and in turn he now wishes to use this wealth for a greater good. If that is not God at work, I don't know what is. I don't necessarily agree with all of of the efforts of all of the foundations that will benefit from his donations, but I think it is a positive thing over all and a good example for others.

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul lays out a plea for financial help (even back then they had money talks).

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."

Now I know most of us have not been given the financial blessing of Mr. Buffet and Mr. Gates, but most of us have been blessed with an income that provides for our needs and beyond. How have we shown our gratitude for that blessing? Have we given back an offering of our "first fruits" or do we give God our spare change?

May God bless you abundantly.

To Knee or Not to Knee...

The other day, I said I would comment on kneeling. The issue of kneeling or not kneeling during parts of the Mass is a subject of great debate. About a month ago (yeah, I know that I am late to the party), the controversy came to a new level of intensity when the pastor of a parish in Orange county warned parishioners that they could be in a state of mortal sin for kneeling after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). This is when we say "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you..." So to add to the controversy, apparently Orange Bishop Tod Brown (Orange being the diocese not the color of the bishop) backed the pastor, then asked for a retraction and backed the retraction which really wasn't a retraction (you still with me).

To be honest with you, this kind of thing frustrates me to no end. I think both sides need to rethink this issue, because they are both right (well I don't know about the mortal sin thing) and both wrong. Those that are compelled to kneel argue that "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow..." and those that argue to stand site practicality and/or that by his sacrifice Jesus freed us of sin and made us worthy to stand in his presence. Both sides miss the point and more often than not, use their posture as a sign of their (self)righteousness. It is bad enough that the Church is divided into denominational groups, but we can't even find unity within the Catholic faith. And my brothers and sisters, that is what posture is really about - UNITY!

Here is what the General Instruction on the Roman Missal has to say about it.

Paragraph 42

The gestures and posture of the priest, the deacon, and the ministers, as well as those of the people, ought to contribute to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, so that the true and full meaning of the different parts of the celebration is evident and that the participation of all is fostered. Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.

A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the Sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants. (emphasis added)

As for the issue in Orange county:

Paragraph 43

In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.

With a view to a uniformity in gestures and postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the directions which the deacon, lay minister, or priest gives according to whatever is indicated in the Missal.

So if the local bishop determines otherwise, as much as an individual or group might dislike it, they should join their brothers and sisters in unity. I am not saying that you should not argue your point, I just wish you would find someplace other than the Mass to make your point. This goes for the Bishop that asked a woman to stand while she was receiving communion because she was making a scene. No, with all due respect, he was.

St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Philppians (Chapter 2, Verses 1-4 NIV translation)

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

This is not say that we just follow the crowd in blind obedience, but we do need to get over ourselves and be unified with Christ.

Amazing courage

I thought this was very courageous - and a little bit sneaky. :)

A great question

I received a question about yesterday's postings. Rather than post another comment that might not get seen I wanted to reply with this entry. Rebecca asked:

referring to this and your last post i just happened across i have a question. if God doesn't change, and you believe the catholic church is His church, why would the mass change with the times?

Rebecca,

Thank you for your question. God has given the Church the gift of the Sacraments and the gift of the Mass. These things are for our benefit, not God’s. As I heard a priest friend of mine put it once (I am paraphrasing), it is not like God sits around needing us to say good things about him. At the Last Supper (the institution of the Eucharist), Jesus did not say, “Guys, you have been great. I really appreciate you coming tonight, and it would be great if you would get together after I am gone to remember the old days. You know, break a little bread, drink a little wine, maybe say some nice things about me...” He does not need our praise, we need His Presence. God gave us the frame work (the stuff that can’t change) and we with the prompting of the Spirit added some human styling, if you will.

That being said, Liturgy translates as the work of the people. It is given to us by God and divinely inspired (God is definitely in the middle of it), but the words, postures, and actions we take are all human, so of course it will change over time. Hopefully with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, these actions will draw us closer to Christ and help us enter more deeply into the mystery of the Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord. So, even though the “window dressings” of the Mass change, it is because of the human element involved, not because God changes.

The above are my views and interpretations, but who am I to comment on such a fabulous and profound question? The first document to come out of Vatican II was Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). This document set forth the reasons and “ground rules” for the reform of the Mass. In paragraph 21 your question is addressed almost directly.

In order that the Christian people may more certainly derive an abundance of graces from the Sacred Liturgy, Holy Mother Church desires to undertake with great care a general restoration of the Liturgy itself. For the Liturgy is made up of immutable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change. These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the Liturgy or have become unsuited to it.

In this restoration, both texts and rites should be drawn up so that they express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and as befits a community.

I hope this answers your question and provokes some thought. I know it made me stop and think about it.

May the grace and peace of Christ be with you.

Scott

Let the bickering continue...I mean begin

I am sure we will see many more articles about the new translation of the Mass, but this I thought was just to good to pass up.

I also ran across a controversy going on in Orange county that I missed about kneeling. I will share some thoughts about that tomorrow.

I just don't know what to say anymore

Some of you may be wondering if I have writer's block. With the lack of posts that would be an obvious conclusion. No, it has not been writer's block. I have been tied up pursuing my next job opportunity (a journey I am still on). What the title really refers to is the dilemma/challenge we will be facing when the new English translation is approved for the Roman Missal (formally known as the Sacramentary). What am I talking about and why does this matter? Well, read on for this highly anticipated blog. :)

First a little background (if you know all this bear with me). The Roman Missal contains the prayers that are recited at every Catholic Mass. It contains what is called the Order of the Mass as well as other blessings and prayers. In 2002, Pope John Paul II approved a new Latin version of the Missale Romanum. Prior to this the Vatican also released a new instruction as to how this should be translated into other languages. The basic gist of the document was that translations should be as true to the Latin as possible. This is a change from the past in which greater emphasis was placed on the language to which it was being translated. Well this has kind of turned the English-speaking liturgical world on its head. The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) had to scrap most of the work on a translation they had been working on since 1973, because there was a new Latin version and because the rules for translation had changed. Check out "Lost in Translation: The Bishops, the Vatican & the English Liturgy" for the back story of all this from a pro-ICEL point of view. If you are a real liturgical geek, read this letter that described why the last translation was rejected by Congregation of Divine Worship.

So, it appears now that they have a translation of the bulk of the Order of the Mass that has been approved the Bishops of the United States. Like anything there are two camps on this issue (well maybe three if you count those that think the Mass should only be prayed in Latin). There are those that are angered by the translation that feel it should be left alone or should not be a literal translation and those that look forward to getting it approved so that we can move forward with it and be more in line with other the Latin and other translations.
I have gone back and forth on this issue. I don't look forward to the process of learning the new texts, and some of the translations feel clunky when I say them allowed (And with your spirit), but I feel a lot of the new translation clarifies some Catholic theology (...only say the word and my soul will be healed) or is more clearly reverant. As a few critics of my leadership as Director of Music at my fairly liberal parish would be quick to point out, I think it is important to make every attempt to stay true to the texts in the rubrics particularly the Eucharistic Acclamations. I am an advocate for inclusive language when referring to human kind, but have no problem and even prefer referring to God as Father, Lord, or with masculine pronouns. It drives me nuts when publishers go out of there way to remove masculine references to God. We are quick to grab onto the passages where Jesus tells us God wants to be so close to us that we can refer to him as "daddy", but we can't refer to God as him. That is just crazy, PC, zealous-femmist gibberish to me.

I think these are exciting times. There is unrest and division about what ultimately comes down to style, but there is also dialog and reflection on the true nature of God and his relationship with his Church. Ultimately it comes down to realizing that our words will always be inadequate to praise the Father, Creator of all, that Christ our Redeemer will still be present in the Eucharist and in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that even as the Mass continues to change throughout history, God will not.

Proud Papa

My son, Christian, is graduating from 8th grade on Monday. He was a 4.0 student this year. I am very proud of him. We went to an awards night at his school this week, where he was honored for his academic achievements. He also was unexpectedly honored for science as well. "Dad, it is my worst subject. I've had an A- in it all year!" (Sigh) To have those kind of problems.

I have been kind of slacking on the whole blog thing the last couple of weeks. Starting next week I will be focusing on articles about the Mass and everyday life (this is called Source and Summit for a reason).