Mass at Our Home Parish

I love how we, as Catholics, can go to Mass anywhere and celebrate the Mass together in much the same way. We are united in our worship. You will find the breaking open of The Word in the Liturgy of the Word and then we share Jesus' precious body and blood in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

But . . . .I admit I am getting a tad homesick for my home parish. Let's face it, I am missing my (familiar) family in Christ, the voices I know, the familiarity of the architecture and the favorite music choices. Thank God my son and I have been able to go to Mass anywhere we have been so far.

I found this over at A Catholic Mom in Minnesota . . . . this happens to be how we sing Lamb of God at our parish. Thank you Minnesota Mom!



Wonderful! Counselor!
Mighty God and Prince of Peace
Emmanuel! Morning Star,
King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Lamb of God . . . . you take away the sins of all the world, miserere nobis.
Bread of Life . . . . you take away the sins of all the world, miserere nobis.
Agnus dei . . . . you take away the sins of all the world, dona nobis pacem.

A bit of historical (and other) background:

Lamb of God is the familiar name of our litany beginning with these same words. I believe it was introduced into the Mass by Pope Sergius I (687–701). It is based upon John 1: 29. The Latin form (with translation) is:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

This litany is spoken or sung during the Rite of Fraction and Commingling. What is the Rite of Fraction and Commingling? I am glad you asked!

The breaking of the host is known as the "fraction," and there is a special place for it in the Mass—namely, in the Fraction Rite, which occurs after the Sign of Peace and immediately before the Communion Rite.

The rubrics in the Sacramentary tie the meaning of the Fraction Rite to the commingling, where a piece of the host is placed in the chalice. The symbolism of this is commonly explained today as representing the resurrection of Christ, the reuniting of his Body and Blood.

The rubrics of the Mass link the meaning of the fraction to the commingling, stating: "Meanwhile, [the priest] takes the host and breaks it over the paten. He places a small piece in the chalice, saying inaudibly: ‘May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.’"

As always, the dictum of Vatican II applies: "No person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the Liturgy on his own authority" (Sacrosanctum Concilium 22, cf. CIC 846 §1).

source: Jimmy Akin shared this information over @ This Rock, in response to a question about the re-ordering of certain elements of The Mass that was done at a reader's parish. I definitely paraphrased!

Preparing for the Mass - July 19, 2009

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July19, 2009

Reading 1
Jer 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,
says the LORD . . . .

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
. . . . This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.


Reading II
Eph 2:13-18
Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.
. . . . for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Gospel
Mk 6:30-34
". . . . (Jesus) saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

First, For the children . . . .
Gospel Reflection
If you have ever had the frustrating experience of being interrupted while you were trying to tell about some wonderful adventure, you will understand how the apostles feel in this gospel story. They have just returned from their first missionary journey. They want to tell Jesus all about it. He leads them off to a quiet place where they can tell their stories. But the crowds follow them because they are hungry for Jesus' teaching and his healing touch.

Seeing the crowd, Jesus is moved to respond to them. They are like sheep that have been scattered. Out of love, the Good Shepherd calls them together and guides them. The apostles' adventure stories will have to wait.

Now for us BIG KIDS:
A peek at the Scripture in Depth by Reginald Fuller

Reading I: Jeremiah 23:1-6 The first reading is suggested by the observation in today’s gospel that Jesus had compassion on the multitude “because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” In ancient Israel, as in other cultures of the ancient Near East, the figures of king and shepherd were very closely associated. David the shepherd boy was taken from among the flock to be king over the united kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Although we should not sentimentalize the idea of shepherding (as talk of the “gentle Shepherd” might tempt us to do, although the Hebrew word for “shepherd” also means “to rule”), it is still true that the image of shepherd contains within it the notion of feeding and providing for the flock—in fact, much of what we associate with pastoral care. Read the full discourse here.

Responsorial Psalm: 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 The first two stanzas of this psalm, the most familiar in the psalter, picture YHWH as shepherd, while the third and fourth stanzas portray him as host at a banquet in the temple. Christian faith sees the same dual notion fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He is the one through whom God exercises his eschatological rule and shepherds his people. The second stanza suggests that it is particularly at the Eucharistic banquet that Christ exercises his shepherding function. Read the full discourse here.

Reading II: Ephesians 2:13-18 This passage is the theological core of the letter to the Ephesians. Looking back over the career of Paul, the Deutero-Pauline writer contemplates the results of the Apostle’s work. Jew and Gentile have been brought together into a single community, the body of Christ. Christ on the cross (that is, by his death as the event of salvation) has fulfilled and abolished the law, not as moral demand, but as the way of salvation. Christians now keep the law because they have been saved by grace, not in order to earn salvation. Now both Jew and Gentile have access in one body to the Father. “Access” is a liturgical term denoting the approach to God in worship. Note the Trinitarian character of the final sentence: through Christ in one Spirit to the Father. Note, too, that verse 13 alludes to Isaiah 57:19, while verse 17 cites and provides its Christian application. This indicates the sermonic quality of Ephesians.

Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 This excerpt is highly composite. Verses 30-33 form a link between the mission of the disciples and the feeding of the multitude. They bear clear signs of Mark’s editorial work. Verse 30 points back to the mission of the Twelve (here only in Mark are the Twelve called “apostles,” a term that was not originally a title but functional). Verse 31, often used in connection with retreats, points forward to the feeding. Verse 32 introduces a favorite theme of Mark’s—teaching given in secrecy to the Twelve, though the fulfillment of this intention is delayed until chapter 8 (Caesarea Philippi). Verse 34 is the beginning of a new pericope, the feeding of the multitude (cf. the variant in 8:2). The reference to the shepherd motif is probably pre-Marcan and gives a special emphasis to the miraculous feeding. But the note about teaching looks redactional; Mark frequently emphasizes Jesus’ teaching activity without giving the content of his teaching.

Reginald H. Fuller Quoted in full unless noted, "Read the full discourse here."

Wise words from the Jesuit Ministry at Loyola Press:
"In today's Gospel, we hear the Twelve referred to as “apostles.” The word apostle is a Greek word meaning “one who is sent.” Jesus chose twelve men from among his disciples whom he sent to share in his ministry of preaching and healing. The first report of this is found in the third chapter of Mark's Gospel, where the Twelve are also called apostles and the names of this select group are listed.
We who are Jesus' disciples today have also been sent to share the Gospel with others. Perhaps our commitment to following Jesus as his disciple leaves us feeling tired and overwhelmed. In today's Gospel, we hear Jesus affirm the importance of times of rest and renewal. Jesus wanted his disciples to come away and spend time alone with him. This is what we seek and find in our life of prayer and in our celebration of the Eucharist."
This information has been gathered for my personal Catholic Notebook. Full sourcing is included


sources:
Center for Liturgy

God's Path is Good

An update for those of you following our journey.

My friend, Elizabeth, told me God wants us to trust Him inch by inch. I think she is right.

And God is so good, indeed.


In a nutshell:
<~~~ Don't you love the image!!??





(beginning May 24) We . . . .

• had a fire
• had to move
• had no where TO move
• stayed in a hotel 3 days . . . . and then God started putting a path in front of us . . . .
  

(end of May through June & to July 8) We . . . .

• housesat at Amy's
• housesat at Karen's
• housesat at Colleen's
• stayed at Colleen's
• traveled to San Antonio and stayed with Becky for a couple of days (Danny fixed our car)
• stayed with Cheryl
• housesat at Karen's again
• traveled to PA - staying at a friend's B&B in Amish country
  

We will be . . . .

• heading to the Bay with Julie on Friday

• then going to Jaynie's for a few days

• then to the shore

• back to B&B in Amish country with Colleen and family

• going to Philly for a couple of days

• heading back to Jaynie's

• off to Kaff 'n Max's

• back to B&B in Amish country

St. Bonaventure Pray for Us

St. Bonaventure - Feast: July 15 (Optional Memorial)Born: 1217 -- Died: 1274 -- Canonized: 1482
Roman Calendar: Yes -- Roman Canon: No -- Other: doctor of the Church (1588)

St. Bonaventure was the Cardinal bishop of Albano. He was born 1218 A.D. in Tuscany. After earning the title of Master in Philosophy and Theology at Paris, he taught his fellow members of the "Order of Friar Minors" (O.F.M.). St. Bonaventure was elected Minister General of the Order and served in that position for 17 years. He died at the Council of Lyons in 1274 A.D. St. Bonaventure wrote "Journey of the Soul into God". He is considered the "Seraphic Doctor" of the Church.

The 33 "Doctors of the Church" are considered safe guides as their teachings have been poured over by the Magisterium of the Church.

Seraphic means ‘Angelic,’ and St. Bonaventure received his charism as the Seraphic Doctor because he was a profound mystic and saw into the mysteries of the Catholic Faith in a way that a doctrinal theologian never could.

sources:
carr.org
Catholic Saints by Marilynn Hughes

Shake the Dust From Your Feet

Today's gospel reading is: Mk 6:7-13
(here it is - in part)
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits. . . . .
He said to them,
"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them."

Here it is in Matthew (10:14-15)
“Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words – go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."

“It’s not my job to convince. Only to inform.”
Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes (to her disbelieving church and secular leadership)



Well, here are questions for me . . . . Do I inform? Do I share my faith?



BTW! There is a very interesting post that mentions these quotes over at The Anchoress.

ENCYCLICAL LETTER CARITAS IN VERITATE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI

Caritas in Veritate

Evangelical Catholicism

They are back! Yay! Evangelical Catholicism

ArchBishop Chaput +other Legion visitors appointed by Vatican

source:
American Papist: Not Your Average Catholic!: Breaking: Abp. Chaput, other Legion visitors appointed by Vatican (full details added)

Sandro Magister reports - an extremely reliable source:
Last March, the announcement; July 15th, the go-ahead. The apostolic visitors of the Legion of Christ will interview the priests and religious of the congregation founded by the Mexican priest Marcial Maciel Degollado, in shock because of the admitted evil conduct of their very own founder, sanctioned in 2006 for sexual abuse, and now, a year after his death, discovered to have had a lover and a daughter in Spain.
The long-awaited names:

– Ricardo Watti Urquidi, Bishop of Tepic, Mexico, in charge of Mexico and Central America, where the Legion has 44 houses, 250 priests and 115-120 religious seminarians; (bottom right)
– Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Denver, in charge of the United States and Canada, where the Legion has 24 houses, 130 priests and 260 religious seminarians; (bottom left)

– Giuseppe Versaldi, Bishop of Alessandria, in charge of Italy, Israel, the Philippines, and South Korea, where the Legion has 16 houses, 200 priests and 420 religious seminarians. (in Italy 13, 168 and 418 respectively); (upper middle)

– Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, Archbishop of Concepción, Chile, in charge of Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela, where the Legion has 20 houses, 122 priests and 122 religious seminarians; (upper right)

– Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, Bishop of Bilbao, Spain, in charge of Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Holland, Poland, Austria and Hungary, where the Legion has 20 houses, 105 priest, and 160 religious seminarians. (upper left)

picture identification: Bishop Ricardo Blázquez, Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi, Archbishop Ricardo Ezzatti, Archbishop Charles Chaput and Bishop Ricardo Watti (top to bottom, left to right)

More details:
The investiture of the five visitors took place on Saturday morning, June 27th in the Vatican, at a meeting with Cardinals Tarcisio Bertone, William J. Levada, Franc Rodé and Stanislaw Rylko. The five were give a letter containing the conclusions for the investigation of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith which lead to Maciel’s being sanctioned in 2006. Each prelate was given a travel budget of 10,000 Euros.
They are to submit their first report to the Vatican by fall of this year.

update 1: these rumors have been percolating in Spanish-language press for some time, in El Universal on June 27, and June 28, and InfoCatolica (picking up on Magister's piece) today.

I would say that it is unqualified good news that Archbishop Chaput has been chosen to oversee the Legion visitation in the United States. AmP readers who have been following this story will remember that I reported back in early May that Abp. Chaput would be the Vatican pick. His personal experience of formation in religious life especially qualifies him to examine Legion policy.

Two things to watch for: 

First: finances: The Hartford Courant recently posted an article on the relatives of a deceased woman challenging the donation of her estate (upwards of $7.5 million) to the Legion in the U.S.
Second: defections: I'm tracking numerous reports of individual (and groups of) priests, seminarians and consecrated people actively seeking ways to the leave the Legion and incorporate into dioceses, seminaries and other Catholic institutions. More of these will happen depending on what the Vatican investigation reveals.

Neither of these situations is being helped (from the Legion side of things) by new details which have emerged about Maciel's not double life, but "triple." Especially concerning is the insistence of these sources that current leaders in the movement were aware of Maciel's sins before they leaked to the public or lower members within the Legion.

update 2: I should be clear that I do not agree with everything claimed in the link above ("new details which have emerged about Maciel's not double life, but "triple""), but merely with the claims that Maciel used Legion money to fund his affair(s?) and that this activity was known to associates who still hold active roles in the movement.

update 3: CNA confirms/clarifies: "Sources at the Holy See confirmed to CNA the accuracy of Magister’s report and said a public announcement would be made on July 15. Sources also said that contrary to the article, Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko was not present at the meeting."

My exhaustive coverage of this story, as the first large Catholic internet portal to break the news, can be found here