Words and music of the liturgy

Read the Catechism in a Year

Catechism in a Year: Day 163

Part Two: How We Celebrate the Christian Mysteries
- Section One: God Acts in Our Regard by Means of Sacred Signs
-- Chapter Two: How We Celebrate the Mysteries of Christ
Question 182: Why do the sacred signs of the liturgy need words, too?

Celebrating the Liturgy means encountering God; allowing him to act, listening to him, responding to him. Such dialogues are always expressed in gestures and words.

Jesus spoke to men through signs and words. So it is in the Church, also, when the priests offers the gifts and says, “This is my Body … this is my Blood … .” Only these interpreting words of Jesus cause the signs to become sacraments: signs that bring about what they signify.

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Question 183: Why is there music at liturgies, and what kind of music must it be to be suitable for liturgy?

Where words are not enough to praise God, music comes to our aid.

When we turn to God, there is always something ineffable and unsaid left over. Then music can help out. In rejoicing, language becomes song—that is why the angels sing. Music in a worship service should make prayer more beautiful and more fervent, move more deeply the hearts of all in attendance and bring them closer to God, and prepare for God a feast of melody.
Dig Deeper: Corresponding CCC section (1151-1158) and other references here.
Recommended Reading in preparation for Easter: Jesus of Nazareth - Holy Week by Pope Benedict XVI

16th century martyr; her crime: being a Catholic in jolly old England

St. Margaret of Clitherow

St. Margaret of Clitherow

Feastday: March 26

St. Margaret Clitherow was born in Middleton, England, in 1555, of protestant parents. Possessed of good looks and full of wit and merriment, she was a charming personality. In 1571, she married John Clitherow, a well-to-do grazier and butcher (to whom she bore two children), and a few years later entered the Catholic Church. Her zeal led her to harbor fugitive priests, for which she was arrested and imprisoned by hostile authorities. Recourse was had to every means in an attempt to make her deny her Faith, but the holy woman stood firm. Finally, she was condemned to be pressed to death on March 25, 1586. She was stretched out on the ground with a sharp rock on her back and crushed under a door over laden with unbearable weights. Her bones were broken and she died within fifteen minutes. The humanity and holiness of this servant of God can be readily glimpsed in her words to a friend when she learned of her condemnation: "The sheriffs have said that I am going to die this coming Friday; and I feel the weakness of my flesh which is troubled at this news, but my spirit rejoices greatly. For the love of God, pray for me and ask all good people to do likewise." Her feast day is March 26th.

Days after a Priest is beaten in a New Orleans area Catholic Church, now this

Woman robbed inside Lakeview church, say police

 

 

 

Posted on March 25, 2013

 

Monica Hernandez / Eyewitness News
Email: mhernandez@wwltv.com | Twitter: @mhernandezwwl
NEW ORLEANS - As Catholics mark the beginning of Holy Week, police are investigating an alarming crime inside a Lakeview church.
As parishioners headed into Palm Sunday Mass at St. Dominic Church in Lakeview , they reflected on a shocking crime that happened inside earlier this week.
“You would think coming to church you would be safe and to find out that you could be robbed in church is scary,” said parishioner Mary Shales.
Val Cupit, head of Lakeview Crimewatch, said a 72-year-old woman was praying inside around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when a man came up behind her and demanded cash.
“How dare he come into a sacred place like this and prey on anybody,” said Cupit, who has spoken with the victim at length.
The woman was alone inside the church at the time, while two maintenance men worked outside in the back. Cupit said the victim handed over about $27, never looking in the robbers face.
Shaken, she walked to a clothing store across the street and relayed what happened.
“When she was approached by the store clerk there, ‘Is there something I can help you with,’ she said, ‘Yeah, I'm walking off my fear,’ and then she started elaborating,” Cupit said.
Father Michael O’Rourke, pastor of St. Dominic, declined to speak on camera but said the church is looking at installing cameras inside and out. Right now, there are none.
“Of course, now the churches have beefed up their security in the area,” said Cupit.
“You think it would be safe that you could come during the middle of the day and pray, especially during the Lenten season,” said parishioner David Terry. “I pray for the victim.”
The robber wielded no weapon and the victim wasn't physically harmed. But the idea that, for criminals, no place is sacred, is perhaps the most chilling aspect of all for St. Dominic parishioners.
While the victim didn't see the robbers face, she saw his arms as she handed over the cash, and she did see him walk away.
The suspect is described as a 5’11” black male with a medium build wearing dark clothing. If you have any information, call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.
Police couldn’t confirm if they are looking over surveillance video from nearby businesses, or if they have any leads.
Cupit said there was a delay in reporting the crime because a well-meaning store clerk did not report the crime as an emergency to 911 Wednesday. Instead, the clerk called the third district station multiple times before someone answered. According to Cupit, the call was not classified as an emergency, and the victim was told it would be some time before police could arrive.
After learning detectives could not cross parish lines to conduct an interview in her Metairie home, the victim opted to make a police report over the weekend instead.
Cupit doesn’t believe police did anything wrong, but advises people to call 911 to report crime, rather than the district station.
Cupit also advises people to travel in groups, even when going to church.
“Obviously, there's no place safe anymore,” said said.

The feast day of the "good" thief

St. Dismas

St. Dismas

Feastday: March 25

All that is known of Dismas is that he is the Good Thief crucified with Christ on Calvary. The other thief is known as Gestas. A completely unsubstantiated myth from the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy that enjoyed great popularity in the West during the Middle Ages had two thieves who held up the Holy Family on the way to Egypt. Dismas bought off Gestas with forty drachmas to leave them unmolested, whereupon the Infant predicted that they would be crucified with Him in Jerusalem, and that Dismas would accompany Him to Paradise. His feast day is March 25th.

So the Deacon should have known this:( The Solemnity of the Annunciation was not today; at least for 2013

When Is Annunciation 2013?

By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide

 

The Annunciation, Central Russian icon, egg tempera on wood, late 1800's.

(Photo © Slava Gallery, LLC; used with permission.)

 

 

Question: When Is Annunciation 2013?

The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the Angel Gabriel's appearance to the Virgin Mary, announcing that she had been chosen to be the Mother of God. What is the date of Annunciation 2013?

Answer: Normally, Annunciation would fall on Monday, March 25, 2013. However, since that is the Monday of Holy Week 2013, the celebration of Annunciation 2013 is transferred to the day after Divine Mercy Sunday 2013 (the octave of Easter 2013), which is Monday, April 8, 2013.

 

To find the date of the Annunciation in other years, see When Is the Annunciation?

 

The Mass is worship

Read the Catechism in a Year

Catechism in a Year: Day 162

Side note: Sorry for the mistake yesterday! The answer was incorrectly inserted from a different day. You can view the corrected reading for yesterday here. Today's reading is below as usual. Peace be with you! -mw
Part Two: How We Celebrate the Christian Mysteries
- Section One: God Acts in Our Regard by Means of Sacred Signs
-- Chapter Two: How We Celebrate the Mysteries of Christ
Question 180: Why is the Mass sometimes referred to as a “worship service”?

A worship service is in the first place a service that God performs for us—and only then is it our service offered to God. God gives himself to us under the form of holy signs—so that we might do the same: give ourselves unreservedly to him.

Jesus is there in Word and sacrament—God is present. That is the first and most important thing about every liturgy. Only then do we enter the picture. Jesus sacrifices his life for us so that we might offer to him the spiritual sacrifice of our life. In the Eucharist, Christ gives himself to us, so that we might give ourselves to him. Thus we take part in the redeeming and transforming sacrifice of Christ. Our little life is burst open and led into the kingdom of God. God can live his life in our lives.

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Question 181: Why are there so many signs and symbols in the liturgies?

God knows that we men are not only spiritual but also bodily creatures; we need signs and symbols in order to perceive and describe spiritual or interior realities.

Whether it is red roses, a wedding ring, black clothing, graffiti, or AIDS armbands—we always express our interior realities through signs and are understood immediately. The incarnate Son of God gives us human signs in which he is living and active among us: bread and wine, the water of Baptism, the anointing with the Holy Spirit. Our response to God’s sacred signs instituted by Christ consists in signs of reverence: genuflecting, standing while listening to the Gospel, bowing, folding our hands. And as though for a wedding we decorate the place of God’s presence with the most beautiful things we have: flowers, candles, and music. In any case, signs also require words to interpret them.

Dig Deeper: Corresponding CCC section (1145-1150) and other references here.
Recommended Listening in preparation for Easter: Three Days that Changed the World by Fr. Hector R.G. Perez

Monday of Holy Week brings the Solemnity of the Annunciation

The Annunciation of the Lord

By Scott P. Richert, About.com

The Annunciation

Introduction to the Annunciation of the Lord:

The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the angel Gabriel's appearance to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38), his announcement that the Blessed Virgin had been chosen to be the Mother of Our Lord, and Mary's fiat—her willing acceptance of God's holy plan.

Quick Facts:

• Date: March 25, unless that date falls on a Sunday in Lent. (See Stand By for an Important Announcement for more details.) See When Is the Annunciation? to find the day of the week that the Annunciation falls on in this and future years.
• Type of Feast: Solemnity. (See Is Annunciation a Holy Day of Obligation? for more details.)
• Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Psalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38 (full text here)
• Prayers: The Hail Mary; The Angelus
• Other Names for the Feast: The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

History:

Originally a feast of our Lord, but now celebrated as a Marian feast, the feast of the Annunciation dates back at least to the fifth century, and the date of the feast, which is determined by the date of Christmas, was set at March 25 by the seventh century.
The Annunciation, as much as or even more so than Christmas, represents Christ's Incarnation. When Mary signaled to Gabriel her acceptance of God's Will, Christ was conceived in her womb through the power of the Holy Spirit. While most of the Fathers of the Church say that Mary's fiat was essential to God's plan of salvation, God foresaw Mary's acceptance of His Will from all eternity.
The narrative of the Annunciation testifies powerfully to the truth of the Catholic tradition that Mary was indeed a virgin when Christ was conceived, but also that she intended to remain one perpetually. Mary's response to Gabriel—"How shall this be done, because I know not man?" (Luke 1:34) was universally interpreted by the Fathers of the Church as a statement of the Mary's resolution to remain a virgin forever.

Meanwhile, in France today

French Protest as Gay Marriage Bill Nears Passage

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Opponents of same-sex marriage blocked the Champs-Élysées on Sunday. A bill legalizing such marriages is expected to pass.

By SCOTT SAYARE

Published: March 24, 2013   

PARIS — Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in the French capital on Sunday in opposition to a gay marriage bill sponsored by President François Hollande.

Related

• The French Debate Gay Marriage, in Their Fashion(February 3, 2013)

 

Men and women, some with their children — along with a strong contingent of elderly people — assembled near the Arc de Triomphe and hoisted signs reading “Don’t touch marriage, take care of unemployment!” and “Everyone is born from a man and a woman.”

The police estimated that 300,000 protesters took part, 40,000 fewer than they said attended a similar rally in January, but organizers said 1.4 million people showed up. Among the marchers were prominent politicians from the main opposition party, the center-right Union for a Popular Movement, which has called upon its members to protest.

Roman Catholic, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders oppose the bill, which has already passed the lower house of Parliament and is expected to be approved by the Senate next month. The Catholic Church, in particular, has mobilized its members to protest. Many in the Paris march dressed in their Sunday best.

Many opponents have focused on a provision that would allow same-sex couples to adopt children. Some opponents also say they fear the bill would eventually lead to the legalization of artificial insemination for lesbian couples or surrogate mothers for male couples.

Mr. Hollande, a Socialist who was elected last May, campaigned on a pledge to legalize same-sex marriage; his party holds majorities in both houses of Parliament, and passage has seemed all but assured.

But he has waffled on occasion. He once voiced support for a provision to allow mayors, who preside over civil marriage ceremonies in France, to decline to wed gay couples. He has since stepped back from that position.

Civil unions have existed in France since 1999 and are open to same-sex couples. But the unions are not accompanied by the same suite of rights as marriage.

Opinion polling suggests that a solid majority of French favor legalizing same-sex marriage; the proportion is closer to half with regard to adoption by same-sex couples.

Starbucks CEO does NOT want your business

Starbucks CEO: If You Support Traditional Marriage, We Don’t Want Your Business

by Victor Medina

24 Mar 2013

 

inShare18

At the Starbucks annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday, CEO Howard Schultz sent a clear message to anyone who supports traditional marriage over gay marriage: we don’t want your business. After saying Starbucks wants to “embrace diversity of all kinds,” he told a shareholder who supports traditional marriage that he should sell his shares and invest in some other company.

According to a report by Forbes, Schultz seemed a bit intolerant of any Starbucks shareholders who opposed gay marriage for moral or religious reasons. During the meeting, shareholder Tom Strobhar (who founded the Corporate Morality Action Center) pointed out that after the company voiced its support for a referendum backing gay marriage in Washington state, a boycott by traditional marriage supporters caused a drop in sales revenue. Schultz told him “You can sell your shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company” if he did not agree with the company’s pro-gay marriage stand.
Read more from this story HERE.

Read more: http://joemiller.us/2013/03/starbucks-ceo-no-tolerance-for-traditional-marriage-supporters/#ixzz2OV207lKQ


>>>I have seen this story all over Facebook this weekend and I thought no way; just another FB legend.  Apparently not so.  I'm not a big protest/boycott kind of guy.  So many times the unintended consequences can be pretty harsh.  And I understand that not everybody agrees with me about my beliefs.  I also like to think I can dialogue, and respectfully discuss things with those I disagree with.  I also expect that if I am to respect you, you are to respect me.  I am an ordained Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church and I believe all that my faith teaches me.  I am naturally, not in support of doing anything with marriage that violates God's natural law and the teachings of His Church.  It's that simple.  I do not advocate hating any people for any reason, treating them disrespectfully or with any malice.  I kind of subscribe to the Jesus philosophy of last week's Gospel and the woman caught in the act of adultery.  I do not condemn you; now go and sin no more.  And as I subscribe to this; I must be aware of my own sinfulness.  And as an advocate of the sacramentality of marriage, why God ordained marriage for one man and one woman, I must be a great witness in my own marriage and call out those of us who too casually allow marriage between a man and a woman to fail all too often and all too easily!

In this story, I want to point out that Starbucks CEO just does not advocate for that which he believes, he tells all of us who don't believe like him to take a hike.  Don't invest in my business, don't buy my coffee, unless you believe like me.  If you are a backwards faith person who believes in traditional marriage, leave us alone at Starbucks.

As of today, consider it done!