New Roman Missal Coming Soon

The USCCB just put up the text of the newest Roman Mass translation. Now it just needs approval from the Holy See.

I'm so glad to see changes that bring it closer to the Latin original. Having been in the Antiochian Orthodox (Eastern & Western Rite), I was accustomed to replying "And with your Spirit" when the priest says "The Lord be with You".

It's also great to see "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault" restored to the Confiteor. Now I can strike my chest three times in pious contrition--one time just doesn't seem enough.

I can again profess "I believe..." at the Creed.

I'm glad I get to say: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." I always liked that wording better, as it is the prayer of the centurion from the Gospel (mostly).

The only change I'm not happy about is the new wording for the Embolism, the part the priest says at the Lord's Prayer. I liked the old wording "protect us from all anxiety". Now it asks to keep us "safe from all distress". I can live with the change, but being bipolar and prone to panic attacks, the old wording pulled me through some tough times.

Overall, kudos to the U.S. Bishops for improving the English Mass. Be gone liturgical minimalism!

Here's the complete text of the revised Mass.
Here are the changes.

Spontaneous Vocal Worship in the Eastern Rite?

As long-time readers know I spent 12 years in the Eastern Orthodox church and was a tonsured Reader in the Antiochian Arrchdiocese.

I still frequent Eastern Rite Catholic parishes now that I am in communion with St. Peter's successor in Rome. My home parish in the Latin Rite is officially Charismatic and encourages spontaneous vocal worship, and yes, "speaking in tongues", during Mass. There are liturgically appropriate times for such expression, known among the Church Fathers as "jubilatio".

Today I was musing about how such expression would work in the Byzantine Rite.

The Divine Liturgy in the Eastern churches has less flexibility and is treated as a museum treasure that should never be altered. Of course, one finds variations between Russians, Greeks, Antiochians, Serbs, and Romanians but nothing to convene a council about. Then you get the ultra-orthodox who only do the Liturgy in Church Slavonic or Greek and consider English as an inferior language for worship. But I digress...

There are two parts of the Divine Liturgy where I most often feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, maybe I'm biased about where He would inspire the faithful to break out in spontanous worship and glossolalia.

The first place is during the Trisagion. Right after the Little Entrance, when the priest comes out with the Gospel and declares "Wisdom, be attentive" the faithful sing "Come let us worship and fall down before Christ..." But where is the worship? Where is the falling down? Sounds like an invitation to DO something.

Next is the Trisagion hymn: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times). Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

HERE is the place where I imagine singing in tongues, shouting praises to God, vocal declarations of worship like I find in my Charismatic parish. What happens after? The priest declares "Dynamis" or "Again with fervor" and the faithful sing one more time "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us."

Okay, I can hear a collective groan from the Byzantine liturgists, but if you consider this seriously, it appropriately enhances what is happening at that point in the Divine Liturgy. What if people are distracted? Well, the next thing said is "Let us be attentive", so everything is brought back into order. Did the Holy Spirit set it up that way?

At the beginning of the Anaphora, right after the priest tells the faithful to lift up their hearts,"We lift them up unto the Lord" is the reply, then the celebrant commands "Let us give thanks to the Lord", with the response "It is proper and right".

Here we go again! More time to worship in the Spirit. Hearts (and for some, hands) are already lifted, why not praise the Lord with angelic tongues. This naturally leads to the next part of the Liturgy, what the Latins call the Sanctus, where we join the angels in singing "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabbaoth..." Totally appropriate in timing and order.

I don't claim any historic precedent for these musings. We know that spontanous expression did happen in the early Church, but with the establishment of organized Liturgy the freedom faded. I am not proposing that Orthodox and Eastern Catholics modify their Liturgies to accomodate such innovations.

My point is that IF spontaneous worship and speaking in tongues were to happen in a Byzantine Divine Liturgy, this is where I imagine it.

Best of 2008 -- Part 4

In this last installment of 2008 in review I give you posts about the Catholic Church, Liturgy, Scripture, Catechism, and Christian Life.

I hope that everyone has a blessed 2009.

A Pure Sacrifice
Harmony of the Lectionary
Liturgical Language & Style
Being Catholic Matters
"Real" Christianity
Tetragrammaton
Protecting the Flock
Schism & the Divided Kingdom
Schism & the Sons of Korah
Sinning Against the Faith
Sola Scriptura
Approaching Scripture
Faith or Magic?
Christian Maintenance
Sts. Peter & Paul in Rome
The Path
The Last Song You Hear on Earth

Advent Begins!

Prepare ye the way of the Lord,

make straight in the desert a

highway for our God.
(Isaiah 40:3)

Collect for the First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

"Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come."
(Mark 13:33)

A Pure Sacrifice

One attack against the Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is that Jesus was crucified "once and for all" (Hebrews 10:10 & 14) but we crucify Him again every Mass. I've tried to explain that we are actually returning to Calvary each Mass, not re-doing it, but they usually can't wrap their minds around that.

Jesus did similar "time travel" at the Last Supper when He brought His future sacrifice into the present moment.

Something interesting that is fun to show "Bible Christians" is that Our Lord desires incense and sacrifice to be offered continually:

For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations," Says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1:11 NKJV)

The Hebrew for "a pure offering" is "minchah tahowr" which means a "sacrifice pure".

Did you know that at least four masses occur every hour in the world?

The prophecy of Malachi is fulfilled in the Catholic Church!!!

Roodscreen and Jumbo Screen

The image of Pope Benedict XVI reading the Bible on a live television feed is projected inside the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Rome Oct. 5. Pope Benedict XVI kicked off a Bible-reading marathon Oct. 5 on Italian television. The pope read for several minutes from the start of the Book of Genesis live from his apartment at the Vatican while other speakers read in the Basilica of Holy Cross. (CNS photo/Alessandro De Meo, Reuters)

I like the way they tried to make the jumbo screen TV fit in with the church architecture--notice the fancy gilded cross on the top. I think the Holy Father is on to something. Equip at least one parish in each diocese with a big screen and use it to simulcast homilies. Even better, the hours of prayer from world-wide monasteries--bring back Matins & Vespers to parish use via sattelite!

Hanging out with Jesus

One of the gifts God gave to us through Holy Mother Church is the Lectionary. These are the daily Scripture Readings used in the Mass (Western) and Divine Liturgy (Eastern).

If you went to Mass every day for three years in any Roman Catholic Church you would hear practically the entire Bible! The Eastern Lectionary goes through the entire New Testament (minus Revelation) every year with some Old Testament readings during certain seasons.

What's the reading for the day? Most parishes will print the daily readings in the bulletin, but since we're on the internet here, they're just a click away. So, save them to your favorites and join over a billion Christians in contemplation of God's word.

Roman Catholic Daily Reading

Maronite Daily Readings

Since my spirituality type is Augustinian (See post 16 Feb 08) I often read Scripture using the four steps of the Lectio Divina: listen to what God says in scripture; reflect prayerfully and apply it to today; respond to God's word with personal feelings; remain quiet and stay open to new insights.

But sometimes I just try to put myself in the Gospel story: what are the sounds, the smells, the people. I experience time with Jesus, but without any insight or profound revelation. Has this ever happened to you?

Or maybe when you pray, it doesn't seem like anything is happening. No tingles, no thunder, no visions or words of wisdom.

Guess what? That's okay!

When you spend time with your best friend do you always talk about profound things? Do you spend time together just to "get something" out of it?

Of course not.

Just hanging out together is what's important. So it is when we spend time meditating on God's word, praying, attending church services, or adoring Jesus in the Eucharist. It says, "I love you and want to be with you."

April brings New Life

The month of April is dedicated to the Holy Spirit.

The whole month falls in the Easter season with the liturgical color of white.

The feasts of the Evangelist Mark (+25th) and St. George (+23rd) occur this month.

The Holy Father calls on us to pray that even in the difficult and complex situations of present-day society, Christians may never tire of proclaiming with their lives Christ’s resurrection, the source of hope and peace.

His Missionary Intention is that future priests in young Churches may be ever more seriously formed culturally and spiritually in order to evangelize their respective countries and the whole world.

Stay tuned for many postings about the Holy Spirit. "You can't see Him, but He's always there!"

Crucis Adoratio

This is the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent--that means we are halfway to Pascha (Easter). For Byzantine Catholics it is dedicated to the "Adoration of the Holy Cross". The Cross is the center of our faith, so here it is at the center of our Lenten journey.

This is a good time to review your spiritual progress (or lack of it). Have you been fasting, praying, and giving to the poor? Have you been controlling the passions?

Have you even observed Lent? It's not too late to start. Lay down your life at the foot of the Holy Cross. The season of sacrifice continues.

"Hail! life-giving Cross, the fair Paradise of the Church, Tree of incorruption that brings us the enjoyment of eternal glory: through you the hosts of demons have been driven back; and the hierarchies of angels rejoice with one accord, as the congregations of the faithful keep the feast. You are an invincible weapon, an unbroken stronghold; your are the victory of kings and the glory of priests. Grant us now to draw near to the Passion of Christ and to His Resurrection." ~From Great Vespers

The following Troparion and Kontakion are sung in the Byzantine Catholic Church today:

Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritence. Grant victory to Your Church over evil, and protect Your people by Your cross.

No longer does the flaming sword guard the gates of Eden, for the tree of the Cross has come to quench it wondrously. The sting of death and the victory of Hades have been driven out.

An Acceptable Fast

Let us keep an acceptable fast that will please the Lord. A true fast means estrangement from evils, abstinance from anger, control of the tongue, giving up the passions, insults, lies, and swearing. To be deprived of all these is a true and acceptable fast. (Stichera from the Presanctified Liturgy, Tone 3)

Come, O faithful, let us eagerly take up the strong shield of the fast to deflect the enemy's every evil scheme. Let us not be enticed by passionate pleasures nor fear the fires of temptations; for through them Christ the lover of us all will reward us with crowns for our perserverance. Then let us pray with boldness; let us fall down before Him and cry out, begging peace for our souls and great mercy. (Stichera from the Presanctified Liturgy, Tone 5)

The Metropolitan Cantor Institute of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, 2007

http://metropolitancantorinstitute.org/sheetmusic/general/PresanctifiedGifts.pdf

Prayer

We beseech Thee, O Lord, that our earnest devotion may become fruitful through Thy grace; for then shall our fast be profitable to us, if it is well-pleasing to Thy loving kindness; through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Harmony of the Lectionary

Something I love about liturgical Christianity is the Lectionary. Every congregation around the world unites in the same Bible readings each day at Mass. Not only that, but the different readings present an inner harmony that ties them together. This is especially apparent in the readings for today's Mass:

Reading 1 Is 8:23—9:3

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone."

Psalm Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?"

Gospel Mt 4:12-23

"Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles,the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen."

Behold the Lamb of God

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.

Liturgical Language & Style

“The fact that we are called upon to be the guardians of tradition does not mean that we are committed to immobility.” ~ Cardinal Suenens

If you get the opportunity to attend a full-blown Latin Mass go for it. We have a beautiful old parish downtown Denver that does it for their early Sunday service. WOW!

That said, I was watching EWTN and saw a show about the Misionaries of the Poor down in Jamaica. The sermon was enthusiastic and the Mass was joyful with people clapping and playing tambourines, raising their hands in worship. Would the brothers be able to reach these people if they came out chanting in Latin?

This is what Vatican II had in mind. Giving local congregations the freedom to adapt the Mass to their culture and personality. Critics say that this ruined the Liturgy, and dumbed it down. Sure, there were some goofy experiments in the seventies like the Polka Mass. But now the dust has settled.

One thing that bugged me when I was Eastern Orthodox was how some churches tried to “out orthodox” each other. Some felt that the Liturgy had to be in Greek or Church Slavonic to please God. I prefer “Thee” and “Thou” when referring to God in prayer and song and found myself looking down on the Greeks and OCA who used “You” and “Your”. Maybe because it sounds more like “Theos” or “Dei”? Of course, one finds the same silliness among Evangelicals—I remember when a “prophecy” that wasn’t in Elizabethan English wasn’t considered as being from the Holy Spirit!

I love chant whether it be Gregorian, Sarum, Byzantine, Znammeny, or Ruthenian. I also love a good worship band. And let’s throw in a few 19th century hymns for good measure, especially John Mason Neale or Edward Caswall.

How wonderful that Mother Church embraces them all. One community here in Denver embodies what I’m talking about. The Community of the Beatitudes has Byzantine Vespers, Latin Vespers, a Charismatic prayer group, and Jewish folk dancing. Talk about the Universal Church!

The true worshippers do so in spirit and in truth. Wherever you are I hope you experience both—the Holy Spirit touching you as you worship and the Truth handed down the the Apostles through the Church in her Liturgy.

Thus I continue to declare myself a Charismatic Byzantine Anglo-Catholic!