In giving priority to Gregorian chant and to classical liturgical music, the Catholic Church is not trying to limit anyone’s creativity but is showcasing a tradition of beautiful prayer, Pope Benedict XVI wrote.
Archive for May, 2011
Lawrence Madden, SJ – R.I.P.
May 31
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord,
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace. Amen.
Today — which in the U.S. this year happens to be Memorial Day — is also the anniversary of the death of St. Joan of Arc, who was burnt at the stake on May 30th in 1431. Probably not even twenty years old when she died, she continues to live in the popular imagination as a warrior, dressed in military armor, riding into battle.
Pro-Active Participation
May 29
I went to Mass with a devout Catholic friend a while ago who is an accomplished singer, musician, and scholar of medieval music. When I warned her that the liturgical music at that particular Mass was likely to give her a headache, she responded that she knew better than to come to Mass unprepared — she had ear plugs in her purse, at every liturgy she attended.
Holy Planking!
May 29
“I can in fact confirm that ‘planking’ has its origins in liturgy.”
We need scholars who can study the past, but who also listen to the human heart today, scholars who have personally experienced the love of God and who share it with others, scholars whose commitment to common prayer is steady, and scholars who know what it is to be human today, an individual loved by God, yet part of a community that tolerates differences, progresses in technology, and advances on the path toward redemption. It will take prophetic, courageous, committed, and faithfilled scholars to make pastoral liturgy flourish.
There seems to be at present a negative spirit toward any ecumenical venture, gesture or talk coming from a certain quarters…
This is clearly an editorial oddity – perhaps produced after a heavy Roman lunch?
Letter to the bishops of E&W
May 27
Pray Tell reader Chris McDonnell responds to the pastoral letter of the Bishops of England and Wales.