I know many means of prayer. Still, more often than not, my mind keeps nattering on, and I can’t tell the voice of God from all the other voices in there. I know I’m not alone in this; the apostles themselves begged Jesus to teach them how to pray, and the fixed result was such a relief that Christians everywhere still use it daily!
Archive for category Liturgical Spirituality
Liturgy and personal prayer
Oct 17
“The basic drama always is: how on earth do people gather before the Divine Presence? If it is going to be an encounter with the living God, then liturgy should break something open within us and take us to a challenging place, even an uncomfortable place. Liturgy is there to bring us back to the ‘dangerous’ presence of God.”
iWonder
Oct 6
What does Steve Jobs have to teach us about liturgy?
Pray Tell reader Jack Rakosky shares an experience of one community working with the new translation.
“Everyone did the Preface Dialog and Hosanna well. The new Acclamation was less loud than the usual one. The priest stumbled over the ‘peace’ greeting; everyone laughed but got the correct response.”
“Adorn your house if you will, but do not forget your brother in distress. He is a temple of infinitely greater value.”
“Before we begin our celebration today,” some lector might read, “let us take a moment and introduce ourselves to those around us.” Are there ways to make this “rite” less awkward?
Allied to a previous discussion, I think it’s time to elaborate the both/and—the individual and the communal dimensions—of the communion rite by a close analysis of Articles 80 through 89 of the General Instruction. I’ll start this thread and I invite others to contribute reasoned and temperate reflections.
I want to set forth the value of standing during the communion rite, from the time of the Our Father until the time of silent prayer after communion. My argument is based on the values inherent in every version of the General Instruction from 1969 to the present, as well as the changes made in the 2002 edition. My argument is: When one studies carefully the changes in the 2002 GIRM, one sees that there is an even stronger case for (relative) uniformity of the posture of standing throughout the communion rite, pace the current US practice.
What do you notice when you visit another church?
I have begun to think about how not to let myself be moved too far away from that which really matters on Advent I.