Why do we anoint the hands of catechumens?
Read moreAuthor: Fritz Bauerschmidt
I am a professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland and a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, assigned to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.
Ars Praedicandi: Preaching and “Themes”
“Themes” in preaching the seasons: A good idea all of the time? A good idea some of the time? A good idea none of the time?
Read moreEucharist, Prayer, and Protest
America magazine reports that approximately 550 people gathered on Sunday to celebrate Mass in Lafayette Square, near the White House, in order to show solidarity with immigrants and refugees affected by President Trump’s recent Executive Order.
Read moreEucharistic Praying in the 21st Century
Liturgical prayer is self-expressive of who we are now, but prayer is also a means of conveying tradition, of giving a sense of stability and rootedness, of being confronted with something that might at first seem slightly alien, which are things that can be undercut if our prayers are too much prayers-of-the-moment.
Read moreArs Praedicandi: Preaching Church History
As often happens when a new bishop comes to town and tells everyone that they have been doing things wrong, particularly with regard to prayer and liturgy, the people of Constantinople would have none of this. They had called Mary “Mother of God” for years and were not about to change because of some bishop’s theological qualms.
Read more“The body/blood of Christ” vs. ***** [crickets]
Should concelebrants “take” communion or “receive” it?
Read moreDe-siloing the Church
What we must seek is a Church in which the most volatile and painful issues can be discussed in such a way that our divided world can look at us and say, “See how they love one another!”
Read moreLiturgical (Reform of the) Reform and “Neighborhood People”
Liturgical “neighborhood people” are those who love the liturgy they grew up with and are attached to it not for the richness of its theology or the beauty of its words or music or vestments or architecture, but simply because it is theirs, and has been theirs through moments of great sorrow and moments of great joy, marking milestones in their lives and recalling for them the presence of God at those milestones.
Read morePope Francis Continues Updating Papal Style
Is this a 21st-century Fanon?
Read moreArs Praedicandi: The Reckless Shepherd and Remembering 9/11/2001
Jesus begins his parable with a question: “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” In fact nobody with an ounce of shepherding sense would leave ninety-nine sheep alone in the desert in order to look for a single missing one. Even the most basic form of risk assessment would tell you that this is a very, very, very bad idea.
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