We can trace the origins of the Advent wreath back to pagan tradition. Pre-Christian Germanic people lit candles and placed them in wreaths during the darkest days of winter as a sign of hope for the light that would come with Springtime. Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Liturgy’
Depends on meaning
Monday, November 20th, 2017
When we were young, no one in our house was allowed to swear. Except Dad, of course. But his oaths were limited to “Damn” and “Hell.” We thought these words very daring and wondered if they were okay with God. On the other hand, Dad could yell at us, “I’ll thrash ye tae an inch Read more
Bishop Drennan, ‘thumbs up’. Two ‘thumbs up’ to Bishop Campbell
Thursday, October 19th, 2017
Jogging our memories, I’m sure we can recall the liturgical branding for the new translation of the Mass. “New words, deeper meaning, same Mass.” Initially prepared to go with the flow, after a little while I found the cognitive dissonance became too apparent. What we got were old words with foreign meanings and a Mass Read more
Pope Francis and faithful translation: ‘Magnum Principium’ clarified
Monday, October 16th, 2017
When Pope Francis issued his motu proprio on liturgical translation (Magnum principium) in September, most of the commentary that followed was focused on the change in Canon Law this enacted, which strengthened the role of bishops’ conferences. The 2001 Vatican instruction on translation, Liturgiam authenticam, had strongly centralized authority in Rome and diminished the role of the bishops’ conferences. Read more
A better translation of the Mass possible
Monday, October 16th, 2017
The Bishop of Palmerston North Charles Drennan says the clunky sentence construction and often awkward vocabulary in the six-year-old translation of the Mass have tested us all, “Notwithstanding the introduction of some evocative language.” Writing in Welcom, Drennan made a plea for patience in regard to what action may be taken in New Zealand as a consequence Read more
Pope Francis: reviving a tradition of local variations in Catholic services
Monday, October 9th, 2017
Pope Francis has changed Catholic Canon law – and met with some intense reactions. At stake here is the language used for the Mass and the question of who has the responsibility for translating the Catholic liturgy into regional languages. So why should this issue be so very controversial in the 21st century? Early history As a Read more
Liturgy crisis: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI blames “obscuring” God
Monday, October 9th, 2017Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says “obscuring” God in the liturgy is the root cause of the current crisis in the Church. In the preface to a new Russian edition of his book “Theology of the Liturgy”, Benedict writes that a widespread misunderstanding of the liturgical reform led to people placing their “own activity and creativity Read more
Pope Francis’ new liturgy document
Thursday, September 14th, 2017
“Magnum Principium” is one of the major documents of Francis’ pontificate. For this reason it deserves an analysis that is not only one of historical-theological context—and not just from the point of view of its possible consequences for the liturgical texts in English—but also an analysis of the institutional context in which it was decided and published. Read more
Five reasons Pope Francis embraces the Vatican II liturgy
Thursday, August 31st, 2017
It is not news that the liturgy has been a contested field in Catholic life over the past few decades. Opposition to liturgical reform began even before the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, and increased from 1964 onward, when reforms like the use of English and the practice of the priest facing the people Read more
I’m pretty convinced my 2 year old godson has a vocation.
Monday, August 7th, 2017Fr Harrison Ayre is a priest in the diocese of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. On his Twitter account he describes himself as “Priest for the theologian. canucks fan. vintage jazz enthusiast. beer snob. reader of books. He is pretty impressed with his godson’s two-year-old liturgical knowledge. Have a look and see why