tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231894152024-03-13T06:52:13.105-04:00The Cross Reference(Moved to <a href="http://www.catholiccrossreference.com/blog/">catholiccrossreference.com/blog/</a>)Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.comBlogger989125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-80199381895103459982012-09-22T22:29:00.000-04:002016-10-04T14:17:02.916-04:00My new homeI am re-launching my blog at <a href="http://www.catholiccrossreference.com/"><b>http://www.catholiccrossreference.com/</b></a>.<br />
<br />
I will not delete content from this blog, and I do not yet have plans for copying posts from here to there.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-86410559231234129352012-09-19T22:18:00.000-04:002012-09-22T22:28:01.093-04:00Developments...I have a bunch of Catholic study tools online at <a href="http://www.catholiccrossreference.com/"><b>catholiccrossreference.com</b></a>, most notably a new version of the Catechism search engine, but also a Church Fathers search engine, a Summa Theologiae search engine, and a beta version of a new online approach to reading and studying the Bible. Check them out!<br />
<br />
I'm also planning on <a href="http://www.catholiccrossreference.com/blog/">re-starting my blogging</a> at that new web site.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-37375464877642333972012-08-30T12:20:00.000-04:002012-08-30T12:20:07.280-04:00The Church and Social Media TodayHere is my recommended reading list: <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_29061936_vigilanti-cura_en.html"><i>Vigilanta Cura</i></a> (On the motion picture), Pope Pius XI, 1936</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19631204_inter-mirifica_en.html" target="_blank"><i>Inter Mirifica</i></a> (On social communications media), Vatican II, 1963</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_23051971_communio_en.html"><i>Communio et Progressio</i></a> (On the means of social communication), Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 1971</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_22021992_aetatis_en.html"><i>Aetatis Novae</i></a> (On social communications on the 20th anniversary of <i>Communio et Progressio</i>), Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 1992</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_20020228_church-internet_en.html">The Church and Internet</a>, Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 2002 (important quote: "<b>Education and training regarding the Internet</b>
ought to be part of comprehensive programs of media education available
to members of the Church. As much as possible, pastoral planning for
social communications should <b>make provision for this training in the formation of seminarians, priests, religious</b>, and lay pastoral personnel as well as teachers, parents, and students.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20050124_il-rapido-sviluppo_en.html">The Rapid Development</a> (Apostolic Letter to those responsible for communications), Pope John Paul II, 2005</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20060124_40th-world-communications-day_en.html" target="_blank">Message for the 40th World Communications Day</a>, Pope Benedict XVI, 2006 </li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20070124_41st-world-communications-day_en.html" target="_blank">Message for the 41st World Communications Day</a>, Pope Benedict XVI, 2007<br />
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20080124_42nd-world-communications-day_en.html" target="_blank">Message for the 42nd World Communications Day</a>, Pope Benedict XVI, 2008<br />
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20090124_43rd-world-communications-day_en.html" target="_blank">Message for the 43rd World Communications Day</a>, Pope Benedict XVI, 2009
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20100124_44th-world-communications-day_en.html" target="_blank">Message for the 44th World Communications Day</a>, Pope Benedict XVI, 2010</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20110124_45th-world-communications-day_en.html" target="_blank">Message for the 45th World Communications Day</a>, Pope Benedict XVI, 2011</li>
<li><a href="http://www.churchandnewmedia.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Church and the New Media</i></a>, Brandon Vogt, 2011 </li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20120124_46th-world-communications-day_en.html" target="_blank">Message for the 46th World Communications Day</a>, Pope Benedict XVI, 2012</li>
</ul>
Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-71268704543781685242012-08-30T10:55:00.001-04:002012-08-30T10:55:13.887-04:00Catholic New Media Conference - Day 1I'm in Arlington, TX through Saturday morning for the <a href="http://cnmc.sqpn.com/" target="_blank">Catholic New Media Conference</a>. It's being held in the same place and at the same time as the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show and the Catholic Writers' Guild meet-up, at the Arlington Convention Center.<br />
<br />
I arrived Tuesday night, and the CNMC began Wednesday. There were two tracks: the standard track and the developers' track. I attended the developers' track, which was focused on apps, APIs, and collaboration. I have recently put together an API (<b>CatechismAPI</b>) for searching and presenting the Catechism of the Catholic Church and have <a href="http://www.catholiccrossreference.com/" target="_blank">a web site</a> that uses it very simply to let people search the Catechism how (I think) people really need to search it.<br />
<br />
The first session was on seven strategies for building a good web site for your organization, presented by Josh of <a href="http://www.ecatholicwebsites.com/" target="_blank"><b>eCatholic</b></a>. The second session was an expo of Catholic apps, programs, and APIs. There were presentations on the <a href="http://www.opensourcecatholic.com/project/catholic-diocese-app" target="_blank"><b>Catholic Diocese App</b></a>, <a href="http://www.logos.com/" target="_blank"><b>Logos</b></a>, <a href="http://www.divineoffice.org/" target="_blank"><b>Divine Office</b></a>, <b>CatechismAPI</b> (my work), and <a href="http://www.flocknote.com/" target="_blank"><b>Flocknote</b></a>.<br />
<br />
I received great feedback and a very positive response to my work. More about that in another post.<br />
<br />
I met <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewwarner" target="_blank">Matthew Warner</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/geerlingguy" target="_blank">Jeff Geerling</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/brandonvogt1" target="_blank">Brandon Vogt</a>, who I knew through Twitter. I can't say I put a face to a name, since we've all got pictures of our heads on Twitter. It was nice to meet them in the flesh; it was very Catholic, very incarnational. I also met other Twitter friends: Sr. Anne (the <a href="https://twitter.com/nunblogger" target="_blank">Nun Blogger</a>), <a href="https://twitter.com/applemachome" target="_blank">Jeffrey Ketterer</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/catholicservant" target="_blank">Craig Berry</a>. And I began to network with people who do app development and could help make the CatechismAPI come alive on the mobile platform.<br />
<br />
After lunch I stopped by the <a href="http://www.osv.com/" target="_blank"><b>Our Sunday Visitor</b></a> booth to get a copy of Brandon Vogt's book <a href="http://www.churchandnewmedia.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Church and the New Media</i></a>, signed by the author of course. Then I attended a session on the importance of standards in app and API development.<br />
<br />
Next I did a book signing at the Catholic Writers' Guild booth at the CMN Trade Show. I also spoke with a few book distributors to see if there was any interest in my books. After that I went to the developers' session on collaboration.<br />
<br />
I had dinner with Matthew, Jeff, Jeff, <a href="http://twitter.com/DivineOffice" target="_blank">Dane Falkner</a> (of the Divine Office app), <a href="https://twitter.com/newadvent" target="_blank">Kevin Knight</a> (of <a href="http://newadvent.org/">NewAdvent.org</a>), and <a href="https://twitter.com/aquinasnmore" target="_blank">Ian Rutherford</a> (of <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/" target="_blank">Aquinas and More Books</a>), and a few others; we ate across the street from the hotel and conference center, at El Fenix.<br />
<br />
After dinner I listened in on Jeff Cavins' talk/pitch about <i>Walking Toward Eternity</i>, his new series from Ascension Press. That was followed by a screening of <a href="http://www.restlessheartfilm.com/" target="_blank"><i>Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine</i></a>, a feature-film-length non-animated dramatization of the life of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. It was really quite good.<br />
<br />
That was a full day. Today there's a single track... but I'll post about it later.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-24948157368453633282012-05-10T12:13:00.002-04:002012-05-10T15:51:45.265-04:00Imitating Jesus(This post is the fruit of a brief Twitter conversation I had yesterday with Rev. Bosco Peters of <a href="http://liturgy.co.nz/"><b>liturgy.co.nz</b></a>, who has <a href="http://liturgy.co.nz/as-so/9724" target="_blank">blogged about it</a> as well.) <br />
<br />
Sometime around March of 2010, I spoke with a group of students at Princeton University's Aquinas Institute (their Catholic chaplaincy) about the Mass and the coming new translation of the Roman Missal. My overall theme was about how our participation in the liturgy should direct our actions <i>outside</i> the liturgy. I explained how during the Mass there are moments of reception: during the Penitential Act, we receive God's mercy; during the liturgy of the Word, we receive God's Word; during the Rite of Peace, we receive God's peace; during the Communion Rite, we receive God's very Self in the Eucharist; and in the Concluding Rites, we receive God's blessing. These five gifts (graces) — God's mercy, word, peace, self, and blessing — are just what we need to get on with the rest of our day (and week). We receive these graces not for ourselves only, but also for others, for everyone we come in contact with, either in person or in prayer.<br />
<br />
The Concluding Rites of the Mass present liturgically Christ's sending His disciples out into the world shortly before His Ascension. We receive a blessing and are sent forth, uniting the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 with the Great Blessing of Luke 24:50-51. The link between the dismissal and the Great Commission may not be immediately evident, despite their etymological link: dis<u>miss</u>al, com<u>miss</u>ion, both from the Latin <i>mittere</i> (to send), <i>missio</i> (mission, sending). But I expect that for most Christians, etymology is the last thing on their minds during their liturgical worship... especially at the very end of the liturgy! So it falls to liturgical catechists (as I imagine myself to be) to point these things out.<br />
<br />
So what does this have to do with "imitating Jesus", as I've titled this blog post? Well, to make my point at this same meeting with Princeton students, I asked "Why are we dismissed from the Mass?" That is, to what end are we sent forth from the church? It's not so that we can get home in time to watch the football game. It's not because we've worn out our welcome in God's house. It's not because the Mass has been dragging on too long... although hearing "The Mass is ended" may elicit more genuine "Thanks be to God!"s than we think. But no, we are dismissed from the liturgy for a particular reason, which the third edition of the Roman Missal attempts to make clear in its new formulae for dismissal. As Pope Benedict pointed out in <i>Sacramentum Caritatis</i>, the dismissal of the liturgy is a missionary sending-forth. But to what end?<br />
<br />
The end is to imitate Jesus. I came to this conclusion when I noticed <a href="http://thecrossreference.blogspot.com/2012/05/as-so.html" target="_blank">a pattern of speech</a> in the Gospel of John. In the Gospels, Jesus often makes remarks about "<b>as</b> that..., <b>so</b> this..." Examples from Matthew and Luke are the signs of Jonah (Mt 12:40; Lk 11:30), of lightning (Mt 24:27; Lk 17:24), and of Noah (Mt 24:37; Lk 17:26). This pattern of speech is particularly pronounce in John's Gospel, where the comparisons are less about events than they are about persons. On five occasions, Christ spoke about how, just as the Father does something, so too the Son does it:<br />
<ul>
<li>For <b>as the Father</b> raises the dead and gives them life,<br /><b>so also the Son</b> gives life to whom he will. (Jn 5:21)</li>
<li>
For <b>as the Father</b> has life in himself,<br /><b>so he has granted the Son</b> also to have life in himself. (Jn 5:26)</li>
<li><b>As the Father</b> has loved me,<br /><b>so have I</b> loved you; abide in my love. (Jn 15:9)</li>
<li><b>As thou</b> didst send me into the world,<br /><b>so I</b> have sent them into the world. (Jn 17:18)</li>
<li>
<b>As the Father</b> has sent me,<br />
<b>even so I</b> send you. (Jn 20:21)</li>
</ul>
This is simply the principle of John 5:19 put into action: "The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise." As the Father gives life to the dead, so too does the Son; as the Father has life in Himself, so too does the Son; as the Father loves the Son, so too does the Son love us; and as the Father sends the Son, so too does the Son send... us.<br />
<br />
That last one is the key: Jesus sent His disciples into the world <i>just as</i> the Father sent Jesus into the world. Jesus is not speaking simply of the similarity between two people who send others out; Jesus is saying that <i>as</i> the Father sent Him, so <i>He</i> sends His disciples. The purpose, the reason, the mission (<i>missio</i>, sending) is the same; from paragraph 858 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jesus is the Father's Emissary. From the beginning of his ministry, he "called to him those whom he desired; . ... And he appointed twelve, whom also he named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach." From then on, they would also be his "emissaries" (Greek <i>apostoloi</i>). <b>In them, Christ continues his own mission</b>: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." <b>The apostles' ministry is the continuation of his mission</b>; Jesus said to the Twelve: "he who receives you receives me."</blockquote>
Our imitation of Christ requires knowledge of why the Father sent the Son. John's Gospel is the Gospel of <i>Siloam</i>, "the sent" (Jn 9:7), and a whole Bible study could be centered upon the theology of "sending" in John's Gospel. The first answer John's Gospel gives to the question of why the Father sent the Son is "that the world might be saved through him" (Jn 3:17), so that <i>as the serpent</i> in the desert was lifted up, <i>so too the Son</i> will be lifted up, to draw all to Himself. (Jn 3:14; 8:28; 12:32) While we cannot claim to be Christ, the Savior of the world, we <i>are</i> anointed ("christed") to share in Christ's threefold mission as priest, prophet, and king, and so our mission is the same as His: if not to bring salvation to the world, then to bring the world to its salvation, to its Savior.<br />
<br />
There is another set of verses in John's Gospel with the "as-so" pattern, but instead of "as the Father... so the Son," these verses are "as the Father (or: as I)... so you."<br />
<ul>
<li><b>As the living Father</b> sent me, and I live because of the Father,<br />
<b>so he</b> who eats me will live because of me. (Jn 6:57)</li>
<li>Even <b>as I</b> have loved you,<br />
<b>that you</b> also love one another. (Jn 13:34)</li>
<li><b>Even as thou, Father</b>, art in me, and I in thee,<br />
<b>that they </b>also may be in
us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (Jn 17:21)</li>
</ul>
These verses teach us how to imitate Christ:<br />
<ul>
<li>as He lives because of the One Who sent Him,<br />so <b>we are to live by the One Who sends us</b>;</li>
<li>as the Father loves Him, and as He loves us,<br />so <b>we are to love one another</b>;</li>
<li>and as the Father and the Son are in each other,<br />so <b>we are to be in God (and God in us!)</b>.</li>
</ul>
This is why we are dismissed from the liturgy: to live by the One Who sends us, to love one another (even those not yet within the fold) as He loves us, and to participate in His divine life as He Himself lives it. And this is all so that the world may believe that the Father sent His Son, and thus believe in the Son, who came for the salvation of the world. And in this way, we are carrying out the same mission as Christ; in this way, we are sent that the world may be saved.<br />
<br />
This is imitating Jesus. This, not to take anything away from Thomas à Kempis, is imitation of Christ.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-87649006828751428582012-05-09T15:23:00.000-04:002012-05-09T15:23:58.005-04:00As... so...For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Mt 12:40)<br />
<br />
For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. (Lk 11:30)<br />
<br />
Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. (Mt 13:40)<br />
<br />
For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. (Mt 24:27)<br />
<br />
For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day. (Lk 17:24)<br />
<br />
As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. (Mt 24:37)<br />
<br />
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. (Lk 17:26)<br />
<br />
And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. (Lk 6:31)<br />
<br />
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up. (Jn 3:14)<br />
<br />
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (Jn 5:21)<br />
<br />
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. (Jn 5:26)<br />
<br />
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. (Jn 6:57)<br />
<br />
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going you cannot come.' (Jn 13:33)<br />
<br />
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (Jn 13:34)<br />
<br />
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. (Jn 15:9)<br />
<br />
As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (Jn 17:18)<br />
<br />
Even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (Jn 17:21)<br />
<br />
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." (Jn 20:21)Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-16348023347847755132012-04-26T16:28:00.000-04:002012-04-26T16:28:06.134-04:00Where are all these enormous circles?The following <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edwin_Markham#The_Shoes_of_Happiness.2C_and_Other_Poems_.281913.29" target="_blank">quote from a poem by Edwin Markham</a> is often cited by persons or groups who perceive themselves to be marginalized or excluded from the Catholic Church for one reason or another:<br /><br /><i>He drew a circle that shut me out —<br /> Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.<br /> But Love and I had the wit to win:<br /> We drew a circle that took him in.</i><br />
<br />
I do not wish to question the perceptions of these persons or groups; the marginalization or exclusion they feel may indeed be very real. What I wonder about, though, is whether, in quoting this part of Markham's poem, they actually intend to "draw a circle" that takes in the very person or group they feel is excluding <i>them</i>.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-40770999192858739612012-04-23T14:10:00.000-04:002012-04-23T14:10:22.553-04:00Perfectae Caritatis - Vatican II on consecrated religious life<i>(The material below comes from <a href="http://thecrossreference.blogspot.com/2009/07/reading-more-vatican-ii-documents.html" target="_blank">a post originally written three years ago</a>. I'm posting this again now, in
April 2012, because of the news surrounding the LCWR in the United
States.)</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Perfectae Caritatis</span> (the decree on the renewal of religious life), among others from Vatican II, could <span style="font-weight: bold;">really</span> have benefited from <span style="font-weight: bold;">headings</span>.
It's not much to ask for. I mean, I finally caught on that the first
couple words of a "paragraph" (really, a group of paragraphs with a
single number) indicated the content matter for that numbered paragraph,
but the <span style="font-weight: bold;">organization</span> of the document didn't jump out at me at first. For those of you reading along at home (and you <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> reading the documents of Vatican II, aren't you?), here's the breakdown of <span style="font-style: italic;">Perfectae Caritatis</span>:<ol type="I">
<li>Introduction (1)</li>
<li>Principles of Renewal (2-6)<ol start="2">
<li>Five General Principles of Renewal</li>
<li>Call to Renewal</li>
<li>Authority in Carrying Out the Renewal</li>
<li>Dedication to Evangelical Counsels and Contemplation</li>
<li>Sources of Renewal</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Types of Religious Life (7-11)<ol start="7">
<li>Contemplative</li>
<li>Apostolates (Active Communities)</li>
<li>Monastic</li>
<li>Lay Religious</li>
<li>Secular</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Evangelical Counsels (12-14)<ol start="12">
<li>Chastity</li>
<li>Poverty</li>
<li>Obedience</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Religious Lifestyle (15-18)<ol start="15">
<li>Communal Living</li>
<li>Papal Cloister</li>
<li>Habits</li>
<li>Education and Formation</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Lifecycle, Work, and Governance (19-24)<ol start="19">
<li>Founding New Communities</li>
<li>Community Identity (Ministry and Mission)</li>
<li>Discontinuing a Community</li>
<li>Combining Similar Communities</li>
<li>Conferences or Councils of Major Superiors</li>
<li>Fostering Vocations</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Conclusion (25)</li>
</ol>
I hope that's helpful for you, for when you <b>read the documents of Vatican II</b>.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-4149509397987286172012-04-07T12:39:00.001-04:002012-04-07T12:39:08.427-04:00Catholic PiazzaThis morning I received an email from a woman in the UK named Margaret who invited me to participate on a Catholic forum she started up recently: <a href="http://catholicpiazza.forumup.co.uk/"><b>http://catholicpiazza.forumup.co.uk/</b></a><br />
<br />
I've registered and, after the Easter weekend, I'll endeavor to participate there. I tend to be more active on forums than blogs, for whatever reason.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-52800374992013652282012-03-28T14:48:00.001-04:002012-03-28T14:49:37.111-04:00The Improperia<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improperia" target="_blank">The <i>Improperia</i></a> (or "Reproaches") are a series of antiphons and responses which are part of the Good Friday liturgy in the Roman Rite (although you may not have ever heard them). They are presented as Christ crying out to His people (contextually, the Israelites) for the injustices they showed their God after all the wonders God had performed for them.<br />
<br />
Here is my own (somewhat loose) English translation of the Latin (and Greek) text:<br />
<br />
O my people, what have I done to you?<br />
How have I offended you? Answer me!<br />
<br />
For I brought you out of the land of Egypt,<br />
but you brought out* a cross for your Savior.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy is God! Holy and mighty! Holy and immortal!<br />Have mercy upon us!</i><br />
<br />
For I led you through the desert for forty years,<br />
and fed you with manna,<br />
and brought you into a land of plenty,<br />
but you prepared* a cross for your Savior.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy is God! Holy and mighty! Holy and immortal!<br />
Have mercy upon us!</i><br />
<br />
What more should I have done for you, that I did not do?<br />
Indeed, I planted you, my precious chosen vine,<br />
but you have become terribly bitter to me.<br />
Indeed, you gave me vinegar to drink in my thirst,<br />
and have pierced your Savior's side with a lance.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy is God! Holy and mighty! Holy and immortal!<br />
Have mercy upon us!</i><br />
<br />
I scourged the first-born of Egypt for your sake:<br />
yet you scourged me and handed me over.<br />
<br />
O my people, what have I done to you?<br />
How have I offended you? Answer me!<br />
<br />
I plunged Pharaoh into the Red Sea and plucked you out of Egypt's hand:<br />
yet you handed me over to the high priests.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
I parted the sea before you:<br />
yet you parted my side with a lance.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
I led you as a pillar of cloud:<br />
yet you led me into Pilate's palace.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
I rained down manna for you in the desert:<br />
yet you rained down blows and lashes on me.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
I gave you saving water from the rock to drink:<br />
yet for drink you gave me gall and vinegar.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
I struck down for you the kings of the Canaanites:<br />
yet you struck the head of your King with a reed.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
In your hands I placed a royal scepter:<br />
yet upon my head you placed a crown of thorns.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
I raised you up in great power:<br />
yet you raised me up on a cross.<br />
<br />
O my people...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* The Latin is the same for these two lines ("but you ... your Savior"), but I have chosen to render them differently.</span>Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-6963695721547024382012-03-10T09:59:00.000-05:002012-03-10T09:59:00.319-05:00Books: The Sayings of the Desert FathersThis Lent, I decided to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sayings-Desert-Fathers-Alphabetical-Collection/dp/0879079592"><i>The Sayings of the Desert Fathers</i></a>, edited by Benedicta Ward, SLG. I bought this book last May at the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cts=1331385841855&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wmich.edu%2Fmedieval%2Fcongress%2F&ei=2VVbT9H_G8Pl0gHgjcHCDw&usg=AFQjCNHUc88AF1q-HYpOv8KLL1TUC4Lgkw">International Congress on Medieval Studies</a> at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. My wife is currently pursuing her doctorate in history (and I think she's gaining on it), and her specific area of interest is medieval England. For the past few years (three? four?) we have been attending the ICMS at Kalamazoo, and this past year we both presented papers: hers was on the Book of Hours belonging to Sir William Porter and what it reveals about him ("Affinity, Nationalism, and Religious Devotion"), and mine was on an eschatological perspective on JRR Tolkien's use of geography in his Middle Earth literature. Sadly, we are not attending this year, as we have too many things on our plates, and too many plates in the air.<br />
<br />
WMU is home to an Institute of Cistercian Studies, and there is a good showing of Cistercians at the ICMS each year. One of the book vendors is Cistercian Publications. It was at their booth last May that I found <i>The Sayings of the Desert Fathers</i>. I don't tend to buy too many books at the ICMS because most of them are, to be honest, over my head and out of my realm of interest. I do get a few each year, though. Last year I also bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Second-Corinthians-Catholic-Commentary-Scripture/dp/080103583X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331387045&sr=8-1-fkmr0">a commentary on Second Corinthians</a> (by CCSS) and a book about the medieval literature behind the writing of JRR Tolkien, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Keys-Middle-Earth-Discovering-Literature/dp/140394671X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331387108&sr=1-1"><i>The Keys of Middle-Earth</i></a>.<br />
<br />
These books are in good company in my man-cave in the unfinished basement of our house. A man-cave I have not spent much time in lately, because it's been winter, and because we sometimes get floods down there, and because my part of the basement is a federal disaster relief site. It's a real mess. Now that the temperature is warming up, I might be able to straighten it up a bit. A lot.<br />
<br />
But about my books. I have a lot of books down there, but many of them are unread or barely started. I've decided to create a virtual bookshelf program (using Google Books' API) so that my wife and I can keep track of the books we own, categorize them, log a history of which ones we're reading, how far we are, and when we've finished them. With a simple program in place (and enhancements to come in time), I've resolved to enter the books I own into the system, read them, and make notes about them.<br />
<br />
So that brings us to <i>The Sayings of the Desert Fathers</i>. This 250 page alphabetical collection of sayings (not necessarily "wisdom" sayings, but sayings) from the eremitical men and women of the Egypt from the third through fifth centuries is the sort of book I like. It introduces me to the writings and thoughts of people and potentially whets my appetite for more. Case in point, my wife has suggested I read Athanasius' <i>Life of St. Anthony</i>, who has some 38 sayings in this book, four of which I marked as particularly meaningful to me. The book is dog-eared and pencil-marked now: I put asterisks next to scriptural citations (for entry into a database later), and I turn down the corner of a page on which I find a saying that resonates with me, and draw a line down the margin next to it.<br />
<br />
I imagine there are about two thousand sayings in this book, and they range from the utterly practical to the astonishingly absurd. Some are amusing anecdotes about the trials of living as a well-known and sought-after hermit; a couple of these end up sounding like a fourth-century rendition of "Get off my lawn!" Others are mind-blowing accounts of the severe ascetism of these secluded monks: eating only once every other day, fighting off sleep, not speaking a word unless it would be a sin not to do so (hospitality to one's neighbor — a funny concept among people living mostly solitary lives — was very big among the Desert Fathers and Mothers), and refusing to accept gifts or retain possessions.<br />
<br />
Some are quite fantastic, like the story of Abba Sisoes of Calamon who, to avoid sleep, hung himself over a precipice. It is related that "an angel came to take him down and ordered him not to do that again and not to transmit such teaching to others." (p. 219) Others are quite mundane, like the story of Abba Macarius who had nothing in his cell but some stagnant water. Two brothers noticed this and invited him to accompany them to a village where they would get clean water for him. Abba Macarius asked if they knew the man who owned the bakery in the village; they did. He asked if they knew of the field which lay adjacent to the river; they did. Then he said to them, "I know it too. So when I want to, I can go there myself, without your help."<br />
<br />
A simple "No thanks" would have sufficed!<br />
<br />
There are many real gems among these sayings as well. Love of neighbor as love of Christ comes up often. The radical nature of life for Christ alone, to the exclusion of virtually every worldly comfort, is a constant theme. And then there are frequent reminders that we should be concerned for, and weep for, our own sins, rather than judge another person. I was surprised at the sort of <i>laissez-faire</i> attitude towards sin that several of these sayings contain, along the lines of "If you see a brother sinning, say nothing to him." A brother is being judged by the other brethren, and the abba shows up and asks to be judged too; or the abba appears carrying a large sack of sand on his back and holding a small satchel of sand in front of him: "In this sack with contains much sand, are my sins which are many; I have put them behind me so as not to be troubled about them and so as not to weep; and see here are the little sins of my brother which are in front of me and I spend my time judging them." (Abba Pior, p. 199)<br />
<br />
I found one saying near the end of the book that aligns with the popular saying, "hate the sin, love the sinner." Amma Syncletica says, "Hate sickness but not the sick person." (p. 233) There were also striking encounters with sinners (often harlots) wherein the abba converts the sinner by sorrow for his or her life of sin and concern for his or her immortal soul.<br />
<br />
There is practical wisdom to be found as well. Abba Silvanus said, "Unhappy is the man whose reputation is greater than his work." (p. 224) Abba Pambo lamented that a courtesan had greater desire to please wicked men than he had to please God. (p. 196) Abba Poemen states matter-of-factly that "where there are enemies, I become a solider." (p. 194)<br />
<br />
A few sayings remind me of the encounter between Jean Valjean and the bishop in <i>Les misérables</i>. Valjean is shown hospitality by the bishop but in return steals some silverware and runs off in the night. When Valjean is apprehended by lawmen and returned to the bishop, the bishop insists that the silver was a gift. Not having read the book, but having seen the musical (does that count?), the event is told in this way:<br />
<br />
<i>Constables:</i> Tell his reverence your story, let us see if he's impressed.<br />
You were lodging here last night; you were the honest bishop's guest.<br />
And then out of Christian goodness, when he learned about your plight,<br />
You maintain he made a present of this silver.<br />
<br />
<i>Bishop:</i> That is right.<br />
But my friend you left so early, surely something slipped your mind.<br />
You forgot I gave these also. Would you leave the best behind?<br />
So messieurs, you may release, for this man has spoken true.<br />
I commend you for your duty: may God's blessing go with you.<br />
<br />
And remember this, my brother: see in this some higher plan.<br />
You must use this precious silver to become an honest man.<br />
By the witness of the martyrs, by the Passion and the Blood,<br />
God has raised you out of darkness. I have bought your soul for God.<br />
<br />
This is the sort of reaction some of the abbas have toward a brother who is sinning. One brother is suspected of having given into the temptation of fornication, and the other brothers decide to search his cell for the woman. The local abba, Ammonas, knowing what has happened, enters the cell first and sits upon a barrel; he knows the brother has hid the woman inside. He lets the other brothers in to search the cell, but they do not find the woman. When they leave, Abba Ammonas takes the brother by the hand and says, "Brother, be on your guard." (p. 28) Other stories relate how an abba, upon seeing his cell being raided by thieves, would not cry out in alarm, but assist the thieves in stowing what little possessions he had on their camel.<br />
<br />
Clearly this way of life is not for everyone. The extreme asceticism and the "look the other way" mentality do not apply to every situation of life. Still, there is a great deal to be learned from these wise (and probably thin) men and women of the desert. They emphasize the need to cast off vices and grow in virtue, preferably in <i>all</i> the virtues a little, rather than in one particular virtue a lot. They praise obedience and humility.<br />
<br />
I give Abba Silvanus the last remark. Abba Moses asked him, "Can a man lay a new foundation every day?" Abba Silvanus replied, "If he works hard, he can lay a new foundation at every moment." (p. 224)Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-11820067301397868792012-03-10T08:22:00.001-05:002012-03-10T08:22:12.477-05:00Filling the void with books!I'm finding it difficult to blog regularly lately. It's probably because I read a lot of blogs and comment on a few of them fairly often, and I tweet, and I'm writing a book on the Eucharistic Prayers... oh yeah, and I have a wife and a job and a dog and teach Confirmation students.<br />
<br />
So the blog has suffered a lot because of that. Just look at the past few months:<br />
<ul><li>February - 1 post<a href="http://thecrossreference.blogspot.com/2012/02/scripture-reference-database.html"></a></li>
<li>January - 1 post</li>
<li>December - 4 posts</li>
<li>November - 4 posts</li>
<li>October - 4 posts</li>
</ul>I only posted 54 times in 2011, less than half of 2010's output, which was less than a third of 2009's output! True, some of my posts have been short and a bit mundane, but I just don't write here much anymore. I've got tons of "series" of blog posts which are stagnant, and a lot which never really ever got started. I've also got two other blogs (related to the new liturgical translation) which haven't had much going on lately.<br />
<br />
So, facing the decision of 1) not changing my blogging habits, 2) increasing my blogging, or 3) stopping blogging here altogether, I'm going to try #2. I'm going to blog about the books I'm reading, because if there's one thing I have a lot of, it's unread books on Christianity! I wouldn't call these book reviews, <i>per se</i>, although I'll tag them as such for good measure.<br />
<br />
My first installment will be on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sayings-Desert-Fathers-Alphabetical-Collection/dp/0879079592"><i>The Sayings of the Desert Fathers</i></a> translated by Benedicta Ward, SLG.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-32003144029763344042012-02-20T13:13:00.000-05:002012-02-20T13:13:18.380-05:00Scripture reference databaseIf you're like me, you have plenty of books on your bookshelves that contain references to passages from the Bible. I'm not talking just about scriptural commentaries; I have many books, which I would classify as spiritual reading (like <i>I'm Not Being Fed!</i> by Jeff Cavins and <i>The Imitation of Christ</i> by Thomas a Kempis), that quote or refer to Scripture.<br />
<br />
Several years ago, I compiled a list of scriptural annotations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and made <a href="http://www.catholiccrossreference.com/tools/#%21/ccc/today/">a search engine</a> so that I could look up paragraphs of the Catechism that refer to a specific biblical passage. I also went through a couple of books with collected excerpts from the writing of Pope Benedict XVI and made the same sort of database, but never got around to using it.<br />
<br />
But that's going to change. I've recently started writing a little library database (using the Google Books API) for my wife and myself to keep track of all the books we own. I'm taking this opportunity to create a catalog of all the scripture references in the books I read, in the same library database. I'll eventually make this available to the public.<br />
<br />
If you're interested in helping out, leave a comment here or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PrayingTheMass">tweet me</a>.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-21811937112827298022012-01-19T22:09:00.001-05:002012-01-19T22:17:41.919-05:00Treasures of the Roman Missal: Eucharistic Prayer IVThere are inexhaustible riches buried in the Eucharistic Prayers of the modern Roman Rite. The new English translation helps uncover them, but to delve even deeper, we need to look directly at the Latin. I recommend a look at Eucharistic Prayer IV, which is rarely used, but is a stellar recounting of salvation history filled with resonant biblical language and powerful imagery.<br />
<br />
Here's a selection from the Post-sanctus of EP IV, first in the new English translation, and then in the underlying Latin:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">You formed man in your own image<br />
and <b style="color: blue;">entrusted</b> the whole world to his care,<br />
so that in serving you alone, the Creator,<br />
he <b style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">might have </span>dominion</b> over all creatures.<br />
And when through disobedience he <b style="color: blue;">had lost</b> your friendship,<br />
you did not abandon him to <b style="color: red;">the domain</b> of death.</blockquote>Here is the Latin:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Hominem ad tuam imaginem condidisti,<br />
eique <b style="color: blue;">commisisti</b> mundi curam universi,<br />
ut, tibi soli Creatori serviens,<br />
creaturis omnibus <b style="color: red;">imperaret</b>.<br />
Et cum amicitiam tuam, non oboediens, <b style="color: blue;">amisisset</b>,<br />
non eum dereliquisti in mortis <b style="color: red;">imperio</b>.</blockquote>There are two pairs of bolded words in the English and in the Latin: <span style="color: blue;">commisisti</span> and <span style="color: blue;">amisisset</span>, <span style="color: red;">imperaret</span> and <span style="color: red;">imperio</span>. The two pairs are translated in different manners. Let us look at the second pair first.<br />
<br />
The word <i>imperaret</i> is a third person imperfect subjunctive form of the verb <i>imperare</i> "to order, command; to rule (over)." The word <i>imperio</i> is the noun form of that verb: "command; authority; rule". It is sensible to translate them into English as "might have dominion" and "the dominion", for this captures the sense of the Latin words and the linguistic link between them. The treasure I see here in the text is this: God gave <b>dominion</b> (mastery, you could say, or stewardship) of His creation to man, but when man sinned, He did not let death have <b>dominion</b> over man. This treasure is not too hard to spot in the new translation. (The previous English translation was another matter, translating these two words as "to rule" and "power", two words not immediately related to each other in English. The proposed 1998 text used "be stewards" and "power", even less associated with each other.)<br />
<br />
But I think a more concealed treasure (partly due to the translation) is in the first pair: <i>commisisti</i> and <i>amisisset</i>. The first is the second person perfect form of the verb <i>committere</i> which means "to entrust" along with "to bring together, unite"; the second is the third person pluperfect subjunctive form of the verb <i>amittere</i> which means "to lose" along with "to send away; to part with". Both verbs are related to the root verb <i>mittere</i> which means "to send". The treasure to be uncovered here is that God unites — <b>sends together</b>, <i>com-mittere</i> — man and the rest of His creation as part of His friendship with man, but then man casts away — <b>sends away</b>, <i>a-mittere</i> — this friendship. God puts something special and precious into the hands of man, and man casts it aside.<br />
<br />
These are just two pearls of great price I've uncovered as I study the Eucharistic Prayers (during the research phase of my work on <i>Praying the Mass</i> vol. 3, <i>The Eucharistic Prayers</i>). There are many more to be uncovered!Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-47262197308576821372011-12-27T21:01:00.000-05:002011-12-27T21:01:41.881-05:00Critiquing the new translation alongside earlier onesI'm still reading Anscar Chupungco's critique of the official English translation of Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I:<br />
<blockquote>ICEL2010 takes liberty with the Latin text <i>in unum corpus congregentur in Christo, a quo omnis auferatur divisio</i>, whose literal meaning is: “they may be gathered into one Body in Christ, from which may every division be {482} removed.” It is obvious that <i>a quo</i> refers to <i>corpus</i>, not to <i>Christo</i>. There can be no division in Christ in the first place. (<i>A Commentary on the Order of Mass</i>, pp. 481-482)</blockquote>That is a good literal translation of the Latin provided by Fr. Chupungco (a Benedictine monk). The English text he is critiquing, from the new English translation of the Roman Missal, is "they may be gathered into one Body in Christ <b>who heals every division</b>." He goes on to say:<br />
<blockquote>The Latin text does not say that Christ “heals” every division. <b>The verb “to heal” is not a dynamic equivalent, much less a literal translation of <i>auferatur</i>.</b> What is prayed for is that all division be eliminated from the community, the body gathered into one in Christ. (<i>Ibid</i>, p. 482)</blockquote>He has a valid point here. The verb <i>auferre</i> means generally "to remove". It appears in a penitential prayer of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (commonly called the Tridentine Mass), <i>aufer a nobis</i>... ("Take away our iniquities from us...").<br />
<br />
I wonder, though, why here in the commentary on translation, mention is not made of earlier translations (e.g. 1975 and 1998) of the same Latin text; comparing the 2010 text to earlier translations happens quite frequently in this particular commentary. The two earlier translations I have noted (1975 and 1998) employed dynamic equivalency, and yet they rendered the phrase in question as "<b>healed</b> of all division" and "in whom all divisions are <b>healed</b>". Perhaps this is why a comparison or remark is absent.<br />
<br />
While Fr. Chupungco is correct that "healed" does not translate (literally or dynamically) <i>auferatur</i>, I would dare to suggest that "healed of all division(s)" does dynamically (though not quite literally) translate <i>omnis auferatur divisio</i>. For, in this case, the divisions are in a body, a body which is meant to be perfectly united, perfectly one, utterly undivided. The removal, therefore, of divisions in this body appropriately be called "healing".Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-25040970302800535462011-12-27T20:03:00.000-05:002011-12-27T20:03:44.845-05:00Translating the SanctusThe Adoremus Bulletin had an article nine years ago about <a href="http://www.adoremus.org/0602Sanctus.html">the proper translation</a> of <i>Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth</i>. This article pointed out that while "Deus" is a noun in the nominative (subject of a verb) and vocative (direct address) cases, "Dominus" is only properly a nominative noun. The vocative form of "Dominus" is "Domine", as in <i>Miserere, Domine</i>.<br />
<br />
This means the strictly literal translation of the first line of the <i>Sanctus</i> is really "Holy, holy, holy <b>is the</b> Lord God of Hosts," instead of what we're used to, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts."<br />
<br />
So I was a bit surprised when reading Anscar Chupungco's analysis of the new English translation, wherein he writes:<br />
<blockquote>In compliance with the norms of formal correspondence advocated by [<i>Liturgiam Authenticam</i>], the English Sanctus for [Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I] in ICEL2010 (“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts”) appropriately corrects its 2007 gray book translation of this prayer (Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts). (<i>A Commentary on the Order of Mass</i>, p. 478)</blockquote>There are a number of other inaccuracies in the final translation of the Latin text which the numerous authors in the <i>Commentary</i> have pointed out, but I was surprised at this one.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-88176575405522539082011-12-18T21:13:00.001-05:002011-12-18T21:29:48.738-05:00Biblical exegesis and interfaith sensitivityI'm reading <a href="http://www.litpress.org/Detail.aspx?ISBN=9780814662564">a new massive commentary</a> on the Roman Missal by the Liturgical Press. It's very helpful for my research on the new translations of the Eucharistic Prayers, but every now and then it rubs me the wrong way with statements like these (emphasis added):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">A mystagogy of EP IV needs to point out that the early church or a patristic typological interpretation of OT passages can be problematic for contemporary interfaith sensibilities. Appreciation of the prayer does need to carry with it a certain note of caution concerning its appropriation of Jewish salvation history. In other words, <b>contemporary exegesis of OT texts lets the Hebrew Scriptures stand on their own terms</b>. That being said, the biblical approach of EP IV can be valued and appreciated on its own terms as long as one is aware of the contemporary critique. It is important to note that the NT texts themselves often approach the Hebrew Scriptures typologically. (<i>A Commentary on the Order of Mass of </i>The Roman Missal<i>: A New English Translation</i>, pp. 427-428)</blockquote>While contemporary interfaith sensibilities might justly govern interfaith activities, there is no need to abandon the scriptural tradition of the Church in reading the Old Testament in light of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Yes, this is not just an "early church" tradition (as in going back to, say, St. Ignatius of Antioch), it is a scriptural Church tradition: the evangelists did it, the apostles did it, John the Baptist did it, and Jesus Himself did it. I see no reason to avoid typological interpretation of the Bible in a mystagogical context.<br />
<br />
Perhaps this will come off sounding insensitive, but do we risk losing parts of our authentic Catholic identity, to use a Johannine phrase, "for fear of the Jews"?Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-42148632781874809442011-12-08T16:29:00.000-05:002011-12-08T16:29:35.190-05:00New Translation: Awkward wording in the doxologyWhile I am for the most part pleased with the new English translation of the Roman Missal — what I've read and heard of it — there are a few awkwardly worded sections.<br />
<br />
In this post, I'd like to examine one example: the concluding doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer. In the old translation, the priest said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>Through</b> him, <b>with</b> him, <b>in</b> him,<br />
<b>in</b> the unity of the Holy Spirit,<br />
all glory and honor is yours,<br />
almighty Father,<br />
forever and ever.</blockquote>This is a decent (although not exact) translation of the Latin, which reads:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>Per</b> ipsum, et <b>cum</b> ipso, et <b>in</b> ipso,<br />
est <b>tibi</b> Deo Patri omnipoténti,<br />
<b>in</b> unitáte Spíritus Sancti,<br />
omnis honor, et glória,<br />
per ómnia sæcula sæculórum.</blockquote>If you haven't noticed, I'm putting the prepositions in bold. Here is a strict word-for-word translation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>By</b> him, and <b>with</b> him, and <b>in</b> him,<br />
is <b>to</b> you God Father almighty,<br />
<b>in</b> the unity of the Holy Spirit,<br />
all honor and glory,<br />
during all ages of ages.</blockquote>And here's how it is rendered in the new translation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>Through</b> him, and <b>with</b> him, and <b>in</b> him,<br />
O God, almighty Father,<br />
<b>in</b> the unity of the Holy Spirit,<br />
all glory and honor is yours,<br />
forever and ever.</blockquote>As you can see, the individual lines of the prayer have been re-arranged to match their order in the Latin, but I think it ends up being a little anti-climactic. The order of the Latin phrases is not, in this case, necessary to the form of the prayer; this is not a collect, for example, where the prayer takes the form of "O God, who did X, we ask you, grant us Y."<br />
<br />
There is another problem which exists in both the old and the new translation: a missing preposition. This may not seem like a big deal, but the Latin does not simply say that all glory and honor is the Father's; it specifically says that all glory and honor is (that is, it goes) <b>to</b> the Father <b>by</b> (through), <b>in</b>, and <b>with</b> the Son, and <b>in</b> the unity of the Holy Spirit. This small detail is not captured by either translation, and can be tricky to convey in natural-sounding English.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-89852279073557937582011-11-27T20:18:00.000-05:002011-11-27T20:18:22.596-05:00Does the new translation of the Mass over-emphasize our sinfulness?My parish prayed the <i>Confiteor</i> at Mass this morning. One thing I have read complaints about, in the new translation, is that the <i>Confiteor</i> over-emphasizes our sinfulness. "I have greatly sinned ... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."<br />
<br />
Did you happen to notice, new translation aside, the First Reading from this morning's Mass?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Behold, you are angry, and we are <b>sinful</b>;<br />
all of us have become like <b>unclean people</b>,<br />
all our good deeds are like <b>polluted rags</b>;<br />
we have all <b>withered</b> like leaves,<br />
and our <b>guilt</b> carries us away like the wind.<br />
There is <b>none</b> who calls upon your name,<br />
who rouses himself to cling to you;<br />
for you have hidden your face from us<br />
and have delivered us up to <b>our guilt</b>.</blockquote>Geez, Isaiah! Lighten up, would you? And yet, the First Reading ends thus:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Yet, O LORD, you are our father;<br />
we are the clay and you the potter:<br />
we are all the work of your hands.</blockquote>And so ends the <i>Confiteor</i>, or whatever Penitential Act is used: we acknowledge that God is almighty in His mercy, capable of granting us forgiveness of our sins, and ready to do so.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-63806166340760918862011-11-23T09:10:00.002-05:002011-11-23T09:12:46.314-05:00"Praying the Mass" receives Seal of Approval from the Catholic Writers' GuildI'm happy to report that the first two volumes of my series on the Mass have received the <a href="http://www.catholicwritersguild.com/">Catholic Writers' Guild</a> <a href="http://catholicwritersguild.com/faq.htm#soa">Seal of Approval</a>. As we move forward into the new liturgical year using a new translation, I hope that people find thorough and enriching resources to help them receive the new words and personalize them in their own prayer.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DmO7ijBcLRE/Tsz_UqTVqsI/AAAAAAAAAb4/3wf6Dx4OBgQ/s1600/logo+color+CWG+SOA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DmO7ijBcLRE/Tsz_UqTVqsI/AAAAAAAAAb4/3wf6Dx4OBgQ/s200/logo+color+CWG+SOA.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-87321067916346625172011-11-21T16:38:00.000-05:002011-11-21T16:38:59.615-05:00The commandments of JesusThe new English translation of the Roman Missal is about to come into use in the United States. It has been in partial use in England since September. It appears, however, that not only Roman Catholics have prepared to switch from the current <i>Sacramentary</i> to the new <i>Roman Missal</i>. Some Anglicans are (or were) getting ready to make the change as well. But the Anglican Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, is not at all supportive of that initiative; in <a href="http://communications.london.anglican.org/ministrymatters/2011/11/do-this-in-remembrance-of-me-eucharistic-pastoral-letter/">a pastoral letter released last Friday</a>, he made this clear:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">For those who remain [in the Church of England] there can be no logic in the claim to be offering the Eucharist in communion with the Roman Church which the adoption of the new rites would imply. In these rites there is not only a prayer for the Pope but the expression of a communion with him; a communion Pope Benedict XVI would certainly repudiate.<br />
<br />
[...]<br />
<br />
Priests and parishes which do adopt the new rites – with their marked divergences from the ELLC texts and in the altered circumstances created by the Pope’s invitation to Anglicans to join the Ordinariate – are making a clear statement of their disassociation not only from the Church of England but from the Roman Communion as well.</blockquote>You can read the letter yourself. There is one small detail from the letter I wish to focus on, certainly not the main thrust of the letter by any means, but a Christian meme I have heard from time to time. Bishop Chartres said that "among <i>the very few commandments that [Jesus] gave to us</i> is 'Do this in remembrance of me.'"<br />
<br />
Jesus did tell His disciples — and us — to do quite a bit! <br />
<ul><li>Do not swear at all (Matthew 5:33ff)</li>
<li>Do not repay evil for evil (Matthew 5:38ff)</li>
<li>Give to those who ask of you (Matthew 5:42)</li>
<li>Do your acts of charity in secret (Matthew 6:2ff)</li>
<li>Do not lay up treasure on earth (Matthew 6:19ff)</li>
<li>Do not be anxious about anything (Matthew 6:25ff)</li>
<li>Do to others what you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12)</li>
</ul>That's just a brief selection from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus is depicted as the new Moses. As Moses received and dispensed the commandments of God, so too Jesus issues commandments. There's more in the rest of the Gospels and the remainder of the New Testament.<br />
<br />
Especially during this week following the Feast of Christ the King, I think we should avoid a reductionist view of the Gospel, of the commandments of our Lord. There's more to it than simply "Do this in memory of me." There are, of course, the two greatest commandments which sum up the whole of the law and the prophets, and without which that awesome Eucharistic commandment is of no avail. And, as St. Paul reminds us, love is the fulfilling of the law.<br />
<br />
So perhaps we can say Jesus did give us few commandments — love God and love your neighbor — and then explained in detail just how we are to do so.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-16260343419240092522011-11-15T14:37:00.000-05:002011-11-15T14:37:34.163-05:00Winner of Godspell ticket-drawing....I ran my randomizer on the three (sad face) people who were entered into the ticket drawing:<br />
<br />
<pre> DB<1> @poss = qw( mymusicboxes monica joecleary );
DB<2> x $poss[rand @poss];
0 'monica'</pre><br />
So there you have it (along with some free Perl debugger code). The winner is <b>monica</b>.<br />
<br />
So now <b>monica</b> needs to get in contact with me and I will send her the voucher for two free tickets.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-47394505733485408882011-10-31T16:48:00.003-04:002011-10-31T16:54:28.719-04:00Godspell in two actsOn Sunday evening, I went to see the musical <a href="http://www.peopleofgodspell.com/"><i>Godspell</i></a> with my oldest brother, Fr. Charlie, at The Circle in the Square theater at 50th and Broadway. I received two complimentary tickets from the show's production company (Davenport Theatrical Enterprises) with the request that I blog about the show afterwards.<br />
<br />
I'm going to approach this post in two acts: first an entertainment review, then an evangelical assessment. There's even an intermission. On to Act One!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Entertainment Review</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.godspell.com/img/Circle-in-the-Square.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.godspell.com/img/Circle-in-the-Square.gif" width="173" /></a></div>The show is performed in the intimate setting of The Circle in the Square downstairs theater. This is a small circular stage, surrounded by seats on all sides. Such a setting always introduces challenges to a production; you don't want the actors to have their backs to a quarter of the audience for too long. But the setting also provides for a dynamic use of the stage space, as well as some playful self-aware riffs, such as the embellishment on <i>Turn Back, O Man's</i> "See ya later, I'm going to the front of the the-a-ter."<br />
<div style="clear: both;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.godspell.com/photos/godspell/broadway-cast-photos.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://www.godspell.com/photos/godspell/GodspellPhoto15full.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter Parrish (l) as Jesus<br />
and Wallace Smith as John / Judas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The stage is covered in trap doors which are used to great effect twice in the production, first during <i>Prepare Ye</i> (along with a comedic exchange between Jesus and John the Baptist), and then during <i>We Beseech Thee</i>... but I won't tell you how. Just in front of the stage, on opposite sides, were cushion seats — not chairs, just cushions on the floor. These might have been uncomfortable (and suitable only for younger attendees) but they were just one element of audience participation which occurred throughout the first act. Much of the audience got the chance to mill about on the stage when some light refreshments were served during the intermission.<br />
<div style="clear: both;"></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.godspell.com/photos/godspell/broadway-cast-photos.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://www.godspell.com/photos/godspell/GodspellPhoto16full.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tower of Babble</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The show has been rather well contemporized: the opening number (<i>Tower of Babble</i>) employs social media devices (today's enablers of babble, as my brother pointed out), well-known celebrities and public persons are impersonated and often playfully mocked (including Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, and even President Obama), and plenty of pop-culture references are infused throughout (including a reference to "Occupy Wall Street", a bit of the wedding procession dance, and a rather fitting incorporation of LMFAO's panegyric to alcohol and sex, <i>Shots</i>). The vignettes in between the songs are done in a variety of styles, including hip-hop and game shows.<br />
<div style="clear: both;"></div><br />
The updating of the show for today's (younger) audience is where the show takes its greatest risks, usually succeeding, although sometimes falling a little flat. There are a couple of uses of "Jesus Christ" as exclamations, but these are very well-timed, obviously ironic, and ultimately non-offensive. The "exclusive language" (e.g. "man", "he", "him") was retained in the songs, and in the vignettes which were not completely revised for other reasons; the archaic "Thee"s and "Thou"s are still there too. There is also some degree of retention of the 70s origin of the musical, although not to the extreme. As mentioned earlier, there were plenty of pop culture references — not that I got them all — and most worked well, although a few seemed forced and did not garner much of a reaction from the audience (such as a reference to iPad tablets being used in heaven because Steve Jobs is there now). The updating of the vignettes also posed a problem of transitioning between a vignette and the song that followed it. The transitions were a bit sudden in the first act, but I did not notice any such problems in the second act.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.godspell.com/photos/godspell/broadway-cast-photos.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://www.godspell.com/photos/godspell/GodspellPhoto9full.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Telly Leung on piano</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The <a href="http://www.godspell.com/broadway-cast.html">cast</a> was incredible and boasts several talented Broadway debuts. Their voices were clear and powerful, and <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/tellyleung">Telly Leung</a> stands out in my memory as having a beautiful voice and an impressive range to go with it; his post-intermission singing took me by surprise. Along with their voices were their passionate and emotional performances of the show's songs. The audience was clapping and moving and singing along with them. The Last Suppper scene is particularly poignant, as the disciples individually reminisce with Jesus via some gesture related to a song they sang or a vignette they featured in, before He embraces them warmly.<br />
<br />
All in all, a very enjoyable Broadway experience, and a delightfully refreshing fare. Playing beneath <i>Wicked</i>, no less!<br />
<div style="clear: both;"></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Intermission</span><br />
First, if you would like to <b>buy tickets at a reduced rate</b> for the show, just <a href="http://tinyurl.com/GodspellBloggerDiscount">click here</a>, or enter the discount code <b>GSPRD719</b> when you <a href="http://www.godspell.com/tickets.html">order them</a>.<br />
<br />
Second, if you would like to <b>win two free tickets</b>, either comment on this blog-post, share it on your own blog, or <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/PrayingTheMass/statuses/131110540377460736">re-tweet this tweet of mine</a>. (That's three ways you can enter, and you may use all three to enter the drawing three times, but I won't accept more than three entries per person. And no cheating... you're trying to win tickets to a musical based on the Gospel according to Matthew, for heaven's sake!) I'll do a random drawing at the end of the week and the winner will be announced here and on Twitter.<br />
<br />
If you want something to eat or drink, if you've already had something to eat or drink and need to use the restroom, now's the time. Then come back for Act Two.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Evangelical Assessment</span><br />
No matter how you slice it, <i>Godspell</i> is a religiously-themed musical. It's based on the Gospel according to Matthew, and not in a merely thematic sense, but in a dramatic sense: you will hear several of the parables and teachings of Jesus Christ proclaimed in a positive manner in a Broadway theater. Yes, it is couched in a half-modern, half-vintage setting, and it is paid entertainment — you pay to get in, and the actors get paid to perform their roles — but the musical gets its message in part from Jesus Christ and His Gospel.<br />
<br />
<i>Godspell</i> is an entertaining presentation of some of the Gospel, but does it work as an evangelical outreach to non-believers? Does it inspire non-Christians to take not only the message of Jesus Christ, but Jesus Himself, seriously?<br />
<br />
The Gospel as encountered in the show is, of course, not the complete Gospel, nor even the whole of the Gospel according to Matthew. To be sure, much of Matthew's Gospel is incorporated. (Roughly: Matthew <b>3</b>:1-15; <b>4</b>:3-10; <b>5</b>:1-48; <b>6</b>:1-6, 19-34; 7:1-12; <b>13</b>:1-8, 18-23; <b>21</b>:23-32; <b>22</b>:16-21, 36-40; <b>23</b>:1-39; <b>24</b>:4-8; <b>26</b>:20-22, 25-29, 34, 36-56; along with a crucifixion scene and Luke <b>10</b>:30-37 (the Good Samaritan), <b>15</b>:11-32 (the Prodigal Son), <b>16</b>:19-31 (the rich man and Lazarus), and John <b>8</b>:2-11 (the woman caught in adultery).) The songs also draw heavily on the Psalms and hymns.<br />
<br />
But these scriptural excerpts are only Jesus' parables and teachings and commandments. As powerful and important as they are, there are no miracles represented, except as alluded to in local performances; for example, the 2011 Broadway revival makes a reference to the wedding at Cana, as a gag.<br />
<br />
There is also little explicit recognition of Jesus as the Messiah or of His divine nature, although it is there if you are perceptive; for example, John's opening song is <i>Prepare Ye the Way of the <u>Lord</u></i>, and the crucifixion includes the wording of "O God, you're dying". Both, I think, are deliberately ambiguous: you can interpret them as saying that Jesus helps prepare the way of the Lord (but is not Himself the Lord) and the ensemble is using "O God" as an exclamation; or you could say Jesus is the Lord Whose way John is preparing, and the ensemble addresses Jesus as "O God" as He hangs on the cross. (More explicitly, Jesus says "I send you prophets" in <i>Alas For You</i>. But does the average theater-goer pick up on the implication of that?)<br />
<br />
There is also officially no representation of Jesus' Resurrection in the musical, although some local performances choose to add it.<br />
<br />
So if you take the Gospel, remove the birth stories and the resurrection, omit the miracles, and leave out the other supernatural events (such as the voice of God the Father at the Jordan), you essentially have the Jefferson Bible; that is, <i>The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth</i>, Thomas Jefferson's attempt to extract Jesus' doctrine from the New Testament, avoiding any supernatural aspects. The Jesus that remains, while speaking the truth, is potentially not distinguishable from any other prophetic and charismatic leader who angers the officials and is put to death as a result: just another prophet in a long line of prophets.<br />
<br />
Jesus' message in <i>Godspell</i> is clear: repent of your sins, forgive others who wrong you, live virtuously, and above all, love God. He mentions Hell and eternal punishment several times.<br />
<br />
But the show does not provide an adequate or intelligible segue from Jesus' teaching to His death. During the song <i>By My Side</i>, it is mentioned that Judas begins to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus, but it is not said why. Jesus' tirade against the Pharisees from Matthew 23 is well-represented in the musical (especially through the song <i>Alas for You</i>) but it's not clear that those Pharisees have enticed Judas to betray Jesus, and why exactly they want Him dead. The Last Supper scene includes mention of a "covenant" but without any other context: what is a "covenant", what is the blood of a covenant, and why is Jesus suddenly having a special meal with His disciples? The result is that the crucifixion is simply the death of the disciples' leader, but not the death of his message and teachings which live on in the disciples.<br />
<br />
So from that perspective, <i>Godspell</i> is about (part of) the message of Jesus, and not about Jesus Himself. I think that hinders its ability to evangelize non-Christians. (Not that I think the musical was written to be a means of Christian evangelization, but it is sometimes employed by Christians for that purpose.)<br />
<br />
That being said, <i>Godpsell</i> preaches the message that God is love. If people can take that message home with them, and if that message can be a good seed in the fertile soil of their souls, then the evangelical power of <i>Godspell</i> is immeasurable. Consider the song <i>We Beseech Thee</i> from the musical (lyrics adapted from the Thomas Henson Pollock hymn, <a href="http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/f/f056.html"><i>Father, Hear Thy Children's Call</i></a>): "Come sing about love / that made us first to be. / Come sing about love / that made the stone and tree." The same Love Who made the universe made us each to be, and made man to be at all. And the cast sings about Love so energetically, so passionately, so powerfully. If only Christians could sing about Love — and speak, and act, and live about Love — with as much enthusiasm and conviction, the collective Christian witness would have unimaginable and far-reaching effects.<br />
<br />
There's one difference, though. I do not say this as a slight against the cast of <i>Godspell</i>, but they're paid to sing about Love. As Christians, we are not paid to sing about Love; at least, we are not guaranteed any worldly reward. Is that what stops us? I hope not. Let's starting singing about Love again. Do it today, on your way home from work or school, as you prepare dinner or do the dishes, as you tuck your children into bed, as blog and tweet and surf the web. Sing about Love.Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-74654943146160338372011-10-28T07:57:00.001-04:002011-10-28T08:01:42.054-04:00Preparing the way of the LordThis Sunday afternoon, after watching the Giants trounce the Dolphins, I will be boarding a train to NYC, foregoing the evening match between the Cowboys and the Eagles, to have dinner with my brother and then see <i>Godspell</i> at the Circle in the Square on Broadway.<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago I received an email from the promotions director of the theatrical company producing the musical, offering me two free tickets so long as I blog about it. And lately it seems like I need a motivation to blog about something! (Work and home life have kept me on my toes and off blogger.)<br />
<br />
So on Monday or Tuesday, expect another post with my review and commentary on the new production of <i>Godspell</i>. (I was in a community production of it back in the late 90s, and I've been pretty fond of the musical since I first heard it, so I'm quite excited to see a new production of it.)<br />
<br />
In the meantime, if you are in the NYC area and would like to get discounted tickets to the show, just go to <a href="http://tinyurl.com/GodspellBloggerDiscount"><b>http://tinyurl.com/GodspellBloggerDiscount</b></a>, or go to <a href="http://godspell.com/"><b>Godspell.com</b></a> and enter the promotional code <b>GSPRD719</b> when you buy your tickets.<br />
<br />
(And here's <a href="http://adiaryofamom.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/the-harvest-part-two/">a mother's review of the show</a>, writing from the perspective of a woman caring for an autistic daughter.)Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23189415.post-80555568403221266502011-10-05T12:06:00.000-04:002011-10-05T12:06:51.694-04:00Bible Study for College StudentsFor the past two weeks, I've been leading a Bible study for students at Rider University (in Lawrenceville, NJ). We meet Thursday evenings; we look at the upcoming Sunday's Mass readings, and try to understand them in their context and their relation to each other, as well as apply them to our lives today.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we're looking at pericopes from <a href="http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100911.cfm">Isaiah 25, Philippians 4, and Matthew 23</a>. Do you see anything in these readings that stands out as applying in a particular way to college students? (Phil 4:12-13 reminds me of food and money in the college context...)Jeffrey Pinyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.com0