Church Unity: SSPX to be regularized soon?

This would be phenomenal news. Just last week, the excommunication placed upon the four bishops who were consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988 was lifted. But the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) is not yet fully united to the Church.

But that could all be changing soon.

Diane of Te Deum laudamus has the roundup of posts. The blog Rorate Caeli is also likely to have up-to-the-minute updates on the matter.

More wit from Mother Angelica

Watching Mother Angelica this morning on EWTN, a caller asked about those who do not about the Eucharist or the Church at all. Mother Angelica said (roughly): "Oh, there's a good passage about that in Luke ... {flipping through the pages, unable to find it} ... oh, I'm looking like a good Catholic now ..."

She was referring, of course, to that typical Catholic stereotype of knowing excerpts of the Bible, but not knowing where those excerpts are located!

She did eventually find it. Luke 12, concerning the servant who knows his master's business.

Liturgy: Search the Lectionary

I've written yet another Scripture search tool. Now you can search the Lectionary by Scripture reference. If you want to know when we hear John 1:1-14 at Mass, now you can find out easily! Edit: As of noon on January 28, I've included the Lessons, Epistles, and Gospels of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. I don't yet have the Graduals, Alleluias, and Tracts from the 1962 Missal, nor the propers for votive Masses.

This tool, like the Catechism and Magisterial Documents tools, is free to use. Please advertise it on your web site or blog if you find it handy!

Fr. Corapi on supporting the priesthood

I am listening (well, watching without watching) Fr. Corapi on EWTN this afternoon, and he had something to say about the great need the Church has to support her priests. He compares it to Exodus 17:8-13, in which Israel fought the Amalekites:

Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Our priests get tired! Our priests feel like quitting from time to time. They need our support, and they need to know they're getting it. Find a way to support your priests and the Church will prevail.

Forced payment for forced abortions

Because of President Obama's rescinding of the Mexico City Policy, US taxpayer money will now be given to organizations which force abortions on women in China who already have one child.

God loves irony

I was the reader at Mass this morning. I got blindsided by God during the First Reading. As I read from Acts 22, I could feel my lips begin to quiver and I could hear my voice shake and falter. I broke down in tears as I read the final words: "Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name." (Acts 22:16) It was a good five seconds before I could say "The word of the Lord."

I wiped my eyes and face during the Psalm. I walked back up to the ambo to read from 1 Corinthians. I was well-composed this time, except for a smirk that crossed my face as I read what the Lord had prepared for me: "those weeping [act] as not weeping." (1 Cor 7:30)

Thank you, Lord.

Lecture Notes from "The Splendor of Catholicism"

I just got back from the second day of the lecture series by Dr. Ted Sri. I'm making my notes freely available. You can download them here. His lectures were "Praying the Rosary Like Never Before", "A Biblical Walk Through the Mass", "Marriage and the Eucharist", "The Eucharist in Scripture", and "Entering Christ's Passion".

Morning Prayer was beautiful. The Mass was also beautiful. The chanting was wonderful, thanks to the cantor Geoff (who is studying liturgy at Mundelein) and his schola, and the rest of the music for Mass was wonderfully sung by the rest of the choir. The organist played wonderfully as well.

The homily on St. Francis de Sales and the universal vocation to holiness — 20 minutes at least, and that's the longest homily I've ever heard at a daily Mass — was exquisite. Fr. Timothy, God bless you!

Last but certainly not least, the church had some particularly interesting and moving decorations in the sanctuary. Two "icons" (I'm not quite sure what to call them), one of the Victory of the Lamb (sitting on a book with seven seals, all of which are opened), the other the Pelican feeding its young with its own flesh and blood. These are of course two ancient symbols for Christ. There was also a crucifix (as opposed to an empty cross or a "resurrectrix") suspended above the altar. There were three lights in the ceiling shining on it, such that on the back wall of the sanctuary, there appeared three shadows of crucifixes (evocative of Calvary). And the center shadow had, at its base, the tabernacle! And to top it all off, above the sanctuary were the pipes of the organ, and the center pipes were not standing straight up but sticking out horizontally, looking like trumpets... trumpets of the angelic host proclaiming the victory of Christ over death and sin.

God moved me today. It shall not be forgotten.

Lecture series by Dr. Ted Sri

I'm attending a two-day lecture series by Dr. Ted Sri:

The Splendor of Catholicism:
Discovering Mary and the Mass in Scripture

Examining the scriptural roots of Catholic life, belief and liturgy in a five lecture series by Dr. Edward Sri.

Dr. Edward Sri, a nationally known dynamic Catholic speaker and author of several books, will present a two-part series of five lectures on January 23rd & 24th in Somerville and Flemington. This event is co-sponsored by Immaculate Conception Church, Somerville and St. Magdalen de Pazzi, Flemington.

On Friday, Jan 23rd, at Immaculate Conception Church, 35 Mountain Avenue in Somerville, Dr. Sri will give two lectures. Friday’s session will begin with evening prayer at 6:45 pm and conclude with prayer at 9:15 pm.

On Saturday, Jan. 24th, at St. Magdalen’s, 105 Mine Street in Flemington, Dr. Sri will give three lectures. Saturday’s session will begin with Mass at 9 am and conclude at 3:30 pm. A continental breakfast and a boxed lunch will be available.

This evening's lectures were great. I can't wait for tomorrow! The morning prayer will be done with chant tones, and Mass will have Latin chant! And there'll be three great lectures afterwards.

The Vatican is now on YouTube

The Vatican has its own YouTube channel now. The main page has a video showing the history of telecommunications at the Vatican. The channel's description is:

This channel offers news coverage of the main activities of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and of relevant Vatican events. It is updated daily. Video images are produced by Centro Televisio Vaticano (CTV), texts by Vatican Radio (RV) and CTV. This video-news presents the Catholic Church's position regarding the principal issues of the world today. Links give access to the full and official texts of cited documents.

Calling all Catechists!

I've recently begun volunteering as a catechist at my parish for the "level 8" students... the ones preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation this year. I co-taught a session this past Tuesday night (on "Who is Jesus?" in the Apostles' Creed), and I'm teaching a session next Tuesday night (on "Jesus' Message and Mission"). I've got a pretty good outline prepared (see it here — yellow highlights are questions, red text are the target answers) and I think it will engage the students in a way I didn't see this past week.

Classes are about an hour and fifteen minutes long. I'm pretty knowledgeable, so I'm good at answering questions, but I'm trying to make sure I ask a lot of questions, because I think these students know more than they think they know.

I'm also trying (in what short time I have) to bridge the gap between "information" and "formation". It's one thing to know when we celebrate the Immaculate Conception and that Mary is the Theotokos, and to know what these things mean... but it's another to be changed by that knowledge and to live differently because of those realities. So that's what I hope to bring to these students.

Any advice from my readers?

In Memoriam

Please pray and fast and make other acts of penance today. Today is the 26th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Pray for the mercy of God for all those involved (the victims, the mothers, the doctors, the families). Pray for an end to abortion.

From the GIRM 373:

In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when the 22nd falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass "For Peace and Justice" (no. 22 from "Masses for Various Needs") should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day.

Liturgy: Blessings during Communion

The Adoremus Bulletin has a brief article online about a response from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) concerning the common practice (in the US, at least) of giving blessings to people who come up during Communion but are not receiving Communion.

While the response (Prot. N. 930/08/L) says that "this matter is presently under the attentive study of the Congregation" and does not render a verdict, so to speak, the response does include several "observations", the first of which is that the "liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion."

It should be noted that the intention of giving blessings (especially to little children) is a good one; the placement of those blessings during the Communion procession is one of the issues, though. The Communion procession is for receiving Communion, and any blessing requested or received during that time is "out of place" and shouldn't be misconstrued as a "replacement" or "substitution" for Communion. Perhaps the traditional practice of staying in one's seat and making a "spiritual communion" could be promoted once more.

Another issue is whether extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion (laypeople) are permitted (or even capable) of bestowing such blessings in the liturgy. EMHCs are commissioned for the distribution of Holy Communion, which does not involve a blessing. The response from the CDWDS made the observation that lay people (EMHCs included) "within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings" and that these blessings "are the competence of the priest".

(Side thought... The old formula for the distribution of Holy Communion was, I think, a blessing: "May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen." With such a formula, which is still found in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, I don't think a lay person could be a minister of Holy Communion.)

Pastor concerned with liturgical formation

The pastor of St. Mary's in Norwalk, CT, wrote a letter to his parishioners on the topic of liturgical formation. Here's how it began:

These past two Sundays I have dedicated my Pastor’s Column to New Year Resolutions. First I recommended that following Pope Benedict XVI’s lead, people no longer receive Holy Communion in the hand, and start receiving on the tongue. Secondly I recommended that people start correcting themselves when they use the Lord’s name in vain. This week I recommend that everyone in the parish make it a point to attend the 9:30 am Extraordinary Form of the Mass at least a few times during the coming year.

Read the rest at WDTPRS.

Update (2008-01-21): Fr. Z has posted the second part of Fr. Markey's letter. Here's an excerpt:

Yet beyond the lack of fidelity to the Vatican II liturgical norms there is still a deeper question which has only now begun to be addressed by Pope Benedict XVI: whether the liturgical reform of [read: after] the Second Vatican Council that we have today was what the Fathers of the Council intended. ... For example, today much of what Catholics think is the Second Vatican Council liturgical reform did not in fact come from the Council. ... For this reason Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to liberalize the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) is essential to reconnecting us with our lost tradition, and understanding what authentic worship of God is all about.

Part of me wants to make a "pilgrimage" to Norwalk... part of me wants to experience this in my own backyard.

Bible Study: Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

1 Cor 7:29-31
Live as a citizen of the eternal Kingdom
Praeterit enim figura huius mundi.
Download this study [MS Word, 47 k, 3pp]

January 18 - National Sanctity of Life Day

One of the last things President Bush did in office was proclaim January 18th to be National Sanctity of Life Day. The use of the word "sanctity" (rather than merely "protection") speaks volumes. Here is an excerpt from his proclamation:

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

...

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

It falls only a few days before the anniversary of Roe v. Wade (January 22). For National Sanctity of Life Day to be moved or suspended would speak volumes as well... but not loud enough to drown out the outcry, I think.

The Mass as Exchange (Part III)

← Read Part II

In the Introductory Rite of the Mass, we come to God, and receive His mercy and forgiveness. We speak to God in words of contrition, thanksgiving, adoration, and petition. In the Liturgy of the Word (or the Mass of the Catechumens), God comes to us in the Scriptures, and we receive His word. We affirm our faith in Him and intercede for His Church and the whole world.

In the Liturgy of the Eucharist (or the Mass of the Faithful), this exchange between God and man, this meeting between heaven and earth, is made present in the sacrament which the Church calls the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist.

Offertory Collection

As the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins, it is customary (on Sundays, at least) for the parish to take up a collection. Tithing is a traditional practice of the Church, which she received from Abraham himself. (Hebrews 7:1-2) The Church has done it since her first days (Acts 2:42-45; 4:32-35) and Paul encouraged it in the churches he wrote to. (Romans 12:13; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 2:10) These collections are done for the Church's needs as well as the needs of the poor.

In the Ordinary Form of Mass, this collection usually coincides with the presentation of bread and wine, by members of the congregation, to the priest. This liturgical action is richly symbolic, and it recalls a time in the Church when members of the local church would personally provide the bread and wine for the Eucharist. In this first stage of the most important exchange which takes place during the Mass, we offer bread and wine (which are themselves gifts from God, and which symbolize our very selves) to the priest.

Offertory Prayers

The Ordinary Form (OF) and the Extraordinary Form (EF) diverge here, as far as the actual prayers spoken over the bread and wine are concerned. The EF prayers concentrate on the imminent consecration of the host and chalice and their being offered for our salvation, whereas the OF prayers (modeled after a Jewish style of prayer) concentrate on blessing God Who is the source of the very bread and wine which are being offered back to Him to be consecrated and become the Body and Blood of His Son.

But the heart of the Offertory prayers is said in between the prayer over the bread and the prayer over the wine. When the priest or deacon prepares the chalice, he mixes a small amount of water with the wine, and as he does this he prays: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity." (Liturgy of the Eucharist, OM 24; cf. Philippians 2:8; 2 Peter 1:4) This single prayer, while not the most important prayer of the Mass, sums up the life and mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, as well as our purpose on this earth.

The water represents the human nature which God the Son assumed when he was conceived in Mary's womb, humbling himself. The wine represents His divine nature which we are called by God to partake in: this is our divine destiny. (cf. CCC 1260) This participation in Christ's divine nature is only made possible by his perfect sacrifice which reconciles us to God.

After these prayers, the priest prays that the Lord would find us acceptable ("with humble spirit and contrite heart") and our sacrifice pleasing. (Liturgy of the Eucharist, OM 26; cf. Psalm 51:17)

Lavabo

The priest then washes his hands (praying Psalm 25 in the EF, or a verse from Psalm 51 in the OF). While the liturgical act is not as "functional" as it was in ancient times, when the offerings were presented along with all sorts of other gifts and donations, it is another spiritual reminder of our dependence on God to be cleansed of sin, as well as of the proper disposition for our sacrifice to be pleasing to the Father.

Orate Fratres

Now the priest invites us to pray "that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." This prayer distinguishes between the sacrifice of the priest and the sacrifice of each of the faithful. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, offers the Eucharist (Christ himself) to the Father. The faithful spiritually join themselves to Christ, who is perfect in the eyes of the Father: in this way we make of ourselves spiritual sacrifices pleasing to God.

We respond by saying "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His holy Church." (Liturgy of the Eucharist, OM 29) Here we affirm that the sacrifice is presented to the Father by the hands of the priest, and we pray that He accepts it. The priest then prays over the offerings (the "Super Oblata" in the OF, the "Secreta" in the EF).

Preface

Now the priest calls us to enter into an exchange with Almighty God. He says: "Lift up your hearts" ("Sursum corda") and we respond with "We lift them up to the Lord" ("Habemus ad Dominum", cf. Lamentations 3:41). What does it mean to have our hearts with the Lord? First, our "heart" being with the Lord ... Second, it means we are stepping into that mystical intersection between heaven and earth.

Sanctus-Benedictus

At the end of the Preface (the prayer which leads into the Eucharistic Prayer), the priest recalls the unending hymn of praise being sung by all the angels and saints in heaven, and we are all invited to sing it with them. This hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of hosts..." (cf. Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) is part of the eternal heavenly liturgy which we have entered.

...

Summary

...

In the next installment, we will continue by looking at the greatest prayer of the Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer. Our model will be the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I), which has been the prayer of the Roman Rite since around the 5th century.

May the Lord bless us +, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

---

Sources:

• What, Source [LINK]

Liturgy: Fraction Rite in the Mozarabic Liturgy

The following is an excerpt from Archdale A. King's Notes on the Catholic Liturgies, pp. 311-318. It describes at length the "fraction rite" in the Mozarabic Rite. The "fraction rite" is that part of the liturgy when the consecrated bread is divided into parts.

The [bolded translations in brackets] are my own additions. The formatting of the book is retained. Certain portions (describing the Pater noster and the blessing and other intervening portions of the liturgy) have been omitted. Numbers in {braces} indicate page numbers.

---

{311} After the Creed or antiphon a unique fraction takes place, when the Host is divided into nine parts, arrange on the paten symbolically in the form of a cross. This Gallican practice, which is very similar to the old Irish custom, was referred to in Canon 3 of the second Council of Tours (657): 'ut corpus Domini in altari, non in imaginario ordine, sed sub crucis titulo componatur,' [that the body of the Lord upon the altar is to be arranged, not in some fancied order, but under the form of the cross] when nine parts of the Host were to form a cross. In the Stowe missal we read that the number of fragments varied from five on ordinary days to sixty-five on the three chief festivals of Easter, Pentecost and Christmas; while the complexity of the pattersn varried accordingly (five, ferial days; seven confessors and virgins; eight, martyrs; nine, Sundays; twelve, Kalends of January and Maundy Thursday; thirteen, Low Sunday and Ascension; sixty-five, Easter, Pentecost and Christmas). In 558 Pelagius I (555-560) maintained that each part was similar to the other. These devices, however, cannot belong to the primitive Church, when the faithful were accustomed to receive Holy Communion at every Mass, and Mgr. Duchesne, writing about this elaborate and intricate fraction, says 'A certain dose of superstition was introduced early in this (Gallican) rite.' As he breaks each particle the Mozarabic {312} celebrant says aloud the name of the mystery which it is supposed to represent: 'Corporatio,' 'Nativitas,' 'Circumcisio,' 'Apparitio,' 'Passio,' 'Mors,' 'Ressurectio,' 'Gloria,' and 'Regnum.' [Incarnation, Nativity, Circumcision, Epiphany, Passion, Death, Resurrection, Glory, Reign] Then, washing his fingers ('purget bene digitos') and covering the chalice, he makes the 'Memento pro vivis,' with these three words said aloud. Dom German Brado, in his description of the Mozarabic liturgy (Revisita Ecclesiástica, September 1926), speaks of the 'Memento' as for the dead, but the 'Devocionario' quite definitely states 'pro vivis.'

In the cross of the fraction five particles form the upright and two the arms, while 'Gloria' and 'Regnum,' the largest and the smallest of the pieces, are placed together on one side:

	Corporatio
Mors	Nativitas	Resurrectio
	Circumcisio	Gloria
	Apparitio
	Passio	Regnum

Various theories have been put forward at different times, purporting to explain the meaning of this intricate fraction. Apringius (c. 520), Bishop of Beja (Badajoz), in his 'Commentary on the Apocalypse,' and St. Ildephonsus and Beatus of Liebana, writing on the same book, declare that the 'seven seals' are 'Corporatio,' 'Nativitas,' etc., and therefore the Host was original divided into seven parts; while, in addition to this, Christ, through the mystery of His holy humanity, {313} opened and elucidated what in the Scriputres had been previously hidden and closed. At the beginning of the thirteenth century Jacobo de Vitry, Bishop of Tusculum, tells us that the Mozarabs divide the Host sometimes into seven and sometimes into nine parts, but he does not state that the pieces were laid out in the form of a cross. It is also said that, although the Host is divided up, the same Christ is present in every part, while 'Corporatio,' standing for the first particle, shows that the beginning of our salvation was the Incarnation of the Word, and the completion of the arm of the cross by 'Resurrectio' proclaims that the consummation of the Passion and our Redemption came through that mystery. Further, the two pieces 'Gloria' and 'Regnum' occupy their respective places, since Christ as the vanquisher of death is seated at the right hand of the Father; while His Kingdom will endure eternally, neither the 'Glory' nor the 'Kingdom' of Christ being limited to either place or time.

[...]

{315} Uncovering the chalice and making a genuflection, the priest takes the particle 'Regnum' and, holding ot over the chalice, says: 'Sancta sanctis, et conjunctio Corporis Domini nostri Jesu Christi sit sumentibus, et potantibus nobis ad veniam, et defunctis fidelibus praestaetur ad requiem.' [Holy things for holy people; and may the union of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ both be unto pardon for us, receiving and drinking, and guarantee rest unto the faithful departed.] [...] After the 'Sancta sanctis' the priest drops the particle ('Regnum') into the chalice, covers it with a pall, and then in a loud voice proclaims 'Humiliate vos benedictioni' — unless it is a high Mass, when these words naturally fall to the lot of the deacon. According to the 'Liber Ordinum,' a response of 'Deo gratias' was at one time made to the invitation. [...] {316} There is no Agnus Dei, but at the time of the Communion the choir sings a responsory known as 'Ad Accedentes,' [At the approaching] which the priest repeats silently and which begins, as in the East, with the Psalm {317} xxxiii. (I, 22, 'Gustate et videte' [taste and see]). [...] Having said the 'Accedentes', the celebrant uncovers the chalice and taking from the paten the particle 'Gloria,' which is the largest in size, he continues: 'Panem coelestem de mensa {318} Domini accipiam: et nomen Domini invocabo.' [I will take the bread of heaven from the table of the Lord: and I will call upon the name of the Lord] Then, holding 'Gloria' above the chalice, he says aloud the 'Memento pro defunctis,' and in a low voice the following prayer: 'Domine Deus meus, da mihi corpus, et sanguinem Filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi ita sumere: ut per illud remissionem omnium peccatorum merear accipere, et tuo Sancto Spiritu repleri, Deus noster, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.' [Lord my God, give to me the body and blood of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ so to obtain: that by it I may merit to receive remission of every sins, and be filled by your Holy Spirit, our God, who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.]

This is followed by an ejaculation, popular in the Middle Ages (e.g. Sarum Rite), when, having made the sign of the cross with the same particle ('Gloria'), he receives it: 'Ave in aevum, + sanctissima caro Christi, in perpetuum summa dulcedo.' [Hail for all time, + the most holy flesh of Christ; (hail) for eternity, the greatest sweetness.]

After the celebrant has taken 'Gloria' into his hands he covers the chalice and consumes each of the remaining particles in inverse order, so that he finishes with 'Corporatio,' the result of the first fraction. God is thus represented as Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End of all things, because our Redemption began with the Incarnation of Christ, and all the mysteries of His Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection were admirably ordered so that we might attain our eternal salvation. When this reception of the particles is finished the celebrant meditates for a while on the Holy Sacrament, with hands joined, and then, uncovering the chalice, genuflecting, and purifying the paten, he says 'Ave in aevum, coelestis potus, qui mihi ante omnia, et super omnia dulcis es' [Hail for all time, the heavenly drink, which to me is before all and surpassing all sweetness.] (cf. Sarum). Before receiving the precious Blood, together with the particle 'Regnum,' the priest makes the sign of the cross with the chalice, saying 'Corpus + et Sanguis Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat corpus et animam meam in vitam aeternam. Amen.' [May the Body + and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my body and soul to everlasting life. Amen.]

---

This is fascinating to me. If my Latin translations are in need of correction or adjustment, by all means, please leave a comment with a better translation!

Questions about the Mass?

2009-01-13 Update: I'm going to repost this at Critical Mass. If you have questions about the Mass... please, by all means, ask them there!

Do you have any questions about the Mass -- its parts, its origins, its basis in Scripture, its symbolism, etc. -- that you would like to share? I don't necessarily intend to answer them fully here, but I'm looking for additional thoughts and questions to address in my upcoming series on the Mass and Scripture.

Feel free to share comments about your favorite (or least favorite) parts of Mass, or what confuses you the most, or what seems most clear to you, or what produces the greatest spiritual response from you during the Mass. Also share any personal devotions you have during Mass; for example, when the Host and Chalice are elevated after their consecrations, I pray silently Dominus meus et Deus meus as did St. Thomas when he saw the risen Lord (John 20:28).

Music: Inclina Domine

Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) has released another album by the schola Cantores in Ecclesia. This one, Inclina Domine, is a complete Mass sung in Gregorian chant!

Bible Study: 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit
Glorificate ergo Deum in corpore vestro.
Download this study [MS Word, 60 k, 4pp]

Corinth is a city in Rome west of Athens. It was a bustling commercial center for trade in the Mediterranean, the capital of Southern Greece, and located between two major seaports. It also had a reputation for shameless immorality, which was a problem for the early Christian community there (as Paul's letter makes clear).

Paul first went to Corinth during the same trip that took him through Macedonia with Silvanus and Timothy. Paul arrived in Corinth around AD 51 and stayed there for more than a year and a half. (Acts 18:1-18)

Paul wrote this letter from Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:8), in what is now Turkey; it was probably written around AD 56 (more than four years after his stay), during the second part of his third missionary journey. Paul had learned through the associates of a woman named Chloe. (1:11) Corinth had many problems: internal divisions (1:12-15), a case of incest (5:1-5), frivolous lawsuits (6:1-8), sexual immorality (6:12-20), and even the denial of the resurrection (15:12)! They were not celebrating the Eucharist properly (11:17-34) and they were exercising their charismatic gifts in a manner that was more disruptive than edifying (14:1-40).

Paul addresses these issues, as well as others that were put forth in a letter from the Church to him, concerning marriage, celibacy, food offered to idols, and tithing (7:1, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1). The excerpt we will read is about sexual purity as it relates to worship of God.