"And with your spirit" and the new Gloria

Thursday morning at 8:10 AM (Eastern) tune into your local EWTN radio affiliate to hear me speaking with Brian Patrick of the Son Rise Morning Show about the new English translation of the Mass, specifically our response "And with your spirit" and the changes to the Gloria.

Son Rise Morning Show, Tuesday, 7:45 AM (ET)

I'll be on the Son Rise Morning Show on EWTN radio this Tuesday morning at 7:45, to talk about my second book on the Mass and the new translation, Praying the Mass: The Prayers of the Priest.

A well-used Bible!

I was watching an episode of Mother Angelica Live, and the cameramen included a rare (as far as I know) look at Mother Angelica's bible!  It has certainly been read and re-read, and she was not too timid to underline and take notes in it!

Pilgrimage-Vacation Day 3: Irondale; De Soto Caverns (Morning)

I'm staying in the Irondale area today. Mass and Rosary in the morning, then a visit to De Soto Caverns and Talladega National Forest. I'll be back in Irondale in time for a light dinner before attending a taping of Crossing the Threshold of Hope, hosted by Fr. Mitch Pacwa. We're reading Vita Consecrata.

Pilgrimage-Vacation Day 2: Cincinnati to Irondale (Evening)

During my drive from Cincinnati to Irondale (photos), I made two noteworthy stops:  in Nashville, the Dominican sisters (photos); in Hanceville, the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament (photos pending).

The internet connection at the Holiday Inn Express in Irondale leaves much to be desired.  It is not very strong and not very reliable.  Any nearby internet cafés?

Pilgrimage-Vacation Day 2: Cincinnati to Irondale (Morning)

Today I am driving from Cincinnati, OH to Irondale, AL.

I'll be stopping in Nashville, TN, to drop off a couple of my books with the Dominican Sisters there (and have lunch too). Their apostolate includes catechesis, so I figured it would be a nice gesture to offer them a couple complimentary copies, and they sounded delighted (on the phone).

I'm also stopping in Hanceville, AL, at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, for Evening Prayer (Vespers) of the Divine Office. I have my Christian Prayer book with me. Another post tonight will showcase photos from the day.

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Pilgrimage-Vacation Day 1: Allentown to Cincinnati (Evening)

I made the 600 mile drive in 10 hours (11am to 9pm) with only two stops:  one at the West Virginia Welcome Center, and the other at exit 178 on I-70 in Ohio to have dinner at a Cracker Barrel and fill up my gas tank.

You can see photos from the drive here, and my attempt at photos of fireworks in Cincinnati here.

Pilgrimage-Vacation Day 1: Allentown to Cincinnati (Morning)

Today I am driving from Allentown, PA to Cincinnati, OH.  Ordinarily, I would take the PA Turnpike, but I've driven that way numerous times recently.  So instead, I'm opting for a longer drive with newer scenery and fewer tolls, dipping south into Maryland and West Virginia.  I'll stop at a few scenic overlooks.  Another post tonight will showcase my photos.

Here is a "Driver's Prayer" I found from the Sacred Heart Auto League:

God our Father,
you led Abraham from his home
and guarded him in all of his travels.
Be with us now as we travel
and guard us every mile of our journey.
Help us to be attentive, cautious,
and concerned about our fellow travelers.
Make our highways safe
and keep us from all danger.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,
guide us to our destination
and help us to drive prayerfully and carefully.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Amen.

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Pilgrimage-Vacation Day 0: Allentown

Okay, so I'm not really on pilgrimage yet, just vacation.  I'm driving to Allentown, PA this morning to be with my parents and some of my family for the 4th of July weekend.  But tomorrow I'm beginning my pilgrimage, driving about 9-10 hours to Cincinnati, OH.

I'll be keeping a photo-log (plog?) of my pilgrimage, probably through publicly-shared Facebook photo albums, unless I decide to use Picasa or something like that.

What am I leaving behind?  A house that now has working air conditioning (which it will need for the next several days... it's supposed to hit 90 today and 97 tomorrow!), a fish aptly named Poisson, and a very comfortable bed.  Upon my return, hopefully the A/C will still be working (and the temperature will be lower), the fish will still be alive (I've given it one of those multi-day food thingies), my bed will not have up-and-left, and my wife will be en route from Toronto.

Happy 4th of July!

Summer Pilgrimage

From July 4 through July 10, I will be on pilgrimage!  I'll be going from Allentown (where my parents live), through Cincinnati and Nashville, to Birmingham (to visit EWTN), then back home through Charlotte (to visit another blogger and his Liturgy & Lager group).

• Sunday - Driving to Cincinnati
• Monday
• Hopefully an in-studio guest on the Son Rise Morning Show
• Driving to Nashville for a brief visit to the Dominican Sisters there
• Driving to Hanceville in time for the Divine Office that evening
• Driving to Irondale to my hotel
• Tuesday
• Divine Office, Mass, and Rosary in the morning
• Day trip to Desoto Caverns and places in Birmingham
• Back at Irondale for a studio tour, Divine Office, dinner, and Threshold of Hope
• Wednesday
• Divine Office, Mass, and Rosary in the morning
• Day trip to the Cullman area (Ave Maria Grotto, Bankhead Forest, Rickwood Caverns)
• Back at Irondale for dinner and EWTN Live
• Thursday
• Divine Office, Mass, and Rosary in the morning
• Day trip to the Birmingham area (museums, churches, etc.)
• Back at Irondale for Divine Office, dinner, and Life on the Rock
• Friday
• Driving to Hanceville in time for Mass and Rosary
• Driving to Charlotte for Liturgy & Lager
• Saturday - Driving home

Divine Liturgy on EWTN

EWTN is broadcasting a Divine Liturgy from the eparchy of Lebanon this morning at 9 AM (ET).  I look forward to watching it while I work!

Fr. Corapi and Bp. Nickless: identity and mission

I was listening to EWTN radio this morning in the car as I drove to work, and Fr. Corapi was speaking about the nature and mission of the family:  the nature is holiness, and the mission is to sanctify.  Nature and mission, or, identity and mission.  It struck a cord with what I had re-read and blogged about last night from Bp. Nickless' pastoral letter.  Fr. Corapi even went on to quote the Latin adage nemo dat quod non habet ("one cannot give what one does not have") which Bp. Nickless himself quotes later in his letter.

It seems that yesterday was a good day to write about that part of the letter, since Fr. Corapi spoke about the very same thing this morning.  He has also reminded me that those two concepts (identity and mission) apply to all areas of life.

He also talked about consecration and profanation, which I'll use next month as I begin to teach 6th graders about Moses and the Exodus.  (It took us September through December to finish Genesis, and now I only have from January through May to finish Salvation History.  That'll take some creative condensing on my part!)

Fr. Leo: "Grace Before Meals"

Fr. Leo is a Filipino priest from Emmitsburg, Maryland, who founded a movement called "Grace Before Meals":

Grace Before Meals is centered on one fundamental concept: the simple act of creating and sharing a meal can strengthen all kinds of relationships. Founded by Fr. Leo Patalinghug in 2003, Grace Before Meals has grown from a simple idea to a worldwide movement, producing a book, blog and even a pilot for a TV show endorsed by PBS.

Research shows that having frequent family dinners can reduce the susceptibility of teens to risks like teen pregnancy, smoking, drug use and depression. And these benefits don’t just apply to traditional families or people with kids. Stronger families foster stronger communities, and that’s the goal we’re striving for–one meal at a time.

I found out about this by listening to EWTN Radio's "Catholic Connection" hosted by Teresa Tomeo.

Check out Fr. Leo's web site. He has a page with several traditional prayers before and after meals, two of which are in Latin!

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.

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.

Two EWTN Programs

Early this evening at 8pm, Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan was on EWTN Live. (I missed it, but I'll watch the re-airing of it tomorrow morning at 9am.) Bishop Schneider is the author of Dominus Est ("It is the Lord!") and supports the traditional Latin practice of receiving Communion on the tongue while kneeling.

And coming on in a few minutes (but re-airing at 5am) is the Maronite Divine Liturgy from the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon (in St. Louis, Missouri).

You can watch these and other fine programs via EWTN's online video stream.

The Moral Law vs. God

Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., answered a tough question on Threshold of Hope this week. Paraphrased, the question was: "Is the moral law which differentiates good from evil something that God dictates (and therefore what is good is good because He says so), or is God good because He conforms to this moral law (which therefore exists outside and before Him)?" In other words, is the moral law arbitrary because God invented it or is God subject to it because it was not created by Him?

I'll post his answer here later, but until then, does anyone want to try and give an answer? (Hint: think tertium quid.)

Holy Thursday Solemn Pontifical Mass

If you can watch EWTN at 12:30 PM (EDT) this Thursday, do so. Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper.

EWTN: Threshold of Hope Q&A on Latin!

I'm watching Threshold of Hope this morning on my computer (via EWTN's live video feed). After a commercial break, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., fielded a question from another priest in the audience about Latin in the Mass. Fr. Pacwa answered by explaining how the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy did not eliminate Latin, how Latin has "pride of place", how he believes the Ordinary parts of Mass (the Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, etc.) should be in Latin... then he talked about a parish that was having a lot of trouble financially, that had been having Spanish Masses and English Masses, that then decided to celebrate the Ordinary Form of the Mass in Latin, and it turned the parish around entirely.

EWTN: The Journey Home

My friends Russ and Deborah Rentler ("Tiber Jumper" and "Prodigal Daughter") are on "The Journey Home" on EWTN tonight at 8:00 PM (EST). It's on right now! If you don't get EWTN, you can watch a live video feed from their website. The show is also rebroadcast again later in the week.