For more quick takes, see Jennifer Fulwiler's excellent blog at www.conversiondiary.com.
Ever notice how your tastes change as you age? Faith, too, changes as time goes on; for me, I guess I assumed this was true but didn't always notice it. I really notice it now! I'd be afraid to grade myself on a scale of fervency, but I try to do my best. As I'm trying to be the best version of myself (make sure to say that with an Australian accent), I'm becoming less and less patient with least-common-denominator Catholicism. Here are my quick takes along this theme...
1) Bland homilies are more frustrating than anything else, and priests/laity who take liberties with the liturgy make my blood boil. I didn't notice it as much as I do now, and I'm only partially surprised that it's everywhere. I do believe we've lost a sense of what's sacred in the Catholic Church over the past fifty years; I think we need to ease ourselves back into solemnity because to go straight up Tridentine would be a shock. Could we start with using Latin in the Mass parts? Get better music, too. Then move to ad orientem. Then maybe more prayers in Latin. Bit by bit...
2) On the more positive side of the coin, a good fruit is that I've been listening more to Catholic radio. For the past week or so, my drive to and from work has either featured a talk, homily, or podcast in the morning and Catholic Answers Live in the evening. Catholic Answers Live is on iTunes, they have every show in podcast format... although they don't skip the commercials. Want a good homily to listen to? Absolutely check out Fr. Robert Barron (Word on Fire podcast) and Fr. Gary Zerr ("Weekly Sermons from St. Edward Catholic Church - Keizer, OR" podcast).
3) I just finished one of the Catholic Courses on the Book of Revelation; it was a series of 8 talks/classes given by Fr. Alfred McBride, OPraem. Highly recommended! Check it out here. The Book of Revelation was always intimidating to me; the imagery is very strange to 21st Century American eyes. Fr. McBride demystifies it, gives the background, and draws good spiritual lessons from the book. Hopefully it will be a future blog post.
4) Speaking of things traditional and Latin, the William Byrd Festival is coming to Portland next month. Check out the calendar of events here. I went to Mass at St. Stephen's last year with my wife; Cantores in Ecclesia sang Byrd's Mass for Four Voices. I don't know how to describe it other than I was literally overwhelmed with beautiful music. Had it not been Mass, I would've sat there, drooling, mouth agape, eyes glazed over, being carried away by angelic music. Maybe that's a little much, since my wife would refuse to go out in public with me if I even approached that kind of behavior.
5) My wife recently finished The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn and is in the process of going through Fr. Mitch Pacwa's talk series on the Eucharist. I'd read/heard both before and after I finished, I wished every Catholic could read that book and listen to that talk series. No one could complain about Mass being boring after that! My wife felt the same--and I wondered, why hadn't we heard this when we were younger? Going through sacramental prep? Shoot, from the pulpit?
6) The funny thing about getting more immersed in the faith... it only leaves you wanting more. We've been saying the rosary mostly daily; I've been reading more Scripture; listening to Catholic radio/CDs. I love a particular sports talk radio show, I download the podcasts nearly every day and listen to them at work. I used to listen to them on the drive to/from work; now I can't. It's a funny feeling that, I guess I feel like it's a waste of time. Almost like I'm cheating myself if I don't listen to something life-giving.
I didn't ever think I'd feel that. The saints talk about detachment from the world, and here, I can accomplish this eensy bit of detachment! They fasted, did penance, suffered greatly, and me? I don't listen to that podcast in the car. After 34 years... hope I'm further along in another 34 years. And, I'm not so disciplined that I can't fall out of these habits...
7) Did you know Scott Hahn's website (www.salvationhistory.com) has free Bible studies? There are outlines/courses as well as talk series on .mp3. I haven't listened to any yet, but it's exciting to know there's good, free stuff out there.
4) Speaking of things traditional and Latin, the William Byrd Festival is coming to Portland next month. Check out the calendar of events here. I went to Mass at St. Stephen's last year with my wife; Cantores in Ecclesia sang Byrd's Mass for Four Voices. I don't know how to describe it other than I was literally overwhelmed with beautiful music. Had it not been Mass, I would've sat there, drooling, mouth agape, eyes glazed over, being carried away by angelic music. Maybe that's a little much, since my wife would refuse to go out in public with me if I even approached that kind of behavior.
5) My wife recently finished The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn and is in the process of going through Fr. Mitch Pacwa's talk series on the Eucharist. I'd read/heard both before and after I finished, I wished every Catholic could read that book and listen to that talk series. No one could complain about Mass being boring after that! My wife felt the same--and I wondered, why hadn't we heard this when we were younger? Going through sacramental prep? Shoot, from the pulpit?
6) The funny thing about getting more immersed in the faith... it only leaves you wanting more. We've been saying the rosary mostly daily; I've been reading more Scripture; listening to Catholic radio/CDs. I love a particular sports talk radio show, I download the podcasts nearly every day and listen to them at work. I used to listen to them on the drive to/from work; now I can't. It's a funny feeling that, I guess I feel like it's a waste of time. Almost like I'm cheating myself if I don't listen to something life-giving.
I didn't ever think I'd feel that. The saints talk about detachment from the world, and here, I can accomplish this eensy bit of detachment! They fasted, did penance, suffered greatly, and me? I don't listen to that podcast in the car. After 34 years... hope I'm further along in another 34 years. And, I'm not so disciplined that I can't fall out of these habits...
7) Did you know Scott Hahn's website (www.salvationhistory.com) has free Bible studies? There are outlines/courses as well as talk series on .mp3. I haven't listened to any yet, but it's exciting to know there's good, free stuff out there.
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