Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Francis Cardinal Arinze: Music in the Mass

I found this great article posted on Irish and Dangerous. The following is an interview with Francis Cardinal Arinze found in the summer 2006 issue of Sacred Music, Vol. 133 No.2:


The Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship spoke to Inside the Vatican about sacred music, November 2005:

ITV: In Sacrosanctum concilium (Vatican II's Decree on the Liturgy), it indicated at Mass, pride of place must be given to Gregorian chant. But the reality is that few Catholics under the age of 50 would ever have heard a Te Deum sung in their parish church. Liturgical music today is largely guitars and tambourines, etc. Is this an appropriate form of musical expression for divine worship?

Arinze: For music in the liturgy, we should start by saying that Gregorian music is the Church's precious heritage. It should stay. It should not be banished. If therefore in a particular diocese or country, no one hears Gregorian music anymore, then somebody has made a mistake somewhere.

But, the Church is not saying that everything should be Gregorian music. There is room for music which respects that language, that culture, that people. There is room for that too, and the present books say that is a matter for the Bishops Conference, because it generally goes beyond the boundaries of one diocese.

The ideal thing is that the bishops would have a Liturgical Music Comission which looks at the wording and the music of the hymns. And when the commission is satisfied, judgement is brought to the bishops for approval, in the name of the rest of the conference.

But not individuals just composing anything and singing it in church. This is not right at all. No matter how talented the individual is. That brings us to the question of the instrument to be used. The local church should be conscious that church worship is not really the same as what we sing in a bar, or what we sing in a convention for youth. Therefore it should influence the type of instrument used, the type of music used.

I will not now pronounce and say never guitar. That would be rather severe. But much of guitar music may not be suitable at all for the Mass. Yet, it is possible to think of some guitar music that would be suitable, not as the ordinary one we get every time, the visit of a special group, etc.

The judgement would be left to the bishops o the area. It is wiser that way. Also, because there are other instruments in many countries which are not used in Italy or in Ireland, for instance.

But music should nourish faith, burst from our faith and should lead back to the faith. It should be a prayer. Entertainment is quite another matter. We have the parish hall for that, and the theater. People don't come to Mass in order to be entertained. They come to Mass to adore God, to thank him, to ask pardon for sins, and to ask for other things that they need. Those are the reasons for Mass. When they want entertainment, they know where to go: Parish hall, theater, presuming that their entertainment is acceptable from a moral theological point of view.
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Third priest Attacked in Turkey this Year

In addition to the murder of Fr. Andrea Santore, two other priests have been attacked in Turkey. One of them was just attacked last Sunday, July 2, 2006, in the Black Sea port of Samsun.

Fr. Pierre Brunissen, 74, was injured in the hip and leg and rushed to hospital, Msgr. Luigi Padovese, the apostolic vicar for Anatolia, told The Associated Press. The French priest lost a lot of blood but his condition is not life threatening.

"I hope this has nothing to with Islamic fundamentalism," Msgr. Padovese reportedly told the AP. "The climate has changed,” he was quoted as saying. “It is the Catholic priests that are being targeted."

Police detained the 47-year-old attacker, who has been described as mentally ill, the Anatolia news agency reported. The man was known to have complained about the priest for allegedly promoting Christian propaganda, the agency reported.   

Source: Catholic News Agency
Let us please say a prayer for him and for all our priests. As I posted about before, the Age of Martyrs continues.
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Independence Day: Pro-life Meditation


This is a meditation from Dr. John C. Willke, MD, Life Jewels, Volume 1:
"As we celebrate the 4th of July, we’re commemorating the Declaration of Independence, not our United States Constitution.

"Now they’re both remarkable documents, but the Constitution can and has been changed – changed by formal amendments—tragically, also in recent years, changed by liberal judges.
But the Declaration of Independence is the very charter of our nation. It cannot be changed, and it states clearly that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Remember the first one mentioned – the right to “life.”

"So, no matter what a liberal court may attempt to do, the charter of our nation stands tall. It says that each of us has a right to life, and no President, no Congress, and no judge can take this from us. I’d like you to think about that. This is Dr. John Willke" (TOC).
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Words of Inspiration: July 4, 2006

Blessed Mother Teresa:

"On the Cross Jesus said: ‘I thirst.’ From the Blessed Sacrament Jesus continues to say to each of us: ‘I thirst.’ He thirsts for our personal love, our intimacy, our union with Him in the Blessed Sacrament. His longing for us to be with Him in the Blessed Sacrament is infinitely greater than our longing to be with Him."

St. Padre Pio:

"My Jesus, save everyone; I offer myself as a victim for everyone; strengthen me, take my heart, fill it with Your love and then command me to do whatever You want" (AD 53).
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Prayer for the Intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son. Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional for the salvation of souls. With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, I confidently beseech You to grant me the grace of (here state your petition). Amen.

Glory be to the Father... (three times).
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Monday, July 3, 2006
Felipe Calderon wins Mexican Election

In an extremely close election, conservative candidate Felipe Calderon, a devout Roman Catholic, has won his election campaign to succeed Vicente Fox, another devout Catholic, who shocked many when he kissed Pope John Paul ll's ring during the Pontiff's 2002 visit to Mexico in an act of humility. I am particularly pleased with reading this:

"Calderon is unabashedly conservative on moral issues. He's opposed to contraception and the morning-after pill, and believes the only acceptable reasons for abortion are cases of rape and incest and when the mother's health is at risk."

This is excellent news. Reuters previously reported some people were trying to get citizens to openly reject candidates that agree with the Church on abortion and contraception. I'm so pleased to read that Felipe Calderon, a man of values, is going to be the President and the anti-Catholic agenda lost again! Mexcio has about 100 million people and 85 percent are Catholic.

A mandatory recount will begin soon because of the closeness of the election. But, I'm still very pleased that he will pull through.

Photo Source: REUTERS/Jorge Silva
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Words of Inspiration: July 3, 2006

"The humbler the work, the greater should be your love and efficiency. Be not afraid of the life of sacrifice."

~Blessed Mother Teresa
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St. Thomas the Apostle


Feast (1969 Calendar): July 3
Double of the II Class (1955 Calendar): December 21

Today we remember the apostle Thomas, called Doubting Thomas. From the Tridentine Rite Website:
The feast of St. Thomas the Apostle is of double rite and its liturgical colour is red. According to tradition St. Thomas preached the Gospel in Asia and the Indian sub-continent. He is believed to have founded, inter alia, the St. Thomas Christians on the West coast of India, one of several groups using the East-Syrian family of liturgies
In an earlier section of the Gospel, St. Thomas said that he would go to Jerusalem to die with Jesus if needed. But, like the other apostles, he too left the Lord when the time came for the Crucifixion. And, after the Lord's Resurrection, St. Thomas is best known for doubting the Lord's Resurrection. While the disciples were in the upper room, the Lord appeared to them and ate with them. However, St. Thomas was not with them.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

(Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

John 20:19-25
All of us also experience some form of dryness in the spiritual life or doubting that our prayers will be heard. The words of St. Thomas, as many saints have taught, are incredibly helpful for our salvation. The exclamation of Thomas: "My Lord and My God" is one of the chief pieces of Scripture used to refute the heresy of Arianism. In those situations of spiritual dryness we should keep in mind the words of Thomas and Our Lord's reply to Him:
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

John 20:26-29
Even though St. Thomas was not with the apostles when they received the power to forgive sins, he did receive that power at a later time. That leads many scholars to admit that the apostles passed the power down to him through the imposition of hands. This same power has been passed down even until the present era. Our bishops and priests have that power because of Jesus Christ. If you have never gone to Confession, I highly encourage you to experience the greatest source of forgiveness on this earth in the confessional.

St. Thomas, after the events recorded in the Gospel, went off to preach the Gospel in India as Our Lord commanded: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:18-20).

St. Thomas went out and preached in Parthia, Persia, and India, even though he was reluctant to start the mission because he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant heading that way. Finally, he submitted himself to God's will and was freed from slavery. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. He is called the Apostle of India. Let us realize that we too are called to serve the Catholic Church and spread the Gospel. St. Thomas, the doubting apostle, eventually laid down his life for Jesus Christ. Our love for Christ must also be that great.

While in India, St. Thomas witnessed a group of people desperately trying to remove a post from the earth. With ease, St. Thomas removed it and thrust it back into the ground saying that water shall never again pass the point. Atop the post now stands Santhome Cathedral. And, quite miraculously, when the Tsunami of 2004 hit and destroyed much of the buildings in Chennai, the water stopped at the steps of the Cathedral. The miracle of St. Thomas is still alive.

St. Thomas the Apostle died in c.72 AD in India after being stabbed with a spear.

For more on the lives of all the Apostles, pick up a copy of "The Twelve: Lives and Legends of the Apostles" on paperback or as part of the online course on the Apostles, which includes a Certificate of Completion.

Prayer:

Give us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, a share in the glory of today's festival of Thy blessed Apostle Thomas: and grant that we may be uplifted by his patronage and drawn with fitting devotion to equal him in faith. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
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Sunday, July 2, 2006
Poll Results: Blog Background Music

For the past few weeks I have asked this question on my blog's minipoll:

Would you like background music added to this blog? I'm thinking of adding something that is in Latin.

I think I've given a fair amount of time for all of my readers to comment. Here are the results:

YES - 12 votes 40%
NO - 15 votes 50%
NO OPINION - 3 votes 10%

So, since I want to make this an enjoyable place for my visitors, I will not be adding background music to this blog at least for this year. I may post this poll again next year.

Closed
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Want to Get in Shape and Save Babies at the Same Time?

Then Curves is the place for you! Curves was founded in 1992 by Gary Heavin who currently owns 8000 branches country-wide. Gary Heavin is also a devout Catholic dedicated to saving the lives of unborn babies.

While Curves itself supports no one cause, Heavin himself is an avid Catholic with a firm belief in pro-life causes. Heavin matches the first $1,000 that each franchise raises for community causes such as walkathons to benefit pro-life pregnancy-care centers. In 2003, Heavin pledged one-million dollars (profit from Curves franchises and his two books on the Curves philosophy and phenomenon) to Care Net, a Christian organization that is pro-life and anti-Planned Parenthood (source)

This is excellent news! I'm definitely going to refer people to the closest Curves now. And I want to thank the pro-abortion site, BellaOnline for pointing this out to me. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't go out of my way to refer people to Curves now.
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