Sacramentum Caritatis Bulletin Articles - #3

Click here for part 2 & link to part 1:

For St. Jude's 9/2/2007 bulletin - Thanks, Fr. Fox!

SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS - Part 3
This is the third part of a series of bulletin articles on the March, 2007 apostolic exhortation from Pope Benedict the XVI entitled ‘Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Love)’. For further study, refer to the 1st 6 paragraphs of SC.
The three sections of Sacramentum Caritatis are all titled after the ‘Mystery’ of the Eucharist. Each part is named ‘The Eucharist: a Mystery to be…(…Believed’, part 1) (…Celebrated’, part 2) (…Lived’, part 3). A quick scan of SC shows that Pope Benedict uses this term throughout the exhortation at least 70 times. This emphasis is an important insight in and of itself, but it requires us to understand the meaning of the word ‘mystery’ in the context of our faith.
The mysteries of our faith are realities that extend beyond our knowledge and comprehension. Our understanding of these mysteries is limited by our human nature, but made real to us by God’s revelation. In the Greek language of the New Testament, the word for ‘mystery’ (musterion) appears 27 times. When that same term is translated to Latin, the term that is often used is sacramentum, which is also from where the Church’s term ‘sacrament’ is derived.
Consider other common Church usage of the term ‘mystery’: to Eastern Rite Christians, what we know as the 7 Sacraments are referred to as Mysteries; the Paschal Mystery, where we refer to the Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of God in human form; at Mass, when we may be invited to prepare to ‘celebrate the sacred Mysteries’, or during the Memorial Acclamation of the Eucharistic Prayer where the priest invites all to ‘proclaim the Mystery of faith’.
When Pope Benedict writes, ‘[t]he Eucharist is a "mystery of faith" par excellence: "the sum and summary of our faith."’ (SC ¶6), he focuses us on the mysteries we believe. This belief invites us to encounter and know Jesus Christ, the Divine Son who became man, suffered and died and rose to make atonement for our sins and to unite us to God. This encounter and knowledge is given to us in the breaking of the bread - the real and substantial presence of Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the Eucharist.

adapted from presentations written by Rev. Martin Fox, published at http://frmartinfox.blogspot.com; alt. GPW

Sacramentum Caritatis Bulletin Articles - #2

From St. Jude's 8/26 bulletin (click here for Part 1):

Sacramentum Caritatis is organized into three parts, all titled ‘The Eucharist: a Mystery to be…(…Believed’, part 1) (…Celebrated’, part 2) (…Lived’, part 3). In the Introduction, Pope Benedict writes of the Eucharist as the ‘food of truth’, and connects the ‘innate and irrepressible desire for ultimate and definitive truth’ that we all have to ‘[t]he Lord Jesus, "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6), [who] speaks to our thirsting, pilgrim hearts, our hearts yearning for the source of life, our hearts longing for truth.’ (SC, ¶2)
This introduction immediately establishes the real and uncompromising tone the Church uses in its teachings about the Eucharist. Christ is truly, really, and substantially present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. The truth of the ‘Mystery to be Believed’ is eternal and unchanging, not relative or symbolic.
When the Holy Father writes about the Eucharist throughout Sacramentum Caritatis, he teaches us that the sacrament itself and the celebration of the sacrament (the Mass) are one reality. To preserve our faith in the truth of the sacrament, it’s important to be faithful to the instructions the Church gives about the ‘Mystery to be Celebrated’.
The third part (‘A Mystery to be Celebrated’) follows naturally from our faith in and nourishment from the food of truth. Our encounter with God Himself in the Eucharist must continue to change us, and from that should flow a life lived in truth.

adapted from presentations written by Rev. Martin Fox, published at http://frmartinfox.blogspot.com; alt. GPW

Benedict XVI & Music

Beautiful (and apparently spontaneous) words about choral singing from the Holy Father:

"Training in singing, in singing in choir, is not only an exercise of the
external hearing and voice; it is also an education of interior hearing, the
hearing of the heart, an exercise and a education in life and peace," the Holy
Father said in his improvised remarks."Singing together in choir and with other
choirs together, demands attention to the other, attention to the composer,
attention to the conductor, attention to this totality that we call music and
culture. And," he added, "in this way singing in choir is a training in life, a
training in peace, a walking together." (Zenit News Agency, HT NPM listserv)

The Pope has taken a lot of flak from the same NPM user-group that called my attention to this article. It's nice to see that some positive opinions are out there, too.

My name is Greg & I'm a recovering NPM member...

I didn't miss the NPM National Convention in Indianapolis last week...I guess I'm showing my age. I had intended to go to a Choir Director's Institute to try and develop some choral leading and conducting skills, but it was canceled, so now there's really no excuse for getting all the filing and clean-up done this summer.
Amy Welborn cites 2 bloggers whose observations about the NPM convention resonate with me like a classic 'Before' and 'After' study.
Before: 'Overall the convention was great. I got to personally meet and talk to David Haas, Fr. John Foley, SJ, Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ, Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ, Steve Angrisano, and Tom Booth! Totally awesome to get to discuss liturgy and music with the guys that are composing our church's music...Yes I know... I am Ben Story and I'm a Catholic music junkie.' Ben...you're not alone.
'As for the sessions themselves, they were generally good although most of mine turned into marketing seminars of sorts for the artists involved.' Methinks young Ben is on to something here.
After: 'Steven Warner’s opening address. Ok, much of it was good, but at one point he glorified the guitar Mass (enh...), talked about how we need a full implementation of Vatican II (yes...), and then turned and stated, “We do not need a reform of the reform!” (Applause ensued.) Whoa there, Wilbur! Many of us were feeling a mite uncomfortable, even unwelcome, after that - and this at a convention whose theme ostensibly was, “that all may be one”...Ricky Manalo’s plenum, all about multicultural issues, failed to mention even once the single most unifying element of our liturgy: the Latin language.' The Steven Warner remark about reform is a little scary, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the lack of context. In case you're unsure, I'd recommend you to what the Holy Father has written on the subject, or to what the servant of God John Paul II had to say about the same.

UPDATE - Here's the missing context (and it does soften the statement a bit) with a link to the entire Warner address (that also has some other provocative observations), courtesy of Todd Flowerday.

Est Verus

It's official - many a blogger will be looking for something else to fill his free time now that B16 has issued the Motu Proprio approving more widespread use of the 1962 Missal. I'm sure I'm echoing many when I remind you not to believe what is reported about this...read the Holy Father's letter yourself. I can't add much light to the conversation, but if you want to read what my favorite blogs are saying about it, see Jimmy Akin, Fr. Martin Fox, Patrick Archbold's straight summary, Patrick Archbold channelling C.S. Lewis, and Catholic World News' coverage.

The longest-running joke that no one's ever heard of...

...seems to be the 'Motu Proprio' that many expect will relax the permissions necessary to use the 1962 Missal. I got caught up in the excitement last month and took the bait (and posted ignorantly about this here) - many (myself included) were looking for the MP when B16 gave us Sacramentum Caritatis.

Amy Welborn gets in on the act, and makes some interesting side points in the process. I was unaware of potential concerns about inter-religious relations because of the 1962 language.

I don't envy the task the Vatican appears to have to anticipate the concerns of other faiths, traditionalists, liberals, liturgists, and anyone else waiting to be offended by an optional change to a 400-year old tradition. Given the apparent hitches, the Vatican appears to be proceeding cautiously, indeed.

Did you know the Pope is depressed?

According to this article, anyway.

Evidently, preaching about '"darkness" threatening the world in the form of war, oppression and hate. ' makes one 'downbeat'. I couldn't spot the 'gloom and doom' the headline promises, but I did see some typical media spin here:

The conservative Benedict, though less warm and spontaneous than his predecessor, has drawn similar-sized crowds so far in his young papacy, according to Vatican figures, though the numbers are falling.

No need to worry about any facts here - just ominous warnings about what being less warm and spontaneous than JPII (as well as conservative) will get you.

Happy birthday, Holy Father!

Sacramentum Caritatis

I've spent more time reading analyses & reviews of B16's Moto Proprio than I've spent reading the document itself, but the buzz seems mostly positive. Some blog commenters are disappointed that it didn't reform enough of the reforms, but most bloggers I read had kept their own expectations in check, and seem to be taking a longer-term, more patient view. Those who wanted more reform would do well to remember that there are explicit instructions from Redemptionis Sacramentum that aren't being observed or implemented in our own Archdiocese...since when did making a rule or passing a law (in and of itself) accomplish anything?

I like the outline-oriented layout. The Parts are divided into 'chapters', and then arranged by paragraphs. Each paragraph has a heading of its own. It seems like this organization will lend itself very well to future development. The three parts are each titled: "The Eucharist, a Mystery to Be...Believed (Part 1)...Celebrated (Part 2)...Lived (Part 3)" Granted, the Holy Father had almost a year-and-a-half to work on this, but I appreciate that continuity, and the sense of purpose to the structure.

What's a Motu Proprio?

Pope Benedict XVI will be issuing an apostolic letter entitled Sacramentum Caritatis (Sacrament of Charity) Tuesday morning (3/13/2007) at 7 a.m. The title continues B16's focus on love; his first papal encyclical was Deus Caritas (God Is Love). This appears to be a very carefully written letter, as it has been in the works since the end of the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops, a Synod on the Eucharist that took place in October, 2005.

This apostolic letter is in the form of a 'Motu Proprio'. Condensing from the Catholic Encyclopedia entry, a motu proprio is a papal letter written 'of [the Holy Father's] own accord', without seal or counter-signature, allowing the Pope to to instruct in his own words, without consulting the advice of cardinals or others.

Evidently, the Vatican has successfully embargoed this text to prevent early publication or leaks. This, perhaps, explains the lack of coverage in the mainstream press. Interested web sites are buzzing with speculation about reforms the Holy Father may encourage, or the possibility that use of the Mass from the (pre-Vatican II) 1962 Missale Romanum (the 'Tridentine Mass') may be liberalized or even encouraged.

Whatever the letter contains, Pope Benedict's preferences for liturgy and music are already well-documented. I hope the same love he's selected as the theme for his encyclical and apostolic letter is applied by the Church and used by the faithful to encourage appreciation for all things holy, beautiful, and true. Veni, Sancte Spiritus.

UPDATE - Here is the Motu Proprio.