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Liturgy
This link will keep 'parishioners-at-large' in touch with current creative liturgy sources and resources that respect a variety of 'traditions' within the Church.

COMMONWEAL Magazine
A 'lay' Catholic weekly publication with an accent on an intelligent analysis and commentary on curent issues, trends and concerns of interest to Catholics.

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A national Catholic lay newspaper covering events not usually covered or presented with a clerical bias in the local diocesan press or but of concern and interest to Catholics.

Survivos' Network for those Abused by Priests or Religious
A National Network of self-help support groups for people abused by clergy or religious.

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Vital information about the disclosure of sexual abuse and related issues affecting Catholics in the pew and the manner in which Bishops continue to exempt themselves from accountability

Voice of the Faithful
A 'movement' of lay Catholics 'inspired' by the abuse scandal calling for greater accountability of bishops to 'Catholics in the Pew.'

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Daily Scripture

+ 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Be wise but don’t be a ‘wise guy!’

Readings: I Corinthians 3:18-21 Psalm 24:1-4, 5-6 Luke 5:1-11

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: “God catches the wise in their own ruses,” and again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that are vain.”

Wisdom (Sophia) is a feminine attribute of God. True wisdom is rooted in deep faith and an abiding confidence in God’s abiding presence in all of creation and in the depth of our being. Wisdom comes from study, prayer and from the daily effort to live in God’s grace with Jesus as our mentor. Reason without faith leads to rationalization of our wants and desires. Reason combined with faith moves us to contemplation and moves us to probe and ponder the greatest mysteries of life that exceed the power of the human intellect to explicate or explain. That’s why poets, artists and composers are enable us to comprehend the qualities of God in nature, in the human body and in the qualities of a life lived in union with ultimate truth and beauty.

So we need to go to our prayer chair for at least twenty minutes at the beginning and end of every day. We need to walk among the trees and along the sea. We need to listen to music that stirs the soul and sing songs that touch the heart.

Only then can we be thoughtful people of measured speech and positive deeds.

The Grace of Good Friday

Friday March 21, 2008

Jesus is dead!

Banks are closed.
No mail delivery today.
Off to Nassau and the islands for a break?
or instead to Disneyworld?

Color Easter eggs but not before 3:00 o’clock.

Collegians off to Florida beaches
for sun, sex and a bottle of booze.
Easter break.

Artist’s rendition of the crucified
in milk chocolate,
on sale at the local candy store.

Nightly news competing with ‘U-Tube’ catering to viewers
telling them what they want to know
rather than what they need to know.

The news is rarely good,
especially on ‘Good Friday.’

Easter bunnies stand on the sidelines of life
watching ‘the Holy One’ pass,
wondering what it’s all about.
No, not the execution,
but life itself.
“What’s it all about, Alfie?”

What IS the grace of the day?

Liturgists remind us that it’s not a feast day
and certainly not a holiday.
It’s a commemoration,
an observance
on which Christians over the world
contemplate and ponder the death of ‘the Christ.’

But the death of the ‘Anointed’ is not on the cross.
It’s at the mall
on the battlefields
and in oil fields
across the world,
in skyscrapers,
on Wall Street
in brothels and casinos that rival ancient shrines
with their gold and silver arches and
and even in basilicas—elegant theaters of ceremony
and carefully staged rituals

Preachers pointing to the large crucifix
mouthing the words of scripture
shouting out to the assembly:
“God sent his son to die” and
“you put him on the cross!”

No, God did not send his son to die;
He sent him to live
and no,
I didn’t put him there,
though I do confess that
I might have been in the crowd that
called for the release of Barabbas,
not for the death of Jesus.
I am innocent of that man’s blood.
I’m no terrorist!
I’m a Christian!

I stood with Peter;
I was frightened,
scared to death that they would haul us all
into the courtyard
and tie us to a cross too.

Yes, it’s all about denial.
Death to the prophet!
It is always expedient that one person die
for the sake of the many.

The grace of the day
is in the air
everywhere.

Be attentive,
stay awake lest you miss the point
not of his death
but of his life.