Taylor Marshall has a good post about why the Church insists we go to Mass every Sunday and on certain other days throughout the year. He frames his answer in the way I usually do when the issue is raised in my classroom: being a part of the celebration of the Eucharist is a privilege. Going to Mass is an “obligation” in the same way a hardcore Rolling Stones fan being asked to go to a free Stones concert each Sunday would be an “obligation.”
Sunday Obligation?
June 21, 2010
2 Comments | 
Eucharist | Tagged: Eucharist, Mass, Obligation | 
Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
New From Jonathan: Gratitude
May 5, 2010From A Kairos Talk, the Eucharist, Mass, and Gratitude:
One of my biggest struggles as a religion teacher is with our technical terms. We have so many words that we use, sometimes every single day: Trinity, Eucharist, Heaven, Son of God, Mass, Incarnation, and so on.
This talk isn’t going to turn into class, I promise. But, I do hope you learn a lot. About the Eucharist, about God, and about yourselves. You may even learn a little bit about me, although that’s the least of my concerns.
How many of you know what the word Eucharist means? I’m thinking the technical definition now. What about Mass?
Eucharist means “thanksgiving” and Mass means “dismissal.” At first glance, these two definitions may not even make any sense. They may not even seem to describe what we do at all. But, yet I’m giving this talk around these two definitions. Bear with me. I hope in the end it all makes perfect sense.
First, I’ll tackle the Eucharist as thanksgiving and let you know a little about my faith journey in the process.
Most of you have been Catholic or, whatever your faith tradition is, from the moment of your birth. It’s just something that you’ve always done. I was raised Protestant. Most of the people were good hearted, but in general the whole experience was miles from Catholicism. I had no Catholics in my family. I lived in a county where Catholics were lower than 10% of the population. In my class, there was one Catholic girl. The closest I ever got to Catholicism was when I took a romantic interest in her.
Leave a Comment » | Catholic, General, Eucharist | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
New Missal Translation Approved
November 20, 2009The U.S. Bishops have approved a new translation of the Missal, which could be in use by 2011. To see basically what what the texts look like, click here (pdf). The new translation is more faithful to the Latin, and corrects some rather free translations that many of us have wanted changed.
Now that the new translation is coming, I have one piece of advice for the bishops and parish pastors: educate us about it. Seriously bishops, please prepare your flocks for this new translation. Let us know *why* we have the new translations. Let us have plenty of time to look over the translations. Yes, *I* know why we need the new translations. And I am sure most of you do as well. However, your average Catholic may see this as yet another pointless change (and people don’t like change). We know, and the bishops know, that this is an important change, and I think we need to make sure all Catholics at least understand the significance of this change.
I, for one, welcome this change, and hope that it is implemented properly so that it can enrich the American Church as soon as possible!
10 Comments | Eucharist, Liturgy and Worship | Tagged: Eucharist, Mass, USCCB, Missal | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
The New Translation of the Mass Versus the Old
August 26, 2009Nicene Hobbit recently asked about the new English translation of the Mass. Work continues, and I have heard that it should be available soon.
This site has a comparison of the current English translation of the mass with the new, forthcoming translation. You can see that the new translation is more faithful to the Latin and other translations of the Mass in other languages. It corrects a lot of the sloppy translation work done by the English translators of the current translation (for some reason, the English version, unlike current translations in other languages, is very free and almost dumbed-down at parts). If you are interested in seeing the entire new translation of the Mass yourself, click here (.pdf file).
4 Comments | Eucharist, Liturgy and Worship | Tagged: Mass, ICEL, translation | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
Withholding Communion is Charity in Truth
July 25, 2009Whom to allow to communion is a big question these days, with many Protestant churches going to an “open communion” policy (anybody who wants to take it can), while the Apostolic Churches retain the strictness inherited from ancient Tradition. Recently, a high-ranking Vatican official, Cardinal Llovera, has affirmed the Catholic Teaching that withholding communion is a practice of charity in truth. “Wait a minute,” you may ask, “telling someone he can’t take communion is love?” You may be thinking “that isn’t love; that is mean!”
To understand this, we must understand what the Catholic definition of love (charity) is. It is not love as American pop culture defines it. Love, for the Catholic, is willing and acting in a way that is in the best interest of the other person. So, for us, love means treating others with respect and dignity. However, love also involves more difficult (at least from the vantage point of living in a society that doesn’t understand love to be much more than an emotion) things such as loving correction, discipline, possibly refusing a request, penance, and so forth. Some would define love as giving the alcohol abuser those extra drinks, because it makes him “feel” good, whereas Catholics would define love as withholding those drinks (but being there if he does take them).
As I was watching an Andy Griffith Show episode the other day, I was reminded of this principle. A free-wheeling hobo was influencing Opie, causing the boy to do bad things, and confusing his sense of right and wrong. The hobo, a kind of post-modernist, suggested Andy let “Opie decide” which system of right-and-wrong the young boy wanted to embrace, Andy’s more classical understanding, or the Hobo’s “anything goes” system. Andy rightly proclaimed that his duty as a father involved keeping Opie on the correct path, so that Opie could see in the long run that what his dad was saying was true, since, as Andy pointed out, kids will always gravitate toward the “shiny,” that is, the easiest morality possible. From a Catholic perspective Andy loved. The Hobo did not. Andy did what was in the best interest of his child, even though it was difficult.
Nonetheless, postmodern America will tell you that “love” is letting Opie do whatever he wants. This is why some churches allow anybody to take communion, because denying communion seems exclusive or mean. However, for Catholics, denying communion is a means of correction, a means of treating a sick patient with the intention of his or her eventual return to wellness. To never deny holy communion is to never offer the possibility of healing. If you don’t recognize any possibility of sin, you deny any possibility of grace (since the righteous don’t need a physician). Denying communion is never pleasant, and it is not “fun,” but it is an example of Christian love.
Leave a Comment » | Eucharist | Tagged: Communion, Eucharist, Love | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
A Picture Worth a 1000 Words
July 13, 2009
This is an image of a Mass held outside during the Korean War, on August 28, 1951. Chaplain Kenny Lynch conducts services north of Hwachon, Korea, for men of 31st Regt. Image taken by Pvt. Jack D. Johnson. Jennifer and I have come across this image a few times while browsing Conservative Blog for Peace, and always comment on how powerful it is. It testifies to the power, but also the simplicity, of the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood.
Image originally from: flickr.com/photos/imcomkorea/2919537683/in/set-72157607808414225/
Leave a Comment » | Eucharist | Tagged: Eucharist, Korean War, Mass | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
On Conversion to God
February 11, 2009Lent encourages us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and thus to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what road to take in life. And thus, the Season of Lent offers us an ascetic and liturgical route which, while helping us to open our eyes to our weakness, opens our hearts to the merciful love of Christ. BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, 1st March 2006.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
The liturgical season of Lent is fast approaching. The Lord is giving us yet one more opportunity to work on ourselves, on our souls. For this, I thank Him!
As you are well aware we are living in a very tumultuous time; a time of financial distress, war, and a time in which radical politicians –and presidents–boldly undermine the sanctity of life. This time in which we live demands conversion, a radical turning away from sin to God. But unless we ourselves begin this conversion process, the world will continue getting worse and worse by the minute.
I warmly encourage each and everyone reading this post to take advantage of Lent, to make it the best Lent you ever had, the most spiritually fruitful. Let us enter into this holy season with a deep desire “to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,” so that we “may be filled with all the fullnes of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
Please realize that God has given us everything we need to experience the conversion of our own hearts and minds, if we but humbly accept His Divine Grace. Let us ask our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, to plead our cause before the Lord, to teach us how to be good sons and daughters of the Most High, to protect us from all harm. Let us also ask our Brothers and Sisters who dedicated their lives to the fulfilment of the Christian vocation, and who now enjoy the Beatific Vision, to come to our aid in times of temptation so that we may be strengthened and may come off unharmed after the battle. Finally, let us be mindful that, through Baptism, we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ, and so we all have the responsibility to look out for one another, especially for the poor (Philipians 2:4; Matthew 25:40). Let us, then, pray for one another during Lent!
Lenten Resources:
Leave a Comment » | Abortion, Baptism, Benedict XVI, Pope, Catholic, General, Confession, Converts and Conversion, Culture Wars, Devotions and Spirituality, Easter, Eucharist, Growth, Holidays, Lent, Liturgical Year, Liturgy and Worship, Mary, Blessed Virgin, Prayers and Requests, Sacraments, Saints and Sainthood, Scripture | Permalink
Posted by Jorge Flores
Tolstoyanism vs Christianity
February 1, 2009For my Topics in the Philosophy of Religion (Philosophy 441) class, we have to write an informal, one page, reaction paper for each of the reading assignments. This week’s reaction paper is written in response to Leo Tolstoy’s What is Religion and of What Does Its Essence Consist?
I wish I could have said more things about Tolstoy’s version of “Christianity”, but I am limited to a one page paper.
Here is my reaction paper for you to read and comment/critique: Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | Apologetics, Books, Catholic, General, Education, Eucharist, Evangelization, Morality and Moral Issues, Sacraments, Saints and Sainthood, Scripture | Tagged: Christianity, Faith, Josemaria Escriva, Natural Religion, Philosophy, Reason, religion, Revelation, Tolstoy | Permalink
Posted by Jorge Flores
Missing Mass
April 9, 2008
One common complaint I hear from many Catholics is that the Church actually expects us to attend Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. There are legitimate reasons for missing Mass, like being too ill to attend, or being snowed in, but I suspect that most Catholics who miss Mass regularly do so because it is not high on their list of priorities, and soccer games, sleeping in, and other activities take precedent. It is even more difficult to claim there is no time for Mass these days, since the Saturday night Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation.
Now, I admit that it is not always exciting to go to Mass, and the pull of TV, running, or something else is strong. Nonetheless, I go to Mass every Sunday because not only does the Church expect it of me, but because I know that if I have time for all sorts of activities unrelated to the eternal fate of my soul, I can give a little time each week to the heavenly banquet that our Lord established. Plus, when considered objectively, the time the Church expects from us for Mass is a small percentage of the week.
I decided to figure it out. I will warn you in advance that math was not my best subject, so if I have made a mistake, please let me know.
There are 168 hours in a week. If Mass lasts about one hour, and we assume 30 minutes travel time to get there and back, Mass takes up 1.5 hours per week of time. This amounts to giving 0.9% of our week to the miracle that is the holy sacrifice of the Mass, i.e. less than one percent of our time. And this, along with a few holy days of obligation, represent the mere minimalism that is expected of us! Compare this with the time we Americans spend watching TV each week, around 5 hours of TV a day; this amounts to 35 hours in a week, or 21% of the hours in a week. So whenever getting up for Mass doesn’t excite me, I just think of the time I give joyfully to TV, exercise, and the internet, and I am reminded that I most definitely have time for the Holy Eucharist!
8 Comments | Eucharist, Liturgy and Worship | Tagged: Eucharist, Mass, Obligation | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
Ad altare Dei 1966
March 16, 2008
I recently found a fascinating artifact, a “People’s Mass Book” dated 1966, the year the transitional sacramentary came out in both English and Latin. It was the period when every so often a new piece of the mass would come out in the vernacular. In the Order of the Mass at the opening of the rite, I found this:
7 Comments | Catholic, General, Eucharist | Permalink
Posted by Fr. J.
The Eucharistic Prayers-Part II: From One to Four
March 13, 2008
There are presently 9 Eucharistic prayers now in use in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. Twas not always thus, however. For four hundred years prior to the Second Vatican Council, there was only one Eucharistic Prayer in general use in the Latin Church (others such as the Ambrosian Rite of Milan and the Dominican Rite are not for general use, but for particular settings).
Through a complicated maze of scholarship, popular demand, and political pressures, the 1960′s saw the multiplication of the Eucharistic prayers for general use from one to four, each called by its Roman numeral, I-IV . In the 1970′s five other particular use Eucharistic Prayers were added to the sacramentary namely the Eucharistic Prayers for Children I, II, III and for Reconciliation I and II.
Eucharistic Prayer I: The Roman Canon
The Roman Canon is the longest and perhaps the most ancient of the Eucharistic prayers. St. Ambrose had quoted portions of it in the mid 300′s. Among the ancient Eucharistic prayers of the various rites, East and West, it has a strikingly unique structure with a heavy emphasis on the sacrificial nature of the sacrament and the role of the priest in offering it. Read the rest of this entry »
20 Comments | Catholic, General, Eucharist, Liturgy and Worship | Permalink
Posted by Fr. J.
For The Living And The Dead: My Preference For The Roman Canon
March 13, 2008
Where I grew up, Eucharistic Prayer 2 held sway in grade school, weekday, funeral, and Sunday Masses… I don’t think I ever heard the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer 1) until I was at least 16. There has been an interesting and ongoing combox discussion on the matter over at Bonfire of the Vanities.
Where I attend weekday Mass on occasion EP 1 is the norm (out of 13 different approved prayers) and I find that pleasing for one simple reason: It offers the following brief exhortations to pray for the living and the dead:
For the living:“Remember, Lord, your people, especially those for whom we now pray, N. et N.”
For the dead:“Remember, Lord, those who have died and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, especially those for whom we now pray, N. et N. May these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence light, happiness, and peace.”
It is a true mercy to take a moment to remember the dead and the living whose intentions I bring to place on the altar – it is a reminder to fix my intentions at the offertory and then fix my intentions at communion.
Prayer for the dead has been so utterly neglected in the Catholic Church today. This is something we may all, one day, come to see the tragedy of in a most uncomfortable light.
(NOTE: I am making an effort to better understand how to play with the size of graphics on WordPress – be patient with me! )
Leave a Comment » | Eucharist, Liturgy and Worship | Permalink
Posted by asimplesinner
Taking Up Perpetual Adoration
March 13, 2008
The woman who runs Eucharistic adoration at my parish was persistent enough that I finally called her back after expressing interest in November. Her enthusiasm was pretty contagious and she clearly believes in the importance of Eucharistic adoration. I must say, she got me pretty excited about it too, so I signed up. From now on, I’ll be with Jesus in a special way on Mondays at 8:00pm.
I have two points I want to make about adoration and me. First, this is the last practice I would have seen myself embracing seven or eight years ago as an evangelical Protestant. In fact, I probably would have been viscerally bothered by it, even though my mind was curious (I would often recoil in my mind when I heard the words “Mother of God,” for example). Yet, it is an incredible affirmation of the Church’s belief in the Real Presence, which I now wholeheartedly embrace.
Second, as a religion teacher, I am focused on religion 6 hours a day for five days a week. It is even more if you count the planning and the grading. Yet, in the midst of it all, I don’t find much time for spiritual growth or refreshment. I’m hoping that the practice of Eucharistic adoration will provide it: a time away from the hustle and bustle in quiet solitude with Jesus. I know that many people credit adoration with all sorts of graces in their lives, including helping a few discern a call to the priesthood or religious life. I’m hoping for spiritual nourishment and to better live my calling as a husband, father, and teacher.
I’ll keep you updated on my experience and I invite you to share yours.
Image from Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation, Carey, OH
4 Comments | Eucharist | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
The Eucharistic Prayers-Part I: Reforms of the 50′s and 60′s
March 13, 2008
Since September 14, 2007, the Sunday when general permission was given for the celebration of the the traditional rite of the Mass, Latin Rite Catholics whether they know it or not have been living in a very new era.
Now is as good a time as any to take a look at our current Eucharistic prayers and come to appreciate all of them for their beauty and power to bring us the greatest gift in this life as well as understand some of their limitations.
1950′s Liturgical Reforms
Over a century of liturgical scholarship in Germany, France and the United States had built up a pressure in academic circles for a general reform of the liturgy by the late 1940′s. Some of these reforms were put into effect in the 50′s by Pius XII. Read the rest of this entry »
13 Comments | Catholic, General, Eucharist, Liturgy and Worship | Permalink
Posted by Fr. J.
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad T.
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
Dave Hartline
faceman
