Tag: liturgy

More on Shawshank Redemption and the Liturgy

Joseph Shaw, of the UK’s Latin Mass Society, builds off of my post on Shawshank Redemption and the Liturgy,  in a post of his own, noting: The blogger at ‘Shameless Popery’ says this tells us how important music is at Mass. Actually, it tells us much more than that. It tells us about the value of non-verbal… Continue reading More on Shawshank Redemption and the Liturgy

What Shawshank Redemption Can Teach Us About the Liturgy

There’s a great scene in the film Shawshank Redemption, one of the best prison movies of all time, in which a prisoner, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), plays “Duettino – Sull’aria” from the opera “The Marriage of Figaro” over the prison P.A. system.  You can watch the clip from the movie here, or just listen to the song below: What I… Continue reading What Shawshank Redemption Can Teach Us About the Liturgy

Reform of the Reform?

Over at Faith and Reason, there’s an interesting discussion about the 2003 book The Reform of the Reform? A Liturgical Debate: Reform or Return, by Fr. Thomas Kocik. While I haven’t read the book, the review (which I’ve re-posted in full, below) makes clear what his position is: instead of throwing away everything before Vatican… Continue reading Reform of the Reform?

Can Christ’s Glorified Body be in Locked Rooms and in the Eucharist?

In Luke 24, we hear how, on Easter Day, Jesus made Himself visible to two travelers on the road to Emmaus and then, after breaking Bread and giving it to them, He disappeared.  And in John 20:19, in one of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus, we hear: On the evening of that first day of the week,… Continue reading Can Christ’s Glorified Body be in Locked Rooms and in the Eucharist?

Jerusalem Matins: a Beautiful Way to Celebrate Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday sometimes gets lost in the mix in Roman-Rite Catholicism.  Holy Thursday is huge (the Institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood), Good Friday is huge (Christ removing the curse of sin on the Cross), and Easter Sunday is huge (the Resurrection).  And Easter Vigil on Saturday night is the biggest Mass of the… Continue reading Jerusalem Matins: a Beautiful Way to Celebrate Holy Saturday

Learning the Bible Through Sunday Mass

One major difference in liturgical style between Catholics and Evangelicals is the Lectionary.  Both of us rely on “expository preaching,” which means that we base our sermons/homilies off of Scripture.  Evangelical pastors typically choose the passage they want to preach on — this is called “the Individual Choice Method.”  Catholics, and many Protestant denominations, follow… Continue reading Learning the Bible Through Sunday Mass

Battle of the Marinis and the Future of the Liturgy

Washington Post’s coverage on the difference between Archbishop Piero Marini, the liturgist under Pope John Paul II from 1987 onwards, and his young replacement, Monsignor Guido Marini (no relation), the liturgist under Pope Benedict XVI since 2007, is worth the read.  In short, “Marini the Elder” favored trying to add a lot of local flair… Continue reading Battle of the Marinis and the Future of the Liturgy

Eucharistic Prayer IV: The Unknown Eucharistic Prayer

Yesterday, my girlfriend went to daily Mass at Blessed Sacrament in Arlington, and came away a bit confused by the Liturgy — she explained to me that it sounded like the Mass, was clearly not being improvised by the priest, and yet was different at almost every point from what she was used to. Turns… Continue reading Eucharistic Prayer IV: The Unknown Eucharistic Prayer