desember 2011

Aktiv deltakelse i messen, holde hender etc.

Liturgi /


En biskop i USA har utgitt liturgiske regler for sitt bispedømme (se her – pdf-fil), og bl.a. skrevet at man ikke skal holde hverandre i hendene under Fader vår. Noen syns (se her) at dette var forferdelig dumt sagt, og Father Z. kommenterer det hele på denne måten:

Correctly understood, the “full, conscious and active participation” desired by the Council Fathers is rooted in our baptismal character, which makes it possible to receive graces and the other six sacraments. “Active participation” is first and foremost an interiorly active receptivity to all that God is offering. This interiorly active receptivity requires the person to make acts of will to stay focused and attentive to the mysteries of the sacred action. This interior receptivity at times manifests itself outwardly in physical expression, especially in the words people speak as responses, prescribed prayers recited in common during the liturgical action, certain gestures such as kneeling or standing of making the sign of the Cross, and at times walking in procession, as in the case of going forward to receive Holy Communion. In fact, reception of Holy Communion by a baptized person in the state of grace is the most perfect form of “full, conscious and active participation”, for its is the perfect harmony of the interior and the exterior of the person’s active receptivity.

On the other hand, some people – liberal liturgists for example – think that active participation means doing things, such as carrying stuff, clapping, singing every word of everything that could be sung, moving about, etc. They are abetted by clerics who think they are “empowering the laity” and helping their “active participation” by surrendering their own proper roles as clerics to any number of lay people. Liberal liturgists talk of baptism as the foundation of “active participation”. They see baptism as conferring rights, especially the right to do things during the liturgical action. …

… A good example of this liturgy rights activism popped up on the site of the extremely liberal US cATHOLIC, penned by their perennially wrong Bryan Cones. They are staging a nutty over there about the liturgical law issued by His Excellency Most Rev. Roger Foys for the Diocese Covington. Among the issues addressed by the bishop is the liturgically bizarre and often liturgically abusive aberration of prompting people to hold hands and wave their arms around during the Our Father of Holy Mass.

Trinitarisk monoteisme – hva er virkelig katolsk – tro og fornuft

Paven, Teologi /

I går møtte pave Benedikt medlemmene av Vatikanets ‘Internasjonale teologiske kommisjon’ etter at de hadde fullført en arbeidsøkt. Han tok opp tre punkter – som jeg nevner i overskrifta – fra Vatikanets Information Service:

The Holy Father dedicated his remarks to three themes the Commission has been examining in recent years, turning first to consider the question of God and the understanding of monotheism. Benedict XVI recalled how «behind the Christian profession of faith in the one God lies the daily profession of faith of the People of Israel». However, with the incarnation of Jesus Christ, «the monotheism of the one God came to be illuminated with a completely new light: the light of the Trinity, a mystery which also illuminates brotherhood among men». For this reason theology «can help believers to become aware of and bear witness to the fact that Trinitarian monotheism shows us the true face of God, … and is the source of personal and universal peace».

The Commission has also been studying the criteria whereby a particular form of theology may be considered as «Catholic». On this subject the Pope explained that «the starting point for all Christian theology lies in personal acceptance of divine revelation, of the Word made flesh», in «listening to the Word of God in Holy Scripture». Nevertheless, the history of the Church shows that «recognition of this starting point is not enough to achieve the unity of the faith. The Bible is always necessarily read in a certain context, and the only context in which the believer can be in full communion with Christ is the Church and her living Tradition».

Catholic theology, as it has always done over the course of its history, must continue to pay particular attention to the relationship between faith and reason. Today this is more important than ever, said Pope Benedict, «in order to avoid the violent consequences of a religiosity which opposes reason, and a reason which opposes religion».

Thirdly, the International Theological Commission has been examining the Church’s Social Doctrine in the broader context of Christian doctrine. «The Church’s social commitment is not a merely human activity», Benedict XVI explained, «nor is just a social theory. The transformation of society by Christians over the centuries has been a response to the coming of the Son of God into the world. … The disciples of Christ the Redeemer know that no human community can live in peace without concern for others, forgiveness, and love even for one’s enemies. … In our indispensable collaboration for the common good, even with those who do not share our faith, we must explain the true and profound religious motivations for out social commitment. … People who have understood the foundation of Christian social activity may also find therein a stimulus to consider faith in Jesus Christ».

In conclusion, the Pope highlighted the Church’s great need for theologians’ reflections «on the mystery of God in Jesus Christ and of His Church. Without healthy and vigorous theological activity the Church risks failing to give full expression to the harmony between faith and reason».

3. desember: Den hellige Frans Xaver (1506-1552)

Katolsk, Liturgi /

I dag feirer Kirken (det noen mener er) den største misjonæren etter apostelen Paulus, den hellige Frans Xaver (el. Xavier, Xaverius). Jeg kjenner svært godt til ham, etter mine mange år hos Fransickus Xaverius-søstrene i Bergen. Slik leste jeg i dag i matutins 3. lesning:

Francis was born of noble family at Xavier in the diocese of Pamplona. In Paris, he joined the companions and disciples of St. Ignatius, and in a short time became a shining example of austerity of life and untiring contemplation of divine things. Paul III made him apostolic nuncio to India, and he traveled about through countless provinces, always on foot and often barefoot. He brought the faith to Japan and six other regions. In India he converted many hundreds of thousands to Christianity, cleansing many princes and kings in the holy waters of baptism. His humility was so great that, when he wrote to St. Ignatius, his general, he always did so on his knees. By many and wonderful miracles, the Lord confirmed his zealous work in spreading the Gospel. Finally, on the Chinese island of Sancian, he died on the 2nd of December, rich in merits and worn out with his labors. Gregory XV enrolled him among the Saints, and Pius X, appointed him the heavenly patron of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith and of its work.

Katolsk.no har en grundig artikkel om ham.

JULETRE PÅ PLASS!

Generelt /

Vi er jo (nesten) amerikanere, og da må juletreet på plass tidlige – helst rett etter Thanksgiving (som er siste torsdag i november), mens vi ikke satte det opp før tirsdag 30. november. I år har vi et tre ute på balkongen.

Jeg ser at ukene from mot jul er ganske travle i år, spesielt (eller egentlig bare) helgene. I morgen (lørdag) har jeg messe og dåp i kirken om formiddagen, deretter skal jeg ned til Mariaholme til skrifte og messe på en menighetsweekend. Søndag har jeg tre messer på tre ulike steder; Mariaholm, Nesodden og Holmlia. Neste helg er like travel; lørdag to messer, fire timer konfirmantundervisning, to dåp. Søndagen tre messer er på norsk, engelsk og latin. Om to uker er det på nytt to messer, konfirmanter og to dåpsgudstjenester om lørdagen, men så bare to messer om søndagen. Julehelga har jeg messe 13.30 og 23.15 julaften og messer kl 09.30, 16.00 og 19.00 juledag. Men ukedagene er noenlunde rolige, så jeg får tatt meg inn – og så skal vi på to ukers ferie 27/12.

Pave Benedikt kjørte bil uten bilbelte

Katolsk, Paven /

Men han slipper straff, kan vi lese bl.a. i Dagen:

En lovlydig anonym tysker fra Dortmund syntes det var helt for galt at Den Hellige Far skulle putre rundt i sin spesialbygde pavebil uten å bruke bilbeltet.

Gjennom sin advokat Christian Sundermann, forteller anklageren at han ved flere anledninger av pavens besøk i Tyskland i september, observerte at Hans Hellighet ikke brukte bilbelte. Den ydmyke Benedikt ble anmeldt for overtredelse av trafikkloven. Dette kunne koste lederen av den katolske kirke oppiomot 2.000 euro, melder Badische Zeitung.

Men jordiske rettsinstanser kom Peters etterfølger til unnsetning. Det vil ikke bli innkrevd noen bot, sier talskvinne for Freiburg by, Edith Lamersdorf til avisen.

Et annet sted leser jeg at både saksøker og hans advokat er utmeldt av Den katolske Kirke.

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