The Disciples at the Lord's Table: Prayers Over Bread and Cup across 150 Years of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Worship by Gerard Moore My rating: 3 of 5 stars Exploring the eucharistic practice of one's own church is a wonderful undertaking; exploring that of another Christian denomination can be very informative not only about… Continue reading Review: The Disciples at the Lord’s Table: Prayers Over Bread and Cup…
Month: June 2016
Review: Exploring Catholic Theology: Essays on God, Liturgy, and Evangelization
Exploring Catholic Theology: Essays on God, Liturgy, and Evangelization by Robert E. Barron My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is not a book for the feint hearted, but for those who persevere with it the rewards will be great! Robert Barron has become a well-known Catholic apologist in recent years through the Word on… Continue reading Review: Exploring Catholic Theology: Essays on God, Liturgy, and Evangelization
Review: Last Orders
Last Orders by Harry Turtledove My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the sixth and last book written by Harry Turtledove in a series that is based on an alternative timeline for events surrounding the Second World War. There were a number of 'surprises' contained in Turtledove's alternate version, and each was explored… Continue reading Review: Last Orders
Review: Two Fronts
Two Fronts by Harry Turtledove My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Review: Earth Unites With Heaven: An Introduction to the Liturgical Year
Earth Unites With Heaven: An Introduction to the Liturgical Year by Gerard Moore My rating: 4 of 5 stars A very well written and easily accessible book that explains the origins of the liturgical year, season by season, for those who might want to begin to understand this seemingly complicated aspect of Church life. Drawing… Continue reading Review: Earth Unites With Heaven: An Introduction to the Liturgical Year
Linking Liturgy and Devotion
Even in action is there interplay between liturgy and devotion. The liturgy is first and foremost an act of the church. It comprises the official rites and understandings of a ritual or feast, is enshrined in the liturgical books and calendars, and seeks to guide and mould the worship and spirituality of the faithful. The liturgical… Continue reading Linking Liturgy and Devotion
Review: Mystagogy of the Eucharist: A Pastoral Resource on the Language of Liturgy
Mystagogy of the Eucharist: A Pastoral Resource on the Language of Liturgy by Gilbert Ostdiek My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a marvelous, ready-made resource for encouraging reflection on what the Church does when it is gathered together to celebrate Eucharist. Gilbert Ostdiek brings his not inconsiderable knowledge, expertise, and clear passion to… Continue reading Review: Mystagogy of the Eucharist: A Pastoral Resource on the Language of Liturgy
Conversation Between the Divine and the Human
[The Liturgy of the Word] consists of proclaiming, listening to, and responding to the word of God. That is the core of the Liturgy of the Word. It is an extended experience of address and response, of call and response. This dynamic is part and parcel of all human life and interaction with others. The… Continue reading Conversation Between the Divine and the Human
To Be Church
The Latin name for the church (ecclesia) is actually a transliteration of a Greek word that means those duly summoned for an assembly, a public convocation. Thus to gather together is to "be church." The church building is simply the meeting place for the church, the house of the church. The one who summons us… Continue reading To Be Church
Review: Coup d’Etat
Coup d'Etat by Harry Turtledove My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Review: Becoming the Sign: Sacramental Living in a Post-Conciliar Church
Becoming the Sign: Sacramental Living in a Post-Conciliar Church by Kathleen Hughes My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book represents the printed version of the 2012 Madeleva Lecture in Spirituality, organised by St Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, delivered by the author. The lecture/book is an engaging visitation of the power of the reformed… Continue reading Review: Becoming the Sign: Sacramental Living in a Post-Conciliar Church
Let’s Celebrate!
A sacrament is a celebration. The word "celebration" is rooted in the Latin word celebrare, which does not include balloons and hoopla, an early misunderstanding that led to resistance in speaking of "the celebration of a funeral" or "the celebration of anointing." Celebrare is a word that refers to repeated actions or ritual patterns. To celebrate means to bring… Continue reading Let’s Celebrate!
Hijacking the Reform
In light of the virtually unanimous support for the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy in 1963, those naysayers today who are trying to promote a "reform of the reform" of worship need to explain how they think the council was hijacked by a rump group of wild-eyed radicals. It appears far more likely that the… Continue reading Hijacking the Reform
Review: Amoris Laetitia: Apostolic Exhortation on the Family
Amoris Laetitia: Apostolic Exhortation on the Family by Pope Francis My rating: 4 of 5 stars If one was to believe the commentary on this Apostolic Exhortation it only dealt with a few issues - and then dealt with them in a negative manner (at least from the perspective of the same commentators). On the… Continue reading Review: Amoris Laetitia: Apostolic Exhortation on the Family
The Logic of Pastoral Mercy
...I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a Church attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness, a Mother who, while clearly expressing her objective teaching, "always does what good she can, even if in the process, her shoes get soiled by the mud of the stree". Pope Francis, Amoris… Continue reading The Logic of Pastoral Mercy
