The cross is the surest, truest and deepest window on the very heart and character of the living and loving God; the more we learn about the cross in all its historical and theological dimensions, the more we discover about the One in whose image we are made and hence about our own vocation to… Continue reading A Sure And True Window
Month: April 2017
The Necessity of the Quest
The most basic reason for grappling with the historical question of Jesus is that we are made for God: for God's glory, to worship God and reflect his likeness. That is our heart's deepest desire, the source of our deepest vocation. But Christianity has always said, with John 1:18, that nobody has ever seen God… Continue reading The Necessity of the Quest
Lest We Forget
Almighty everlasting God, who sent your Son to die that we might live, grant, we pray, eternal rest to those who gave themselves in service and sacrifice for their country. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and… Continue reading Lest We Forget
Review: Deconstructing Sacramental Theology and Reconstructing Catholic Ritual
Deconstructing Sacramental Theology and Reconstructing Catholic Ritual by Joseph Martos My rating: 3 of 5 stars A challenging and at times unconvincing argument is put forward by Martos. His deconstruction of sacramental theology, at least from the perspective of scholastic sacramental theology, is compelling and worthwhile, yet his attempt to 'reconstruct' something from Catholic sacramental… Continue reading Review: Deconstructing Sacramental Theology and Reconstructing Catholic Ritual
Eucharistic Dangers
Speaking of changes in the Eucharistic celebrations that occurred during the High Middle Ages, Martos believes: "The mass itself, a ritual shadow of the great liturgies of earlier centuries, was opaque to most people, for they did not understand Latin and, even if they did, they could not have heard the priest standing at the… Continue reading Eucharistic Dangers
Review: The Church Made Anew: Iuvenescit Ecclesia
The Church Made Anew: Iuvenescit Ecclesia by Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith My rating: 3 of 5 stars An interesting yet dry theological treatise from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith essentially dealing with the inherent relationship between the Church and the 'new ecclesial movements' that have sprung up in the… Continue reading Review: The Church Made Anew: Iuvenescit Ecclesia
Review: Seeking the Face of God: Vultum Dei Quaerere
Seeking the Face of God: Vultum Dei Quaerere by Pope Francis My rating: 4 of 5 stars Although specifically addressed to communities of contemplative women within the Church, this Apostolic Constitution of Pope Francis makes for interesting reading for all members of the Church who take seriously the vocation stemming from their baptism. At the… Continue reading Review: Seeking the Face of God: Vultum Dei Quaerere
The Power of Forgiveness
... being forgiven is a spiritual reality and a mystery. When someone tells us they forgive us for something we have done, we can accept the announcement dispassionately, or with relief, or gladly, or with a number of other emotions. If the person is someone we love or respect or look up to, being told that we… Continue reading The Power of Forgiveness
A Quest For Integrity?
The pontificate of Pope John Paul II, however, brought with it a renewed emphasis on traditional European Catholicism, and with it a reluctance to relinquish the certainties of faith, primarily those doctrines that were formulated in scholastic terminology. The revision of the Code of Canon Law, already begun in the 1970s, was amended to include… Continue reading A Quest For Integrity?
Review: Heartstone
Heartstone by C.J. Sansom My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another engaging story from the pen of C.J. Sansom featuring his lawyerly protagonist Matthew Shardlake. As usual, there are mysteries galore to be faced by Shardlake and his companion/clerk Barak, historical and present in this particular book, that draw them both into intrigues of state… Continue reading Review: Heartstone
Review: Holy People
Holy People by Gordon W. Lathrop My rating: 3 of 5 stars This books follows and builds on the previous work of Lathrop entitled Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology which I previously read and reviewed here. At the heart of this book, which is subtitled "A Liturgical Ecclesiology", is the thesis that the Christian assembly… Continue reading Review: Holy People
Review: Can God Come Out To Play?: Liturgy Ceremony Ritual
Can God Come Out To Play?: Liturgy Ceremony Ritual by Sally Armour Wotton My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book was a little disappointing, not being what I expected and delving off into areas of thought that were not always helpful. The focus on liturgy was predominantly on 'created' liturgies that did not always… Continue reading Review: Can God Come Out To Play?: Liturgy Ceremony Ritual
The Church-In-A-Place
Our very tendency to accentuate denominational unity and to fail to see all the various assemblies that make up the church-in-a-place distracts us from the major task of attending to the central matters of liturgical assembly in ways that are in accord with the dignity and gifts of each locality. This tendency can be further… Continue reading The Church-In-A-Place
The Church Is An Assembly
The church is an assembly. The church is a gathering of people in a particular place who are, together, through concrete means, participating in the mystery of Christ and so are being formed into the holy assembly. The church is not a collection of consuming individuals, choosing religious goods according to their own self-perceived needs… Continue reading The Church Is An Assembly
