In stark contrast [to the "Internet of Things"], the liturgy remains a firmly embodied experience. Worship engages all the senses of our body. The liturgy employes symbols of the body and of things to invite us more deeply into the divine mystery. There is no Church, no Eucharist, without the Body of Christ - a… Continue reading The Liturgy Is Fully Embodied
Month: January 2019
Homilies: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
My homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) as preached at the 5.30pm Saturday evening Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21. "Ten words were all that Jesus spoke after reading in the Nazareth Synagogue. There was no need to say… Continue reading Homilies: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Review: The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett My rating: 4 of 5 stars This wasn't my first audio book, but it was my first long novel consumed as an audio book. That is still something I am getting used to, but I have to say that listening to this wonderful story unfold through the… Continue reading Review: The Pillars of the Earth
Review: The Silver Pigs
The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis My rating: 3 of 5 stars The modern 'gumshoe detective' genre meets ancient Rome, and the result is an engaging tale that captures the imagination of the reader and draws them into the lives of the characters.I was originally drawn to read it because of the novel's setting in… Continue reading Review: The Silver Pigs
Homilies: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
My homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) as preached during the 9.30am Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11. "The Holy Spirit is given to all who are able to proclaim Jesus as God and Saviour, and then manifests in many different… Continue reading Homilies: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Baba Yetu
I've heard/seen a few versions of this particular piece of music as I've 'surfed' through YouTube. This version, conducted by the composer himself, is one of the best. The words, so I'm told, are the words of the Lord's Prayer in Swahili, which Christopher Tin has set to a masterful arrangement. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noneMROp_E8
From Liturgy to Action in the World
Sacrosanctum Concilium's call for revisions in liturgical rites and texts made it easier for the Church to recognize and engage the public nature of liturgy. It also empowered the worshipping faithful to take part in efforts to reform social, economic, cultural, and political systems of society. The latter emphasis is what Gaudium et spes brought to our understanding… Continue reading From Liturgy to Action in the World
The Liturgy in the Life of the Church
Whether the Council Fathers could foresee the impact of the reform of the liturgy on the life of the Church is impossible to know for certain. The liturgy is "the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fount from which all the Church's power flows"… Continue reading The Liturgy in the Life of the Church
The Reception of Vatican II
Fifty years after the event of Vatican II, we find ourselves in that crucial moment of passage between the short run and the long run: the "clash of narratives" about Vatican II encounters here the perennial law of the reception of the Councils of the Church. Giuseppe Alberigo, recalling the worrisome memorandum sent between 1600… Continue reading The Reception of Vatican II
Homilies: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Year C
My homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Year C) as preached at the 5pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22. "His baptism marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, and inauguration of the messianic age that is… Continue reading Homilies: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Year C
Review: Memento Mori
Memento Mori: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another wonderful narrative set in Roman Brittania featuring our eponymous hero Gaius Petreius Ruso, a former medical officer with Rome's Twentieth Legion, part-time farmer, and semi-professional sleuth. More murder and intrigue follow in the wake of Ruso… Continue reading Review: Memento Mori
Papal Prayer Intention for January 2019
Each month a prayer intention is released, either for a universal need or for a specific evangelism need, through which Catholics are asked to join in praying with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The intention for January 2019 is: That young people, especially in Latin America, follow the example of Mary and respond to the… Continue reading Papal Prayer Intention for January 2019
A Church Within the Church
Another insightful commentary from Massimo Faggioli looking at the state of the Church, this time looking at the phenomenon of integralism as it was once understood and as it is now understood. Any one interested in the ongoing internal debates of the Church should give this one a read. Today, during Pope Francis’s pontificate, we… Continue reading A Church Within the Church
What Child Is This Child of the Poor
I hope you enjoy the performance below, featuring a song that was sung during our Christmas celebrations in the Cathedral. It wasn't this particular version, which I quite like, but the combination of these two songs says much about what it is that we celebrate at Christmas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IetPAANnhzQ
Homilies: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Year C
My homily for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Year C) as preached at the 5pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12. "The Magi, whoever they were, came to encounter Jesus Christ through following the signs that guided them. Are we able to… Continue reading Homilies: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Year C
