When asked by host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., why he chose the message of “Welcome Home” and not to preach “in a heavier way,” to emphasize the penitential nature of the season, Cardinal Arthur Roche replies: “Well, because I think, really, that’s what Lent is all about.
Liturgy
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
How ringing bells as an altar boy made the miracle of Mass feel real for me
Even today, if bells are not rung at the consecration, my memory fills in the space of silence.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Illicit Latin Mass held in U.S. Capitol protesting FBI’s alleged ‘anti-Catholic’ bias
The Latin Mass organizers said they wanted to show that, rather than threats to national security, they are instead “liturgy nerds” who are often apolitical.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Voice, posture, emphasis: What priests could learn from theater actors about saying Mass
The way a presider celebrates Mass can illuminate the congregation’s experience of liturgy.
Posted inFaith, Podcasts
Preaching about joy starts with paying attention to life’s difficulties
This week on “Preach,” the script is flipped: Ricardo da Silva, S.J., the regular host, becomes a guest preacher, and Maggi Van Dorn, a usual producer, takes the mic as the host. Ricardo invites listeners to identify where they have experienced joy, even as he admits that we live in a world where joy is hard to come by.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Hands or tongue, kneeling or standing: There’s no ‘best way’ to receive Communion.
How we partake in the mystery of Christ—kneeling, receiving the host in our hands, or on our tongue—is secondary to the experience of humility and honor in receiving the Eucharist.
Posted inFaith, Your Take
Should the church expect donations with Mass requests?
In an essay published on America’s website in September, John F. Baldovin, S.J., examined the theological soundness of making a monetary offering for the sake of “having a Mass said” for an individual.
Posted inFaith, Short Take
Many Catholics experience trauma. Our homilies should reflect that.
Catholic preachers should learn from social work and give trauma-informed homilies.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Being an altar girl taught me: The church is for everyone.
Serving on the altar has formed my experience as a woman in the church.
Posted inFaith, News Analysis
Gen-X church attendance dropped dramatically after Covid. What happened?
I asked my fellow Gen-Xers on staff to reflect on this trend, and what may be contributing to it.