“When liturgical life is a bit of a banner of division, there is the odor of the devil, the deceiver,” the pope said on May 7.
Liturgy
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Angry at the church? Mass may be the only place to heal.
The great Catholic irony is that the Mass—that ripe cadenced insane activity at the heart of the church—is weirdly, bizarrely, the right and fitting place to bring our concerns about the Mass itself.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
John L’Heureux: Prolific novelist, former Jesuit and author of an alternative Eucharistic prayer
John L’Heureux was rightly praised for his novels, short stories, poetry and memoir. But how many other writers do you know also once wrote an experimental eucharistic prayer?
Posted inArts & Culture, Vantage Point
From 1967: New Canons for the Mass
Those of us who have championed the vernacular cause over the years were never so naive (and we said so in print) as to believe that translation would put an end to all problems. In fact, it creates new ones.
Posted inFaith, Short Take
Don’t get the appeal of the Latin Mass? Look to an Indigenous sun dance
The revitalization of ceremonial life in Indigenous communities and the resurgence of the Latin Mass both reflect a desire to return to a more holistic way of knowing, characteristic of our ancestors.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Want to feel closer to God at Mass? Sit in the front pew.
The practice of sitting in the front pew has helped to focus my own wandering mind.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
The Easter Vigil is the longest liturgy of the year. And it’s so, so worth your time.
The Easter Vigil is a Mass that bears only a basic resemblance to typical Catholic weekend worship, but in breaking from that form it brings home the power of the Resurrection anew.
Posted inFaith, Vantage Point
The real reason most liturgical music is terrible
Want better music at Mass? Leave it to the professionals (and pay them).
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
What makes a parish successful? Hint: It is not a particular liturgical style
What is it that draws so many people to a church’s pews week after week?
Posted inFaith, Vantage Point
‘Let’s get rid of Lent?’ Not so fast.
From 1982: “When unemployment and nuclear weapons sound the notes of despair and dread in our land, many Catholics too may find the sober lessons of Lent more instructive than ever this year.”