Fides publica
April 6 | Meaning Good Friday
A sermon on Good Friday that is arresting and disturbing. The harshness of the cross – its ‘true’ meaning – does not have to be impossible to grasp.
Jan. 24 | Message in a song lyric
Recently, I opened an itunes account (yes, I know, I’m late upon the scene … I’ve been busy for a few years) and searched around for some music that was totally different from what I’m used to.
Well, I came across a band that most people under 40 at least know well if not revere outright: Coldplay. Their music has been compared with that of U2. Fair enough… not so different from what I like.
What also interested me, apart from some very catchy melodies (especially the hauntingly restrained Clocks and the newer Every Teardrop is a Waterfall) are the vaguely spiritual and (not so vaguely) Christian references in the lyrics. The most plausible candidate for analysis here is the song (don’t laugh at the title… I did) Viva la Vida . Warning by the way: the links here take you to Youtube, where the ads are sometimes less than tasteful and so inappropriate for all of us and definitely inappropriate for younger eyes and ears.
Dec. 23 | Happy Christmas
Here is a piece I have in today’s Montreal Gazette. Happy Christmas!
Dec. 8 | St. Ambrose
I completely missed yesterday’s marking of the feast of Saint Ambrose, one of the most important saints in the western church. But, I’m glad to report and link to an article which shows that others did not forget. Saint Ambrose, as you may know, baptized Augustine and was key to Augustine’s conversion to the Christian faith. He was bishop of Milan (elected to that post) from 374 – 397 and is regarded as one of the most important Fathers of the Church.
Two things about the linked article above – note that it appears in a Catholic newspaper, the UK’s Catholic Herald. Catholic media are an ongoing source of vital information and reflection for the church at a time when other media sources, most of which are tone deaf to Christianity, can easily marginalize Catholic thought and opinion without even trying very hard.
The other thing: the Herald writer notes is Ambrose’s love for silent reading. I’m thinking: Christamas holiday activity, if I’m lucky…
Nov. 22 | The Mass in poetic English
Ever marked papers? I do. Lots of teachers and professors do. And one of the most dreary aspects of marking papers is the use of poor English. What a difference it makes however when a paper is written with that bit of sparkle, panache and nuance. How much more alive and richer the events or concepts seem when adorned with beautiful language.
So, in the spirit of celebrating the beauty of language – a gift from God after all – get ready for Advent I, Sunday Nov. 27 at an English language parish near you.
If you’re still a bit uneasy about the coming changes, sit back and let Fr. Robert Barron guide you through some of them.
Nov. 25 Update: This essay by Anthony Esolen of Providence College describes and elaborates on some more examples of the imminent changes
Oct. 6 | Sound Soul & body
With all the talk lately of marathons, including the Montreal marathon last week, I am drawn to ask why people do this. To me, running around city streets pounding it out, is more like punishment than exercise. I tend to be cynical when it comes to fitness crazes of one sort or another, and so I prefer the odd game of tennis. Partly it’s my own denial of how much fitter I could be! Mea culpa. But it’s also a matter of getting perspective on what’s important. Archbishop of Seattle, Peter Sartain, takes up this theme and much more in a recent Washington DC homily, which you can read here.
Sept. 2 | Who Goes to Church?
It’s September again, and although the weather is still warm, the signs of impending fresh air and fresh starts are all around us. I’ve always tended to think of this time of year as a better time to put New Year’s resolutions into place – the academic new year, since I’m in education after all. 
One sign of fresh starts are the many new families who start coming to church, sometimes after the summer away, sometimes after much longer. Catechism and sacraments are often the spur to new Mass habits, and this fall promises to be no different. Read the rest of this entry »
Aug. 22 | Forgive us our (trillion dollar) debts
“Einstein’s E=MC2 is an extraordinary concept. So radical: matter and energy are two phases of the same sort of general stuff. There’s only one other idea that radical: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Kurt Vonnegut, in Will the Circle Be Unbroken? by Studs Terkel
Credit: Gliko (flickr)
I’ve sometimes wondered why we petition the Lord to ‘forgive us our debts’ instead of sins. In fact, it’s Matthew’s gospel that incorporates the forgiveness of debts in contrast with Luke’s forgiveness of sins. I tend to think of debts as specific things in contrast to sins being a general kind of thing. In fact, given the local Jewish roots of Matthew’s text (in contrast to Luke’s text which is geared for a gentile audience), debts have the meaning of all those things, monetary or otherwise, that we owe others. So, our debts are more pervasive than our sins.
Evangelicals who Become Catholics
Here in Montreal, we are familiar with the stories of the many Catholics who decide, for various reasons, to become members of an evangelical church. There seem to be many evangelical churches springing up in many Montreal neighborhoods. And, yes, it is probably true, as I have heard, a number of people do tend to attend these churches in succession, joining one and then decamping for the next in due course. Never mind – the truth is that Catholic parishes are still not doing nearly enough to attract and retain the fidelity of Catholic families in our midst, who just seem to drift…slowly…away.
Remembering Martyrs c/o of a Judge
The word ‘martyr’ conjures up much less noble and holy sentiments these days, especially since 9/11, the hijacking of both the planes and the concept of martyrdom itself on that terrible day. What often gets lost in the cultural exposure to a once revered idea is the very idea itself, the authenticity and truthfulness of its meaning.