SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California won its first anti-spam judgment on Friday when a court fined a marketing firm $2 million for sending out millions of unsolicited e-mails telling people how to spam, the state's attorney general said. The rest here.
John Schultz: October 2003 Archives
So, I opened the Arlington Catholic Herald last night and saw this letter to the Editor:
Mass ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don’ts’
I hope that the way in which the canonization Mass for the three missionary priests (ACH 10/06/03) was celebrated by the pope in Rome on Oct. 5th, 2003 sends "loosen up" signals to those who, citing the new GIRM, are trying to lock the celebration of the Mass into a series of strict "do’s" and "don’ts". At that canonization Mass (according to CNS) "Catholics...held three-tiered yellow umbrellas over the Book of the Gospels, while women and men ... stood alongside holding flowers or pots of incense. Sixteen dancers ... accompanied the offertory procession. During the consecration, dancers ... performed the ‘Atari rite’ standing before the altar making slow circles in the air with platters of flowers and incense sticks." While some bishops, priests and laity may shudder at those activities as unnecessary, irreverent, or not allowed by the GIRM, I believe they were beautiful expressions of the People of God celebrating our newest saints.
And I thought... oh brother. Haven't we had enough "loosening up" sessions?
The fact is, in liturgies at the Vatican there's been liturgical dance performed when the celebration of the Mass has involved canonizations of Saints from countries in which dance is sacred and an acceptable part of the liturgy. And yes, they can be beautiful, authentic expressions of worship. But that doesn't mean what is sacred in one culture and sacred in another.
It's just intellectually dishonest to take the actions from that liturgy out of context and tell everyone else to "loosen up" about how we would do our liturgies. The West is the land of dancing being an integral part of music videos, free love, abandonment of moral restraint, lasciviousness, etc. Do I need to go on?
The GIRM exists to have a consistent framework of prayer and worship, in large part to make sure that our liturgies are prayerful and consist of authentic worship - not just some cultural ejaculation of what seems fun and exciting on any given day. Whenever I hear someone say we need to "loosen up" it's always followed by some crazy idea about a way to make the liturgy more "relevant."
People are dying for consistent, authentic Catholic liturgies instead of being bludgeoned with the latest misguided fad or irrelevant cultural act that just doesn't fit in the West. That's what the "Do's and Don'ts" are all about.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Lawmakers sent Gov. Jeb Bush a bill Tuesday that will give him the power to order a feeding tube reinserted into a brain-damaged woman who is at the center of one of the nation's longest and most bitter right-to-die battles. From the AP.
My question is: when will this be called a "right-to-live" battle?
Half of U.S. Catholics say Pope should go
Let me say for the record this poll and article is TOTAL CRAP.
"The poll of 227 U.S. Catholics was taken between Friday and Sunday. Fifty percent say John Paul should resign for health reasons, and 49 percent call for him to remain in office until he dies. In a similar survey in spring 2002, 36 percent said the pope should step down."
227? That's half my graduating class from Mount Vernon High School. There's probably 227 baggage screeners working at Dulles Airport today. Perhaps they called 227 Catholics that darken the doorway of a parish on Christmas and Easter.
How can this even appear in the news? Here's the full USA Today story. Bleah.
...about the quandry the Anglican's are in over actively and openly gay ministers, bishops and gay marriages.
From the Washington Times:
Anglicans Seek Consensus on Gay Policy
How do you get consensus on such an issue?
Today is the day she will have the starvation process imposed on her if there's no further legal intervention.
From a source that would prefer to remain anonymous.
Advent
A time to implement various, innovative ways of including dogs, cats, gerbils, small children and dancing nuns in the lighting of a wreath with four candles.
Ash Wednesday
A very special day since the congregation gets to sing "Ashes."
Cantor
The liturgical cheerleader that by the juxtaposition of their charisma, talent and poise can render any congregation mute.
Choir
A group containing at least 3 guitars, a flute and a person holding a plastic, half-moon shaped tambourine. Does not need to include actual singers.
David Haas
The Thomas Tallis of the post-Vatican II era.
Easter Vigil
Four hours of "full and active participation" containing lots of Haugen, Haas and liturgical dancing.
Funeral
A celebration of the 5 songs we do over and over again in order to make the event a truly joyous occasion.
Gregorian Chant
Who let Greg in here?!? Call security!
Guitar, Tambourine, Flute
The organ of the post-Vatican II era.
Holy Thursday
The one time of year to wash womens' feet during Mass.
Hymn
A homonym for a word that cannot be used to describe the nature of or refer to the Supreme Diety.
Inculturation
The act of the congregation of a large suburban parish singing songs that originate from Subsahara Africa, the Caribbean or the Far East. Inculturation is particularly effective where there is no one from the place of origin of the song present. See Self-congratulation.
Improperia
Latin for the Good Friday Reproaches, to be replaced with the "Good Friday Affirmations" by Marty Haugen.
Kyrie Eleison
Isn't this latin? Get it out of here now.
Latin
Not the vernacular and therefore to be despised as both useless and discriminatory toward non-Latin congregants.
Lent
The period starting with "Ashes" and ending with the washing of Women's feet.
Liturgical Dance
The proper function of nuns over 50 who took one semester of Modern Dance at a local community college. To be effective, it must contain the element of surprise, that is - when the liturgical dance begins, at least 73% of the congregation must stare dumbstruck at the spectacle. Seeking permission of the pastor or ordinary to engage in liturigcal dance is not recommended.
Marty Haugen
The Palestrina of the post-Vatican II era.
Microphone
An amplification device that works best if placed between the cantor's tonsils.
Organ
Something to donate when you die.
Palestrina, di Lasso, Tallis, de Victoria, Gabrielli
All dead.
Participation
Measured in decibels with a direct correlation to the amount of self-congratulation that occurs following the Mass. Also something to harp on over and over until the congregation gets it right or the pastor removes the acoustical tile meant to deaden the sound in the church.
Ratzinger, Josef Cardinal
Evil man and enemy. Dares to write about liturgy even though he didn't get a Masters at Notre Dame.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
A communal celebration to acknowledge the faults of those who don't agree with us.
Sanctuary
A place generally around the altar that is meant for small children, dogs, gerbils, banners, flowers, signs and dancing nuns.
Self-Congratulation
A right and proper act that should be performed by the liturgist following the execution of liturgical dance or inculturation. Also occurs at liturgy conferences when colleagues are regaled with stories of what happened on Holy Thursday or the Easter Vigil.
This one is goes out to all your Red Sox fans:
In case you didn't know, the Red Sox have been denied a victory in the World Series ever since Harry Frazee, the owner of the Red Sox, sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in order to raise money for the musical production No, No, Nanette.
...were more like the Russian Orthodox, the bulldozers would be busy. From the Washington Times.
I have been a bit absent lately from posting because I recently started an MBA program. The program is part time and 21 months in duration. I'll need to see how I settle into the reading/study/team work schedule and then I'll get back to posting Catholic Light goodness. Please keep me in your prayers as I've been out of school for nearly 10 years and the closest thing I've got to regular reading is here and here.
