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over at Gregorian Rant about readings on Pentecost:

This past Sunday the Bible readings in my parish were done in about a dozen different languages, in an effort to underscore the idea that the apostles were given the gift of ‘speaking in tongues’ by the Holy Spirit. The only real problem is that they apparently forgot to announce before the mass that they would be doing that, so quite a few parishoners were left wondering what the heck was going on, including myself.

I, of course, attended the same Mass my brother did this past weekend. I heard part of the reading from Acts in Russian, German and French. While this was great for the Russians, Germans and French folk in the congregation, the Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cretans and Arabians couldn’t understand a word of it.

Karl writes:
It is a custom in Eastern churches to sing the gospel in multiple languages. I did it in German one year. Lots of fun. By this we commemorate the reversal of the confusion of tongues at Babel. Of course, that doesn’t mean it is a custom in the latin rite. But I thought you should know it is not necessarily screwy.

Here’s my contribution to someone else’s Blog today. You’ll understand when you go there if you haven’t been already.
“Onealism Has Left The Building”
“Onealism is a Journey, Not a Destination”
“Onealism Tastes Great With an ’88 Barolo”
“Heterodoxy is someone else’s Doxy: Onealism is my Doxy.”
“Hello, My Name is Onealism”
“What This Stew Needs Is A Bit More Onealism”
“Look Both Ways Before Crossing Onealism”
“Holy Onealism, Batman”
“Tune Your Clock Radio to Onealism”
“Today: Heavy Rain With A Slight Chance of Onealism”

I would love to hear from people who experience the trotting out everyone who knows a language besides English to read part of the first reading on Pentecost. I heard it twice at my parish because I went to both the Vigil and morning Mass with my choir. Driving away from church, I asked my wife, “Honey, do you think I’m stupid? Does someone need to draw me a picture of what happened on X day of salvation history? Do they need to light a bush on fire when Moses runs into God? Do I need to see Zacheus fall out of tree? I understand the concept of the miracle of the Apostles speaking in other languages.”
She laughed and said, “You’re not *that* stupid.”

over at Emily Stimpson’s place. I couldn’t have said it better if I tried.

I will add that we should choose our words carefully describing the present crisis and its solution. I hate to see it called “The Situation” or “The Scandal.” It is more than each of those. It is a whole mess of situations and scandals that add up to a crisis for the Church. If I had my way we would call it “the Crisis.” The answer is not reformation, it is restoration. Transformation should occur on the part of individuals by the working of the Holy Spirit – perpetrators, victims and innocents alike. God willing it will occur and those who have damaged or who have been damaged by the Crisis will come back to the fold. Hope and pray. Trust in the mercy of God!