Rachel Campos-Duffy: "Have We Become Too Casual? Why I Dress My Kids Up for Church"

Rachel Campos Duffy writes about why she dresses her kids up to attend Mass:

... Dressing my kids for church is a nonverbal way of letting even our youngest child know that our church is an important place and that Mass is an important event. The dress shoes and pretty dresses, the bows and neatly parted hair sets Sunday Mass apart from soccer practice and all the other things they do in the week. Yes, it is an inconvenience with a family our size, and it doesn't always work out despite our best efforts. It's a constant struggle getting everyone out the door and loaded into the minivan on time...

The bottom line is that I go through the trouble out of respect for God and the other worshipers. Sometimes I'll hear people say, "God doesn't care what I wear." Or, "God only cares that I come." True enough. But faith and religion, in my view, is also about my response to God. God is not "lucky" that I showed up. I'm privileged to be invited. And the time and effort I put into bringing my family to His home freshly scrubbed, combed, and neatly dressed is part of my gift to Him. My God died on the cross for me. Dressing up to worship Him is the least I can do.

Jamie's First Holy Communion

More on Facebook

Out of the Mouths of Babes ...

A couple of things my 2nd-grade son shared with my wife, Sarah, tonight while doing his religion homework:

"I love going to Mass. It's good training for when I become a priest."

"When I'm a priest, I'm going to say all my Masses in Latin."

(The boy has never been to a Latin Mass in his life, but he loves Lent because that's when he gets to sing Agnus Dei - his "favorite song"; he wonders why we only do that during Lent. For that matter, so do I.)

Literaturgy

I am secure enough in my manhood to admit to being a fan of Jane Austen. And I proudly list Pride and Prejudice as one of my favorite novels, and the BBC/A&E version of Pride and Prejudice as one of my favorite movies.

So, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this spot-on piece of literary-liturgical allegory from St. Louis Catholic:

If today's faithful Catholic is represented by Elizabeth Bennet, bright, hopeful and coming of age, then the liturgical forms would have to be represented by Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.

Mr. Wickham is immediately accessible, loves to talk--especially about how bad ol' Darcy is-- has some initial minor flash but soon proves to be tedious and unreliable.

Mr. Darcy at first glance looks stuffy and condescending, but proves over time to be noble, true, of high quality and charitable.

The ordinary and the extraordinary.

(Hat tip: Creative Minority Report)


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
The "Elizabeth Bennett Conservatives"

Archbishop Burke at Red Mass: Invokes Thomas More; Decries Society that Masks "Totalitarianism" with "Hope"

From Catholic News Agency:

Phoenix, Ariz., Jan 13, 2010 / 12:11 am (CNA).- Using the example of St. Thomas More, Archbishop Raymond Burke exhorted legal professionals present at Tuesday's Red Mass in St. Mary’s Cathedral to keep God before their eyes as they strive to administer justice amidst a “society which is abandoning its Judeo-Christian foundations.”

Archbishop Burke flew in from the Vatican to celebrate the Mass at the invitation of his long-time friend, Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix. The Red Mass is the only event on the archbishop's short itinerary.

“As a Catholic lawyer, it is an incredible honor to be graced with the presence of Archbishop Burke at the Red Mass,” John Kelly, general counsel for the Diocese of Phoenix, told The Catholic Sun. “This is also a man who has publicly and unabashedly defended the teachings of the Church on the sanctity of life. An opportunity to celebrate Mass with someone like this does not come along very often.”

The archbishop began his homily by explaining the origins of the Red Mass, a tradition dating to the Middle Ages. Noting that there was a stronger understanding of the “essential unity” of faith and reason in that time period, he said that celebrating Mass “at the beginning of the new judicial year pointed to the irreplaceable foundation of the service of pronouncing the just and the right on behalf of one’s brothers and sisters.”

He also explained that red vestments are worn during the Mass for two reasons: judges in the Middle Ages wore red robes and because they remind “us of the perfect obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ” in obeying the call of the Holy Spirit to lay down our own lives.

Archbishop Burke then presented the story of St. Thomas More, a lawyer who was martyred for choosing to serve God instead of the king. The patron saint of lawyers, the archbishop reminded, is known for exclaiming, “I die the king’s good servant, and God’s first.” “Saint Thomas More understood that there could be no contradiction between his service of his nation and his service of God, and that, in fact, he could only serve his nation truly and faithfully by his true and faithful service of God,” Archbishop Burke declared.

[...]

In our culture, “the law more and more dares to force those with the sacred trust of caring for the health of their brothers and sisters to violate the most sacred tenets of their consciences, and to force individuals and institutions to cooperate in egregious violations of the natural moral law,” he said. “In such a society, the administration of justice is no longer a participation in the justice of God, an obedient response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, but a façade cloaking our own selfishness and refusal to give our lives for the sake of the good of all our brothers and sisters.”

“It is a society which is abandoning its Judeo-Christian foundations, the fundamental obedience to God’s law which safeguards the common good, and is embracing a totalitarianism which masks itself as the 'hope,' the 'future,' of our nation. Reason and faith teaches us that such a society can only produce violence and death and in the end destroy itself,” Archbishop Burke warned.

[More]

(emphasis added)

(Hat tip: Opinionated Catholic)

An Irish Catholic Heritage Blog ...

... focusing on the traditional liturgy:

St. Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association aims at safeguarding the rich liturgical heritage of the Catholic Church and promoting its use in the sacramental life of the Church in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. In effect, this means that we seek the full implementation of Summorum Pontificum throughout the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, wherever there is a genuine pastoral need.

This blog will keep you informed of the activities of St. Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association, and of progress made in implementing Summorum Pontificum, particularly throughout the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.

Posts will be made on the first weekend of the month.

Check it out. The most recent post regarding the latest issue of the Association's journal CHRISTVS REGNAT, is here.

Fr. McBrien Attacks Pope Over Liturgical Reforms [UPDATED]

(Hat tip: PewSitter.com)

Dissident priest and Notre Dame professor of theology, Fr. Richard McBrien, continues his campaign of waging war on the Church's traditional liturgical and devotional practices in a direct attack upon the Holy Father:

... Lest anyone question Benedict's personal preference in this matter, it should be pointed out that, beginning on the feast of Corpus Christi last year, those receiving Communion from the pope must do so only on the tongue. He has also expressed support for restoring the practice of the priest's celebrating Mass "facing the East," which means in plain English with his back to the people. [ED.: That's funny I was under the impression that the words "facing the East" were, themselves, "plain English". Does that, then, mean "facing the people" means in "plain English" with his back to God? Make no mistake that Fr. McBrien's purpose here is an appeal to a sort of emotional grievance populism that would be the envy of Huey Long and perhaps even Glenn Beck. Only it's worse ... he's resorting to a sort of populism that sets the people against God, with the grievance being that God is receiving more attention than they are.]

Given the possibility that such reversals (sometimes referred to as a "reform of the reform") will eventually be mandated, one can only imagine the confusion, frustration and anger that many priests and laypeople will experience. [ED.: I never cease to be amazed by the chutzpah and blatant hypocrisy of those, like Fr. McBrien, who continue to make this astoundingly ironic argument. No one seemed to care too much about the "confusion, frustration and anger" experienced 40 years ago by those who were forced to endure far greater cataclysmic change in the years following the 2nd Vatican Council. And we're supposed to worry that such minor shifts as Communion on the tongue and Mass said ad orientem are going to suddenly turn the Catholic world upside down? Please.]

Today, if individual Catholics choose to receive the sacrament on the tongue, they are free to do so. Eucharistic ministers -- priests and laypeople alike -- respect their wishes. The great majority, however, prefer to receive Communion in the hand and continue to do so. [ED.: The great majority don't go to Confession, either. Oh. That's right. Fr. McBrien thinks that's a good thing, too.]

But this proposal, if enacted, would actually prevent Catholics from making that choice for themselves. They would be denied the option, approved by Paul, that has been available to them for the past 40 years, namely, to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue.

The so-called "John Paul II priests" would very likely be happy with such a reversal of practice and would ostentatiously deny giving Communion to those with outstretched hands. However, many other priests, whether old enough to have been shaped by Vatican II or not, would ignore the mandate and continue to distribute Communion in the hand to those who requested it. [ED.: In case you haven't already figured it out, in this particular scenario, the faithful, devout, and obedient "so-called 'John Paul II priests' " are the bad guys and the defiant and disobedient priests who "would ignore the [Vatican] mandate and continue to [treat the Body of Christ disrespectfully]" are the good guys.]

What would happen as a result of this tug of war at Communion time? Would some bishops threaten priests with suspension? If so, how many priests would expose themselves to such a penalty? If the numbers were large, how would the church be able to compensate for the additional decline in the number of available priests? [ED.: Hyperbolize much? I doubt we would see such widespread rebellion against the Church's authority by priests. If the Bishops said do it this way, the vast majority of priests would comply, even those who would rather not.]

Mandating the celebration of Mass with the priest's back to the congregation [ED.: Too much ink has already been spilled on addressing the outright stupidness of this description. And Fr. McBrien is a disingenuous hack for continuing to spout such nonsense. Actually, he's a disingenuous hack for a lot of reasons, this being merely one among many.] might pose an even greater problem, except in churches built before the Second Vatican Council and still with main altars facing the rear wall. But such churches are probably in the minority today. The architectural problems would be exceeded only by the pastoral dislocations. [ED.: Pastoral dislocations? Again, hyperbolize much? This is, quite simply, a canard. There will be no widespread "pastoral dislocations" over such small (albeit significant) changes as Communion on the tongue and Mass ad orientem.]

May none of this come to pass. [ED.: May you soon come to see the error of your ways, stop rabble rousing for the pantsuit set, stop trying to remake the Church in your own image, and come to embrace the richness of the Church's traditional liturgy and devotions. Barring that, may you soon be defrocked, removed from your teaching position at Notre Dame, and be left on the outside looking in as the reform of the reform that you so abhor comes to pass right before your terror-stricken eyes.]

(emphasis and editorial commentary added)


UPDATE
Fr. Z does his patented fisk of Fr. McBrien here.

Deal Hudson on Archbishop Burke: "Charity, Civility, and Speaking the Truth"

Deal Hudson writes at Inside Catholic:

The funeral of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy provoked a highly charged debate among Catholics about civility. In the midst of this discussion, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, the prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, came to Washington, D.C., to be honored by InsideCatholic.com at its 14th Annual Partnership Dinner at the historic Mayflower Hotel.

Addressing more than 200 guests, Archbishop Burke said, "We must speak the truth in charity," but also, "We should have the courage to look truth in the eye and call things by their common names." The tension between these two admonitions is evident in his own heroic defense of the Church's teaching on the sanctity of human life and his personal humility.

***
Friday evening in Washington was no different. Throughout his 50-minute address, the archbishop returned again and again to the scandal of Catholic politicians who support abortion or same-sex marriage. He did not mince his words: "It is not possible to be a practicing Catholic and to conduct oneself in this manner."

"Neither Holy Communion nor funeral rites should be administered to such politicians," said Archbishop Burke. "To deny these is not a judgment of the soul, but a recognition of the scandal and its effects."

With obvious reference to the Kennedy funeral, he argued that when a politician is associated "with greatly sinful acts about fundamental questions like abortion and marriage, his repentance must also be public." He added, "Anyone who grasps the gravity of what he has done will understand the need to make it public."

It's not uncharitable to point out the scandal caused by these Catholic politicians. "The Church's unity is founded on speaking the truth in love. This does not destroy unity but helps to repair a breach in the life of the Church."

Archbishop Burke rejects all the standard arguments made by Catholic politicians and their apologists who support abortion and same-sex marriage. For example, the defense of the unborn and traditional marriage is not strictly a matter of religious faith. "The observance of the natural law is not a confessional practice -- it's inscribed in every human heart."

Archbishop Burke describes the latest tactic of pro-abortion Catholic politicians, who talk about finding common ground, as a form of "proportionalist moral reasoning." "Common ground is found rather on 'the ground of moral goodness,' and not in a compromise of certain moral truths, like the rejection of abortion and euthanasia."

He warned against allowing this kind of false reasoning to enter the health-care debate. A Catholic cannot accept the attainment of universal health care if it includes abortion and other evils "just because it achieves some desirable outcomes."

[More]

"Divisive", "Judgmental", "Uncharitable", and Otherwise "Sinful" Bishop Does "Irreparable Damage to Communion of the Church" ...

... via a "vicious attack launched on [his] blog":

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, September 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, retired Roman Catholic Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas has denounced the "scandal" of the Kennedy funeral. Writing on his blog, Bishop Gracida said, "There was so much wrong with the funeral liturgy celebrated in Boston last Saturday for Senator Edward Moore Kennedy that I hardly know where to begin."

He added: "Aside from the impropriety of such a grandiose celebration for one of the country's most notorious dissident Catholics, the 'celebration' was filled with liturgical errors and transgressions against the General Instruction of the Roman Missal which governs every celebration of the Church's liturgy."

Rather than going into specifics about the abuses himself, Bishop Gracida posted commentaries by lay and clerical pro-life leaders who identified the gravity of the scandal. "I am afraid that if I, a bishop, were to go into the details of the scandal it would only add to the scandal and so I will let the laity speak to it," he said.

Bishop Gracida reposted several commentaries from lay leaders in the pro-life movement in various posts. He, however, gave special attention to the commentary by Phil Lawler of Catholic World News. Said Bishop Gracida: "It is not unreasonable to suggest that the 'buck' for the scandal of the secular extravaganza which obscured the sacred liturgical nature of the Kennedy funeral should stop at the desk of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston. Again, since I do not want to directly criticize another bishop, I leave it to the laity to analyze the true nature of that celebration. I give the final word to a layman for whom I have a great deal of respect: Phillip Lawler."

To read Lawler's commentaries on the Kennedy funeral extravaganza in full click here.

See Bishop Gracida's blog here.

(emphasis added)

Damn.

By the way, in case you didn't already realize it, the title and lead-in language of this blog post contain heavy doses of sarcasm. In addition to the fact that Bishop Gracida is actually one of my heroes, he also happens to be exactly right.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
With All Due Respect ... [UPDATED]

With All Due Respect, Redux [UPDATED]

Boy, Did I EVER Get This Bishop Wrong!

With All Due Respect ... [UPDATED]

... to Cardinal O'Malley, for whom I have great admiration, Fr. Z, Red Cardigan, and Larry D. are correct: the Cardinal's explanation - which, among other things downplays the role and extent of Sen. Kennedy's rabid abortion advocacy in causing much of the political divisiveness that exists among Catholics (a divisiveness that His Eminence appears more eager to blame, instead, on those who are outspoken in opposition to abortion) - leaves much to be desired.

Yes, Sen. Kennedy was entitled to a Catholic burial Mass. And, given the prominence of the Kennedy family, I have a hard time arguing against the presence of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston at his funeral. So, I don't take issue with His Eminence on those matters. Still, the celebratory and overtly political aspect of the funeral was deeply troubling to many, and Cardinal O'Malley has done absolutely nothing to address that. In fact, I believe his explanation, by focusing on how "uncharitable" Sen. Kennedy's pro-life detractors are, makes things worse.

But perhaps the Cardinal's blaming the pro-life zealotry of Kennedy's detractors is understandable if one takes at face value this particular exercise in understatement from Cardinal O'Malley, which makes Sen. Kennedy's postion on abortion sound downright benign (emphasis and commentary are Fr. Z's):

Needless to say, the Senator’s wake and Catholic funeral were controversial because of the fact that he did not publically support Catholic teaching and advocacy on behalf of the unborn. [That is certainly one way to put it. Another way to put it is that he aggressively promoted laws expanding abortion.] ­­­Given the profound effect of Catholic social teaching on so many of the programs and policies espoused by Senator Kennedy and the millions who benefitted from them, there is a tragic sense of lost opportunity in his lack of support for the unborn. [There is also a tragic sense of lost life of the unborn.] To me and many Catholics it was a great disappointment because, had he placed the issue of life at the centerpiece of the Social Gospel where it belongs, he could have multiplied the immensely valuable work he accomplished.

(I like Red Cardigan's fisking of this passage even better, but in the interest of brevity, I went with Fr. Z's. But definitely check out Red Cardigan's.)

Commenting at Red Cardigan's blog, Sr. Lorraine responds to Cardinal O'Malley, and perfectly captures what I find most troubling about his explanation:

Sr. Lorraine said...

Dear Cardinal O’Malley,

I have been pondering Pope Benedict’s words in his new encyclical “Charity in Truth”:

“To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of charity.”

To speak the truth is an indispensable form of charity, especially when that truth is unpopular. Our society does not want to hear that the unborn child must not be killed.

Despite whatever good he did, Senator Kennedy spent the better part of his long political career actively working for legislation that would favor abortion. That is not a judgment; it is part of the public record. He even voted in favor of partial-birth abortion, a horrendous procedure in which the baby’s brains are sucked out.

He did immense damage to the pro-life movement. Is that of any consequence in the eyes of the bishops?

While we pray in charity for his soul, it is indeed a deep scandal for the Church to imply that his record on abortion is of no consequence. I realize you were in a difficult position, but I am deeply disappointed that the overall impression given by the funeral was that it doesn’t really matter if a Catholic politician ardently supports abortion.

Who is speaking up for the millions of innocents who have been slaughtered and continue to die every day?

While Ted Kennedy had a magnificent funeral, these innocent children are thrown into dumpsters. And no one weeps.

September 3, 2009 9:33 PM

I'm beginning to get the feeling that our own Bishops don't really, themselves, believe about abortion what they claim it to be.

Seriously, I'm really starting to wonder - if our Bishops are unwilling to do the heavy lifting of taking to task even those publicly prominent Catholics who are the most radical advocates for abortion, and if all that pro-lifers get for our efforts is a kick in the teeth from our own shepherds - why we even bother. Why should we take upon ourselves the derision and scorn that our fellow countrymen, that our fellow Catholics who are more "enlightened" and "thoughtful" than we, and that, quite often, many of our own Bishops heap upon us?

In the end, I suppose we bother because, while the Princes of the Church are busy rubbing elbows with and paying homage to Caesar, someone needs to weep for those innocent dead children in the dumpsters.

(Hat tip: Don McClarey at The American Catholic)


UPDATE (7 September)
Carl Olsen hits the nail on the head!

... Once again, it's interesting how easy it is to chastise pro-life Catholic bloggers for being "vicious" and "bullying" and "sowing seeds of hatred" and being "agents of destruction and violence", but how hard it is to state the facts about Sen. Kennedy's public record. I suppose it was Kennedy's good fortune that he was never a pro-life Catholic blogger, otherwise he might have had to face public criticism from Catholic clergy.

Canon Lawyer on Kennedy Funeral: "It Could've Been Worse ... I Suppose" [UPDATED]

Ed Peters offers his take.


UPDATE
The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts had this to say:

The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts today decried the scandal which occurred this morning at Boston's most historic Catholic shrine --- the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, known as Mission Church --- where a Mass of Christian Burial was used to “celebrate the life” of one of America's most notorious opponents of Catholic morality, the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Senator Kennedy fought for more than three decades to keep the killing of pre-born children legal and unrestricted in the United States.

***
President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy, in which he alluded to Kennedy's support for gay rights. One of the Prayers of the Faithful was a petition to end divisions “between gays and straights”.

***
Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle stated: “Senator Kennedy supported legal abortion, partial-birth abortion, the public funding of Medicaid abortions, embryonic stem cell research, birth control, federal family planning programs, and so-called emergency contraception. He defended Roe v. Wade, endorsed the proposed Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), and opposed both the Human Life Amendment and the Hyde Amendment. Kennedy maintained a 100% rating from both NARAL and Planned Parenthood. In 1993, he received the Kenneth Edelin Award from Planned Parenthood, and in 2000 received the Champions of Choice Award from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts at the hands of the same Dr. Kenneth Edelin, the infamous abortionist.

"During his 1994 reelection campaign, Kennedy said ‘I wear as a badge of honor my opposition to the anti-choicers.’ His successful obstruction of the nomination of Judge Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987 effectively prevented the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Beyond his specific positions on human life issues, Senator Kennedy, along with the late Congressman Robert Drinan, provided the cover and the example for two generations of Catholic politicians to defect from Church teaching on the sanctity of innocent human life.

"No rational person can reasonably be expected to take seriously Catholic opposition to abortion when a champion of the Culture of Death, who repeatedly betrayed the Faith of his baptism, is lauded and extolled by priests and prelates in a Marian basilica. This morning's spectacle is evidence of the corruption which pervades the Catholic Church in the United States. The right to life will never be recognized by secular society if it is not first vindicated and consistently upheld within the institutions of the Church itself."

(Hat tip: The Curt Jester)

Last Things: Planning Your Own Funeral Arrangements

Rich Leonardi has posted his desires for his funeral Mass (which will hopefully take place in the distant future many years from now):

(1) There shall be no eulogy or remembrance of any kind, either during the time reserved for the homily or before the final commendation. If anyone wishes to toast (or roast) me, they can do so at a wake, reception, or pub.
(2) There shall be frequent requests by the celebrating priest for prayers on behalf of my soul and those of the dead.
(3) The homily shall address purgatory and refer to it by name.
(4) The celebrating priest shall wear black vestments, preferably made from natural fibers.
(5) As much of the Ordinary of the Mass as possible shall be chanted, in Latin and Greek.
(6) The bereavement/funeral planning committee shall refer to Lucy E. Carroll's essay "Music for Catholic Funerals" for guidance on the selection of hymns.
(7) If possible, the funeral Mass shall be a Requiem Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. In that case, most of the above requests and safeguards won't be necessary. (That's worth thinking about, I think.)

Which reminded me of similar plans I drew up last November when I was contemplating the Last Things. In addition to the things Rich mentions (in which I wholeheartedly concur), I have also specified the following details for my funeral Mass:


Funeral Mass with its music components:
· Prelude – Dies Irae, organ and cantor/soloist

· Blessing at entrance – Requiem Aeternam, chant

· Processional – Hymn: The King of Love my Shepherd Is (Tune: St. Columba)

The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never,
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
Thy unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.

· Readings – read by family member
Old Testament:
Wisdom 3:1-9 (“…the souls of the just are in the hand of God …”)

New Testament:
Romans 8:31-35, 37-39 (“[Nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”)

or

Philippians 3:8-14 ("...I run toward the prize to which God calls me...")

· Responsorial Psalm – sung by cantor/organist; refrain sung by congregation
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staffthat give me courage.

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

· Acclamation – Latin Chant Alleluia

· Gospel and Sermon – Priest
Gospel: St. John 6:51-58 (The “Bread of Life”)

or

St. John 14:1-6 (“There are many rooms in my Father's house... I am the way and the truth and the life.”)

· Preparation – Pie Jesu (Lloyd Webber), organ and cantor/soloist

· Sanctus / Acclamation / Amen (People’s Mass); Agnus Dei (Latin Chant Mass) – Sung by congregation, cantor/organist

· Communion – Hymn: Soul of My Savior (Tune: Anima Christi)

Soul of my Savior sanctify my breast,
Body of Christ, be thou my saving guest,
Blood of my Savior, bathe me in thy tide,
wash me with waters gushing from thy side.

Strength and protection may thy passion be,
O blessèd Jesus, hear and answer me;
deep in thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me,
so shall I never, never part from thee.

Guard and defend me from the foe malign,
in death's dread moments make me only thine;
call me and bid me come to thee on high
where I may praise thee with thy saints for aye.

· Post-Communion Meditation – Ave Maria (Bach), organ and cantor/soloist

· Final commendation – In Paradisum, organ and cantor/soloist

· Recessional –Hymn: I Know That My Redeemer Lives (Tune: Duke Street)

I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living Head.

He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.

He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

By the way, for my wake, I am requesting that the following songs, as recorded by Van Morrison, be played:

· “Carrickfergus”
· “Into the Mystic”
· “Piper at the Gates of Dawn”
· “Be Thou My Vision”


UPDATE
You will notice that Rich requires that the "funeral planning committee shall refer to Lucy E. Carroll's essay 'Music for Catholic Funerals' for guidance on the selection of hymns". If you follow the link, you might also notice that I consulted that very document last November when compiling my own list of music to be used at my funeral.

Great minds, and all that. Like Rich, I highly recommend Carroll's piece for those who would like to plan the music for their own funeral Mass, as well as for those responsible for funeral planning at their parish.

The Catholic Origins of Thanksgiving

Read about it here.

(Hat tip: Margaret Cabaniss at InsideCatholic)

Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu, Sung by The Choirboys

Jean posted this at Catholic Fire a couple of days ago:


Here is another version (featuring Lloyd Webber's ex, Sarah Brightman).

And a particularly tearjerking version from Britain's Got Talent.

I fell in love with Andrew Lloyd Webber's beautiful Pie Jesu the very first time I heard it (sung as a soprano duet in, of all places, a Sunday morning worship service in a Southern Baptist church).

This one's definitely on the funeral program whenever I happen to kick the bucket. It's really not that difficult a piece for a couple of halfway decent sopranos.

Much Ado in the Catholic Blogosphere Re: Breastfeeding During Mass

See here, here, here, here, and here.

The Holy Family by El Greco (circa 1585)
The Hispanic Society of America

UPDATE (9 July 2008)
The definitive last word on the topic by Steve Skojec.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month ...

May Crownings Yesterday ...

... at the Norwalk Catholic School Early Childhood Center ...

In Jamie's Kindergarten classroom

Jamie dressed for the occasion

Our Lady's crown in front of the altar in St. Mary Parish



Jamie's class sings after Communion

Jamie's teacher Miss Smith hands him Our Lady's crown prior to the Recessional

Recessing out of the church



Processing to the statue of Our Lady in front of the school







The crowning ceremony

One more of Jamie

And one of Mary Virginia



... and in the Anderson family's Mary Garden ...

The Processional
Mary Virginia carries a bottle of Holy Water from Walsingham;
Aidan carries a copy of Mary's Flowers, which contains a blessing for a Mary Garden;
Jamie carries the image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus;
and Dad carries Grace Assumpta

Approaching the "grotto"

Jamie places the statue


Blessing the Mary Garden

Regular Guy Paul on "The Question of Whether to Deny Communion to Public Supporters of Abortion"

Regular Guy Paul offers his thoughts on the controversy at Thoughts of a Regular Guy.

Fr. John McCartney on Pro-Abort Politicos Receiving Communion

(Hat tip: Creative Minority Report)

Reprinted from the Pastor's Page of St. Matthew Church in Dix Hills NY:

... Some argue that the Eucharist should never be a source of division. They forget that the Eucharist has always been a source of division among people since Our Lord announced it Himself in the synagogue in Capernaum:

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [His] flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.... Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?” ... As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” [Jn 6:52-54; 60- 61; 66-69]

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something we vote on to determine whether we like it or not. It is not determined by a poll of how many Catholics would like it to change, to be made easier, more convenient, or softer. Jesus gave the Church His Gospel with the “Great Commission” to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” [Mt 28: 20] We cannot pick and choose what we prefer to follow as Catholics. We must either accept the whole Gospel or reject the Gospel wholly.

A spokesman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement before the Pope’s visit: “People go to church and people go to Communion if they feel in their heart they are prepared to receive Communion.” This in fact is terribly misleading. What people do and what they should do are two completely different things. When people approach the communion rail, the priest has no way of knowing whether they have committed a mortal sin that would bar them from receiving the Eucharist. The assumption must be made that the person has properly examined his conscience in light of the teachings of the Church, and knows whether he may receive Holy Communion or should refrain. It has nothing to do with a feeling; it has to do with knowing whether one is in a state of serious sin or not...

[Read the whole thing]

(emphasis added)


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Wrong Target? A Different Look at the Cardinal and the Mayor

Response of Archdiocese of Washington to Pro-Abort Senators Receiving Communion

Deal Hudson Asks: "Will Archbishop Wuerl Follow Cardinal Egan?"

CBS: Cardinal Egan "Rips" Giuliani For Taking Communion [UPDATED]

Novak Criticizes Cardinals for "Disobedience" in Giving Pro-Abort Catholics "a Pass" During Papal Visit

"Wafer Wars, Wedge Issues and the Pope’s Visit" [UPDATED]

Twice-Divorced, Pro-Abort Rudy Giuliani Receives Communion at Papal Mass

Pro-Abort Catholic Politicians to Receive Communion at Papal Mass [UPDATED]

Archbishop Burke Preaches Tough Communion Rule

More on Archbishop Burke's Article on Canon 915 (Regarding Communion and Pro-Abort Politicos)

Archbishop Burke on Bad Catholics in Political Life

Archbishop Wuerl's Stand on Lawmakers Who Back Abortion Angers Some Conservative Catholics

Abortion and the New Archbishop - A Shot Across the Bow

Wuerl to be Installed Today - Mass in Washington, D.C., Will Mark His Debut as Archbishop

McCarrick's Successor Seen as Loyal, Diplomatic, "a Vote for Continuity"; Not Denying Communion has "Served Us Well" (15 links)

Pope Names Wuerl New Archbishop of Washington, DC

Bishop Wuerl's Name Surfaces for D.C.

The Final Word on Pro-Abort Pols and Communion?

Bishop Wuerl: Bishops Should Consult One Another Before Speaking On National Issues Like Kerry And Communion

Norwalk Saw Trio of Local Connections to Pope’s Visit

From Mary Lisa Boose, staff writer for The Norwalk Reflector:

Norwalk had three local connections to the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States — music written by a St. Paul graduate was used in both New York City Masses and a former associate pastor at St. Paul was a con-celebrate of the service at St. Patrick Cathedral.

For the Mass at Yankee Stadium, another SPH grad now a priest was chosen to be a Eucharistic minister.

Mike Hay, a 1971 graduate of St. Paul High School, was active in music ministry his entire life. He died in 1999, but his faith lives on in the many liturgical pieces he wrote over the years.

Grace Hay Whitehurst, his sister, said she was surprised when she found out Hay's composition called Trilingual Intercessions was used at services at St. Patrick Cathedral and Yankee Stadium. She said he wrote it in 1994 to be sung in English, Latin and Spanish.

[More]

(emphasis added)

My Comments:
It should be noted that commentators have almost universally praised the music in the NYC Masses.

Wrong Target? A Different Look at the Cardinal and the Mayor

At InsideCatholic, Elizabeth Scalia (the recently revealed secret identity of a well-known and popular blogger at St. Blog's) has an alternate take on the Egan-Giuliani imbroglio.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Response of Archdiocese of Washington to Pro-Abort Senators Receiving Communion

Deal Hudson Asks: "Will Archbishop Wuerl Follow Cardinal Egan?"

CBS: Cardinal Egan "Rips" Giuliani For Taking Communion [UPDATED]

Novak Criticizes Cardinals for "Disobedience" in Giving Pro-Abort Catholics "a Pass" During Papal Visit

"Wafer Wars, Wedge Issues and the Pope’s Visit" [UPDATED]

Twice-Divorced, Pro-Abort Rudy Giuliani Receives Communion at Papal Mass

Pro-Abort Catholic Politicians to Receive Communion at Papal Mass [UPDATED]

Archbishop Burke Preaches Tough Communion Rule

More on Archbishop Burke's Article on Canon 915 (Regarding Communion and Pro-Abort Politicos)

Archbishop Burke on Bad Catholics in Political Life

Archbishop Wuerl's Stand on Lawmakers Who Back Abortion Angers Some Conservative Catholics

Abortion and the New Archbishop - A Shot Across the Bow

Wuerl to be Installed Today - Mass in Washington, D.C., Will Mark His Debut as Archbishop

McCarrick's Successor Seen as Loyal, Diplomatic, "a Vote for Continuity"; Not Denying Communion has "Served Us Well" (15 links)

Pope Names Wuerl New Archbishop of Washington, DC

Bishop Wuerl's Name Surfaces for D.C.

The Final Word on Pro-Abort Pols and Communion?

Bishop Wuerl: Bishops Should Consult One Another Before Speaking On National Issues Like Kerry And Communion