Podcasts about Divine worship

What really happens when you're confirmed? In this episode, liturgical expert Chris Carstens takes us into the heart of the Sacrament of Confirmation—far beyond the idea of a “graduation ceremony.”We explore how this sacrament completes what began at Baptism, and how it becomes a personal Pentecost—a moment when the Holy Spirit is poured out for strength, mission, and spiritual battle. Chris walks us through the rich symbols of the rite, from the laying on of hands to the anointing with sacred chrism, and unpacks what they reveal about God's action in our lives.If you've already been confirmed but find yourself weary in the fight—facing temptation, discouragement, or fear—this conversation will remind you of the spiritual power you've been given and the call to live as a mature disciple.Christopher Carstens directs the Office for Sacred Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; coordinates the Institute for Liturgical Studies at Christendom College; and edits the Adoremus Bulletin. He serves as a consultant to the USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship, and he is author of A Devotional Journey into the Mass and A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery (Sophia), as well as Principles of Sacred Liturgy: Forming a Sacramental Vision (Hillenbrand Books). He and his family live in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.

What happens at the Rite of Consecration of a Virgin?In this episode, host Jessica is joined by liturgical expert Chris Carstens and Elizabeth Black, a Consecrated Virgin, to explore the ancient rite of Consecrated Virginity.Together, they unpack:What makes the vocation of a Consecrated Virgin distinct from religious lifeThe beauty and symbolism of the Rite of Consecration, including the veil, ring, and prayer of consecrationWhat it's like to live out this vocation in daily life, rooted in both solitude and service to the ChurchWhether you've never heard of this vocation or have attended a consecration yourself, this conversation will deepen your appreciation for one of the Church's most hidden treasures.Elizabeth Black has worked in Catholic liberal education for seventeen years, most recently as principal of Saint Stephen School in East Grand Rapids. As Dean of Faculty and Curriculum at Oakcrest School, she developed the school's liberal arts educational vision. Elizabeth is trained in the Ward Method of Music Instruction, holds a B.A. in Classical and Early Christian Studies from Christendom College and a M.A. from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. Elizabeth is a consecrated virgin living in the world.Christopher Carstens directs the Office for Sacred Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; coordinates the Institute for Liturgical Studies at Christendom College; and edits the Adoremus Bulletin. He serves as a consultant to the USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship, and he is author of A Devotional Journey into the Mass and A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery (Sophia), as well as Principles of Sacred Liturgy: Forming a Sacramental Vision (Hillenbrand Books). He and his family live in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.

IMAGE CREDIT MEDEF, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_barbarin_p.html   Philippe BARBARIN on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2003.htm#Barbarin   Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/17                     Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbarbarin.html    Archdiocese of Lyon on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/lyon0.htm?tab=info        Archdiocese of Lyon on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dlyon.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia, “Primate” (via newadvent.org): https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12423b.htm Brittanca.com, “Lyon”: https://www.britannica.com/place/Lyon-France  Zenit.org coverage of Cardinal Barbarin's 2013 heart attack: https://zenit.org/2013/07/24/cardinal-philippe-barbarin-suffers-heart-attack/  2020 The Guardian reporting on the Preynat case: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/defrocked-french-priest-jailed-for-abusing-scouts-over-20-year-period  2019 France24 coverage of Cardinal Barbarin and the Preynat scandal as it stood at the time: https://www.france24.com/en/video/20190319-pope-refuses-french-cardinal-barbarins-resignation-over-abuse-cover-scandal 2020 La Croix interview with the early-retiring Cardinal: https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/cardinal-philippe-barbarin-begins-busy-early-retirement/12647      Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   One of eleven children, Philippe Xavier Christian Ignace Marie Barbarin was born on October 17, 1950 in Rabat, Morocco, located right in the middle of the second big inward curve if you're following the coast coming up from south. Though Morocco is over 99% Muslim, Rabat has popped up on our radar before, thanks to recent Cardinal López Romero winding up as Archbishop of Rabat after his continent hopping journeys. Cardinal Barbarin hasn't gotten credit as Morocco's first Cardinal, when you Google that up you get lots of Lopez Romero. Granted, Philippe Barbarin wasn't born in the modern nation of Morocco, rather he was born in French Morocco, like Cardinal Mamberti, if you remember that. And it's fair to not count colonizers who never really lived the same lives as the locals. I don't know for sure that Philippe actually fits that description, but that's also not the only reason folks might not be in a rush to credit him as the first Moroccan Cardinal… but I'm getting ahead of myself.   After Moroccan independence, Philippe wound up in France, experiencing the joys of military service while also studying a little theology and a lot of philosophy in Paris, getting a licentiate in the former from the Carmes Seminary and a doctorate in the latter from the Sarbonne.   In 1977, Philippe Barbarin was ordained a priest for the young diocese of Créteil, centered on an eponymous suburb southeast of Paris. From 1977 till 1985, he served as Vicar in two parishes: Notre-Dame d'Alfortville and Notre-Dame de Vincennes, Notre-Dame of course being French for “Our Lady”, on the off chance that you got this deep without already knowing that.   From ‘85 to ‘90, Father Barbarin served two parishes and a school simultaneously, as well as an ecumenical role in the diocese. The parishes, if you're wondering, were Saint François de Sales d'Adambille en Saint-Maur, and Saint-Hilaire de la Varenne.   From ‘91 to ‘94, Father Barbarin served as the pastor of Saint Léger Parish and then transferred quite a ways, effectively being loaned out to the Archdiocese of Fianarantsoa in Madagascar, where he taught theology at the Major Seminary of Vohitsoa. Which explains the presence of Malagasy, the dominant language of Madagascar, on the list of languages Cardinal Barbarin Speaks, along with English, Italian, Spanish, German, and of course his native French.   1998 was white phone time, when Father Barbarin heard from Pope Saint John Paul the Second that he was going to be made Bishop of Moulins, back in France. As is so often the case, you can see why the three bishops that consecrated him were chosen for the task: his principal consectator was the Archbishop of Fianarantsoa, who he had been serving under in Madagascar, accompanied by his original bishop in France from Créteil, as well as the Bishop emeritus of Moulins who he was replacing.   Physically located in pretty much the exact center of France, it's worth noting that I simply do not trust the demographic data Catholic-Hierarchy.org has for the Diocese of Moulins. I want to give them credit for their essential work, and it's entirely possible the error is in the sources they're relying on and not some issue on their end, but I don't see how you can have the shifts shown in the period recorded. I'm sure I've missed flagging bad data before, so don't take this as an indication that I'll point it out whenever there's something fishy floating around, but I do what I can and felt I should mention the oddity there. At some point when I get around to it I'll cross reference their source material since they're kind enough to cite it.   In 2002, Bishop Barbarin was chosen as the next Archbishop of the ancient see of Lyon in southeasternish France. Allegedly, Lyon was the Capital of the Gauls back when the Gauls were a thing, and in any event it's pretty universally agreed that it's old enough one of its first bishops was a disciple of a disciple of Saint John, so basically Jesus' spiritual great-grandson, and that wasn't even the *first* bishop there. To this day, the Archbishop of Lyon also carries the title of Primate of the Gauls.   In 2003, that is, at the next opportunity, Archbishop Barbarin was made a Cardinal, which is completely unsurprising given the status of Lyon: every Archbishop of Lyon in the 20th century was made a Cardinal. And as we know, the red hat gets you additional duties: he was made a member of the Congregations for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Of course the most famous duty of a Cardinal is the one he exercised in the conclave of 2005 that elected Pope Benedict, and again in the 2013 election that gave us Pope Francis.   Later on in 2013, Cardinal Barbarin suffered a heart attack while in South America preparing for World Youth Day. An unsourced wikipedia entry states that he underwent a successful triple bypass surgery in Martinique a few days later, and I think it's safe enough to say something like that happened: in any event he did survive.   In 2016, Cardinal Barbarin began to get asked questions about his handling–or lack thereof-of a bad priest, a certain Father Bernard Preynat. Content warning, I'm not going to go into graphic detail but yes we're talking about the abuse of minors here. From 1971 to 1991 Father Preynat abused some seventy minors he encountered principally through the scouting program.   Obviously, and allow me to stress this emphatically, the charge against Barbarin was not the abuse itself, but rather his lack of disclosure of the situation to the authorities. This was very much a charge though, because his lack of reporting was apparently a crime, and as a victim myself- though not of clergy- rightly so. Apparently in 2019 when Cardinal Barbarin was originally convicted of failing to report and was given a six month suspended sentence, he offered his resignation to Pope Francis, who initially refused, speaking of the presumption of innocence, which seems an odd line to take given Barbarin had *just* been convicted, but hey what do I know.   In any event, the next year Cardinal Barbarin's conviction *was* overturned on appeal, so it seems Pope Francis was perhaps wise to wait, but then in March his holiness turned around and accepted Cardinal Barbarin's resignation after all, making him the Archbishop Emeritus of Lyon.    Cardinal Barbarin says he is available for whatever mission Pope Francis might entrust him with next.   Barring a further change in his status, which to be clear I do not expect as I think it would have happened already if it was going to happen, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin remains eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2030.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers. Stay tuned to see if today's Cardinal gets selected for a deeper dive in the next round! Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

Dr. Mary Healy is a professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and a bestselling author and international speaker. She is a general editor of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture and author of two of its volumes, The Gospel of Mark and Hebrews. Her other books include The Spiritual Gifts Handbook and Healing. Dr. Healy serves the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian unity as a member of the Pentecostal-Catholic International Dialogue. She is one of the first three women ever to serve on the Pontifical Biblical Commission and is a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The Saint Paul Seminary is reliant on faithful Catholics and Christians like you. If you are able to make a small gift to support of work of priestly formation, you will be remembered in our prayers of gratitude: https://give.saintpaulseminary.org/give/142531/#!/donation/checkouthttps://www.facebook.com/saintpaulseminaryhttps://www.instagram.com/saint_paul_seminary_mn/https://saintpaulseminary.org/

Fr. Randy Hoang from the Office of Divine Worship joins Brenda to share details of the "Sede Vacante" and the funeral rite for the burial of Pope Francis.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

Colm O'Gorman, founder and former director of One in Four and Monsignor Enda Murphy, head of office, at the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments joined Cormac to talk about Pope Francis' legacy.

 What if one of the most hauntingly beautiful liturgies of Holy Week is also one of the least known?In this episode, liturgical expert Chris Carstens unpacks the rich tradition of Tenebrae, a service that blends candlelight, psalms, and silence to draw us deeply into the mystery of Christ's Passion. Jess and Chris discuss: What Tenebrae is, where it comes from, and how it fits into the rhythm of Holy Week  The meaning behind the extinguishing candles and the chanting of psalms Why Tenebrae is making a comeback—and how to prepare for your first experience of it Christopher Carstens directs the Office for Sacred Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; coordinates the Institute for Liturgical Studies at Christendom College; and edits the Adoremus Bulletin. He serves as a consultant to the USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship, and he is author of A Devotional Journey into the Mass and A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery (Sophia), as well as Principles of Sacred Liturgy: Forming a Sacramental Vision (Hillenbrand Books). He and his family live in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.You can check out Chris' book here: A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery

We continue our study of A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture with Old Testament chapter 39.Please support the Our Lady of Fatima Podcast:Buymeacoffee.com/TerenceMStantonThank you!

The community is invited to a special liturgy where the Holy Oils will be blessed. The Chrism Mass is on Monday, April 14 at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Fr. Randy Hoang from the Office of Divine Worship joins The Morning Blend to tell us more about the importance and use of each oil.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

Candid Catholic Convos 3.16.25   A weekly program produced by the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa.   SHOW DESCRIPTION:   Few Catholic saints are as celebrated in the secular world as Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Everything turns green and those who may not be Irish in heritage become Irish at heart, celebrating the lore, leprechauns, and luck associated with the holiday. Saint Patrick is truly the man, the myth and the legend – so much so that some even forget he's a saint, and why that title was bestowed upon him. So what makes him so memorable? Father Brommer, pastor of the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick here in Harrisburg and director of our office of Divine Worship joins me today to unpack what's truth, what's fiction, and how this legendary Saint became the patron of our Diocese.    

Sacrosanctum Concilium says "the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows"... Abbott Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, literally wrote the book on what happens at Mass, and the more we can understand the Mass... the better and more actively we all can worship. Father Abbott also serves as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, having first been appointed by John Paul II, and then renewed by Benedict XVI and then Francis. This is an excellent discussion which just scratches the surface, but Bishop Caggiano asks Father Abbott questions like: What is monastic life like? What is liturgy? What should the homily do? And how should music be during Mass? I'm obviously neither a bishop nor a liturgical expert, but it seems like a few simple elements would really elevate our worship at Mass... distinct periods of silence, use of chant & polyphony, some prayers in Latin, lots of incense, communion at the altar rail, and the priest facing ad orientam...

Folly of contemporary irreverent worship/music in God's service.

Worship -February 2, 2025 “The Great Ends of the Church: Maintenance of divine worship” Revelation 4:1-5:14 Pastor Don Meeks

Start your day with Brenda and Brian on The Morning Blend. Pope Francis has named 3 experts to be member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. One of those experts is Abbot Jeremy Driscoll from Mount Angel Abbey. Get all the details on today's show.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION By Reiner Diart - https://bilder.erzbistum-koeln.de/Erzbischof-Rainer-Maria-Kardinal-Woelki/Kardinal_Woelki_RGB_14 , CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83254136  LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Woelki: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_woelki_rm.html        Ranier Maria Woelki on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2012.htm#Woelki     Cardinal Woelki on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/4248          Cardinal Woelki on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwoel.html             Archdiocese of Cologne on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/koln0.htm?tab=info   Archdiocese of Cologne on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dkoln.html The History of Cologne podcast by Willem Fromm: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-history-of-cologne/2535948  Catholic Education Resource Center's record of 2009 comments on abuse statistics by Archbishop Tomasi: https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/common-misconceptions/vatican-sets-record-straight-on-sexual-abuse.html  Tages Spiegel reporting on 2020 criticism of Cardinal Woelki from abuse commissioner: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/panorama/missbrauchsbeauftragter-kritisiert-kolner-kardinal-woelki-scharf-4211776.html  2022 Catholic News Agency reporting on Cardinal Woelki submitting resignation: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250542/german-catholic-cardinal-woelki-submits-resignation-to-pope-francis-after-period-of-leave 2021 Gercke Report: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:b48dfbcd-81c1-41d7-9ca2-62e01a4e5a11  2022 Union of Catholic Asia News reporting on Cologne abuse situation: https://www.ucanews.com/news/head-of-cologne-abuse-investigation-commission-resigns/99638  2023 National Catholic Register reporting on recent search of Cardinal Woelki's records by German law enforcement: https://www.ncregister.com/cna/german-cardinal-woelki-under-investigation-allegations-of-perjury-prompt-search-of-archdiocese  2014 profile of Cardinal Woelki (via Faith Matters- German): https://youtu.be/dudVMptuvZk?si=U3TLKelV_Q_yRdPh    Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Cardinal Numbers, a rexypod ranking all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church we can get our hands on, from the Catacombs to Kingdom Come.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   Please note that this episode includes a general discussion of the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. I don't get graphic, but it's there.   Rainer Maria Woelki was born on August 18, 1956 in Cologne, Germany, which is in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the western end of things. With well over a million residents, Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city and is on the short list of cities with their own dedicated longrunning history pod, The History of Cologne by Willem Fromm. Link in the show notes. (https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-history-of-cologne/2535948)   In his early 20s, Rainer did some obligatory military service as part of a unit called the Panzerartillerielehrbataillon. I *probably* would have mentioned his service even if it hadn't given me the opportunity to point out that Panzerartillerielehrbataillon is one word, but I guess we'll never know for sure because that was definitely a factor in my editing decisions for this episode.    Anyways, he was ordained a priest in 1985, at the age of 28, pretty much right on pace when you account for that military stint. As a priest of the Archdiocese of Cologne, he not only served in various chaplaincies, but also as private secretary of Cardinal Joachim Meisner, the then-Archbishop of Cologne.   From 1997 to 2003, Woelki served as director of a boarding school for seminarians. During this time he continued his studies, obtaining a Doctorate in Theology from the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce–that is, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross–a school in Rome run by Opus Dei.   Presumably he stopped directing the boarding school in 2003 because his white phone rang- ring ring it's Pope John Paul II, here to make him titular bishop of Scampa and auxiliary bishop of Cologne. He was named a canon of Cologne's metropolitan Cathedral chapter later that year. He got involved in affairs for the German Bishops' Conference, serving on the Commission for vocations and ecclesiastical ministries; and on the Commission for science and culture. As you can see, or at least hear, the titles of offices in bishop's conferences start to read like Roman curial titles, which I suppose isn't too surprising.   Anyways in 2011 that white phone rang again and this time it was Pope Benedict XVI making Bishop Woelki the Archbishop of Berlin, which, given how much we've been going on about the Archdiocese of Cologne in this episode, might be a bit of a surprise but it can't have been completely out of the blue because Woelki was chosen by the Archdioceses' high metropolitan Cathedral Chapter, which, I admit, isn't something I'm super familiar with specifically but generally speaking Cathedral chapters have historically had a dominant influence in choosing who the bishop would be and that seems to be a custom that still has some staying power in some areas, particularly those with long traditions of doing things through Cathedral Chapters rather than in areas where things were set up air quotes “only” in in recent times–you know, in the last thousand years or so. So, you know, Europe. And in Eastern Catholic churches, whose traditions do not center Vatican appointments.   Anyways, yes, Berlin's Cathedral Chapter wanted Woelki,  and they got him, for a span.   In 2012, Archbishop Woelki became Cardinal Woelki, with Pope Benedict making him a Cardinal-Priest with the title of S. Giovanni Maria Vianney. At that point, he was the youngest member of the College of Cardinals, though by the end of the year that spot would be taken by Mar Cleemis, not to mention the also younger Cardinal Tagle.   Also in 2012, Cardinal Woelki was made a member of both the Congregation for Catholic Education and of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. The next year, like the other Benedict appointees we've mentioned, Cardinal Woelki participated in the March 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.   In 2014, Cardinal Woelki was named member of the Congregation for the Clergy, and after three years as Archbishop of Berlin, he was transferred to his old home of the Cologne Archdiocese as its new Archbishop. The next year, because you can't keep a good Roman Curia down, he was named member of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, effectively helping manage the Vatican's pocketbooks and keep things running financially.   More recently, the Archdiocese of Cologne generally and Cardinal Woelki specifically have been focal points in some of the more recent chapters of the ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.    On the slight chance that some of my listeners are not aware of that topic in general, there have been thousands and thousands of cases of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the last century. One Vatican official put the total number of abusers among priests at between 1.5 and 5 percent, noting that the number was generally in line with other organizations, which is certainly an argument that can be made, but given that Jesus literally told His followers to “be perfect” (Mt 5:48), I don't think it's unreasonable to hold the shepherds of the Church He founded to a higher standard than society at large, and yeah, society at large should also be doing better when it comes to not sexually abusing minors.   I've talked about this before, and I'll talk about it again, not only because it's important to talk about it so efforts to sweep it under the rug fail–and there are such efforts, to be sure– but also because my intention is to talk about everything and this uncomfortable topic is part of “everything”. Plus you'd kind of have to go out of your way to avoid talking about it when talking about Cardinal Woelki. Not because anyone is suggesting he's an abuser himself, but because in 2020 he picked up the stink of a common and decidedly difficult to shake reputation especially particular to higher level clergy: a reputation of seeking to bury such stories when possible.   Right or wrong, the main catalyst for that reputation was a series of comments made by the Independent Commissioner for Issues of Child Sexual Abuse, one Johannes-Wilhelm Rörig. Among other things, Rörig said, quote “There are many indications that Cardinal Woelki may have made a massive mistake with regard to the participation of those affected, transparency and independence from processing”, end quote.   In particular, Rörig accused Cardinal Woelki of promising transparency and then not following through with it, referring in particular to an independent report on the abuse situation within the Archdiocese that Cardinal Woelki had commissioned but which he had prevented from going public, citing unspecified methodological issues and violations of personal rights.   To his credit, Cardinal Woelki did follow up and commission another report, the results of which he did make public in March 2021 in the 800-page Gercke report, linked, like everything else, in the show notes. That certainly was not the end of the matter though, and in September 2021, after an apostolic visitation–basically a Vatican audit– and what the Holy See described as “a long conversation” with the Pope, Cardinal Woelki went on sabbatical for several months, leaving the Archdiocese in the hands of an Apostolic Administrator.    Upon his return to active service in March 2022, Cardinal Woelki submitted his resignation to Pope Francis, who has not yet acted on the offer, though a 2021 Vatican statement did acknowledge Woelki had made quote “major mistakes”, end quote, especially when it comes to communication, and described a quote “crisis of confidence in the archdiocese”, end quote.   In addition to continuing his service in what's now the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, Cardinal Woelki is also currently serving as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.   *Barring any changes to his status*, which is something I could always say but don't always say but am saying today *because reasons*, Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2036.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers,  and there will be more Cardinal Numbers  next week.. Thank you for listening; God bless you all! Thanks, Joe!

IMAGE CREDIT: Diocese of Gozo, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Grech: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_grech_m.html      Mario Grech on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2020.htm#Grech   Cardinal Grech on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/3529         Cardinal Grech on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bgrechm.html           Diocese of Gozo on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/gozo0.htm?tab=info  Diocese of Gozo on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dgozo.html 2023 English-language interview with Cardinal Mario Grech (via EWTN): https://youtu.be/5RCy0fNOyUE?si=6ZuVOX4XY_8D507q      Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   Mario Grech was born on February 20, 1957, in Qala, Malta, Qala being a small community on the eastern edge of the island of Gozo, Gozo being the *second* largest island in Malta after, well, the Island of Malta, with Malta itself being a small island nation a bit south of Sicily. At a young age, the family moved to Ta' Kerċem, another small community on the same island.   Malta is an outsize name in the history of the Catholic Church, thanks to its hosting of the military order of Saint John of Jerusalem, aka the Hospitallers or more simply the Knights of Malta in the early modern period. Their holding out against Suleiman the Magnificent's Ottoman Empire–who, in fairness, had *successfully* kicked the Hospitallers out of the Greek Island of Rhodes earlier in his career–that success at the Great Siege of Malta was so famous that noted enemy of the Church Voltaire once said “Nothing is better known than the siege of Malta” (Annals of the Empire, 1753)   Also, to get this out of the way, there was recently a Maltese Cardinal by the name of Prosper Grech. I haven't seen it explicitly confirmed that the two Cardinals *aren't* related, but I haven't seen anyone suggest that they are either. So… maybe, but probably not? Grech *is* a common Maltese surname, to the extent that a random third party commenting on the passing of the older Cardinal also had the last name of Grech.   Anyways, let's actually talk about today's cardinal some, shall we? The island of Gozo has fewer than 40,000 people altogether, but in heavily Catholic Malta, that's enough to support a local seminary, which is where Mario went when he decided to start his priestly studies. Unusually, he did both his philosophy and theology studies at that same institution. It wasn't until after his 1984 ordination that he went further afield, being sent to Rome to study both canon and civil law at the Pontifical Lateran University. Following the pattern of some of our more bookish Cardinals, Father Grech then obtained a doctorate in canon law from the Angelicum.   While studying his doctorate and for a span after, Father Grech ministered at the cathedral, at the National Shrine of Tá-Pinu, and also served as a parish priest at the parish of Kercem. You're not going to be too surprised that he also taught canon law at the local seminary and held a number of roles within the Diocese of Gozo during this period as well.   In 2005 his white phone rang and Pope Benedict made him Bishop of Gozo. He was consecrated on January 22nd 2006, with his predecessor, Bishop Cauchi, serving as his principal consecrator. I got curious because by longstanding custom–and, well, canon law–new bishops are consecrated by three existing bishops to ensure apostolic succession, and there's only two dioceses in Malta. It turns out the retiring bishop Cauchi- who had ordained Mario Grech as a priest too, by the way– it turns out he was joined not only by the Archbishop of Malta but also by Malta's Apostolic Nuncio, which makes sense and eventually I'll come to expect that.   Bishop Grech has traveled a fair bit during his tenure, visiting emigrants from Malta living in the USA twice, and Australia once, along with a couple trips to South America.   From 2013 to 2016, Bishop Grech was President of the Episcopal Conference of Malta, which l, I mean, part of me says with just the two dioceses they would have had a hard time getting a euchre game going at their meetings, another part of me says there's probably a few more folks than I'm imagining if you count retired bishops and auxiliaries, and I don't know if they invite senior priests to take notes or what. Someone's got to bring the snacks, is all I'm saying.   Anyways, in 2016, Pope Francis published Amoris Laetitia, a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, in other words a Papal follow-up letter recapping the goings on of a synod, a gathering of bishops. In this case, the synod in question was the Synod on Family and the reason we're talking about Amoris Laetitia is because it seemed to open the door to communion for Catholics who had been divorced and then gotten civilly remarried, at least in certain cases and with careful discernment. That's getting into a theological issue, the finer points of which you could definitely spend a lot more time going into than I will here, but in short most Catholic bishops were and I think it's fair to say still are wary of allowing such an accommodation. I mean, I'm here for it, but I make no secret of being a big old softy when it comes to accommodations in general–and honestly I think it's fair to say Pope Francis has a similar mindset. But again, most bishops are of a more conservative bent. Except for our friend Bishop Grech, who was instrumental in helping implement exactly that sort of accommodation for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics–in certain cases, as specified– in Malta–though it's worth noting he's also on the record as being against divorce generally, which is pretty well expected of Catholic bishops. Just, you know, to be clear.   Anyways, Bishop Grech's time in Malta's surprisingly existent Bishops' Conference did not go to waste, because he also served on the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE). In 2019, he made the big time, being named the Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops–not for the Malta, not for the EU, but for the whole Catholic Church: a sufficiently big enough job that he stepped down as Bishop of Gozo in order to take it on.   The next year, he was named member of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and in that same year–2020, if you lost count– he was named full on Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, so the top dog post. A couple months later, Pope Francis gave him his red hat, making him a Cardinal deacon with Santi Cosma e Damiano as his deaconry.   The next year, Mario was also added to the The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church apart from the Pope himself, should he choose to intervene, which he usually doesn't, but, you know, he could.   As a dedicated Curial Cardinal, Cardinal Grech also serves on the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as well as the Dicastery for Bishops.   Mario Cardinal Grech is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2037.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers,  and there will be more Cardinal Numbers tomorrow. Thank you for listening; God bless you all! Thanks, Joe!

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus Lectionary: 401/607The Saint of the day is Saints Martha, Mary, and LazarusSaints Martha, Mary and Lazarus’ story Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus were evidently close friends of Jesus. He came to their home simply as a welcomed guest, rather than as one celebrating the conversion of a sinner like Zacchaeus or one unceremoniously received by a suspicious Pharisee. The sisters felt free to call on Jesus at their brother's death, even though a return to Judea at that time seemed to spell almost certain death. Martha's great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother's death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world'” (John 11:25-27). No doubt Martha was an active sort of person. On one occasion, she prepares the meal for Jesus and possibly his fellow guests and forthrightly states the obvious: All hands should pitch in to help with the dinner. The Lord recognizes that Martha is “worried about many things,” also noting that Mary, who has spent the preparation time at Jesus' feet listening to his words “has chosen the better part.” John 12:1-8 describes Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet at Bethany, an act which he praised highly. Immediately after we are told that the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus “because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.” Lazarus was the one of whom the Jews said, “See how much he loved him.” In their sight Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Legends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters, and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years. It is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday. Reflection In its 2021 decree on combining veneration of Mary and Lazarus with Martha, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments said, “In the household of Bethany, the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them. Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the one who humiliated death.” Saint Martha is a Patron Saint of: CooksHomemakersRestaurant servers Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are Patron Saints of: Siblings Click here for more on Mary and Martha! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Read OnlineMany of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” John 11:19–22Today's memorial is relatively new within our Church. In the year 2021, Pope Francis replaced the Memorial of Saint Martha with this memorial in honor of all three siblings: Martha, Mary and Lazarus. In commenting on the reason for this new memorial, the Congregation for Divine Worship stated: “Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words, and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the One who humiliated death.” Furthermore, these three siblings gave an evangelical witness to us all. They model for us how to be Christians within our imperfections. They did this by welcoming Jesus into their home, by listening to Him attentively, and by believing that He is the Resurrection and the Life.These three siblings each had their own unique personality and loved Jesus in their own way. Though not much is said about Lazarus' personal interactions with Jesus, we do have some helpful insights into both Martha and Mary. In one Gospel story, Martha complained to Jesus that her sister left her to do all the cooking. Jesus gently corrected her. Mary, on the other hand, gave a witness of deep prayer and love of Jesus by sitting at His feet listening to Him. However, in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, there is a reversal of roles. Martha is the one who runs out to meet Jesus and expresses her deep faith in Him. Mary, on the other hand, heard that Jesus was coming and appeared to stay at home because she was upset.Perhaps the most helpful way to ponder these siblings is to acknowledge two things. First, they are now saints in Heaven enjoying eternal beatitude and glory. Second, on earth they were people of faith and love, but they were also very clearly imperfect. Therefore, the witness they give to us should be twofold. We hope to share in the glory in which they now share, and we trust this will happen if we also befriend our Lord and welcome Him into our homes, imperfect though we may be. Reflect, today, upon this holy but imperfect family. The imperfections and manifest weaknesses of these three siblings should encourage us to press on in our practice of the faith when things are not perfect in our lives either. There are many reasons why we might get discouraged or feel like doubting or giving up at times.Perhaps things are not perfect within the Church—or at the particular church you attend. Perhaps you are struggling with loving someone in your family. Perhaps you are struggling with an emotional issue. Perhaps there is some sin you seem to be incapable of overcoming. Perhaps you struggle with a physical ailment and wonder why God permitted it to happen. If you are able to relate to any of these, or any other forms of imperfection, then take inspiration from this family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Invite Jesus into the home of your heart, your family home and everywhere you go. He will come, gently correct you when needed, and give you the gift of new life, raising you up from your sins and weaknesses. Lord, You befriended this ordinary family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. You visited their home, received their hospitality, gently corrected them when needed and eventually raised them to the new life of eternal glory. May I also welcome You into the home of my soul, within my family and into every aspect of my life. Please come to me and raise me to the newness of the life of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Jesus raises Lazarus, via flickr

In Let's Talk About This, Fr. McTeigue discusses the modern tendency towards institutional amnesia. What does it mean to have a good Catholic memory? Father finishes with Weekend Readiness to help you prepare for the upcoming Sunday Mass.   Show Notes RORATE CÆLI: URGENT - URGENT - Growing Rumors of a “Final Solution” for the Traditional Latin Mass - TLM The Remnant Newspaper - Vatican Document Further Restricting TLM said to Exist, Backed by Cardinal Parolin  RORATE CÆLI: Archbishop Viola, the violator of Tradition -- the dangerous secretary of Divine Worship and the man behind the attempts to ban the Traditional Mass. His letter to the Melbourne Archbishop  The Library of Alexandria is on Fire | The Corbett Report  Interview 1794 – The eLibrary is on eFire – #NewWorldNextWeek | The Corbett Report  How to Scale a Paywall (and other useful tips) – #SolutionsWatch | The Corbett Report The Last Catholic in America - John R. Powers RORATE CÆLI: Accept or Reject the New Mass?  Real Philosophy for Real People: Tools for Truthful Living - Audiobook Now Available! Christendom Lost and Found: Meditations for a Post Post-Christian Era WE DO BELIEVE, O LORD (Theme Song Winner) on SoundCloud | The National Eucharistic Revival Catholic Art Institute https://twitter-thread.com/t/1801718918085808619 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-13551465/Pornhub-BANS-five-states-age-verification-laws-blocked.html https://twitter-thread.com/t/1806439543249203408 https://twitter-thread.com/t/1806137782596931967 The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max 25 Year Anniversary Celebration | The Station of the Cross Catholic Media Network Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

Weekly worship is looked at as an obligation at best. We gather in God's presence offering presence. Worship is a time to abandon ourselves to God. All God asks is for that one hour back. How much do we love God?

 Candid Catholic Convos 3.17.24   A weekly program produced by the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa.   SHOW DESCRIPTION:    Few Catholic saints are as celebrated in the secular world as Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Everything turns green and those who may not be Irish in heritage become Irish at heart, celebrating the lore, leprechauns, and luck associated with the holiday. Saint Patrick is truly the man, the myth and the legend – so much so that some even forget he's a saint, and why that title was bestowed upon him. So what makes him so memorable? Father Brommer, pastor of the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick here in Harrisburg and director of our office of Divine Worship joins me today to unpack what's truth, what's fiction, and how this legendary Saint became the patron of our Diocese.    

What should I say in the confessional? What happens if I forget one of my sins, or forget to say my penance? Can non-Catholics go to confession?This episode is a practical guide for going to confession. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:The Catechism of the Catholic Church, pts. 1480-1484Rite of PenanceA Guide for ConfessionArchdiocese of Washington, "A Guide to Confession"St. Josemaria Institute, "A Short Guide for Confession"Hallow, How to Go to Confession: The Sacrament of Penance/ReconciliationCongregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Rediscovering the Rite of PenanceUSCCB, "Act of Contrition"International Theological Commission, Penance and Reconciliation. Fr Gregory Pine, "How To Have A Great Confession"Fr Columba Jordan CFR, "How to Examine Your Conscience (& Know Your Main Fault)"Fr Mike Schmitz, "Making a Good Confession""Do I need to go to Confession?""Going to Confession for the First Time in a Long Time"Ascension, "Do this one thing before every Confession""A Guided Examination of Conscience"Catholic Answers, "What if I Forgot to Confess a Sin and Remembered it Later?""Confession for non-Catholics""Can non-Catholics go to Confession?"Aleteia, "I went to confession and forgot my penance. What should I do?""Can a non-Catholic go to confession to a priest?"EWTN, "Confession for RCIA Candidate"

Host Beth White first spends time talking to the Director of Divine Worship, Todd Williamson, about the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) and then Beth has a conversation with the Director of the Global Mission Office, Megan Mio, about World Mission.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website says Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ. Joining us for today's program to talk about the liturgies of Lent is Todd Williamson, Director of the Office for Divine Worship.

Recently Abbot Jeremy Driscoll was a presenter at the Plenary Assembly for the Dicastery for Divine Worship in Rome. He spoke to Cardinals and Bishops about the liturgical formation of priests at Mt. Angel. He joins Pat to tell us more. Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

Maggie Gallagher, the Executive Director of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship, discusses the importance of music and liturgy in the life of the Church. Watch a short video about St. John Seminary's Online in M.A. in Pastoral Ministry Program: https://vimeo.com/790530996 If you are interested in learning more about the online M.A. in Pastoral Ministry Program for lay students at St. John's Seminary, email Dr. Stuart Squires at mapm@stjohnsem.edu

James Matthew Wilson has published ten books, among them four collections of poems, including The Strangeness of the Good. His poems, essays, and reviews appear regularly in a wide range of magazines and journals. The winner of the 2017 Hiett Prize from the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, Wilson also serves as Poet-in-Residence of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship, poetry editor of Modern Age magazine, and series editor of Colosseum Books, a new imprint that publishes the best contemporary poetry and literary criticism of serious craft and spiritual depth.-bio via University of St. Thomas, Houston Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

Guest Father Dustin Dought, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship, discusses the observance of Ash Wednesday and Lent.

Cardinal Roche opens the Lenten season on “Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast” with a heartfelt message taken from the Scripture readings for Ash Wednesday: “Come back to me with all your heart.” When asked by host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., why he chose the theme of “Welcome Home” and not to preach “in a heavier way,” to emphasize the penitential nature of the season, the cardinal, who is the most senior Vatican official to appear on the show, simply replies: “Well, because I think, really, that's what Lent is all about.” Cardinal Roche serves as the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and is a former chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). On the show, he not only imparts Lenten preaching wisdom but also shares his insights into Pope Francis' synodal vision and emphasizes the need for preachers to meticulously prepare their homilies: “I would say, really, take preaching—take your homily very, very seriously. And don't be the person who looks on Saturday night to see what he has to say on Sunday morning.” Read the full text of this week's homily and Scripture readings. Do you have a preacher to recommend for “Preach,” Let us know here. Get daily Scripture reflections and support "Preach" by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. “Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The big story over the Christmas break was the announcement from the Vatican about "blessing same sex couples." Some traditionalists have hailed this as pastorally helpful and clarifying, while others call it confusing and potentially troubling. Meanwhile the mainstream news reported the Roman Catholic Church as moving toward gay affirming. I've asked my friend, Anthony Costello, back on the show to help us sort through the confusion and share his perspective as a thoughtful former Catholic about why Protestants ought to care about these developments. Research and Sources: - "Fiducia Supplicans"; https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231218_fiducia-supplicans_en.html - Fr. Raymond de Souza, National Catholic Register article from 1/04/2024 "Fiducia Supplicans 2.0"; https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/fiducia-supplicans-2-0 - Archbishop Joseph Naumann (Archbishop of Kansas City) "The Leaven" article from 1/12/2024; https://theleaven.org/fiducia-supplicans-does-not-change-perennial-church-teaching/ - Cardinal Sarah (former Prefect for the Congregation on Divine Worship, Archbishop of Guinea), quoted in the "Catholic Herald" from 1/9/2024; https://catholicherald.co.uk/cardinal-sarah-gives-in-depth-interview-on-fiducia-supplicans/ - Michael Sean Winters (liberal Catholic) "How big a deal is the new Vatican document on Same-Sex Blessings" in "The National Catholic Reporter"; https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-voices/how-big-deal-new-vatican-document-same-sex-blessings - Anthony S. Layne, "Fiducia Supplicans, Infallibility, and a Reflection of Faith" in "The Catholic Stand" 1/15/2024; https://catholicstand.com/fiducia-supplicans-infallibility-reflection-faith/ Ian Paul on "Why No One wants the Prayers of Love and Faith" in the Church of England: https://www.psephizo.com/sexuality-2/why-no-one-wants-the-prayers-of-love-and-faith/ Ed Echeverria's 2019 2nd edition book on Pope Francis: https://www.amazon.com/Pope-Francis-Legacy-Vatican-II/dp/1943901112/

Fr. Jacob Hsieh is a Nobertine priest of St. Michael's Abbey and a teacher of Latin, religion and chant.  In this episode, he discusses Catholic devotions.Defining Devotions and how do we evangelize through devotions.Evangelization ChallengeIf you don't already have a devotion ask the Holy Spirit to bring you a devotion.  He will respond to a heart that desires such a gift.  If you need guidance choose something you know about. The rosary, Divine Mercy, and  Holy Face of Jesus are a few ideas to pray about.  Then once you have practiced the devotion a little you can begin to share the devotion publicly.  Maybe it's sharing the Divine Mercy devotion by having cards of the image, or you can buy medals of The Holy Face of Jesus or find some inexpensive rosaries with pamphlets that teach how to pray the rosary.  Now you have your gifts to share with others.  Begin sharing with loved ones. Leaving at chapels or maybe leaving the cards in a church pew for someone to find.  Saint Paul Street Evangelization has some great options for things to buy by going to their online store.Prayers and Devotions: When we take time to pray, even for a moment, the Holy Spirit is the One Who draws us into this prayer. Even though it is a one way conversation as we speak to Him, in reality it is always a two way conversation as He gives us grace and inspiration in return for speaking, and being, with Him. Prayer can be formal, structured prayer like the Psalter or Breviary, the Rosary, litanies and prayers and devotions like the ones found here, or just talking, or even just listening.Roman Catholic devotions are "external practices of piety" which are not part of the official liturgy of the Catholic Church but are part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics. Catholic devotions do not become part of liturgical worship, even if they are performed within a Catholic church, in a group, in the presence of a priest. The  Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican publishes a  Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.Devotion to saints, with the  Virgin Mary as the most prominent example, is a key characteristic of Roman Catholicism. Catholic devotions have various forms, ranging from formalized, multi-day prayers such as  novenas to activities that do not involve any prayers, such as  Eucharistic adoration outside Mass, the wearing of  scapulars, the veneration of the saints, and even horticultural practices such as maintaining a  Mary garden.Common examples of Catholic devotions include the  Rosary, the  Stations of the Cross, the  Sacred Heart of Jesus, the  Holy Face of Jesus, the various scapulars, the  Immaculate Heart of Mary,  Our Lady of Guadalupe,  Seven Sorrows of Mary, novenas to various saints,  pilgrimages and devotions to the  Blessed Sacrament, and the veneration of  

How do you feel when you sing or listen to the music of the Mass? It can help us express our faith, emotions, and unity as the Body of  Christ. Join Jason Nunez and his guests, composers of the Mass of Renewal and winners of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians New Mass Setting Competition in 2010, William Gokelman, and David Kauffman as they take us on a musical journey through the Mass of Renewal. On today's journey, you will: Discover what a Mass Setting is and its significance. Hear about what inspired the creation of the Mass of Renewal, which has been adopted by well over 3500 parishes… maybe even your own parish! Dive into the role music plays in the Mass and how it deepens our connection in Divine Worship. Click here to visit the official webpage for this episode. Jewel for the Journey: “To sing is to pray twice.” – St. Augustine Click here to visit the official website for Good For The Soul Music. To book William Gokelman and David Kauffman, click here. Would you like to support Journeys of Hope? Become a Missionary of Hope by sponsoring a month of Journeys of Hope 2023 Radio Broadcast & Podcast! Click here to get started. Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal STURLA BERHOUET: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_sturla-berhouet_df.html Cardinal STURLA BERHOUET on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2015.htm#Sturla Cardinal STURLA BERHOUET on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/47571  Cardinal STURLA BERHOUET on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bstbe.html  2015 Salt and Light Media write-up of the then-Cardinal-elect: https://slmedia.org/blog/meet-the-cardinals-daniel-fernando-sturla-berhouet  Archdiocese of Montevideo on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/mont1.htm?tab=info  Archdiocese of Montevideo on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmovi.html Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the massive time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights brought to you daily. To help make this library as useful as possible, this episode includes show notes with links and a transcript. You might notice that some of those words in the transcript are in capital letters. Those are either flags for me to make sure that I link back to them when I have my audio glossary set up to help you with terms, or they might be my weird phonetic way to help myself with pronunciation as best I can if I forgot to delete those. Either way, enjoy that! Today *isn't* a Saturday, but as we missed our normal Saturday modern cardinal coverage last week due to the consistory, I thought I'd go ahead and bring you the next episode in that ongoing series today, so we don't fall behind our originally planned pacing, because I know a slippery slope when I see one and I am determined to get these cardinals discussed before the next Conclave, whenever that may be. Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet was born on July 4th, 1959 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Located on the southern coast, Montevideo is Uruguay's capital and largest city. When Daniel was still a fetus, Uruguay had the news of its first Cardinal, but this isn't a Rugambwa situation, they have totally different names. I just wanted you to have a sense of some of Uruguay's Catholic history. By all accounts, Catholicism is the largest religion in Uruguay today, though it's not as dominant as you might think– I've seen it noted that Uruguay is actually the least Catholic Latin American country, with Catholics representing between 75 and 45 percent of the population today, depending on who you ask. Uruguay is a smaller country, about half the size of Germany and covered under one archdiocese, that of Montevideo, which we'll be seeing again. Getting back to young Daniel, he was the youngest of five children, and by sixteen he was an orphan. I didn't see a note on who took care of him at that point, my money is on his siblings, some combination of his three sisters named Maria and the oldest, his brother Héctor, who was 22 by that point and would later become a prominent politician. His brother's political involvement would have to wait though, because from 1973 to 1985 Uruguay was ruled by a military Junta of the sort that were common in Latin America during the latter stages of the Cold War. That situation impacted Daniel quite personally when in 1975, he was among the five Jesuits and 33 lay Catholics abducted by soldiers in Montevideo on Good Friday. That's coming from an article by Salt and Light media I have linked in the show notes which is itself based on a book by Italian journalist Nello Scavo. According to Scavo, the situation was resolved with the assistance of an Argentinean Jesuit priest named Jorge Bergoglio, yes, as in the future Pope Francis. As for Daniel, he signed up with the Salesians, joining the order in 1979 and after some theology training- and a bachelor's in civil law- he was ordained a PRIEST on November 21st, 1987. I don't usually check back in with family members after the first few sentences of these episodes, but it's worth noting that in 1990, his brother Héctor reached the peak of his political career with his one-year term as the President of the Chamber of Deputies, which is the Lower House of the General Assembly of Uruguay. Héctor would pass away within a couple of months of the end of his term. Getting back to Fr. Sturla, he carried out a number of roles within the Salesians, many of which were connected to education and new members, including directing the school where he had studied when he joined the order. He also served as a professor of Church history and earned a licentiate in theology from the Soler Theological Institute in 2006. On May 27, 2009, he was elected president of the Conference of Religious of Uruguay (CONFRU), and on December 10th, 2011 he was elected as an AUXILIARY BISHOP for the Archdiocese of Montevideo. In 2014, the previous ARCHBISHOP of Montevideo retired and bishop Sturla became Archbishop Sturla. In 2015, he became the Second Cardinal in Uruguayan history, when Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of Cardinal-Priest and assigned the TITULAR CHURCH of Saint Galla to him. Later that year, he was named member of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life; and of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. On March 18, 2020, Pope Francis named him member of the Cardinalitial Commission of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, which definitely has its own backstory I'll be getting into at some point here, and on June 1, 2022, the holy father also named him member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Cardinal Sturla is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2039. That's enough for today. I'm sure tomorrow will be a banger as we finally, at long last, return to the main narrative and learn more traditions surrounding Deacon Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch for us to analyze further. Thank you for listening, God bless you all.

This week Phil and Tasha talk about the importance of worship in the life of the church. In particular they discuss maintaining our worship's focus on God. They also talk about some of the things we get wrong when we think about worship, as well as how best to bring young children into worship.

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus Lectionary: 400/607The Saint of the day is Saints Martha, Mary, and LazarusSaints Martha, Mary and Lazarus’ story Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus were evidently close friends of Jesus. He came to their home simply as a welcomed guest, rather than as one celebrating the conversion of a sinner like Zacchaeus or one unceremoniously received by a suspicious Pharisee. The sisters felt free to call on Jesus at their brother's death, even though a return to Judea at that time seemed to spell almost certain death. Martha's great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother's death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world'” (John 11:25-27). No doubt Martha was an active sort of person. On one occasion, she prepares the meal for Jesus and possibly his fellow guests and forthrightly states the obvious: All hands should pitch in to help with the dinner. The Lord recognizes that Martha is “worried about many things,” also noting that Mary, who has spent the preparation time at Jesus' feet listening to his words “has chosen the better part.” John 12:1-8 describes Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet at Bethany, an act which he praised highly. Immediately after we are told that the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus “because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.” Lazarus was the one of whom the Jews said, “See how much he loved him.” In their sight Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Legends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters, and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years. It is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday. Reflection In its 2021 decree on combining veneration of Mary and Lazarus with Martha, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments said, “In the household of Bethany, the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them. Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the one who humiliated death.” Saint Martha is a Patron Saint of: CooksHomemakersRestaurant servers Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are Patron Saints of: Siblings Click here for more on Mary and Martha! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” John 11:19–22Today's memorial is relatively new within our Church. In the year 2021, Pope Francis replaced the Memorial of Saint Martha with this memorial in honor of all three siblings: Martha, Mary and Lazarus. In commenting on the reason for this new memorial, the Congregation for Divine Worship stated: “Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words, and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the One who humiliated death.” Furthermore, these three siblings gave an evangelical witness to us all. They model for us how to be Christians within our imperfections. They did this by welcoming Jesus into their home, by listening to Him attentively, and by believing that He is the Resurrection and the Life.These three siblings each had their own unique personality and loved Jesus in their own way. Though not much is said about Lazarus' personal interactions with Jesus, we do have some helpful insights into both Martha and Mary. In one Gospel story, Martha complained to Jesus that her sister left her to do all the cooking. Jesus gently corrected her. Mary, on the other hand, gave a witness of deep prayer and love of Jesus by sitting at His feet listening to Him. However, in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, there is a reversal of roles. Martha is the one who runs out to meet Jesus and expresses her deep faith in Him. Mary, on the other hand, heard that Jesus was coming and appeared to stay at home because she was upset.Perhaps the most helpful way to ponder these siblings is to acknowledge two things. First, they are now saints in Heaven enjoying eternal beatitude and glory. Second, on earth they were people of faith and love, but they were also very clearly imperfect. Therefore, the witness they give to us should be twofold. We hope to share in the glory in which they now share, and we trust this will happen if we also befriend our Lord and welcome Him into our homes, imperfect though we may be. Reflect, today, upon this holy but imperfect family. The imperfections and manifest weaknesses of these three siblings should encourage us to press on in our practice of the faith when things are not perfect in our lives either. There are many reasons why we might get discouraged or feel like doubting or giving up at times. Perhaps things are not perfect within the Church—or at the particular church you attend. Perhaps you are struggling with loving someone in your family. Perhaps you are struggling with an emotional issue. Perhaps there is some sin you seem to be incapable of overcoming. Perhaps you struggle with a physical ailment and wonder why God permitted it to happen. If you are able to relate to any of these, or any other forms of imperfection, then take inspiration from this family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Invite Jesus into the home of your heart, your family home and everywhere you go. He will come, gently correct you when needed, and give you the gift of new life, raising you up from your sins and weaknesses. Lord, You befriended this ordinary family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. You visited their home, received their hospitality, gently corrected them when needed and eventually raised them to the new life of eternal glory. May I also welcome You into the home of my soul, within my family and into every aspect of my life. Please come to me and raise me to the newness of the life of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis said on Sunday that he will create 21 new cardinals, including the Vatican's recently appointed doctrinal chief Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, at a consistory on September 30. The 86-year-old pope made the announcement from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square after reciting the Angelus prayer on July 9. A few of the notable names on the list include Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the US; Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; and Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan, SJ, Bishop of Hong Kong. Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has created 121 cardinals from 66 countries at eight consistories. The last consistory to create new cardinals took place on August 27, 2022. The new cardinals included Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego and Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. For the complete list of new Cardinals, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254759/pope-francis-names-21-new-cardinals-including-archbishop-fernandez Today, the Church celebrates Saint Amalberga. Born in Brabant, Belgium in the seventh century, she and her husband ultimately withdrew from the world; he becoming a monk, and she a nun. She became the mother of three saints: Gudila, Reinelda, and Emembertus. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-amalberga-297

Join Archbishop Alexander Sample and special guest, Msgr. Gerard O'Connor as they discuss the history and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Discover the beauty of our Catholic Faith through this powerful devotion and learn why we should enthrone our homes and family to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Msgr. O'Connor is the rector at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and director of Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.Subscribe to the Voice of the Shepherd on your favorite podcast platform.Learn more about the Archdiocese of Portland.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Voice of the Shepherd is produced by Mater Dei Radio in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Portland.

Join Msgr. Gerard O'Connor and Robin Moodie as they update us on liturgical celebrations at St. Mary's Cathedral. Learn about the history behind Corpus Christi Processions and discover why Eucharistic Processions are a powerful public witness to our Catholic faith. We will also hear about the launch of a new respect life novena by the Archdiocese of Portland in June as well as the Celebrate Life Mass on June 25th at the Cathedral celebrating the one-year anniversary of the reversal of Roe vs- Wade.Msgr. O'Connor is the Rector of St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Director of Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Portland and Robin Moodie is the Communication and Marketing Manager at the Pastoral Center. For more: https://archdpdx.org/pro-lifehttps://archdpdx.org/divine-worshipSubscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

IntroductionLast week, we looked at the etymology of the word liturgy, a public service. We talked about the liturgical diversity in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. We learned that the Holy Mass is for the glorification of God and the sanctification of man. We looked at the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ, made present once again by the Holy Mass. And we discussed how to put the cult back in culture. Most importantly, we defined the Mass. Hopefully we have it memorized by now! But if not here it is again:The Mass is the perfect self-offering of the Son to the Father in the Spirit in which we are invited to take part. Architecture, Gestures, and SymbolsWhen the Word of God became man in the Person of Jesus Christ, the spiritual met the material. The supernatural shared in the nature of the natural. God took on flesh to share in our humanity. Heaven and Earth met. This has always been the way of the Church. The outward shows something deeper inward. In the Sacraments of the Church, most especially, signs and symbols become the outward showing of God's inward grace. Hidden realities are made clear through the sacramental.This is what signs and symbols in the Church can do for us: they use the visible to lead us to and show us the invisible. Especially in the Holy Mass, Heaven and Earth meet. This is why Church art and architecture matters so much. Good art and architecture show us the truth and goodness of God!Basic Church LayoutGenerally, there are three different parts to a Catholic Church: the narthex, nave, and sanctuary. The Narthex is the gathering place and the appropriate place to chat and share in fellowship. In the Nave, representative of Earth, the people are seated standing or in pews for worship. In the Sanctuary, we have the place where the Eucharistic miracle takes place and Heaven meets Earth. This is why the altar is prominently in the center of the Sanctuary, Christ standing in the midst of His people. The Altar is ChristDr. Denis McNamara of Benedictine College points out that Preface V of Easter in the Roman Missal says of Christ: “As He gave Himself into Your hands for our salvation, He showed Himself to be the Priest, the Altar, and the Lamb of sacrifice.” The altar, which is the center of the Eucharistic celebration, is both the place of sacrifice and the table of the Lord. On this altar, the sacrifice of Calvary is made present once more.On the Cross, Jesus is the Priest because, as a Priest, He is offering Himself to the Father. He is the Altar because His Body is the place of sacrifice. He is the Lamb because, like the Passover, He is offered in our place.In the words of Mother Church, the Altar is Christ standing in the midst of His People. Even when an altar is consecrated and dedicated, it is anointed with oil as the Body of Christ was anointed before His burial.The Altar is not merely a table, even a sacred table. The Altar is first and foremost the place of sacrifice. The Holy Victim, who is also the High Priest, is offered on the Altar, which is His Body. The Holy Mass makes this reality present to us again.As the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy from the Second Vatican Council says, “in the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem (SC, 8).” So, the Altar is a living altar in Heaven and the meal we share is a heavenly meal. This is why the Altar is holy and receives special treatment: anointing, incensing, covering, and lighting.Gestures in the LiturgyGenuflection and BowingThis brings us to a good point to discuss the gestures of genuflection and bowing. It would be very unusual to bow to a table. If that is all the Altar is, then we would be out of our minds to do so. Of course, we know that this Sacred Table is the place of sacrifice. The Altar is Christ.Jesus Christ is God Himself, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. He is our great High Priest. He is the Lamb of Sacrifice. He is also the King of the Universe. Even the worst kings and queens in history were honored by bowing and genuflection. How much more deserving is our perfect and infinite Lord!The proper gesture towards the altar which is the sign of Christ standing in our midst is a profound bow, or a bow from the waist. The bow is a bending of the head or body in reverence and submission. One definition of “to bow” is to “cease from competition or resistance.” How often do we resist the Lord? But, of course, God Almighty is so far above us that resistance or competition is unthinkable.By bowing, we remind ourselves of who God is and who we are. We are also reminded of what takes place and Who becomes present on the Altar during Holy Mass.When Do We Genuflect?The genuflection, or bending at the knee, is a sign of profound respect and adoration. Speaking of Christ Jesus, St. Paul writes:“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).”We genuflect in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord, present in the Tabernacle. We bend our knee to the one and only God and Lord of all. The Altar makes Christ present in a particular and special way, but the Holy Eucharist IS Jesus.So, with all of the explanation behind us: We bow to the Altar. We genuflect to our Lord in the Tabernacle.Other Gestures and PosturesAs we continue through this series, we will look at the meanings of several gestures and postures. One of the most prominent signs or gestures is the Sign of the Cross. There is the gesture before the Gospel. There are a few other instances throughout the Mass of bowing and genuflection. We will talk about kneeling, sitting, standing, and why each of these are important parts of the Sacred Liturgy. Today and next week, we will be talking about the importance of singing and speaking the responses. And later today, I will be mentioning the orans posture which seems to be misunderstood in the Liturgy.If you really pay attention, there are so many different gestures, postures, and signs in the Sacred Liturgy, and they all have a purpose and meaning.The Entrance and GreetingWhat is Everyone Wearing?If your church has a bell that is rung at the beginning, then what happens? We stand up. And then we see a procession of the priest, deacon, and altar servers. We will get to what this procession actually is in just a moment. But everyone is dressing up and putting on a costume. The priest will wear a chasuble which covers himself up so that we can better see Jesus Christ our High Priest. The chasuble is similar to the outer garment worn by the priest in the Temple in the Old Covenant. Likewise, the deacon is wearing a garb similar to those who assisted at the Temple; his garment is called a dalmatic and, unlike the chasuble, it has long sleeves. Underneath, the priest and deacon also wear an alb (a long white garment - albus means white in Latin) and a stole. The priest wears a stole around the back of his neck and which hangs on the front on both sides. The deacon wears a stole across his body from one shoulder to the opposite side by his hip. There are a couple other garments, but we will stick to what is seen for now. Altar servers are traditionally an apprenticeship for the priesthood. It is a close-up look at the service at the altar and an opportunity for conversations between priests and boys about the priesthood. So, the altar boys wear cassock and surplice which is a priestly garment. St. John Paul II allowed girls to altar serve in the late 1990s, if there were no boys available. The clearest case of this would be in the situation of an all-girls Catholic school. This has been expanded far beyond St. John Paul II's intentions in most Parishes throughout the world over the last few decades. In some parishes, to make a visual distinction, girls will wear altar server robes rather than the male garment of cassock and surplice. I plan on making a few more comments on altar serving in Session 5. So, stay tuned on that front! Anyway… back to the procession!What is a procession, liturgically and theologically?What is part of the procession? And is there a method to the ordering? If there is incense at the Mass, the server with the incense (the thurifer) will go first along with the server with the little boat of incense granules. Next comes the processional cross which is on a long pole for all to see. After that comes two candle-bearers. Then the deacon. Then the priest. We will discuss this more in the coming weeks, but the procession is a movement through Earth (the nave) towards Heaven (the sanctuary). It is a presenting once again of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.Once the priest reaches the altar, he bows and kisses the altar. This gesture is called “reverencing the altar.” In the 1962 Missale Romanum, the prayers show us the deep meaning of the priest's gesture:“Take away from us our iniquities, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may be worthy to enter with pure minds into the Holy of Holies: through Christ our Lord. Amen. We beseech Thee, O Lord, by the merits of Thy Saints, whose relics are here, and of all the Saints, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to forgive me all my sins. Amen (Missale Romanum 1962; Baronius Press translation).”The Sign of the CrossThe very first thing the priest says in the Roman Missal is: “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.” The Sign of the Cross! Why do we trace the cross when we begin prayer? In the fourth century, St. Cyril of Jerusalem said this:“Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the Cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow, and on everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we rise up; when we are in the way, and when we are still. Great is that preservative; it is without price, for the sake of the poor; without toil, for the sick; since also its grace is from God. It is the Sign of the faithful, and the dread of devils: for He triumphed over them in it, having made a shew of them openly; for when they see the Cross they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, who bruised the heads of the dragon. Despise not the Seal, because of the freeness of the gift; out for this the rather honor thy Benefactor.”There is power in the Sign of the Cross! In the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Sign of the Cross is made dozens of times! In the West, we generally make the sign with an open palm which is a sign of blessing. In the East, the thumb, index, and middle fingers are joined to represent the Trinity and the ring and pinky are put towards the palm to show the divine and human natures of Christ. Either way, it is a great way to begin worship.Where do the greetings come from in Scripture?Next, the priest says one of a few different greetings which are all taken from the letters of St. Paul. The choices are a variation of: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you (2 Corinthians 13:13).”What does “The Lord be with you” and the “and with your spirit” actually mean?We are praying for the spirit of the ordained priest who we believe has been configured, through Holy Orders and the power of the Holy Spirit, to Christ in a special way.  When we say, “and with your spirit,” we are not simply wishing him well. We acknowledge his priestly soul and the fact that he is acting in the Person of Christ, Head of His Body. Next week, we are going to talk more about the concept of the Mystical Body of Christ.The Penitential ActConfiteorNext comes the Penitential Act. There are a few choices for the priest here, but the first and most traditional option is the Confiteor followed by the Kyrie. In the Confiteor we call to mind our sins, ask for the prayers of the saints and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and ask for God's forgiveness. Before the 10th or 11th centuries, the asking for forgiveness was done by the priest in his preparation prayers in the sacristy. After that point, these prayers of preparation became part of the prayers at the foot of the altar. In the 1962 Missale Romanum, the first words of the priest after the Sign of the Cross are “Introibo ad altare Dei” which begins Psalm 42. Directly after this psalm comes the Confiteor, so named after the first word in Latin of this prayer. The prayers at the foot of the altar are then concluded; the prayers of reverencing the altar are then made, which I mentioned earlier. In the 1970 Missal which is currently in use the Confiteor is said not only by the priest but by all present. The prominent gesture associated with the Confiteor is striking the breast during the words mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa (through my fault, through my fault, my most grievous fault). This is the gesture of the humble sinner who is expressing his heartfelt contrition. Right after the Confiteor, the priest asks for God's forgiveness of our sins and we receive an absolution of our venial sins.Kyrie EleisonBefore the priest gives us absolution, the Kyrie is sung. The words in English are “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy,” but these do not do justice to what is actually said in the Greek. As a side note, along with one chant on Good Friday, these are the only Greek words used in the Roman Liturgy. Pope St. Gregory the Great implemented numerous liturgical reforms in the late 6th Century and early 7th Century; he retained this part in Greek to show communion with the East. The word Kyrie does mean Lord and Christe does mean Christ. But Eleison does not originally mean have mercy. Eleison in Greek is derived from the word from oil. Literally, it had the meaning of “Lord, pour your oil out upon us.” What is this about? How did that come to mean mercy? Well, oil was used in the Ancient Greek world as a salve for burns and bruises. It was also used to prepare wrestlers before the Greek Olympic games. And, so, when we say Kyrie Eleison, we are asking God to ready us for battle and simultaneously to heal our wounds and bind up what is broken in us!Gloria In Excelsis DeoScriptural basis for the GloriaNext comes the Gloria, which in English begins: “Glory to God in the highest…” Where does this come from? Well, like most parts of the Mass, it is taken directly from Sacred Scripture. We have just asked for God's forgiveness and received it, and now it is time to praise and glorify Him! We hear in Luke 2:8-20:“8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them (Lk 2:8-20).”Sacred Music at MassThe Gloria is one of the hymns in the Mass which is properly sung. But why? Like the angels in the heavens singing and praising God, so too do we unite our hearts and minds with this action of worship. Here, though, I want to take a detour from our regularly scheduled programming to discuss music generally.What is the purpose of Sacred Music in the Latin Rite? Maybe you know! Maybe you think you know. Maybe you have no idea. I hope to give the basics of what the Church offers. I am not interested in giving you my opinion or the opinions of others. What does the Church say is “Sacred Music?” I think it is worth giving a decent chunk of time here to get into it a bit!In January of 2019, Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon wrote a pastoral letter on Sacred Music in Divine Worship entitled: “Sing to the LORD a New Song.” It is a brilliantly written synthesis of the Church's perennial teachings on music in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The original letter can be found here. I highly recommend that any person involved in the ministry of music in a Latin Rite Catholic Church give it a read.Introduction to Church MusicQuoting St. Augustine, Archbishop Sample reminds us that singing is an expression of joy and of love. When the People of God gather, we sing praises to God. To lose the great 2,000 year tradition of Sacred Music in the Church would be a tragedy. In fact, the “beauty, dignity and prayerfulness of the Mass depend to a large extent on the music that accompanies the liturgical action (Sample, 1).”Speaking of language, form, and genre, Pope Francis said a few years ago that, “At times a certain mediocrity, superficiality and banality have prevailed, to the detriment of the beauty and intensity of liturgical celebrations (Sample, 2).”The archbishop alludes to the fact that there has been a certain confusion about Sacred Music in the past decades and that a rediscovery of the tradition of the Church will constitute for some a “change.” He says, “Change can be difficult, but this can also be an exciting time of rediscovering the spirit of the liturgy and exploring new horizons of sacred music (Sample, 3).”History and the Nature and Purpose of Sacred Music Since the time of the Apostles, singing has not been an addendum to the worship of God. It is integral. Singing is an art form that “takes its life and purpose from the Sacred Liturgy and is part of its very structure (Sample, 3).”The Second Vatican Council reiterates this in the document on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium: “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy (Sample, 3).”If this is the case, and it is, then it seems unfitting that the norm in the United States (at least) is to, as the archbishop puts it, “‘tack on' four songs (the opening hymn, the offertory hymn, communion hymn and recessional hymn), along with the sung ordinary of the Mass (Gloria, Sanctus, etc.). We must come to see that, since sacred music is integral to the Mass, the role of sacred music is to help us sing and pray the texts of the Mass itself, not just ornament it… The Church solemnly teaches us, then, that the very purpose of sacred music is twofold: the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful. This understanding of the essential nature and purpose of sacred music must direct and inform everything else that is said about it (Sample, 3 & 4).”The Qualities of Sacred MusicThere are three essential qualities of sacred music that flow from its nature and purpose: sanctity, beauty, and universality.SANCTITY - Sacred Music has sanctity because it is holy. It must be free of profanity in its words, themes, and the manner in which it is delivered. To be holy is to be set apart. Common, secular music has no place in the worship of God in the liturgy.BEAUTY – Liturgical and Sacred Music can give people a glimpse of the beauty of heaven, according to Pope Francis. Our liturgies must seek to be transcendent. They can be nothing compared to the glory of Heaven, but the beauty of Sacred Music can offer a foretaste of the Heavenly reality. UNIVERSALITY – The composition of Sacred Music, of any culture, must be recognized as having a sacred character. As a universal principle, holiness transcends every individual culture. In other words, “Not every form or style of music is capable of being rendered suitable for the Mass (Sample, 5).”The Treasury of Sacred MusicThe treasury of the Church's Sacred Music spans centuries. Whether ancient or modern, Sacred Music must have the same character of sanctity, beauty, and universality.  For example, there is Gregorian Chant which the Second Vatican Council gave pride of place in Sacred Music in the Roman liturgy. This has been reinforced by every Pontiff since. In terms of full, conscious, active participation of the laity in the liturgy, Pope Pius XI says this, “In order that the faithful may more actively participate in divine worship, let them be led once more to sing the Gregorian chant, so far as it belongs to them to take part in it (Sample, 6).”The Second Vatican Council also suggests that “(S)teps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertains to them (SC, 54).” This is referring to the Kyrie (actually in Greek), the Gloria, the Credo, the Sanctus, the Mysterium Fidei, the Pater Noster, and the Agnus Dei. Echoing the Second Vatican Council, Pope Benedict XVI said, “(W)hile respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (Sample, 7).”There are other kinds of Sacred Music in the Church. For example, polyphony has a venerable tradition in the Church, such as the compositions of Palestrina, Tallis, and Allegri. There is also a vast body of Sacred Music composed for the people, such as hymnody, psalmody, and different Mass settings in Latin or the vernacular. In contrast to Sacred Music is secular music. Secular music is not sanctified, necessarily beautiful, or universal. This does not just pertain to lyrics. There are a great many songs being written and utilized at Mass which are secular in their manner of being played (folk, rock, country, etc.) or their ambiguous lyrical content. Archbishop Sample quotes Pope Benedict XVI in saying: “As far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration. Consequently everything - texts, music, execution - ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons (Sample, 9-10).”There is much more to say on music and full, conscious, actual participation in the Mass, but I am going to hold off on that until next week. Otherwise, this week will go far over an hour. So, make sure to come back next week for the exciting conclusion!The CollectThe celebrant invites those gathered to pray and then proclaims the prescribed prayer for the day from the Roman Missal called the Collect.  The Collect literally collects the prayers of the people and the priest offers these prayers to God. The Collect also disposes the hearts of those present to be made ready to hear the Word of God proclaimed in the following part of the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word. As we will see next week, when we talk about the Mystical Body of Christ, we need a priest to do this properly. In his priesthood, the priest is acting in the Person of Christ, the Head of His Body, at Holy Mass. Only he can collect up the prayers of the Members of the Body of Christ and offer them, by his consecration, to God the Father, in the Spirit. ConclusionWith the Collect, the Introductory Rites are concluded. Whether we are celebrating the Holy Mass by the 1962 Missal or the 1970 Missal, the Collect ends the beginning prayers of the Mass which prepare us for the Readings. Next week, we will be diving into this next part of the Mass, known in our current Missal as the Liturgy of the Word. We will also be looking closer at the theology of the Mystical Body of Christ. We will look a bit closer at Sacred Music in Mass. We will walk through the progression of Readings and the Homily. And we will be learning more about the Profession of Faith and the Universal Prayer. We will also look at the difference between Sacraments and sacramentals. I am certain there will be a few other side roads to investigate along the way.Thank you for joining us this week. I look forward to being with you again next week as we continue to learn more about Praying the Mass!Thank you for reading Will Wright Catholic Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, 92, filed a motion in a Massachusetts court claiming he is “legally incompetent” to stand trial for sex abuse charges, citing “significant, worsening, and irreversible dementia.” McCarrick, laicized by Pope Francis in 2019, held one of the highest offices in the Catholic Church and has been accused of serially abusing his priestly authority by sexually abusing minors and seminarians. McCarrick is charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14. The state of Massachusetts told CNA that it wants an opportunity to examine McCarrick's competency to stand trial. It would be a violation of McCarrick's 14th Amendment right in the Constitution and Article XII of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights if he were to stand trial with his dementia, his lawyers maintain in a court document. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253756/ex-cardinal-mccarrick-asks-for-dismissal-of-sex-abuse-case-against-him-citing-dementia The Diocese of Albany, New York, has at least temporarily banned the Traditional Latin Mass at two parishes to comply with an order issued by the Vatican last week. Effective immediately, parish churches in the diocese are prohibited from celebrating the Latin Mass in accordance with the “Missale Romanum” of 1962, according to a statement from the diocese. In 2021, Pope Francis issued a motu proprio titled Traditionis custodes, which directed bishops to designate locations for the celebration of the Latin Mass but added that those locations not be within parish churches. Many bishops offered dispensations for parishes that already had thriving Latin Mass communities. On Feb. 21, Cardinal Arthur Roche, who serves as the prefect for the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, clarified that all dispensations must be approved by the Vatican and ordered any bishop who had already issued dispensations to inform the dicastery, which will evaluate individual cases. The effect of Cardinal Roche's rescript is still unclear, as many bishops have yet to clearly indicate what they will do next. However, some bishops have already sought and received Vatican approval for dispensations. These dispensations, however, are not permanent but instead only granted for a limited period of time. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253757/albany-diocese-bans-latin-masses-following-new-guidance-from-the-vatican Today, the Church celebrates Blessed Villana de'Botti, a wife and a Third Order Dominican. After reforming her apparently lazy and world ways, she became a Dominican tertiary, concentrated on her vocation of married life, and spent her free time praying and reading Scripture and the lives of the saints. She was given to religious ecstasies at Mass, visions of Our Lady and the saints, and had the gift of prophecy. She died in 1361 of natural causes at the age of 30. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-villana-debotti-161

The Vatican confirms that Cardinal Roche, who is over the Dicastery for Divine Worship, has acted within his authority in reigning in bishops who have allowed the use of the Missal of 1962 after Traditionis Custodes.

The Vatican confirms that Cardinal Roche, who is over the Dicastery for Divine Worship, has acted within his authority in reigning in bishops who have allowed the use of the Missal of 1962 after Traditionis Custodes.

His Excellency, Stephen J. Lopes, Bishop of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter and Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship, offers reflections on the work of God in the sacred liturgy, the relationship of artistic beauty to the truths of the Catholic faith and a life of charity, as well as a bit about the formation of the Ordinariate's liturgical books.  Learn more about the Ordinariate and Bishop Lopes here: https://ordinariate.net/bishop-lopes. Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/.

The Catholic Culture Podcast Network sponsored a poetry reading session at the fourth biennial Catholic Imagination Conference, hosted by the University of Dallas. Thomas Mirus moderated this session on Sept. 30, 2022, introducing poets Paul Mariani, Frederick Turner, and James Matthew Wilson. Paul Mariani, University Professor Emeritus at Boston College, is the author of twenty-two books, including biographies of William Carlos Williams, John Berryman, Robert Lowell, Hart Crane, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Wallace Stevens. He has published nine volumes of poetry, most recently All that Will be New, from Slant. He has also written two memoirs, Thirty Days and The Mystery of It All: The Vocation of Poetry in the Twilight of Modernism. His awards include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the NEA and NEH. He is the recipient of the John Ciardi Award for Lifetime Achievement in Poetry and the Flannery O'Connor Lifetime Achievement Award. His poetry has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, including Image, Poetry, Presence, The Agni Review, First Things, The New England Review, The Hudson Review, Tri-Quarterly, The Massachusetts Review, and The New Criterion. Frederick Turner, Founders Professor of Arts and Humanities (emeritus) at the University of Texas at Dallas, was educated at Oxford University. A poet, critic, translator, philosopher, and former editor of The Kenyon Review, he has authored over 40 books, including The Culture of Hope, Genesis: An Epic Poem, Shakespeare's Twenty-First Century Economics, Natural Religion, and most recently Latter Days, with Colosseum Books. He has co-published several volumes of Hungarian and German poetry in translation, including Goethe's Faust, Part One. He has been nominated internationally over 40 times for the Nobel Prize for Literature and translated into over a dozen languages. James Matthew Wilson is Cullen Foundation Chair of English Literature and Founding Director of the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Saint Thomas, in Houston. He serves also as Poet-in-Residence of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship, as Editor of Colosseum Books, and Poetry Editor of Modern Age magazine. He is the author of twelve books, including The Strangeness of the Good. His work has won the Hiett Prize, the Parnassus Prize, the Lionel Basney Award (twice), and the Catholic Media Book Award for Poetry.

This lecture was given on April 21, 2022 at The Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst as part of "Catholicism and the Arts: An Intellectual Retreat." For more information on upcoming events, please visit our website at www.thomisticinstitute.org. About the speaker: Fr Uwe Michael Lang, a native of Nuremberg, Germany, is a priest of the Oratory of St Philip Neri in London. He holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford and teaches Church History at Mater Ecclesiae College, St Mary's University, Twickenham, and at Allen Hall Seminary, London. He is an Associate Staff Member at the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, and on the Visiting Faculty of the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, Illinois. He is the Editor of Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal. From 2008 to 2012 he was a staff member of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and from 2008 to 2013 he was a Consultor to the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. In the academic year 2011/2012, he taught as Professore incaricato for history of Christian worship and hagiography at the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archaeology in Rome

This lecture was given on April 20, 2022 at The Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst as part of "Catholicism and the Arts: An Intellectual Retreat." For information on upcoming events, please visit our website at www.thomisticinstitute.org. About the speaker: Uwe Michael Lang, a native of Nuremberg, Germany, is a priest of the Oratory of St Philip Neri in London, where he serves as Parish Priest. He holds a Mag.Theol. from the University of Vienna (Austria) an S.T.L. from the Catholic University Leuven (Belgium) and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford. He teaches at Allen Hall Seminary in London, is an Associate Staff member at the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, a Visiting Fellow at St Mary's University, Twickenham, and has been on the Visiting Faculty of the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, Illinois. Formerly staff member of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (2008–2012) and Consultor to the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff (2008–2013). He is a Board Member of the Society for Catholic Liturgy and the Editor of Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal.

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:41–42Today's memorial was formerly a memorial only in honor of Saint Martha. However, on February 2, 2021, Pope Francis expanded this memorial to include Martha's sister and brother, Mary and Lazarus. Thus, today we celebrate these three siblings together.Martha, Mary and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus. They lived in Bethany, which was only a short distance from Jerusalem. Martha is remembered especially for the story in which she had been preparing a meal for Jesus, while her sister, Mary, sat at Jesus' feet listening to Him, leaving all the work to Martha. Martha complained to Jesus, urging Him to “Tell her to help me.” Jesus' gentle rebuke of her request is quoted above.Mary is also known for the above story in which she sat at Jesus' feet. This has traditionally been seen as a symbol of contemplative prayer. She is also presented in John's Gospel as the one who poured an entire jar of expensive perfumed oil on Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair just six days before Jesus' death. Though medieval tradition has at times associated Mary of Bethany with Mary of Magdala and with the sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet (Luke 7:36–50), most scholars agree today that these are three different Marys. In fact, one of the reasons Pope Francis added Mary of Bethany to this memorial today was so that she was honored with a liturgical memorial that did not confuse her with Mary of Magdala.Lazarus is, of course, well known for the fact that Jesus brought him back to life after being dead and in the tomb for four days. Little else is mentioned about Lazarus in the Gospels except for the fact that the Pharisees wanted to arrest Lazarus at the time they were also seeking to arrest Jesus and that he was the sibling of Martha and Mary.Why do we have this memorial honoring all three of these siblings together? When this memorial was established, the Congregation for Divine Worship said, “In the household of Bethany the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them.” By honoring these siblings together, we are especially reminded of the importance of remaining close to family and inviting Jesus into our family. Martha, Mary and Lazarus lived together and shared a common life of love. They invited Jesus into their family life, and He accepted their offer. Jesus' choice to befriend this family is an indication of His desire to unite each family and to befriend each member of every family so as to be the central source of their shared love and unity. Family love is central to our human lives. And though not every family enjoys unity and mutual love, we must never forget that God wants to enter every family just as He did with Martha, Mary and Lazarus.Reflect, today, upon your own family. In which ways does Jesus desire to befriend you more? How does He desire to enter your family life and strengthen it with His love? And how does He want to use you to help? Even if your family struggles in various ways, know that God wants to love you and your family in the same way He did the family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Though they were not perfect, He loved them nonetheless. And He desires to do the same to you and your family. My loving Jesus, You chose to love the family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. In doing so, You also reveal to us Your desire to love all families with a holy love. I invite You into my life and into my family, dear Lord. Please strengthen our bonds, bring unity and mutual respect. Please remove any past hurt and division and enable every family to share more fully in Your friendship and love. Jesus, I love You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:26-27On March 3, 2018, Pope Francis announced that a new memorial would be celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday, entitled “The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.” Henceforth, this memorial is added to the General Roman Calendar and is to be universally celebrated throughout the Church.In instituting this memorial, Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, said:This celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored to the Mystery of the Cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed, the Virgin who makes her offering to God.“Anchored” to the Cross, the Eucharist, and the Blessed Virgin Mary who is both “Mother of the Redeemer” and “Mother of the Redeemed.” What beautiful insights and inspiring words from this holy Cardinal of the Church.The Gospel chosen for this memorial presents to us the holy image of the Blessed Mother standing before the Cross of her Son. While standing there, she heard Jesus say the words, “I thirst.” He was given some wine on a sponge and then declared, “It is finished.” Jesus' Blessed Mother, the Mother of the Redeemer, stood as a witness as the Cross of her Son became the source of the redemption of the World. As He took that last drink of wine, He completed the institution of the New and Eternal Passover Meal, the Holy Eucharist.Additionally, just prior to Jesus expiring, Jesus declared to His mother that she would now be the “Mother of the Redeemed,” that is, the mother of each member of the Church. This gift of Jesus' mother to the Church was symbolized by Him saying, “Behold, your son...Behold, your mother.”As we celebrate this new and beautiful universal memorial within the Church, ponder your relationship to the Cross, to the Eucharist and to your heavenly mother. If you are willing to stand by the Cross, gaze at it with our Blessed Mother, and witness Jesus pour forth His precious blood for the salvation of the world, then you are also privileged to hear Him say to you, “Behold, your mother.” Stay close to your heavenly mother. Seek her maternal care and protection and allow her prayers to daily draw you closer to her Son.Dearest Mother Mary, Mother of God, my mother, and Mother of the Church, pray for me and for all your children who are so deeply in need of the mercy of your Son as it was poured out from the Cross for the redemption of the world. May all your children draw ever closer to you and to your Son, as we gaze upon the glory of the Cross, and as we consume the Most Holy Eucharist. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You!Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Pope Francis has approved of the Congregation for Divine Worship's document clarifying 11 interpretations of Pope Francis' previous restriction of the Traditional Latin Mass, Traditionis Custodes.Watch this new podcast episode by clicking here:Or listen to the audio mp3 here:If you'd like to order a copy of Taylor's new book Infiltration: The Plot to Destroy the Church from Within, you can order it in Hardback, Kindle, or Audiobook.Check out Patreon Patron Benefits for Donating to Dr Taylor Marshall's Show!All these video discussions are free. Do you want to recommend a show, get signed books, and show support? Here's how: click on Patreon Patron link: Become a Patron of this Podcast: I am hoping to produce more free weekly podcast Videos. Please help me launch these videos by working with me on Patreon to produce more free content. In gratitude, I'll send you some signed books or even stream a theology event for you and your friends. Please become one of my patrons and check out the various tier benefits at: https://www.patreon.com/drtaylormarshallIf the audio player does not show up in your email or browser, please click here to listen.If you find this podcast episode helpful, please share this podcast on Facebook.Get more from the Taylor Marshall Show:Read Taylor Marshall's historical fiction Sword and Serpent Trilogy.Download the Study Guide at: http://swordandserpent.comTake classed with Dr Marshall at the New Saint Thomas Institute. Please visit newsaintthomas.com for more details.Please Share Your Feedback for Taylor Marshall Show:I'd love to read your feedback: While you listen to today's podcast, would you please take 30 seconds to write a review? Please click here to Rate this Podcast!iTunes: 3,549,958 downloadsYoutube: 10,311,915 downloadsSHOUT OUTS: A huge “shout out” to all 1,692 of you who wrote amazing 5-star reviews at iTunes. Please rate this podcast by clicking here. From there you can leave a review. I appreciate you for this! Thank you!How to Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Youtube:Apple/Mac Users: Please subscribe via iTunes by clicking here and then clicking on “View in iTunes.” Android Users: For listening to The Taylor Marshall Show on Android devices (free) using:Android Stitcher app.Android Beyond Pod app from the Google Play Store.Android Pocketcasts app.Spotify Users: For listening to The Taylor Marshall Show on Spotify, search in Spotify for “Taylor Marshall.” Our you can listen/watch to the Taylor Marshall Show via Youtube:If you like this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes.7 The post 777: Pope Francis Declares War on Traditional Catholics, Latin Mass, and the Roman Rite [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.