Integrity

Vigil of Pentecost

Thanks to EWTN, I was able to see the Vigil of Pentecost that Pope Benedict XVI held today with representatives all of the ecclesial movements and new communities. 

For those that are not aware, this meeting was the second one of its type.  The first occurred in 1998 and was a seminal moment in the life of so many movements.  As mentioned in the post below, leading up to this one was a World Congress of Ecclesial Movements, spending three days reflecting on the theme of the beauty of being a Christian and ecclesial maturity.

I had thought about going to Rome for this, but it became clear early that my work schedule wouldn't permit it.  I will participate tomorrow, however, in the local vigil that Cardinal George is holding with the ecclesial movements that are present in the Archdiocese of Chicago. 

If you had a chance to see any of the coverage, I think the first thing you would be struck by is the youth of the crowd.  This was 350,000 people, and of all ages, yes, but most of all young adults.  So many movements were present.  Focolare, Communion and Liberation (boy, were there loud shouts whenever CL was mentioned!), Community of the Beatitudes, Regnum Christi, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, St. Egidio, Cursillos, Schonstatt, Christian Life, etc.  If you want a sign that the Holy Spirit breathes as the Spirit wills, it was on vibrant display.

And vibrancy.  That, too, was on display.  I realize many are skeptical about the movements, even though they don't know them well.  They worry that the movements hurt parishes, as if that is the only outcome or as if that the parish is the only way in which the Church lives. 

A lot of the songs that were sung may be unfamiliar to most.  The choir was made up of members from many movements (quite a few have a serious emphasis and love for singing).  One of the songs, for example, was from the movement I belong to, Communion and Liberation.  The song, Povera Voce, which translates:

"Poor is the voice of one who doesn't exist./Such is our voice if it no longer has a reason./It must cry out, implore / that life's breath never cease. / But it must sing out because there is life. / All of life pleads for eternity; / our voice which asks Love for life / can't die, it can't end. / So ours is not a poor voice of a man who doesn't exist. / It's a voice that sings with a reason."

That's what comes through so clearly from all of these movements: the having found a reason, that being a Person, Jesus Christ.  This is not to say that other facets of the Church's life don't allow for the encounter with Christ.  To the contrary!  But it is on such display within many of these movements.

I hope someone publishes the texts of the Vigil soon.  At some point, I'm sure, Communion and Liberation will have some of them on their website -- at the very least, the Pope's homily and Fr. Carron's reflection.

Interested In The Lay Movements?

I know it's been some time since I last posted.  Unfortunately, I am incredibly busy with work and business travel.  Posting will probably remain limited until mid October, when I have finished this current transaction and moved to my new home.

But I break this blog hiatus to let what few readers I still have know about a wonderful event coming up in the Archdiocese of Chicago.  On September 10th, Cardinal George will be celebrating Mass as part of the archdiocese celebration of the Year of the Eucharist.  What is unique about the event is that it is being co-sponsored by and will involve the majority of the lay ecclesial movements present in the archdiocese.   Afterwards, there will be a reception and an opportunity to meet representatives of the lay movements and ask them questions about their life.

So if you have ever wanted to learn more about the lay movements and are in the Midwest, come and join us!  I will be there and probably will spend some time manning whatever booth Communion and Liberation has at the reception.  It's something that will be special for me, because my involvement with CL began when I decided to go to a similar Mass last year so that I could meet CL.  I look forward to being on the other side of the table, trying to answer from others some of the questions that I was asking last year.

For more information, check out the Archdiocese of Chicago website or download the flyer here: Download lay_movements.pdf.

You, Too, Go Into My Vineyard!

Habemus Papam!

What an exciting moment!  I decided this morning to leave the radio on while at work to hear any word that might come about the conclave.  I truly didn't expect that we would have a new pope already.  But when word came this afternoon that there was smoke, I looked at my watch and thought, "This is too soon for it not to be white smoke!"  And as the reporters kept debating whether it was white or black, but describing it as continuing to billow out, I just knew.  Having during this interregnum seen old news coverage from 1978, I remembered taking note of how the white smoke just kept coming and coming.

Habemus papam!  Pope Benedict XVI!  Man, I wish I had ordered a Ratzinger Fan Club mug.  If Chris is smart, he won't print any more up and sell the remaining lot on eBay to the highest bidder!  (Just kidding.)  I have yet to see more than these pictures of him, but I am excited that we have been given another gifted teacher as our shepherd. 

And I could not help but notice that the Holy Father described himself as a "simple, humble worker in God's vineyard".  Loyal Integrity readers should recognize that, too.  For the parable of the vineyard and workers being sent out into the vineyard (at all times of the day) is the entire framework for CFL, the previous Holy Father's great exhortation on the vocation of the laity that Integrity is dedicated to examining.   I have no doubt that our Holy Father would echo his predecessor's message drawn from that parable:  You, too, go out into the vineyard (Matthew 20:7)!

Post Script:  Those eager to learn from our new Holy Father can check out many of his writings, thanks to Ignatius Press.  I have a whole shelf of his writings that I now shall revisit.  But one interesting volume that I think may get overlooked by some --  but is fitting of the theme of Integrity --   is  Co-Workers Of The Truth, a set of meditations for each day of the year that was prepared using the Holy Father's writings.  He chose the title because it is from his Coat of Arms, and signifies all the faithful in the service of the Gospel.
 

Pre-Conclave Prayers

Like all of the Cardinals, Cardinal George has sent word back home to Chicago asking all of the faithful to pray for him and the other Cardinals that the Holy Spirit guide them in all things as they enter the conclave tomorrow.  Tonight at 6:30pm, there will be a pre-conclave prayer service at Holy Name Cathedral. 

In that spirit, I offer this prayer, courtesy of CIN and written by Professor Mark Miravalle of Franciscan University of Steubenville.  I invite all Integrity readers to say this prayer today and during the conclave. 

Heavenly Father,

We, the People of God, gathered in solidarity as did the disciples in the Upper Room, pray for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the cardinals who will be in conclave for the election of the next Vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ.  May the hearts of our cardinals be open to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, beyond any human judgment, to elect the candidate most pleasing to you, Heavenly Father, and who will guide the Church at this momentous time in history at the beginning of the Third Millennium. 

We invoke our Mother Mary, united in prayer with the disciples in the Upper Room, to intercede for our cardinals to select the next Holy Father in docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, her divine Spouse.  Holy Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, we entrust this conclave to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, and offer these prayers for your guidance and protection over the choosing of the next Vicar of your Son:

1 Our Father

1 Hail Mary

1 Glory Be

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!

Novendiales Mass 7: For The Eastern Churches

As most Integrity readers should know, the Church is celebrating a novena of Masses in memory of Pope John Paul II and for various aspects of the Church.  If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend that you make time to view today's Mass, or more properly, Divine Liturgy (Quddas).  Today's intention is for the Eastern Churches and His Beatitude Pierre Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, will be presiding at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.  I'm assuming the Divine Liturgy will be according to the Maronite rite.  An explanation of the Maronite liturgy can be found here.

It is an absolute shame that more Latin-rite Catholics aren't familiar with our Eastern brothers united with Rome.  They have a rich liturgical tradition and offer so many gifts to the Church.  Be prepared to discover that many of your quick mental definitions of what it means to be Catholic (i.e., those rooted in an assumption of the uniformity of liturgical practice in the Church) are woefully inadequate. 

Check EWTN for their precise schedule, but I believe that they are carrying the Novendialis Masses live each day at 10 a.m. CT and repeating later in the evening at 9 p.m. CT.

Way Of The Cross (Chicago, Good Friday)

Good Friday: Veneration Of The Cross

Today is Good Friday.

There are many things that could be said about Good Friday's service.  But the two most memorable to me are the veneration of the Cross and the Trisagion and Reproaches.

For some of you the idea of venerating the Cross may be foreign or seem unusual.  I think to understand the heart behind this gesture, it is best to meditate on the Pange Lingua:

"De parentis protoplasti fraude factor condolens, quando pomi noxialis morsu in mortem corruit ipse lignum tunc notavit, damna ligni ut solveret. / The Creator looked on sadly as the first man, our forefather, was deceived, and as he fell into the snare of death, taking a bite of a lethal fruit, it was then that God chose this blessed piece of wood to destroy the other tree's curse."

The Trisagion and Reproaches compares the faithfulness of God to the fallen nature of His people, leading us to reflect on the faithfulness of God in our own lives and the ways in which we have failed to respond in kind.  A sample:

"I opened the sea before you; you opened my side with a spear.  / I quenched your thirst with saving water from the rock; you quenched my thirst with vinegar and gall."

Holy Thursday: Mass Of The Lord's Supper

Today is Holy Thursday.

Tonight we celebrate the Lord's institution of the Eucharist.  The Eucharist should inspire great awe in you.  That God would become our very food.  I've always been struck by this passage from the Pange Lingua:

"In supremae nocte cenae recumbens cum fratribus observata lege plene cibis in legalibus, cibum turbae duodenae se dat suis manibus. / On the night of that Last Supper, seated with His chosen band, He the Pascal victim eating, first fulfills the Law's command; then as Food to His Apostles gives Himself with His own hand."

Reflecting On Tenebrae

Last night, I went to Tenebrae at Holy Name Cathedral.   This was the first time I ever experienced the Tenebrae service.  Two observations:

1.  As I mentioned in yesterday's post, at the end of the service there is the strepitus, or  loud noise, that calls to mind the earthquake from the Passion narratives.  Well, I didn't read the inside of the program fully, so I had no idea of how the strepitus was made.  For some reason, I had just assumed that some person had the specific task of making noise at the proper moment.  Instead, after the Our Father, everyone in the Church began banging on the wooden pew in front of them with their hands or the hymnals.  The sheer volume of the noise, combined with being in the dark, took me off-guard!  But I found the noise quite fitting and now can't imagine why I was expecting something less striking.  After all, what a momentous moment that was!  The Lord's victory was no small thing!

Holy Wednesday: Tenebrae

Today is Holy Wednesday.

Traditionally, this is the first night during Holy Week that the Latin rite celebrates a Tenebrae service.  "Tenebrae" means darkness.  The service consists of the praying of psalms, reading of Scripture, the chanting of the lamentations and the singing of the choral music. During the service, the lights of the Church and a candelabrum are slowly extinguished, symbolizing Christ's suffering during the Passion and Satan's temporary triumph over the world.  At the end, a loud noise is made to call to mind the earthquake that followed Christ's death on the Cross.

I have never been to one before, but will be going tonight to the Tenebrae service at Holy Name Cathedral.  Consider doing the same in your area!