Deja Vu

Well that's it! My last class was a few weeks ago, only this time it really is my very last class. I know that probably sounds familiar. You're safe in believing that you've read that first line before; or something very similar. I enjoyed the ILM experience and couldn't help myself when I had the opportunity to take another class. I really enjoyed the Liturgy class and I enjoy talking about it with the people in my Parish who ask about my ILM experience.

 

The word Déjà vu, comes from the French and it means "already seen"; usually it is explained as the phenomenon of having the strong sensation that an event or experience currently being experienced has been experienced in the past, whether it has actually happened or not. It's a little scary to think that early researchers tried to establish a link between déjà vu and serious mental disorders, but you'll be glad to hear they determined "there does not seem to be a special association between déjà vu and schizophrenia or other psychiatric conditions (thank goodness ... right!)".

 

You might also remember that I wrote, "This has been the story of my personal journey for truth, knowledge, and wisdom, but as with all great stories and epic journeys ... it's really just the begining." After that post I was asked to be the RCIA Coordinator in my Parish and it's going well. RCIA isn't new for me: I went through the program in this Parish and was confirmed at the Easter Vigil in 2004. After that I was a member of the team for a few years, and as of this recent Easter Vigil I've been Catholic for 10 years.

 

Also as of this recent Easter Vigil, my first group of eight participants are now fully Catholic themselves. We're in Mystagogy now and everyone is doing well. Although many experiences have prepared me for this service I would like to note (once again) how much the ILM program has meant to me. I learned a lot that applies to what I'm trying to share with those who are on their own journey for truth, knowledge, and wisdom.

 

Liturgy - Class 8 Part 2

Jesus “didn't come to abolish the law", which was and is the Word of God given in covenant to His people. He condemned the Pharisees not because they were following the law, but because they were not building a relationship with God. The rules must be followed in Love to build relationships.

 

Our take on this should be different than most. The Catholic Church is the church that goes back to the root of Jesus' teaching, with a thread of consistency in sharing the message of love proclaimed by Jesus; but we need to struggle with this concept of law and relationship.

 

Those who obey only the law are not in right relationship with God because the Word is not getting through to their hearts. It's about coming to the edge of chaos and the conversion that takes place as a result of encountering Christ in the Liturgy. We must change our hearts to be more like Christ, so that we can in-turn reconcile ourselves to Christ.

 

Jesus is asking us to return to a time when we were right with God. Liturgy puts us back in this right relationship with God and that is what Justice is. Liturgy trains us in obedience through listening in ways that matter.

 

Some people turn liturgy into a ceremonial process hoping to recharge their faith, but it must include conversion. For instance: If there is a group that is discriminated against (we vs. they) and we do nothing to help we have not experienced conversion.

 

Jesus was trying to restore the original order, not by retribution but through inclusion, empathy, and equity. For Jesus, justice was about the people that were left out; the poor and the widowed, giving everyone a place at the table.

 

The challenge is to engage our leadership stance, in a way that will help us understand how we can get better as individuals, and in this way help the Parish get better. Do people feel welcome and included? Do we remove prejudice from our liturgy? Liturgy is only valid when we struggle at the edge of chaos (justice).

 

We can’t pretend to Love God, Liturgy is anamnestic. It’s in the doing that we celebrate the memory of Christ, which another student pointed out is similar to the idea that “Faith without works is dead”. It's not that God doesn't want us to worship, He doesn't want us to worship without having participated in Justice.

 

Liturgy and justice are two sides of the same coin. Everybody celebrates and nobody is left out. We want catechumens to learn to be more like Christ, and He wasn’t spending time in the Tabernacle. We too must go out and be radically inclusive, even to the people we don’t know.

 

We must go out and be the face of Christ in the world. We must live like we pray, and when people ask questions we must be prepared to explain why we live this way. We must be prepared to proclaim what Jesus means to us, and we must share the healing message of Christ with the people we are with.

 

When we are doing the work of justice we are all doing the work of the Lord, whether it’s Lutheran’s or Catholics, or even atheist’s, it is helping the world move closer to Christ. Where ever Samaria is in your life, cross the border to help those who make you uncomfortable, because Christ taught us the one thing that makes liturgy valid is a love of the poor.

 

“In the Liturgy, we break our bread and share our wine, and we break open our lives so that God can rush in with forgiveness, peace, hope, and life. Then the doors are broken open and we rush out to be word to others, to tell the story and let it come true in us; to be the bread, to be the wine, and to be the body of Christ for a hungry, yearning world. To do justice and walk humbly with our God: We do this and remember. We remember God, we remember who we are, we remember what we promised in our baptism, and we remember God’s covenant with us.”

My post for the class website:

I was intrigued by the idea that Liturgy puts us back in right relationship with God, and that this right relationship is what justice is. Like Jesus, for me justice is about the people that are left out: For Him it was the poor and the widowed and for me it’s the poor and homeless.

We may never be able to give everyone a place at the table but that should always be our goal, where everybody celebrates and nobody is left out. When we are doing the work of justice we are all doing the work of the Lord, no matter who we are, because it is in the helping that we move the world closer to Christ.

Jesus didn’t spend all of His time in the Tabernacle, and we too must go out and be radically inclusive; even to the people we don’t know. We must go out and be the face of Christ in the world. We must live like we pray, and when people ask questions we must be prepared to explain why we live this way.

It’s in the doing that we celebrate the memory of Christ, which another student pointed out is similar to the idea that “Faith without works is dead”. It's not that God doesn't want us to worship, He doesn't want us to worship without having participated in Justice.

We were challenged to engage our leadership stance in a way that will help us understand how we can become better individuals, and in this way help our Parishes become better communities. Where ever Samaria is in our lives, we must cross the border to help those who make us uncomfortable, because Christ taught us the one thing that makes liturgy valid is a love of the poor.

I would like to end my ILM class on the Liturgy with a powerful quote from Megan McKenna: “In the Liturgy, we break our bread and share our wine, and we break open our lives so that God can rush in with forgiveness, peace, hope, and love. Then the doors are broken open and we rush out to be word to others, to tell the story and let it come true in us; to be the bread, to be the wine, and to be the body of Christ for a hungry, yearning world. To do justice and walk humbly with our God, we do this and remember. We remember God, we remember who we are, we remember what we promised in our baptism, and we remember God’s covenant with us.”
 

Liturgy - Class 8 Part 1

We weren’t allowed to sit down after the opening prayer. Instead we were asked to break up into groups of four. There were only enough of us to make up three groups and our instructor actually needed four groups, so I ended up in a group of three.

 

During tonight’s class our instructor wanted us to consider the following: 1) What is liturgy; 2) What is justice; 3) What do liturgy and justice have to do with each other; and 4) Which should come first?

He passed out four questions taken from our reading and my little group was asked to explain “in plain English” what Megan McKenna meant by saying, "We are the leftovers of God's feasting". We were given a few minutes to come up with an answer to what that means and why it is important.

 

Our answer was, “When we go to Mass and participate in the Eucharist, we become more like Christ who feeds us. We then become the leftovers that are shared with others; because what we eat (Christ) leads us to service. We are sent into the world as Jesus was sent into the world by His Father, spirit fed, at peace, and in communion.”

 

Our instructor asked us how we might explain this to a catechumen, so I said, “We must not become isolated. We must share what we receive with others”. Another guy in my group added, “It is the plan for salvation: God gave us Christ, who in turn fed the Disciples, who in turn fed the people, who in turn have fed us”.

 

We are what we eat. We receive from Christ and we give to others, which is why the Liturgy of the Mass ends with the petition to “Go out into the world and proclaim the Good News”. We eat it, we become it, and we share it with others.

 

Next we were asked to discuss how we are like the fox and the tiger from our reading assignment. She stated that “We are all beggars in the presence of God” which to me meant we are all equal. Not everyone agreed with this idea, and I have to agree that we all have different talents to share.

 

The idea is that we should “remember that before God we are all equal, begging with empty bowls”. It’s about remembering what “God has done, is doing, and still wants to do for His people”. It’s about putting the world back together again the way it’s supposed to be, the way God created it to be.

 

So what is justice? We listed right and wrong, fairness, equity, judgment, values, empathy, laws, rules, conversion, reform, learning, rehabilitation, and punishment. For Liturgy we listed the work of God, the work of the people, public service, participation, worship, thanksgiving, prayer, celebration, story, ritual, sacrament, and penance.

 

Looking at the two lists leaves the strong impression that there is no (or very little) overlap, so how are these two things alike? In most US Parishes you get push back when you talk about liturgy and justice together. Nevertheless, they are not separate things, they are the same: Liturgy and Justice are one. Jesus began teaching justice right from the beginning and is quoted as saying, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice". ... Etc.

 

The answer to the question about what Liturgy and Justice have to do with each other is that Liturgy leads us to Justice because we recognize that we are all equal before Christ. Being brought to the edge of chaos, helps us to recognize that we are all one in Christ, and that we may be the tiger in one way and the fox in another. We are to sacrifice ourselves for others.

Liturgy - Class 3 (Extra notes)

I’m “off the continent”, resting on a beach and listening to the ocean this week, so I missed tonight’s class. The notes for this post are from the third class.

 

The word Logos is from the Greek, and it means (wait for it) Word, as in the Word of God. Each Christmas Day the reading is from John, “In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God and Word was God. We were asked what John meant: Is he speaking about Jesus?

 

For Mark, the image of Jesus is very human and the cross was a scandal. In John, written about 70 years after Jesus’ death, the image of Jesus is divine and the cross is like a throne. Of course the theology of Jesus was revealed and understood over time. John began his writing at the very beginning, the moment of creation, to make it clear that the Word was with God and the Word was God from the very beginning.

 

We may have parents, but each of us must recognize that we were created by the Word (Logos) of God. The relationship between God the Father and God the Son produces the Holy Spirit, which infuses everything! When God speaks something happens. When we hear good news we want to talk about it, and eventually the Good News was written down so that it could be shared.

 

Our instructor asked what the difference is between scripture and homily. One is written and one is proclaimed, and in some ways reading the stories is not as powerful as hearing the stories. It’s all about our relationship with the Logos, and in some ways this is what makes us different from the Baptists.

 

Hearing the Living Word of God proclaimed is part of what makes us a living community. For instance, proclaiming scripture on the radio is not liturgical because you are not there. Proclamation is not about reading out loud, it's about hearing and sharing it in community.

 

So what does this mean for your Parish?

 

Three things the liturgy committee needs to know: 1) The committee must understand the four parts of the liturgy; 2) They must pay closer attention to the calendar; and 3) They must encourage the assembly to participate.

 

Three things the lectors need to know: 1) They must pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit; 2) They must proclaim the Word carefully and with expression: and 3) They must recognize that each reading is part of the whole story.

 

Three things the Pastor needs to know: 1) He must understand what is happening at the specific Mass; 2) He must keep the homily simple; and 3) His talk must connect how scripture comes alive in this particular assembly.

 

Three things the assembly needs to know: 1) The assembly must come to Mass ready to participate; 2) They must listen attentively to all of the readings and the Homily: and 3) They must try to recognize how this affects them today.

 

It’s OK to hold our volunteers accountable, and there are lector resources that can help. Some Parish’s use a faith sharing process to help each lector prepare for their reading. It may be even more helpful to record a video of the lector and have them watch it. Usually they will improve overnight.

 

Like we’ve said before, each reading has a beginning, middle, and an end, and you must also recognize and emphasize the most important message in the reading. That important point may only be a half a sentence long, but it’s still important and it must still be emphasized.

 

Our instructor told us a story about a homilist that was really bad. Although it wasn’t apparent it turns out that he was a newly ordained Priest, and he was filling in for seriously sick Pastor. Our instructor had listened to quite a few of his homilies, all of which were less than adequate. Evidently he had worked for a construction firm before becoming a Priest.

 

One Sunday the Priest started his homily with a story about how he had been such a mean boss prior to becoming a Priest. It was very personal and almost like a confession, being poured out to the assembly. He skillfully connected it to the scripture readings for that day, connected to his own life and how it changed him, and made if very meaningful to the people. Our instructor contacted him and said that it was by far the very best homily he had ever heard.

 

The best way to help your Priest is to focus on the things that he does right. Be specific, give details, tell why you liked it, and explain the difference it will make moving forward. Of course you must know the elements of a good homily, but the Priest will move in the direction of encouragement.

 

The assembly expects a lot from the Priest, and they should. We should also expect a lot from the assembly. The homily should be a dialog, and the assembly should come prepared by having read the readings.
       
There is a source called “Fulfilled in Your Hearing” that has a process for faith sharing to develop themes for homilies. There is also a source called ‘Question of the week” that can be found at www.pastoralplanning.com/questionoftheweek.html that can be used to help the assembly reflect on the readings. It works through the questions, what did you see, what did you hear, and what did it mean to you?

My post to the class website:

 

I don’t normally appreciate experiential learning, which may be why I had a lot of trouble with chemistry. None of my experiments ever worked out “as predicted”, but that’s another story. I would prefer to sit quietly, listen intently, take notes, and learn through absorption, or osmoses, or subliminal suggestion. Nevertheless, I enjoy the small-group exercises that we do each week.

 

I've been thinking about our third class, in which our instructor asked us to examine a painting that looked like an icon. It was an image of a man bending over something round, and the person was holding dividers common to those used in ancient construction and navigation. He seemed to be doing something important, like centering, or holding, or measuring.

 

We were asked to reflect on what we saw in the painting, which is actually God the Architect of the World and the Creator of Life. It’s an image of God creating order out of chaos, with His foot just out of the frame of the painting to signify that He is too big to comprehend fully.

 

From that we considered the act of creation. The Creation story has a beginning (The earth was formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep) during which everything is created; a middle (Let us make man in our image) which means that we too are too big to contain and we too are creators; and an end (The reward for trusting in him will be the salvation of our souls) after which we become one with God in Heaven. Over the last few weeks I've been surprised at how comforting this insight has been.

Liturgy - Class 6

Tonight as class convened we were asked, “What is the most effective learning experience you have had regarding your faith?” We were supposed to write down our answer on the now familiar sticky notes. The most effective learning experience I have had regarding my faith is (wait for it) my three plus years at ILM.

 

I’ve had two other strong learning experiences in my life. One was in the service where I competed for grades with a physicist and a mathematician. I’m afraid we pushed the grade curve so high that some of the students in our class didn’t pass.  Another one was a technical school called Masters Institute in which I learned computer systems and networking.  All three of these experiences contributed to the next answer.

 

The follow up question was to list the three strategies or elements that made it effective. Of course these had to be written down on sticky notes as well. I wrote “Quality instruction”, “Consistent message”, “Fascinating subjects”, and “Friendly environment”.  Our instructor also liked the idea of fascinating subjects, pointing out that if we're drawn to the subject we can't wait to learn more.

 

However, for teaching others we have to start with what fascinates the hearer, not what fascinates the instructor. Doing so makes it easier for the student to absorb and connect the story.

 

Next we had to do some speed dating. We had one minute to talk to another person in the room and share our “story” and then listen to their story about learning. With the sound of the bell we had to move on to another person, each time trying to remember as much as we could about the strategies and elements that made if effective.

 

Others in the class wrote patience, live experience, volunteering, interactive, examples, retreat experience. Becoming more involved, more engaged, parental guidance, and listening. One student pointed out that “knowledge builds your faith, and faith inspires good works”, and another suggested that “What you know is power, because it enables discernment”.

 

When the student is committed to success it’s easy to do whatever it takes to learn the material. Our instructor pointed out that “People who write down their goals improve their chances of success”. I liked that idea that testimony can make your faith stronger, by helping you develop a consistent message, and teach you how to share your faith.

 

In the end however, developing a relationship with others is how we engage the hearers. It requires skill and patience on the part of the instructor.

 

Someone asked the following question: “Is it appropriate to allow children to do the readings during Mass?” He didn’t think so because when a child reads the scripture during Mass, everyone is thinking “Oh how cute” instead of listening to the Word of God. Our instructor did agree that ultimately the congregation must learn something, or the reading lacks the required level of communication.

 

To me it doesn't seem appropriate to have young children read during an adult mass but it might be appropriate for them to read during a youth mass. It's about the learning opportunity of those you’re trying to reach. It's not just what the documents say, it's about the meaning and purpose of what they are trying to say. It's important to understand the principle.

 

Our instructor moved on with some questions about the reading assignment for this week. I suddenly realized that I had read the assignment for next week, not this week, but I can catch up next week. The class web site lists the assigned readings for the following class, and when I checked on the reading assignment for tonight I was looking at the web page for tonight’s class instead of the previous class. It’s not really as confusing as I make it sound, I just goofed.

 

From the second to last page of the reading in “Fasten your Seatbelt” some had read, “It's more important to catechize the parents during preparation for infant baptism”. He was concerned about parents that have their children baptized and never come back, and he wanted to know how to reach them.

 

Our instructor suggested that it’s the perfect opportunity to use the five questions, discussed in a previous post, for the parents; 1) “Where have you been?” 2) “Where do you want to be?” etc. and that it should be made as interactive as possible to engage the adults. We should try to think of experiences can we provide the parents.

 

After the break we stared with a discussion about why liturgical catechesis important. We’re a hands on community, an expression of what we learn, and it's about our relationship, intimacy and communion with Jesus. The Apostles could have lunch with Jesus as part of their relationship, and since we can’t do that, it’s even more important for our relationship with Jesus to be fully present in the Mass.

 

So then what is liturgical catechesis and how is it different from religious education? For one thing it’s not a classroom activity; it’s an expression of our faith in common events. We’re all learning by example, sharing our struggles, and in the process discovering what Jesus would do. It’s interactive rather than through presentation.

 

All catechesis is liturgical in that we are learning about Jesus, but there is a way in which we forget that it's liturgical. Teaching others about God is liturgical in nature, and through the experience we discover how God is in our lives, we discover what we believe, and we discover who we are in community.

 

How do we do liturgical catechesis and how does catechesis happen in the Mass? Learning about the Pascal Mystery during the Eucharistic Prayer is part of it, but we’re also coming closer to God through interaction and participation.

 

Evangelization is the first level of catechesis in growing the faith, because it leads to the initial spark of faith. Evidently 40% of Sunday attendees are pew warmers that lack intimacy with Christ. Evangelization is sharing who Jesus is to people who do not know "the Good News".

 

Initiatory Catechesis is the second level of catechesis. It is about understanding your faith and sharing that faith with others, like the inquirers in the RCIA process.

 

Liturgical catechesis is the third, ongoing, level of catechesis. It is more like teaching your kids what it's like to be a part of the family. It's more about life style training, or mentoring, then it is about facts. Ongoing catechesis is sharing your faith every day, it’s not accomplished in one hour per week.

 

The model for catechesis is taken from the Baptismal Catechumenate Community. It’s based on the activity of the whole community; which is the Body of Christ. Integrating the Pascal Mystery into the people, the Body of Christ, is the reason a Parish exists. We are not just a community; we are a community of Christ.

 

It’s important to note that the Easter Vigil isn't a one day celebration; it's about ongoing participation and involvement. There is no graduation. To accomplish this, the Good News has to sound like good news. We can’t bore the participants, we have to discover what fascinates them, and it must be shared in stages because people are led through stages by the Holy Spirit.

 

Catechesis is sharing how we live in community and drawing in those we meet. If we tell the story correctly people will be drawn in naturally, because they’ll see that Jesus really is an important member of the community. As they approach the edge of chaos, they will be changed by the Holy Spirit, and it’s our job to recognize this opportunity, bring out this encounter, and emphasis how this brings us to the truth.

 

One lesson about the Paschal mystery is that we need to “suck it up” and give up our ego for the sake of our relationship with God. To teach people about Jesus we must be open about how we live as Christians. Even if we go to graduate school to learn something new, its' liturgical catechesis if it teaches us something about our faith.

 

AT this point someone told a story about a mouse that barks like a dog. It was only peripherally connected to tonight’s topic, but it finished with a funny punch line.

 

Our instructor then asked us to gather into groups of four or five and discuss the following questions, “What is your truest, biggest, wildest, hope for your parish?” What is the one step you can take in the next 30 days to accomplish this goal?” and “How will you hold yourself accountable?” Talk about ending the class with a challenge!

My post to the class website:

 

OK I'll admit it ... I'm an emotional lightweight. Liturgy is a work of God and a work of the people, and in it I encounter the Divine through the beauty of the rites, music, art, and architecture: That encounter quite often brings me to tears.

 

Liturgy is a radiant expression of the Paschal Mystery, in which Christ draws me to himself and calls me to communion. God's love in Christ encounters me, attracts me, delights me, and enables me to emerge from myself; drawing me towards my true vocation, which is love.

 

I’ve always believed that the little decisions are more important than the big decisions, because over time so much more of “who we are” is determined by the little stuff we deal with each and every day. I’m going to add to that something I was reminded about in our last class tonight, that we are led through the stages of our lives by the Holy Spirit.

Liturgy - Class 5 Part 2

After the break we discussed how the Liturgical Year developed. No written records exist of course, and historians have been trying to understand how the traditions developed. It developed over time and differently throughout the world and across cultures. Jesus, His apostles, and the early church didn't leave a guideline on the Liturgical Year. For instance, some places don't count Sundays as days of Lent while others do. Trying to keep it to exactly 40 days is a form of historization which resulted in the addition of Ash Wednesday. What’s important is the symbolism (Jesus spent 40 days in the desert), not the exact number of days.

 

The first holy day created after the resurrection was Sunday, the Lords Day. We were asked to keep the Sabbath Holy, and to build the Church in the breaking of the bread. The story about the Road to Ammaus is not about the road, it’s about community. It’s not about when Jesus is returning, because he is right there next to you.

 

Originally there were no saint days or evening Mass or other special days, it was just Sunday and the breaking of the bread. Soon after the people began asking if there should be something more than just Sunday, they added the Easter season with an annual feast day to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus. At first a date connected to Passover was chosen, and for a while it was a fixed date like March 6th which might fall on any day of the week. Eventually it was moved to the Sunday closest to the day that Jesus rose from his death. Today of course it’s celebrated on the first Sunday after the first day of spring, and it’s still on the day closest to the day of His Resurrection.

 

The Acts of the Apostles makes it clear that from very early on Friday was always a fast day. The Triduum celebration developed early as well, and was celebrated from Thursday evening to Sunday evening. Originally people would get baptized at almost any time of the year, but early in the first century it became a part of Easter.

 

Lent, the time of preparation before Easter, was added by an attempt at historization again. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert prior to His baptism so why shouldn’t we spend time in preparation. The preparation for baptism began to see a vetting process, with catechumenates being prepared for baptism.

 

This started an argument with some saying that “Easter was more important than Lent”. So now Easter has 50 days, which was derived at by taking the perfect number seven and making it even more perfect by multiplying it by itself, and then making it even more perfect by adding one more day (7x7=49+1=50) Easter was extended to 50 days, which was considered to be perfect perfection.

 

The early Church wanted this day to be the most important day of the year; however, it’s not about math it’s about symbolism.  We are a Church that reveals in the resurrection the fullness of Christ, and we are a Church that celebrates our Baptism. It is such an important day that we cannot contain it in one day, it must go through a whole season.

 

After the first few centuries Pentecost, a Jewish feast, was taken over by the Christians. Ordinary Time was recognized and eventually Saint Days began to be added. Sometime around the fourth century Christmas as added, again as a result of historization, because after all we should know when Jesus was born. However, the birth of Jesus isn’t based on his actual date of birth, as his death is, although it seems to be based on pilgrimages to the Holy Land that continue even today.

 

Luke and Matthew don’t use dates in their infancy narratives, and Christmas is not really about the birth of Jesus, it’s about the incarnation of Christ, the Son of God. Several centuries after Christmas becomes a season of its own, Advent was added.

 

So what do we do with this information about the Liturgical year? The shape of the liturgical year is how early Christians taught people about Jesus, and we can share the story and message of Jesus by the way we celebrate the seasons. We can influence the parish liturgy by planning and celebrating properly. For instance, during Advent we must stand against the culture; we're Catholics and we must help people understand that Christmas doesn't end on Christmas Day; it's a season. When we continue to sing Christmas carols people will ask why, and that will become a teachable moment.

 

We as leaders must have a deep understanding of what the Liturgical Year is all about so that we can influence others. Every year after someone celebrates their first communion they should know more than they did the year before. Every Sunday is important and we should be trying to improve our liturgy every Sunday.

 

Every Sunday we should be moving our Parish towards the Triduum. We need to understand how we are celebrating this coming Sunday because of what we learned at the Triduum. The Triduum is the edge of chaos that we talked about on a previous week, where we learn more about Jesus than the rest of the year. How we are living must be different than how we were last year. If the Triduum is really the high point of the year, how does it change us?

 

Evidently Ash Wednesday is more popular in the West then in other parts of our country, possibly because of the mix of cultures, but what fuels this desire for ashes? If we could figure out what people's deepest longing is we could help them understand that, "ashes are good but there is something better".

 

We need to discover what we can do in our Parishes so that nobody is sitting in the pews thinking they are not worthy. Every Sunday we need to be helping people understand that they are worthy, like the greeter that meets you and looks at you in the eye, and the lectors who read like it matters, emphasizing the important part of the readings.

 

Our Priests need to recognize how important the homily is, and it must be a message about love. Those who feel unworthy take the message personally, “He is talking about my sins, so I must not be worthy”. When everyone is singing they will recognize community and be more apt to join in and feel like a part of the community.

 

The most important thing is a smile, friendly face, and a conversation. Pope Frances is driving new people to our parishes, because he is on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. We need to make an effort! Help people in the sections near the doors should acknowledge all new comers.

 

There is no single answer for all parishes, but we can try something and change it if it doesn't work. What’s the perfect picture for our Parish? How are we going to celebrate this year differently than last year so that new comers will come back again? We must pick something we can change and work on it even if it takes a full year. We shouldn’t try to fix everything at once, and we should have a plan. It's about leadership, because the pastor may be great but he'll be gone eventually.

 

There is a story about the whole year that leads up to the Triduum. What are we doing throughout the year that will make the Triduum better than the year before and how will it make the rest of the year better.

 

My post to the class website:

 

I find the Liturgical year to be a bit like the two characters of Advent. In it we look back to the first coming of the Son of God, while at the same time we look forward to Christ’s second coming at the end of time. There is so much about the mystery of Jesus that we need the entire year, and indeed a lifetime, to experience its fullness.

 

Since becoming Catholic, I’ve instinctively understood that the Liturgical Year is not a history of Christianity, but I had not recognized that Christmas is not a story about the birth of Jesus; it is a story about the incarnation of the Christ.

 

Throughout each year our personal and communal story is reflected in the Liturgical Year, which to me is the shape of a spiral. As the calendar winds around from beginning to end, we become different people moving forward and upward in our relationship with God and our communities.

 

The shape of the Liturgical Year is how early Christians taught people about Jesus, and we share the story and message of Jesus by the way we celebrate the seasons. We must have a deep understanding of the Liturgical Year; because how we are living this year must be different than how we were living last year.

Liturgy - Class 5 Part 1

Again tonight, we were asked to contribute one question and one insight from the reading. The instructor had written down, Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter on colored post it notes and then asked us to come forward to choose one. We gathered into groups based on what we had chosen and took a few minutes to put our thoughts down on paper.

 

I was in the group discussing Advent, and we thought it was hard to find one question and one insight based on the readings. Our question was “How do we focus neophytes on the true meaning of Advent?” and our insight was more observation really,” Too much emphasis is put into shopping and not enough time is put towards preparation for Christmas”.

 

The answer surprised me a bit. Our instructor said that although we could encourage our inquirers to resist the commercialization of Christmas, we would not be able to prevent it entirely. He suggested that we “bring our faith to the mall” and at least be Christian examples while we’re there.

 

We also discussed the two characters of Advent; 1) that it’s a time of preparation for the first coming of the Son of God, and 2) in it we also look forward to Christ’s second coming at the end of time.

 

The group discussing Easter asked, “Why is the gospel reading from the Gospel of John, most of the time, rather than Luke?” Their insight was that, “During the Easter season readings from the Old Testament are replaced with readings from the Acts of the Apostles”.

 

The group discussing Lent asked, “What is the Triduum?” Their insight was that although Lent is special because it represents a new beginning, the Triduum of the Lord is the high point of the entire liturgical year. The season of Lent is not exactly 40 days long, and may have 43 or 44 days. It starts on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday.

 

It’s important to realize that the Triduum is a single event that occurs over three days. It doesn’t include Thursday, but instead starts on Thursday evening and ends on Sunday evening. To keep it as one event the environment should progress from beginning to end. We shouldn’t re-configure the environment overnight by treating each day separately.

 

The Triduum decorations should change slowly over the three days. The gradual changes seen during Triduum help us understand this single event. Every day is part of the whole story: it’s not like on Friday Jesus is dead and on Sunday Jesus is alive.

 

The people discussing Christmas asked, “Why, shortly after the birth of Jesus do we go straight to His baptism?” There insight was that, “The preparation for coming of the Lord is dependent on baptism”. Our instructor also pointed out that the Liturgical Year this is not a history of Christianity. Christmas is not really a story about the birth of Jesus; it is a story about the incarnation of the Christ.

 

Those discussing Ordinary Time asked, “How many weeks are in Ordinary Time?” There insight was, “It depends”. Ordinary Time is a period associated with the growth of faith and knowledge. The reality is that the Liturgical Year has soft boundaries which are difficult for some people to accept. For instance, evidently there is no first Sunday of Ordinary Time.

 

The Liturgical Year began to develop from Middle Eastern culture, but today it has been influenced by cultures from all around the world.

 

Lent includes a cycle of readings for the scrutiny’s to assist in uncovering what is weak and sinful and strengthening what is good in each of us. The readings for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent come from the Gospel of John. They are the story of the Samaritan Woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus. Although these readings come from Cycle A they should be read in all Masses if there are elect waiting for Baptism.

 

Something I had heard but didn’t understand is that we shouldn’t drain the font. Although we too are looking forward to Easter we are still baptized Christians and we remember our baptism. Lent is a reminder of our baptism as we are preparing the elect for their baptism.

 

The Liturgical Year is important because it gives time structure, it provides a frame of mind, and it assists with the recalling of memorial of events. Science fiction stories talk a lot about going back in time, and Steven Hawking asks, “Why do we tell stories about going back in time, and why do we remember the past and not remember the future?”

 

Jesus’ death and resurrection are the fulcrum point of time. We need to be paying attention to what that means, what happened at the moment of the crucifixion and what happened at the moment of the resurrection. Remember that at the very beginning of time “In the beginning was the Word” and it goes forward to the end of time.

 

The part of the Eucharistic Prayer called the Anamnesis includes the past, present, and future. Luke understands that our journey starts at the birth of Christ, and that the past is about the future. Luke recognizes that the death images he includes in the story of Jesus will be descriptive of our deaths.

 

The fact is that Jesus is always with us. What we are celebrating is the fullness of the death and resurrection of Jesus. There is so much about the mystery of Jesus Christ that we (and the elect) need the entire year to experience its fullness. Someone asked where Jesus went during those three days after his death? Our instructor felt that the Resurrection reflects a new reality with Jesus, in and through everything: We are the Body of Christ.

Liturgy - Class 4

As soon as class started we were divided into two groups; the Red Team vs the Blue Team. The plan was to take a few minutes to write down four questions that might stump the other team. We were playing for chocolates, so it was serious stuff.

 

Red Team’s first question was, “Name six things that are allowed on the alter?” Blue Team’s answer was, “The chalice, candles, corporal, pacificator, ciborium, paten, crucifix, wine, and bread”. Blue Team’s first question was, “What is the procedure for left over Precious Blood, and why is it important?” Red Team’s answer was, “It must be consumed, not disposed of, because it can’t be saved, and then the vessels must be purified”.

 

Red Team’s second question was, “When was communion under both species re-introduced?” Blue Team’s answer was, “The 1963 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy authorized the extension of the faculty for Holy Communion under both kinds”. Blue Team’s second question was, “Where and why should flowers and offerings be placed?” Red Team’s answer was, “Flowers should be placed at the base of the alter, or the base of the ambo, and the offering should be placed near the alter”.

 

Red Team’s third question was, “Do you have to have a closing song?” Blue Team’s answer was, “No, the recessional song is optional”. Blue Team’s third question was, “When is it most appropriate to celebrate the liturgy in Latin, and what songs are appropriate?” Red Team’s answer was, “When there are multiple languages spoken by the audience”. I tried to convince them that it was appropriate anywhere Latin was the native language, but they didn’t buy that. Red Team’s answer regarding the music was, “Suggested songs would be Gregorian chant”.

 

Red Team’s forth question was, “Why should you not use consecrated hosts from the Tabernacle during Mass?” Blue Team’s answer related to when you could use the previously consecrated hosts from the Tabernacle, and Red Team insisted that they did not provide the correct answer.

 

Blue Team’s answer should have been “People should understand that it is one body taken from the one sacrifice. It should not come from the Tabernacle because, although consecrated, it is not the work of the people in this Mass Celebration. There is value in the symbol of the host itself: Once consecrated it remains until it is no longer food. There is also value in the work of the people, who prayed over the bread and wine. It is important to respect the work of the people as much as the symbol of the host.

 

Blue Team’s forth question was, “What is intinction and who is allowed to do it?” Red Team’s answer was, “Intinction is dipping the host into the blood, and only ordained communion ministers can do it”.

 

Intinction cannot be done by lay people, although the cup minister should not be militant about this. It’s best to correct them at a more appropriate time. After all, Jesus put up with a lot of bad behavior in an effort to respect the dignity of the people.

 

After the break we worked on understanding the Eucharistic Prayer, which is the “source and summit of Christian life”. The Eucharistic Prayer is telling a story, and like a story it consists of many parts:
 

The Dialog, near the beginning, is the oldest part. The Priest begins, “The Lord be with you,” which is followed by our response, “And with your spirit.”

 

The Preface is to give thanks and has 86 different options for special occasions or ordinary time. Although the Priest can choose any preface that he wants, except when one is assigned for Feast Days, but the Liturgy committee should suggest a preface based on what we want to pray for on this Sunday; what are we thankful for and what preface reflects that?

 

The Epiclesis includes the calling down of the Holy Spirit and the laying on of hands. The Institution Narrative might also be called the Supper Story, because it recounts what happened at the Last Supper. There is no specific phrase or word or time that the Consecration occurs, and the emphasis is on the words that Jesus said. It is the whole prayer together.

 

The Anamnesis is the memorial acclamation preparing us for the crucifixion. Anamnesis is the opposite of amnesia, it is bringing the past, present, and future together in memory of his death and resurrection. The reason we call it the Last Supper is that Jesus was going to die, it was His last supper, and it is celebrated so that people can know that Jesus died for them too.

 

The Offering is not just the offering of the gifts but it is an offering of ourselves. This is the moment of sacrifice. Together before the Lord we are creating community and communion as we enter into the Sacrifice.

 

The Intercessions are to remind us that Jesus makes us worthy and new. The Doxology is a statement of praise through Him, with Him and in Him. It is completed with the Great Amen, as we proclaim “I Believe”.

 

This Amen should be expressed enthusiastically because it is the glorification of God expressed and confirmed by the people.

 

Obviously Jesus did not leave us the Eucharistic Prayer as it is now, and in fact originally it wasn't written down. It was necessary to improvise this prayer, and you had to do it well if you wanted to become

 

a Bishop. As a result it developed unevenly over time, and sprang up in various forms as a reflection of the various cultures using it.

 

The Eucharistic Prayer is important because within it is the ultimate goal: Unity. God is inviting us to join with his Son, and the Holy Spirit, to break this (our) body that we might be united with Him in

Glory. It’s important to recognize that the Last Supper as depicted in the first three Gospels is re-presented in John’s Gospel. The washing of the feet in John is what it looks like to follow Jesus’ Word: “Take my Body and Take my Blood” for the sake of everyone around us.

 

My post to the class website:

 

I liked that idea that within the Eucharistic Prayer is the ultimate goal: Unity. God is inviting us to join with his Son, and the Holy Spirit, to break this (our) body that we might be united with Him in Glory. It’s also important to recognize that the Last Supper as depicted in the first three Gospels is recreated in John’s Gospel.

 

John's gospel is different from the other three in the New Testament, and that fact was recognized by the early church itself. By the year 200 John's gospel was being called the spiritual gospel, precisely because it told the story of Jesus in symbolic ways that differed sharply at times from the other three.

 

The washing of the feet in John is what it looks like to follow Jesus’ Word: “Take my Body and Take my Blood” for the sake of everyone around us. John's gospel is forcing us, dramatically and through storytelling, to think of Jesus as the Passover Lamb. In John's Gospel, Jesus doesn't eat a Passover meal, Jesus is the Passover meal.

Liturgy - Class 3

We began tonight’s class with another exercise: On the provided sticky notes, we wrote down one question and one insight from the assigned readings. After a few minutes we were asked to post the sticky notes on the white board, and we discussed them together.

 

One person asked, “Why is the first reading always from the Old Testament”? We all agreed that because Jesus would only have had the Old Testament, it is the connection between Jesus’ life and Jesus’ teaching.  We also talked about the New Testament as a fulfillment of the Old Testament.

 

It’s interesting to note that when the New Testament writers were studying the Old Testament they were not attempting to find or create these links. They weren’t trying to create a one for one typology in which the New Testament fulfilled the Old Testament. They were trying to understand where Jesus’ theology came from.

 

The next question was about the liturgy and whether solemn means dull or sullen? The answer of course was "No", Liturgy is supposed to be pure joy; it's being one with Christ.

 

Another question was. “Why are the readings introduced”? Some people liked this practice and other didn’t, but I think it enables and enhances understanding. This led to a discussion about whether the purpose of the liturgy is comprehension or celebration, and we agreed that its purpose is celebration. I mentioned how I think this is one of the reasons I like multilingual services. As someone that is limited to one language, for me it's more about celebration than comprehension.

 

My Insight was that I think my parish is doing a good job. Our instructor wanted to know how this related to the assigned readings, to which I replied that as I was reading about the proper way to celebrate the Introductory Rites and Liturgy of the Word I kept thinking that “we seem to be doing it right”. He agreed and responded with the idea that we shouldn’t just focus on what we're doing wrong, we should also notice what we're doing right.

 

My question was “When is simple too simple”? I was a bit confused by the idea that simple is better, thinking we might be asked to reduce the liturgy down to the basics. I worship in a building designed as a gym, that has always been a church, so I’m familiar with simple. Our instructor helped me understand that it isn’t about simple, as in removing all of the ornamentation, candles, music, and art, but it’s not about those things either.

 

There is a principle called progressive solemnity. Some liturgies are a bigger deal than other liturgies; for instance a daily Mass vs a Sunday Mass. Liturgy should be celebration in the midst of a noble simplicity to avoid excessive distractions. The goal is to engage our community to hear God's calling and to live the Word after Mass.

 

All of the assembly must pay attention to all of the Mass: Beginning, middle, and end. If it doesn't feel right the people will “check out”. Although good liturgy must tell a story, it doesn’t mean that the people as a whole are off the hook: The people must prepare themselves for the Celebration of the Mass by reading the Bible and by preparing for the Liturgy of the Word by reading their Missals prior to Mass.

 

We talked a bit about what to do when a lector is not affective (bad). Our instructor acknowledged that it's difficult to move volunteers from one ministry (lector) to another (Eucharist). The best practice is to be positive, as in “Your reading has improved but I think you would be able to reach many more people as a Eucharistic minister”.

 

The Ambo is the table of God. It should be used to declare the Word of God, but it should not be used for announcements. Casual greetings (by the Priest) should be avoided, because all language (in the Liturgy) is ritual language. A secular greeting is not appropriate.

 

The reason ritual language important is to encourage participation. We need the ritual to distinguish from the ordinary, and there needs to be an intention for it to be important. This is how we hand down tradition and we must hold on to it to unify our celebration and worship.

 

Ritual language can be recognized in the text, changes of posture, or it’s been heard before, or pronounced with authority. The intention of ritual language is praise and worship, it is not evangelization.

 

It’s important to remember that the homily is also ritual language. Its theme should be taken from the readings and integrated into the story of the community. The Liturgy of the Word should cause a response in us: Thanksgiving. The homily should lead this particular group to authentically move forward to receive the Eucharist, and it should only work this time, because the next time we'll be different people.

 

A homily is not a statement, or a collection of do’s and don’ts. It is a "you, who, do, through" prayer in the form of a message that is meant to change us in a fundamental way. A good homilist tries to link the readings to the lives of the community. Ritual language might use readings like the workers in the vineyard, and it shouldn’t be just social justice talk. It should be about connections and it should lead us to the Table of the Lord.

 

The homily should emphasize that the reading is just as important to this community as it was to the original community. Simply re-iterating or repeating the readings is not right, because it that won’t involve the necessary ritual language.

 

My post to the class website:

 

I am especially grateful for our discussion of “One question and one insight” that we had acquired from our reading assignment for this week’s class. One person asked, “Why is the first reading always from the Old Testament”? We all agreed that because Jesus would only have had the Old Testament, it is the connection between Jesus’ life and Jesus’ teaching.  We also talked about the New Testament as a fulfillment of the Old Testament.

 

I’ve always understood that, but for some reason I had never considered the idea that the writers of the Christian Scriptures, must have studied the Hebrew Scriptures prior to writing what we now call the New Testament. My admittedly undeveloped and unrefined notion was that they were inspired by the Holy Spirit and, after careful consideration and an appropriate amount of time, produced and edited the documents that we eventually added to the collection of books we now refer to as the Bible.

 

There is no reason, of course, to believe that these documents were created without research or consideration of what was written before Jesus’ life. After all if Jesus had read those then why not the writers of the New Testament? It also makes sense that the writers were not attempting to manufacture the fulfillment of the foreshadowing they imagined in the Old Testament. They were simply trying to understand where Jesus’ theology came from.

Liturgy - Class 2

Tonight our instructor divided into small groups of four again, and then asked our group to write down some names and titles for God: My small group wrote down Creator and Almighty Father, although we also considered Yahweh. Along with the other three groups we put our two post-it notes on the wall. Our instructor then created a spontaneous prayer following the words on the four sets of post-it notes.

 

This form of prayer construction comes from the Jewish Berakhah prayer, which is the form of prayer that Jesus used during the Last Supper. It follows the form You, Who, Do. You (recalling that God has made us in his image); Who (what God has done for us); Do (the great things He will accomplish in us).

 

After the life and ministry of Jesus, Christians added a fourth part. Through (in the Name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit), or (I can do all things through Jesus Christ who saved me).

 

Someone in the class asked, "How is this prayer scriptural?”. We were told that, “First of all not all prayer is scriptural, but it is based on scriptural names and titles”. Our instructor asked us to look at a painting that was about 12” x 18”. It looked a bit like an icon, of a man bending over something round, with the dividers common to those used in ancient construction.

 

It turns out that this painting was used as an exercise in prayer form. We were first asked to reflect on what we saw in the painting: The person seemed to be doing something important, like centering, holding, molding, or measuring. It’s actually a painting of God the Architect of the World and the creation of life. It’s God creating order out of chaos, His foot is just out of the frame signifying that He is too big to comprehend fully, and Gods influence is dynamic.

 

From that we considered the act of creation. The Creation story has a beginning (in the beginning this there was nothing and void was upon the face of the earth) during which everything is created; a middle (He created man in the image of God)which means that we too are too big to contain and we too are creators; and an end (Jesus came to restore everything to God) after which we become one with God in Heaven.

 

Liturgy is supposed to be simple (elegant) and recognizable to the people. The simplicity should encourage participation, which is required.  All prayer is communal, including the Homily which must be given and received. Everyone has a role and the various ministries (music, collection, lectors) must be cooperative. All of the community is equally important and each person has a part; each must perform all but not more than their part for the liturgy to be successful.

 

The music should be simple and sing able to enhance worship. The vestments and art should be simple, noble, beautiful, reverent, and truly sacred. The environment should not appear to be more important than the function of the space. In other words, good liturgy is not the product of a well formed rubric; it is the result of a well formed heart.

 

Everything in the liturgy flows from the Word of God which leads to sacrament. It’s a two part action; Word or scripture are the stories about Jesus to teach us by example, and the Living Word which is God's voice in our lives, which also makes Jesus real and present to us as participants.

 

Liturgy is not a history test; it is the stories, pictures, sayings, and standards that are required for us to make Jesus real and present. These stories are our stories because this is what God did and this is what we are to do. The whole body of Christ is participating in the Liturgy of worship.

 

Catholics may not be able to quote Bible verses from memory, but they can tell the stories: like Jesus at the Jordon, The Prodigal Son, and Jesus healing the blind man. God's Word has an effect, it just doesn't sit there. Every time God speaks something happens; it creates community and brings us closer to God.

 

Ongoing transformation is what happens in the Sacrament that takes place during the liturgy. It's a living word that matters and the people need to hear it in such a way that it makes sense, so that we can understand it and so that we are transformed by it.

 

Learning how to ski is complicated, but once you do actually skiing is fairly easy. Learning how to paint might be complicated, but once you do something beautiful is created. Learning to do liturgy correctly may seem complicated too, but once we learn it will come naturally. If people with a basic understanding don’t get it, then it's too complicated.

 

Our instructor quoted someone who was trying to explain what we're doing when we try to do liturgy. His idea was that Liturgy leads us to the edge of chaos, and from this regular flirt with doom we comes a theology that is different from others (non-Catholic). Coming to the edge of chaos brings us closer to God by teaching us something we would not have otherwise understood.

 

Participating in liturgy changes us. Our understanding of God is the result of participating in liturgy. Our Theology is the result of liturgy because it causes a deep change in our lives. To detect that change is to discover where theology has passed us. Participation in liturgy changes us because the next time we participate in liturgy we are different then before and looking back at who we were tells us something about who God is.

 

The Road to Emmaus may be a good example of this. The two people walking with Jesus did not recognize him until later, after looking back at their journey. In both physics and liturgy there is a collision, something happens. Sometimes that collision is a violent force that causes us to change. This adjustment causes the next liturgy to be different. It's the adjustment that is develops the theology in us.

 

Liturgy should be the first place where we go to learn theology because it's in church that we first meet and come to know God. All theology is a reflection of what happens in liturgy where we see God. What the founding fathers said about God is second hand theology, what the Catechism says about God is third hand theology, but in liturgy we not only experience the reflection of God, it is the most power full source of who God is.

My post to the class website:

I have always had a sense of ongoing transformation in my life, which may be one of the reasons I am Catholic today. When I was growing up my Mom referred to something she called progressive revelation, suggesting that you would “hear” something different each time you heard or read a Bible passage because you would be a different person than you were before. This made sense to me at the time, but today I realize that the reason we are different is because of our exposure to the Word and to the Sacraments.

I also like the idea that Liturgy leads us to the edge of chaos, and from this regular flirt with doom comes a theology that is different from others (non-Catholic). This seems similar to stress, as applied to bio-organisms including humans, that causes adaptation and transformation of behavior.

Participation in liturgy has transformed my understanding of whom I am, which in turn has transformed my understanding of who God is. Coming to the edge of chaos in the liturgy brings me closer to God because each time I learn something new. Today my Theology is the result of my participation in the Liturgy because it has caused deep changes in my life.

Liturgy - Class 1

Our instructor began this evening by asking for our definition of liturgy. Various suggestions were made, such as “worship in public” and “what ties our religion”. A more official definition came from the Second Vatican Council, "Liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows" (Sacrosanctum Concilium). Our instructor suggested that Liturgy is a bit like baseball, in that there is an underlying structure. Most people like baseball even though most people don't know as much about baseball as they might like.

 

Like baseball, the goal is to find a way to do liturgy so that even those who don't know what liturgy is can still participate and enjoy it. Every liturgy should have these four basic forms:  Word (scripture), symbol (environment), music, and movement. Also like a story, liturgy should have a beginning, middle, and an end.

 

Next, our instructor asked us to list what is required to create a good liturgy. The class came up with a lot of suggestions, which we eventually reduced to five things:  1) Creativity (resourcefulness), 2) reverence, 3) teamwork (cooperation and participation), 4) commitment, and 5) communication. I would have preferred resourcefulness rather than creativity, because to me it implies both creativity and boldness.

 

I’m not exactly sure how this is going to work, but the goal is to use these five qualities every week. I think we’re supposed to commit to doing the five parts every week to build a liturgy in your parish (?). He also mentioned that every week one of us should be prepared with a prayer.

 

Our instructors are actually a husband and wife team. The husband is from back East and when he was younger and working for the Newman Center they sent him to a liturgy workshop that turned his life around. Although he had grown up Catholic he really didn't get it until the workshop.

 

Long before this, someone named Virgil Michaels was a monk in the Mid-West who is responsible for re-creating (or re-invigorating) liturgy in the United States. He started a liturgy school at St. Johns that still trains Liturgists today.

 

We talked a bit about the class structure and use of the class website. The student learning agreement for the ILM program should be familiar to most students: Regular class attendance, keep up with the assigned readings, be open, practice mutual respect, and participate in discussions.

 

We were then challenged to go beyond this list because it's something we want to do: Obviously we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. An educator named Martin Knowles was a college professor who worked with learning theory. He was fascinated by the different learning habits of teen agers and young adults, and he eventually discovered that asking students to come up with their own learning plan enhanced the learning process significantly. We were asked to create our own learning plans for this class using five questions:

 

Where have I been? – As an RCIA Team member from 2004 to 2008, I felt the program could be improved. After learning abou the ILM program I thought it might be an excellent way to learn about the Church and understand what changes might be helpful. So I asked to attend the ILM program.

 

Where am I now? – After graduating from the ILM program in 2013, I was actually a bit surprised to be asked to join the RCIA team. By then two things had changed, but most significantly was the fact that I felt the RCIA program in my Parish had improved significantly. What I didn’t realize until later was that I wasn’t being asked to be a team member, I was being asked to lead the program in my Parish.

 

Where do I want to go? – My goal is to continue to improve the RCIA process in my Parish.

How am I going to get there? – I believe that this Liturgy class will improve my ability to better involve the Parish community in the RCIA process of welcoming and strengthening new Catholics. As with my previous ILM classes, taking detailed notes that I can transcribe into paragraph form will re-enforce what I learn. I will share this process in posts to my this blog.

 

How will I know I have arrived? – I will be more comfortable when I can recognize the parts and feel the flow of the Liturgy, and I will be more confident when I can fold the RCIA process into our Liturgical services.

 

As you might expect, the writing assignment for this class can be found on the web site: Basically it breaks down to three choices: 1) Write and post 100 words weekly to the class web site; 2) write three 500 word reflection papers due incrementally; or 3) write one 1500 word paper due at the end of class.

 

Our instructor noted that each of us has a wealth of experience, and he wants us to come ready to talk and share. He is asking us to find and make connections that relate to the readings and class. He concluded the class by saying that like snow skiing, you can learn all about the mechanics of liturgy, but if you miss the beauty you are missing the point. It's about faith and about who Jesus is, and it's about making Jesus more real for people. This is the way we share faith with hundreds of millions of people every week. This is how we come together as community.

My post to the class website:

Tonight, our instructor talked a little bit about how Liturgy is like a story that has a beginning, middle, and an end. Rabbi Waldenburg, who is also an ILM instructor, talks about how everyone has a Master Story. For instance: The key to understanding Judaism is the Exodus from Egypt. As the story goes Moses led his people out of Egypt, breaking the cycle of slavery, and the Exodus event became their Master Story. Everything from that time forward is viewed in light of that event. Prior to the Exodus the people understood the gods to be a part of nature and after that event God was a part of their history. Mosses received the law from God and it is through him that the people entered into a covenant with God.

I found this connection interesting, because Rabbi Waldenburg influenced how I see my own journey in light of my personal Master Story. The point our instructor was trying to convey is that what makes catholic liturgy Catholic is the story. You can learn all about liturgy, but if you miss the beauty, you are missing the point. It's about faith and about who Jesus is and it's about making Jesus more real for people; because through Liturgy we share faith with hundreds of millions of people every week. This is how we come together as community.

The Gospel reading for Friday, January 10, 2014 was about Jesus curing a leper. Afterwards, although he was asked to keep it quiet everyone was coming to Jesus for help. During the morning homily it was noted that Jesus didn’t just restore this man’s health; He restored the man’s access to the community. I found this very interesting, because it’s a bit like going to confession. During confession we are not just restored from sin, or worry, or stress, etc., we are restored to the Kingdom of God.

In God we Trust

You've heard the phrase, "Never say never". In my graduation post I said, "Well that's it! Our last class was two weeks ago, only this time it really is our very last class." You've probably also heard the phrase, to "turn up like a bad penny". The general sense of the phrase, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, is “the predictable, and often unwanted return of a disreputable or prodigal person after some absence.”

 

In this sense a “bad penny” is a person whose presence is unwelcome on any occasion, but whom fate perversely employs to torment you by making said person appear (“turn up”) repeatedly, often at the worst possible times. Ok, so thankfully I'm not a "bad penny" in the sense of a "disreputable or prodigal person", but my original plan was to end this blog after graduating from the ILM program: I guess that's still the plan but for now, like a bad penny, I'm back.

 

Today, pennies are viewed as nearly worthless by most of us, but when the term “bad penny” first appeared in the 18th century pennies were serious money. This made them ripe targets for counterfeiters, and to reach into your pocket or purse and discover that you had ended up with a “bad penny" was a depressing and annoying experience.

 

The only recourse available if you were stuck with a “bad penny” was to try to spend it as quickly as possible and hope that an inattentive shopkeeper would take it. But because everyone was trying to unload their “bad pennies” this way, your odds of encountering one or even the very same one you had gotten rid of a week earlier, were quite high. Thus “bad penny” became an idiom meaning “an unwanted thing that keeps showing up.”

 

According to an old wives tale finding a penny is supposed to be good luck, and if I have to identify with something that is nearly worthless I'd rather think of myself as a "good luck penny". Still, because pennies tend to be unwanted we find them abandoned everywhere, and I recently heard a story about stopping to thank God for your blessings when you find one.

 

The idea is that "In God We Trust" is printed on the penny, so when you find one you should trust that God has placed it in your way for a reason. Now, whenever I see a penny I think to myself "In God I trust” and I thank God for my many blessings. It's just another opportunity to "pray often" and I appreciate the reminder.

 

What I wanted to say in this post is that I started another class at ILM, titled Liturgy, which is one of the second semester electives for this year's third year students. As a graduate I can audit these classes, as long as I pay my tuition and purchase the required books. I was surprised that I didn't have to agree to the Learning Covenant, so I'm not sure if I get credit for the class or not.

 

As a third year student I elected to take other classes, but I heard from friends that this was an exceptional class which is why I'm here this semester. The good news is that it's interesting, taught well, and doesn't require a final paper to pass the class. The bad news is that it requires the usual amount of reading and it involves plenty of participation (experiential learning).

 

If you recall, immediately after last year’s graduation I was asked to take over the RCIA program at our Parish, and so far feedback from our Pastor and others suggests that the process seems to be working well; our Catechumens and Candidates are engaged and our team members and sponsors are involved. It's a team effort of course; so far so good. I was also asked to join the Finance committee which I am less qualified for, but I'm trying to contribute.

 

This year after my Pastor signed my ILM student form for the liturgy class; he looked at me with a smile and hinted that I would probably be asked to join the Liturgy Committee once I finished this class. As I mentioned in another recent post, 2013 turned out to be an exceptional year and 2014 is looking good as well. Pray for me as I watch for those lost pennies and remind myself, "In God I Trust"!