9-4-07
Greetings!
Religious education or CCD programs are starting back up. The first class for our students is tomorrow night already.
Roughly the past 10-15 years have seen a return to more content and truth based religious education. (By the way, this roughly corresponds to the release of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1992.) Crisis Magazine recently published an article that reflected this reality:
"A global movement toward the restoration of religious education in the Church is poised to provide the next generation of faithful with a formation that is intellectual but not dry, warm and personal but not frivolous or compromising, geared to the current situation but rooted in eternal certainties." -This is from an article by Todd M. Agliarloro, editor of Sophia Institute Press, via Crisis Magazine, "The New Catholic Manliness", July/August 2007.
-That is well-said and would result in a well-rounded individual, and indeed a changed world!
The article goes on to give examples such as describing Jesus as "our friend" but not excluding the fact that He is also our God and Judge; likewise when discussing the word "catholic", mentioning it's meaning of "universality" but also with an emphasis on evangelization.
This trend seeks to answer the "fuzziness" or even emptiness, of what was taught during the 1970's and 1980's with a more comprehensive explanation. At the same time, it does not seek to return to the rote memorization and lack of explanation that was sometimes emphasized in the 1950's and 1960's. I recall one teacher, when asked difficult faith questions, would respond "it's a mystery." That is precisely the wrong approach. By teaching the Faith & Explaining the "why"—we equip the next generation to engage their faith and the world around them.
Of course, every generation seeks to "correct" the mistakes of the previous, but I'm optimistic about where we're headed, even more so, because this was the vision laid out by the late, great JPII.
The whole, very inspiring, article can be found here: http://www.crisismagazine.com/julaug2007/aglialoro.htm
A complaint sometimes heard amongst divorced Catholics is that the Church spent time preparing them for marriage, but then did nothing for them after the ceremony. There is an element of a "cop-out" here and an element of truth. It's human nature to place the blame elsewhere. At the same time, the next contact many couples have with the parish, post-wedding, is when they have children. Rarely do you see parishes offer marriage enrichment seminars or other forms of concrete support for marriages. This is changing, however!
The Family Life Center, headed by Steve Wood, is doing some notable work in providing resources to address this issue. On their website, you'll find various materials, books, videos, CD's which provide concrete support to making marriages work. www.familylifecenter.net
In addition, in the coming months the U.S Bishops are now promoting healthier and strengthened marriages in a more concerted way. They have produced a website with loads of information, including a "Daily Marriage Tip." Check it out: http://www.foryourmarriage.org/
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Check out this movie called "Bella":
http://www.moviemails.com/moh/moviemail/view?buzzmailId=93664 I have heard nothing but good reviews of it from a faith perspective.
It has won numerous awards at film festivals. Earlier today I saw a report that a major studio in Hollywood had picked it up and plans an October 26th release.
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As we begin a new school year, people warn against "burn-out." Of course, you can burn yourself out---however, I like Fr. Neuhaus' quip about it:
A wise old bishop once told me that he was not much impressed by all the talk about priestly "burnout." "In my experience," he said, "most of those who claim to be suffering from burnout were never on fire to begin with." -Source Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, First Things, "While We're At It" Aug/Sept 2006
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Gregorian Chant and Polyphony Sacred Music Workshop - Explore the musical treasury of the Catholic Church
Join us at St. Peter's Parish October 26-27, 2007 for a hands-on journey into the timeless treasury of the official sacred music of the Church.
The Church's Official Music for the Mass
Gregorian Chant was written exclusively for the liturgy, and is included in the official books of the Church as the music intended to accompany the Mass. The Second Vatican Council called for Gregorian chant to have "pride of place" in the liturgy ( Sacrosanctum Concillium art. 116), and recommended sacred polyphony (motets written with a number of voice parts in harmony) as being well-suited to the Mass.
Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has said,
"An authentic updating of sacred music can take place only in the lineage of the great tradition of the past, of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony."
Discovering the tradition of sacred music in the Mass
Registration forms can be found at www.saintpetercatholic.com
or http://dioceseoflacrosse.com/ under the "Highlights" section.
God bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter's, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
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