Upcoming Retreat....

The ND chapter of UFL will present a retreat on September 10, 2011. Registration is encouraged and is free by emailing Tracy.A.Westlake.1@nd.edu .

Faculty Retreat 2011

Two Resources for the Forthcoming English Mass....

A plethora of resources and commentary on the forthcoming English translation of the Missale Romanum are available in both book form and on the web. Two such resources come from Liturgical Training Press (LTP): Mystical Body, Mystical Voice: Encountering Christ in the Words of the Mass and Lift Up Your Hearts: A Pastoral, Theological, and Historical Survey of the Third Typical Edition of The Roman Missal. Both books clearly take the posture that this English translation is well-done, theologically richer, and thus a great gift and benefit to the English-speaking Church. So, in reading these books, one is not going to find debate or dissent regarding the translation process, its level of transparency or whether we should "just say 'wait'" or not. These books look forward and in doing so are fine resources for those in the pastoral trenches who are entrusted in celebrating well the liturgy and catechizing.

The first, edited by Christopher Carstens and Douglas Martis, walks the reader through not just where familiar Mass texts have changed but also through the ritual structure which isn't changing but is still rich fare for reflection. In a sense, the commentary touches on both text and the context.

The work is rich but not dense. The footnotes are helpful but not overwhelming. And the format's clarity persists throughout. The authors explain a particular ritual part of the Mass or a particular text and then write succinctly on "What the Church Wants Us to Know". This overall structure is concluded at the very end of the book with a Question and Answer section.

The book communicates well the beautiful cohesion of text and theology which marks the richness of the Roman Rite.


The next book is a series of essays edited by Robert Tuzik. Here one will find informative pieces which explain much of the "why" and "how" of the translation but is short on "what" deep theology the new translation holds. Unlike Mystical Body, Mystical Voice, Lift Up Your Hearts, in my opinion, will most likely not be a resource to which one continuously returns long after the new translation is implemented. This isn't to say that the text is unhelpful in this preparatory period.

Chapters 7- 9 elucidate the legitimate options presented to priest celebrants and others who prepare liturgies when using Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions, rites of initiation, and Masses in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Familiarity of these brings the potential of a richer liturgical life.

Summer Reading...

Books on summer reading lists tend to receive less attention when one researches for and writes a dissertation. But now that I am on retreat and spending some time with my family, I can allow myself to pick up a few volumes that have patiently waited in the cue.

I wrote earlier about Ron Hansen's enjoyable collection of essays, A Stay Against Confusion. This week I finished rather quickly Matt Baglio's The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist. I have not seen the Anthony Hopkins-starred movie based on this book which seems to get mixed results: thumbs down from professional reviewers and thumbs up from believers. The book certainly gets an enthusiastic approval from me. Often when an author writes on a topic dealing with Catholicism he or she fumbles mightily and I cringe at all the inexact phrasing and vocabulary. But Mr. Baglio, self-described as having been raised Catholic but not a strong practitioner of the faith, does get it. He understands the lingo and more importantly conveys the inner-workings of both the Church and the spiritual life in a fair and accurate light. The lack of cheap jabs at the Church and her life makes it easy for me to overlook the lower-case spelling of "mass" and the lack of footnotes (an increasingly more frequent curse upon the reading world).

While the main thread is the telling of the true story about a California priest sent to Rome to be trained as an exorcist, the book also touches upon the theology behind the ritual of exorcism, the history of its use and is therefore a beautiful reflection on the spiritual life, the role of prayer and sacraments for Christians. Yes, the book is filled with exorcism scenes but it also drips with solid spiritual wisdom which any reader can appreciate.

Professionally the book gave me much to ponder - assumptions of evil in our world, the particular attitude priests and bishops have toward demonic actions, etc. Personally my attention perked whenever I saw the Casa Santa Maria mentioned. It housed the main character while he studied in Rome just as it does me during these years.