Catholicism and Sparta

“This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Rite of Baptism

The first sentence of this section of the Rite of Baptism, said by the priest after the profession of faith, reminds me of a section of the movie “300”. The whole movie is based on the defense by 300 proud Spartans at Thermopylae against the Persian Empire’s mighty army. The section of which I am reminded is when the Persian emissary arrives at the city of Sparta with the heads of the kings who have opposed Xerxes rule. Leonides, the proud Spartan king, comes out and hears the threats, intimidations, and the offer of Persia: an offer of peace in return for submission to Persian rule or death and destruction. Leonides does not take kindly to these threats and terms and takes captive the messenger and his armed escort. As the emissary is pushed to the edge of a well, he tells Leonides that to treat him, the messenger, in this manner and refuse the terms was madness. Leonides pauses and replies, “Madness? THIS IS SPARTA!!!”
We live in a world that thinks that it is complete madness for men to choose to live celibately for their entire life, to go to Church at least once a week, to receive God in what looks like bread and wine, to remain pure until marriage, to defend life in the womb from the moment of conception, or even sacrifice our lives and reputations for these beliefs. I see the first sentence, short and precise as it is, as our battle-cry against a world and an enemy that desires nothing short of our spiritual destruction and death. Our reply to their attacks must be none other and with no less vigor than Leonides: “THIS IS OUR FAITH!!!”

diplomatic unrest

So, I was in a meeting with a couple of priests a permanent deacon and a Dominican nun who doesn’t wear a habit and swears she never will…sounds like the beginning of a bad joke…and some things concerning Liturgy, the state of teh Chruch, the priesthood, and progressive(liberal) versus conservative(traditional) in the ways of Catholicity. I dare not try to further explain these topics in their view because I have not the time nor energy right now to do so. I will say this: to them traditionists need to get with the modern program and snap out of their ancient ideals and come to their modern day senses. Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles was even quoted as a good source of wisdom in Liturgical eyes! Now during all mentions or discussions on such topics in a common group, I hold my tongue and listen. I do this for several reasons. First, I like to take in everything being said as well as the general enviornment in which it is being discussed. This gives me an idea of how open the persons involved are to anything besides their view. Second, I remember hearing in several classes in college from the professors that many of the graduated student body of my alma mater has, particularly my major, have gone to their jobs/parishes with a battle axe which not only puts people against them from the start, but shuts peoples’ ears to anything of substance that could have been given. I prefer to get behind enemy lines and do the battle from there.
In this “diplomatic silence” as I like to call it, there are benefits and curses. The curse of it is that those around me discussing such things think I agree with their point of view. This brings another curse, that while I am listening to them on the outside, my insides are ready to burst out and continue to bite my tongue of the things that I would and could say. The blessing of all this is that those who prehaps wouldn’t normally take my side in small things find themselves supporting ideas that if they returned to their own thoughts, probably would never have gone along with in the first place. In gaining this trust, I find I am able to effect some changes and influence that otherwise would elude me had I taken a battle axe to meetings. In time, I hope that many more such changes will occur and that God’s people may come back to Him with all of their hearts, minds and souls.

why there is nothing lately

So, with the life of a married man with a son on top of being the Director of RCIA, Director of Religious Education, Confirmation and Sacraments teacher and anything else with Catechesis, I haven’t had much time to continue the Exultet study, unfortunately. This is a very busy time of year as all of the preparations for reception of Sacraments comes to fruition. Last night we had Confirmation with a combined class of 115. Now keep praying for these individuals, because for most of them it was their “graduation from the Church”. Sadly, many think of the Sacrament of Confirmation as an end rather than a beginning. It is my prayer that the beauty of the celebration of this Sacrament and the implications of its reception, may be renewed. Please pray for all 115 of these newly confirmed and all those becoming fully initiated into the Catholic Church this year.

Simple Exultet study

The Easter Proclamation is such a beautiful hymn!  We only have the chance to hear it sung once a year, at the Easter Vigil.  I remember thinking that it was one of the LONGEST solos by a priest who never really did anything with his voice other than sing in the shower.  To me it once was simply another one of those parts that gave me a chance to  play with the candle fire while waiting for the end of this part of the tedious Easter Vigil.  Little did I know that if I studied further I would discover a harmonious mixture of salvation history, ancient chant and the extreme joy of the Resurrection.

So first let us look at a very brief history of the Exultet.  The word “exultet” is the first word of the Easter Proclamation.  It is the command “Rejoice!” or “Exult!” or “Be Joyful!”  The title for this proclamation is much like the “Sanctus” or the “Agnus Dei,” both of which their title is actually the first words of the chant.  It has been estimated that the Exultet was formed somewhere between the 5th and 7th centuries.  Prior to this were other hymns in praise of the Paschal Candle.

This hymn is filled with joy.  An evidence of this is the number of exclamation points.  There are 20 in the entire hymn and 12 of those are in the first section!  The entirety of the proclamation is bursting with joy, so much so that it must be sung.  There is no mention in the rubrics of the sacramentary that give an option of reciting this song of joy, rather only mention of other options for SINGING.  To simply say “Rejoice heavenly powers…” would do such an injustice to the mysteries being proclaimed.  Before he was pope, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in “The Spirit of the Liturgy” concerning music, “When man comes into contact with God, mere speech is not enough. Areas of his existence are awakened that spontaneously turn into song. Indeed, man’s own being is insufficient for what he has to express, and so he invites the whole of creation to become a song with him: “Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds” (Ps 57:8f.).”  In the Easter Vigil, we experience, we “come into contact with God” through the triumph of Our Savior Jesus Christ over sin and death and therefore “Areas of [our] existence spontaneaously burst into song.”  In our song we invite all of creation to join us: “Rejoice heavenly powers, sing choirs of angels…Rejoice O earth in shining splendor…Rejoice O mother Church…Let this place resound with joy!”

To be Continued…

Exultet

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!

Exult, all creation around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,

that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

Deacon: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Deacon: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy.”

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church’s solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

Purpose of this site

Hello everyone and Happy Lent!

I have created this site to begin doing a little writing on one of the subjects that is close to my heart: the Liturgy.  I realize that I do not have any degrees in this area, but simply wish to share my thoughts and observations as I continue to read and research on this central point of the Catholic faith.  My spin may be a little more on the catechetical side, but that is what I do, teach the faith.  I hope that you may be drawn ever more closely to the Sacraments and our faith.

“This is our faith.  This is the faith of the Church.  We are PROUD to profess it, in Christ Jesus Our Lord.” — Rite of Baptism