tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5283797880847544275.post3972397529417269006..comments2023-05-12T02:44:24.858-05:00Comments on Healthy Gopher: Awe InspiringGopher MPHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04164727896040737732noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5283797880847544275.post-92067646875696773202009-01-28T22:31:00.000-06:002009-01-28T22:31:00.000-06:00At St. John's (our parish in Mich.), the pries...At St. John's (our parish in Mich.), the priest, like all of the others, ends with: "The Mass is ended, Go in Peace". The back-up priest always said "Our Celebration is complete". I liked the 2nd one - it some how gave an impression of fullness, or fulfillment, rather than abrupt termination.<BR/><BR/>As much as one says church is God's House (then why doesn't he pay the mortgage?) ... St. Paul also wrote that our bodies are temples, to be kept clean & pure for the lord. We, too, are the temples of God. And won't she be pissed on cleaning day?<BR/><BR/>Participating during worship services keeps me from getting bored. I believe we are all called to participate in Life. In fact, I just remembered that I'm supposed to read at Mass Sunday. Yikes! I supposed I'd better work on it.<BR/><BR/>There are times when the mindless is a comfort. Not only in the search to ignore reality, but in the search to embrace it. My grandmother's funeral was a Catholic service; my friend Steve had a laid-back memorial at the funeral home; another friend had a Catholic funeral. The familiar ones let me participate on auto-pilot, while giving me the freedom to either concentrate on the words or concentrate on the person I was grieving.<BR/><BR/>Funerals aren't usually as much source of fun stories as weddings; just as well, since I'm not quite old enough to start going to them very often. (grin)Gopher MPHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04164727896040737732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5283797880847544275.post-83551276070754309832009-01-28T16:56:00.000-06:002009-01-28T16:56:00.000-06:00I had a college roomate who introduced me to Tom L...I had a college roomate who introduced me to Tom Lehrer. We used to sing "The Vatican Rag" regularly on Saturday night before going out. Don't know why. Just seemed like a fun idea at the time and it made us laugh. Probably eased the nerves before a date....(smile)<BR/><BR/>Yeah, in some ways the rigid structure of the Roman Catholic mass can be stultifying, but I guess for some, it's a comfort because they can be certain of one thing -- mass will be there and will be the same. Except maybe for the sermon. <BR/><BR/>Protestant services tend to follow similar structures among themselves but with variations. I was quite taken aback years ago when I attended my first Lutheran service. They have quite a mix of pomp and ritual. <BR/><BR/>I tend to bristle at the notion that the church is God's house. I believe that everywhere is God's house (or maybe inside her subconscious)as well as within each person and animal and plant. Our lives each day are "worship" and celebration....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5283797880847544275.post-49309582132679268022009-01-26T23:58:00.000-06:002009-01-26T23:58:00.000-06:00I'm hoping I enjoy "Doubt" as well. P.S.Hoffmann ...I'm hoping I enjoy "Doubt" as well. P.S.Hoffmann is often wonderful.<BR/><BR/>The "theatricality" is indeed a contributing factor. It would allow for a fixed, previously defined frame within which to work.<BR/><BR/>One can get into a rut of mindless following as a Catholic. I personally attest to this. It's the same format and framework almost every Sunday (well, except for Advent/Lent/Easter). Sit, stand, kneel, pray, repeat as necessary.<BR/><BR/>The congregation's mindless recitation of prayers or responses must be draining on a priest's morale. I've been both a lector (reading the old/new testament) and a Eucharistic minister (i.e., distributing Communion) - there are those who are obviously interested and there are those who are not.<BR/><BR/><I>Bring the little children to me,</I> Jesus requested. It is indeed our children - the altar boy - who are the future (especially of the priesthood, if the Vatican doesn't change admission policies). If the children don't pick up our songs, no one will, and those songs - of joy, sorrow, rage, and fear - will simply disappear into the night of Oblivion.<BR/><BR/><BR/>speaking of songs...<BR/>Tom Lehrer (sp?) wrote the 'Vatican Rag': <BR/><I>two-four-six-eight / time to transubstantiate! / ... / Everybody on your knees / fiddle with your rosaries / bow your head with great respect and / genuflect genuflect genuflect ... </I>Gopher MPHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04164727896040737732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5283797880847544275.post-73653205439594038922009-01-26T15:01:00.000-06:002009-01-26T15:01:00.000-06:00I agree.After reading through the program the next...I agree.<BR/><BR/>After reading through the program the next day, I discovered the reason Bernstein chose the Roman Catholic Mass as his structure -- first, he'd always been fascinated by it and what he called its "theatricality." Second, Jackie Onassis had commissioned it for the opening of the Kennedy Center -- the Kennedy's are Catholic.<BR/><BR/>After seeing Bernstein's "Mass" in concert, it's easy to understand how he'd use the "theatricality" of the Roman Catholic Mass for his own purposes -- it worked beautifully. The one odd thing to me -- the Celebrant (priest) suffers a complete breakdown of his faith at the end, so one would think the work would end on a somber note. But no, Bernstein in his genius, takes the Celebrant's song (at the beginning), gives it to the boy soprano and turns it into something uplifting and hopeful. <BR/><BR/>I think Bernstein would have LOVED the movie "Doubt".....(smile)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com