I leave in the morning, after Mass, for the airport. I will be doing a Mission at St. Anne, Gilbert, AZ

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 10:10 PM link

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Gospel and Media

The paper was full of reviews this morning, and so are many blogs. I have to avoid Amy's until she gets on another topic.

Media is just one form of expression. It is its own expression. For example Henri Nouwen once did a book about the Prodigal Son. There was only one problem. It was a book about the painting, "the Prodigal Son", by Rembrandt. It is one of the most popular modern books about the prodigal son, but yet it is a book about a painting, and few ever get to hear the detail in the gospel story. In fact, it wasn't truly about the painting, but about Henri's experience of the painting.

So remember, the majority of media today is reviewing a movie. There is more conversation about Mel Gibson than Jesus Christ. It is not the gospel, nor is it the passion of Jesus. It is a movie.

I may wait until the summer to see the movie. I want this lent to be focused on the Gospel.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 8:54 AM link

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Handbook
for
Heaven

Forty Days with the Cross of Christ
and the
Daily Mass Readings for the Season of Lent
led by St. Gaspar del Bufalo

Reflections by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S.


You will need a free Acrobat reader to open the file. Some of the C Cycle Sundays are missing. I was hoping to get this finished by Ash Wednesday, but I have a few more reflections to write.

I began working on these reflections more than ten years ago. They are finally reaching some sort of final form. Each Lent they have been posted to the Internet, and each year I add some things and revise others. I am still finding typographical errors. I am grateful for all the readers who have made suggestions and pointed out errors.

More than anything else, the one thing I received from this work was a greater appreciation of St. Gaspar and his experience of the Cross. My favorite year was when one Precious Blood Companion thanked me for the most excruciating Lent she had ever spent.

I hope to have this in some sort of print form by next year. If anyone uses this for their Lenten reading this year, I would very much appreciate your comments and suggestions. Let me know what is helpful, and let me know what is not helpful.

May everyone have a Holy and Blessed Lent.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 9:37 PM link

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Sanctity?

Since I had criticized the ads during the Super Bowl, I was intrigued by a appearance of an
article proclaiming that the ads during the Oscars would be tasteful.

I was dumbfounded, amazed, stunned, and a bit amused by the following line:

They are preserving the exclusive sanctity of this one show, because there's no other show like this - bar none," Wang said.

Wow! What would happen if we took the same care with something really holy, like the Liturgy, for example?

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 12:16 PM link

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St. Blogs Church

The February 27, 2004 issue of Commonweal Magazine has an article by Rachelle Linner on St. Blog's Church. This issue of the magazine does not appear to be on-line yet.

She rather enjoys reading Peter Nixon's Blog and she mentions mine by name with only the comment that it is pastoral.

My overall impression of the article is that she has not read too widely or deeply the vast array of Catholic Blogs. She appears to be looking for balance, something I think she would find if she hung around a bit longer. Some of her conclusions are erroneous, but she really does not say much about what is available and what its purpose is. On the whole, not a significant contribution to the literature on Catholic Blogs.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 11:44 AM link

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Precious Blood Lenten Reflection Series

Instead of walking through the desert for your Lenten reflections this year, why not journey through the internet to the website for the Precious Blood Leadership Conference (PBLC)?

Throughout the Lenten season the PBLC is sponsoring a daily reflection that can be found by going to the PBLC site. At the top of the left-hand column, click on the words "Lenten Reflections."

Each reflection uses the scripture readings of the day, includes some kind of Precious Blood theme, is around 250 words in length and includes some suggested action step or reflection questions(s) to ponder throughout the day. Also, they were written by some member of the Precious Blood family!

The PBLC is happy to report that during the season of Advent the daily reflections received 484 hits on one day alone! So, don’t miss this opportunity to be united in prayer with the growing Precious Blood family.

I wrote the Friday selections.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 10:30 AM link

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For Grins

The following was copied this past weekend from a wall hanging in the kitchen at St. Augustine Rectory, Minster, OH

Qui bene bibit
bene dormit
Qui bene dormit
cogitat non malum
Qui cogitat non malum
numquam peccat
Qui numquam peccat
salvandum est.

Ergo: qui bene bibit
salvandum est


loose translation: He who drinks well, sleeps well. He who sleeps well, thinks no evil. He who thinks no evil, does not sin. He who does not sin is saved. Therefore: he who drinks well is saved.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 7:55 PM link

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More on Music

One correspondent pointed out a wonderful article by George Weigel that pertains to my favorite subject, Liturgical music.

He goes a little further than I would in one case. This was written about in Day's book Why Catholics Can't Sing. The we are Jesus hymns have some basis in tradition. One would have to peruse the entrance and Communion antiphons in the Sacramentary and see that I am the Bread of Life type hymns are common there too.

I was glad he picked out the Hymn, Ashes. That is one of the truly awful pieces of music that the Principal of the School where I was pastor kept hankering for. As I prepare to preach parish missions in Arizona, Ohio and Indiana I fear I may be subjected to that one again.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 4:24 PM link

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Inappropriate Music, again

I am bound to get myself into trouble again. I am tempted to us the word heresy again. OK, let’s be clear, this is a judgment about a text, not a person. I do not know the person; have never met the person, etc. But this Sunday I was invited as part of a worshipping community gathered about the Lord’s Table celebrating the Holy Sacrifice to sing a song found in the hymnal. I could not sing it. I was immediately captured by the error in the text and was even sad that this faithful congregation was, in ignorance, being asked to sing this song. The local clergy did not feel themselves qualified to critique the music.

Just because it is in a Catholic hymnal, published by a Catholic publisher, does not mean it is fit for Catholic worship.

The song in question: Number 824 in Gather Comprehensive, I Myself Am the Bread of Life.

The text equates our sacrifices with the unique sacrifice of Jesus, even to the point of saying that this is our body. Jesus is totally unique. He is the divine Son of God, a divine person who taking on our human nature was subject to everything except sin. I participate in his sacrifice.

His sacramental presence in outward sign enables me to take part in his paschal mysteries. The notion that this bread is spirit and that we who share it know we can be one is a gnosis that takes us in another direction.

This song does not express the Catholic Faith in the Holy Eucharist and should not be permitted at the Celebration of the Mass.

My hunch is that pastors have been frightened off by old arguments about taste in liturgical music. It is time for them to examine the text and make sure that it is the faith that is being expressed. You cannot go wrong if you are singing a psalm.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 10:21 AM link

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