"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
Faith and charity are the beginning and end of life. The beginning is faith; the end is charity. Both, joined in unity, lead to God, and all the rest that attains perfection and holiness follows from them
– St. Ignatius of Antioch
Back in San Diego, I was part of a group which we called “The Men’s Huddle”. We were a small group of Catholic guys who got together every couple of weeks in order to share our lives, hold each other accountable and to encourage one another as we sought to become all that God calls us to be.
In the last couple of years I’ve noticed more men’s groups have been springing up. This is really great to see and today I’d like to write a little bit about The Huddle, in the hope that it will inspire other men to do something similar. The Huddle was a great support to me during my time in San Diego and I would like more men to experience the sort of blessing which comes with membership of such a group.
Lovely readers! I’d like your advice please!
At the end of this week things are going to change… My company just approved my request for a two-month sabbatical.
I’m going to use the time for three things. First and foremost, I’m going to use this time to discern the road ahead. Next, I’m going to take this opportunity to tick some things off my bucket list. Finally, I’m going to use the time to have a bit of a rest, a shabbat, if you will…
I’m currently planning how I’m going to structure those two months, and this is where I’d appreciate your input. I will be spending the first week of the sabbatical on retreat at a monastery at an undisclosed location in another part of the United States…
After that, what should I do? Or, put another way, if you had two months off work, how would you spend your time?
This week is another song which made a regular appearance at the Steubenville Conference a couple of weeks ago, “Because He lives”, by Matt Maher:
I believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood
Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives
I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away
Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
Every fear is gone
I know He holds my life my future in His hands
At the moment I’m just finishing up “Jesus among other gods” by Ravi Zacharias. In his chapter discussing Jesus’ interaction with Pontius Pilate, Zacharias tells of a really interesting incident in the life of Napoleon which I’d like to share. It’s a little long, but I really do encourage everyone to read it…
Today I would like to reflect a little more on the development of liturgy following the Second Vatican Council. In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (“Sacrosanctum Concilium“), the Council called for the laity to have “fully conscious, and active participation” in the liturgical celebration.
As someone who grew in the post-concilliar Church, I have often felt that there was an attempt to respond to this call of the Council by simply giving the laity as many jobs as possible. Tasks previously performed by priests and deacons in the Liturgy were now given to those who sat in the pews.
While I appreciate what was being attempted, I have recently been thinking that the implementation of the Council’s teaching contained rather flawed logic. After all, if “fully conscious, and active participation” necessitates that I have some kind of liturgical role at Mass, what about those who don’t get assigned a job that week? There are only so many things that need doing! We can’t have everybody read the Readings or bring up the gifts! If participation requires a job, does that mean that those without a job are not participating in the Liturgy? Obviously not.
