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Ambo or Pulpit?

October 6, 2015 pilgrim 4 comments

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you’ll know that a good portion of my posts either come from questions people have asked me or from my own wondering about a particular subject. Today’s post falls into the latter category…

When Jesus preached to the crowds, Scripture records that one time He ascended a mountain to teach them (Matthew 5:1) and on another occasion He got into a boat and moved a little way from the shore (Luke 5:3). There is theological significance to both of these actions, but there’s also a very practical reason that the Lord did this – He wanted His preaching to be heard clearly by as many people as possible.

The necessity to clearly hear the words of preaching continues today and we see it reflected in the architecture of our church buildings in the presence of a pulpit/ambo/lecturn.

For quite a while, I’ve noticed that Catholic liturgists typically use the word “ambo” to describe the preacher’s platform, rather than “pulpit”, which you hear more often both in the Protestant world and in popular culture. However, is there really a difference between “ambo” and “pulpit”, or is this just a case of Catholic/Protestant “potato/potahto”?

Catholicism

Fully conscious, active participation

August 1, 2015 pilgrim Leave a comment

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.

Catholicism

Prophet and loss

May 24, 2011 pilgrim 2 comments

On Saturday, Harold Camping proved himself to be a false prophet when no rapture materialized…

Three days before the supposed event, I wrote the following:

When the predictions of such groups fail to come true and Jesus inconveniently decides not to turn up, excuses are usually given e.g. “Jesus did return, but did so invisibly!”. I’m guessing that probably the same thing will happen with Christian Family Radio on May 22nd.

I just read the following:

“Radio evangelist Harold Camping said in a special broadcast Monday night on his radio program Open Forum that his predicted May 21, 2011 Rapture was ‘an invisible judgment day’ that he has come to understand as a spiritual, rather than physical event.”

Straight out of the Jehovah Witness play book! Camping’s prophetic credentials seem to be shot, but mine are looking pretty good, hey? 🙂

Catholicism

March For Life Discussion: Live and let live

February 11, 2014 pilgrim One comment

Today I’m continuing my series of posts in response to the Facebook discussion a couple of weeks ago concerning the March For Life.

In my previous entry I briefly looked at what I think can be done to raise the standard of dialog between pro-life and pro-choice advocates. I would now like to start looking at some of the particular issues which were raised during the exchange. Today I would like to focus upon the opening comment from a former schoolmate:

“I kinda just wish people would stop telling other people how to live their lives….I’m pro-CHOICE, not pro-telling-people-what-to-do….”

As a pro-lifer, you hear sentiments similar to the one expressed above with considerable regularity and, on the surface, such a position seems extremely commendable. In fact, it is one of the sacrosanct secular doctrines in contemporary culture.

I think that respecting other people’s opinion is a good thing, I do. I mean, nobody likes to be told what to do, right? However, there are some immediate problems here. For a start, the statement self-refuting. As soon as you tell someone that they should mind their own business, you’re attempting, at least in some measure, to impose your own will on another person. That means you’re breaking your own rule and not minding your own business!

In the remainder of this post I would like to look at whether the live-and-let-live ideal is consistently applied…

Sunday Lectionary: September 4, 2011

August 30, 2011 pilgrim 2 comments

Unfortunately a little rushed this week, but here you go…

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The readings this week concern themselves with the tricky subject of relationships and, in particular, relationships between Christians. The passages address the question of how sin and disputes are to be handled in the Church.

Reading I: Ezekiel 33:7-9

Last week we heard from the Prophet Jeremiah. This week we have switched to the Prophet Ezekiel, but continue with the theme of God’s word.

Thus says the LORD:

“You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked, ‘O wicked one, you shall surely die’ and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself”

Watchmen 😉

Catholicism

Want to Help the Elderly?

March 28, 2020 pilgrim Leave a comment

Last week I received an email from Beverly from StandupForCaregivers.org asking if I would share some information about helping the elderly, particularly during this time. Here’s what she sent me…

Want to Help the Elderly? How the Church Can Learn About Their Daily Challenges and Take Action

The church has a long history of helping the elderly. As times change, however, we must stay on our toes and always be willing to learn new ways to help the seniors in our communities. This is especially true for the elderly who do not have relatives or friends nearby to help them navigate the challenges of daily life. The first step we should take is to learn about some of the difficulties they face. Then, we need to take that knowledge and actively engage in the caregiving village.

If you’re part of a local church, these resources might prove useful to you as you set out to help improve the lives of seniors in your area:

Common Challenges

Many seniors face a variety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges on a daily basis.

Connecting with the Church

Whether or not a senior is a Christian, you can offer to connect them with a local church community or another type of organization that holds social events and meetings.

Helping Them Around the House

One practical way to help seniors in your community is to ask them if there is anything you can do to help make their home safer, more comfortable, and more accessible.

Even the smallest of gestures can mean the world to a senior who needs assistance. Continue to learn about the challenges that many elderly people encounter each day, and use your knowledge to help the seniors in your community who need it most.

Catholicism

Three Images of Discernment

September 19, 2011 pilgrim 7 comments

Today I would like to return to the topic of discernment.

I concluded my last entry by mentioning the common thread I noticed within virtually all vocation stories. Whether in the priesthood, religious life or married life, I would invariably hear described in each story a personal moment when the discerner began to notice something drawing him or her towards a certain vocation. Sometimes this “something” was a great event, but more usually it was something small, something which an outsider wouldn’t notice or would regard as insignificant.

For some people it was a moment in prayer. For others it was a throwaway comment from a friend or stranger. For yet others, it was the reading of a familiar piece of Scripture, but in a new, personal way. This deep intuition, one awakened, put their life into focus and they began to feel an attraction towards a particular vocation in the same way a magnet is attracted to metal.

Catholicism

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