Icons as Visual Scriptures

We make an effort to use icons in our RCIA class as often as we can. Posters depicting icons are on the classroom wall, we use them throughout our powerpoint presentations and we sometimes bring icons to pass around.

To most people in our RCIA class and most American Christians, icons seem odd, even strange. The poses of the subjects look awkward, unappealing and in many cases they simply 'don't look right.' The complete lack of icons in most protestant churches makes it difficult for many converts to Catholicism to understand their use, history and meaning.

Icons are more than decorative art or educational illustrations. They are not idols and we do not worship them. Icons are 'visual scriptures' that allow us to experience the Word of God in ways other than the written word.

Take this icon of the transfiguration, above. Before Christians had access to the Bible the way we do today, an icon such as this was what we as Christians used to teach the Gospels. Accurate teaching of each story could easily be passed down from generation to generation using icons. People learn in visual ways and if your church had an icon such as this, you would remember the story with ease.

In early days, the revealing of a new icon was similar to the release of a new Hollywood movie - it was much talked about and much anticipated.

Just like our liturgy, everything in an icon has meaning - nothing is included unless it serves as an aide to worship or reminder. Next time you see and icon, spend time gazing and reflecting on its meaning. Look up the scripture it represents or research the subject. Mediate, pray. God speaks to us through visual scriptures as much as he does through the written word.

Archbishop Dolan on Obama Speeking at Notre Dame

Thanks to Deacon Greg Kandra for this post:

"They made a big mistake. There's a lot of things that President Obama does that we can find ourselves allied with and working with him on, and we have profound respect for him and pray with him and for him. But in an issue that is very close to the heart of Catholic world view, namely, the protection of innocent life in the womb, he has unfortunately taken a position very much at odds with the Church."

-- Departing Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan

You can watch his interview on the subject right here.

Archbishop Dolan is turning out to be a true servant of God. I'm pleased that the Pope selected him as the new Archbishop of the NYC Diocese. This is a very Catholic statement - both accepting and non-judgmental yet clearly drawing lines that protect and defend the Church's teaching. In this case, there is no gray area; the head of Notre Dame has erred in asking Obama to speak and is in direct conflict with the teaching of the church to not 'give those who oppose Church teachings a public platform nor award them honors."

We hope and pray that President Obama will have a conversion of heart and that God will work through him to do good. Our support of him as President and our prayers do not mean that we need to give him the stage so he can send conflicting messages to the students of our Catholic universities.

Doh! Clinton Makes a Fool of Herself in Mexico

This story from the CNA today:

Hillary Clinton leaves flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe, asks ‘Who painted it?’

Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 27, 2009 / 04:59 pm (CNA).- During her recent visit to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers “on behalf of the American people,” after asking who painted the famous image.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted by Mary on the tilma, or cloak, of St. Juan Diego in 1531. The image has numerous unexplainable phenomena, such as the appearance on Mary’s eyes of those present in the room when the tilma was opened and the image’s lack of decay.

Mrs. Clinton was received on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. by the rector of the Basilica, Msgr. Diego Monroy.

Msgr. Monroy took Mrs. Clinton to the famous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which had been previously lowered from its usual altar for the occasion.

After observing it for a while, Mrs. Clinton asked “who painted it?” to which Msgr. Monroy responded “God!”

Here's more information on Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the national symbol of Mexico. You'd think as the American Secretary of State, she would know a little bit about our neighbor to the South :)

Homily for Fifth Sunday of Lent

Father Richard Gagnon gave a wonderful homily on the readings for today on John: Jn 12:20-33. Here is a short version:

The gospel reading begins with the line:

"Now there were some Greeks among those who had come up to worship at the feast.
They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."

The Greeks were unlike any civilization in our history. Of particular importance was their inquiring mind. In addition to giving us philosophy as we know it and producing most of the major philosophers, they gave birth to modern science and thought. Recently, archeologists discovered ancient Greek writing on statues far down the Nile in Egypt. The Greeks were so inquiring, they strove to understand the world around them and traveled the world as they knew it looking for answers. Much of this travel was simply to expand their knowlege of the world around them; they had a thirst to know more. In the photo above, you can see a Greek inscription on an Egyptian statue. This statue is far from the Mediterranean, deep down the Nile and leagues away from Greece.

As humans, we all strive to find meaning in life much like the Greeks. This search finds its ultimate termination in a search to know God. In life, there are three paths we can take to know God:

1. We can come to know God through the universe around us. You only have to look at the world around you to see the magnificence and wisdom of God. His fingerprints are all over creation.

2. You can come to know God through Church teaching and the Word - by reading, studying and meditating on the scriptures. God reveals himself to us through Christ, the living Word and the Scriptures.

3. Most importantly, you can come to know God through simply listening and letting God reveal himself to you. Just as the best way to learn about the people in your life if for them to tell you about themselves, God loves us and wants us to be in union with him. If we open our hearts, he will speak.

A Sentence Which is Blatantly Unjust

This from the National Catholic Register:

Sometimes, it’s very hard not to think the world has turned completely upside down.

Watch this unbelievable video showing Black Baptist pastor Walter Hoye peacefully demonstrating outside and Oakland, CA abortion clinic. Rev. Hoye is an African-American pastor who feels a special calling to work for the end of the genocide-by-abortion taking place in the African-American community. As part of his efforts, he stands in front of an abortion clinic in Oakland with leaflets offering abortion alternatives and a sign reading, “Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help.”

Rev Hoye was arrested under a newly passed law in CA and now sits in and Oakland jail.

Despite the video tape the defense presented at trial showing that prosecution witnesses conjured up phantom patients whom Rev. Hoye had allegedly harassed, as well as claiming that he threatened two escorts and the clinic director, the jury rendered the guilty verdict.

As you can see in the video, abortion worker escorts make an astounding and illegal effort to block Rev Hoye's message, his first amendment rights and his simple message "Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help.":



You can see the two abortion escorts (in the orange bibs) that Rev. Hoye 'threatened.'

From the Voice magazine.com:

At a hearing on February 19, Judge Hing stated that he had not intended to impose any fine or jail time on Hoye if he would agree to stay away from the abortion clinic. After Hoye refused to agree not to offer alternatives to abortion-minded women, Judge Hing imposed a 30-day sentence and $1130 fine.Dozens in the African-American and pro-life communities from around the nation who came out in support of Pastor Hoye were outraged by the sentence.

The consensus of these leaders is that it was a travesty that Pastor Hoye was found guilty in the first place for standing in the gap for black children targeted by the abortion industry."It is absolutely incredible that in America an individual can be sentenced to jail for engaging in peaceful free speech activity on a public sidewalk," remarked Allison Aranda, Staff Counsel for Life Legal Defense Foundation. Aranda further stated, "Rev. Hoye is being singled out for particularly harsh punishment because he refused to agree not to offer help to women considering abortion.

"It is absolutely incredible that in America an individual can be sentenced to jail for engaging in peaceful free speech activity on a public sidewalk," remarked Allison Aranda, Staff Counsel for Life Legal Defense Foundation.

Pray for Rev. Hoye

Was St. Paul a priest?

Was St. Paul a priest?

This is the Year of St Paul and the focus on Paul generates lots of really good questions. I read this post on Catholic forums today and thought it might be of interest:

I would like to know if St. Paul was a priest?

Michelle Arnold: Catholic Forums apologist gave a quick answer:

Yes, St. Paul was a priest. For that matter he was also a bishop. We know this because of his letters to Timothy, in which he said:


Quote: Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me (2 Tim. 1:6-12, emphasis added).

The emphasized passages show that St. Paul "laid hands" on Timothy, which gave him a share in Paul's own "holy calling" (suggesting that Paul ordained Timothy to the priesthood); and that Paul was "a preacher and apostle and teacher" (which indicates that he shared in the apostolic ministry, which is priestly and by which successors to the apostles [the ordained, primarily bishops] were created).

Here Comes Newt!

This from the wires today:

Veteran Republican politician and former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, will convert to Catholicism this Sunday, his spokesman has said.

In 2006 Gingrich wrote a book called “Rediscovering God in America” — part of a new canon of work he has done reaffirming the role of religion in public life. The following year, he went on radio with the evangelical minister James Dobson to apologize for having been unfaithful to his second wife. A Baptist since graduate school, Gingrich said he will soon convert to Catholicism, his wife’s faith.

AOL News reports that when Gingrich tweeted his disapproval yesterday of Notre Dame's choice of President Obama as commencement speaker, he was, at least, speaking from experience. "It is sad to see notre dame invite president obama to give the commencement address Since his policies are so anti catholic values," Gingrich says on his Twitter page.

AOL says that a similar kerfuffle erupted in 2005 when Gingrich spoke at Catholic University. Students then said Gingrich's support for the death penalty and his well-publicized marital infidelities violated the school's prohibition against speakers with positions contrary to Vatican teachings.

But all seems to have been forgiven between Newt and the Catholics. He'll officially covert to Catholicism on Easter Sunday, according to his spokesman. Asked about Gingrich's support for the death penalty and other issues, Washington Archdiocese spokeswoman, Susan Gibbs, told AOL she could not comment about the specifics of any one person's conversion, but Gingrich is "in proper standing with the Catholic Church." "Any obstacles to joining the church have been resolved," she said.

The Catholic Church in the United States At A Glance

The Catholic Church in the United States At A Glance

(Figures Represent the U.S. Catholic Church Through 2007 Unless Otherwise Indicated)

Laity

There are 67,117,016 Catholics in the United States¹ (22% of the U.S. population),
and 1 billion Catholics worldwide².

New Church Members³

Infant Baptisms: 902,841

Adult Baptisms: 49,415

Received into Full Communion: 87,363

Dioceses and Archdioceses (alphabetical listing - Listing by population)

In the United States, there are 195 archdioceses and dioceses:

145 Latin Catholic dioceses

33 Latin Catholic archdioceses

15 Eastern Catholic dioceses

2 Eastern Catholic archdioceses

Clergy and Religious

Priests⁴
There are 41,406 diocesan and religious-order priests in the United States.

• 28,067 diocesan priests
• 13,339 religious-order priests (Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, etc.)

Seminarians
There are 5,029 seminarians enrolled in the United States.

• 3,248 enrolled in diocesan seminaries
• 1,781 enrolled in religious-order seminaries

Permanent Deacons⁶
There are 16,408 men who are ordained as permanent deacons in the United States. A permanent deacon is a man, either married or single, who is ordained to the order of deacons, the first of three ranks in ordained ministry. They assist priests in administrative and pastoral roles.

Vowed Religious

• Sisters: 63,032
• Brothers: 5,040

Catholic Education

• Total Catholic elementary and high school enrollment: 2,256,990
• Elementary Schools: 6,266 schools educating 1,576,301 students
• High Schools: 1,352 schools educating 680,689 students
• Colleges and Universities: 236 institutions educating 794,321 students
• Non-residential Schools for Handicapped Persons: 68 schools educating 6,419 students
• Public School Students Receiving Religious Education:
  • Elementary School students: 3,145,424
  • High School students: 689,552

Catholic Health Care

• Hospitals: 557 Catholic hospitals treated 83,795,186 patients
• Other Health Care Centers: 417 centers treated 7,271,716 patients
• Specialized Homes: 1,538 assisted 756,902 residents
• Residential Care of Children: 163 locations assisted 30,106 residents

Catholic Charities

Social Services
More than 1,735 local Catholic Charities agencies and institutions provided services to 7,854,104 unduplicated individuals in need of help in 2004.

• Provided Services that Build Strong Communities to 3,618,993 people
  Social support services 1,698,047
  Education and enrichment 747,021
  Socialization and neighborhood services 609,149
  Health-related services 234,635
  Services to at-risk populations 331,141

• Provided Food Services to 6,360,939 people
  Food banks and food pantries 2,373,087
  Soup kitchens 1,826,738
  Congregate dining 1,232,217
  Home delivered meals 279,345
  Other food services 649,520

• Provided Services that Strengthen Families to 1,093,339 people
  Counseling and mental health services 468,844
  Immigration services 341,087
  Addiction services 97,980
  Refugee services 77,801
  Pregnancy services 65,718
  Adoption services 41,909

• Provided Housing Related Services to 474,999 people
  Housing services 171,787
  Temporary shelter 139,938
  Supervised living 102,297
  Permanent housing 41,424
  Transitional housing 19,553

• Provided Other Basic Needs Services to 1,384,101 people
  Financial Assistance (not rent, mortgage, etc.) 154,637
  Clothing Assistance 533,828
  Utilities Assistance 167,510
  Assistance with Purchase of Prescriptions 47,136
  Additional Other Basic Needs Assistance 480,990

• Provided Disaster Services to 567,334 people

From the USCCB Website

Arizona Attorney General to investigate Planned Parenthood for Statutory Rape Cover-up

As a father of pre-teen girls and a Catholic, I found the video below sickening. It is bad enough that an organization takes tax payer money to fund abortions. It is unbelievable that they so blatantly break the law. If you had a 13 year old or 15 year old daughter who was raped by an adult, wouldn't you want to know if she was pregnant? That the state government is going to investigate is good news:

Arizona Attorney General to investigate Planned Parenthood for Statutory rape cover-up

Phoenix, Ariz., Mar 25, 2009 / 06:20 am (CNA).- Following the release of undercover videos showing Arizona Planned Parenthood clinics disregarding laws that mandate the reporting of sexual abuse, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has reportedly opened an investigation into local branches of the nation’s largest abortion provider.

The videos, taken by the student non-profit group Live Action, showed clinic staffers talking to a student investigator they believed to be a pregnant 15-year-old girl. The student claimed to have become pregnant by her much older boyfriend. Sexual relations between a 15-year-old and an older adult is a felony under Arizona law, while state law also mandates reporting of sexual abuse.

Live Action films conducted investigations at two Phoenix clinics and a clinic in Tucson. Its footage was sent to County Attorneys in Pima and Maricopa counties and to the Arizona Attorney General. The office of the Pima County Attorney in a letter to Live Action said that the footage from the Tucson clinic is “under review and consideration by the Attorney General.”

Previous Live Action investigations in Indiana resulted in the Indiana Attorney General opening a full investigation into the abortion provider.

What do you think???

Pretty in Pink

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend mass this past Sunday at the National Shrine in DC this weekend. It was the fourth Sunday of Lent and as we taught the RCIA lesson on 'Liturgical Life" this week, I had to look up the meaning of the pink or rose colored vestments the priests wore at mass.

This is from the Happy Catholic Blog:

The fourth Sunday of Lent is rather unique; like the third Sunday of Advent ("Gaudete Sunday"), the fourth Sunday of Lent is a break in an otherwise penitential season. The vestments for this day will be rose, as they are on Gaudete Sunday in Advent, and flowers may adorn the Altar. This day is called "Laetare Sunday" (also "Rose Sunday" ), and takes its name from the opening words of the Mass, the Introit's "Laetare, Jerusalem"...

A bit more info comes from Fr. Dwight Longenecker:

The Rose color was made from the very rare crimson dye taken from a tiny gland in the murex mollusc (a kind of sea snail) found only off the coast of Lebanon. Thus, in the ancient world that particular rose color was a sign of great wealth, and royal status. The High Priest in the temple in Jerusalem used it in his vestments. It came to be used on the two refreshment Sundays in the penitential seasons to perk people up.

But there is more to it than that. The rose vestments in Lent, remind us of the royal and priestly status of Our Lord. The priest in persona Christi presents an icon of Christ the King and great High Priest. The fact that this image is stuck in the midst of the two penitential seasons reminds us that locked into the austerity of this world, robed in the squalor and simplicity of human flesh, there lies hidden the Great High Priest of the New Covenant, Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This a good example of how everything in the Liturgy and everything in the Church is there for a reason and has meaning. Much like our Eastern-Rite brothers and sisters, we surround ourselves with aides to worship that help guide us back into unity with God. Next time you see something you don't recognize, ask a fellow Catholic!

Harvard AIDS Expert: Pope Correct on Condom Distribution

This article came via Joanna Bogle:

Harvard AIDS Expert: Pope Correct on Condom Distribution

The pope is correct...or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope's comments.

I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome with advertising slogans. If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem.

BOSTON (LifeSiteNews.com) - Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, has said that the evidence confirms that the Pope is correct in his assessment that condom distribution exacerbates the problem of AIDS.

"The pope is correct," Green told National Review Online Wednesday, "or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope's comments."

"There is," Green added, "a consistent association shown by our best studies, including the U.S.-funded 'Demographic Health Surveys,' between greater availability and use of condoms and higher (not lower) HIV-infection rates. This may be due in part to a phenomenon known as risk compensation, meaning that when one uses a risk-reduction 'technology' such as condoms, one often loses the benefit (reduction in risk) by 'compensating' or taking greater chances than one would take without the risk-reduction technology."

Read the entire article here

Light and Darkness and Hope

Only through the light of Christ can the darkness of war and selfishness be overcome, explains Holy Father

The Gospel readings from Sunday were among my favorite. In particular, the last lines of this passage from John 3:

but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Pope Benedict spoke to over a million people on the last leg of his Africa visit yesterday and CNS had this to report from his homily:

In his message, the Holy Father spoke of prayer for reconciliation and peace, for only the light of God can overcome the great "darkness" cast by war and greed.

Beginning his speech, the Holy Father noted that the vivid description of “the destruction and ruin caused by war” in today’s readings, “echoes the personal experience of so many people in this country amid the terrible ravages of the civil war.” He added: “How true it is that war can 'destroy everything of value:' families, whole communities, the fruit of men’s labor, the hopes which guide and sustain their lives and work!”

“This experience,” the Pontiff expounded, “is all too familiar to Africa as a whole: the destructive power of civil strife, the descent into a maelstrom of hatred and revenge, the squandering of the efforts of generations of good people.” He continued, “When God’s word, a word meant to build up individuals, communities and the whole human family, is neglected, and when God’s law is 'ridiculed, despised, laughed at,' the result can only be destruction and injustice: the abasement of our common humanity and the betrayal of our vocation to be sons and daughters of a merciful Father, brothers and sisters of his beloved Son."

“Tragically,” he continued, “the clouds of evil have also overshadowed Africa, including this beloved nation of Angola.”

The Catholic Church is growing by large numbers in Africa and it brings an important message of hope. That so many could find Hope in the Word of God amid so much horror and hunger is important for us all to pay attention to.

Read a CSM article about the rise of the Church in Africa here

Read the CNS article here

The Pope's Worst Enemies are Catholics

The Pope's Worst Enemies are Catholics

From a Telegraph.co.uk blog by Damian Thompson:

It's payback time for Pope Benedict XVI's most dedicated enemies, who are not militant secularists, hate-crazed Muslims, diehard Protestants or the liberal media. The people who most dislike the Pope are Catholics, or people who have the nerve to describe themselves as such.

The Pope needs to be protected from Catholics

We learned this morning that "Vatican insiders" consider Benedict XVI "a disaster". It's true. They do think that. He's a disaster for them, and their determination to turn the Catholic Church into a touchy-feely forum in which uncomfortable teachings and traditions are "modernised" to impress non-Catholics. Until the Williamson affair, the media weren't sufficiently interested in attacking Benedict XVI to be useful. But now, after that own goal... YES!!!

Read the entire blog here

Thompson goes on to quote Milsaps Professor and 'Catholic' Robert McElvaine:

"After insulting Muslims by declaring in 2006 that Muhammad had brought "things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached," after reiterating (through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) in 2008 that the subject of the ordination of women is not even open for discussion and declaring that anyone involved with the ordination of women will be automatically excommunicated, after lifting in January of this year the excommunication of Holocaust-denier Richard Williamson, now Benedict XVI opens a visit to Africa by telling the people of a continent decimated by AIDS that the distribution of condoms "increases the problem" of the spread of AIDS. I am a Catholic and the idea that such a man is God's spokesperson on earth is absurd to me."

To McElvaine and other so-called "Catholics" I'd simply say "The Catholic Church does not exist to serve your needs as you voice them. It exists to preach the Gospels, feed the hungry, help the needy,free the oppressed and maintain the teaching of Jesus as the path to unity with our loving God.

Pray for our Pope and pray for those who attack the Church from within!

The Real Story

Bad News Sells.

This is a sad part of human nature - we are attracted to negativity and bad news about others. Think about it - when was the last time you passed an auto accident and didn't look?

It would be easy to listen to the reports of parish and Catholic school closings in some part of the country along with the near-constant bashing of the church in the mainstream media and come to the conclusion that the Catholic Church was dwindling in size.

Despite some midwest and northeast areas shrinking in size, the Catholic Church is bursting at the seams and is one of the few religious groups in the United States growing at double-digit numbers. Take a look at this graph:




The truth, and the story you rarely hear, is that the Catholic Church is alive and well. In the words of Nashville Bishop Choby quoting Pope Benedict, "The Church is constantly young and forever reborn." Despite all the naysayers, the Church keeps on growing. The Catholic Church in the South is growing at an incredible rate.

Some of this growth comes from immigrants flooding into America, an estimated 300,000 a year. From 1990 to 2009, that's 5.7 million immigrants. The remaining 6.3 million are from population growth and huge numbers of converts from other religions.

What do you think?

Amaing Pro-Life Interview

Joanna Bogle, a prominent English Catholic commentator and blogger recently held her own in a hostile TV interview where both the other guest and the host wished to pan Pope Benedict's recent statements about the use of condoms in Africa. Joanna made some excellent points despite being interrupted constantly by the host.

Take a look for yourself:

On her blog, Joanna has this to say about her points:

Now here are the facts...

The Pope has noted, correctly, that giving out condoms is certainly not saving any lives in Africa and is contributing to the problem of AIDS. Think it through properly. What spreads the disease is sexual contact with people who are infected. Distribution of condoms has led to an overall widespread increase in casual sexual contacts, as people have been told that casual sex can now be made "safe". The information that, in a controlled experiment, a condom works as a method of prevention, has to be presented against the actual overall increase in the opportunities for infection to occur. In other words, it's not just "method" that matters but the actual reality. Most sexual encounters with infected people do not occur in the circumstances that the condom-distributors have planned.

Remember, only one sexual encounter with an infected person is required to receive this deadly disease. So promotion of any policy that promotes increased sexual encounters is going to increase the overall chances of further AIDS cases day by day.

The Church offers a 100 per cent measure that will protect you from AIDS - no sexual contact with an infected person. And this works. In the Philippines, where the first cases of AIDS were reported, the Church's policies were implemented - and it has a miniscule rate of AIDS. In Thailand, condoms were promoted instead, and the death toll from AIDS is high and still rising - and the tragedy of child prostitution has grown to massive proportions.

On the TV programme we were told that 22 million people had died from AIDS in Africa. The condom policies aren't working. Why not try the alternative which works?

Good job, Joanna! You are my hero - it takes real fortitude to stand up to such fuzzy logic!

Praying Twice

When I think of music in a Catholic mass, I think of polar extremes:

I've been to masses with music that truly is a gift from God - the kind than moves your heart, deepens your prayer and creates an otherworldly feeling. Organs, string instruments, choirs, children's voices and chants can be amazing to experience.

On the other hand, I've been to masses where the Music was weak or uninspired. I've been to masses where the music ministers sung out of tune. Worse, I've all too often been at mass when few people even bother to sing - its as if singing is optional. Lots of humming with few people even bothering to have the hymnal or missal out in front of them.

In our RCIA class this week we covered the importance of music in the Liturgy. Music is a gift from God! Everyone should participate in the music. Music deepens the word of God.

Here is the Catachism, 1156: "The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy." The composition and singing of inspired psalms, often accompanied by musical instruments, were already closely linked to the liturgical celebrations of the Old Covenant. The Church continues and develops this tradition: "Address . . . one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart."

St. Augustine even says 'Singing is praying. When one sings, he prays twice."
Make a point next time you celebrate mass to sing. Sing loud. God is listening!