Politicization of the Mass

Fron National Catholic Reporter 

Catholic Group Launches Masses for Donald Trump

A Catholic group that hosted a prayer event for former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in March is now trying to have Masses said for the presumptive GOP nominee before the November election, prompting concern from some priests who say it could politicize the Eucharist.

The well-funded Catholics for Catholics group said the "Holy Masses for President Trump Campaign" aims to have 2,024 Masses said between Trump's birthday, June 14, and Election Day, Nov. 5. A spokesperson told NCR that 92 people from all over the country had committed to request a Mass intention since the project was officially launched on June 19.

Yep said that "the very first Mass of this great Campaign" was offered at the "People's Convention" June 14-16 in Detroit, which Trump attended. The event was sponsored by Turning Point Action, the political advocacy arm of the conservative group Turning Point USA, both founded by activist and former radio host Charlie Kirk.

But Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese, a longtime church commentator and columnist for Religion News Service, said the project "prostitutes the Eucharist for political purposes."

"Requests by political operatives that priests offer the Mass for partisan politics is appalling and should be forbidden by bishops whether the request comes from Republicans or Democrats," Reese told NCR in an email interview.

Should Biden Step Down?

Thomas L. Friedman, Paul Krugman. Nicholas Kristof, and Frank Bruni (all of the New York Times) say Biden should bow out.  Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal) said, "This can’t continue. I am sorry to say this harsh thing, but allowing him to go forward at this point looks like elder abuse."

Politico reports

From the New York Times to the Financial Times to the Wall Street Journal to the Atlantic, left-leaning columnists — many of whom have been covering Biden for years — admitted that the president didn’t just lose the debate: He confirmed his party’s greatest fears that his advanced age had rendered the election unwinnable for the Democrats if he remains their candidate.

It seems to me that whether or not Biden is too old to govern (and I don't even know what that means, exactly), he can no longer effectively campaign. But who can replace him (and win) at this stage of the game?

 

Archbishop Ganswein's new job

Relations between Pope Benedict's personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, and Pope Francis have been acrimonious, to say the least. Ganswein wrote a tell-all book which was very critical of Pope Francis, which came out less than a week after the Pope-emeritus' funeral.  Unsurprisingly, Pope Francis didn't give him an  assignment which would have enabled him to stay in the Vatican. However a year after Ganswein was told he needed to return home to Germany, it has been announced that he does have a new assignment.  From this article in NCR:

Francis appoints Archbishop Gänswein, controversial Benedict XVI aide, as Vatican's Baltics ambassador | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)

Accepting who our children are

This is my homily for yesterday, the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B.  The readings are here.  And of course, yesterday also was Father's Day.

Evening Prayer Sunsets

 

The Lake Metroparks Webcams

provide a wonderful background for Evening Prayer at sunset.

You can celebrate using the resources of my blog:

SAINT GABRIEL HOURS

or you can replay Vespers from Saint Meinrad 

which are celebrated at 5pm Central Time

SAINT MEINRAD LIVESTREAMS

Unfortunately, Saint Meinrad does not provide a text

but they do list the psalms they are singing 

They use the Grail Version of Psalms that have been used for decades

not the recently revised version.

Psalms: A New Translation Singing Version (1963)

$19.95/ Amazon above for 15.99

Their Booklet is a very convenient size 5 X 8 inches

with interesting introduction to each psalm

The Gelineau Psalm Tones are given in the back

An alternative version is 

The Abbey Psalter

regularly sells for $49.95, Amazon above for $40.88

It is a hardback book slightly larger than 8.5 by 11

The Grail edition of the Psalms, hand-lettered by Trappist monks 

and set in big size print for personal chanting or choir singing

The chant varies with the number of lines (2,3,4,5,6) in each stanza.

This version will tell you how many lines to expect from the Meinrad monks.

The chants are easy to learn. 

The stanzas are alternated between a cantor or cantors

and the rest of the choir.

Listen what the cantor sings and sing with the choir.

When Betty and I sing one of us takes the cantor stanzas the other the choir  

-PAULIST PRESS

has a bargain sale now until July 31 while supplies last 

but you have to enter the code BC24 in your cart

 to get the bargain catalog price

The Abbey Psalter is $34.97; the Singing Version is $13.97 

The Meinrad Monks sing a 2-week psalter

 rather than the regular 4-week psalter.

Clergy who have the obligation to pray the hours fulfill their obligation

 when they celebrate with any congregation 

even if the congregation uses a different office.

I think that could be extended to virtual celebration 

especially since Betty and I are part of the Saint Meinrad virtual congregation.

Podcast I Enjoyed

I think I have shared before that I follow a podcast by Father Nathan Castle. He is a Dominican friar, and has been a priest for 37 years. His day job for most of his career has been campus ministry.  

But his sideline is near death experiences and a prayer ministry for souls of people who have passed over, but aren't in heaven yet. Today's podcast is an interview with Michael Quinn, wbo with his wife Linda (now deceased) has done hospice ministry for many years. You'd think someone talking about death would be a grim interview. But actually I found it positive and inspiring. 

Here is the link, for what it's worth. Feel free to pass on by if it isn't your thing, but you might find it interesting:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ptGINls5g&feature=youtu.be

My three keys to college success

Some unsought-for advice to someone preparing to go off to college.

Lake County Ohio Webcams of Lake Erie

Lake County Metroparks

MISSION 

To conserve and preserve the natural resources of Lake County while providing a variety of safe, affordable and enjoyable educational and recreational programs and activities that enhance the quality of life in Lake County now and for the generations to follow.

The Lake County Probate Court Judge, Mark J. Bartolotta, appoints a three-member board of citizens to govern Lake Metroparks without compensation, for three-year alternating terms. In March of each year, the Board of Park Commissioners appoints an Executive Director who serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the park district.

WHAT’S HERE

Portions of two state designated wild and scenic rivers — and many tributaries — flow through and are protected by Lake Metroparks. In addition to protecting watersheds and open space, Lake Metroparks annually provides more than four million visitors with countless recreational and educational experiences at diverse facilities including an agriculturally-themed park, a nature center, a state-of-the-art education and wildlife rehabilitation center, two golf courses, more than 60 miles of trails including a 4.8-mile paved bike/hike trail, six parks on Lake Erie’s shoreline and a cross-country ski center.

PARKS AND TRAILS

Yesterday I discovered that Lake Metroparks has recently set up a series of webcams, including three at their Lake Erie park locations. Since the pandemic I have rarely gone to the Lake Erie shoreline. Before the pandemic I was there almost weekly between March and November. So, I am now able to be there virtually every day all the day. Virtual lakeshores are even better that virtual liturgies!

Last night I watched the sunset as seen through all three sites. Today I set up my computers so that I can easily use them as screen savers.  My new iphone takes wonderful pictures; it even shifts me into "natural light" mode when I take a screen shot.  

Today I made the following post to a website, Lake County Ohio Weal, that I plan to use for developing a Commonweal Local Community for Lake County.  Click on the link below and enjoy!

Lake Metroparks Webcams

Mary's intervention

Mark gives us a few words about Mary this Sunday which seem to challenge popular conceptions about the Blessed Mother.