Congress experience



Me and my uncle at the Claretian
Missionaries vocation booth

One week ago I was in Chehalis for a Rite of Election and within twelve hours was at the happiest place on earth. Across the street from it anyway. Held at the Anaheim Convention Center, across the street from the Disney theme parks, the Religious Education Congress is known as the largest gathering of Catholics in the United States. In reflecting on my experience at last week's Congress, I am at a place of deep peace and consolation. Everything brought me much joy and spiritually rejuvinated me as a lay minister, from simply seeing my uncle at their Claretian Missionaries vocation booth to the designated area of sacred space on the second floor to all the liturgical celebrations. I even had breakfast with the Director of Worship for the Diocese of San Jose.

My friend John Michael coordinated the Hawaiian Mass in the Arena, so he invited me to serve as an extraordinary minister for Holy Communion held in the largest space in the Anaheim Convention Center. This provided me an opportunity to see the behind the scenes of how a Mass in the Arena was coordinated. I got some fresh new ideas about how to prepare for Masses in a gym or hotel ballroom!

At first, the 200+ exhibits and booths were a bit intimidating, but once I walked around a bit, I was able to take it all in, and even considered purchasing a resource with weekday responsorial psalms.

Me with Fr. Jim Martin, SJ

The workshops I attended were spiritually renewing. The first one was on prayer by Fr. Jim Martin, SJ. Then one on ritual and putting meaning back into our Catholic rituals with ValLimar Jansen. The last day was on the universal call to holiness by Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP.

At each Mass, during the Preparation of the Altar and Presentation of the Gifts, the ministers took time to really prepare the Altar for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It was at this time that the linens were put on the altar, people processed with the altar candles then set them into the candle stands. It really helped put more focus on the altar, to prepare for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

    

Overall, Congress renewed my spirit as a lay minister and provided me a tangible sign of the New Evangelization. Congress brought me to a deeper faith and belief in the Gospel and reminded me of the urgency to not only keep this joy to myself, but to proclaim it and spread the Good News to others.

Mass of Thanksgiving

Archbishop J. Peter Sartain invites you to an Archdiocesan Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Benedict XVI this Thursday, Feb. 28, the final day of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate, at 12:10pm at St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave, Seattle.

Please let other lay, religious, and clergy of our local Church know of this Mass, honoring Pope Benedict and his leadership of our Church!

"Enter the Mystery"

Apologies for the lack of posts these past few days, but the morning after the Rite of Election in Chehalis last Thursday, I flew to Anaheim for the Religious Education Congress. Haven't touched a computer since...until tonight, just as a side after checking-in for my flight back to Seattle in the morning.

The theme for Congress this year was "Enter the Mystery" which I definitely did all weekend long. Since it was my first Congress experience, I simply opened myself up to the Holy Spirit in all that I did, not expecting or planning too much, other than the workshops which everyone had to preregister for in advance and the masses which I was going to attend. It was such a blessed weekend with informative workshops and uplifting liturgies...all of which allowed me to enter into the mystery...Jesus' paschal mystery!

More posts to come about Congress in the future, once I have time to reflect on the grace-filled experiences of this weekend, which will not happen in this hotel room I'm sitting in (or at least it will, but not in a form ready to post.)

But until then, here's a part of the refrain from the Congress theme song, which you can also listen to, published by Curtis Stephan and Spirit & Song, that sums up the weekend well:

"Enter the mystery

see with the eyes of faith

the world transfigured around us."

Dancing Books at the Rite of Election

Now, before I go any further, more than likely there will be no dancing Books of the Elect at the Rite of Election celebrations throughout the Archdiocese of Seattle...at least, not anything planned...but we'll see where the Holy Spirit takes us.

Anyway, many Dioceses throughout the U.S. celebrate their Rite of Election tomorrow, customarily held on (or in our case for the Archdiocese of Seattle, near) the First Sunday of Lent. The Diocese of San Jose in California posted a great video four years ago of their Dancing Books of the Elect at their Rite of Election...just scroll down a bit on the site to view it! The article is well informative as well.

And in other related news, this Friday early morning I will be flying out to Anaheim for the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. Well, just got it all confirmed that next Sunday, the last day of L.A. Congress, I'll be having breakfast with Diana Macalintal and a mutual friend of ours. Diana is the Director of Worship for the Diocese of San Jose (yes, the same San Jose where these dancing Books of Elect emerged!) Thanks to JM for making this dream become a reality!

Rite of Election...day 1

Tonight is the first of nine celebrations for the Rite of Election, which is a very significant and important step in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. All of the Catechumens and Candidates gather together where the Church formally ratifies the Catechumens' readiness for the Sacraments of Initiation, and the Candidates' readiness to be received into full Communion with the Catholic Church.

In turn the Catechumens - from now on known as the Elect - publicly acknowledge their desire to receive the Sacraments of Initiation, and the Candidates' their desire to be received into full Communion with the Catholic Church. The assembly also holds each of these Elect and Candidates in prayer as their names are read aloud in prayer.

Our office (in addition to coordinating the Rite itself) will be hosting the reception at the Cathedral Parish Hall. This morning's Costco run with my mom was quite the experience, and I am truly grateful to my mom for helping me load the car and push the carts around. This is what making sausage, I mean shopping for the reception, looks like.

Papal resignation resources from the BCDW

As mentioned on last Monday's post, the Secretariat of Divine Worship has published a more official document titled Liturgical Notes and Resource Materials for Use Upon the Resignation of the Pope, which I hope many find helpful during this time of transition. We are grateful to Msgr. Hilgartner and the Secretariat Staff for providing these resources.

On that note, I wish you a blessed Lenten pilgrimage in these days ahead. May we all continue to follow Christ more closely and love Him more fully as he does each of us.

In these days of Lenten Journey

Today, as the Church celebrates the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, the USCCB posted a video with Msgr. Rick Hilgartner, executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship, who reflects on Pope Benedict's resignation and our own Lenten Journey. In these days of Lenten Journey, may we, like Pope Benedict, be open to God's grace in following Jesus' cross and resurrection.

Pope Benedict XVI resigns

And here I thought the search for a new director of the Liturgy Office for the Archdiocese of Seattle was the big news of this year. (It's all about perspective.) This morning's news of Pope Benedict's resignation, effective February 28th, definitely put our office's own time of transition into a whole new perspective for me.

At this point, the Secretariat of Divine Worship for the USCCB is working on several resources and official documents regarding the Pope's resignation. They hope to have something soon. Until the official day of the Pope's resignation (28 Feb) there will be no change in the Eucharistic Prayers. However, after 8:00pm Rome time on 28 Feb there will be a state called "sede vacante" or "the see being empty" so priests will no longer say the Pope's name in the Eucharistic Prayer after that.

In the meantime, priests are welcome to use the formulary, "For the Pope" from the Masses for Various Needs found in the Roman Missal during an appropriate time. Below are also some sample Prayers of the Faithful from Faith Catholic. Feel free to compose your own as well for your own parish or institution.

The Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions also posted a prayer for Pope Benedict available in English and Spanish.

Let us keep Pope Benedict, the Cardinals who will soon elect a new pope, and the entire universal Church in our prayers and offer thanksgiving for the ministry of Pope Benedict these past eight years.

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That the Holy Father finds peace in his decision to resign, and that his courage and strength
of character be a model for the universal Church to be steadfast in following the teachings of
Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

That his Holiness Pope Benedict may know the blessing and love of God during the remaining
years of his life on earth, let us pray to the Lord.

For the Holy Father, that his time of retirement may be restful for both body and spirit, let us
pray to the Lord.

For the Church, that all members unite their prayers in support of the Cardinals as they select
our new Vicar of Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

That all members of the Body of Christ will find hope in the workings of the Holy Spirit as He
guides the Church through this transition of leadership, let us pray to the Lord

That God’s Spirit may guide and inspire our Church during this time of discernment for a
smooth and grace-filled papal transition, let us pray to the Lord.

That the message of Jesus' love for the poor and help for those suffering from injustice will
guide the Church as she moves forward during this papal transition, let us pray to the Lord.

That the Church's College of Cardinals will be true to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they
prayerfully consider who will next lead our Church, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, you alone know what the Church needs in a new Pope, fill our new Shepherd with your
Holy Spirit of grace, humility, strength and truth, let us pray to the Lord.

Vocation-Liturgy link

Mary Sharon Moore, a Catholic author and founder of Awakening Vocations, says that "Liturgy and Vocation cannot be separated!" Here is her inspirational article on the link between Vocation and Liturgy. I highlight a brief paragraph from her article that I believe summarizes her thoughts well:

"Liturgy is the starting point of Christian vocational life, which is a life of love, expressed in particular ways according to your gifting and God's desiring. Christian vocational life is a life of self-giving, and draws its strength and purpose from your dying to self and receiving the new life in Christ which lies at the core of each of the sacraments. The vocational point of liturgy is to live this 'dying to self and receiving new life in Christ" in every dimension of your life."

Reprinted with permission.

It's a grace to take an opportunity to look back at one's life and see how the Holy Spirit continues to work in many ways in our dying to self and rising to new life in Christ. As a Jesuit priest and retreat leader once told me (referring to the Harry Potter movies) during an Ignatian Retreat I made a few years ago, "a part of you must die in order that the true self may rise."

In addition to reading my own vocation story, I invite you to look at God's hand in your own life and see where He is calling you towards a life of love...towards new life.

Removing Holy Water during Lent

The Baptismal Font at the Chapel of
St. Ignatius at Seattle University.

A practice that I've noticed becoming a trend is to remove holy water from the font during the Lent. According to the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, "Lent is marked by two themes, the baptismal and the penitential. By recalling or preparing for baptism and by repentance, this season disposes the faithful...to celebrate the paschal mystery. The baptismal and penitential aspects of Lent are to be given greater prominence in both the liturgy and liturgical catechesis. Hense, more use is to be made of the baptismal features proper to the Lenten liturgy." (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 109)

The Congregation for Divine Worship (the Vatican committee that oversees all things liturgical) issued a response in 2000 to a request for clarification on this issue. In their issue, they say that removing holy water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular for two reasons: 

1. This is an issue of custom, not law, and so the liturgical laws in place do not address this recent innovation. However, this practice "is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts."
2. The fasting of Lent does not include fasting from sacramentals, such as the use of holy water.

The response continues: "The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e. Good Friday and Holy Saturday)."

It may be appropriate, as is our Church's tradition, to remove the water from the font after the Holy Thursday celebration, keep it empty during Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and fill it with new water at the Easter Vigil. One possible Lenten option is to use a smaller piece of purple fabric that does not fully cover the font but adds some color to the area. In this way, the Lenten color signifies the season while the water in the font is still accessible as a reminder of baptism for the faithful.

Almost Lent already?

All of a sudden, it's February and we're less than two weeks away from the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent! Can't believe that Ash Wednesday, the day where many receive ashes on their forehead, is just around the corner!

Just to add to the reality that Lent is approaching sooner than I thought, yesterday I received an email from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Divine Worship on this year's Lenten Regulations provided in three languages: English, Spanish, and Polish. 

And the icing on the cake? Today someone asked me if I knew what I was "giving up" for Lent yet. Probably should start giving it some thought and prayer.