Posted on 03/15/2007 7:53:23 PM PDT by Frank Sheed
Insightful summary ping for the Apostolic Exhortation.
Francis
I predict that will go over like a turd in a hamburger bun as this thread unfolds. I'm outta here.
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day
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**Benedict XVI cautions against going to communion all the time, automatically, as if “the mere fact of their being present in church during the liturgy gives them a right or even an obligation to approach the table of the Eucharist.” One reason for this “superficial approach,” he writes, is the widespread loss of the sense of sin. In order to go to communion, one must be “in a state of grace.” In the following paragraph, the pope encourages the faithful to go to confession frequently. And he warns that individual confession must be the ordinary form, “limiting the practice of general absolution exclusively to the cases permitted.” **
God bless Pope Benedict for calling all Catholics back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation!
**DIVORCED AND REMARRIED PERSONS
Benedict writes in paragraph 29: "This represents a complex and troubling pastoral problem, a real scourge for contemporary society, and one which increasingly affects the Catholic community as well. The Church's pastors, out of love for the truth, are obliged to discern different situations carefully, in order to be able to offer appropriate spiritual guidance to the faithful involved**
Very difficult area, but the important thing to remember is that a divorced person who has not remarried CAN received the Sacraments. (Providing there was only one divorce.)
**In paragraph 45, the pope urges “that every effort be made to ensure that the liturgical proclamation of the word of God is entrusted to well-prepared readers,” and that the faithful be taught “to appreciate the riches of Sacred Scripture” by reading it and praying with it. **
I have a question on this. Do you think someone who is a homosexual should be a lector/reader?
**CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE EUCHARIST AND POLITICS **
WooHoo! Take heed, Nancy, Teddie and John Kerry!
Vivs il Papa!!! (And grazie, Sandro!).
Note my related thread from earlier today:
bttt
His emphasis on the epiclesis was another gesture to the Orthodox, btw.
At the other extreme it can mean someone who has homosexual inclinations which he knows to be disordered, who makes a sincere effort to live a chaste and pious life, but who occasionally yields to his inclinations, but "when he comes to himself" remembers that he has sinned and avails himself of the sacrament of reconciliation. In this case, as long as his lapses are not of such a kind to cause scandal, he may be permitted to share in such ministries as being a lector at Mass.
Channeling Aquinas here. How'd I do?
"His emphasis on the epiclesis was another gesture to the Orthodox, btw."
Precisely my thought! I have only read summaries of this exhortation and a few brief snips from the Vatican website. I'll read it over the weekend. But from what I see, this is very, very "Orthodox", which frankly does not surprise me at all!
Yes, that jumped out at me right away. I haven't seen much comment on it, though, so I suspect most Catholics don't really understand its significance. Let us know if there's any interesting Orthodox commentary on the matter!
That goes without saying, but I believe epiclesis was much more pronounced in the Tridentine Mass, as in the Orthodox service. It could be a reminder that, just as is the case in the 1,600-year old Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the same should (again) be made more evident in the Latin Mass.
Let's not forget, first of all that the Latin Mass never dropped epiclesis, and that the epiclesis in the Orthodox liturgy is pronounced by the priest in the low voice and therefore not heard by the congregation.
I would agree, Mad Dawg. Jesus told the woman, "Go and sin no more." He didn't tell her she was now cast into hell.
There are some Catholics who are in the ministry called COURAGE who try to live a life of total virtue and total chastity. For them to be denied the ministry of being a lector would be un-Christian. We are all sinners. Who would be able to serve God if He chose only those who never sinned?
How 'bout we just keep it simple and get rid of all lay people lectors? ;-)
I agree with your posts, and it does not always bother me since this person usually reads on the same Sundays on which I lector/read.
I realize I cannot be the judge, but wanted to seek opinions. They came down exactly with my thoughts. Thank you both so much.
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