From John Allen:
When Benedict lands at Andrews Air Force Base on April 15, the United States will become just the second nation visited by all three modern popes who have travelled outside Italy: Paul VI, John Paul II, and now Benedict XVI. Can you guess the other one without looking it up? In any event, the distinction won’t last long, because Australia is set to join the club in July when Benedict XVI arrives for World Youth Day.
To date, the only other nation to be visited by Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI is Turkey. Interestingly, even after adding Australia to the list in view of Benedict’s scheduled July visit, not one of these countries has a majority Catholic population. That’s symbolic, perhaps, of the desire of modern popes to engage not just the Catholic flock, but the entire world, in the church’s capacity as what Paul VI called “experts in humanity.”
At the Easter Vigil, the mother of all liturgies, the Paschal Candle is processed into a dark church. The chant that accompanies this action, Lumen Christi (Christ, our Light - in the english translation) proclaims Christ, the Light of the World, breaking through the darkness and showing us the way out of Egypt, the way out of sin and the way to the Father.
Following this procession, the priest or deacon, sings the Exultet - an invitation for all creation to rejoice or exult because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. I was honored to be able to pray and sing this for the College at our celebration of the Easter Vigil.
These are the words only proclaimed once a year but central to our faith in the Risen Lord Jesus from the dead:
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!
My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.
Deacon: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Deacon: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!
This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.
This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!
This is the night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.
This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.
O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy.”
The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!
Therefore, heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church’s solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
(For it is fed by the melting wax,
which the mother bee brought forth
to make this precious candle.)
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
N.B. I may make a rough recording and post it here in the next few weeks. Remember Lent is forty days, but the Easter season is celebrated for fifty.
Today was the Seven Church Walk! Check out pictures from two years ago [here]
Saint Philip Neri (1515-1595) used to lead excursions to the four Major and three Minor basilicas of Rome, often with music and a picnic along the way as a cheerful means of instructing his penitents. In 1559, his famous “Pilgrimage to the Seven Churches” brought censure from Pope Paul IV (1555-1559) and a temporary suspension of all St. Philip’s works. In the same year, however, Pope Pius IV (1559-1565) restored him to favor. Today, friends of San Felipo gather to make the Seven-Church Walk in honor of the “Apostle of Rome” (customarily on Wednesday of Holy Week, “Spy Wednesday”.)
from Washington Times
March 3, 2008
By Sterling Meyers - The inaugural basketball game yesterday at the Verizon Center between D.C. and Baltimore priests and seminarians was not exactly a nail-biter. The DC ‘Hood team cruised to an easy 44-21 victory over Baltimore’s Men in Black, but more was at stake than victory or bragging rights.
Organizers hoped the event would help them close a nationwide priest shortage by showing priests and seminarians as average guys who like to play sports and are passionate about more than religion.
“These are normal guys who like to play basketball and do other things, but also feel called by God to live this special life,” said Monsignor Robert Panke, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Washington.
The number of U.S. priests decreased from about 59,000 in 1965 to about 41,000 last year, according to several reports, including one from the Life Cycle Institute at the Catholic University of America in the District.
Despite the national trend, the number of priests and seminarians entering the Washington Archdiocese has increased from 28 to 73 over the past nine years, spokeswoman Susan Gibbs said.
But in past years, the church has “just stopped asking young people to join,” she said.
The archdiocese has roughly 580,000 parishioners in 140 parishes that cover Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties.
For its victory yesterday, the D.C. team did not even have to go to the bench for its secret weapon: 6-foot-5-inch Bishop Martin D. Holley.
The 53-year-old bishop was the captain of his high school basketball team, then played at Alabama State University.
Yesterday, he shot a basket with the hometown team before the game, then, dressed in his clerical collar, he sat on the bench with a big smile and cheered for his team.
He said the game was a good way for the seminarians and priests to exercise, have fun and promote the priesthood.
About 550 people filled two sections of the 22,000-seat downtown arena, where the Wizards later played. Tickets for the game were also good for the NBA game. Some of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Office of the Youth Ministry and Catholic Youth Organization.
Mary Pat MacMillan, 16, and her sister, Elizabeth, 20, came to cheer for Father Gregory S. Coan of St. Peter’s Parish in Olney.
The sisters blew kazoos and joined in the “D.C. ‘Hood” chant that Mr. Coan started when a loose ball bounced near the group of his parishioners.
The 6-foot-4-inch Father Charles Sikorksy had a fan club that included almost 10 family members and a co-worker. His family cheered for his team, though they hail from Baltimore.
Father Sam Young, of the Baltimore team, has played basketball with other priests and seminarians for the past 10 years. Mr. Young pastors St. Joan of Arc Church in Aberdeen, Md., and said people need to see more to the priesthood than Mass.
Ray McKenna, founder of Catholic Athletes for Christ, helped promote the game and hopes to help other areas of the country start similar programs.
Father Greg Schaeffer compiled the D.C. team in 2004 and before the pre-game shoot-around yesterday said it was the players’ first practice together in more than four years.
“The event is great for families and it builds a lot of community,” he said. He also said the D.C. team has a busy spring schedule with four games in April and May.
