Columnists
Glorious novelty
A regular musical feature sung at the Lord’s Supper is the Gloria. The Gloria is one of the most ancient of Christian hymns. The most recent version of the guidelines governing the celebration of Mass […]
Articles by Father Bryan P. Babick | The Catholic Miscellany
Columnists
Godly ringtones
One feature church buildings of many Christian denominations have in common is some system of ringing chimes. From full towers to systems of electronic imitation, the sound of bells seems to be something that diverse […]
Columnists
The eternal flame
A distinguishing feature of any Catholic church is its tabernacle. Meaning “dwelling place” in Hebrew, the tabernacle may be made of diverse elements and found in different parts of a church, but always features a […]
Charleston Deanery
The holy smoke
We live in strange times. Cigarette smoking is demonized, but recreational marijuana is decriminalized to the point that, according to the University of Michigan, daily usage is at a 35-year high on college campi. Like […]
Charleston Deanery
The heavenward rails
A consideration of the spiritual benefits of why Catholics kneel during Mass does raise other questions. Why do the faithful kneel during the time bread and wine become Christ’s Body and Blood, but remain standing […]
Charleston Deanery
Kneeling before love’s fire
Christianity is often viewed as outdated. Admittedly, from unusual musical chant to burning incense, the Mass looks at times like something that has been dropped onto planet Earth from another world. At the heart of […]
Charleston Deanery
Unifying positions
One distinctive mark of the Mass is the sitting, standing, and kneeling that takes place at different moments throughout. Catholic liturgy asks worshippers to conform to certain formal gestures, but can be a point of […]
Columnists
The liturgical inspiration
Catholics are often asked why we commemorate saints at Mass. Some see it as a distraction from focus on the Lord that risks elevating commemoration to outright worship. The Mass is the action of Christ […]
Columnists
Providential cycles
It is sometimes scary how providential the preselected biblical readings are for Mass. One aim of the 20th century liturgical reform was to open more lavishly the treasures of the Bible over a set cycle […]
Columnists
The style divergence
The recent ordination of two priests gave us the opportunity to reflect upon the kinds of vestments used in the liturgy. Like any worn article, it should be noted that liturgical vestments come in all […]