Columnists
60 is just a number
“Sixty is just a number,” a friend wrote in my birthday card. Yes, I thought to myself, and so is my weight, just a number. Funny that out of all the ways I can be […]
Columnists
Charleston Deanery
Contemplate the key ideas of ‘Laudato Si’
Pope Francis’ recent encyclical on the environment would be hard to reduce, in mathematical fashion, to lowest terms. But, for the sake of those who may never have a chance to read it, it may […]
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Christianity is often viewed as outdated.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 […]
Alison Blanchet
Make a sacrifice of the ugly cry
A few weeks ago I was on staff at a Catholic summer camp, attended by teens from all over the diocese. They arrived not knowing each other and left as total BFFs, swearing to keep […]
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 […]
Columnists
The light continues
Although the 50-day Easter season officially concludes with Pentecost, the legacy of the resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit manifests itself throughout the rest of the year in Catholic worship. Indeed, Easter and […]