What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

I deeply admire religious communities who make and sell things to support their life and apostolates.

Take for example the Carmelites behind Mystic Monk Coffee.

How many pounds of coffee do you have to sell in order to build this?



This is a projected design for a new monastery which the intrepid Carmelite monks in Wyoming want to build.

Go and look at the pictures of the place.  Amazing.

That, friends, is for the brick by brick file.

Buy coffee.  Build a monastery.

The USCCB issued a press release:

CARDINAL GEORGE ANNOUNCES VATICAN APPROVAL OF NEW ROMAN MISSAL ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TRANSLATION, IMPLEMENTATION SET FOR FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2011 [Do I hear an "Amen!"?]
 
U.S. Adaptations to Mass Prayers Also Approved
Parish Education Efforts Urged To Precede Implementation
Resources Available Through USCCB
 
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Francis George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has announced that the full text of the  English-language translation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, has been issued for the dioceses of the United States of America.

            The text was approved by the Vatican, and the approval was accompanied by a June 23 letter from Cardinal Llovera Antonio Cañizares, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The Congregation also provided guidelines for publication.

            In addition, on July 24, the Vatican gave approval for several adaptations, including additional prayers for the Penitential Act at Mass and the Renewal of Baptismal Promises on Easter Sunday. Also approved are texts of prayers for feasts specific to the United States such as Thanksgiving, Independence Day and the observances of feasts for saints such as Damien of Molokai, Katharine Drexel, and Elizabeth Ann Seton. The Vatican also approved the Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life, which can be celebrated on January 22. 

            Cardinal George announced receipt of the documents in an August 20 letter to the U.S. Bishops and issued a decree of proclamation that states that [WAIT FOR IT…] “The use of the third edition of the Roman Missal enters into use in the dioceses of the United States of America as of the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. From that date forward, no other edition of the Roman Missal may be used in the dioceses of the United States of America.”   [HUZZAH!  In English of course.  Any priest can always use the 2002 Missale Romanum or the 1962 Missale Romanum.]

            The date of implementation was chosen to allow publishers time to prepare texts and parishes and dioceses to educate parishioners.

            “We can now move forward and continue with our important catechetical efforts as we prepare the text for publication,” Cardinal George said.

            In the coming weeks, staff of the bishops’ Secretariat of Divine Worship will prepare the text for publication and collaborate with the staff of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), which will assist Bishops’ Conferences in bringing the text to publication. In particular, ICEL has been preparing the chant settings of the texts of the Missal for use in the celebration of the Mass. Once all necessary elements have been incorporated into the text and the preliminary layout is complete, the final text will go to the publishers to produce the ritual text, catechetical resources and participation aids for use in the Liturgy.

            Receipt of the text marks the start of proximate preparation for Roman Missal implementation. Before first use of the new text in Advent 2011, pastors are urged to use resources available to prepare parishioners. Some already have been in use; others are being released now. They include the Parish Guide for the Implementation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, and Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ, a multi-media DVD resource produced by ICEL in collaboration with English-language Conferences of Bishops. Both will be available from the USCCB. Information on resources can be found at www.usccb.org/romanmissal

            Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, New Jersey, Chair of the Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, voiced gratitude for the approval.

            “I am happy that after years of preparation, we now have a text that, when introduced late next year, will enable the ongoing renewal of the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy in our parishes,” he said. Msgr. Anthony Sherman, Director of the Secretariat for Divine Worship of the USCCB noted, “A great effort to produce the new Roman Missal for the United States, along with the other necessary resources, has begun. Even as that work is underway a full–scale catechesis about the Liturgy and the new Roman Missal should be taking place in parishes, so that when the time comes, everyone will be ready.”

I am very pleased at this news.

I wonder how long it will be before there is a movement to seek formal approval to use the older, traditional ICEL translation.

A reader sent me a link to something I found very moving.

Some recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor joined together to make a video PSA to encourage America’s military to seek help when adjusting to life after combat, particularly for post-traumatic stress (PTS).

You can find their website and the video here: http://www.medalofhonorspeakout.org/

I doubt very much that there is a member of the military today who doesn’t know about PTS.  What I don’t doubt is that people are people, and sometimes it is very hard to bend and admit that something isn’t going right and look for help.  Perhaps seeing and hearing Medal of Honor recipients talk about this so frankly will help them over come a sense that bravery means never admitting you are in pain.  

The men in the video show that "Never quit." and "Don’t be defeated." don’t mean never looking for help. 

Here is the video.  Be sure to go over and look at that site and perhaps share it with some vets who are returning home and who may be carrying some heavy invisible wounds and have actually brought something of the enemy home with them. 

There are many videos at that site.  This is only one of them.

WDTPRS kudos for this fantastic initiative.

 

Did you know that the annual Perseid Meteor Shower is nicknamed "The Tears of St. Lawrence"?  The shower occurs every year around the feast of the grate ... great Saint as Mother Earth zooms through a cloud of debris deposited in the wake of the comet Swift-Tuttle.  The shower is called the "Perseids" because the meteors appear to be stabbing out from the constellation Perseus.

The Tears peak tonight. 

If you have children, even if you have to get them out of bed, take them out (with bug spray if necessary) and show them the meteors.  There can be up to 60 per hour at the peak, so you won’t have to wait long.

One of the great memories of my childhood was being roused in the dead of night – in the even deader bleak midwinter – and lead out onto a frozen lake in northern Minnesota. Following my father’s pointing finger, I aw for the first time a bright comet hanging in motionless in the sky about three feet, it appeared, over my head.

One time I watched the Lagrime di San Lorenzo while lying on my back on a terrace of a villa overlooking the amphitheatre of ancient Cumae.  And a few years ago, I watched the shower for a while with my mother, who was visiting. 

Here is a note about the Perseids from the invaluable Spaceweather.

Spaceweather says you can even listen to the meteors and fireballs live, and even keep count of the meteors as they fry in the earth’s atmosphere.

Furthermore:

If you go outside a little early on Thursday evening, around sunset, you’ll see a beautiful gathering of planets in the sunset sky—Venus, Mars, Saturn and the crescent Moon.  It’s a nice way to start a meteor watch.  Sky maps may be found at http://spaceweather.com.

BTW… you might try an old PODCAzT about St. Lawrence.  Inspired by the Roman deacon, St. Augustine gives a real barn-burner. St. Augustine on St. Lawrence and how to be a Christian

I got this from His Hermeneuticalness.

I don’t know about you, but I think this would be really fun.

Here is a flash mob with a difference. Over 30 members of the The Opera Company of Philadelphia burst into the "Brindisi" of La Traviata at the Reading Terminal Market Italian Festival. A fun video for a summer afternoon.

Can you imagine?

And try this one from the market in Valencia.  Again… La Traviata.

What is it about this opera that lends itself to markets?



And here it is again in of all places … Detroit?

To Midnight 2 August,  you can gain the "Portinuncula" Indulgence.

Catholic Encyclopedia

St. Francis, as you know, repaired three chapels. The third was popularly called the Portiuncula or the Little Portion, dedicated to St. Mary of the Angels.  It is now enclosed in a sanctuary at Assisi.

The friars came to live at the Little Portion in early 1211.  It became the “motherhouse” of the Franciscans. This is where St. Clare came to the friars to make her vows during the night following Palm Sunday in 1212 and where Sister Death came to Francis on 3 October 1226.

Because of the favors from God obtained at the Portiuncula, St. Francis requested the Pope to grant remission of sins to all who came there.  The privilege extends beyond the Portiuncula to others churches, especially held by Franciscans, throughout the world.

A plenary indulgence is a mighty tool for works of mercy and weapon in our ongoing spiritual warfare.  A plenary indulgence is the remission, through the merits of Christ and the saints, through the Church, of all temporal punishment due to sin already forgiven.

To obtain the Portiuncula plenary indulgence, a person must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at Assisi, or a Franciscan sanctuary, or one’s parish church, with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels.  Then perform the work of reciting the Creed and Our Father and pray for the Pope’s designated intentions.  You should be free, at least intentionally, of attachment to venial and mortal sin, and truly repentant. Make your sacramental confession 8 days before or after.  Participate at assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion 8 days before or after. 

BTW… the faithful can gain a plenary indulgence on a day of the year he designates (cf. Ench. Indul. 33 1.2.d).  You might choose the anniversary of your baptism or of another sacrament or name day.

The new Kindle from Amazon is coming.  The price has dropped.  The new Kindle will be released on 27 August.

There are two versions.

For $139 it connects with wifi and has a 6" display. Two colors.  USA preorder HERE – UK preorder HERE.

For $189 it has free and wifi and works globally.  Two colors. USA preorder HERE – UK preorder HERE.

There is a larger version with a 9.7" display with the same whistles and bells.  USA preorder HERE – UK preorder HERE.

I have been using the Kindle app on my iPhone and on an iPad.  I was given the vanilla version of the iPad when it first came out and – frankly – I wasn’t sure what to do with it, since it had no 3G.  Since then I have used it for various task, but I have just read my first book on it and and reading the second.  I have found it a very good experience reading this way.  It is possible, using the app, to highlight and add notes to your text.  Also, with the iPad, it is easy to read in the dark.  But the iPad is really too heavy to hold for a long time.  It is great if you can prop it up.  The Kindle is much lighter.

That said, I didn’t think I would like reading a book from a screen, but it works well.

I believe I am ready for a Kindle.  I will put it on my wishlist.

Some Kindle subscriptions you can read on all the other Kindle apps (for iPhone or laptop, etc.) only if you already have the Kindle hardware.  Say you want to subscribe to the daily edition of the Daily Telegraph in the UK.  You can’t subscribe unless you have a Kindle.  But once you get it, you can read it on all your "Kindle’d" devices.

"But Father! but Father!", you are clearly about to ask – and so am I – what about that free 3G?!?  Really? Free?"

Here is what the amazon.com site says:

No monthly wireless bills or commitments. Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you won’t see a monthly wireless bill. There is no wireless setup – you are ready to shop, purchase, and read right out of the box.

Global 3G Coverage

Travel the globe and still get books in under 60 seconds. Kindle uses GSM technology—the most popular mobile wireless standard – with wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories, such as Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, Norway, Spain, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and many others. Stay in touch with news from home by having your newspaper and magazine subscriptions delivered wirelessly while you travel.

For U.S. customers traveling abroad, additional charges apply for wireless delivery of periodical subscriptions. For details, click here. To avoid any charges, you can always download items via your computer and transfer them to your Kindle using USB or a Wi-Fi connection.

So, it look like you can get about anything you want anywhere you want with this thing.

 

From NASA... which used to have space as its main objective:

Video Camera Will Show Mars Rover’s Touchdown

July 19, 2010

A downward-pointing camera on the front-left side of NASA’s Curiosity rover will give adventure fans worldwide an unprecedented sense of riding a spacecraft to a landing on Mars.

The Mars Descent Imager, or MARDI, will start recording high-resolution video about two minutes before landing in August 2012. Initial frames will glimpse the heat shield falling away from beneath the rover, revealing a swath of Martian terrain below illuminated in afternoon sunlight. The first scenes will cover ground several kilometers (a few miles) across. Successive images will close in and cover a smaller area each second.

The full-color video will likely spin, then shake, as the Mars Science Laboratory mission’s parachute, then its rocket-powered backpack, slow the rover’s descent. The left-front wheel will pop into view when Curiosity extends its mobility and landing gear.

[...]

 

Very cool.

For you lovers of reverent liturgy and Summorum Pontificum... try this!

And review this.

On July 6th, Swedish divers were exploring off Aaland Island, midway between Sweden and Finland, looking for a sailing vessel they’d encountered earlier when they found the wreck of a small ship just 20 meters (65.6 feet) long.

Visibility was so bad that they couldn’t find the name of the ship or its bell, so the head of the diving team, Christian Ekstroem, grabbed one of 30 bottles slumbering peacefully in the wreck and brought it to the surface, hoping there would be markings on the bottle that could date the ship. Ekstroem never expected that there would be anything of note inside. He assumed the bottles had long since been invaded by seawater.

Diver Christian Ekstrom with Veuve Cliquot from Baltic wreckHe was wrong. The corks kept their seal and the cold and dark of the deep Baltic preserved the champagne. Inside the bottle they found champagne, and not just champagne but drinkable champagne, complete with fizz. Ekstroem contacted champagne vintners Moet & Chandon, and they identified it with 98% certainty from the anchor marking on the cork as 18th century Veuve Clicquot.

The other day I had a trip to one of the most tantalizing places I know … Loome Theological Bookseller in Stillwater, MN.



Allow me to give you a little video tour of the place!

As you can see they have just about everything. 

Here is a little treasure in the liturgical books area.

A zip-up French daily hand missal for the older form of Mass, perfect condition, printed in 1962.













This is just a single little treasure.

I was grateful for the full tour.

If you need something, even if it isn’t hard to find, consider Loome’s.

Their blog.

Their store.

Those wacky geeks at MIT… what’ll they think of next?

For the Just Too Cool file…

A priest who reads the blog and who bought some "Oremus pro Pontifice" coffee mugs sent me this note and photo:

I use them at Starbucks, and "they" have led to one return to the faith and one regularization of a marriage.

In both cases, the first conversation concerned the mug, not my Roman collar.

I am picturing armies of wdtprs’ers occupying coffee shops with mugs and helping to get people’s marriages on track, start going to Mass again, making the first good confession in years….

 

“Oremus Pro Pontifice” stuff

From The Daily Mail:

King Arthur’s Round Table ‘found’ – except it’s not a table, but a Roman amphitheatre in Chester

By Nigel Blundell

His is among the most enduring ­legends in our island’s history.

King Arthur, the gallant warrior who gathered his knights around the  Round Table at Camelot and rallied Christian Britons against the invading pagan Saxons, has always been an enigma.

But now historians believe they have uncovered the precise location of Arthur’s stronghold, finally solving the riddle of whether the Round Table really existed.

And far from pinpointing a piece of furniture, they claim the ‘table’ was in fact the circular space inside a former Roman amphitheatre.

The experts believe that Camelot could in fact have been Chester Amphitheatre, a huge stone-and-wood structure capable of holding up to 10,000 people.

They say that Arthur would have reinforced the building’s 40ft walls to create an imposing and well fortified base.

The king’s regional noblemen would have sat in the central arena’s front row, with lower-ranked subjects in the outer stone benches.

Arthur has been the subject of much historical debate, but many  scholars believe him to have been a 5th or 6th Century leader.

The legend links him to 12 major battles fought over 40 years from the Scottish Borders to the West Country. One of the principal victories was said to have been at Chester.

Rather than create a purpose-built Camelot, historian Chris Gidlow says Arthur would have logically chosen a structure left by the Romans.

‘The first accounts of the Round Table show that it was nothing like a dining table but was a venue for upwards of 1,000 people at a time,’ he said.

‘And we know that one of Arthur’s two main battles was fought at a town referred to as the City of the Legions. There were only two places with this title. One was St Albans, but the location of the other has remained a mystery.’

Researchers, who will reveal their evidence in a television documentary this month, say the recent discovery at the amphitheatre of an execution stone and a wooden memorial to Christian martyrs suggests the missing city is Chester.

Mr Gidlow said: ‘In the 6th Century, a monk named Gildas, who wrote the earliest account of Arthur’s life, referred both to the City of the Legions and to a martyr’s shrine within it.

‘That is the clincher. The discovery of the shrine within the amphitheatre means that Chester was the site of Arthur’s court – and his legendary Round Table.’

One of the great things about having so many readers for this blog, is the vast range of expertise you can bring in when interesting topics arise.

And so, people with some experience of silver can help me with this.

What is this thing?



I spotted it in a flea market when walking around today.



Does it have something to do with keeping toast or some other breakfasty bready thing warm and perhaps carrying on a service tray?



What is this for and what is it called?



Anyone?

Did I mention garum?

Buy your garum using amazon (when available)!

From rogueclassicism comes this about that precious liquid garum, in modern terms colatura.  (Check here and here.)

Garum Festival

Are Classicists aware of this event in Tunisia?

    The Garum summer festival was held [ratz… missed it again] on June 26 at the Sidi Slimane Cultural Center in Nabeul, at the initiative of the Safeguarding Association of the city. It is a gastronomic and scientific event highlights [!] yet an unknown aspect of the ancient Roman city, Neapolis (Nabeul). [The problem with actually making it to such a festival is that you would have to go there.]

    Gurum or Garon, as it was known among the Greeks was a culinary preparation made mainly of “fish, salt and herbs”  [That’s one way to describe it.] and was in use in Greek cuisine from at least the 5th century BC. The production and trading of Garum lasted for at least one millennium.

    On the agenda of the festival, buffet and tasting of Garum dishes, an ancient condiment made in Neapolis, in Roman times, as a sauce made from pickled fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines). [Pompeii was also a big producer of garum.]

    An exhibition was also scheduled to present a variety of fish sauce may be related to garum, such as Vietnamese “nuoc mam” and “pissalat niçois”.

    Lectures were presented on “the benefits of Garum sauces and nuoc mam”, “the Garum amphorae and the trade of cured products”, “The Garum, the salting and the purple in Djerba, as well as the analysis of industry index of Garum and curing in Neapolis.

    The festival was inaugurated with a visit to the archaeological site of Neapolis to give an overview of the industry of Garum and salted fish manufactures in Roman times.

    Excavations at the site between 1995 and 2006, covering 2000 square meters carried out by a Tunisian-French team was also showcased in Neapolis, hosted salted manufacturers which date back to a time was estimated between 1st and the IV centuries AD.

    These factories are second in the world after those found in Spain. They have large pools of salting with production capacity up to 138 m3. The Garum was packaged in amphorae whose remains found at the archaeological site of Neapolis, represent edifying testimonials.

    The development of fishery activities in the region was facilitated by the proximity of tuna migration routes, the presence of shoals for growth of wildlife marine and numerous lakes forming natural pools.

Try it! Buy your garum using amazon (when available)!  And it is nearly always on my wishlist.. for obvious reasons.