The introduction of the new translation of the Roman Missal didn’t prove as traumatic as some predicted and as some have reported. Yes, a lot of mixed responses from congregants as they learn to say “And with your spirit” instead of “And also with you.” Celebrants and worshipers will adapt. At least it’s English to English.
Full-course, pre-Thanksgiving liturgy: Every celebration of the Mass should evoke a “wow” from us, but never have I experienced a Thanksgiving Day-related Mass like the one I did on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at my boyhood parish, St. Matthias, Milwaukee. Come to think of it, rarely have I experienced a liturgy so celebratory from beginning to end. This one included the adult choir, children’s choir, bell choir and instrumentation. Add the sung Eucharistic Prayer and there was no doubt this was a celebration.
Would that every celebration of the Mass could be so uplifting. And – this is really something – I didn’t see anyone leave early, even though the celebration lasted an hour and 15 minutes.
Make that the Catholic Crystal Cathedral: The Diocese of Orange is now the proud owner of the building formerly known as the Crystal Cathedral. The diocese allegedly got a bargain at $57.5 million. The deal includes the 31-acre campus in Garden Grove, Calif.
Nice to see the Catholic Church buy something that was built for another purpose instead of selling one of its own buildings. Drive around Milwaukee County and you see buildings in which Catholics used to worship, e.g., St. Joseph, St. Mary Help of Christians and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in West Allis, being used by other denominations. Makes one wonder whether that would have happened had we done a better job of evangelizing.
Hello, Bucks; goodbye parking spaces: The return of the NBA season means that when the Bucks start working out on Dec. 9, there will be less parking behind the Cousins Center. When the media arrive, they will park anywhere and everywhere and, based on observation, if the Bucks are serving food, more media will be in attendance.
As far as favorite professional sports teams in this market are concerned, I rank the Bucks behind the Packers, Brewers, Wave and Admirals – the latter two being in a tie for third. My disinterest in the Bucks stems from how arrogant people in their ticket office were in the late ‘80s, and how indifferent they were toward potential ticket-buyers. Not sure if things have changed; don’t care to find out, either.
Worth celebrating: Maybe it’s no coincidence that Spiritual Literacy Month begins this Thursday. With the revised translation of the Roman Missal and Advent upon us, it’s a great time to become spiritually literate.
