Vatican II at 50 - Who will it be?
Many of us are journeying through Lent with “the Little Black Book.” These books, also published during Easter and Advent/Christmas, offer reflections on the liturgical seasons and scriptures. The books were created by the late Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, Kenneth Untener. I met Bishop Untener a number of years ago during a workshop on the RCIA in Saginaw. A man in plain clothes walked up to me, offered his hand and said “Hi, I’m Ken.” Only later in the evening did I discover that he was the Bishop of the Diocese. At that moment, he became larger than the Diocesan Bishop. He was one of us. Untener’s episcopate was marked by egalitarianism in the Church, good liturgy and a concern for the poor. He practiced what he preached. After he was consecrated as Bishop, he sold the bishop’s mansion, living in parish rectories for various periods at a time.
The same kind of warmth and easygoing personality marked Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Roncalli, who convened the Second Vatican Council. Unlike most previous popes who came from noble families, Roncalli was born into a family of sharecroppers. His smile, jovial nature and propensity for spontaneity made him very popular. He was one of us.
Both Roncalli and Untener were loved by the people they served not because of the offices they held, but because of the humans they had become. They were in touch with their own humanity, imbued with the presence of God, driven by the Spirit rather than their own ego, and in touch with the world around them. They embodied the kind of Church most Catholics long for, one that is inclusive, alive and relevant. As the Cardinals gather in Rome to elect the next pope, let us pray that the one chosen embodies first and foremost the person of Jesus. He too was one of us. Amen!
Vatican II at 50 - Inside and Out
The Oscar predictions are in. It looks like an Oscar de la Renta dress will adorn Les Misérables actress Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain of Zero Dark Thirty will slip into some
Jimmy Choos, and Silver Linings Playbook
star Jennifer Lawrence will be outfitted in a Giambattista Valli complete with
a Lorraine Schwartz necklace. At least
those are my predictions for the Red Carpet. Actually, the real question is not what will the
stars be wearing on the outside, but how were we moved on the inside by their
performances? Were we on the edge of our seats at the end of
Zero Dark Thirty? Did we feel the compassion of the forgiving
Bishop in Les Misérables? Were we inspired by the imaginative thinking
portrayed in Argo? The prophetic leadership depicted in Lincoln? Oscar hype on the externals-fashion, fortune
and fame-often overshadows the motion pictures themselves.
Lent is a time to focus on the externals: praying, fasting and almsgiving. But, the externals are meant to move us on
the inside. We can give up all the
chocolate we want but if our heart doesn’t get any sweeter then we’ve missed
the point. Fasting might help us shed a
few pounds, but it should help us connect to those who hunger daily, moving our
hearts to pray in solidarity with them and perhaps giving to organizations
which provide for those less fortunate.
The liturgy, too, focuses on the externals: ritual, symbol, posture and gesture. But those externals are meant to prompt us on
the inside, as stated in Vatican II’s Constitution
on the Sacred Liturgy:
Pastors must therefore realize that more is
required than the mere observance of the laws governing valid and lawful
celebration… #11
Lent is a good time to go inward, to allow the
externals of the liturgy and of our Lenten practices to affect us on the
inside. What to do with those extra dollars
saved from giving up that Starbucks or chocolate bar? Take a friend to the movies! Amen.
Vatican II at 50 - Lent, a time to simplify
When the A&E television documentary “Hoarders” premiered in 2009, it was reportedly the most watched series premiere in the network’s history among adults aged 18–49, and tied for the most watched among adults aged 25–54. Four years and several episodes later, the series, which depicts persons who struggle with compulsive hoarding, is still going strong. I guess there is a little hoarding in all of us. It’s difficult to part with our stuff.
But that’s what the Second Vatican Council did with the liturgy. It did away with rituals deemed superfluous in order to make the liturgy more accessible to the people of God. As the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy which guided the reforms states:
The rites should be marked by a noble simplicity; they should be short, clear, and unencumbered by useless repetitions; they should be within the people’s powers of comprehension and as a rule not require much explanation. #34
By simplifying the rites, the Church believed that people would more readily understand their true meaning and be able to fully participate.
The season of Lent is all about simplicity. The environment, the music and the rites are simplified in order to bring out the true essence of the season. During Lent, we too are called to simplify our lives, to pare, to prune, and to purge, to let go of whatever it is that keeps us from freely living as children of God. As the people on “Hoarders” can testify, letting go of our clutter is never easy. Our stuff keeps us safe, or so we like to think. As “Hoarders” reminds us, letting go of our stuff means more than cleaning a room or two. Only by undergoing an inner transformation can we reveal the hidden beauty of our true selves. Amen!
Vatican II at 50 - Haste Makes Waste
Spring is coming early this year according to the original prognosticating rodent, Punxsutawney Phil, who failed to see his shadow last weekend on Groundhog Day. That means we can expect milder temperatures for the rest of the winter. Some parts of the United States have already been experiencing warmer winters. In the Black Hills of South Dakota rising temperatures have made it easier for sculptors working on the world’s largest mountain carving. The Crazy Horse Memorial, a tribute to the legendary Lakota leader and his culture will be 641 feet long and 563 feet high when it is finished. The work was started by famous New England sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski in June of 1948. Nearly 65 years later, the work continues. There is no telling when the carving will be finished. Ziolkowski wasn’t concerned about that. Ziolkoswki vowed never to take government money to finish the carving, even if that money would mean finishing more quickly. He said all that mattered was that the work continue and that progress be made. At the time of his death in 1982, Ziolkowski’s parting words to his wife were, “You must work on the mountain—but go slowly so you do it right.” Ziolkowski’s message was that works of art take time.
We could call the Second Vatican Council a work of art. Vatican II was expected to last one or two periods covering several months. But, the Council lasted four + years, beginning October 11, 1962 and ending on December 8, 1965. Four constitutions, nine decrees and three declarations were produced which would influence our relationship with God, with each other and with the world for time immemorial. Much of this would not have happened if the Council Fathers had been in a mad rush to finish.
Vatican II at 50 - Preparing for Liturgy
“And we just came from church!!” These caustic words would come from my mother when my brother and I would fight soon after Mass had ended. My mother was reminding us that the act of liturgy, the act of God’s love should change us. We should be, as the dismissal reminds us, “Going forth, glorifying the Lord with our lives,” not fighting. The Church believes we should have a proper disposition when we leave the liturgy. But the Church also calls us to have the same kind of disposition when we come. As the Liturgical Constitution, Sacrosanctum Concilium reminds us,
In order that the liturgy may possess its full effectiveness, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds be attuned to their voices, and that they cooperate with divine grace, lest they receive it in vain.” #11
The Church is telling us that Mass begins long before the first note is sung. Mass begins with the proper attitude--when we come with hearts peaceful enough to pray, with minds focused enough to listen, with spirits hungry enough for God. This can happen in many ways. Here are a few suggestions:
· Read and discuss the readings before Sunday’s Mass.
· Make the time before Mass as stress-free as possible by allowing yourself and/or your family enough time to get to Mass.
· On the way to Mass, think about all for which you have to be thankful.
· When you get to Mass, welcome any newcomers you might notice.
· Reach out to someone you know who is going through a tough time.