CEMETERIES AND GRAVES AS SACRAMENTALS AND POINTS OF CONTACT WITH THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED

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The Catholic Church has always believed cemeteries to be "sacramentals" of the mortal body awaiting the resurrection of the dead. Cemeteries are also great places for pilgrimage to visit our beloved faithful departed.

With so many people choosing cremation and then failing to give a proper entombment or Christian burial, I fear we may be losing the laudable tradition of visiting the dead at the cemetery and praying for the souls of the faithful departed. Cemeteries are a great place for a picnic too as one visits spiritually with one's deceased loved ones. The grave which is hallowed, is a point of contact with our beloved dead and again, a sacramental of their presence on earth.


My mother's fresh grave, next to my dad, at our family plot. My dad's marker has his date of birth as July 23, 1910 and date of death, December 25, 1987. My mom's will read October 18, 1919-September 18, 2012:

Westover Memorial Park is contiguous with the Augusta National Golf Course and the land has the same characteristics of contours as the course. In this photo beyond the hedge of trees, looking from my mom's grave is the Augusta Country Club's Golf Course which is right next and contiguous with the Augusta National, but is older than the Augusta National and has a storied history too.



Each Monday, when I am in Augusta on my day off at my mom's house, we normally have Chic-fil-A for lunch together at her house (carry-out). Today was no different! And what a glorious fall day for a picnic and prayers for mom and dad together again!

AN ANTICIPATION OF REFORMS TO COME DURING THE YEAR OF FAITH AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPENING OF VATICAN II?

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The USCCB's Catholic News Service produced this video. In fact over the last several months several videos sympathetic to Latin and the EF Mass have been produced. This is curious to say the least and would lead some who think they are clairvoyant, but maybe not, to think that the USCCB is preparing the Church for some interesting changes to come in the Liturgy. I'm not saying, but just saying.

THE PERFECT LATIN / VERNACULAR BLEND?

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Celebrating both forms of the one Roman Rite as I do, causes me to reflect on both forms and why changes were made to the Roman Rite Mass following Vatican II.

As I've said, time and time before, the one change that I think was most widely approved was to the vernacular although initially Latin was not to be removed altogether. I think the mix of Latin and vernacular in the 1965 missal, which is still of the Order of the 1962 Roman Missal with all of its prayers in tact, was a good step that then went to far in the 1970 reformed Roman Missal.

What would be a good blend between the vernacular and Latin and make the Mass once again universal in language?

About two years before the revised English translation was official, at St. Joseph Church we jettisoned the old English greetings and returned to the Latin ones. By that I mean, "Dominus Vobiscum," the Preface Dialogue and "The Peace of the Lord..." with the Latin responses by the laity. At first there was a group that did not appreciate this change, but by the end of the first month, everyone was either singing or saying their Latin response with gusto and naturally. In fact, I was a bit depressed when we implemented the new English responses having to drop the Latin.

Why not make the Latin responses mandatory in the current missal?

Our parish also knows the Greek Kyrie and one version of the Latin Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. Many know the Latin Gloria we sing at the EF Mass along with the Credo.

Why not make the Kyrie (Greek of course)and the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Pater Noster, and Agnus Dei mandatory in Latin in our current Roman Missal?

I personally like all the Eucharistic prayers in the Roman Missal except for #4 which I seldom use. Besides the typical four that most hear, there are also two for Reconciliation which are quite beautiful and four others for special occasions all of which I think are quite befitting for worshiping God. Because of the variety that are possible during the Mass, I personally think that the vernacular is good for the Eucharistic Prayer although I'm not opposed to the Latin versions. Perhaps a good compromise would have been to make the Epiclesis as well as the words of consecration the same in all of the Eucharistic Prayers and that these alone be in Latin with a quiet or "low voice" or always chanted--that would be a wonderful adjustment, no?

Certainly all the changing parts of the Mass should be in the vernacular like the Introit, Collect, Prayer over the Gifts, Preface, Eucharistic Prayer, and Post Communion Prayer as well as the Offertory and Communion Antiphons. But there is no reason why these can't be in Latin as an option which is possible even now.

In other words, I recognize that the personal idiosyncrasies of priests and parishes could have a hybrid of Latin and English now or all Latin with the modern Roman Missal. But the Mass shouldn't be built upon idiosyncratic good intentions but upon universal principles that I suggest above for the use of Latin exclusively.

HOT OFF THE LITURGICAL PRESS AND STILL HOT WITH THE HOLY FATHER'S BREATH, SPOKEN THIS MORNING

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The Holy Father teaches that "good Liturgy" is always oriented toward God!




THE LITURGY, A SCHOOL OF PRAYER

Vatican City, 26 September 2012 (VIS) - The liturgy as a school of prayer, as a "special place in which God addresses each one of us ... and awaits our response", was the theme of Benedict XVI's catechesis during his general audience, held this morning (September 26, 2012) in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope explained how, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "we read that the word 'liturgy' originally meant a 'service in the name of/on behalf of the people'. If Christian theology took this word from the Greek, clearly it did so thinking of the new People of God, born of Christ Who opened His arms on the Cross to unite mankind in the one peace of God; 'service in the name of the people', a people which exists not of itself but which has come into being thanks to the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ".

"The Catechism also states that in Christian tradition, the word 'liturgy' means the participation of the People of God in the work of God". In this context Pope Benedict recalled how the document on the liturgy had been the first fruit of Vatican Council II. "By beginning with the issue of liturgy, light was very clearly thrown on the primacy of God, on His absolute precedence. ... Where the gaze on God is not decisive, everything becomes disoriented. The fundamental criterion for the liturgy is that it should be oriented towards God, in order to ensure we participate in His work.

"Yet, we might ask ourselves", the Holy Father added, "what is this work of God in which we are called to participate? ... And what makes the Mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ, Who brought salvation, real for me today? The answer is this: the action of Christ through the Church and the liturgy; in particular the Sacrament of the Eucharist which causes the sacrificial offer of the Son of God Who redeemed us to be present; the Sacrament of Penance in which we pass from the death induced by sin to new life; and the other Sacraments which sanctify us".

Quoting again from the Catechism of the Catholic Church the Pope affirmed that "a sacramental celebration is a meeting of God's children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words'. Thus", he explained, "the first requirement for a good liturgical celebration is that it be prayer and dialogue with God, first listening then responding. ... Sacred liturgy offers us the words, it is up to us to enter into their meaning, absorb them, harmonize ourselves with them. ... One fundamental and primordial element of dialogue with God in the liturgy is concordance between what we say with our mouths and what we carry in our hearts", he said.

The Pope then referred to a particular moment in which the liturgy calls upon us and helps us to find such concordance: the celebrant's invitation before the Eucharistic prayer: "sursum corda", meaning "let us lift up our hearts"; lift them up, that is, "out of the mire of our concerns and desires, our worries and our distraction. Our hearts, the most intimate part of us, must open meekly to the Word of God and join the prayer of the Church, in order to be oriented towards God by the very words we hear and pronounce".

"We celebrate and experience the liturgy well", the Pope concluded, "only if we maintain an attitude of prayer, uniting ourselves to the mystery of Christ and to His dialogue of a Son with His Father. God Himself teaches us to pray. ... He has given us the right words with which to address Him, words we find in the Psalter, in the great prayers of sacred liturgy and in the Eucharistic celebration itself. Let us pray to the Lord that we may become increasingly aware of the fact that the liturgy is the action of God and of man; a prayer that arises from the Holy Spirit and from us; entirely addressed to the Father in union with the Son of God made man".

YIKES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THIS GIVEN OUR AMERICAN SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!

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The following is from the National Catholic Reporter and it is about Germany where people must pay a state tax to support the Church, which I presume means they don't have an offertory collection as we do. Read on, what are your reactions?

UPDATE: German court: Catholics who don't pay religious tax must leave church
Sep. 25, 2012

By Jonathan Luxmoore, Catholic News Service

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg, president of the German bishops' conference, presents a statement to the media at the opening of the bishops' fall meeting Monday in Fulda, Germany. (CNS/KNA-Bild)

WARSAW, Poland -- The German bishops' conference defended a controversial decree that said Catholics who stop paying a church membership tax cannot receive sacraments.

"There must be consequences for people who distance themselves from the church by a public act," said Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg, conference president, in defending the Sept. 20 decree.

"Clearly, someone withdrawing from the church can no longer take advantage of the system like someone who remains a member," he said at a news conference Monday as the bishops began a four-day meeting in Fulda. "We are grateful Rome has given completely clear approval to our stance."

The archbishop said each departure was "painful for the church," adding that bishops feared many Catholics were unaware of the consequences and would be "open to other solutions."

"The Catholic church is committed to seeking out every lost person," said Zollitsch, whose remarks were reported by Germany's Die Welt daily.

"At issue, however, is the credibility of the church's sacramental nature. One cannot be half a member or only partly a member. Either one belongs and commits, or one renounces this," Zollitsch said.

Catholics make up 30 percent of Germany's population of 82.3 million, about the same proportion as Protestants, with 2 percent belonging to Orthodox denominations, according to government figures.

Interest in the Catholic church revived after German-born Pope Benedict XVI's April 2005 election, but church baptisms and weddings continue to decline. Church statistics show that about 13 percent of Catholics attend Mass weekly, compared with 22 percent in 1989.

Germany's Catholic priesthood and religious orders also are declining in number, according to a bishops' statement in June, despite three homecoming visits by Pope Benedict since his election.

A total of 126,488 Catholics asked to stop paying the membership tax and be removed from registers in the 27 German dioceses during 2011, according to the bishops' conference. In 2010, some 180,000 Catholics took the same step.

German newspapers said the pope's native Bavaria region had suffered the worst losses. The dioceses of Augsburg, Bamberg, Eichstatt, Passau and Wurzburg reported a 70 percent increase in departures in 2010, the height of the clergy sexual abuse scandal.

Introduced in the 19th century, the membership tax earns the German church about $6 billion annually, making it one of the world's wealthiest.
National Catholic Reporter

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In its decree, the bishops' conference said the tax was designed to compensate for state seizures of church property. The decree said the right to a "civil law withdrawal" ensured "no one is led to church membership against their will."

"Conscious dissociation from the church by public act is a grave offense against the church community," the decree said.

"Whoever declares their withdrawal for whatever reason before the responsible civil authority always violates their duty to preserve a link with the church, as well as their duty to make a financial contribution so the church can fulfill its tasks."

The document added that departing Catholics could no longer receive the sacraments of penance, holy Communion, confirmation or anointing of the sick, other than when facing death, or exercise any church function, including belonging to parish councils or acting as godparents.

Marriages would granted only by a bishop's consent and unrepentant Catholics would be denied church funerals, the decree said.

A press release Sept. 20 said the decree had been approved in August by the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops. It added that parish priests would be asked to write to departing Catholics, inviting them to meet and explain their decision and have the consequences explained.

The Associated Press reported that the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, Germany, ruled Wednesday that Catholics who opt out of paying religious taxes must automatically leave the church as well.

The bishops' decree was criticized by Germany's dissenting We are Church movement, which said in a statement Monday that a "pay to pray" policy sent "the totally wrong signal at the wrong time" when the German bishops were "laboriously trying to regain credibility" after a "decades-long cover-up of abuse scandals."

"Instead of considering the reasons why large numbers are leaving the church on the ground, this bishops' decree sends a threatening message," the statement said.

"This threatened exclusion from community life is a de facto excommunication. It contradicts the sacramental understanding of indelible church membership through baptism."

In his opening address Monday to the bishops' meeting, Zollitsch said the church needed "a long perspective, deep breath and patience" to cope with current challenges, as well as a capacity for dialogue with "social groups and circles alienated from the church."

Gospel for the Mass: 10/14/12- Mark 10:17-27 or 10:17-30

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*Be sure to check out Gospel for the Mass Year B page right below the header for other days that you need Gospel for the Mass activities.


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Mark 10:17-27 or 10:17-30



Activities

catholicmom.com- Click on the month. Scroll down to the date for Coloring Page, Mass Worksheet, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search, etc.

Theresa at catholickidsbulletin.blogspot.com will post a link to an activity sheet that coordinates with the Catholic Mass. There will be pictures and activities each week to help little kids understand and appreciate the Mass. Most weeks, she will also highlight a Saint whose feast day falls within that week or a liturgical symbol they can watch for at Mass.

silk.net/RelEd/- Resources on the Sunday Readings

sadlierreligion.com- Scroll down to Gospel Reflection, Discussion Questions for the Gospel, and Proclaiming Faith Activities

loyolapress.com- Background on the Gospel and activities for groups and families

msssbible.com- Rich Young Ruler with tons of resources for illustrating the story, coloring pages/activity sheets, crafts, and songs.

sermons4kids.com- The God of the Impossible object lesson with coloring, puzzles, quizzes

sermons4kids.com- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire object lesson with coloring, puzzles, quiz

sermons4kids.com- Are You Good Enough object lesson with group activities, coloring, puzzles, quiz

sundayschoollessons.com- God Saves Us When We Can’t Save Ourselves lesson

childrensermons.com- Eye of a Needle object lesson

word-sunday.com- David’s Impossible Day lesson (scroll down to Gospel)

The Catholic Toolbox- Young Ruler Pre K – K lesson that consists of Objectives, Word Wall, Bible Story with questions, Songs and/or Finger Plays, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Coloring/Puzzles, Handwriting Sheets, Mini Books, etc.

textweek.com- Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources



Coloring

sermons4kids.com- Mark 10:21

sermons4kids.com- Mark 10:25

coloring.ws- Camel coloring pages



Crafts

sermons4kids.com- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? group activities (crafts)

sermons4kids.com- Are You Good Enough group activities (crafts)

scissorcraft.com- Folding Craft Paper Camel

enchantedlearning.com- Camel (made out of an egg carton with googly eyes)

dltk-kids.com- 3 camel crafts postedCamel



Games

sermons4kids.com- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? group activities (crafts)

sermons4kids.com-Are You Good Enough group activities (games)


Camel Game- Make 5 dice with the letters C A M E L on five of the sides (You can also spell NEEDLE as well using 6 dice). (Or you can use regular dice and put a sticker on each side and put the letters C A M E L on five of the sides.)

Directions: Players take turns and roll the dice and try to spell the word CAMEL using the dice. The first player that can, wins.


familyfun.go.com- Thread the Needle Game


Introduce game: Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Mark 10:21
*Play “Go Fish” but the rules differ. Whoever gives away all his cards first, wins the game.



Puzzles

sermons4kids.com- Word Search

sermons4kids.com- Word Search

joanyedwards.com- Word Search

sermons4kids.com- Word Shape

sermons4kids.com- Decoder

sermons4kids.com- Alphabet Soup

sermons4kids.com- Crossword

sermons4kids.com- Crossword

silk.net/RelEd- Crossword (Mark 10:17-30)

joanyedwards.com- Crossword (Mark 10:17-30)

newchurchvineyard.org- Code puzzle and worksheet



Quizzes

sermons4kids.com- Multiple Choice

sermons4kids.com- Fill in the Blanks

sermons4kids.com- Fill in the Blanks

Class 9/23/12

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This is what I plan on doing with my first grade CCD class:


Review & Introduce-

• Review - Sign of the Cross & Grace Before Meals

• Review- Last week’s Take Home Sheet

• Review- People at Mass using People at Church Cards

• Review- Liturgical Objects at Mass (pew, stoup, altar, chalice, ciborium, Body of Christ, Blood of Christ) using Liturgical Objects Used at Mass Cards

• Introduce- new objects using cards (tabernacle, bells)



Prayer Activity- Introduce prayer activity: Do you know the prayer Glory Be?

Teach the students how to do Glory Be. Practice. Then have students do Glory Be handwriting sheet to trace in manuscript.



Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Opening Procession

Mass begins with everyone standing and singing the opening hymn. At our church leading the Opening Procession we have the cross bearer holding the Processional Cross. If there are other altar servers, they follow the cross bearer. Next comes someone from the congregation who carries the Book of the Gospels up high for everyone to see. Last is the priest. When they all arrive at the sanctuary of the church, together they make a profound bow toward the altar. The Book of the Gospels is then placed on the altar. The priest will go to the altar and venerate (honor) it by kissing it. The priest then walks and stands in front of the celebrant’s or presider’s chair. During the whole procession we stand and sing the opening hymn.

Questions:

What does the cross bearer hold? (The Processional Cross.)

Who carries the Book of the Gospels? (Someone from the congregation.)

Who is last in the Procession? (The presider of the liturgy, a priest.)

What happens when they all arrive at the sanctuary of the church? (Together they make a profound bow toward the altar.)

What does the priest do when he goes to the altar? (He venerates {honors} the altar by kissing it.)

What does the priest do after he venerates (honors) the altar by kissing it? (He walks and stands in front of the celebrant’s or presider’s chair.)

What are we doing during the Opening Procession? (We stand and sing the opening hymn.)



Celebrating the Mass Activity-


The activity below is free, however it can only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit.

Opening Procession- (worksheet for younger students) Cut out pictures and trim. With the pictures that are given, glue them in the proper order that they appear in the Opening Procession.





Lesson Plan- Adam & Eve and go over vocabulary words with students. Read story: “Adam & Eve” The Usborne Children's Bible by Heather Amery and ask questions from Take Home Sheet that will be sent home today. Note: When I read the story to the students I usually sit in the chair in the corner by the board and have the students sit on the floor in front of me. After the students have answered the questions about the story, I have them go back to their seats to continue with what is on the lesson plan (activity, craft, game, puzzles/worksheets, etc.).



Craft- Introduce craft: What did Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge? Who told Eve to do this?




Apple

Need: Red poster board, brown pipe cleaners, green construction paper, tape

Directions: Pre cut a large apple from red poster board and cut out worm hole for finger to poke through from back. Have students cut out leaf drawn on green paper. Tape brown pipe cleaner (stem) and leaf on back of apple.






dltk-kids.com.- Hanging Snake (directions and templates)

docstoc.com- Snake Template (directions and template)



Mini Book-

lambsongs.co.nz- “Adam & Eve Don’t Touch That Tree!” by Jill Kemp

Have students read the mini book out loud in class by taking turns (each read a page) and take home to read to their parents. Students can also color mini book.



Game- Introduce game: Who named all the animals? Adam. Let’s see if we can name some animals.

Name the Animals ABCs

Call on a student and ask them to name an animal that starts with the letter A. Go through each letter of the alphabet and have the students name an animal. To make it harder make it a memory game. Have the players seated in a circle. The first player begins by naming an animal that starts with the letter A. The next player says the animal that starts with A and adds an animal that starts with the letter B. It continues until the whole alphabet is said using animal names. (You can also help the player if necessary so anyone can play.)

Or

Introduce game: Who were the first man and woman?



Adam & Eve (file folder game)



Puzzles & Worksheets- While students are doing puzzles/worksheets, etc. they may say a prayer. Students are asked to recite 5 prayers by the end of the year. A “We Know Our Prayers” chart is on the bulletin board. If the student can recite the prayer correctly, write the date on the chart, and they get to pick a prize from the prize bag.

Did God Really Say- Hidden Pictures: Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s Word Grade 1-3 by Linda Standke, page 3

I Know Glory Be (worksheet)- Trace the words from the other page. Then cut them out and paste them where they belong in the prayer. Say this prayer every day. Click here for word page.



Homework- Give each student a Adam & Eve Take Home Sheet for their parents to go over with them to review what we have done in class. Parents need to help their child fill this out and bring back to class the following week. Students that complete their homework and bring it back to class will be able to play Homeworkopoly. Each Sunday the students make a mini story book and/or story wheel in class. Students need to read these to their parents (or the parents read to them) the mini book and/or story wheel for homework.



What will you do in your classroom or home? Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!