Ministry & Liturgy
magazine was created with integrated ministries in mind. For more than
36 years, ML has been an independent, thought-provoking source of ideas
and solutions for all ministers working in an ever-evolving church.
If you are looking for solid, practical ways to connect your ministries,
you need this resource.
In addition to features and
regular columns on topics of interest to the entire parish team — rites,
music, faith formation, Scripture, art and architecture, hospitality, and
many others — you will find valuable tools and inspiration in every issue.
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here to find out how to subscribe.
Click on a cover to link to its table of contents.
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
On Marriage Three ML issues focus on
the sacrament of marriage and suggest specific ways various ministries
can be supportive. There are nine feature articles plus several columns
in these three special issues. Use them in ministry formation. For information
or to order go to http://www.rpinet.com/products/MLwed.html
May 2009
June–July 2009
August 2009
What is church?
Grieving the Holy Spirit
CARA generations and church
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
Below
you will find tables of contents of recent issues.
December
2009 – January 2010 Volume 36 Number 10
Even now
Purchase & Download This Issue
(PDF format) $6
ON THE COVER:
Bronze crucifix and Rose
window by John Collier (www.hillstream.com),
commissioned by St. Bartholomew's Catholic
Church, Wayzata, Minn.
From
Inside
ML: Lent comes upon us with a sort of troubled grace. Despite our best
intentions, we wander from what God desires for us. This season draws from
us renewed commitment to the things that are of God. We pray for the courage
to turn away from what tempts us toward the darkness, and we pray in solidarity
with those experiencing the light that is Christ for the first time. Even
as we do, we recognize that this is a journey we have traveled before;
this threshold is not new. (More)
FEATURES
Testing the waters Ron Raab Authentic discernment
Pledging Lent together Paige Byrne Shortal Communal Lenten discipline
Community of the catechumenate Todd Flowerday Integration into the
parish community
On the edge of Holy Week:
Passionate mystery Donna M. Cole Lent and liturgical
time
ON THE COVER:
Symbols of baptism into
one Body through the Spirit.
From
Inside
ML: We don’t take baptism very seriously at all. We should, because
it defines us, connects us, names us, gives us purpose, and ultimately
admits us into heaven. We treat it very carelessly indeed. Among the sacraments,
for the most part, baptism is the poor relative. In our parish community
settings, for Eucharist, confirmation, and matrimony, we have huge gatherings,
visiting clergy, parties, and presents. For holy orders one would think
royalty had been crowned, the fuss that is made for ordinations and first
Masses. For penance we preach and pound the pulpit and devote special classes
to the formation of young children so that their heinous sins of tattling
and teasing might be forgiven. We make elaborate arrangements so that our
sick may be comforted, consoled, and anointed, as well they should be;
our presence to those who suffer in illness should be more of a priority
than it is in so many places. But until post-conciliar restoration of the
Easter Vigil brought a better understanding of the vital role of the catechumenate
and baptism in the community life of the church, the most common experience
of the sacrament was that of infants hidden away in the baptistry. Even
now, although baptism is declared to be a community event, we seem to lack
a true understanding of what that means. (More)
FEATURES
Only with respect can there
be love Robert C. Weber Understanding abusive
relationships
Preparing for the worst:
How to protect your church valuables B. Gunar Gruenke Avoiding the worst-case
scenario
Windows to the Spirit:
A Pentecost liturgical art retreat Linda McCray Experiencing faith
through art
Ministry for mission:
Baptismal foundations of ecclesial life on campus Scott O'Brien Baptismal life on
campus
ON THE COVER:
"Archangel Paper-cut" by
Nancy Chinn. Paper lace on painted paper. Commissioned by the 1997 Montreat
Conferences on Worship and Music.
From
Inside
ML: Every year we bemoan the commercialism of the secular Christmas
season, which starts earlier each year. Last year in my home state of New
Jersey, it began before Halloween. I thought it might threaten Labor Day
this year, but some stores had Christmas-in-July sales right in the middle
of summer. With such focus on the “things” of Christmas, no wonder we struggle
to find peace in an Advent that has all the outward calm of a runaway train.
Celebrating the Christmas season definitely feels countercultural. Before
we’ve finished the octave of Christmas, gifts have been returned and trees
hauled to the curb. There’s not a seasonal song to be heard anywhere beyond
church doors. Holding on to our Christmas joy seems almost impossible.
In fact, it really is impossible if we celebrate it as an isolated moment
in time without centering it in the liturgical year. (More)
FEATURES
Advent: Rite at home Todd Flowerday Advent traditions
O night divine: Meeting
the challenges of the Christmas season Joni Woelfel A spirituality of
light
The Christmas Family Mass:
Liturgical zoo or pastoral goldmine? Paige Byrne Shortal A divine opportunity
The color of Christmas Helen Keating Rethinking the environment
ON THE COVER:
"Encounters with Christ"
—
St. Edmund's Retreat at
Ender's Island, Mystic, Conn.
From
Inside
ML: In a recent conversation with a friend in ministry, I remarked
that the scary part of what we do isn’t coming upon the empty tomb. The
scary part is in turning and walking away from that empty tomb. We are
tempted to remain there and wait, holding onto the threads of the familiar.
We may embrace the emptiness as our own, desiring God to fill it. We may
stand there confident that new life is ours, strong in the knowledge that
our battle is won. Truly we are invited into all of that, such is the great
gift of our faith. Most of us, though, cannot stay there, for we are called
to travel down the path of ordinary life that takes us through sickness
and grief, fear, violence, indifference, and so many other dimensions of
our human condition. We must find the way to connect all of these things
so that in our suffering as well as in our joy, we encounter Christ in
one another. This calls us to act deliberately. When we seek other dimensions
to our spirituality, we must seek retreat in a way that is meaningful so
that our inner selves are open to Christ. We have to seek out the Christ
in the strangers we meet, in the difficult people who challenge us, in
the busy, crowded times that are so different from the tomb moments. We
must immerse ourselves in the larger Body of Christ so that when we fall,
we are able to let others hold us up. From that weakness we gain the strength
to be fully present to those who most crave Christ’s presence. (More)
FEATURES
Formation for liturgical
prayer and all prayer Paul H. Colloton How prayer and liturgy
inform one another
Who do you say that I
am? Gathering and forming the community in Christ Leisa Anslinger Embracing community
as the Body of Christ
Retreat experiences: Beyond
the parish mission Jean Marie DuHamel Understanding the
meaning of retreat
Walking the journey of
Emmaus and beyond Mary Amore Pathways to spiritual
growth
A human encounter with
the paschal mystery Roc O'Connor Living in relationship
with mystery
ON THE COVER:
"Work of human hands" —
bread baked by Sister Christine Diensberg. The story of her quest to find
the right "Eucharistic Bread" recipe begins on page 13.
From
Inside
ML: A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a local mall, waiting for a new
pair of eyeglasses to be put together. I noticed a security guard walking
by, accompanied by what looked to be the youngest security guard ever.
About 10 or 11 years old, her uniform matched that of her counterpart,
with all the patches, insignia, duty belt, radio, keys, and so on. She
seemed to be very serious about the work while at the same time walking
on air. I wondered briefly why she wasn’t in school that day; I found out
later it was “take your son or daughter to work day.” I identified with
her. I know that she will never forget that day. My father was a police
officer, and I often dressed up in his uniform parts. If I’d had the opportunity
to wear the same uniform he did and to walk his beat with him for a day,
I would have been on cloud nine too. Since that time, I’ve worn many different
uniforms of public service, following his example. But what requires the
most of me is the garment of light, that which marks me as a disciple of
Christ. It demands of me (of us) a life of contemplation brought to action.
That white garment, that baptismal gift, challenges each of us to take
what we share and adore and bring it into every place where the poor and
desperate are to be found. We are to find those dark places and by our
bold discipleship bring the light of Christ to drive away the shadows of
despair. (More)
FEATURES
Sidewalk soup Ron Raab The Brother Andre
Café
The Roman Missal: "In
these or similar words" Paul Turner One Spirit-filled
voice of praise
Tabernacles and victims:
One divine presence in two sacred places Paul G. Mast Reconsecrating desecrated
lives
The matter of the bread
matters Christine Diensberg The appearance of
food
ON THE COVER:
"In this issue, we focus
on music ministry and where it leads us" (Inside ML, page 2).
From
Inside
ML: Each year when we craft the music-focus issue of ML, I use liturgical
music as something of a thematic guide. This year, I struggled with the
choice of what piece of music could fulfill that role, challenge and inspire
our writers, and build connections within the issue. Ultimately I settled
on “How Can I Keep from Singing?” This song has always seemed to pose a
question in affirmation, a nearly rhetorical question in the face of God’s
goodness. Today, though, I see friends and colleagues in ministry, my brothers
and sisters in Christ, whose song has been nearly silenced. They have indeed
been kept from singing, the song in their hearts crushed, at times by a
clerical whim. (More)
FEATURES
Unspeakable hope Virgil C. Funk Transcending the rational
Let's get the passion
back! Reclaiming our vocation as ministers of music David Haas Music ministry in
perspective
His eye is on the sparrow Ada Simpson Heaven help us
My life flows on in endless
song … with a little help from my friends Fred Moleck Singing in good company
From
Inside
ML: Music, ritual, and environment all require imagination to visualize
how these elements are interwoven to form liturgy that is seamless. That
imagination doesn’t happen by accident. In every discipline, it takes study,
experience, time, and a good bit of humility to achieve the level of competency
that fosters an imagination informed by sound theological reason rather
than personal taste or opinion. Although we may be knowledgeable about
the various fields of liturgy, rarely are we experts in more than one area.
I am a musician and I have worked with music ministry for most of my life.
I have a vision of how music and liturgy are (or should be) one. I teach,
write, and preach passionately about that unity. But when it comes time
to prepare liturgy, I call the best pastoral musician I know. While my
skill at selecting and crafting just the right music might be adequate
on occasion, God’s people deserve better than adequate at every liturgy.
My best talent, my strongest gifts, simply lie elsewhere. The same holds
true for environment. Building, renovating, and even reorganizing space
is the job of an expert. We have liturgical design consultants for a reason,
so before you start rolling your baptismal font around the church to see
where you like it best, pick up the phone and call a consultant. She’ll
put your font in the right place — and permanently remove the wheels. (More)
FEATURES
The Cathedral of Christ the
Light (part 1): An invitation Leo Keegan Call to the future
Living stones: A renovation
of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Richardson, Texas Jane Landry Sustaining the worship
experience
The Cathedral of Christ
the Light (part 2): Light and the Christian story Leo Keegan Mysteries of light
And you are the branches:
An artist's vision in glass Dana Boussard Reflections of nature
ON THE COVER:
Bell tower at sunset,
Caldwell Dominican Motherhouse,
Caldwell, N.J.
From
Inside
ML: Conversion moments are what compel us to move forward. Sometimes
they cause us to stumble on; other times they mark our path with clarity.
Whatever form these experiences take, if we fail to share them in some
way, they diminish in meaning. The grace that comes from an encounter with
Christ is surely a source of great personal joy for us, but our call is
to use the strength, or voice, or vision, or presence that grace grants
for the greater good of the community of believers. Making that transition
from internal conversion experience to community experience is a challenge
for everyone, from the catechumen to those who have spent a lifetime of
service in ministry. This is a constant, never-ending cycle of revelation,
discovery, and offering of self. Like St. Paul, we travel on and beyond
the road to Damascus. When we are open to making those connections between
what has been revealed to us in faith and what we are called to be for
one another, the scales are dropped from our eyes and discernment becomes
clear. That we are to act is certain; how we are to act in today’s church
of tension is not as certain. (More)
FEATURES
The Order of Mass: Orderly
transitions? Paul Turner Connecting liturgy
and Scripture
So holy a mystery: Marriage
and faith formation Mary Ann Paulukonis Marriage as Christian
icon
In the company of their
friends: Making your parish marriage-friendly Kathy and Steve Beirne Becoming a marriage-sensitive
church
Conversion experience
to community experience Todd Flowerday Damascus and beyond
ON THE COVER:
Wedding rings symbolize
married life, which "has a unique nature and value as vocation" (Inside
ML, page 4). This issue focuses on the sacrament of marriage and ministry
from a variety of perspectives.
From
Inside
ML: When we talk about vocations, the first image that pops into our
collective mind is rarely that of married life. We have been conditioned
to elevate the ordained and religious life as being “true” vocations; everything
else is secondary or subordinate. We revere the celibacy to which few are
called over the chastity to which we are all called regardless of our way
of life. In all of this we risk reducing married life to a means of producing
more of the faithful, more priests, more religious. In reality, married
life has a unique nature and value as vocation. As the foundational family
unit, it is at the root of community life in which “all members of the
family exercise the priesthood of the baptized in a privileged way
‘by the reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness
of a holy life, and self-denial and active charity’ (Lumen Gentium 10).
Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human
enrichment’ (Gaudium et Spes 52 §1). Here one learns endurance
and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous — even repeated — forgiveness,
and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1657). In short, marriage is the
first example of Christian living. (More)
FEATURES
Since it is your intention:
Parish hospitality toward engaged couples Linda Moses Making first contact
Give them strength: Parish
support for hurting couples Patricia Crane Ennis Early and careful
intervention
As they begin to live
this sacrament Kathy and Steve Beirne Nurturing the sense
of God's presence in marriage
Forever and ever: How
marriage affects your ministry Don and Chris Paglia Marriage as the domestic
church
Christ abundantly blesses
this love: Celebrating the rite of marriage well Mary Ann Paulukonis Marriage as act of
worship
From
Inside
ML: Welcome to ML’s Year 36. This year we join the universal church
in celebrating the year of Paul, as ML continues the journey of deliberate
discipleship. Emboldened by the certainty of new life in Christ, and assured
of the validity of our ministry by baptism, we are called now to walk with
Paul in the unity of the Holy Spirit. ML will explore the gifts we have
been given, and reflecting on St. Paul’s charism, will work “to equip the
holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ”
(Eph 4:12). Throughout the year, we will consider ways to be more visible
signs of Christ in the world and how to sustain our Christian communities.
We will reflect on conversion experiences and how the Holy Spirit calls
us to be courageous witnesses in an increasingly secular world. We will
look for inspired ways to bring the gospel to life in our society. Together,
we will move beyond divisions to focus on a unified discipleship committed
to service in Christ. (More)
FEATURES
Triduum: powerful words for
today Patricia A. Parachini Core beliefs of Christian
faith
The sounds of the paschal
Triduum Michael R. Prendergast Echoes of the paschal
mystery
Images of Triduum: prayer,
practice, and promise Mary Patricia Storms Drenched in symbols
The eagle has landed William C. Graham Signs of the times
