ST. JOHN VIANNEY'S VISION
QUICK TIPS FOR PRIESTS
The celebration of the Holy Trinity is the celebration of the deepest mystery of our faith. Mystery is often an overused word. We use the term to refer to everything that we do not comprehend from the deep knowledge of God to the way that the dryer gobbles up socks.
In the days before the Vatican Council, the Church was so concerned that mystery be preserved that it cloaked the mysteries Jesus revealed to us. When man-made mysteries were eliminated by the Liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, many people still complain that the mystery was being eliminated. This is incorrect. The mystery is more intense than ever because it is directly in front of us.
Human beings need mystery. We need to be aware of that which is mysterious in life. Husbands and wives, who are truly in a sacrificial love, unite themselves in the mystery of each other. They have been ushered into the intimacy of the person whom they love even though it is impossible to describe the essence of their husband or wife. This is the mystery of true love that you know experientially and that I can only contemplate.
In the Holy Trinity, God shares His deep mystery with us. The sharing is not in the recitation of the dogma. Dogmas are dependent on the language and concepts of the people who frame them. The true mystery of the Holy Trinity must be found not only in dogma, but also in our experiencing the intimate life of God. We can experience the mystery of God’s life within us, the life of the Holy Trinity we received at our Baptism, but we must quiet ourselves down and expose ourselves to His presence as He is, not as we devise Him. The celebration of the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity is an invitation to enter into the mystery of God.
When man-made mysteries were eliminated by the Liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council,
CONNECTING WITH TEENS
It is always great to have a cheering section during a game, a play, or a concert that just goes crazy for you when your name is called or when you score. Well, thanks to the Holy Trinity, we as Catholic’s [sic] have a built-in cheering section for the rest of our lives.
SETTING THE TONE OF THE LITURGY
…it is not wise to put a group of singers on a condenser microphone right in front of a drum set or amplifier. Not only will the singers be picked up, but the sounds around it as well. If microphones or sound issues are a struggle in your parish, consider bringing in a consultant from a sound company to speak to your group about sound more in depth.
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