Sunday, April 1, 2012

Marching Through Time

A few days ago, I learned that Catholic bishops in America got permission to publish a new blessing for very young people: "Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb."1 They're hoping to get it out as a booklet - in English and Spanish - in time for Mother's Day.

Looks like this blessing will be included in the next edition of the "Book of Blessings" - which gives me an excuse to put off buying a hardcopy of that resource. Those things can be *expensive.*

I'm looking forward to seeing that booklet. And maybe getting a copy. Partly because I like books, partly because I like devotional materials like this.

Another Blessing: So What?

From the looks of it, "Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb" fills a gap in my culture's approved 'blessings-ready-for-use' inventory:
"...The blessing originated when then-Bishop Joseph Kurtz of Knoxville, Tennessee (now archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky) asked the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities to see if a blessing existed for a child in the womb. When none was found, the committee prepared a text and submitted it to the USCCB's Divine Worship committee in March of 2008. It was approved by the full body of bishops in November 2008, and then sent to Rome for editing and final approval...."
(USCCB press release (March 26, 2012))
There's quite a lot going on there. Including a look at how the Church works. For starters, we're huge, ancient, and not a democracy. Which seems to scare some folks silly. (March 28, 2012, March 25, 2012)

We're also careful about vetting somebody's bright idea before giving official approval. That can be frustrating, as I know from my experience with the Divine Mercy devotion. (April 19, 2009) Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska was canonized back in 2000, and that's another topic.

Having a "Committee on Pro-Life Activities" is a dead giveaway on where the Catholic Church stands on human life. If we went along with the local culture on "womens' health care," we wouldn't have a committee like that. Or we'd call it something like "Committee on Anti-Abortion Activities." Whaddaya know! That makes a pronounceable acronym: CAAA

The imaginary CAAA would most likely be acting like the House Un-American Activities Committee," from my 'good old days,' which I'm sincerely glad won't be coming back.

Counter-Cultural and Loving It

The Catholic Church has a reputation for having lots of rules. There's something to that, but I think it's because folks keep trying to weasel out of the two really, really simple rules:
After two millennia of weaseling, the 'extra' rules add up. Yet another topic.

The Catholic Church says we're supposed to act as if what Jesus said about loving God and our neighbors makes a difference. And that we're supposed to act as if what Jesus told us matters. That makes folks who are Catholics and take our faith seriously counter-cultural. I've been over this before. (March 4, 2012)

Pigeonholes

I've been identified as a conservative. In context, it made sense. But I'm not a conservative. I'm not a liberal, either. And I'm certainly not a moderate. Again, I've been over this before:
Today's Westerners tend to sort social and political philosophies into two pigeonholes: liberal or conservative; four, if you include moderate and apathetic.

Quite a few Americans, Catholic and otherwise, seem to assume that "Catholic" and "conservative" are pretty much the same.

Pigeonholes, Assumptions, and an Ancient Church

When it comes to practical implications of 'love God, love your neighbor,' assuming that the Catholic Church must be either conservative or liberal can work, for specific issues:
I think the apparent confusion comes from who we take orders from. We're not told to conform to the position of Optimates, Populares, Whigs, Tories, Democrats, or Republicans.

The Church recognizes an authority higher than the Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee, or even Lady Gaga.

In Step With My Lord

For two millennia now, we've been shown Jesus: and told "do whatever he tells you."2 That, and standing orders like the one in Matthew 28:19-20, haven't changed. Exactly how we're expected to carry them out is another matter: and yet again another topic.

I'm content to be 'out of step' with whatever philosophies are popular today. I think it's more important to be in step with my Lord. That's why I became a Catholic. I'm content to be part of the Church that's rooted in eternity, under the authority my Lord gave Peter,3 marching through time toward a city that hasn't been built yet.

And those are still more topics. (September 21, 2011; August 25, 2011, November 9, 2010)

Related posts:

1 Excerpts from the news, about:
Mother's Day
"Vatican Approves Blessing for Child in the Womb"
Zenit (March 29, 2012)

"Vatican has approved the publication of the "Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb," which will be printed in English and Spanish, according to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"It will be published as a combined booklet and should be available for parishes by Mothers' Day.

"The approval came from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome.

" 'I'm impressed with the beauty of this blessing for human life in the womb,' said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the USCCB...."

"Vatican Approves English and Spanish Texts for 'Blessing of a Child in the Womb' "
Press release, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (March 26, 2012)

"The Vatican has approved the publication of the 'Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb,' which will be printed in English and Spanish in a combined booklet and should be available for parishes by Mothers' Day. The U.S. bishops who collaborated on the development of the blessing welcomed the announcement of the recognitio, or approval, by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome.

" 'I'm impressed with the beauty of this blessing for human life in the womb,' said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). 'I can think of no better day to announce this news than on the feast of the Annunciation, when we remember Mary's "yes" to God and the incarnation of that child in her the womb that saved the world.'

" 'We wanted to make this announcement as soon as possible so that parishes might begin to look at how this blessing might be woven into the fabric of parish life,' said Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship. 'Eventually the new blessing will be included in the Book of Blessings when that text is revised.'

"The blessing was prepared to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for and recognition of the precious gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society. It can be offered within the context of the Mass as well as outside of Mass.

"The blessing originated when then-Bishop Joseph Kurtz of Knoxville, Tennessee (now archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky) asked the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities to see if a blessing existed for a child in the womb. When none was found, the committee prepared a text and submitted it to the USCCB's Divine Worship committee in March of 2008. It was approved by the full body of bishops in November 2008, and then sent to Rome for editing and final approval."
2 That quote is from an account of what happened when folks ran out of drinks at a wedding party. (John 2:5)

3 The parish church down the street is under an authority that's been passed along in an unbroken chain, starting with the first Pope:
"Jesus said to him in reply, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood 12 has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

"I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' "
(Matthew 16:17-19)
I decided to join the Church, for the about the same reason Peter gave for not leaving:
"Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

"We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:67-69)

No comments:

Like it? Pin it, Plus it, - - -

Pinterest: My Stuff, and More

Advertisement

Unique, innovative candles


Visit us online:
Spiral Light CandleFind a Retailer
Spiral Light Candle Store

Popular Posts

Label Cloud

1277 abortion ADD ADHD-Inattentive Adoration Chapel Advent Afghanistan Africa America Amoris Laetitia angels animals annulment Annunciation anti-catholicism Antichrist apocalyptic ideas apparitions archaeology architecture Arianism art Asperger syndrome assumptions asteroid astronomy Australia authority balance and moderation baptism being Catholic beliefs bias Bible Bible and Catechism bioethics biology blogs brain Brazil business Canada capital punishment Caritas in Veritate Catechism Catholic Church Catholic counter-culture Catholicism change happens charisms charity Chile China Christianity Christmas citizenship climate change climatology cloning comets common good common sense Communion community compassion confirmation conscience conversion Corpus Christi cosmology creation credibility crime crucifix Crucifixion Cuba culture dance dark night of the soul death depression designer babies despair detachment devotion discipline disease diversity divination Divine Mercy divorce Docetism domestic church dualism duty Easter economics education elections emotions England entertainment environmental issues Epiphany Establishment Clause ethics ethnicity Eucharist eugenics Europe evangelizing evolution exobiology exoplanets exorcism extremophiles faith faith and works family Father's Day Faust Faustus fear of the Lord fiction Final Judgment First Amendment forgiveness Fortnight For Freedom free will freedom fun genetics genocide geoengineering geology getting a grip global Gnosticism God God's will good judgment government gratitude great commission guest post guilt Haiti Halloween happiness hate health Heaven Hell HHS hierarchy history holidays Holy Family Holy See Holy Spirit holy water home schooling hope humility humor hypocrisy idolatry image of God images Immaculate Conception immigrants in the news Incarnation Independence Day India information technology Internet Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jesus John Paul II joy just war justice Kansas Kenya Knights of Columbus knowledge Korea language Last Judgment last things law learning Lent Lenten Chaplet life issues love magi magic Magisterium Manichaeism marriage martyrs Mary Mass materialism media medicine meditation Memorial Day mercy meteor meteorology Mexico Minnesota miracles Missouri moderation modesty Monophysitism Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mother's Day movies music Muslims myth natural law neighbor Nestorianism New Year's Eve New Zealand news Nietzsche obedience Oceania organization original sin paleontology parish Parousia penance penitence Pentecost Philippines physical disability physics pilgrimage politics Pope Pope in Germany 2011 population growth positive law poverty prayer predestination presumption pride priests prophets prostitution Providence Purgatory purpose quantum entanglement quotes reason redemption reflections relics religion religious freedom repentance Resurrection robots Roman Missal Third Edition rosaries rules sacramentals Sacraments Saints salvation schools science secondary causes SETI sex shrines sin slavery social justice solar planets soul South Sudan space aliens space exploration Spain spirituality stem cell research stereotypes stewardship stories storm Sudan suicide Sunday obligation superstition symbols technology temptation terraforming the establishment the human condition tolerance Tradition traffic Transfiguration Transubstantiation travel Trinity trust truth uncertainty United Kingdom universal destination of goods vacation Vatican Vatican II veneration vengeance Veterans Day videos virtue vlog vocations voting war warp drive theory wealth weather wisdom within reason work worship writing

Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.