From the Ordinary to the Extraordinary

By Popular Request…

Ben Yanke — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:26:09 +0000

I wasn’t planning on posting any of these, but I guess people really want to see them… you people reading this on FB, click the link. It’s the only prom pics I’m posting. As usual, click the pics for larger versions.

Update: added another cool shot from downtown at the bottom.

Alas, I forgot my hat in the car.

Pictures from Mrs. L and JP (the crazy one)

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Psalm with antiphon or antiphon with Psalm?

Ben Yanke — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:57:00 +0000

An interesting viewpoint from Kathy Pluth at the Chant Cafe:

I’ve been wondering lately whether we give the Psalms full credit when considering the Propers.

If you were to ask me, “What is a Proper?” I would answer, “It’s an antiphon–and some verses of a Psalm if you have time.”

Two things have recently made me wonder if I’m not looking at the Propers from a 180 degree wrong angle. Perhaps I have it backwards, and the introit is A Psalm, which alternates with an antiphon that shows the Psalm in greater light.

The first thing that caught my attention in this matter was the plenary address given at last year’s Colloquium by Fr. Guy Nicholls of the Birmingham Oratory. Fr. Nicholls convincingly demonstrated that the Introit Psalms in Ordinary Time are not chosen according to the readings of the day or according to any other external device, but run sequentially through the Book of Psalms from beginning to end. In effect, the Introit Psalms of the year are a Psalter. If this is true–if we are meant to be singing the Book of Psalms throughout the year as monks sing them through the week–then the Psalms are much less incidental to the Propers than I had thought.

The second indication that I was taking the Psalms less seriously than they deserved, and perhaps taking the Antiphons more seriously than warranted, was this interesting definition of “Introit” from the old, online Catholic Encyclopedia:
The Introit (Introitus) of the Mass is the fragment of a psalm with its antiphon sung while the celebrant and ministers enter the church and approach the altar. In all Western rites the Mass began with such a processional psalm since the earliest times of which we have any record.
I’m sure most of us have had the experience of needing the briefest possible proper, and if you are like me, you would have chosen to sing the antiphon and left the Psalm for another day when there was more time. However, I’m not convinced that this is the right way to go.

The article in the Catholic Encyclopedia, as I read it, seems to suggest that the Introit started as a Psalm only, and that antiphons were added later. Over time the antiphons came to be the defining aspect of the Introit, perhaps in part because the antiphon alone needed to be printed, in order to provide the melody. The Psalm would be sung to a Psalm tone, and by the cantor, who would not need it to be printed in the book. Eventually the Psalm was shortened to one verse with its Gloria Patri unless further verses were needed for reasons of time.

I wonder whether this is a unique scholarly view, or whether it might be safe to say that the Psalm is at least as essential to the singing of the responsorial Propers as is the singing of the through-composed antiphon.

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Msgr Octocat

Ben Yanke — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:12:14 +0000

I had bit of fun yesterday with inkscape. One of my online buddies, Adam Wood, is creating an online repository for open source sacred music (mainly GABC and Lilypond) on a service called GitHub, and their official mascot is a little guy called octocat.

Well yesterday, I turned him into Msgr Octocat. Click him, all the details are there!

And for the two of you interested, the chant is Populous Sion (Advent II int.), the tile is from St Mark’s in Venice, and the surplice of from my fantastic vicar general’s main surplice (in case you’re unclear, both the surplice and VG are fantastic ).

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Obama: Reject the Voices that Warn of Tyrany

Ben Yanke — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:18:52 +0000

Recently, President Obama recently gave another indoctrination session commencement speech, and this time, he’s getting even worse. Now he’s saying that we should “reject those voices” that warn us of government tyranny.

Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They’ll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can’t be trusted.

We have never been a people who place all our faith in government to solve our problems. We shouldn’t want to. But we don’t think the government is the source of all our problems, either. Because we understand that this democracy is ours. And as citizens, we understand that it’s not about what America can do for us, it’s about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-government. And class of 2013, you have to be involved in that process.

This is getting scary. Let’s contrast this with some of what the founding father’s said:

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

-Jefferson

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DOJ: We can read your Email

Ben Yanke — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:38:16 +0000

How consoling. The Federal Department of Justice is more than willing to look into every part of your life. But it’s all for a good cause, right? Just there to protect us? Yeah. Sure. The Government has never done anything wrong with our personal data.

More, from the Capitalism Institute:

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently obtained documents from the Department of Justice that demonstrate a serious erosion of the Federal Government’s guarantees of a citizen’s right to privacy, under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. The Constitution is a document designed not to limit citizens, but to limit the Federal government, and guarantees protection of individual rights.

Under a recent Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA), the ACLU discovered that the Justice Department has obtained legal opinions from attorneys that subpoenas alone can be used to force a third party, such as an email or cloud storage provider, to surrender files to the Department as part of investigations. The problem with this is that subpoenas are intended for use to compel an individual to testify.

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Chanting The Scriptures

Ben Yanke — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:41 +0000

Kathy Pluth’s recent post at the Chant Cafe reminded me of one of my new things that has been happening in the homeschool and traditional liturgical sphere here in Madison: chanted readings.

While it was rubricised as required for every sung Mass before the wrecking ball of the post-conciliar reforms (note, the reforms after the council were the problem, not the council), but it’s a practice that has rarely been done following the council. Thankfully, at papal Masses, and diocesan Masses in the Diocese of Madison, chanting the gospel has recently made a return.

However, something even more rare is the chanting of the first and second readings.

Thanks be to God, we have more priests being willing to sing their parts of the Mass, adding additional dignity and prayerfulness, but even in many Masses that are mostly sung, it always falls flat when you get to the first reading, and the lector comes up and starts reading the reading. Notably, I was recently asked to sing one of the readings at Fr. Rick Heilman’s 25th ordination anniversary Mass.

Musicam Sacram says “Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song, with the ministers of each degree fulfilling their ministry and the people participating in it” (no. 5).

Celebrating our liturgies in sung prayer gives it a more noble form! That’s not just talking about the four hymns, or singing the Holy. We should be trying to sing as many of the prayers as possible, because the true language of worship is singing.

Musicam Sacram, an instruction from the Holy See regarding the music at Mass, says that we should really be singing the readings if we are singing the responsorial psalm, alleluia, processional hymns or chants. The new Missal gives us music for chanting the readings.

Why not use them, and give our liturgies “a more noble form”? Go ask your choir director. Ask your pastor. Look up Musicam Sacram and read it!

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Adoramus Te

Ben Yanke — Sun, 05 May 2013 05:29:09 +0000

HT Jeffrey Tucker

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Catholic Meme: Cafateria Catholics

Ben Yanke — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:18:12 +0000

This is a Catholic meme back from when I went with friends (pictured below) to the March for Life. I should have posted this sooner…better late than never though!

This is from the cafeteria under the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC, which is what made the joke funny. It can also be enlarged by clicking.

Enjoy!

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Our Shepherd on the Manner of Receiving Communion

Ben Yanke — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:30:31 +0000

Bishop Morlino: I invite you to receive kneeling as an extra sign of reverence for the Holy Eucharist

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Milton Friedman on Capitalism

Ben Yanke — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:16:26 +0000

This is an absolute must-watch. Check it out. However, if you can’t, check out the transcript below. This is one of the best apologies for the free-market that I have heard yet. My crazy socialist professor needs to hear this.

Phil Donahue (interviewer): When you see around the globe, the mal-distribution of wealth, a desperate plight of millions of people in underdeveloped countries.

When you see so few “haves” and so many “have-nots.” When you see the greed and the concentration of power. Did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed is a good idea to run on?

Milton Friedman: Well first of all tell me is there some society you know that doesn’t run on Greed? You think Russia doesn’t run on greed? You think China doesn’t run on greed? What is greed? Of course none of us are greedy, it’s only the other fellow who is greedy.

The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn’t construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn’t revolutionize the automobile industry that way. In the only cases in which the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty you’re talking about – the only cases in recorded history – are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade.

If you want to know where the masses are worst off, it’s exactly in the kinds of societies that depart from that. So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear that there is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.

Donahue: But it seems to reward not virtue as much as ability to manipulate the system…

Friedman: And what does reward virtue? You think the Communist commissar rewarded virtue? You think a Hitler rewarded virtue? You think – excuse me – if you’ll pardon me – do you think American Presidents reward virtue ? Do they choose their appointees on the basis of the virtue of the people appointed or on the basis of their political clout ? Is it really true that political self-interest is nobler somehow than economic self-interest ?

You know, I think you’re taking a lot of things for granted. Just tell me where in the world you find these angels who are going to organize society for us ? Well, I don’t even trust you to do that.

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God Doesn’t Care…or Does He?

Ben Yanke — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:19 +0000

During my tenure cantoring at my parish as we bring back Gregorian chant and beauty in the liturgy, I’ve heard more than once the complaint that “Do you think God really cares if we use chant/beautiful vestments/Latin/etc?” (With the implication that we should use pianos, burlap sacks, and Haugen instead).

Right away, the smart alec in me wants to turn around and say “Oh really? I though the prophets ended with John the Baptist? Are you an exception to that rule?” But with all seriousness, it really is a problem when people do this. For one, they are putting words into God’s mouth (something that should make you shake in your boots: don’t do it).

That alone is a huge problem. But besides that, they words they are putting there are DEAD WRONG. Go read the old testament. God not only demanded that his chosen people worship him, but he told them, down to the last detail, how it was to be done. Check out the vesture he prescribed for the high priest, from Exodus 28:

These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a girdle; they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.

They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet stuff, and fine twined linen.

And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet stuff, and of fine twined linen, skilfully worked.

It shall have two shoulder-pieces attached to its two edges, that it may be joined together.

And the skilfully woven band upon it, to gird it on, shall be of the same workmanship and materials, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet stuff, and fine twined linen.

And you shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel.

It goes on with this level of detail for another 20 verses. And that is just covering what the priest wears. God doesn’t care about the details, huh? It sure seems like He does. Then when Christ gave his authority to the church, she took over on covering the specifics.

And even more importantly, when people didn’t follow the directions God gave them, PEOPLE DIED. Look at 1 Chronicles 13: 9-10:

And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and he smote him because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.

This is why obedience is absolutely important in the liturgy. Uzzah thought he was doing the right thing by supporting the ark. But He was being disobedient, because God told them never to touch the ark. That’s just one example of why we are not called to try and improve upon the liturgy: it’s not ours to improve. We should treat it with the utmost importance.

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Sheer Idiocy: We Used ‘Too Much Force’ Capturing Boston Bombers

Ben Yanke — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:46:33 +0000

I find this absolutely infuriating. People come to America, kill us, and when we finally capture them, looney liberals come around saying we used “Too Much Force” in apprehending them.

Now we have captured the two terrorists from Chechnya who come from the troubled region that is Muslim, but we cannot understand their motives, not yet. And Obama encourages us to refrain.

This said, the mortuary pictures of the older brother of the two are extremely disturbing, raising questions as to whether the Boston Police Department captured him with too much force. I understand the explanation offered by Katharine Q. Seelye, William H. Rashbaum, and Michael Cooper. Yet, it does not ring true. A picture is worth a thousand words that will keep our ears ringing as we recoil from this photo. Images have a way of searing themselves into our memory in a way that can’t be undone. We have an emotional memory, not just a rational one that is exemplified by words.

While terrorism is about causing fear — again an emotion — we do have to account for our conduct in these extreme times when adrenaline is running high.

At my home, to at least offset this, we turn off all media. I couldn’t believe my sons’ explanation when they got home about one brother running over the other one. So I found a place to read about this, and I recoiled after seeing the picture. Still, we all know that terrorism, like crime, “leads if it bleeds” with the established media. The established media fixates on the domestic-violence or crime-of-passion aspect of terrorism, and it, too, inculcates more fear in all of us.

It makes me sick that these crazies dance on eggshells to avoid hurting anyone. Unless you’re a white conservative, or a Catholic. They’re biggoted racists, so we don’t care about them. We just care about the people that blow us up.

HT Fox

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What Comes Around Goes Around

Ben Yanke — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:58:32 +0000

The other day on FB, I recently saw that a big homeschooling website had dug up an old quote from my blog (from here) and put it into a little infographic… and now, the graphic is making full circle and coming back right here.

It’s a small world!

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Salve Regina

Ben Yanke — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:52:28 +0000

One of our most wonderful prayers in our Catholic life is the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen). It is also the designated Marian antiphon for liturgical use between the Monday after Pentecost and until Advent.

I recently began learning the solemn tone of this prayer in my Homeschool group’s schola, under the direction of a local musician and composer, Aristotle Esguerra. This is what rekindled my interest in this prayer.

While many know (or at least recognize) the simple tone, the solemn tone is much less well known. But while it is much less well known, it is much more melodically interesting. If you know it, or listen to the above recording, you’ll notice it has a mystical, almost eastern sound.

Ideally, the simple tone would be used on weekdays, and the solemn on Sundays and solemnities, but unfortunately, we’ve seen that go by the wayside, and the simple would be used sometimes, and the solemn would be used exactly never.

Here is a single printable sheet that contains both the simple and solemn tones, and a translation.

If you don’t know at least one of these, learn them! There’s recordings at the links above, and it’s not hard.

These things are part of our identity as Catholics! I dare ya to learn them!

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Kyrie Eleison

Ben Yanke — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:46:27 +0000

A beautiful Kyrie, from Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli, sung amazingly by the Tallis Scholars (one of my favorite groups) in 1980.

I love polyphony. Lifts the soul to God.

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Your Kids Belong to the State, Says The Liberals

Ben Yanke — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:27:22 +0000

We have never invested as much in PUBLIC EDUCATION as we should have, because we’ve always had a kind of a private notion of children.

[sarcasm]Your kid is yours and totally your responsibility. [end sarcasm] We haven’t had a very COLLECTIVE notion of these are OUR children.

So part of it is we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to our families and recognize that kids belong to whole communities.

Once it’s everybody’s responsibIlity and not just the households… then we start making better INVESTMENTS.

-Melissa Harris Perry

Yes, she said what you think what she just said. Your kids belong to the state. They aren’t yours to take care of.

You know and I know that the liberal core have always thought like this, but now they are getting brave enough to say it. I’m NOT saying this is what every liberal on the street thinks. I’m just saying this is what their upper-hierarchy think, and what their policies point towards.

All of the school-sponsored after-school-programs, school dinners, public 5K, school breakfast, and now the ardent blocking of school choice (which will do nothing but improve schools) by democrats in Wisconsin. Think about it: it all makes sense. If this is what the core leaders of the Dems believe, it makes sense that they are advocating for all of these things. It’s hard to see it any other way.

Not to mention, all you “Catholic” democrats, this is intrinsically opposed to Church teaching. Just want to point that out, big government people.

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Prayers Requested

Ben Yanke — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:01:24 +0000

I would like to request prayers from all you readers for an important personal intention I have.

Please keep me in your prayers in a special way over the next several weeks.

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The Beloved Dearly – 2013 Drama Performance by Holy Family Homeschoolers

Ben Yanke — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 01:18:18 +0000

This Friday, everyone!

Join Holy Family Homeschoolers as they perform “The Beloved Dearly,” a hilarious play about the perils of running a pet funeral business out of your own backyard at the ripe old age of 12. One show the evening of April 19th, starting at 7:00 pm. Also included in the evening is a small variety show and a performance by the HFH band. It will be held at the Bishop O Connor Center.

Tickets will be available at the door, as well in advance by contacting me. Just send me a message.

In advance: $3 for singles and $11 for families.
At the door: $4 for singles, $13 for families.

Please pass this along using the social buttons below.

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Digital Organ Fun!

Ben Yanke — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:58:00 +0000

Just recently, I’ve been perfecting my digital organ setup, and having quite a fun time doing so. It’s really quite amazing what you can do with a computer. A while back, I discovered a project called GrandOrgue, and simply put, you load sample sets, which include a recording of each pipe in an actual organ, then the computer acts as the in-between from your MIDI keyboard and the virtual pipes. It’s really quite amazing.

It supports custom temperaments, custom tuning, digital pipe revoicing by the pipe, rank, or windchest, and you can even couple the top or bottom note of what you’re playing to another manaul, or the pedals, so you could emphasize the melody with a trompete, and pretend to have a pedalboard, even if you don’t have one to hook up to your computer All the reverb is naturally recorded from the church where the original organ was, but you can also cut the reverb if you want to add your own with an effects processor. And of course, it has a transposer.

I’m no organist, so pardon the crunchy harmonies and slippery fingers (I’d love to learn organ “for real”, but I just can’t swing it right now), but check out what is possible with this piece of software. Since each virtual pipe is an actual recording of a pipe, the sound is quite realistic.

Click for Recordings

I’ve used at one Mass (it was held in a conference room) and will likely be using it again soon (this time in a ballroom). This was recorded using my smallest sample-set (about 10 ranks), I also have a more expansive one, with about 30 ranks and 3 virtual manuals + ped.

The best part is the price: the software is free, and all you need is a single MIDI keyboard with an interface to the computer for the MIDI (although you could hook up many keyboards and run each manual separately . I had a keyboard already, so I picked up a USB-MIDI interface off Amazon for under 7 dollars.

If anyone wants more information on getting your own setup running for events or for your home, shoot me an email, and I’d be glad to talk you through setting up a system! Don’t rent that piano to use at Mass! Just hire an organist and bring one of these!

Edit: The latest version also has an auto-pedal button, taking the bottom note of the manual and coupling it to the pedalboard, in case you don’t have a pedalboard to use.

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Christ became obedient unto death

Ben Yanke — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:55:59 +0000

I know, it’s almost the third week of Easter, and this is from Holy Week. But I couldn’t help sharing it. This is from the Palm Sunday Mass, Good Friday Liturgy, and the Holy Saturday responsory for LOTH (I believe). It’s also used for the Exultation of the Holy Cross, and on Holy Thursday in the EF.

Doesn’t that text just give you chills? Absolutely fantastic.

Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.
Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum et dedit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen.

Christ became obedient for us unto death, even to the death, death on the cross.
Therefore God exalted Him and gave Him a name which is above all names.

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Fantastic Video about the EF

Ben Yanke — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:42:05 +0000

I am not strictly an EF guy, but I do find it quite beautiful, and wish I could attend it more.

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Government to Possibly Begin Tracking your Life (More) in the Name of Education

Ben Yanke — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:57:00 +0000

Yay. Yet another government program to track us, this time it’s centralized, and in the name of “Education.” They say it’s “merely one part of a much broader plan by the federal government to track individuals from birth through their participation in the workforce.”

This “one part” of the broader plan includes tracking data on:

health-care histories
income information
religious affiliations
voting status
blood types
homework completion
Bus Stop Arrival Time
Bus Stop Description
Dwelling arrangement
Diseases, Illnesses and Other Health Conditions
Telephone Number Type
Telephone Status

Just to name a few. But even worse? “Home-schoolers and religious families that reject traditional government education would be tracked.”

Terrifying. Especially when they admit it’s part of yet a larger plan.

If you want to read more about it, click the link below.

source
HT Mrs. Leone

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Pray Vespers with Others Online!

Ben Yanke — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 06:21:00 +0000

Do you pray the Liturgy of the Hours on your own on a regular basis? A friend recently had a great idea: start an online group of people who will do it together daily! They are just in their infancy, but they plan to pray vespers every evening, starting sometime between 9:30 and 10:00pm.

For more information, click this link to join their Google+ group. Do note that to join the group, you must have a google account. I joined them one evening a few nights ago, and it was certainly nice not to have to pray on my own. I may in the future as well. They do the meeting via Google+ Hangout.

Also, all of the texts are usually posted, so you do not need a book in order to participate.

Check it out!

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Another Positive Report from Cottage Grove

Ben Yanke — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:40:37 +0000

From Debra Yates:

Recently at St Patrick’s, Father Sasse brought out a kneeler for us to receive the Eucharist. I had never knelt down to receive it before, until Monday.
It just seems so “right” to do it that way. I know you have been an advocate for receiving it like that, and now I am too:-)

Deb

Woot! Go Fr. John! This is parish number 2 in Madison, following parish number 1 to do so.

Save the Liturgy, Save the world.

Since it’s appropriate for this moment, I’ll do a repost of an old post on kneeling (here’s another, if you’re interested):

—————————————————————

There’s a plethora of reasons why I strongly believe that kneeling and receiving on the tongue to receive Holy Communion is the best method of reception. It shows much greater reverence, it was the only way to receive before Vatican II, and the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, the 265th successor of Peter, The Vicar of Christ, has done it himself, and encouraged others to do the same.

A boy receiving communion from the holy father in the normative fashion

Receiving kneeling and on the tongue is clearly a more reverent way to receive Our Lord. Kneeling is an unmistakable gesture of prayer and adoration, and receiving on the tongue makes it clear that we are receiving, not “taking” the Eucharist from the priest.

Kneeling and receiving on the tongue should be the only way to receive because that is what the saints have done for hundreds of years, and what, up until Vatican II, has been the way to receive. The church granted special permission, and reluctantly at that, to receive in the hand, and it can be withdrawn at any time. There’s a reason for not having an absolute permission, but a temporary one.

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict has begun doing this at all of his Masses, and has encouraged the world to do the same. Shouldn’t there be kneelers going out all around the world at all parishes after the Holy Father has proposed an idea such as this to us?

Now, some may argue against this saying that standing is the norm in the United States, citing the United States edition of the GIRM, §160. When this adaptation was purposed to the American bishops to be voted on, the question was asked about the definition of “norm”. It was made clear that norm does not mean legally obligatory, but means the usual way of doing things, not barring other legitimate options, such as kneeling. In addition to that, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) in Rome granted this indult, but only on condition that those wanting to kneel may always be allowed to (source). The GIRM makes it clear in the second half of §160.

The norm established for the Dioceses of the united States of America is that holy communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive communion while kneeling (congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).

But here’s the key point, straight from the CDWDS:

Indeed, the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion.

-Prot. N. 47/03/L

Get that? It is never being disobedient to kneel. Ever. If you’re receiving communion in the latin rite, you may always kneel. Clear enough?

Another argument people sometimes bring up is that we need unity, implying that everyone must stand for there to be “unity”. First of all, kneeling is the preferred manner in receiving communion. If some decide to break from the norm (which they are free to do), those who stay with it should not be accused of breaking the unity! If anything, those deviating from the norm (ie, receiving standing) should be accused of disrupting unity.

A deacon receiving communion from the Papal Master of Ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini

When you receive in this manner, you are “unified” with the many, many more Catholics who lived before Vatican II. Kneeling is the way to achieve greater “unity” in the way we receive, if that is what all this supposed unity is about. It seems that all of these arguments fall flat on their face when you simply examine them a little closer. As for me, I will be in union with all the kneeling Catholics receiving communion from our Holy Father. I need to look no further than to his example.

Receiving holy communion in this manner is clearly the best way to receive holy communion. When you think about it, it all boils down to reverence. I would urge anyone who would like to see more respect and reverence in the Mass to begin receiving kneeling, and on the tongue, and encourage others to do so. It seems simply the most reverent way to receive Our Lord and Savior, the creator of the universe.

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On Women’s Ordination

Ben Yanke — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:58:00 +0000

It greatly saddened and disturbed me the other day when I was in a conversation with someone on Easter who calls herself a Catholic (although the title “catholic” might be more appropriate) but firmly held that women need to be ordained in order for there to be equality in the church. One part of me got quite frustrated. Another pitied her.

For one, Christ picked 12 men, and ordained them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can say he was bound by cultural norms. Hogwash. He ate with tax collectors (affectionately known as “the scum of the earth”), flipped over tables in the temple, he forgave sins. Don’t tell me he was bound by cultural norms. If he had stayed within cultural norms, we would be calling Good Friday by the mundane name of “just another Friday.”

Then the issue of equality is raised. Again, Christ and his church are counter-cultural. Where is the equality in some dying for the faith and others dying faithfully in their beds surrounded by family? Where is the equality in being called to give up family life to join the priesthood? Where is the equality in LIFE? It isn’t there. Again, note Christ called twelve apostles, and he called them to preach His word to the nations, not preach equality.

But lastly, if you really believe Christ is in charge of the church, don’t forget, he bestowed on Peter the authority of the church, and promising to guide Her. And Christ, speaking through Holy Mother Church, has proclaimed that due to Christ’s example, and the Fatherly nature of the priesthood, women will never be ordained to the priesthood.

Question answered. Until the end of time.

Any questions?

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Voter ID: Not That Big of a Deal

Ben Yanke — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:28:58 +0000

I wrote this post a while ago, but since the election just came around, I thought a repost was appropriate.

Remember when the hard-left fought voter ID because they said it would disenfranchise people who didn’t have IDs? They said it’d be impossible for all those people without ids (how many people today really don’t have IDs?) to get one. They said it would be horrible.

But it looks like Pennsylvania is getting along just fine.

SUNBURY — Although state officials estimated that thousands of residents of the Central Susquehanna Valley lack valid identification under the new state Voter ID law, fewer than 60 in three Valley counties have been issued secure identification cards, according to state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jan McKnight.

The free IDs are part of the state’s push to make sure registered voters are able to cast ballots on the heels of the March voter ID law, McKnight said.

However, there has been some confusion about the ID program, McKnight said. In order to qualify for a free ID — the cards normally cost $13.50 — customers must be registered to vote and lack another valid form of ID, McKnight said.

[...]

While PennDOT estimated that more than 3,700 voters in Northumberland County — and more than 700,000 people statewide — did not have a PennDOT identification card, the discrepancy in the numbers may be because those individuals had other acceptable forms of identification, or simply chose not to get a valid identification, McKnight said.

Other acceptable forms of identification include a U.S. passport, U.S. military ID and a photo ID from an accredited Pennsylvania institution of higher learning or care facility, according to PennDOT’s website.

About 300 people statewide have been issued special Department of State voter ID cards, which can be used only for voting, McKnight said. County totals for those cards were not available. [...]

See? Look at that. In a state with almost 13,000,000 people, only 300 got IDs. That’s 2% of the population. It’s not that hard to get these IDs, so anyone who wants to get one can get one. I see no en-mass discrimination.

Another important point: if asking to prove who you are is too unreasonable a requirement for voting, why are voter registration lists allowed? They can disenfranchise those who aren’t on them.

From DailyItem.com

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Archbishop Sample is now in Portland

Ben Yanke — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:06:28 +0000

I watched the live stream of Archbishop Sample’s vespers on the vigil of his installation, and it was very good. They had two latin motets as preludes, Archbishop Sample wore a very nice alb, organ processional, and the entire thing was chanted, almost completely unaccompanied, with the exception of the english choral maginificat, which was quite nice. Either he is starting with a pretty good musical situation, musically; or he is already reforming from the start.

He went on to teach his flock-to-be with passion about the ministerial priesthood, and how it is very different than the priesthood of the faithful, yet how they are intimately linked. He went on to say that the ministerial priesthood was not set above the “common priesthood” for their own glory, but for the service of the people of God. It was absolutely fantastic, even better than the music.

Random note: the MCs had the same surplice as I do.

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An Excellent Explanation of Pope Francis’ Foot Washing

Ben Yanke — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:41:14 +0000

Regarding Pope Francis washing the feet of two Women on Holy Thursday:

This is not an issue worthy of deep concern.

The rules for Catholic liturgy on Holy Thursday give us an option to include a foot-washing. The pastor makes the decision for his own parish. If the foot-washing is done, the pastor is supposed to wash the feet of twelve men, as Jesus did.

Pope Francis bent the rule by washing the feet of two women and ten men during his celebration of the Liturgy on Holy Thursday. He’s the Pope; he has a certain license to do what he wants. Catholics still have to obey the liturgical rules.

It’s about as significant as the rule that requires all of us to submit to a TSA inspection before we board a plane. President Obama does not have to go through TSA inspection before he boards a plane. This makes a certain amount of sense — we would be foolish to protest the TSA, just because Obama is exempt. And we would also be foolish to protest that Obama gets special treatment just because he’s the POTUS.

It is similarly foolish to get bent out of shape over the Pope’s foot washing liturgy.

By Del Teeter (edited slightly for context)

Couldn’t have put it better myself, Del. No wonder your kid is a seminarian. You did a good job.

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Why Madison Has The Best Seminarians

Ben Yanke — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 18:39:24 +0000

This is from Michael Wanta, one of the diocese’s newest seminarians (currently a HS senior). He wore his rabat for the first time this week during holy week, then this

And I should note, he wasn’t even the only one coming to sit on choir. There was another seminarian who also came.

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Christ is Risen!

Ben Yanke — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 17:05:07 +0000

Indeed, he is risen!

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