Fall Break

Whew! I believe we have finally finished the launch of our diocesan-wide study of the sacred liturgy: Do This In Memory Of Me. Boy am I glad to have that done. Of course, now we have to finish writing and lay out the materials for sessions 5-8, but having had the experience now, we know what we're getting into. So far, all feedback from groups who have been engaging the study has been positive.

I am so glad I set aside two weeks this month to take vacation. Life = work has been intense! I finally have dug out from underneath the pile of things tossed onto my desk as collateral detrius from my mad rush to get things done over the past 2.5 months. Having a clear desk is a glorious thing! This has been a week of tying up lose ends.

Last week I was in Alexandria, LA for two events involving the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC). First, there was the national meeting. Now, the Diocese of Alexandria, LA, is in the same FDLC region as Memphis. It was our region's turn to host, so I flew in on Sunday, Oct 3, checked in, and then went over to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini church where my friend, Fr. Jose Robles-Sanchez is the pastor, and got busy with folks from elsewhere in the region making Derby Pies, under the masterful guidance of my friend, Judy Bullock, who is Director of Worship for the Archdiocese of Louisville, and star of the Do This In Memory Of Me DVDs. It was good to be with my friends and colleagues from other liturgy offices in my region, especially making pies where one of the key ingredients is bourbon, y'all! Suffice it to say, we had a good time. We always do, because we don't miss a chance to extend the communion we share in liturgy into our work and play together. We were working like mad to put on the customary 'Taste of the Region,' and it was uh-MAZE-ing! It was a very bad week for my diet.

The other work I had there was the workshop put on by FDLC in conjunction with the Bishop's Committee on Divine Worship (BCDW). I ran through the chants of the revised English translation of the Roman Missal. It was fun, and for about an hour, I was one of the most famous people in Alexandria. Priests I passed in the hallway kept speaking to me in chant! It was funny.

The national meeting, which began after the workshop ended, is a time when diocesan liturgists from around the country get together for a couple days of study, and time to converse with the BCDW and the personnel of the Secretariat for Divine Worship for the USCCB, to catch up on where things are. Fr. Paul Turner, whom we imported for our priest study days and a workshop with deacons, musicians, and other liturgists and catechists, was one of the presenters for our study days. Msgr. Kevin Irwin, Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America, was the other presenter. There was a great deal of good reflection shared by them concerning the new edition of the Roman Missal and liturgy in general, and I hope to unpack some of it as the weeks go by.

Most of all, the week was a time to be refreshed and renewed in the special communion shared among those of us who are professional liturgy folk. Many people think, sometimes, that we liturgists are all about enforcing rules or trying to control the worship of the People of God. In reality, we are all aware of the depth of meaning and Presence in the sacred liturgy, and we know that good expression of that in our parish churches is the most powerful way we can evangelize, catechize and energize our church to show forth the Kingdom already drawn near, yet ever to come more fully. To be around such spirit-filled and wise people, sharing in reflection, serious conversation, gorgeous liturgy and lots of fun, too...it was refreshing to my spirit like a large dose of carbs can be for muscles tired from weeks of rigorous exercise. In fact, there's absolutely no reason why church can't be like that for all of us. If we are really aware of what it means to be church, and we let go and relax into that communion we share, we find there is a strength we can channel that is much bigger than any challenge we face. Thanks be to God for gathering us together, making us 'one body, one spirit in Christ!'