Hey...

Beautiful Mass. I'm half watching. I have to work tonight so I can't focus on it. I'm recording on my computer for later.

Update. Spoke too soon. We got some tribal stuff a happening. Incense and grass skirts are odd in the same context. Sigh.

Weh. Taste and See. Badly done at that. Poor Holy father is looking down AND closing his eyes. Wow, she hit a clunker. Even my youngest came in from watching in the other room and said "Sorry, Mom, it's a bad song, huh?"

Holy Father is now moving his lips in prayer and hopefully in another spiritual parallel universe to avoid this. It's almost over. Now I have to explain how it's tomorrow in Sydney. Bonk. She said "So, their half of the world was made before ours. Is that it?" Lord, help me.

This post lost the "Beautiful Mass" lustre when the hula and tropical shirts busted out. It had "beautiful elements". There. I feel better. The Holy Father is still my hero.

Just lovely

I'm watching the re-broadcast of the Holy Mass and Dedication from St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. Refreshing and so peaceful(except for the history lesson over the superb chant). The dedication and dressing of the altar is amazing. I'm looking forward to the final Mass. I will probably Tivo it in case we are out.

Aww...

My kids are chanting the Credo in Latin along with the people at the stadium(and they know the words by heart). I should sleep well, at least for tonight.

That was insanely powerful. They had the words, they sounded marvelous there and I'm moved.

So nice, so Catholic...

I listened to the beginning on local Sacred Heart Radio on the way home from Mass. Now I'm able to see the streaming on my media center. What a difference a city makes...

Got to listen to the homily...

I dug up the warning signs....

Archdiocesan Committee Chooses Music For Pope's Mass at Nationals Park

When Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass at Nationals Park on April 17, he will be accompanied by four choirs totaling 570 members, singing in ten languages from across the Archdiocese of Washington.

He will hear a 65-voice Intercultural Choir with members from 35 countries singing in French, Zulu and Spanish, among others. A 250-voice Papal Mass Choir and a 175-voice Children's Choir will sing in Latin. The uplifting sound of an 80-voice Gospel Choir will ring out across the stadium.

The musical program for the Mass was chosen by an archdiocesan committee, with approval from the Vatican .

Approval. There you have it. He knew what was coming(or someone at the Vatican did.)

All choirs performing the opening Spiritual "Plenty Good Room," newly arranged by Washington Symphonic Brass founder, Phil Snedecor
The Children's Choir singing "Send Forth Your Spirit" by Andrew Wright and "Ave Verum" by Mozart
The Gospel Choir singing "I Call upon You God" by Leon Roberts and "Lord Make Me an Instrument" by Roger Holland
The Papal Mass Choir singing "Sing Aloud Unto God Our Strength" by Daniel Nelson and "Spirit of God Within Me" by Robert LeBlanc.
The Intercultural Choir singing "Let'Isikia" arranged by Tracy McDonnell and "Source d'eau Vive" by C.E. Haugel

Debbie Boone

So I'm watching the re-broadcast. I just couldn't get enough of those sweet, sweet tunes the first time around. The Latino song during communion was the same melody as "You Light Up My Life", made famous by none other than Debbie Boone. Then there is the constant bell tinkling. I kept waiting for Tinkerbell to dash across the screen like a firefly. See, I missed these treasures the first time around. To those that planned this event/Mass, you didn't "win". I speak English, I am American and we are not the world. Sorry. You just made the AMChurch look like we are in desperate need of a complete overhaul or that a schism may be somewhere in the future. Other than the elements of the Mass and the Holy Father's presence, I wouldn't have assumed that was anything Catholic.
I made my mother watch it. I said "You have to just to say you watched it". I just called her house and there was no answer. I hope she didn't have an epileptic seizure listening to the shaka-zulu funk. That's all I need on my conscience.

Yow!

The petitions...more jazzy stuff. This has turned into "It's a Small World" or a Benneton ad. This is just proving why we need more Latin. Big melting pot of tribal dress, languages. Raymond said they are getting emails from people that feel as I do. This is wicketty-wicketty whack. Ack. Drums. Guitar, flutes.... Now they have a mariachi band. I need to get back to work, this is unbearable. Help us Holy Father, we're melting....
I'm now convinced this had to happen for a reason. We are worse off than I thought. If this is the best we can offer the successor of Peter, we are in bad shape. They are freaking clapping. ACK!!! This tribal crap is an abomination. Even Raymond and Father Richard John Neuhaus are struggling and using words like "Amazon flavor". The dude that planned this should be tarred and feathered. Okay. I am done for now. I'm too in shock. Let this embarrassing event bring about some good, dear Lord.

Painful.

Watching the Papal Mass. This is just painful. Why does it feel like an Oompa band playing the Responsorial Psalm? It's just not pretty, klunker notes. There is also a big section in the stands of women in tie-dye sashes. Uhg. What the heck are they doing? At one point, when the cantor did a jazzed up version of the Kyrie, I thought I saw the Holy Father roll his eyes. Just briefly. Add to that, only women, and those who are minorities, are doing all the readings. This happened last night as well. Yeah, maybe I'm nit-picking but I just get heebies. I much prefer a man, doesn't matter the ethnicity, to do the readings. My opinion, I know it's "allowed" and whatever so don't lecture me on that.
All this jazzy music is totally inappropriate for a Papal Mass. But....maybe it needs be. Maybe it needs to be obvious and klunky for change to take place. This doesn't make me feel any less about the Holy Father's visit, maybe it means more. We need help. The world needs help. Yuck, stop with the hand bells already. I need some Excedrin.
(Update: He just said "many of the baptized faithful choose to act contrary to the truth of the Gospel." Make what you want of that. Media will probably say "make love not war". Sigh. Regardless, strong message and firm in truth and logic.)