The Attraction of the Eucharist
The Eucharist: the source and summit of the whole Christian life (Lumen gentium). The Eucharist: the memorial of Christ’s death and Resurrection, the Sacrifice which sealed the New Covenant of love between God, our...
Category: Mass
How We Dress for Mass
In the 1920s a lively debate in The Southern Cross focused on the immodest dress of women who displayed their ankles. The debate about how to dress, especially when attending Mass, continues today, even...
Homilies need Listeners Too!
From Margaret Mollett, Piketberg, Western Cape – Michael Shackleton’s point in Do poor homilies lose parishioners? (April 16), that Catholics lack attention span beyond 10 minutes because the preacher’s message is nowadays measured against...
Roman Missal calls Easter Vigil ‘Mother of all Vigils’ for a Reason
The Catholic Church pulls out all the stops for the Easter Vigil, the Mass celebrated on Holy Saturday. The Roman Missal, which spells out specifics of how the vigil is to be celebrated, describes...
Today is Laetare Sunday – 4th Sunday in Lent
More Stories: Reflection for 1st Sunday in Lent Pope Francis: Give – I’m Not Inventing it, it’s in the Bible Lent: Our Annual Rehab Programme
I Can’t Hear at Mass!
I have been a Catholic all my life and I finally have to have my say about many missed sermons due to sound systems not working properly. I know that priests take hours sometimes...
Every Mass is Good – No Matter the Priest
Fr Sean Collins CSsR, Cape Town – I was enchanted to read Fr Ron Rolheiser’s article on the Mass (November 16). It made the point — not very often grasped these days — that...
Our Missal is Hard on the Ear!
Sarah-Leah Pimental -I refer to Fr. Chris Townsend’s column of 6 June “Let’s Look at the New Missal Translation – Again”. I similarly struggle with the current translation of our missal. It’s hard on...
Mass is Best-Kept Secret of Church
Moira Gillmore, Durban – Why is it that the Catholic Church keeps so silent about the greatness of Holy Mass? I have seldom, if ever, heard it spoken about or explained in homilies. St...
What’s the Point of a Homily?
Bishop Edward Risi OMI – Lately there have been comments in The Southern Cross and other publications about homilies. Some are fair comment; others unfair and unhelpful, especially when sweeping generalisations are made. Most...
Open Up Homilies to a Prayerful Laity
From Sr Judy Coyle IHM, Johannesburg -The late Benedictine liturgist Aidan Kavanagh in a small book entitled Elements of Rite wrote “one never preaches unless one has something to say”. uch has been...
Should We Vary the Preachers at Mass?
I know of one European diocese where the bishop has approved a “homily team” of half-a-dozen lay people who have undergone training, and who get together to plan and discuss their homilies. They serve...
