Dear All, Lest anyone think that last week’s focus on Christ’s real presence in the gathered Church seem to detract from his real presence in the consecrated Host, let me move quickly to a presence without which the consecration does not occur: the priest.

If last week’s rationale for Mass attendance seemed elitist, this week’s should be absolutely humbling.

Dear All, As promised, we begin to talk about ‘going to Mass after Vatican II’. Let’s start with the ‘end’ first: why? As trite and flatfooted as it sounds, we go to Mass because we are Catholics;

Just one more thought about liturgy before we summarize the whole thing: it seems so modern!

Dear All, In discussing the liturgical changes initiated by the Second Vatican Council it is important to note that the idea of making changes to the Liturgy of the Church did not suddenly emerge from the united minds of the conciliar fathers, nor from the minds of any one of them.

Dear All, When you’re a priest in a parish, you pretty well do as you are told. Or, at least, that was what we all did in ‘the good old days’.