How I spent my summer vacation: finishing talks on Sacramentum Caritatis

After leaving the sacred music colloquium, I went as far as Theological College--across the street! I.e., I stayed in D.C. for another couple of days.

Today, after sleeping late and a liesurely breakfast, I got down to work.

As I've mentioned here before, I am planning a series of talks--starting July 23--on the holy father's recent exhortation on the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis (Sacrament of Charity).

Today, I did good work: I finished the final two talks. Not surprisingly, once I finished the last two talks, I saw reasons to go back and revise the middle two, particularly since talks three, four and five will all deal with the middle section of the exhortation, and almost certainly the most controversial parts: how the liturgy ought to be celebrated. (This is why I plan three talks, to allow both more background material, and more discussion.)

As currently planned, the talks break down as follows:

I. The Eucharist is the Mystery--and Summary--of Faith.
II. The Eucharist, the Church, and our Destiny.
III. Where does worship come from? Also: Vatican II Rite and Wrong.
IV. What should Mass be like? Beauty, music, more than words.
V. What should Mass be like, part 2: Latin, structure, authentic participation.
VI. Living and proclaiming the Mystery--our concern from the end of Mass to the end of time.

I'm still tinkering, and I hope to improve these further, but I'm no longer haunted by the thought I'll have to wing it.

FYI, once I deliver the talk, I'll try to post it as soon afterward; what may hold me back is that in delivering it, I am likely to add or subtract various things.

Then, of course, there remains the wild-card--the pope's expected motu proprio on a freer celebration of the old rite of the Mass. Until that happens, and I see what he says and does, I can't know how that might affect my current plans.

Tomorrow, I'll catch up with friends, and also try to do some good for another organization I am involved with.

Update: The series on Sacramentum Caritatis will begin Monday, July 23, at 7 pm, at the St. Mary meeting room at St. Mary Church, in Piqua, Ohio. The meeting room is in the school, accessed from North Street.