A New Wine & Fresh Skins - Review

Bishop Porteous provides a very clear introduction to the phenomenon of the New Ecclesial Movements that have been active within the Church in the last century, particularly in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Putting them in the context of Church history as a whole, the Bishop takes a very positive spin on the new movements and draws parallels from these movements to Benedictine monasticism and the mendicant order, the Fransiscans.
For Bishop Porteous, these movements are that 'breath of fresh air' that was envisioned by the Council Fathers at VII. The primary focus of the movements on encouraging growth in ordinary holiness for the laity is seen as a confirmation of their divine mandate at this stage in the history of the Church and the world at large.
Porteous' book is a concise and interesting introduction to the movements for Catholics who are interested in their growth and development and also the impact that they are having on the Church at large. His obvious enthusiasm for the topic is well communicated in his writing, but this makes his work somewhat lacking in critical reflection on the weaknesses or even dangers of some of these movements.


The book can be purchased online or at a local Catholic bookstore

#peopleoflife Tweeting Prolife

“We are the people of life…” (EV 79).  Following the initiative of the late, Great Pope John Paul II and his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae the #peopleoflife seeks to unite all who tweet with a prolife voice.

#peopleoflife is an initiative begun to promote a culture of life within the online community.  

The #peopleoflife tag and twitter list is designed to work in conjunction with the #FF (Friday Follow), promoting those people who are active in promoting life issues and tweeting with a prolife voice.  You are all invited to join us in building this online community by mentioning the names of those you follow who consistently share in this prolife voice, whether this is done explicitly or as part of an overall tone.

“With humility and gratitude we know that we are the people of life and for life, and this is how we present ourselves to everyone” (EV 78)

Love mother and baby.  Abortion is no substitute for love.

“On our journey we are guided and sustained by the law of love: a love which has as its source and model the Son of God made man, who “by dying gave life to the world” (EV 79)

Ave Maria!

iFaith: App delivers correct Mass translation

Compare old and new translations

As people everywhere in the English speaking world eagerly await the introduction of the now approved and corrected translation of the English text of the Mass, there are a number of initiatives underway to educate the people and enable us to participate in the corrected versions of the Mass as it begins to be used.
Whilst the title of the app is perhaps somewhat of a misnomer (it is in fact the same Novus Ordo Mass with a corrected translation much closer to the official Latin text), ‘New Mass’ is a wonderfully simple app for your iPhone that gives you access to the texts of the Mass currently in use and the newly corrected version.  These you can compare side by side, and then access a brief but sufficiently detailed explanation for the change.  For example, the response to the greeting at the beginning of Mass, which changes from “And also with you”, to “And with your spirit” is given a detailed, but not onerously lengthy explanation which points not only to the biblical roots of the liturgy, but also the official Latin text of the Novus Ordo.
With the introduction of the new corrected version of the Mass comes a wonderful opportunity for all Catholics in the English speaking world to learn anew what is truly happening upon the altar. In the months immediately following the introduction of this new and improved text, will we be able to rely solely on our memory to participate vocally in the Mass? Hopefully, this will serve as a fantastic opportunity to delve into the real meaning of the prayers we recite, and it is here that this app may prove useful.
“Simply wonderful” is how Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto, Canada, described this app. And you’re most likely bound to arrive at the same conclusion.
The app will cost users a one off payment of $1.19.
Ave Maria!


Originally published in The Record, on 3 Nov 2010