So what does this new translation offer us? First of all, there is a fuller expression of the content of the original texts. Then, there is a closer connection with the Sacred Scriptures which inspire so much of our liturgy. Also, there is a recovery of a vocabulary that enriches our understanding of the mystery we celebrate. All of this requires a unique style of language and expression, one that takes us out of ourselves and draws us into the sacred, the transcendent and the divine.

The publication of the new translation of the Missal is a special moment of grace in the English-speaking world. It offers an opportunity to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the mystery we celebrate each week. This itself will help us to move towards that fuller and more conscious and active participation in the liturgy to which the Church invites us. It will help us also to examine the dignity with which we celebrate the ”˜source and summit’ of the Church’s life.

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“On e-mail, people aren’t quite themselves,” they wrote. “They are angrier, less sympathetic, less aware, more easily wounded, even more gossipy and duplicitous.”

Oh, how times have changed. The idea that e-mail is chiefly a conduit for anger and lies seems almost quaint. After too may careers ruined and personal lives upended by online indiscretions, it should now be crystal clear that there are some things one must never, ever commit to e-mail.

And that’s why some bankers developed “LDL.” “LDL” ”” which means “let’s discuss live” ”” is an acronym that surfaced during the S.E.C.’s investigation of Goldman, Sachs for its role in the nation’s financial shame spiral. How do the pros use it? Goldman’s Jonathan Egol is the first known master. When a trader named Fabrice Tourre described a mortgage investment in e-mail as “a way to distribute junk that nobody was dumb enough to take first time around,” Egol shot back: “LDL.”

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Randall Balmer, a professor of American religious history at Columbia University and Barnard College, says troubles at Crystal Cathedral point to the larger challenges megachurches, which soared in popularity from the 1970s to the 1990s, now face.

“On one hand, it’s a leadership issue. You can’t simply pass along charismatic authority from one generation to the next. It never works,” Balmer said. “And there’s a moving away from big megachurches, a moving away from the big Billy Graham stadium crusades of mass appeal to more targeted approaches. You have all this niche marketing within Christian evangelism. I mean, you have Christian evangelical tattoos.”

To be sure, there are still dozens of popular and growing megachurches in the U.S, such as Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, also in Southern California, and Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Lakewood, with 40,000 members, is the biggest church in the country.

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Doctors are among the most richly rewarded professionals in the country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of the 15 highest-paid professions in the United States, all but two are in medicine or dentistry.

Why, then, are we proposing to make medical school free?

Huge medical school debts ”” doctors now graduate owing more than $155,000 on average, and 86 percent have some debt ”” are why so many doctors shun primary care in favor of highly paid specialties, where there are incentives to give expensive treatments and order expensive tests, an important driver of rising health care costs.

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Military grave markers only allow a few words ”” most begin with the word “Beloved.” This one reads: “Husband, son and brother.” But the father realized he had more to say.

Back home, the walls of Griffin’s office are lined with books. But the one he is holding in his hands is his most cherished. He flips through the pages.

They are underlined, highlighted with bright colors and bookmarked with post-it notes. On the cover it lists two authors: Darrell Griffin Sr. and Darrell Griffin Jr.

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Twenty-eight religious leaders will converge on Canberra on 2 June to pressure the federal government to act on climate change.

Representatives from many different faiths, acting under the banner of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), will meet with Julia Gillard, Greg Hunt, Andrew Wilkie and around twenty other Members of Parliament.

Bishop George Browning, a member of the delegation, said the time to act is now.

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The priest of the 19th century St George’s Church is grateful that the church has return to its former glory thanks to the RM1.8 million restoration project under the National Heritage Department’s Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Venerable Charles Samuel said church members were very grateful to the government’s contribution in the refurbishment of the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia. The restoration project was completed in November last year.

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O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast gone to the Father to prepare a place for us: Grant us so to live in communion with thee here on earth, that hereafter we may enjoy the fullness of thy presence; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

–Church of South India

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

–1 Timothy 3:16

As Memorial Day approaches, we must remember. The Indy 500 will come and go. People will gather for reunions and barbeques. Many of us will enjoy the liberties attained by years of “blood, sweat and tears” to quote Winston Churchill.

In far off lands and in this country, our service men and women sacrifice time, family and safety to do far more than insure that we can enjoy fun weekends. They serve for a variety of reasons, and their families live with the unknown as they hope and pray for the safe return of sons, daughters, husbands, wives and parents, but a common thread binds us all with these people and with those who suffered physical and psychological maiming or death. That common thread is the desire for freedom, liberty and justice for all, not just in this nation, but in every land.

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“We’re Man United, we do what we want,” sing their fans.

It is possible that Barcelona have their own anthem of a similar message. And if they do not, then they should get one. The Catalan magicians have confirmed their greatness by despatching Manchester United in untouchable style. Just as they did two years ago, England’s finest team were pulled apart, and an even harsher footballing lesson was received. They can offer no excuses, and did not offer them. To be beaten by a team of this quality will register as no disgrace once the pain has healed.

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The Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission has completed the first meeting of its new phase (ARCIC III) at the Monastery of Bose in northern Italy (May 17-27, 2011). The Commission, chaired by the Most Reverend David Moxon (Anglican Archbishop of the New Zealand Dioceses) and the Most Reverend Bernard Longley (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham) comprises eighteen theologians from a wide range of backgrounds across the world[1]. In response to the Programme set forth by Pope Benedict and Archbishop Rowan Williams in their 2006 Common Declaration, discussions have focussed on the interrelated issues: the Church as Communion, local and universal, and how in communion the local and universal Church come to discern right ethical teaching. The Programme also required the Commission to re-examine how the “commitment to the common goal of the restoration of complete communion in faith and sacramental life”[2] is to be understood and pursued today, and to present the work of ARCIC II in its entirety with appropriate commentaries to assist its reception.

In addressing these issues, the Commission has devoted time to introducing its new members to the history and achievements of ARCIC, and has benefited from the shared experience of those who were members of previous phases. Members have worked both in plenary sessions and in small groups, developing plans to address the tasks that derive from its mandate.

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From here:

Catholic and Anglican members of a 10 day dialogue meeting are winding up their work with a call to revitalise the ecumenical journey. Key to the success of that mission is learning to listen carefully to the ways in which those of different denominations understand and live out their faith. 10 Catholic and 10 Anglican scholars have been taking part in the first meeting of ARCIC III, the third phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. Their meeting, which began on May 17th at the monastery of Bose in northern Italy, concludes on Friday 27th with a final communiqué outlining progress achieved and plans for the coming months. The two main themes of the encounter have been the relationship between the local and universal church and way the two communities tackle the crucial ethical questions of our day. To find out more about the achievements of this meeting, Philippa Hitchen spoke with acclaimed New Testament scholar and lay member of the Church of England General Synod, Professor Paula Gooder and with one of the Catholic members of the team, Professor Janet Smith who teaches moral theology at Sacred Heart major seminary in Detroit

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The governing body of the Anglican Church for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island has approved a motion that allows for blessings of same-sex relationships in cases where the couple is legally married.

A motion that approves blessings of same-sex relationships of legally married couples was approved at the 143rd Synod of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, which concludes today at Dalhousie University.

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