Dear Parishioners,

This is the third in a series of bulletin articles on the liturgical topics of Gesture, Vesture and Posture. The following reflections focus on the topic of posture. I begin by recounting a famous interview conducted with Martha Graham (1894 – 1991), the highly regarded American dancer and choreographer who is universally recognized as the “Mother of Modern Dance.”

Continue

Dear Parishioners,

Continuing to reflect on the liturgical vesture – what it consists of and what it means, there are two other garments that were not included in last week’s article. The first of these is the cincture. The cincture is typically a cord-like belt worn around the waist of anyone who wears an alb. Its use is optional and practical.

Continue

Dear Parishioners,

In the previous weeks, I reflected on the major liturgical gestures that are organic to the Eucharistic Liturgy in the Roman Rite. I tried to explain their historical origin, how they evolved over the centuries, and what they are attempting to express as a bodily language that is an essential element in our embodied worship as Catholics. Today I wish to reflect on yet another aspect of worship, namely vesture.

Continue