Eucharist Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
Episode 6 – The Synergy of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor explore the significance of liturgy in the life of the church and its members. Liturgy should be central to Christian life, rather than overshadowed by other church activities. They cover the formative power of ritual and the necessity of active participation in liturgical practices.
Dr. Fagerberg draws an analogy to illustrate the complexity of theology, describing the difficulty of maintaining a balanced focus on both God and church activities. Liturgical participation, not merely as observers but as active participants, is akin to engaging in a dance with God where He leads, and we follow.
Liturgy is not just a series of actions but a profound encounter with God’s presence, requiring a conscious response from the faithful. This response is characterized by synergy, where God’s grace and human faith work together harmoniously. The conversation also touches on the Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, emphasizing the incarnational nature of Catholic worship.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:* The difference between being involved with ministry and being consciously present to the mystery of God. * The nature of synergy in regards to liturgy, and in particular the celebration of the mass.
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“God plans to be fully, actively, and consciously present in liturgy. That’s His presence from above. What should I do in response? Maybe I should be full, active, conscious response to his presence. That would be a nice filling out of the idea of participation because participation doesn’t mean activity that I generate. Participation is my response to his presence. He’s full, active, consciously present. I’m full, actively, consciously responding.
The Greek word for that is synergy, S Y N E R G Y. And syn means “together”,enérgeia means an energy or an activity at work. Here are two examples. One of them is synergy. One of them is not synergy. Mom is coming. The apartment is a mess. You clean up that room. I’ll clean up this room. Together, they cleaned up the apartment. The second, example is in order to have fire, you must have matter, spark, and oxygen. They have to operate together. The first example is just two people doing an activity at the same time. In the second example, the one makes possible the other makes it occur. Well, synergy is that second example. It’s co operatio (co-operate), synergy. God’s graces and we faith. God energizes and we synergize. He takes the lead in the ballroom dancing and we follow. We co-operate. Well, that leads me to suppose that it’s not a matter of laity co-operating with the clergy. Rather laity and clergy should co-operate the liturgy which is occurring at this moment. And in our liturgy, the human liturgy, the liturgy of the Church, it is a cooperation with the full, active and conscious presence of God. He makes himself present. We make this response.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions1. Prioritizing Liturgy in Church Activities: How can we ensure that our involvement in church activities does not overshadow the central importance of the liturgy? 2. Active Participation in Mass: In what ways can we move from being passive observers to active participants during the Mass? 3. Balancing Church Involvement and Worship: How do we find the balance between being active in church life and maintaining a focus on the worship of God? 4. Understanding Liturgical Synergy: How can we better understand and embrace the concept of synergy in our liturgical participation? 5. Encountering God in the Liturgy: How do we experience and respond to God’s presence during the liturgy, both in the Eucharist and in the assembly of believers? 6. Liturgy as a Daily Practice: How can the principles and actions of the liturgy influence and be reflected in our daily lives? 7. Responsibility and Obligation in Worship: What are our responsibilities and obligations in worship, and how can we fulfill them more fully? 8. Incarnational Worship: How does the incarnational nature of Catholic worship affect our understanding and practice of the liturgy?
For more podcast episodes of this series visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David Fagerberg page
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
He also has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998).
Here are a few of Dr. Fagerberg’s books: The post PSM6 – The Synergy of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 5 – The Marian Mystery and the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor delve into the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role within Liturgy. Kris shares her personal relationship with Mary, describing her as a tender and guiding mother figure, contrasting this with her relationship with God the Father, which she feels lacks the same emotional warmth but is deeper. They explore C.S. Lewis’s reassurance that love for imagined figures, like Aslan, does not compete with love for Jesus, highlighting how God works through our imaginations. This leads to a discussion on the different types of veneration in Catholicism: dulia for saints, hyperdulia for Mary, and latria for God alone, with Mary exemplifying the church’s path to glorifying God through liturgy.
They also discuss Marian apparitions, noting their role in leading the faithful to the Eucharist and liturgy, with McGregor emphasizing the Eucharist’s centrality. Pope Paul VI’s “Marialis Cultus” is referenced, highlighting Mary as a model for Christians in the liturgy, exemplifying the attentive Virgin, the Virgin in prayer, the Virgin Mother, and the Virgin presenting offerings. Fagerberg stresses that Mary is not a replacement for Christ but a masterpiece of grace, leading the church to glorify God.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:* What is the relationship between Mary and the liturgy of the Church? * What is Liturgical Dogma? * Why is dogma important? * What is the authentic nature of “full and active participation”?
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“There’s a relationship between Mary and the liturgy. She’s the model of the spiritual attitude with which the church celebrates and lives. The divine mysteries, any names for Mary is the attentive Virgin. She’s the Virgin in prayer. She’s the Virgin Mother and the Virgin presenting offerings. What do we do in liturgy? This is what Paul VI goes through. In this document, we seek to be attentive, to offer a prayer, to be the maternal church that gathers the world under the wings and heals its sufferings and presents offerings. Mary is a model of a spiritual attitude, which every Christian should have when he or she celebrates and lives the divine mysteries. So she’s not a replacement of the mystery. She’s the model for how we live and express those mysteries.
More taken from the discussion:
The words which are vehicles for Spirit are revelatory in Scripture, but they’re dogmatic in other forms. And dogmas are words, and you have to use the right words. The doctor is writing the prescription for you. He can’t prescribe arsenic instead of aspirin, it matters which words he writes down on the pad. It matters what terms we use in our dogma. And that’s why the Church argues over these things. You have to have the wording just right. As Chesterton has said, the Church is a lion tamer, and she’s running with tigers and lions and dragons. And everything has to be just right in order to keep the balance. One wrong slip of words, Chesterton finishes, and all the stained glass would be broken and all the Christmas trees destroyed. Yeah. As it happened, when we goofed up our understanding of the sacramentality of the church, broke windows, and whitewashed the art, you have to be very careful in how you prescribe it.
We prefer to have a kind of loosey-goosey why can’t we just say, be healthy? Why do we have to have doctors and med school and big medical manuals? Well, because it matters how strong a dose you prescribe. You have to argue about this. And sometimes the arguments have to go on for 300 years before we pinned down our correct definition of transubstantiation in order to make sense out of reality and symbol…John Carbone, again in his book, Wellspring of Worship writes The Virgin Mary is the Church as it dawns in a single person. Let’s see who knew that? Oh yeah. Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium, the document on the Church. How should we end this with a chapter on Mary? Mary is the Church as it dawns in a single person.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions1. Personal Relationship with Mary: How can you deepen your personal relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary and see her as a tender and guiding mother figure? 2. Understanding Different Types of Veneration: How does understanding the distinctions between dulia, hyperdulia, and latria help you in your spiritual practice? 3. Role of Marian Apparitions: In what ways do Marian apparitions lead you closer to the Eucharist and the liturgy? 4. Eucharistic Centrality: How can you ensure the Eucharist remains the central focus of your faith and spiritual practice? 5. Imagination in Faith: How does God work through your imagination to deepen your faith and love for Him? 6. Marian Model in Liturgy: How can you emulate Mary as a model in your liturgical practice, particularly in her roles as the attentive Virgin, the Virgin in prayer, the Virgin Mother, and the Virgin presenting offerings? 7. Mary and Grace: How does viewing Mary as a masterpiece of grace help you in your own journey to glorify God?
For more podcast episodes of this series visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David Fagerberg page
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
He also has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998).
Here are a few of Dr. Fagerberg’s books: The post PSM5 – The Marian Mystery and the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 3 – Living Mystery in the Mundane – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss the universal call to holiness as articulated by Vatican II, emphasizing that every Christian is a mystic, evangelist, and apostle in their own right. They explore the lay apostolate’s role in manifesting the mystery of Christ through daily life, even in seemingly mundane tasks. Dr. Fagerberg highlights the concept of “Consecrating the World,” which involves integrating liturgy, theology, asceticism, and mysticism into everyday experiences, suggesting that mundane activities are opportunities for liturgical acts and Eucharistic sacrifices.
The importance of seeing the divine in the ordinary, using examples like standing near the altar during Mass as Mary stood near the cross, and how daily interactions and struggles, can be acts of spiritual warfare and service. The Eucharist and the sacramental life nourish and capacitate Christians for this mission, drawing on the mystical participation in the Paschal mystery and the continuous cycle of receiving and giving in spiritual life.
Dr. Fagerberg also reflects on the deeper meaning of liturgy and its connection to salvation history, suggesting that liturgy is not just ceremonial but is deeply rooted in God’s cosmic plan for redemption and sanctification. He emphasizes that true spirituality has a disciplined, ascetic dimension, contrasting it with the often shapeless notion of spirituality in contemporary culture.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:* What is a “mundane” liturgical theology? * The call to holiness is here and now. * How the Church serves a Mother. * Why liturgy? Why worship? Why are we called?
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“So where are you going to practice your asceticism, not sitting in your office, reading a book and thinking lofty thoughts about the human race, but when that colleague bugs me in this office meeting, when one more time I have to admit that Elizabeth is right, but I’m too stubborn to do so overcoming those passions of pride and vainglory and ego and avarice and gluttony and, and envy and backbiting… tiny little actions, day by day, movement by movement. St. John Chrysostom has a terrific homily on Ephesians which he says that the poor that you meet in the city, in the public square, the poor are another altar on which you can make your Eucharistic sacrifice. You’re so happy to have been in the church where there’s this stone altar that was, honored and revered because it bore upon it, the body and blood of Christ. Well, here is Christ in the person of the poor. Look, how generous God is to you. He’s given you a thousand chances a day to make another liturgical act, another Eucharistic sacrifice. And just when I think I’ve satisfied my quarter, he sends another one to me, what a good and generous God we have.”
More taken from the discussion:
“Chesterton was asked why he became a Catholic. And his answer was because we’re sinners. And because we have a God who loves us passionately. And so this is what God has done in order to rectify the problem. I think God always had intended to bring us home to him, to let us join the life of God, to enter the perichoresis of the Trinity. It’s not like that was plan A and then after the fall in the garden of Eden, he moved on to plan B redemption is a completion of creation. Creation was the beginning of redemption. So his goal is for our sanctification, our adoption, our deification, and God gets the ball rolling with the salvation history.”
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions1. Universal Call to Holiness: How do you understand your role as a mystic, evangelist, and apostle in your daily life? 2. Consecrating the Mundane: In what ways can you integrate liturgy, theology, asceticism, and mysticism into your everyday tasks? 3. Manifesting Christ in Daily Life: How can you see Christ in the ordinary aspects of your life and in the people you encounter daily? 4. Standing by the Cross: How do you assist at Mass and relate it to standing near the cross with Mary? 5. Eucharistic Participation: How does your participation in the Eucharist nourish and capacitate you for spiritual warfare and service? 6. Liturgical and Cosmic Connection: How do you perceive the connection between liturgical practices and God’s cosmic plan for redemption? 7. Spiritual Discipline: How can you cultivate a disciplined, ascetic spirituality in your life? 8. Sanctifying the Secular: In what specific ways can you sanctify the secular world through your actions and relationships? 9. Living the Paschal Mystery: How do you live out the Paschal mystery in both your internal spiritual life and external actions? 10. Recognizing Divine Nourishment: How do you recognize and respond to the ways Christ and the Church nourish you spiritually in your daily journey?
For more podcast episodes of this series visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David Fagerberg page
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
He also has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998).
Here are a few of Dr. Fagerberg’s books: The post PSM3 – Living Mystery in the Mundane – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
A Special Holy Thursday Reflection with Msgr. John Esseff – Building a Kingdom of LoveMsgr. Esseff reflects on the meanings within the Holy Thursday liturgy of the Church. He discusses the action of Jesus when He washes the feet of the apostles and what that means for us today. Can we be Jesus to others and wash the feet of even our enemies? He also discusses the institution of the Eucharist and what it truly means to have devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
Gospel JN 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
The post A Special Holy Thursday Reflection with Msgr. John Esseff – Building a Kingdom of Love – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Fr. Vincent Twomey – The Dynamics of Liturgy, Part 2 on Inside the Pages w/ Kris McGregorThe Dynamics of the Liturgy is a constructive critique of the post–Vatican II liturgical reform through the lens of Joseph Ratzinger’s liturgical and sacramental theology—written by a former student of the great pope emeritus. For Ratzinger, liturgy is the oxygen of the sacraments, and his sacramental theology, still largely unknown, is the key to understanding his theology of liturgy.
This work highlights the specifically ritual dimension of liturgy, and the significance this has for Pope Benedict XVI’s proposed “reform of the reform”. Father Vincent Twomey warns that the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite—which Pope Benedict XVI had promoted to enrich liturgical practice—are dangerously drifting apart rather than, as the pope emeritus intended, complementing each other as part of an authentic renewal of the liturgy.
You can find the book here
“This book is simply a delight — from its grounding in the sacramental thought of Romano Guardini, through its wonderfully practical, beautifully written, step-by- step ‘how to’ guide to experiencing every key element of the Mass. It’s exactly what the title says it is: a deeply satisfying journey to the heart of Catholic worship.”
Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia
“Christopher Carstens offers a guide at once profound and practical into the ways of full, conscious, and active participation in the Sacred Liturgy. By reading this volume prayerfully and attentively, we can all share more fruitfully in the celebration of Holy Mass.”
William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore
The post IP#326 Fr. Vincent Twomey – The Dynamics of Liturgy, Part 2 on Inside the Pages w/ Kris McGregor Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Fr. Vincent Twomey – The Dynamics of Liturgy, Part 1 on Inside the Pages w/ Kris McGregorThe Dynamics of the Liturgy is a constructive critique of the post–Vatican II liturgical reform through the lens of Joseph Ratzinger’s liturgical and sacramental theology—written by a former student of the great pope emeritus. For Ratzinger, liturgy is the oxygen of the sacraments, and his sacramental theology, still largely unknown, is the key to understanding his theology of liturgy.
This work highlights the specifically ritual dimension of liturgy, and the significance this has for Pope Benedict XVI’s proposed “reform of the reform”. Father Vincent Twomey warns that the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite—which Pope Benedict XVI had promoted to enrich liturgical practice—are dangerously drifting apart rather than, as the pope emeritus intended, complementing each other as part of an authentic renewal of the liturgy.
You can find the book here
“This book is simply a delight — from its grounding in the sacramental thought of Romano Guardini, through its wonderfully practical, beautifully written, step-by- step ‘how to’ guide to experiencing every key element of the Mass. It’s exactly what the title says it is: a deeply satisfying journey to the heart of Catholic worship.”
Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia
“Christopher Carstens offers a guide at once profound and practical into the ways of full, conscious, and active participation in the Sacred Liturgy. By reading this volume prayerfully and attentively, we can all share more fruitfully in the celebration of Holy Mass.”
William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore
The post IP#325 Fr. Vincent Twomey – The Dynamics of Liturgy, Part 1 on Inside the Pages w/ Kris McGregor Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 12 – The Two Liturgies: External and Internal – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg, Ph.D.Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss “the two liturgies,” the external and internal action of the Eucharist.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
- The Noetic faculty in the heart (meaning perception of the heart)
- Hesychia – stilleness, rest, quiet, silence
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
I’m looking for a quote, it’s from a contemporary Orthodox Metropolitan named Hierotheos, and he says, if the noetic faculty in the heart is operating, then we can come in contact with, what he calls, a second liturgy, “something happens that seems strange to most people, but is natural for those who consciously practice hesychia.” This is a silence, contemplative. “Although they are present at the Divine Eucharist and are aware through their senses and their reason of everything going on,” those are the first two faculties that I identified, “they’re listening at the same time to the noetic faculty in the heart where the Holy Spirit praises without ceasing. Lord Jesus Christ’s son of God have mercy on me.”
In other words, there are two liturgies. One is the external liturgy of the Divine Eucharist, where the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ in the Holy Spirit. The other is the inner liturgy or Eucharist, where they experience uncreated worship and the spiritual priest of divine grace celebrates. There’s no break between the two liturgies. Both are accomplished with full awareness. The Holy Spirit changes the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood, and the same Holy Spirit activates noetic prayer on the altar of the heart.
Well, by talking about aestheticism and mysticism, my purpose has been to try to make us think about… That sounds like I just denied everything I’ve been saying. I’m trying to make us think about something, make us think about this synergy going on, and I am trying to make us think about it. I’m writing books about Mrs. Murphy. I don’t want her to read them, but I write about Mrs. Murphy for my colleagues. So that my colleagues, I made a sweeping gesture to mean the academic world, so that they don’t look down their noses at Mrs. Murphy. My lesson from Aidan Kavanagh and the thesis is that Mrs. Murphy is a true theologian and I’m making an apologetic for her.
For more podcast episodes of this series, visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David Fagerberg page
David W. Fagerberg is a Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds master’s degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
He also has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998).
Here are a few of Dr. Fagerberg’s books:
The post PSM12 – The Two Liturgies: External and Internal – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 11 – Ascetical Struggle and a Mystical Joy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg, Ph.D.Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss the chronological and kairos nature of time and its dimensions in the liturgy, particularly on Sunday.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
- The definition of liturgy: Liturgy is the perichoresis of the Trinity kenotically extended to invite our synergistic ascent into deification.
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
This is why it’s important for worshiping on Sunday, the Lord’s Day for the Lord’s people in the Lord’s house at the Lord’s table. Sunday is this eighth day, the day of the resurrection. After six days of creation, got rested on the seventh, and when humanity fell into sin, God had to act again. So Sunday, the day of resurrection, is like one more day in the Book of Genesis being added as an appendix. And Taft says to anyone beginning the study of Sunday, “The initial impression is one of confusion.” Sunday is the first day, the day of creation, the day of light, the day of the new time. I think it’s just named the cosmic dimensions of Sunday, but it’s also the last day, the eighth day, the day beyond the days, the day of Jubilee, the day of the end time.
Now he has named the eschatological dimensions of Sunday. It’s the day of the resurrection, the day of the post-resurrection appearances and meals. Watch for that in the scripture readings eight days later on Sunday. It’s the day of the descent of the Spirit and the day of the ascension. These are the historical Jesus days.
And then, he gives finally the ecclesiological church meanings. The day of the assembly, the day of the Eucharist, the day of baptism, the day of ordinations. Until one asks, “Is there anything Sunday doesn’t mean?” And the answer of course, is no. For the early Church Sunday was indeed everything. The symbolic day, a sign of the time of the church between ascension and parousia, the time in which we are living now, it’s the day symbolic of all days for… And here’s the quote, which I stumbled on in our earlier conversation so I can slip it in here. “It’s a day symbolic of all days for the purpose of all Christian liturgy is to express in a ritual moment that which should be the basic stance of every moment of our lives.”
Once a year you celebrate a birthday in a ritual way, but that doesn’t mean you don’t love your kid for the other 364 days. Once a week, you enter into this Eucharistic uplift and twist with God, but that doesn’t mean you forget about him for the other days of the week. What you do on Sunday morning should be an expression of the basic stance of every day, of every hour, of every moment. Well, that seems to me like an ascetical struggle and a mystical joy.
For more podcast episodes of this series, visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David Fagerberg page
David W. Fagerberg is a Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds master’s degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
He also has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998).
Here are a few of Dr. Fagerberg’s books:
The post PSM11 – Ascetical Struggle and a Mystical Joy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 10 – The Inward then Outward, Upward then Downward Movement of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D. Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss the Anabatic and Katabatic movements of the liturgy. Here are some of the topics explored in this episode: From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg: ... Read more
The post PSM10 – The Inward then Outward, Upward then Downward Movement of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 3 - Living Mystery in the Mundane - Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss how "mundane" liturgical theology consecrates the world and sanctifies our daily life.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What is a "mundane" liturgical theology? The call to holiness is here and now. How the Church serves a Mother. Why liturgy? Why worship? Why are we called?
The post PSM3 – Living Mystery in the Mundane – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 2 - Liturgy as the Mystical Encounter - Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss liturgy as the mystical encounter with our spouse, with our bridegroom Christ
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What melody is this liturgy supposed to be creating?
What is Liturgical Asceticism?
The influence of the Desert Fathers and St. Benedict of Nursia.
Who's liturgy should we be doing on Sunday morning?
Whose liturgy should we be doing in our lives?
The post PSM2 – Liturgy as the Mystical Encounter – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 1 - The River of the Liturgy - Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor begin this 16 episode series that explores various aspects of Liturgical Theology.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What is "liturgy"?
What is "mysticism"?
The significance of baptism.
Understanding "teleology". What's the telos of a human being?
Understanding the connection between the interior heart personal liturgy and the exterior sacramental public liturgy
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Episode 9 - The Liturgical Bridge to Mystery - Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss the "stages" of the spiritual journey and the vices which hinder growth in holiness.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
- Praktike (purgation), Physike (illumination), and Theologia (union with God)
The post PSM9 – The Liturgical Bridge to Mystery – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss our baptism and the meaning of "mystagogy."
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
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What is it to live the liturgy?
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What occurs at our baptism?
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What is our role true role in the liturgical celebration?
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What is the nature of "mystagogy?
The post PSM8 – The Life of Mystagogy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss a "thicker" definition of liturgy.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
Liturgy is the perichoresis of the Trinity kenotically extended to invite our synergistic ascent into deification.
The difference between being involved with ministry and being consciously present to the mystery of God.
The nature of synergy in regards to liturgy, and in particular the celebration of the mass.
The post PSM7 – The Definition of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 6 - The Mystery of Liturgical Synergy - Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss what is meant by full and active participation in the liturgy.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
The difference between being involved with ministry and being consciously present to the mystery of God.
The nature of synergy in regards to liturgy, and in particular the celebration of the mass.
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Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss the mystical participation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the liturgy.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode: What is the relationship between Mary and the liturgy of the Church? What is Liturgical Dogma? Why is dogma important? What is the authentic nature of "full and active participation"?
The post PSM5 – The Marian Mystery and the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 3 - Living Mystery in the Mundane - Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss how "mundane" liturgical theology consecrates the world and sanctifies our daily life.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What is a "mundane" liturgical theology? The call to holiness is here and now. How the Church serves a Mother. Why liturgy? Why worship? Why are we called?
The post PSM4 – The Form of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 27- The Holy Rule of St. Benedict: A Spiritual Path for Today’s World with Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B., Ph.D. “To contemplate the Holy Eucharist” From the Holy Rule of St. Benedict: PROLOGUE Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute ... Read more
The post HR#27 “To contemplate the Holy Eucharist ” – The Holy Rule of St. Benedict with Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.