Every so often I would like to hear from readers about the blog and more importantly, about my book. With that in mind, I will be posting questions that readers are invited to respond to. This will help me in my conversations with my publisher and hopefully yield a better book. Here's this week's question.
Question: My publisher and the editorial staff suggested that the current title "The Borromeo Project" was either too unwieldy or didn't suggest what the book was about. As you can imagine from the other posts that I don't want to lose that title because it is the essence of the book. At the same time, I understand what the publisher is getting after; they have be able to sell a book just on the merit of someone seeing it on a shelf and saying, "Hmm, looks interesting." So, I offered the only other title I could come up with "Catholicism From Scratch." That has its own merits mainly because it connotes the idea of taking personal responsibility for building up one's Faith. So, dear reader, what do you think? Just based on the title alone, which would grab your attention
a.) The Borromeo Project: Unlocking the Catechism
or
b.) Catholicism From Scratch: Exploring the Catechism
The subtitles (the stuff after the colon) is even more debateable. I am including those simply to help set later volumes about the Vatican II documents, the Encyclicals of John Paul, and the Doctors of the Church in context.
Any and all input is appreciated.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Not Quite Zeus and Athena
Morning, Readers.
Today, I wanted to explain the meaning of the blog's title. Where to begin? It started about 3 years ago in a quiet corner of Oklahoma called Alva. When I arrived there as pastor, one of the things I noted was a hunger for the Catholic Faith. People were genuinely interested in the Faith and its practice but for many they had not had the opportunity to grow in the faith any further. So, I sat down and asked myself what to do. The initial instinct was "Go to the Catechism." While the Catechism seems big and green and scary, it is a comprehensive, reliable summary of the Faith. I am not one to encourage reading various and sundry spiritual luminaries if the essential elements of the Faith aren't in play. Still, I had a problem: once you go to the Catechism, how do you unlock it for folks?
This led to a reflection about how I myself learn anything. For me, and fortunately for other folks, the most effective learning strategy involves learning a little bit everyday. Cramming was never helpful in high school, college, or seminary. It just left me irritable. So, I thought to break the Catechism into digestable chunks, nothing more that 7 - 10 paragraphs a day. That way, the participant couldn't excuse themselves that this was too much or too hard. The next question was of course how long does this go on for? I reasoned that most parishes and small groups need to have breaks and need to have the chance to get on and off the bus as needs dictate. So, I reduce the program to four 10 week cycles. Yes, math wizards, that's 40 weeks which has many biblical overtones. But that wasn't the only thing this program was going to engage.
Theology without a spiritual life is merely interesting data. Prayer had to be an integral part of the design. For me, theology is done as much on one's knees as at one's desk. I recognized, too, that many Catholics of a certain generation (okay, mine) didn't know well the more traditional prayers and devotions of the Church. So that had to go in. Then there is the question of the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. Many lay Catholics attempt to learn the office only to be hamstrung by the design of the breviary (the book containing the material for the office) amongst other things. Other efforts of mine flopped when it came to forming people to pray the office. So, that had to get in there somewhere. Happily, both made it in. Each week, participants are invited to pray two prayers from the Christian tradition as part of their time of study. At each weekly get together, when they are discussing the material they have a modified form of the Liturgy of the Hours, so that they can get a taste for what the office is like.
One more thing about the genesis of the book: my fellow priests. Priests by ordination are given a three fold mission in the Church. Priests are to teach, to govern, and to sanctify. More on that in a later post. In my experience, though, apart from RCIA, I don't have the time to research and prep notes and do all the stuff that goes into an effective class. I need ready made cirricula that just requires implementation. I knew that the book had to be user friendly for both priest and lay coordinator. So I added an answer guide to simplify what the answers were and how to guide the participants.
I told you all that to tell you this. Someone else had beaten me to the punch. Don't worry, though, you won't have to buy his book. St. Charles Borromeo at the time of the Council of Trent did the same thing just without a publisher. As I went to seminary in Philadelphia, a seminary dedicated to his patronage and memory, it is hardly surprising that his model and inspiration were at work in this work. Hence the name: The Borromeo Project.
So, readers, that's the origin of both titles. This blog covers the efforts to bring up Borromeo, or better said, to bring it into existence. Hopefully by this time next year we'll have something for you.
Today, I wanted to explain the meaning of the blog's title. Where to begin? It started about 3 years ago in a quiet corner of Oklahoma called Alva. When I arrived there as pastor, one of the things I noted was a hunger for the Catholic Faith. People were genuinely interested in the Faith and its practice but for many they had not had the opportunity to grow in the faith any further. So, I sat down and asked myself what to do. The initial instinct was "Go to the Catechism." While the Catechism seems big and green and scary, it is a comprehensive, reliable summary of the Faith. I am not one to encourage reading various and sundry spiritual luminaries if the essential elements of the Faith aren't in play. Still, I had a problem: once you go to the Catechism, how do you unlock it for folks?
This led to a reflection about how I myself learn anything. For me, and fortunately for other folks, the most effective learning strategy involves learning a little bit everyday. Cramming was never helpful in high school, college, or seminary. It just left me irritable. So, I thought to break the Catechism into digestable chunks, nothing more that 7 - 10 paragraphs a day. That way, the participant couldn't excuse themselves that this was too much or too hard. The next question was of course how long does this go on for? I reasoned that most parishes and small groups need to have breaks and need to have the chance to get on and off the bus as needs dictate. So, I reduce the program to four 10 week cycles. Yes, math wizards, that's 40 weeks which has many biblical overtones. But that wasn't the only thing this program was going to engage.
Theology without a spiritual life is merely interesting data. Prayer had to be an integral part of the design. For me, theology is done as much on one's knees as at one's desk. I recognized, too, that many Catholics of a certain generation (okay, mine) didn't know well the more traditional prayers and devotions of the Church. So that had to go in. Then there is the question of the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. Many lay Catholics attempt to learn the office only to be hamstrung by the design of the breviary (the book containing the material for the office) amongst other things. Other efforts of mine flopped when it came to forming people to pray the office. So, that had to get in there somewhere. Happily, both made it in. Each week, participants are invited to pray two prayers from the Christian tradition as part of their time of study. At each weekly get together, when they are discussing the material they have a modified form of the Liturgy of the Hours, so that they can get a taste for what the office is like.
One more thing about the genesis of the book: my fellow priests. Priests by ordination are given a three fold mission in the Church. Priests are to teach, to govern, and to sanctify. More on that in a later post. In my experience, though, apart from RCIA, I don't have the time to research and prep notes and do all the stuff that goes into an effective class. I need ready made cirricula that just requires implementation. I knew that the book had to be user friendly for both priest and lay coordinator. So I added an answer guide to simplify what the answers were and how to guide the participants.
I told you all that to tell you this. Someone else had beaten me to the punch. Don't worry, though, you won't have to buy his book. St. Charles Borromeo at the time of the Council of Trent did the same thing just without a publisher. As I went to seminary in Philadelphia, a seminary dedicated to his patronage and memory, it is hardly surprising that his model and inspiration were at work in this work. Hence the name: The Borromeo Project.
So, readers, that's the origin of both titles. This blog covers the efforts to bring up Borromeo, or better said, to bring it into existence. Hopefully by this time next year we'll have something for you.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
"Why Everything's As If We Never Said 'Goodbye' ... "
When I got out of blogging, about a year ago, I thought it was for good. I really did. The pressure to write, the tasks in the parish, my work of discernment all suggested it was time to close up shop. When people would ask if I would ever go back to blogging, my response was adamant, "No. That's done." So, what I am doing back here? That's complicated.
As time has progressed, I have come to understand that I have something unique, or I'd like to believe was unique, to offer to the blogging world. As a Catholic priest, I am pretty culturely aware with a healthy, if not ravenous, appetite for television, movies, music, literature and the like. As much as I would like to say I can comment competently on things like politics, it really isn't my strong suit. But ask me about what I think the relevance of ultra violent movies might be, and you'll get something worth reading. So, here I am back at my laptop, rifling through the pages in my head, placing some of my meager ideas out for public consumption.
What should you expect from this blog? I have three things I want to talk about here. A.) I have a book coming out. I wanted to share with many folks all at once the trials and joys of bringing a book to print. B.) As I mentioned, I am a media junkie, and to the best of my ability, I want to share some Catholic perspective on our media culture. Please understand I don't necessarily speak for the Church Universal; these are just my whitterings. C.) I am the rector of a National Shrine. I wanted to use a modern mode to help spread devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague. I will probably post infrequently but we'll shoot for weekly.
And that's it. If you found your way here from some helpful bloke or blokess who gave you the link, thank you for visiting. Also, I promise to explain more about the title of this blog later. It's a teaser. Otherwise, sit down and enjoy a hot cup of whatever there is to drink.
As time has progressed, I have come to understand that I have something unique, or I'd like to believe was unique, to offer to the blogging world. As a Catholic priest, I am pretty culturely aware with a healthy, if not ravenous, appetite for television, movies, music, literature and the like. As much as I would like to say I can comment competently on things like politics, it really isn't my strong suit. But ask me about what I think the relevance of ultra violent movies might be, and you'll get something worth reading. So, here I am back at my laptop, rifling through the pages in my head, placing some of my meager ideas out for public consumption.
What should you expect from this blog? I have three things I want to talk about here. A.) I have a book coming out. I wanted to share with many folks all at once the trials and joys of bringing a book to print. B.) As I mentioned, I am a media junkie, and to the best of my ability, I want to share some Catholic perspective on our media culture. Please understand I don't necessarily speak for the Church Universal; these are just my whitterings. C.) I am the rector of a National Shrine. I wanted to use a modern mode to help spread devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague. I will probably post infrequently but we'll shoot for weekly.
And that's it. If you found your way here from some helpful bloke or blokess who gave you the link, thank you for visiting. Also, I promise to explain more about the title of this blog later. It's a teaser. Otherwise, sit down and enjoy a hot cup of whatever there is to drink.
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