Day 898: Wednesday ,August 31, 2022

In the Omaha language the word for dance is the same as the word for love.

The Big Empty

We are so lucky to enjoy this lovely poem by our own Dan Vrooman

The Big Empty

The sagebrush steppe is called the “big empty.” But for me it’s the fullest empty I have ever known.

Sagebrush, once plowed up, takes fifty years to come back.

In the Omaha language the word for “dance” is the same as the word for “love.”

Sage grouse drum an original score. Foot drumming, accompanied by the far away sound of rustling silk.

The neck stretches, the body bobs up and down, and the long, white-feathered collar inflates.

A percolating sound emerges, a loud popping or hooting follows given by inflatable yellow throat pouches.

Whether played by humans or grouse, that powerful drum and its rhythm is the heartbeat of all creation.

--- Dan Vrooman

Announcement from our dear friend Annette Lomont

Vatican II in the Church of Pope Francis

When Pope Francis called for a Synod on Synodality, late in 2021, he hoped to reignite the promise and challenge of the Second Vatican Council—that revolutionary meeting of bishops from around the world, which turned the altar towards the people and the Church towards the world.

This fall, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the convening of Vatican II, St. Ignatius Parish will host a six-part series looking at the teaching of the Council and the continuing effect (and controversy) it has sparked in the Catholic community. For Francis, who has proclaimed “the Council is the Magisterium of the Church,” there is no going back on the call of Vatican II, and he sees his papacy as grounded in its more complete implementation.

In this series, scholars from across the country will come to St. Ignatius Church both to educate about the principal documents of the Council (i.e., the four major “Constitutions”) and to begin a discussion on how these documents can point us towards the Church that is coming to be.

The series will open on October 6 with Michael Sean Winters, columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, explaining the context in which the council emerged, what resulted, what has not yet been realized, and what could be today.

The series will conclude with Dr. Massimo Faggioli, Church historian and professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University.

All the presentations will be held in St. Ignatius Church and begin at 6:30 PM and go until 8:00 PM. They also will be livestreamed.

The other four sessions will feature the following keynote speakers who will address each of the major documents, i.e., the Constitutions of Vatican II:

Thursday, October 13, Rita Fallone, author of Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium, who speaks extensively on the rediscovering of Vatican II, will examine the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy

Thursday, November 3, Gina Hens-Piazza, Professor of Old Testament Studies at the Jesuit School of Theology, will discuss the Constitution on Sacred Scripture

Thursday, November 17, Jeanette Rodriguez, professor of theology and religious studies at Seattle University, will explore the effects of Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution of the Church.

Thursday, December 1, Bradford Hinze, who holds the Karl Rahner Chair in Theology at Fordham University, will discuss the Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium.

Thursday, December 8, Massimo Faggiolli, will summarize the effect of Vatican II and its continuing importance in the Church.

The intent of this series is more than merely historical study or theological analysis; rather, it is to open the key documents of Vatican II in such a way that the faithful can better understand how this Council shapes the Church today, and, under Pope Francis, is moving the Church into the future.

Though still a source of contention and reaction, 60 years after it first convened, the reforms of Vatican II are often misunderstood or misrepresented. This series seeks to address those controversies by looking at the Council’s major works, and exploring the Church it envisions and calls forth.

St. Ignatius Parish invites all those concerned about the life and future of the Catholic Church to be part of these talks either in-person or by livestream. Invitations will be extended to parishes throughout the Bay Area, as well as to schools and individuals who might be interested.

For more information please check the St. Ignatius website:

https://stignatiussf.org/vatican-ii