Here are your weekend must reads. The Mass that Joe Biden attended the morning of Inauguration Day was not for public display, which shows that his faith is an integral part of his life, writes an NCR commentator. A 107-year-old Irish grandmother and her granddaughter embark on a virtual journey each Sunday to participate in a Mass in every county in the country. And the latest book review examines the relationship between storm survivors and the belief in divine providence.
The Jan. 20 Mass in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day morning was closed to the public, but Thomas Stehle, pastoral associate for liturgy and director of music ministries at the St. Matthew's Cathedral, who helped plan the liturgy, shares with NCR the music, readings and prayer selections.
Others involved in the planning of the liturgy included the presider, Jesuit Fr. Kevin O'Brien; the rector, Msgr. Ronald Jameson; the parochial vicar, Fr. Jon Benson; and members of the Biden-Harris inauguration committee.
"The Joe Biden and Kamala Harris families began one of the most important days of their lives with a Mass intentionally not for public display," Stehle writes. "That decision in itself gives an insight into the way Biden lives his faith not as a garment but as integral to his life. The music, readings and prayer texts chosen for this special Mass also reveal much about the way the president chose to begin his new vocation and give us a glimpse into the heart of the man elected to lead the nation."
You can read more about the inaugural Mass here.
More background:
Every morning after her prayers, and the first of many mugs of Barry's Irish tea, Nancy Stewart decides where to go to Mass.
When the time comes, the 107-year-old and her granddaughter, Louise Coghlan, 37, joke about preparing sandwiches for the journey, and check that they have money to fill their little red car with fuel. In reality they don't leave the kitchen in Clonard, County Meath; Mass comes to them from the screen of a laptop computer set on a pink floral tray table.
At the beginning of January, the pair, who have been in lockdown together since mid-March 2020, embarked on a "Virtual Mass Tour" of all 32 counties of Ireland. So far, they have crossed off 27 from the list. They had initially planned an Advent tour but put it on hold when Stewart fell ill with a chest infection.
"Granny loves to pray," Coghlan says of Stewart, who holds the honor of likely being the oldest woman in Ireland still living at home. "We listen to Radio Maria on the TV for a while, then we make tea and decide where we are going to Mass."
You can read more of the story here.
More headlines
- For your book club, read the review of Peter J. Thuesen's research into storm survivors' gratitude for divine providence in an examination of the American struggle with the problem of theodicy — why does a good God permit evil?
- Scripture reflections from St. Joseph Sr. Mary M. McGlone on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Weekend wrap-up
We are in the middle of our NCR Winter Member Drive, in which we ask you, our readers, to consider joining us as NCR Forward members. Members get all sorts of interesting perks, such as exclusive invitations to events and newsletters just for members. Be a part of our community today!
See you next weekend,
Stephanie Yeagle
NCR Managing Editor
[email protected]
Twitter: @ncrSLY
