I attended two Protestant services today. At least that's what it felt like.
The first was the usual Friday morning parish Mass, which is attended by the school children. To avoid it I normally drive 20 minutes to another Mass (and know I'm very blessed to have an alternative, thank you Lord), but today I couldn't.
This morning's Mass was attended by the senior students, all wearing civvies to raise money for some 'social justice' cause, and two parishioners. Not long ago there would have been a dozen.
The students' behavior is pretty impeccable, with genuflecting and signs of the Cross duly done. For years I reminded the kids to genuflect and often demonstrated, and ssshhed them from time to time as necessary, until Father told me in no uncertain terms to stop. I had upset a child, he said, I had made her cry. It was 'distracting', and Father himself would tell them to genuflect.
And he obviously did, because from then on they didn't need reminding or demonstrating. It was an object lesson in the authority of the priesthood, given and exercised for the glory of God.
But very regrettably, the authority of the priesthood was also exercised to forbid the altar servers to kneel for the Consecration and during Holy Communion, as they used to, taking their cue from me. Now at the "Holy Holy" the entire school is besought by Father to 'be seated', and they stay on their fannies for the Consecration.
Then after the "Lamb of God" it's 'please sit down' to "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world". Sitting, when gazing upon the God before Whom they will one day stand for judgment. And sitting after Communion, even for the minority of children who are baptised and so receive.
I don't know whether it's the sitting or the mauling of the NO Mass texts which is worse. The lowlight of the latter is the response made after the Consecration and repeated four times over, to banal supplications on behalf of 'all of us who share in this meal' which include the instruction to the Almighty to 'gather us all together into your kingdom' where - presumptuously - 'we shall be happy for ever'.
The response to these inanities is, 'We praise you, we bless you, we thank you'. Like we could praise, bless and thank Father, or Mrs So and So the teacher, or any old Tom Dick or Harry. Did it not occur to the highly theologically-qualified chaps who wrote this stuff that we may praise, bless or thank anyone, anytime, but we attend Mass primarily to ADORE and to WORSHIP God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
But the issues of text and posture one can become inured to. After all, it's still the Mass and the children must benefit from that. But it's the wasted opportunity for catechesis in the homilies which are so frustrating. What the children get are social studies/P E lessons, primers in social justice featuring experiences from Father's OEs which show just how well-off the students are by comparison with lots he's met in other countries, and how it all just goes to show how they should say thank you to God.
Father offers politically correct Prayers of the Faithful on behalf of the kids which flesh out the homily and do serve as petition, I suppose, but of the other two reasons for offering Mass - adoration and atonement - nothing is ever said (same with Sunday Mass).
The dumbed-down Mass texts, the posture and the homily are all thoroughly Protestant (actually I think Anglicans generally outdo Catholics at kneeling, at least of this benighted diocese of Palmerston North).
This afternoon I attended another service, a 'Catholic' funeral service, which illustrated the logical outcome of the years of such Masses which have passed since Vatican II. We were all blithely assured, in terms that Luther himself could have written (in his saner moments) that we would all without exception meet in heaven.
Was there even a Sign of the Cross? I suppose there must have been. But apart from that, there was nothing Catholic about it.
Father Isaac Mary Relyea,
The banner read, "Satan will take over the Vatican. The Pope will be Satan's slave".
Fr Relyea reminds us also of Our Lady of Good Success in 1600, warning of those who in our times should speak out but would remain silent.
Fr Relyea laments the lack of response and reaction on the part of Catholics, not just to the abomination of the last three weeks in the Vatican, but the abomination of the last 50 years in the Church worldwide.
"The silence has been deafening."
As outrageous as the reported comments of the Holy Father can be from time to time, yours are beyond the pale. I am saddened to hear you slipping away into apostoasy piece by piece. I cannot watch any longer - I have seen where this leads. Mary, our hope, seat of wisdom pray for us.
ReplyDeleteI think you are being a bit harsh. The fact is there is so much confusion. It is not even clear when apostasy kicks in and with whom.
DeleteFor example, I sat (apt in this case) through an important Mass in the liturgical year, and the priest did not confect the Eucharist and I am certain about that). Rather, he made up his own prayer and omitted the consecration or anything that could even pass for an attempt at consecration entirely. Regardless, the congregation did not flinch, and went up to receive.
So does one apostasise by participating in such a ritual or does one apostasise by leaving it?
It seems to me one risks apostasy in both counts, so where do you go? Such assaults on Catholic faith, real or even perceived, are ruinous for souls who are, I think, being spiritually abused in many cases.
Steven Bullivant has released a very informative book which takes account of the post-conciliar years from a sociological perspective. In a measured way, he concludes that the Council failed on its own terms of active participation. In effect it has driven so many from the Church because it has attacked the devotional life of Catholicism. I don't think the jury is out on that one anymore at faithful academic levels. Regardless, the vandals continue on recklessly as if they are taking us somewhere wholesome and it's really sad, even a little mad, and has to stop. The Catholic faith is an embodied faith, not a gnostic spirituality, so Catholic worship must involve pious acts of the body and inspires acts of devotion. That Bishops, priests and committees force these to stop is a great problem.
It is heartbreaking that committees in Catholic amalgamated parishes who are required to consider further reductions speak about 'Catholic hubs'. Or suggest things like taking out the pews (lucky if you have any) putting in chairs (stackable I presume) installing sliding doors that can section off the sanctuary, so that the newly arranged 'Church' can be used for secular functions when 'not in use'.
No wonder Julia's mad. I'm mad too.
Thank you 'Linda' and of course I remember you, with affection. In hindsight, it's no wonder we both got the 'dear John' letter.
DeleteI know how you feel when attending Masses of the type you mention. As for sitting during the Communion phase, I have heard Father Buenger on one occasion loudly advising everyone in the church that it’s standing or kneeling only as he’s about to start the Consecration. That orthodox priest has made known publicly on a few occasions too that HIS preference is for the congregation to kneel at that time.
ReplyDeleteI don’t often attend a Liturgy of the Word, usually only on a feast day of Our Lady when no Mass has been allocated for that day (her feast days are hardly mentioned these days in this diocese). Anyway, at one Liturgy I attended the Blessed Sacrament was quickly whisked away after Communion was distributed. When I mentioned afterwards that the whole Communion process had been too abrupt, I was advised that lay ministers had been told to follow the new instruction. Can I assume this instruction is now nationwide?
Subtle, and not so subtle, changes are ongoing by the local Church to indoctrinate parishioners into thinking there is nothing special about the Mass, it seems. With the growing concern about lack of belief in the Real Presence, just what proactive stance is being taken by our priests in general that demonstrates otherwise?