In This Great Future

I guess I will be the lone cowboy on this one, or at least it might feel that way. So let me start right off. I am a Catholic, I am 55 years young, I grew up with the Old Latin mass, served it as an Alter Boy, and I like the New Vernacular mass. I like it a lot. I smile when Father leaves the ambo to speak to the congregation. I smile because I know that someone in the congregation is composing their letter to the bishop because of such an egregious abuse of the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal).



I have nothing against the Latin Mass and I agree that we need more reverence in the New Mass. I have no argument with the Holy See revising the missal and making it more attuned to the Latin. The language could be tightened up to be more precise. Precision in language is a dying thing, but what you say and how you say it important. Ambiguous statements about belief and principle can lead one to think that you believe nothing and have no principles. We could review the song books too. There are many, many, many songs we could do without. That is the subject of a whole 'nother blog. However, all things considered, I like the Novus Ordo mass.



Why? Good question. I like having more involvement of the laity. I like EME's. I like readers. I have been one of each and I received many graces from doing it and I would hate to see it go away. I am not a reader now. I don't feel called to it. Not that I don't want to, but that is ego and not service. Let's face it, for two minutes or so your the focus of people's attention. But when it gets to be about you and not the service to God, it's time to stop. I am an EME currently. I prayed about it and felt led toward this. There is no place in the Tridentine mass for this type of service. I think it is a gift to the church and to the people doing the service. For many it has led to a deepening of their spiritual life and a prayer life they never had before. Many churches and dioceses hold retreats just for these ministries and I am sure more than one deacon found his calling from this work.



I like having Father face me during the consecration. When I was a child I always wondered, "What is he DOING with his back toward me?" Given that the bread and wine are transubstantiated I am often surprised there is no flash of light or angels trumpet at the moment of consecration.



I know the argument. When father faces away, Ad Orientum is the Latin, he is leading us in the open faced worship of God instead of a circle where we are all staring at each other. I also know that the church is supposed to face east because that is where Christ shall come again. Sorry. It doesn't sell me. As for where Christ shall come He is right there on the altar and we can all see Him. I don't have to face east or west to where He may or may not come when He comes, He is right there in front of us and we are all still facing Him, from the moment of consecration until he is replaced in the tabernacle. It makes more sense to me. When you have dinner at home, when you have a party with a guest of honor, when there is any event the guest of honor sits where everyone can see him, except at a Tridentine mass. Sorry, it doesn't make sense to me.



The last time I went to a Tridentine mass was about six years ago in New Orleans. I went twice on two separate Sundays to give myself the best experience. The first was to refresh my memory, the second for the actual mass. Yes, in many ways it was beautiful. But I still prefer a Novus Ordo.



Christ is still present in the Eucharist, The Gospel is still preached. The people are still edified. As for reverence I put it down to two things. One is that parents didn't raise their children reverent and two is that the church as a whole did not encourage reverence. So yes, as a parent I am largely to blame for the lack of reverence. I will say this though. I applied for the diaconate in New Orleans a few years ago. They wisely decided it was not my call at the time and I agree. One of the classes was held in the sanctuary of a church. Possible a hundred to a hundred and fifty deacons, candidates and their wives entered the sanctuary and very few genuflected. If our clergy does not show proper respect, why should the pew sitting Catholic? No matter which mass people attend they have to re-learn reverence. It needs to be demonstrated by us and taught by the catechists and clergy. Bulletin notices and pulpit announcements would go a long way toward this education. When one enters a church if one does not feel the presence of God I have to ask why? If the tabernacle is present in the church, preferably in the sanctuary I agree, then Christ is present in the church. If He is there and you don't feel Him I have to ask you, why?



I am not opposed to the Latin mass. I think our church is grand enough and strong enough to offer both. Clergy abuse during mass used to bother me until I realized that I was missing out on the mass while paying attention to where Father stood or how. Greater minds than mine can work on that aspect. We have bishops to enforce and to teach their clergy.

I CANNOT attend an SSPX church under any circumstance to fulfill my Sunday obligation. It may be a valid mass, but how can I enter a church where the overseeing bishop has been excommunicated and is not in full communion with Rome? How can I fly int he face of church teaching? Either be Catholic or not. Either be in union with Rome, or not.



Bob Marley said in his song "No Woman, No Cry", "In this great future you can't forget your past." I agree. The past of the church is the building blocks used to build on the foundation of Christ. The church has a great future. It has survived persecution, even in the modern world. It has survived heresy, scandal, bad Popes, schisms. As it is guided by the Holy Spirit the church will not only survive the current times but thrive on it as a candle destroys the deepest darkness. Our candle of faith will shine forth into the world and dispel whatever darkness is placed against it. Our church will do it in Latin, English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Indian and a hundred other languages because our God has told us so.