Liturgy

Previously the media reported that there was a campaign by the Vatican to rehabilitate Judas. Today the Pope said:

"And he is greedy: money is more important than communion with Jesus, more important than God and his love. He also becomes a liar, a double-crosser who breaks with the truth," Pope Benedict said.

Purposefully ignoring the truth, he said, Judas "hardens, becoming incapable of conversion … and throws away his destroyed life."

and

Judas’ action, he said, demonstrates that "the love of the Lord knows no limits, but man can limit it," refusing to recognize the need for purification, to accept the love of God and salvation through Jesus.

I think the pope really put a stake in that silly speculation.

* Link via American Papist.

Gerald has both the video and pictures of Bishop Tod Brown refusing to give Communion to a women kneeling and tried to pull her up. He also has the testimony of the women which appears to match the footage. I guess he didn’t get the memo that the norm obtained for the GIRM in the U.S. says.

160. The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

I use to always kneel to receive Communion, now I receive standing as it is the norm approved for the United States by the Vatican. I though had the opposite reaction at first. The EEM at my parish when he saw me standing to receive instead of kneeling told me that I could continue to kneel when I receive. I know that I could do this, but it wasn’t the norm and what good is obedience if you only obey on things you agree with? I do wish that we would just go back to the Communion rail instead. From what I have observed at the Latin Mass at my parish is that the Communion rail is just as efficient as far as time goes in distributing Communion. Plus it has the added benefit of preparing yourself a little bit ahead of time instead of just shuffling forward. Is there anything that prevents the use of the Communion rail in the new Mass? (Besides them being ripped out in some parishes)

Now if you happen to be a homosexual activist and wear a rainbow sash to Mass, no problem you will get to receive Communion; just as long as you are not kneeling.

I grew up in the theater and learned miming. My father even has an autographed picture from Marceau, Marcel. Though for the most part mimes creep me out. The above performance is to be held at an Anglican Church with a article on it here. Looking at Google there is apparently a growing Christian mime ministry and as for me it is hard to think of anything more penitential than watching mimes on Good Friday. Though to be fair if done well, could actually be a good medium for meditation on the Stations of the Cross.

Good has come in the past from mimes in a Catholic context. A the World Youth Day held in Denver a mime troupe had a women portray Jesus in a performance of the Stations of the Cross. EWTN was covering this and Mother Angelica was so mad that she soon had her order return to the full habit they currently wear. God can always draw good even out of mime performances.

Riyadh (AsiaNews) – A Catholic Indian priest was yesterday forced to leave Saudi Arabia. He was discovered by the religious police as he organized a prayer meeting in the lead-up to Easter. Arrested on 5 April, he remained in police custody for four days and on Saturday 8th April he left for India. The practice of any religion other than Islam is forbidden in Saudi Arabia. Meetings held privately in people’s homes, among friends, are also banned.

The priest, Fr George Joshua, belongs to the Malankara rite of Kerala (India). His visit to Catholic Indians in the Saudi Kingdom was planned with his bishop’s permission.

On 5 April, Fr George had just celebrated mass in a private house when seven religious policemen (muttawa) broke into the house together with two ordinary policemen. The police arrested the priest and another person.

The Saudi religious police are well known for their ruthlessness; they often torture believers of other religions who are arrested.

AsiaNews sources said there were around 400,000 Indian Catholics in Saudi Arabia who were denied pastoral care. Catholic foreigners in the country number at least one million: none of them can participate in mass while they are in Saudi Arabia. Catechism for their children – nearly 100,000 – is banned.

Often, for feasts like Easter and Christmas, Catholics plan holidays in the Emirates, Bahrain or Abu Dhabi, where at least for once, they are free to attend mass.

News like this really makes me really thankful for the availability of the Mass and ready access to the sacraments. We complain about Church mergings, priest shortage, liturgical abuses, limited access time for confession, etc and then see stories like this where priests and people risk their life to celebrate Mass. Please send some prayers there way and also offer thanks for what I know I take for granted.

Father Stephanos, O.S.B tells us that it is actually olive branches that are traditional for today, though other branches may be use.

Gerald at The Cafeteria is Closed has a link to full text speech of a recent speech by Cardinal Arinze and posts most of the text of the speech that has been excerpted on many blogs.

Every time I read or hear Cardinal Arinze he makes me want to stand up and cheer. He is a great communicator that is able to clearly explain what he is talking about whether it is on liturgical matters or deeper theological ones. His plain speaking can also be very comical. Back in February he said.

"Suppose a priest comes at the beginning of Mass and says: ‘Good morning, everybody, did your team win last night?’ That’s not a liturgical greeting. If you can find it in any liturgical book, I’ll give you a turkey,".

Long may he head the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

Gerald also has also posted the text from a 2004 article on a new generation of priests, specifically Father Marcos Gonzalez which is also great reading. These priests are what Fr. Greely would dismiss as Young Fogeys since they have the novel concept of actually being faithful to the Church.

Gerald received both of the articles via the wonderful Fr. Stephanos, O.S.B who posts his always excellent homilies on his blog One Monk of the Order of Saint Benedict

Here is a great letter from Bishop Edward J. Slattery of Tulsa, OK continuing his series on the liturgy [via Chistus Vincit]. I have freed it from the PDF format it was in and formatted it since it was broken up on the 2nd and last page of the diocese’s newspaper. Their editor included the last paragraph from his fifth letter in this series as the first paragraph in his sixth letter. This is a great letter on the subject and well worth your time reading the whole thing. The whole thing is in the extended entry of this post below:

BELMAR — The children came to St. Rose Roman Catholic Church on Monday with their dolls, teddy bears, a toy dog, a stuffed animal that resembled a monkey, Mickey Mouse and even that famous purple dinosaur, Barney.

However, Jack Mannion, 7, of Wall, wanted everyone to know that his christening doll did not belong to him.

"It’s not mine, it’s someone else’s, my sister’s," Jack said matter-of-factly.

Jack was among three dozen first-graders at the parish’s grammar school who were getting a lesson about the Christian sacrament of baptism, which welcomes the recipient into the Christian community.

Some children took the lesson seriously enough that they had their dolls dressed in the christening gowns they had worn as infants.

Kristin Norkus, 7, of Neptune, said she had just gotten her doll, Krista, for Christmas, so the timing of her doll’s pretend christening was ideal.

"I’ve just seen a (real) christening," Kristin said, observing that she had witnessed an actual baptism a day earlier.

Sheila Langon, the children’s teacher, has been organizing the mock christenings for 20 years as part of her first-grade class’s religious curriculum about the miracle of Easter.

"It was just an attempt to make the sacrament of baptism more meaningful for the children," Langon said. "The Easter season is when we talk about the baptismal vow."

Later on do they take Ken and Barbie to confession? How about last rites for a G.I. Joe injured in battle by Cobra commander?

I wonder if the Pope will attend?

Happy Solemnity of St. Joseph! I like St. Joseph so much that I actually memorized everything he said in the Bible. Though I am sure my readers if they put their mind to it could accomplish the same thing. I also did the almost unheard of thing of taking the confirmation name of Joseph. Well at least it was unheard of prior to the 14th century. Sandra Miesel had an excellent article a few years back on the history of the slow rise of devotion to St. Joseph. Though considering all of the upside down statues of St. Joseph’s buried in yards
he might have been happier to remain more obscure.

Here are two fairly short Apostolic Exhortations that make for good reading today.

Quamquam Pluries on Devotion to St. Joseph by Pope Leo XIII. (Quamquam Pluries would make a great name for a band)

Redemptoris Custos On the Person and Mission of Saint Joseph in the Life of Christ and of the Church by Pope John Paul II

Via Diogenes is this ad in the NCReporter.

WORSHIP COORDINATOR — Sisters IHM seeks qualified person to serve as Worship Coordinator for a congregation of women religious. Duties: direction and vision of liturgical and spiritual events in the Motherhouse through fidelity to the IHM community’s Constitution and Chapter Directions collaborating with others; coordinate Liturgical Committee; supervise staff and overall music program; and plan/coordinate members’ wakes and funerals. Qualifications: Bachelor degree; graduate degree in Liturgical Studies, Pastoral Ministry, or related field preferred; demonstrated liturgy experience including supervision of staff; experience in a Pastoral setting with older adults; Roman Catholic in good standing; ability to lead prayer; knowledge of the Liturgy Documents, Rites of the Church and current resources in worship and ritual practice; proficiency with Microsoft Office. Applicants submit cover letter and resume to: SSIHM Human Resources Manager, 610 W. Elm Ave., Monroe, MI 48162.

Now what I don’t understand about worship coordinators, a.k.a. liturgists is why are they even necessary in the first place. I am curious about the history of the modern liturgist, because as far as I can tell this is a something fairly new within the Church. What exact role do they fulfill? We have the GIRM and liturgical documents that guide the liturgy so what exactly needs to be directed. My parish has no such position and yet each week every Mass is reverent and faithful to liturgical documents. Though maybe that is because we don’t have a worship coordinator.

Somebody that coordinates wakes and funerals use to be called a parish secretary. It seems to me their purpose has been to subvert the liturgy and to ensure whatever is mandated is replaced with something else. That they see themselves as a director or producer who interprets the liturgy to their own preferences or the latest liturgical fad they learned about. The Mass becomes a performance piece to be tweaked to their hearts content. To justify their jobs they have to appear to do something. This is why we get things like sand or marbles in Holy Water fonts during Lent or prancing liturgical dancers. The sanctuary becomes a stage where the liturgical performance is carried out. To screw things up requires a liturgist, to really screw things up requires a liturgist with a degree. Though we can understand this since many people want to be entertained at Mass. Active participation (which should be active prayerful participation) means we imitate whatever the priest is doing or some other liturgical aerobics. One two, three, Orans posture. Breathe in, breath out now hold hands.

Now whether this rant pertains to the Sisters IHS or not is open to question. Though nuggets such as "feminist or ecological spiritualities" and their site in general strongly makes me suspect it does.

I also wonder what is the purpose of a liturgy committee? In the latest issue of First Things Fr. Neuhaus posts about a statement by the liturgy committee at Villanova "Postures During Eucharistic Liturgy."

The statement notes, "In general [the General Instruction of the Roman Missal] asks the faithful to kneel during the consecration –but then adds "unless prevented by lack of space, large number, or other reasonable causes." The statement then gives Villanova’s reasonable causes for preventing anyone from kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer. For instance, one of the prayers thanks God by counting us worth to "stand" before Him. (Those Augustinians are such literalists.) Moreover kneeling induces a "sense of passivity, interiority, and exaggerated unworthiness," Some might prefer the word "receptivity" to "passivity," but it is true that we sinful human beings are adverse to acknowledging our inferiority to God and do not take kindly to any exaggeration of our unworthiness. The statement ends on the note: "In all these decisions the Villanova community favors the spirit of community and mutual affirmation; any competitive and legalistic preference in the matter of liturgical practice tends to be divisive and is not considered helpful to communal celebration." In the spirit of mutual affirmation, unity, and our communal abhorrence of legalism: You will not kneel.

In the case of Villanova’s liturgical committee my suspicions are confirmed about liturgical committees. It seems to me that if you really want to foster community in the universal Church then having consistency among liturgical celebration would do just that. What they always mean is just the local community. Their instruction on kneeling makes me see Phillipians 2:10 in a whole new light. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow to provide a sense of passivity, inferiority, and exaggerated unworthiness in heaven and on earth and under the earth." I think that if the Church really wants people to kneel during the consecration they should change the rubric in the GIRM to stand. Instantaneously liturgists and liturgical committees throughout the world will then find a reason that we should kneel during the consecration instead.

Now like most rants this is a very broad brush attack. We do need liturgical experts that can teach us to more greatly appreciate and mine the richness of the liturgy. What we don’t need are liturgical producers who make changes for change sake. Living in a culture where everything is "new and improved" we can understand this temptation. The Mass is Calvary and the sacrifice of Christ re-presented not reinterpreted. You can imagine the havoc a liturgist would have wrought at Calvary. Though maybe a budding liturgist was there. Who else would give Jesus wine mixed with gall?