Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 3:33 PM
Subject: Catholic-Pages.com | Discussion Forum - Lectors in Sanctuary during Lit of the Eucharist
I dont mean to be a pest and surely dont need to be the 'Mass-police.' But, my parish has been driving me batty. I'd consider the pastor, a product of the 1960s: very social and likeable--not one to make waves. The associate is a good guy and traditional is his priestly ways.
But been an active member of this parish for a while and chose it a while ago as my parish. It most likely has my favorite daily Mass especially when younger priest is celebrating and doesnt mind giving a full homily even during the week. I consider this a special treat. But, Sunday Mass has grown to be almost a pain with very little reverance.
Perhaps the laity have been given or taken much authority. We have the greet your neighbor before Mass along with the standard kiss of peace during Mass. It seems the congregation enjoys the protestant-like (the other sects) priestly mimicking with hands raised during Mass. Hand holding for Our Father is a favorite. Altar servers wearing sneakers/ lectors on sanctuary the whole Mass/ EME: well not sure how much they are doing in accordance with church teachings. Id think if they removed the younger priest since he is too much with Rome--I am not sure how it would be different than some protestant churches?
I have been emailing or calling the priest/ pastor/ lay member responsible for these ministries and feel like I am spinning my wheels.
Today, the woman responsible for the altar servers laughed when I asked why are the servers allowed to wear sneaks and she gave me: 'priest/ deacons wear the same,' 'it is today's leisurely culture,' and 'we instruct them to wear leather shoes but what can we do if they dont?' Id think if I called the people responsible for EME and lectors id most likely get the same flippant responses.
Am I making too much of a big deal out of these abuses/ neglects? Or are these just indicative of the some of the changes from back in the 1960's which continue to snowball? If my concerns are legit is my next step the bishop?
Gerry
About Me
album 04\15 (79 photos), by Gerry Scheidhauer
I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos
album 07\20 (43 photos), by Gerry Scheidhauer
I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos
3 comments:
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:01 AM
Subject: www.hprweb.com
Losing Joy
There is a further danger of being so ready to criticize bishops or priests: we can become very dour Catholics. The more we criticize and complain, the more we bring down the morale of the Church and the more gloomy we become. (St. Teresa of Avila said once, “God deliver me from gloomy saints!”) Many sincere, orthodox Catholics have become sour people because they continued to dwell on the faults of the clergy, so sour that they have been unable to contribute something positive to the Church, despite their many talents.
This is not to say we may not acknowledge the wrongs of priests and bishops, but we should do so reluctantly and with understatement. And then, we should move on to the positive, the things that will build up the Church and her morale. We should never dwell on the negative elements of priests and bishops—or anyone else, for that matter—because it will make us melancholy people, always ready to point out the negative aspect of any situation.
The devil is most clever in bringing down those who sincerely love God and the Church. He gets them to dwell on the negative elements of the Church and thereby destroys their joy. We mustn’t fall for this ruse. If we want to be holy, we must focus on the positive, and let nothing destroy our joy.
God the Father spoke to St. Catherine of Siena about his “ministers,” the priests. She recorded it in her Dialogue:
…[It] is my intention that they be held in due reverence, not for what they are in themselves, but for my sake, because of the authority I have given them. Therefore the virtuous must not lessen their reverence, even should these ministers fall short in virtue. And, as far as the virtues of my ministers are concerned, I have described them for you by setting them before you as stewards of... my Son’s body and blood and of the other sacraments. This dignity belongs to all who are appointed as such stewards, to the bad as well as to the good.
…[Because] of their virtue and because of their sacramental dignity you ought to love them. And you ought to hate the sins of those who live evil lives. But you may not for all that set ourselves up as their judges; this is not my will because they are my Christs, and you ought to love and reverence the authority I have given them.
You know well enough that if someone filthy or poorly dressed were to offer you a great treasure that would give you life, you would not disdain the bearer for love of the treasure, and the lord who had sent it, even though the bearer was ragged and filthy... You ought to despise and hate the ministers’ sins and try to dress them in the clothes of charity and holy prayer and wash away their filth with your tears.
Indeed, I have appointed them and given them to you to be angels on earth and suns, as I have told you. When they are less than that you ought to pray for them. But you are not to judge them. Leave the judging to me, and I, because of your prayers and my own desire, will be merciful to them. [1]
Is judging the same as criticizing? It’s close. The Random House American College Dictionary defines the word “criticize” as “1. To make judgments as to merits and faults. 2. To find fault.”
Clearly, the Lord wants prayers, not judgment for his priests. Alas, how sad that some are far more ready to judge (and criticize) priests than they are to pray for them! Imagine how much better off the Church would be if all the energy given to criticizing priests and bishops here devoted to prayer and penance for these men; and how much better off those who prayed and fasted would be!
As a seminarian I once was visiting my sister, and we proceeded to tear apart all the dissenting theologians in the Church. It seemed like such fun. But, then we caught ourselves, and I said, “You know, we probably should not take such delight in criticizing the theologians. It can be a pride thing.” She agreed, “Yes, by saying how wrong they are, we are proclaiming how right we are.”
It’s an easy trap to fall into. We call it the “Isn’t it awful syndrome.”
As a priest, I don’t believe I am exempt from the warning from the Lord to St. Catherine about judging other priests. I don’t have any more right than a layperson to criticize my brother priests. Sometimes this involves biting my tongue when the subject is a less-than-perfect priest.
As I mentioned earlier, it is not wrong to acknowledge the errors of priests or bishops, or gently point them out. But, when it becomes a zealous sport to pontificate about such errors, and to verbally attack these clerics personally, it goes too far.
http://www.hprweb.com/
WOW. beautifully put.
what's the marionite rite of the catholic church? are they super traditionalists? orlando has a church run by them.
good point. i understand what he's saying. but also when we don't point out wrongs, isn't that allowing the church, baby step by baby step, to move away from its 2000 year old traditions? we can still be joyous and point out small missteps. so long as we don't become bogged down by them.
Post a Comment