Be careful how you throw knives, one may be aimed at you one day.
So since I and most choose to preserve true Tradition, instead of replace it with modern tradition, I’m a fundamentalist? That term has quite a negative connotation, and I take offence to its use directed at me for standing for what most leaders of Mother Church have stated, and I echo.
Christ is most definitely alive; He was also alive when He directed the first Eucharistic celebration when He washed the feet of 12 men, His apostles. It was then that He directed them to go and do the same for others. Was He a fundamentalist too?
This Mass is most definitely a reenactment of the Last Supper, in its entirety. There is nothing that would exclude congregations and parishes to have a subsequent ceremony, outside of Mass, to do exactly what you say; wash each other’s feet. I have participated many times in such prayer experiences and it is quite powerful. But so is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper when celebrated as it should be; as the rubrics and Church Tradition has dictated. To replicate what Jesus did for us, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.”
This reaction is typical. If I choose to stand up and be a man, it must be because I am a chauvinist, or in this case a fundamentalist chauvinist. I can recall recently how I was chastised by a woman for teaching a group of young men at a juvenile detention center about the Hebrew word “rauch”. Me and a brother deacon were directing a bible study/prayer meeting with some teenage boys, and this lady, while in session decided it was time to teach me that this word was the feminine version of the noun. Had nothing to do with any of the discussion, but I was put in my place. Well she thought I was. I kept my cool until after we exited the building, then I confronted her. It was then she told me how she wouldn’t talk about it anymore because, “obviously you are sensitive to this type of issue.” Well let’s just say, she doesn’t come to youth ministry night at the juvenile detention center anymore. I am held accountable by my bishop, not her. Her (name removed by moderator)ut did nothing for those kids but confuse them and I informed her that there was no place for it and I wouldn’t allow it. Oddly enough, her name was Anna…kind of funny I think.
I believe just as that conversation confused these kids, so does taking these types of liberties with the Liturgy. It’s not about male or female, it’s about properly depicting and reenacting what Jesus taught us to do for all.
Traditions are set in the early Church teachings & Scripture, not modernism.
