Conservative atypical charismatic bothered by new progressive priest

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wishingmary

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Praise Jesus for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. I am an atypical charismatic Catholic only because of the Holy Spirit and just plain pure grace. Specifics I wish to not discuss because it would take a book to write about it adequately. Its fruit is a driving desire to do penance, to pray, to fast and enter what I call the economy of God, which is what one priest told me is the Kingdom of God when I explained it. Think penance, prayer, sacraments, offering sacrifice, making reparation, indulgences, the 3 Churches (Church penitent, Church Militant, and Church Triumphant), risk, and putting God at the top of my priority list. The spiritual environment this gives me fills me with trust and I allow Him to dress me in clothes too big for me. How God wishes to win and triumph over the damage of sin in my life is by love. Love conquers all, it is transforming, and makes it easier to say no to sin.

So now you know me. My problem is the priest that I wrote extensively to about God’s work in my own life and how the Rosary was teaching me my faith has gone. I called him my spiritual guardian. But he is gone now. We have a new progressive priest. I am bothered by his progressive practices and wish to find another parish where the priest understands how to worship God first, the need I have to kneel when receiving Our Eucharistic Lord for it gives me time to enter adoration. It bothers me when he tells the congregation to kneel or sit for Eucharistic prayers. It bothers me that even though he allows kneeling to receive Our God, makes a point to always service the line first that he created when coming to this parish 4 months ago. So when those who kneel go back to their pew they have to climb over people who went through the line. We all knelt before this new priest came and the time spent for Holy communion was just as fast as it is for receiving Him in a rush in line. Priests have this fear of time. The time is the same for communicants to stand and wait for our God or kneel in adoration while waiting for our God and not worrying about if the line is moving or not. The line going back to the pews is more staggered while the line from the kneelers that surround the sanctuary are bunched together more because the priest moves faster going from kneeling communicant to kneeling communicant than waiting for each person to bow or prepare to receive Him. What bothers me is that this progressive priest takes away devotional practices that help us love God first. How can we be vessels of the Holy Spirit to the whole world without having a time of worshiping God first with few demands to grow in His love and learn to be cognizant of His interventions in our lives?

I don’t know. I wish I could find a priest who at least gave equal time to the line and to the kneelers. Better still who looked to the angels for right worship of God. Adoration of God crowds out sin and fancies of this world, teaches us we are sojourners called to higher purpose of a creative love honoring the one who knows how to bring it about which of course capitulates our own pride. Any thoughts about being both conservative and progressive?
 
If I understand then, you are upset that some people kneel and some sit during the lining up to receive communion? And that this causes logistical problems for people coming back to their seats?
 
Reading quite a few “I” statements, “I feel”, “I want”, “I dislike”.

Scratching my head at the “Conservative atypical charismatic” label, have to admit that is a brand new one.

And did I read it correctly, you feel God wants you do dress in clothes that do not fit you?

If your priest asks those who wish to receive while kneeling to do so either before of after those who stand, that is his prerogative and is likely meant to keep people from tripping over kneeling recipients. A mom balancing a kid in one arm and grasping a toddler by the other does not really need the added difficulty of the guy in front suddenly dropping to his knees.

Seems at best to be spiritual pride in these words and possibly some other emotional imbalance.
 
This just seems like your personal preference vs the pastor’s preferences. None of which have anything to do with a genuine relationship with God. But they are simply the ways in which you are most comfortable in your worship.

It’s not a good idea to put your piety in a practice. Just look at it as an opportunity for growth. BTW, I’m not particularly fond of change either, especially when I’m comfortable.
 
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The gist of this seems to be the new priest is not handling those who kneel for communion in the same way the previous priest did and this is making those who kneel feel pushed aside and have issues getting back to their pews.

I haven’t seen this before because when I’ve seen someone kneel for communion at a non-EF Mass, they generally kneel right at their spot in the line, rather than going off to a separate kneeler. That way they keep their place in line.

You have 2 choices: either discuss this with the priest (if others who kneel are also having an issue with the new system, maybe go as a group) as maybe he doesn’t realize there’s an issue, or else find a new parish that handles kneeling communicants better.

With respect to telling people to “kneel or sit” for Eucharistic prayers, does your church lack kneelers? Where there are no kneelers, people often stand for the prayers if they don’t feel able to kneel on the floor, so maybe he would want them to know they can sit if they need to, especially if he tends to pray long prayers. If you do have kneelers in the church, in my experience most people kneel, and the only sitters are those who have a physical condition making it hard or impossible to kneel.
 
To be dressed in clothes too big for me is a metaphor. It has to do with grace totally undeserved yet given as an invitation to grow spiritually. All the “I” statements is about a personal relationship which is what God is calling each of us to. In fact prayer is a dialogue with God in the real sense of the word. What bothers me about this new priest creating the line (we didn’t have a line before and it was much more orderly and reverent) is that he shows his preference for the line by never starting with the rail and so I have noticed those who go to the rail are fewer and fewer. The people follow the priest and he has made his preference known. All I wanted was equal treatment. I wish I could put into words how beautiful it is to receive in adoration if not for love then in reparation for the sins committed against His person. There are very few Catholic Churches that use the rail so until one starts doing it, they can’t really understand its’ beauty.
 
Kind of makes you wish there was a “communion rail section” for those who wish to kneel to receive communion, separate from the recipients who stand. A side aisle could be appointed with a “mini-rail” for use by those who desire to receive in this manner.
 
We do have a communion rail that divides the sanctuary from the congregation with comfortable cushions. The sanctuary is raised for a built in step to kneel upon. It appears we speak a different language. I suppose I was looking for some support but I’m more isolated than I thought. I did talk to this new priest and he said that we are totally different people but he will think about it. I’ve been going to an all Latin parish miles away for Sunday Mass where there is no problem. It is that our previous priest built an adoration chapel and the congregation has 24 hr adoration and being a poor parish cannot afford a gardener so I make sure there are flowers around the campus year long as an outward sign of my devotion to Our Eucharistic Lord. He once made it clear to me he wants to see my devotion. Besides if God is truly present, then shouldn’t the place he manifests Himself be the most beautiful place on earth? If that makes me emotionally unstable then may it all be for the glory of God. “Jesus, I Trust In You”
KS_Housewife
November 6 |
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Kind of makes you wish there was a “communion rail section” for those who wish to kneel to receive communion, separate from the recipients who stand. A side aisle could be appointed with a “mini-rail” for use by those who desire to receive in this manner. Visit Topic or reply to this email to respond.
In Reply To
wishingmary
November 5 |
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To be dressed in clothes too big for me is a metaphor. It has to do with grace totally undeserved yet given as an invitation to grow spiritually. All the “I” statements is about a personal relationship which is what God is calling each of us to. In fact prayer is a dialogue with God in the real s… Visit Topic or reply to this email to respond. To unsubscribe from these emails, click here.
 
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Charismatic in the sense of being awake in the Spirit. Atypical because I am following a little different path. I am following the charisms of St. Francis in the third orders. In other words I feel out of sorts with the Charismatics I know; though I admire them. It is like I don’t belong there. It doesn’t mean one way is better than another but that we are all created differently for different purposes. I’m being fashioned one way another still another way because the gifts vary. So that as a whole God can be forever adored, praised and given thanks in His Kingdom. “Jesus, I Trust In You”
 
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wishingmary said:
Any thoughts about being both conservative and progressive?
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“Progressive” and “conservative” are political terms, and shouldn’t be used to describe elements of the Faith. I know some folks who believe in certain “progressive” political elements (such as single-payer healthcare, gun control) yet partake in traditional devotional practices. Likewise “conservatives” who do not partake in traditional devotional practices.

You can always speak to your priest and ask about the possibility of certain devotional practices being introduced at the parish. It never hurts to communicate.
wishingmary said:
I am following the charisms of St. Francis in the third orders
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There is nothing atypical about this. Many who identify as “charismatic Catholics” have an affinity for Saint Francis of Assisi, and at times mendicant spirituality as a whole - especially thanks to the efforts from the fine folks at Steubinville.

You are not alone in being a “charismatic Catholic” with a love of Saint Francis.
 
wishingmary said:
Charismatic in the sense of being awake in the Spirit. Atypical because I am following a little different path. I am following the charisms of St. Francis in the third orders. In other words I feel out of sorts with the Charismatics I know; though I admire them. It is like I don’t belong there. It doesn’t mean one way is better than another but that we are all created differently for different purposes. I’m being fashioned one way another still another way because the gifts vary. So that as a whole God can be forever adored, praised and given thanks in His Kingdom. “Jesus, I Trust In You”
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Thank you for explaining it to me! So you´re a lay on a mystical path?
 
I suppose I opened a whole can of worms totally divergent from the purpose of this thread. A simple search of progressive vs conservative priests in the catholic church leads one to believe it is more than political; however, some of their wordiness makes me feel like I am looking at a forest but cannot see a single tree, calling progression of the heart and conservative of the head which surprised me. That thought made me think of Sts Peter & Paul with faith and works, now its heart and head? My use was based on impression of what I see and the need for a short title for this thread that rang true to me. I was awakened and feel His presence with me and so am charismatic but I’m not gregarious; my experience is more in my core that can keep me seated in prayer for hours; although can be overwhelming with joy at Holy Mass but not always. I have not arrived yet but in transformation you could say with staying close to the Sacraments, reading about the Saints, and sharing the treasury of the Church especially the Green Scapular and obtaining indulgences out of gratitude to God for His Church. It just seems to me that the progressive movement has forgotten our Treasury that is freely shared among the Latins and discarded by more “progressive” priests who say there is too much and they are private devotions that you can do if you want but are not necessary.
 
Thank you. I dearly appreciate my 3rd order and I fit in better with them than with the charismatics; that is why I called myself atypical. To have a Rule is a blessing of the highest order. It gives structure to grace and to our day to day lives, demanding obedience and so is a spiritual help to those who wish to embark on a most adventuresome walk we call the spiritual life. An added bonus is that a Rule of a professed offers 3x the grace on all spiritual matters of God, rare to find outside a first or second order. They are definitely understanding the significance of St. Michael when he had the 3 children kneel before receiving their God for the first time at Fatima.
 
Private devotions are not required. Let’s not bind people to things that are optional.
 
I have never heard that “a rule of a professed offers 3x the grace on all spiritual matters of God”? That is very interesting. Could you please show citations of this? Certainly a new one on me.
 
Where I learned of the extra grace received upon profession is found on the Tau Maria Franciscan website.
 
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