M
Miserissima
Guest
I’ve been parish shopping, which means that I’ve been going to different Catholic churches around town – and believe me, there’s no lack of them around here.
This Sunday I re-visited a local church with which I was relatively comfortable a few months ago. Granted, I went to a weekday Mass, but I was glad to see Tabernacle prominently displayed (on the main altar, no less) but as I left Mass this Sunday, I burst into tears on the way home. I railed, “They changed it all, and said that the changes had been instituted 30+ years ago – and tried to sell it to me as if I didn’t know any better!” Here’s my story:
People in the sanctuary didn’t genuflect, they bowed. I figured this was only a pet peeve of mine and these people didn’t know any better. I prayed for forgiveness for unintentional offences.
The homily was orthodox, although anecdotal. The priest tied together the theme of forgiveness, fatherliness, and how fathers can and should show the mercy we have read about in today’s scriptures, since they continue God’s work of creation here on earth. I was pleased.
Now, I specifically chose a seat away from clusters of people so I would have to assume the *Orans *posture during the Pater Noster. However, the lector sidled over the entire length of the pew to take my palm, even after I shook my head “no” with an apologetic smile.
And then it all seemed to spin out of control: people were invited to sing the doxology! The priest ad-libbed, “as we sing:” and the choir piped up with the people singing along until the Great Amen. I knelt with my mouth agape.
I grew up where it wasn’t a common occurrence to receive both species, so I denied taking the Precious Blood and returned to kneel at my pew. People came back and actually sat down and started conversations. Okay, I offered up another prayer against unintentional offences. But then I looked up and saw people – I counted six – taking the host from their hands and dipping it in the Precious Blood with no more reverence than if it were a crouton into salad dressing!
After the priest sat down, I sat back (with the rest of the congregation who was already sitting). Finally, Father invited the fathers to stand and prayed over them. After he was done, the church resounded with applause for these men.
But wait, it gets better. I brought all this up to the liturgist after the Mass. Regarding the congregation singing the doxology she said, “This is the way this parish has always done it since I’ve been here, and I don’t recall anything forbidding it.” I referenced GIRM 151 off the top of my head (since I’ve been to these forums and listening to CAL, I’ve learned so much). She replied that she’d have to “research that.”
I felt like a rat, but told her about people self-communicating. She glossed over it, though, by saying that a “Eucharistic minister cannot refuse to give communion, but she will talk to them.”
I suggested an announcement from the pulpit, a blurb in the bulletin to address it. Perhaps the extraordinary minister slightly lift up the precious blood, tell the communicant that the rubrics forbid self-intinction, and smile until the communicant does the right thing?
I asked if the church still used the sanctus bells, and she told me that no, since it was a carry over from the days when the Mass was in Latin, which the people didn’t speak, so the bells were used to draw people’s attention to something very important that was going on. Now, when I go back to my New England home, we still use the bells at the consecration.
Finally, I asked about not genuflecting to Jesus in the tabernacle. She said that during the Mass, the altar table becomes our focus, not the tabernacle. I replied – as gently as I could – that yes, **during **the Mass the table represents Christ – the cornerstone of the Church. However, before and after Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is in repose in the tabernacle, and GIRM 274, 275 instructs us to genuflect. She cited that people may be following the lead of the elderly, who cannot genuflect, but only bow.
On the drive home I thought of some retort like, “I don’t recall why you didn’t genuflect once when you were traipsing all over the sanctuary before Mass to check credence table,” and prayed to God to forgive my uncharitable thoughts.
Ultimately, I grew up post VII and we kept the bells and smells. I can deal with the women in tube tops and the altar servers in sandals. I can deal with the guitars. But don’t mess with he liturgy. People did not say the prayers of the priest, and we genuflected. And the liturgist acted as if I had an outmoded idea of what Mass was about. I’m still livid.
So, I’m tired of parish shopping. This was the last straw for me. If you live in my area and are aware of a *Novus Ordo *Mass that isn’t filled with liturgical abuses, please contact me and tell me where you go to church. I will meet you there on Sunday.
This Sunday I re-visited a local church with which I was relatively comfortable a few months ago. Granted, I went to a weekday Mass, but I was glad to see Tabernacle prominently displayed (on the main altar, no less) but as I left Mass this Sunday, I burst into tears on the way home. I railed, “They changed it all, and said that the changes had been instituted 30+ years ago – and tried to sell it to me as if I didn’t know any better!” Here’s my story:
People in the sanctuary didn’t genuflect, they bowed. I figured this was only a pet peeve of mine and these people didn’t know any better. I prayed for forgiveness for unintentional offences.
The homily was orthodox, although anecdotal. The priest tied together the theme of forgiveness, fatherliness, and how fathers can and should show the mercy we have read about in today’s scriptures, since they continue God’s work of creation here on earth. I was pleased.
Now, I specifically chose a seat away from clusters of people so I would have to assume the *Orans *posture during the Pater Noster. However, the lector sidled over the entire length of the pew to take my palm, even after I shook my head “no” with an apologetic smile.
And then it all seemed to spin out of control: people were invited to sing the doxology! The priest ad-libbed, “as we sing:” and the choir piped up with the people singing along until the Great Amen. I knelt with my mouth agape.
I grew up where it wasn’t a common occurrence to receive both species, so I denied taking the Precious Blood and returned to kneel at my pew. People came back and actually sat down and started conversations. Okay, I offered up another prayer against unintentional offences. But then I looked up and saw people – I counted six – taking the host from their hands and dipping it in the Precious Blood with no more reverence than if it were a crouton into salad dressing!
After the priest sat down, I sat back (with the rest of the congregation who was already sitting). Finally, Father invited the fathers to stand and prayed over them. After he was done, the church resounded with applause for these men.
But wait, it gets better. I brought all this up to the liturgist after the Mass. Regarding the congregation singing the doxology she said, “This is the way this parish has always done it since I’ve been here, and I don’t recall anything forbidding it.” I referenced GIRM 151 off the top of my head (since I’ve been to these forums and listening to CAL, I’ve learned so much). She replied that she’d have to “research that.”
I felt like a rat, but told her about people self-communicating. She glossed over it, though, by saying that a “Eucharistic minister cannot refuse to give communion, but she will talk to them.”
I suggested an announcement from the pulpit, a blurb in the bulletin to address it. Perhaps the extraordinary minister slightly lift up the precious blood, tell the communicant that the rubrics forbid self-intinction, and smile until the communicant does the right thing?
I asked if the church still used the sanctus bells, and she told me that no, since it was a carry over from the days when the Mass was in Latin, which the people didn’t speak, so the bells were used to draw people’s attention to something very important that was going on. Now, when I go back to my New England home, we still use the bells at the consecration.
Finally, I asked about not genuflecting to Jesus in the tabernacle. She said that during the Mass, the altar table becomes our focus, not the tabernacle. I replied – as gently as I could – that yes, **during **the Mass the table represents Christ – the cornerstone of the Church. However, before and after Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is in repose in the tabernacle, and GIRM 274, 275 instructs us to genuflect. She cited that people may be following the lead of the elderly, who cannot genuflect, but only bow.
On the drive home I thought of some retort like, “I don’t recall why you didn’t genuflect once when you were traipsing all over the sanctuary before Mass to check credence table,” and prayed to God to forgive my uncharitable thoughts.
Ultimately, I grew up post VII and we kept the bells and smells. I can deal with the women in tube tops and the altar servers in sandals. I can deal with the guitars. But don’t mess with he liturgy. People did not say the prayers of the priest, and we genuflected. And the liturgist acted as if I had an outmoded idea of what Mass was about. I’m still livid.
So, I’m tired of parish shopping. This was the last straw for me. If you live in my area and are aware of a *Novus Ordo *Mass that isn’t filled with liturgical abuses, please contact me and tell me where you go to church. I will meet you there on Sunday.