Mass Distractions: The Less Is More Principle [Akin]

[1neophyte]

I thought it was implied.

Nope.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

A priest giving a poor homily is doing his job. Nothing wrong with encouraging doing a better job.

There is something wrong when it was a good homily to begin with and it’s just Akin’s opinion that it was poor.

 

[babochka]

I don’t know what “candlemas” is, but I assume that it’s a tradition in that particular church that has an element of Christmas festivity to it. I’m sure that’s all the priest meant. In an case, laity don’t really need to memorize the dates of the liturgical calendar. It’s not a matter of salvation.

Edit: Just looked up “Candlemas” and it is in fact traditionally the 40th day of the Christmas-Epiphany season. In many countries, decorations are left up until Feb. 2nd, so your priest wasn’t wrong at all.

fisheaters.com/customschristmas1.html

The entire Christmas Cycle is a crescendo of Christ’s manifesting Himself as God and King – to the shepherds, to the Magi, at His Baptism, to Simeon and the prophetess, Anna (Luke 2). The days from the Feast of the Nativity to the Epiphany are known as “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” with Christmas itself being the first day, and Twelfthnight – 5 January – being the last of the twelve days. Christmastide liturgically ends on 13 January, the Octave of the Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ (at which time the season of Time After Epiphany begins). But Christmas doesn’t end spiritually – i.e., the celebration of the events of Christ’s life as a child don’t end, and the great Christmas Cycle doesn’t end – until Candlemas on 2 February and the beginning of the Season of Septuagesima.

In my parish, our Christmas decorations will remain up through Thursday. My priest mentioned last week that his neighbors are starting to look at him funny because he still has his Christmas lights on at home.

 

[PopePiusXIISupp]

Akin, imo is being too harsh on the priest. We as humans are fallible. We make mistakes. The pope doesn’t when declaring, dogma or canonizations. The Christmastide ends on the feast of the Presentation. Christmas literally ends on the Baptism which is a fairly new feast. The Epiphany was also the Theophany which is when Jesus revealed himself to the Gentiles (magi), At the wedding at Cana where He preformed His first miracle (world), and at His Baptism (Jews).

To be a Christian we must accept and believe ALL kerygma of the Faith. I know, it is a big word, so let me give some examples
Transubstantiation
Christ Miracles
Christ Teachings
Perpetual Virginity
etc…
Also all who are validly baptized are Catholic, but some reject the Church which make them heretics, schismatics, and/or apostates. The Church calls them our separated brethren for that reason.

Please do correct me if I am wrong on any of my information. That is all that I can think of.

 

[InThePew]

Taking Akin’s points in order:

Heart Trouble

IMHO it would be correct to say that the beatitudes for the core of the teachings of Jesus which is what of course the gospels are all about). Yes, the crucifixion / resurrection is obviously a fundamental part of our faith but, this is also true of Jesus teachings. Ultimately, though this is just a theological quibble - reasonable and learned minds may differ but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I think Akin is being pedantic here.

Ex cathedra

Akin is right on this - if anything it’s just confusing. Oddly enough, the priest at my parish last sunday said pretty much the same thing - relating it to Jesus “sitting down” in the gospel. I remember thinking at the time that it was an unnecessary (and possibly distracting) tangent.

Becoming a Christian

Again, I’m with Akin on this one - confidence and an absence of fear take time, but having said that, I’m not so sure that this is going to cause the congregation to become scrupulous! I read this part as being aspirational - it’s speaking of how we hope to be not necessarily of how we are now.

The End of Christmas

I’m pretty sure that the priest didn’t mean this literally - just like solemnities don’t literally interrupt Lent (it’s still Lent) but do sort of pause it. Okay it might have been better if the priest has said that it completes the Christmas season but regardless, I understand what he’s getting at.

Admittedly, over analysis of the theology in a homily is an easy trap to fall into - the more you know that worse it is! Still, while Akin probably struggles to avoid over analysing the sermon when he’s hearing it, that doesn’t justify blogging about it. Credit to the priest for making reasonable effort to work some halfway decent theology into his homily. not all priests are scholars and nor should we expect them to be. While it’s easy to criticise a homily, it’s actually a lot more difficult than most people realise to prepare and deliver one. As a friend of mine likes to say - if you can do it better, please do!

 

[Wesrock]

I’m surprised at the Candlemas slip. While there has been variations, there have been traditions of celebrating the Christmas season to Candlemas, favored by recent popes, even.

 

[Sirach2]

Taking Akin’s points in order . . .

While you’re “taking Akin’s points in order” …
Did you fail to notice his rant and displeasure over the first priest?

I was also grateful that he wasn’t the emotionally insecure, narcissistic priest who sometimes fills in
and makes himself the center of attention by pacing up and down the aisle and into the transepts, sometimes going as far back as*fourteen rows down the main aisle, so that he’s standing behind most of the congregation (and directly behind many of them)
as he** yells his scoldly, overwrought sermons **into the wireless mic.

Clearly, he demonstrates a lot of angst and verbiage against clergy that just don’t measure up to his standards.

 

[1neophyte]

While you’re “taking Akin’s points in order” …
Did you fail to notice his rant and displeasure over the first priest?

Clearly, he demonstrates a lot of angst and verbiage against clergy that just don’t measure up to his standards.

It’s more interesting to consider how Akin responds to “scoldy and overwrought” by becoming scoldy and overwrought himself.

 

[Sirach2]

 

[biffoqueen]

You could have done with less is more in regard to your own post to be honest. Why people think they know more than the priest is beyond me. I imagine you feel no priest is worthy to say mass for you. Pray for yourself and people around you.

 

[LiamQ]

I have to say, after some 10 or 12 years, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen from Jimmy. Are we sure someone hasn’t hacked his blog and posted this to make him look persnickety?

 

[Crusaderbear]

Priest 1 armchair critic 0.

 

[1neophyte]

I have to say, after some 10 or 12 years, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen from Jimmy. Are we sure someone hasn’t hacked his blog and posted this to make him look persnickety?

Sometimes it takes awhile for someone’s true colors to surface.

 

[Redd_Jackal]

At Our Lady of Chapped Hands, the pastor interrupts any casual conversations and prayer by telling all about the availability of Worship Aids and the inevitable “Sung Prayer” before inviting all to rise and greet one another. The invitational greeting goes on for about five minutes as the pastor proceeds to the back of the church, exchanging small talk with a few folks on the way.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

At Our Lady of Chapped Hands, the pastor interrupts any casual conversations and prayer by telling all about the availability of Worship Aids and the inevitable “Sung Prayer” before inviting all to rise and greet one another. The invitational greeting goes on for about five minutes as the pastor proceeds to the back of the church, exchanging small talk with a few folks on the way.

I won’t tell you that the Eastern Rite greets one another with a kiss during the sign of peace. I think your pastor is within liturgical norms to do what he is doing.

“All the brethren salute you. Salute one another with a holy kiss.” 1 Corinthians 16:20

 

[1neophyte]

At Our Lady of Chapped Hands, the pastor interrupts any casual conversations and prayer by telling all about the availability of Worship Aids and the inevitable “Sung Prayer” before inviting all to rise and greet one another. The invitational greeting goes on for about five minutes as the pastor proceeds to the back of the church, exchanging small talk with a few folks on the way.

“Bitter, party of one!”

 

[Dorothy]

Sometimes it takes awhile for someone’s true colors to surface.

We all need to pray for one another!

 

[Wesrock]

I have to say, after some 10 or 12 years, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen from Jimmy. Are we sure someone hasn’t hacked his blog and posted this to make him look persnickety?

We all have our off days. Being a more public figure means you get publicly judged more for having them. If Mr. Akin consistently posted like this, that’d ve something different.

 

[Tigre]

I thought the twist at the end was going to be where the author, having caught himself being hypercritical, notes that we have to resist the temptation to fall into distraction in the form of academic or liturgical criticism and instead remember that we are at Mass and the importance of what is happening. Odd blog post Jimmy.

 

[psalm90]

I’m confused about the application of the term “distractions.” What comes to my mind are the people who are walking around and talking before and during Mass.

The sermon on the mount is abstract and vague. It’s hard for me to grasp that a crowd of illiterate people could have absorbed all that Jesus was saying at that moment. Not that I’m denying it, but it’s hard for me to grasp.

I’m lost right off the bat on ‘poor in spirit’ as I have heard different priests give different interpretations to that phrase. The translation, perhaps, is not a good one (I wouldn’t know) – the best understanding I have, not quickly arrived at from a glance at the words, is that it refers to those who are not excessively or inordinately attached to material goods in the world – but who isn’t?

The title of this thread is misleading, too, I think. I’ve never heard of that maxim.

There’s no more fault in that homily than there is the the almost-mechanical, hasty recitation of the Creed and Lord’s prayer at Mass, or in a group recitation of the rosary. The prayers become distracting because “we’re on” to the next phrase before I’ve had more than a second to ponder what I just said.