That’s the key. It’s not ancient and traditional in the Roman Rite. It’s been inserted, in disobedience, into that rite.
- Kneeling as a reverential act: Gone.
- Having someone place the host on your tongue as an act of humilty: Gone.
- Symbolically saying you’re not even worthy enough to touch the Host with your hand, as act of humilty: Gone.
To
change to standing up, into your hand, in a queue, from a layperson says Communion is not such a big deal any more.
For the record, which rites, of the 20(?) or so, of the Eastern Catholic Church, have CITH, standing, as the norm, from ancient times? And why should we copy them?
The attitude that the bishops are the ones who define rubrics, and the laity respect their authority…Gone?
I think the oldest tradition is that when the bishops permit something, the laity doesn’t pretend to know better, or try to add something to the teaching of the successors of the Apostles…that is, those successors whom the Almighty actually chose for us, in our own time. That’s the hand we were dealt, and the cards are from God. Even St. Paul recognized this, and he was a bishop, and
he knew he was right. He still went to Jerusalem and made his case. He would have abided by whatever decision was handed down, because he trusted that God would guide the Apostles to the right.
Defining what is allowed by the rubrics
is our heirarchy’s perogative, part of their office in which they act with the headship of Christ. Each bishop is the chief liturgist of his diocese. There is a reason these men aren’t elected by the laity.
The last time I went to Mass, there was still kneeling and genuflecting. There was a bow to the Blessed Sacrament before reception. It is incorrect to say that kneeling and reverential acts are gone, just because they are not the acts one personally finds the most edifying.
The Mass was entirely in obedience to our archbishop and to Rome!
I am all for communicating with the heirarchy about what we find edifying and reverent, what we find distressing or distracting, and ardently praying and seeking permission to preserve that which is most valuable. That is proper to our place as laity. We aren’t meant to simply turn off our hearts and minds off and keep our mouths shut. Part of their discernment requires them to hear us. (The parable of the widow who took on the judge comes to mind.)
I think we have to draw the line, though, at trying to pretend that God made a mistake in putting the bishops we have in charge instead of one of us…which I think saying that what Rome currently allows is disobedient absolutely does. I cannot see how that is defensible in the name of guarding the ancient expression of our humility, of all things! Being our own guides leads to the the thinking that got Martin Luther in such trouble, the kind of thinking that is getting those Roman Catholic Womenpriests in such trouble.
Should we copy them? That is ground on which angels fear to tread.
I think the traditional Catholics who have remained respectful of the heirarchy for this past half century, even when it hurt to do so, did the right thing. Yet they did not give up, either. That was a tremendous example. We should imitate them…and if you
are them, you should not grow weary of doing what is right.
It is a profound shock for a Western Catholic to hear this, as accustomed as we are to democracy, free speech, and voting with our feet and our dollars, but there is a real limit to how important our opinions are, in any cosmic sense. When it is God’s opinion we carry, we can be sure that God will not find our humility and profound respect in dealing with our bishops any handicap. God never finds virtue a handicap, or gives us an end which requires us to depart from his virtues as a means.
There is the practical issue that lack of humility in pursuing something with the bishops leads to the impression that we are on our own mission, not God’s. With humility, however, you never know. You may get a tilma full of roses in February to make your case for you. No matter what, though, never lose faith that His means are the right means. Abraham didn’t see the answer to God’s promise to him, either, but God always comes through.
