S
scoobydoo6v92
Guest
Dear Father:
Respectfully,
Code:
I am from Missouri doing an electrical contract in Ames, IA and staying in Ankeny. I mean no disrespect in asking this question. Why did I not notice a crucifix on the altar and the one used in the processional and recessional occasion was more a plus sign than even a cross? I believe, even though it is often abused, the Novus Ordo rubrics still require a crucifix when saying Mass along with the candles.
Perhaps it was there and went unnoticed by me as the Church was quite crowded. I am a 66 year old cradle Catholic and maybe I would be considered a reactionary geezer Catholic. The cross carried in your processions is so Protestant that it was a distraction and inappropriate in my opinion. Please bear with me but let me say in the past 12 years I have done jobs for the Federal government in states all over the nation. The variety of do your own thing Masses that I have seen have bordered on or crossed over the line of blasphemy. This is not the case in your Church but I could name some if you like.
I was an undergraduate in Villanova when Vatican II was being conducted and being a wide eyed immature mind thought wow vernacular Mass would be great. In retrospect I must agree with Ottaviani and LeFebvre that if you fool with the Mass and the unity it provides bad things will happen. Over the years the Mass had morphed into something that little resembles the reverence and wonder of the Mass of Pius V. If the only thing that changed was the language it would have been sufficient.
We come to Mass looking like we are going to a tailgate party in the parking lot. The Latin Mass was full of wonder, awe, and high reverence with actual real music not the insipid tunes of Haugan and Hass. The Mass of my youth made you feel the presence of the Lord and helped seal the belief that Christ was there body, soul, and Divinity in the bread and wine. We wanted to become so relevant to the age that we threw our icon of unity out window.
The homilies in most Catholic Churches are predominately focused on the gospel and other readings. That would be great for a people who were well versed in the basics of their faith. Most of our pew dwellers haven’t gone to parochial schools at any level. They may have had a slice of Sunday schools but seem to be confused about the Moral Theology as well as the doctrine of the Church. Sure they say the Creed but do they really understand what they are saying. One would have to question it when anecdotally we can look at Rhode Island 60% Catholic, Massachusetts 50% Catholic, New Jersey 31% Catholic, New York 29%, Pennsylvania 26% etc. All of these states are at the lead in every perversion one could imagine including being leaders in promoting abortion, homosexuality and the list goes on. If the Catholics knew and lived their faith these states would be bright lights to the whole world. Sadly your State went for Obama the greatest enemy the unborn have known and Catholics could have made the difference.
My point is that priests, even at the risk of offending weak Bishops, must become teachers of the basics of our faith and morals first and foremost. It is appropriate and true to say that a Catholic who voted for Obama has committed a mortal sin unless they were invincibly ignorant. How could they be invincibly ignorant if they are in Church every week? That could only be true if the leaders were not feeding the sheep as Christ instructed.