Very true. Our pastor elevates the Most Sacred Body and Most Precious Blood for a LONG time. It’s great to have the time to tell Jesus how much you love Him. Our parochial vicar doesn’t elevate it at all at the weekday mass! I thought you had to do so. Why the pastor allows it to happen is beyond me.
Traditionally Catholic churches face east (the altar-front of the church, is east). When a mass is said “ad orientem” everyone, including the priest is facing the same direction. When we pray to the East we aren’t facing Rome or Jerusalem, we are facing the rising sun, as Jesus is our rising sun.
As far as Las Vegas, I have no idea, as I have no idea where you obtained your information. But I live in the Diocese of Rockford, one that has strong vocational output, and we don’t kneel for Communion, except at St. Mary’s Oratory.
The nature of the AREA of Las Vegas is not conducive to vocations, but I defy anyone to prove that this is the fault of the liturgies offered here (there are two parishes where abuses are common, but only two: in the others, Mass is celebrated with reverence). Our Masses are packed and parking is difficult to find (people come 30 min. early to get a seat), and there is always a long line for confession, even at one of those parishes where abuse is visible in the Mass (at the other, confession isn’t even offered, you have to make an appointment). Our former parochial vicar (now a pastor elsewhere in the diocese) is an apologist for EWTN. This isn’t, as far as Catholicism is concerned, the heartland of liberalism (that lies to the west, in an archdiocese that will go unmentioned). My point is that nowhere here, or anywhere else I’ve been to Mass, are people attempting to kneel for communion (for example). True, it isn’t on offer, not even in the one church in the city that could accommadate it, Saint Joan’s, but neither is anyone pushing for it. If they were, I would call that a trend (here, at least) and I don’t believe that it’s a “trend” elsewhere. I think that there are pockets where it happens, but that’s it. Understand, I don’t have a problem with kneeling for communion or ad orientum, etc. (though I prefer to rec. in the hand and under both of the Sacred Species, which can get you scorched on some of these threads), I just don’t see the tide turning toward that, not in dioceses, not at eucharistic congresses, etc.
That’s one, then. Hardly a landslide. She wasn’t refused, was she?
I guess the point I would make is this: I don’t see a trend and I don’t think a trend is on the way. As for the Holy Father, I think he may well celebrate the TLM ad orientum, just as he might celebrate the Divine Liturgy. I don’t think he’s going to mandate this for the whole of the Church, I don’t think he’s going to mandate more Latin, except maybe to encourage us to do the sung parts in Latin, memorize the Ave and Pater in Latin, etc., or any of those things. I think he’s going to continue to leave it up to individual episcopal conferences, as has been done, and the change will only come IF more “traditional” bishops are appointed (and please note the recent appointment to the See of San Francisco. The Holy Father can only work with the material he’s given). I think he’s going to encourage, teach against, and plead for a cessation of the more overt abuses, but in the end, it’s the bishops, in and out of conference, who are going to make the difference. Why? Because that’s just how it is! They’re not all Busekwicz (sp), or Burke, or Chaput, or Gomez (more’s the pity). And under those bishops, no one nor any parishes have gone wholesale “traditional.” We should just thank God that they’re not all Mahoneys or Weaklands, etc.
I attend a parish where it’s optional and we still have a kneeling rail. Our old pastor used to use it exclusively but once he retire, it became optional and many stopped using it. Depending on which Mass you go to, no more than half do it. At one Mass there was only a few of us. Of course, they still require it at the TLM unless there is some infirmity
I knew I could find it. From Cardinal Ratzinger’s Spirit of the Liturgy, page 83:
“Ought we really to be rearranging everything all over again? Nothing is more harmful to the liturgy than a constant activism, even if it seems to be for the sake of genuine renewal.” (emphasis mine)
He goes on to suggest that, in lieu of repositioning altars, a more practical solution would be to place a crucifix in the middle of the altar, making it the common focus of both priest and people.
Of course, he did write that as a Cardinal. Perhaps now that he is actually in a position to do something about the direction of liturgical prayer, he may reconsider.
However, he seems to me a very prudent man, not prone to grand gestures and sweeping changes. I’d get used to the Pauline Mass facing the people because, in my opinion, it’s here to stay.
For now.
Exactly. For all the “wrong” direction that anyone might perceive the liturgy to have taken in the years since the council, the one thing any observer would take away in terms of understanding is that change equals upheaval. I’m betting (I do live in Vegas, after all) that the Pope DOESN’T want more of the same. I think he’ll fix the obvious abuses ( I hope so) and that he’ll engage in a lot of teaching about the liturgy, but I don’t think we’re going to wake up in August of this year or next or five years from now and find all the masses in the world are now ad orientem and in Latin. Let’s just hope that in August of this year or next or five years from now we’re not enduring paraphrased canons without male prounouns in which the Most Precious Blood, consecrated in flagons, is presented to the faithful by a radical feminist lesbian nun dressed in a body stocking because she also lead the liturgical dance up the aisle to “Gather Them In.”I knew I could find it. From Cardinal Ratzinger’s Spirit of the Liturgy, page 83:
“Ought we really to be rearranging everything all over again? Nothing is more harmful to the liturgy than a constant activism, even if it seems to be for the sake of genuine renewal.” (emphasis mine)
He goes on to suggest that, in lieu of repositioning altars, a more practical solution would be to place a crucifix in the middle of the altar, making it the common focus of both priest and people.
Of course, he did write that as a Cardinal. Perhaps now that he is actually in a position to something about the direction of liturgical prayer, he may reconsider.
However, he seems to me a very prudent man, not prone to grand gestures and sweeping changes. I’d get used to the Pauline Mass facing the people because, in my opinion, it’s here to stay.
For now.
I agree completely. No one can see the future. All we can do is speculate.
“We must always and forever have an audible Canon” could be a strongly stated opinion. “We WILL always and forever have and audible Canon” is just whistling in the wind…it seems to this throne bearer.
JKirkLVNV said:“We must always and forever have an audible Canon” could be a strongly stated opinion. “We WILL always and forever have and audible Canon” is just whistling in the wind…it seems to this throne bearer.
Yup, at 6:30 AM…if it’s any consolation, I do it quietly…and I’ve NEVER raised my hands toward priest or altar.Perhaps you are correct, Kirk.
Your distinction will give me much to ponder during my blessedly silent Canon at tomorrow am’s Mass.
You could ponder it too but you’ll probably be proclaiming a Mystery of Faith or some such.
