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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Correspondence with a Priest	Joe	Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Question: I recently had some correspondence with my Pastor who in the past has discouraged frequent Confession. His text is in quotations. What are your thoughts about what he has to say? "The rubrics of the Mass (from the Latin word meaning red -the color the instructions are written in in the sacramentary) are not unidimensional. There are many options, indigenizations and cultural adaptations. The Tridentine Mass was frozen for about 4 centuries, but that is only a small fraction of our 2000 year history as a Church. it is no more sacred or special or magical than other liturgical uses that the Church relied upon for worship in its time. In fact, in proportion, the Tridentine rubrics are the anomaly, not the norm." Why can't people leave well enough alone? "If they had, we would still be gathering in people's homes, speaking in Aramaic and making the prayers and actions up as we went along - just as the apostle's did in the first century and the various communities did for the next 9 centuries. Liturgy and worship are not static, they are organic and living, which also means changing. To attempt to petrify words and actions is what magicians do - it is superstition. We are not Harry Potter's Hogwart's where one learns incantations and gestures by wrote. Someone from apostolic times would be aghast at our "temples" and rituals and vesture and would conclude from their faith experience that we were closer to the pagans (who put great stock in such things) than we were to the Jesus of the Upper Room. God doesn't stop interacting with us." The Mass is a sacrifice, not a Broadway Production. It isn't meant for our entertainment. "Actually, it is meant precisely for that - not in the definition of distraction, but in the definition of being performed (which is the technical term for what one does in liturgy) to engage the whole person, body and mind and spirit. It is an holistic participation. Remember that secular theatre had its roots in the morality plays of the Middle Ages that were enacted in the Church. And the Mass is not only the re-enactment of the Sacrifice of Calvary, but also of the Eucharistic meal of the Last Supper. To exclude either dimension means that one is not truly Catholic. It is not either/or, but always both/and to be true to the great gift that Christ gave us of Himself not only as our redeemer, but as our food and sustenance. It may be difficult for us who live only one lifetime - 70 years more or less - to appreciate that our experience is fleeting compared to what the Church as the body of Christ has experienced in two millennia in every land and culture. Tradition has a capital T for the Church, and to be authentic must include all that God has given us and wants from us. I sympathize with the emotional longings of individuals for "stability" in their expression of faith and worship, but God has lots of children who have lots of different needs and He has tried through the ages and places to provide for each of us. Remember, the meaning of Catholic is "universal" not "uniformity". My words may not be very consoling to you, but they are authentic and accurate."
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Joe: Well, my first reaction is that this priest is an idiot. The rubrics of the Mass cannot be changed by anyone, not even a priest, on his own authority, according to the Vatican II Fathers. There are options in the rubrics, but the only options available to a priest are those written in the Sacramentally. He may not do ANYTHING outside those official options. As for the Mass being entertainment, what can I say. That is such a load of nonsense as to be beyond words to respond. "To perform" does not mean "entertainment". Is this guy literate? A surgeon "performs" brain surgery. Is that entertainment? The Mass is performed, but it is not entertainment. The meaning of Catholic is universal. We are universally uniform in our faith. That uniformity is regulated by the Holy See, and secondarily by the local bishops. We are to be in UNION with the Holy See. Those who seek to be hetero-form are in DISunion with the Holy See and thus not authentically Catholic. While indeed there are local and cultural differences and needs, those variances may NOT be reflected in liturgy except as authorized by the Holy See. This priest's words are NOT authentic and are NOT accurate. Perhaps he needs to be re-educated. God bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Correspondence with a Priest

Joe

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Question:

I recently had some correspondence with my Pastor who in the past has discouraged frequent Confession. His text is in quotations. What are your thoughts about what he has to say?

"The rubrics of the Mass (from the Latin word meaning red -the color the instructions are written in in the sacramentary) are not unidimensional. There are many options, indigenizations and cultural adaptations. The Tridentine Mass was frozen for about 4 centuries, but that is only a small fraction of our 2000 year history as a Church. it is no more sacred or special or magical than other liturgical uses that the Church relied upon for worship in its time. In fact, in proportion, the Tridentine rubrics are the anomaly, not the norm."

Why can't people leave well enough alone?

"If they had, we would still be gathering in people's homes, speaking in Aramaic and making the prayers and actions up as we went along - just as the apostle's did in the first century and the various communities did for the next 9 centuries. Liturgy and worship are not static, they are organic and living, which also means changing. To attempt to petrify words and actions is what magicians do - it is superstition. We are not Harry Potter's Hogwart's where one learns incantations and gestures by wrote. Someone from apostolic times would be aghast at our "temples" and rituals and vesture and would conclude from their faith experience that we were closer to the pagans (who put great stock in such things) than we were to the Jesus of the Upper Room. God doesn't stop interacting with us."

The Mass is a sacrifice, not a Broadway Production. It isn't meant for our entertainment.

"Actually, it is meant precisely for that - not in the definition of distraction, but in the definition of being performed (which is the technical term for what one does in liturgy) to engage the whole person, body and mind and spirit. It is an holistic participation. Remember that secular theatre had its roots in the morality plays of the Middle Ages that were enacted in the Church.

And the Mass is not only the re-enactment of the Sacrifice of Calvary, but also of the Eucharistic meal of the Last Supper. To exclude either dimension means that one is not truly Catholic. It is not either/or, but always both/and to be true to the great gift that Christ gave us of Himself not only as our redeemer, but as our food and sustenance.

It may be difficult for us who live only one lifetime - 70 years more or less - to appreciate that our experience is fleeting compared to what the Church as the body of Christ has experienced in two millennia in every land and culture. Tradition has a capital T for the Church, and to be authentic must include all that God has given us and wants from us. I sympathize with the emotional longings of individuals for "stability" in their expression of faith and worship, but God has lots of children who have lots of different needs and He has tried through the ages and places to provide for each of us.

Remember, the meaning of Catholic is "universal" not "uniformity".

My words may not be very consoling to you, but they are authentic and accurate."

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Joe:

Well, my first reaction is that this priest is an idiot.

The rubrics of the Mass cannot be changed by anyone, not even a priest, on his own authority, according to the Vatican II Fathers. There are options in the rubrics, but the only options available to a priest are those written in the Sacramentally. He may not do ANYTHING outside those official options.

As for the Mass being entertainment, what can I say. That is such a load of nonsense as to be beyond words to respond. "To perform" does not mean "entertainment". Is this guy literate? A surgeon "performs" brain surgery. Is that entertainment? The Mass is performed, but it is not entertainment.

The meaning of Catholic is universal. We are universally uniform in our faith. That uniformity is regulated by the Holy See, and secondarily by the local bishops. We are to be in UNION with the Holy See. Those who seek to be hetero-form are in DISunion with the Holy See and thus not authentically Catholic.

While indeed there are local and cultural differences and needs, those variances may NOT be reflected in liturgy except as authorized by the Holy See.

This priest's words are NOT authentic and are NOT accurate. Perhaps he needs to be re-educated.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.