Midnight Debacle, errrrr...I Mean Mass...GRRRRRRRR

This past Christmas morning at midnight, I had the dubious honor of assisting at Holy Mass at my parents parish.  Before I go on any sort of rant, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful and happy Christmas.  It is a joyful time of year and I hope that all Christmas wishes were fulfilled, both spritually and temporally!

However, a couple of things....first, the liturgical action was terrible.  Father decided that it would be best to have a single lamp (that's right, lamp) burning on the center of the altar.  He did this, because as you know the altar is simply a pedestal by which he is able to showcase those things which are important to the parish! Uh, NO.  The altar is the most sacred space in the parish church.  It is where God is called down from heaven and it is where the sacred action takes place.  Not so at Midnight Mass this year.  This year, the altar was a pedestal for a lamp; the flame burning in that lamp came from the Holy Land.  It came from Bethlehem. It made it's way to Jerusalem, then to Kennedy airport (we must mention the Kennedy name, they are the uber-Catholics in the USA) and finally to Des Moines, where a couple from Humboldt (who knows if they were Catholic, it was never spelled out) retrieved the flame, as it presumably made it's way around the world?  IDK?  That was never expounded upon either.

Now, all of this would have been fine, had Father placed this on a table or a stand away from the altar and told the same story.  He didn't.  he removed the candles from the altar and we, in effect had two sanctuary lamps.  This was his gift to the parish, so he claimed.

The altar is not, I repeat, not a table on which "things" can be set.  Father reduced the altar to the profane.  He took that thing which is to be the focal point of the Mass and he made it into a side table, so that he could tell his story during the homily.

I was saddened by this.

I was also saddened by the pride by which Father made his next statement.  He said that he was honored that he could celebrate Holy Mass with us.  What????  I can no more celebrate Mass than Mrs. Johnson in the next pew.  This is a clear theological error and one that I will bang the drum on until my dying breath.  The faithful are NOT ministerial priests.  The faithful HAVE A SHARE IN the royal priesthood, but that does not mean that the faithful are priests.  NO!!!!  The blurring of the line between the share in the royal priesthood and the ministerial priesthood must be corrected at all costs.  I will say this again and again and again....the priest celebrates the Mass, the faithful worship.  Let me say this again, the priest celebrates the Mass, the faithful worship.  Once more, the priest celebrates the Mass the faithful worship!

In short, this is not unique.  We must pray for our priests!  They need them.  Second, we must talk to our priests!  They need to know we care.  This isn't your mamma's Church, well it is, but if the liberals are hi-jacking it, we need to take it back.  We cannot sit idly by and allow this stuff to happen.  If you experienced something similar, you have recourse.  Start with your pastor.  If he won't listen, approach your bishop.  He is the supreme legislator of the liturgy.  He should be compelled to act.  If he won't listen, go to Rome.  You have recourse.  It is your Church as much as it is those who are hi-jacking it.  Stand firm, pray hard, and do what is necessary to defend 2000 years of orthodoxy.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Please Help!

I have a very close friend who is in need of prayers and support.  She is going through a very tough time and I would greatly appreciate any support one can give, prayerfully.

I am offering a novena to Our Lady of Good Counsel.

Please consider praying for her.  Thanks a bunch!!!!

Public Response to Fr. Z's "Liturgical Road Kill!!"

Over at WDTPRS, Fr. Zuhlsdorf rants about some pretty tough stuff...it prompted me to respond thusly and in full solidarity with his view.

This is a reflection from Monsignor Bandas in 1968...was he a prophet?  Read below:

A "spirit of the council" is genuine when it flows organically from, or is intrinsically connected with, a council decree or an official interpretation of the decree by the Holy See. A "spirit of the council" is spurious when it is opposed to a council decree or in no wise derives from it or is based upon it.

Here are a few practices now being introduced into parishes which have no basis in the council decrees and in some instances are in opposition to them. The council nowhere says:

1) That infant baptism is to be abolished; 2) That children's confessions are to be omitted before first Holy Communion and postponed several years beyond the age of reason; 3) That general confessions and general absolutions are to replace private individual confessions; Vatican II urges the frequent reception of the sacrament, points out the great value of the Sacrament of Penance for the religious life, urges priests to make themselves easily available for confessions, and orders pastors to call in outside priests who can hear confessions in the language of the people; 4) That preaching should be concerned exclusively with social problems and the brotherhood of man; on the contrary, bishops and priests should "point out the divinely revealed way to give glory to God and thereby to attain to eternal happiness;" 5) That main altars are to be dismantled or removed; the pastor is only the administrator, not the owner, of parish property; 6) That the altar railing and pulpit are to be removed from churches; 7) That statues and the Stations of the Cross are to be eliminated; 8) That daily Mass is to be abolished and replaced by a bible service; 9) That a plain table is to replace the main altar; 10) That the laity may recite the whole canon of the Mass with the celebrant; this was forbidden by the commission on the liturgy in April 1968; 11) That provisional, temporary, movable altars, facing the people, are to be set up in front of the main altar; on January 25, 1966, the commission on the liturgy ordered these removed; 12) That the Latin Mass, high Mass, and choirs have been abolished; 13) That the laity may crowd around the altar inside the sanctuary; the directions for the participated Mass presupposed that the lay people are in the body of the church; 14) That the priest may say Mass without the prescribed vestments, or without candles and a crucifix; 15) That selections from secular writing may be read at Mass; 16) That the celebrant is to leave the altar after the "Lamb of God" and shake hands with the people; 17) That women may assist at the divine services without a head covering; 18) That all Canon Law has been temporarily suspended; 19) That a priest may leave out or change or add any word to tell Mass prayers; 20) That a priest may smile while saying Mass and consecrating; that communicants may smile at the priest before receiving Holy Communion; that the celebrant may add the first name of the communicant to the communion formula; 21) That we must receive Holy Communion standing; we may receive kneeling or standing, but if we receive standing we must come in procession and make a "reverence" to the Blessed Sacrament before receiving the Eucharist; 22) That the celebrant may place the Sacred Host in the hands of the communicant who then communicates himself; 23) That Holy Communion may be given to non-Catholics; 24) That the celebrant may give the chalice at Holy Communion to whomever he wishes; 25) That in the Latin rite the celebrant may consecrate a whole loaf of bread or a bun; 26) That you may have hootenanny and rock rebellion Masses; 27) That priests and ministers may exchange places during divine services; 28) That we should stop making converts; 29) That devotion to Our Lady should be downgraded and de-emphasized; 30) That the Mass is a mere "meal;" 32) That Holy Communion is merely "holy Food;" 33) That Sisters and women may act as Rectors; 34) That private devotions, especially the Rosary, Holy Hour, Benediction and 40 Hours Devotion are no longer to be fostered; 35) That at the end of Mass the priest may say: "The Mass goes on forever; carry it with you into the world."

 How many of the 35 points have come to pass? Being the peritus to Archbishop Binz, he was there for the whole of the Council.  I would point you first, to read through Fr. Z's post...through the link, then look at #26.

I completely support Fr. Z and there is a reason some of us are from "The Farm."  What Fr. Z is speaking of is no joke.  What I am speaking of is no joke.  We need to take our Catholicity back!

Are You in the Fight? You Should Be...

A priest and I recently had a conversation about the reform of the reform.  He challenged me with this:

You are free to opt for the Extraordinary form, of course; but I have to tell it’s discouraging. Of course I am not faulting you; but those of us who are laboring to get things going the right way need help.

I answered him this way:
 

I have been in this fight since 1994. I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Hitchcock and his wife while at St. Thomas. It was after reading his book, “Recovery of the Sacred” that I decided to get involved. For these 18 years, I’ve been fighting the fight, but honestly, I’m discouraged.

Logic doesn’t apply
Law doesn’t apply
Reason doesn’t apply
(Often times) Faith doesn’t apply

I’ve written to my Ordinary. He says he’s supportive. I’ve written my pastor, he’s not. He refuses to engage the discussion. So, yes, it is discouraging. The hardest part is being one of the labourers who has sweat blood and that blood has fallen on rocky ground. Discouraging is a good word.

A slight bit of background….I am a graduate of The University of St. Thomas with a double degree in Theology and Catholic Studies. I have been trained by my mentor Mons. Richard Schuler (RIP) and our illustrious host to be an effective Master of Ceremonies. I have been summarily dismissed as being a nuisance from my pastor in Northern Iowa. I can guarantee you I have forgotten more about the structure, spirituality, and action of the Mass than the current “liturgist” and DRE at my home parish combined, yet I cannot help. Discouraging, yes. BTW, my knowledge of the liturgical action regarding the OF and EF are equal. I can move between both seamlessly. Moreso than 99% of priests…it’s just that I’m not ordained (that isn’t my vocation).

So, how can I help you? I want to. I want to be in the fight. But, since I can’t…I travel for Mass. I travel an hour and a half so I don’t have to be subjected to presence lights, and children’s liturgies on Sunday’s and music reminiscent of the musical RENT (check out Curtis Stephan’s new settings).

Unlike my writing style, which is very straightforward (thank you Mr. LaBounty, my composition teacher in high school), my personal demeanor is very soft spoken, but firm.

The reality is this…those of us who want to help are shut out. So now what? We resort to blogging and getting our message out that way so that others can pick up the slack where we can’t. So what do we do, because discouraging is the right word….moreso than a priest of your ilk, because you can change it all in the short time….we must simply endure homilies about Protestant ministers and Hindi clerics and Ghandi…..blech. We must simply endure pastel pinks and greens…blech. And we must simply endure being shut out, because we know too much.

Sorry about the rant…it has nothing to do with you, but why shouldn’t I shake the dust from my sandals and head for the TLM exclusively? I’d rather be a nameless face who can gain the greatest grace by assisting at a TLM from the back pew, as opposed to having Fr. Pastor strip graces away layer by layer, through abuse. Harsh….yes. I think it needs to be said.

The question I challenge each one of you to ask is the same one that I asked Father...So, how can I help?  We need to get into the fight.  We need to fight through the discouragement.  Am I discouraged?  Yes.  That is the honest answer.  Why?  Because I know too many people who know enough, but won't engage, because they "don't have the heart...," because they don't want to be "crucified," because they don't think they will "make a difference."  My challenge to them is...how do you know?

Like I said, I've been fighting the fight since 1994.  I've been bloodied.  I've been marginalized.  I've been embraced and later shunned.  I have the battle scars.  Currently, I'm pretty discouraged, but I'm not giving up...I'm recharging.  It is our role to do what is necessary to ensure we can worship properly.  So, let's take the Church back and do what is necessary.

Both/And...Either/Or...Again...

So, over at WDTPRS, I was reading a post by Fr. Z....here are parts of it....

Here is a serious insider-canon-ball post about something which nevertheless affects a great many people, since it deals with our liturgical worship, namely, the words by which the priest introduces the Lord’s Prayer.
In the new, corrected translation we see:

23. Then the Priest, with hands joined, says aloud:
At the Savior’s command
and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:

No leeway.  The priest is to say those words and not something else.  No freedom to ad lib.  We have to say the black and do the red.

[...]

Bottom line. The “liturgist” says that the rubrics in the most recent Roman Missal don’t have to be obeyed because of a letter from 1973. Wrong. The new rubrics have to be followed. 

I decided to respond to him in the comboxes, here is how I responded to him:

This seems to me, again….(sadly) of the problem we are faced with, as Catholics, because the rule of law has been reduced to a set of norms open to interpretation.

If liturgical law is to be followed, then it is to be followed. This makes assistance at the TLM very easy. It has the rule of law behind it and there are very precise and very clear instructions on how to follow the law, to the letter, so that the spirit might be found.

Since the musings of Bugnini have become forceful, the liturgical law has been abolished. It has been replaced with a set of instructions which are normative, but have nothing to support them lawfully. The rule of law has been removed, in favor of a guideline model.

Was this by design? I kinda think so. I think that this was one of the goals of Bugnini, et. al. I think that it was their intention to remove liturgical law from the equation, because it was too Catholic and interfered with the free form understanding of the institution narrative, which has come to replace the sacrificial action (in practice). The sacrifice is a very precise thing, where as the insitituion narrative is not.
This accomplishes 2 things IMHO; first, it makes it much easier for a Protestant to relate to the Mass without being offended, because it is not so legal and it is more “spiritual.” Second, it undermines the whole idea of the Mass being a consistent action.

If there is nothing holding a priest legally to the action, then what is holding the liturgist from doing what he or she wants in planning the priests moves according to his or her whims? Nothing.
Sure there is “the law.” But it gets back to what force does “the law” really have? A prime example…I wrote my bishop about abuses going on in my home parish. He responded that he was supportive of my position and that I contact the pastor. I contacted the pastor. I have heard nothing and the liturgy is just as nutty as the day I wrote the letter (maybe even moreso). It is clear that the pastor is “breaking the law,” but there is no recourse to it, is there?

So, while the faithful priest follows the rubrics of the Novus Ordo and tries to be faithful to what is written, there is nothing preventing him from not following the red…and simply making up his own black, save two phrases….because there is no ramification for his actions.

What am I getting at? So the liturgist invokes 1973. She or he is wrong. We all know that. We’ve consulted a canon lawyer. Now what? Father Pastor is going to continue to follow the liturgist, who is going to continue to live in 1973′s version and nothing changes.

This is why I slam so hard, every single time I get the chance that the new translation is all good and well, but it does no good unless there is a change in the application of liturgical law and the understanding of the importance of it. How does that come about? I think in two ways: first, it must be taught in the seminary that there is only one way to celebrate Holy Mass…do the red, say the black. End of Story. Second, the Ordinary must police his priests. It sounds harsh and probably a little petty, but I can guarantee you that if Father Pastor looks back to the Narthex and sees a flash of amaranth as he is facilitating liturgical dance, things will probably change. We don’t live in times where the Ordinary can simply trust the right thing is going on with regard to the liturgy. He must be proactive in doing something.  If he doesn’t…1973 will continue to be invoked and the both/and….either/or mentality of the instructions will continue. 

All of this begs the question….if the TLM has been faithfully celebrated (by and large) from 2007, why hasn’t the Novus Ordo been? And what is the real answer to that question….not the politically correct one?

I’m just sayin’….

Happy Wednesday

Not much news today....just kinda hanging out in the blogosphere...some things which caught my eye as I looked around...

1.  The Michael Voris issue with the Archdiocese of Detroit and RealCatholic TV
2.  The Iowa Caucus --  Santorum, a strong Catholic did very well...essentially won the Caucus (finished 2nd by 8 votes)
3.  The Holy Father is preparing to go to Cuba
4.  Understand your language...it does make a difference, not only in society, but in the life of the Church
5.  Pray.
----my intentions for today:  For my mother's continued recovery; For the unborn; for my friends who are coming into the Catholic Church from the Traditional Anglican Communion; for the reconciliation of the SSPX, soon and very soon; for the repose of the soul of Mons. Richard Schuler; for the ministry of Fr. Robert Altier; for the ministry of Fr. John Zuhlsdorf; for my parents home parish; for the intentions of my friends on facebook; for the ministry of Fr. Ramil Fajardo; and for a special intention kept close to my heart.  I have a list of perpetual intentions which I refer to daily, but the above listed are my named intentions for today.

I don't normally make it a habit of praying publicly, but I thought today was a good day to show my filial affection.  May God keep all of you close.

Wonderful News!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season.  I certainly did!!!  There were surprises, there were some great moments of fellowship and there were even a few good presents!  One my prayers for 2012 is that all of you have a year filled of grace, faith, and love.

That being said, I have a good friend, a very good friend who is an Anglican priest.  He has been given his nulla osta.  He has also received his notification that he will be abandoning his priesthood in three weeks!  This is absolutely wonderful news!!!!

In three weeks' time, he will be received into the Catholic Church as a layman.  He then will start down the road to becoming Catholic priest!  For my friends in Des Moines, I would love to ask you to please pray for him.  He is part of the Anglican Ordinariate!  His vocation is one which is a culmination of a lifetime of journey and growth in the truth of the Catholic religion.

Once I am able, I would ask that all of you please give his new parish a try! 

There is an authentic spirit of Tradition. 
There is an authentic spirit of Scripture. 
----Those are the foundations of Catholicism.

There is an authentic spirit of the Unity of the Church
There is an authentic spirit of the Holiness of the Church
There is an authentic spirit of the Catholicity of the Church
There is anauthentic spirit of the Apostolicity of the Church.
----Those are the pillars of the Church

Once St. Aidan's Anglican Church becomes St. Aidan's Catholic Church in a few months, I will post again about them.  I would implore all of my home school friends to take a look.  St. Aidan's is a very stong supporter of the home school movement.  The rector's family is home schooled and it is important, in my view, to welcome them and it provides every Catholic home school family a unique opportunity to be able to relate to the foundations and pillars of the Church.  It is a perspective which allows for the true and authentic expression of diversity to be applied.

May God keep all of you close.  I will keep you in my prayers during 2012!.  Please, I beg you, return the faovor in kind!