When I started writing this blog at the beginning of last summer, I chose a pen name that was intended to remind me of what I am - dust. Several comments on "Way of Life" have caused me to regret writing that post describing a Saturday evening Mass at an unnamed church in Kansas City and it has been deleted. The critical comments were well-deserved. Even though my post is deleted, I am attaching the reader comments to the "Way of Life."
Readers noted that I misinterpreted "way of life" in the Eucharistic Prayer to include a homosexual way of life. I also typed "Latin" instead of "Greek" in reference to Kyrie Eleison. I focused on people's dress (jeans, in particular) that seemed to indicate a lack of reverence in church, and I admit this judgment does not consider what is in a person's heart and intention before God. My post did refer to administering the Sacrament of the Sick to most of the people in the church, including those not yet 40 years old, and I am still concerned about that. The almost exclusive white race in churches that I visited is also still a concern to me.
Some of the reviewer comments also apply to my other posts on churches that I have visited in the past month. I will leave these posts up, and welcome any other criticisms. For the deleted post that aroused righteous indignation, I admit my faults and sins.
ROME 24/4– Day 30: Let there be LIGHT!
5 hours ago
7 comments:
I was enjoying this series of yours so much and am sorry it has come to such a sad and sudden conclusion (although I understand why and agree that your early dismissal from this Mass was appropriate).
The rest of what I want to say I will email you soon. ...wolftracker
There are certainly some bad translations from Latin to English. According to http://www.litcom.net.au/liturgy_lines/displayarticle.php?llid=424, the eucharistic prayers for reconciliation were composed in 1974. I looked for the original Latin but could not find it, but my understanding (and obviously liturgical language shouldn't be so imprecie) is "way of life" means vocation or work that I do to support myself - carpenter, bricklyaer, banker, doctor, etc., not as in the sense that you apparently saw it. ...Anonymous
Madam,
You are no doubt pious, prayerful and devout but in literally allowing yourself as an exercise to pick apart liturgies—going to the extreme of commenting on racial makeup and the precise amount of denim—worn well, not or torn—(I say this hating every stitch of denim I see) you have definitely opened yourself to the wiles of Satan to see MOST ESPECIALLY WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS the worst in every liturgy and to zero in on those evils. Yes, it exists, all too frequently, tragically and sadly, but you, who are so illiterate at knowing the Mass as to relate the following: “The Latin hymn, Kyrie Eleison, was led by a young choir director whose masculine voice was a clear asset to the music in the Mass” should really read up on the Mass parts. “Kyrie Eleison” is Greek, not Latin and it is most certainly not a hymn. You have so sadly set yourself up to believe always the worst. I, who fight daily this sick, perverted sexual culture that tries to force us to accept perversities of all kinds do not believe for an instant that the “Eucharistic Prayer for Masses of Reconciliation II” in the 1985 published English-language Sacramentary that does, indeed, read, “gather people of every race, language, and WAY OF LIFE” refer to even in an alluded way the homosexual or other sexually perverted lifestyle. The wording is ill-chosen and undoubtedly does not reflect the original meaning clearly, but I would hazard it was meant to refer to vocation or trade in life. You sadly had become so worked up in your righteous disgust for the erroneously distributed Anointing of the Sick that you chose to believe the worst of all possible scenarios about this Eucharistic Prayer.
There are priests like myself who long for beautiful liturgies, do everything they can to exhort their flocks to appreciate them, sing the Latin, etc. I ask you to pray for us who despite our best, untiring efforts put up with liturgies that are often unappealing in the music, etc. and put up with much to bring God’s Holy Word to others.
There is nothing like the Roman Canon, but it is suggested that we use the Eucharistic Prayers of Reconciliation during Lent. Please respect that, no matter how much you dislike the Prayer.
May God bless and reward you for your goodness, ...RM
I alway say this, but I don't always follow it myself, but have you talked with that priest? I am sure it would not do any good, but who knows? Sometimes the priest only surrounds himself with people who agree with him.
I once challenged a priest on what I was seeing and hearing here in town. I did change my parish. A few years later, he told me what I said to him had an impact and he had changed! I would certainly pray before you speak to the priest, though, so you know your message is first couched in the Holy Spirit and you go with right intentions. But if it bothered you enough to leave, you need to voice your concerns. ...Radical Catholic Mom
Dusty,
I also at one time allowed myself to pick apart liturgies. I found myself not being able to focus at Mass due to numerous issues with the laity, priests, 10+ Eucharistic Ministers, the cantor that felt that moving her hands up would get us to sing the crappy St. Louis Jesuit music, the rock band, the "bell choir", horrible translations, touchy feely homilies and the 100 other things that made the Mass entertainment driven rather than God driven. I left... I went to an Indult Mass and haven't looked back since.
The beauty of an Indult (or SSPX for that matter) is that I found I didn't have to worry about all the other "stuff" because it wasn't there. My occasion of sin wasn't there... Why wasn't it there, of course the liturgy doesn't allow for it, but more so that the Priests who preside over the Mass wouldn't allow it. They take their responsibility seriously and don't let a bunch of lay leaders run the show. They are men.
Father "RM" is right that we should pray for priests like him. For they are the only ones in aposition to fix it, but don't.
You can't fix it, I can't fix it, only they can fix it.
You do a great job with this blog ! thank you very much, it is always interesting. Sursum corda !
Dear Dusty,
I think you are far, far from judgmental. Unfortunately evil works in subtle and incremental ways. A little indication here, a little leeway granted there and the next thing you know no one believes in the Real Presence and the local Mass is invalid.
A friend recently sent me a quote about how one should never criticize a priest or bishop from St. Francis de Sales and I'm starting to wonder if these quotes are being taken out of context. The original context being that the people were criticizing priests and bishops for teaching and upholding the truth. Whereas now the criticism is for a lack of faithfulness to the truth.
I'm getting suspicious of these people- their motives- and the effect it will have.
Sorry to be so longwinded.
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