Latin Mass and baseball

Thanks to St. Louis Catholic by way of Kansas City Catholic for this story from the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch about this weekend's ordination of two priests for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. Archbishop Burke will celebrate the ordinations using the Traditional Latin Rite. This will be the first time that the TLM has been used for an ordination Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in 40 years.

Now to the baseball part. Thanks to Kansas City Catholic for pointing out today's Kansas City Star article concerning a pro life fund raising luncheon for Rachel House organized by Kansas City Royals DH Mike Sweeney and his wife. One of the events keynote speakers was Dee Dee Pujols, the wife of Saint Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.

Sacramentum Caritatis

Well it seems that most of the Catholic blogging world had read the Exhortation within hours of it's release. I've been much slower. I have read the first two parts. Here are some of the things I've found interesting thus far.

Paragraph 14: The Fathers of the Church often meditated on the relationship between Eve's coming forth from the side of Adam as he slept adn teh coming forth of the new Eve, the Church, from the open side of Christ sleeping in death: from Christ's pierced side, John recounts, there came forth blood and water, the symbol of the sacraments.

This is something that I hadn't really thought much about. This is such an obvious connection, I don't know why I hadn't ran across this before. I've highlighted this section with the intent to track down some of the referrenced writings and read more about this subjetc.

Paragraph 33: From the Annunciation to the Cross, Mary is the one who received the Word, made flesh within her adn then silences in death. It is she, lastly, who took into her arms the lifeless body of the one who truly loved his won "to the end".

Consequently, every time we approach the Body and Blood o f Christ in the eucharistic liturgy, we also turn to her who, by her complete fidelity, received Christ's sacrifice for the whole Church.

I find this to be a very interesting thought as well. The Virgin Mary is our example of a complete Christian life from her yes to being the vessel that would bring Christ into the world to her arms waiting to receive his body from the cross. I think this section of the Exhortation is definatly something to prayerfully contemplate and educate ourselves on. Being not to long ago that I was a non-Catholic with very little to no understanding of the Church's relationship with the Virgin Mary, I can see how I would have been taken aback and very put off by this statement. I think it is important for us to fully understand, and be able to explain to those who don't, that we look to the Virgin Mary as one who at every turn of her life shows us how we ought to receive Christ.

Paragraph 42: Generic improvision or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy whould be avoided. . .Finally, while respecting various styles and different adn highly praisworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the requests advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy.

I am happy about this section on liturgical music. When I first started seriously attending Mass I went to a parish that used a lot of contemporary music with guitars, drums, etc. At first I found this very pleasing. However, over the past year or so my views on liturgical music have changed quite a bit. My current parish uses much more traditional music with organ accompaniment and I find it much more conducive to worship.

Paragraph 49: It should be kept in mind that nothing is lost when the sign of peace is marked by a sobriety which preserves the proper spirit of the celebration, as, for example, when it is restricted to one's immediate neighbors.

Simply outstanding that this is clearly stated. I find it very disruptive when people are wandering all over the church during the sign of peace. Even more so when the priest leaves the sanctuary to shake hands with half the congregation!

Paragraph 53: It is helpful to recall that active participation is not per se equivalent to the exercise of a specific ministry. The active participation of the laity does not benefit from the confusion arising from the inability to distinguish, within the Church's communion, the different functions proper to each one.

This is a very important matter and I am glad that it is included. After the recent directive from Rome that the laity not be allowed to purify the sacred vessels after communion there were some who were quite offended. I was in a brief exchange with another blogger who was upset at the loss of her "right" to full and active participation in the from of purifying the sacred vessels. She seems to have started ignoring me and a couple others who didn't agree with her. I fear that is has become all to commen for things like purifying the sacred vessels and serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion have become symbols of status and power within the parish. I'm glad to see the Holy Father taking a strong hand in this area.

Paragraph 62: [In speaking on Masses held with an international mix of worshipers] . . . with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, such liturgies could be celebrated in Latin. Similarily, the better-known prayers of the Church's tradition shoudl be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sun. Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts adn execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and aslo to sing parts of the Liturgy to Gregorian chant.

This section is quite interesting. Father Z at What Does the Prayer Really Say?, whose blog is down at the moment, has pointed out a conflict in the translation in this passage. Where the English says, "could be celebrated in Latin" the Latin and all other venacular translations use words more accurately translated as "should". Is this a simple error or a diliberate alteration, I'm not sure since I'm not a translation expert. Some have commented that this could be the crack in the door for Latin to continue to be discouraged or even forbidden in many US dioceses. However, I feel that the next couple of lines are meant to be much broader in scope, refering to more than just celebrations with international worshipers. It is clearly stated that common prayers of the Church should be recited in Latin. The Holy Father give a strong indication that he desires that seminarians be adequately trained in Latin. Could this be a hint at the coming of the rumored document from Pope Benedict granting wider usage of the Latin Mass?

These are just a few of the things that I have thoughts on so far. I'm close to halfway though the document and must say that it has been quite educational, uplifting and enjoyable so far. I will share more thoughts after I finish reading it. As I mentioned there are also some things that the document has brought to my attention that I need to explore deeper.

the liturgical crisis

Hat tip to KaleJ atun-Muted Mumblings for this link.

Archbishop Ranjith, secretary for the Congregation of Divine Worship sat down with Inside the Vatican to look at some of the liturgical problems plaguing the Church.

Archbishop Ranjith: "The Holy Father Must Decide"

Looks like we can expect the Holy See to take a hard look at what is going on during the liturgy.

Father Zachary

I have written before about Father Zachary at St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center in Lawrence, Kansas. Thanks be to God for sending me here where there is such a wonderful priest. The other priests at the center are outstanding also.

During his homilies I have heard Father Zachary use the words abortion, euthanasia, contraception, divorce, etc, etc, etc in the same sentence multiple times and then expound of the evilness of these things. His homilies are always full of good sound Catholic teaching.

There is something else I've noticed about Father Zachary at Mass. He appears to truly be filled with joy when celebrating the Mass. During the consecration his voice reflects the joy of the moment. When he elevates the host and the wine it is obvious that he can not control the smile on his face.

I love receiving communion from Father Zachary. When he presents the host it is obvious that he truly believes that it contains the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity or our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Another moment of interest is when he is purifying the sacred vessels after communion. Throughout the process you can see his lips moving has he prays silently and the smile of joy that is constantly on his face. His diligence is unparalleled. He checks and rechecks every vessel and cloth to make sure not a single particle of the consecrated host or a drop of the Precious Blood are lost.

And as he processes out of the church after mass there is always that same smile and lips moving in prayer.

Let us thank God for giving us such a wonderful priest and pray that more like him will answer the call to the priesthood.

Holding hands and the Orans position

When I was first exploring the Catholic Faith and just beginning to attend Mass, I was never really comfortable with holding the hands of those around me during the Our Father. I didn't know why but I just seemed out of place. I was also troubled by some peoples practice of imitating the priest during the Our Father and praying with their hands extended, otherwise known as the Orans posture.

As I read and learned more I found out that there is a very good reason for not doing these two things during the Our Father. It's in conflict with the prescribed rubrics of the Mass.

For a good explanation see these two articles on EWTN.

Orans Posture ("Praying" Hands Extended)
Holding Hands at Mass

The Orans Posture

In the rubrics the Orans gesture is asked principally of the Main Celebrant, but on those occasions where either a priestly action is done (Eucharistic Prayer) or prayer in common (Our Father) all the concelebrants do it.

It is never done by the Deacon, who does not represent the People before God but assists him who does.

Among the laity this practice began with the charismatic renewal. Used in private prayer it has worked its way into the Liturgy. It is a legitimate gesture to use when praying, as history shows, however, it is a private gesture when used in the Mass and in some cases conflicts with the system of signs which the rubrics are intended to protect. The Mass is not a private or merely human ceremony. The symbology of the actions, including such gestures, is definite and precise, and reflects the sacramental character of the Church's prayer. As the Holy See has recently pointed out, confusion has entered the Church about the hierarchical nature of her worship, and this gesture certainly contributes to that confusion when it conflicts with the ordered sign language of the Mass.

Holding Hands

1) It is an inappropriate "sign," since Communion is the sign of intimacy. Thus, a gesture of intimacy is introduced both before the sign of reconciliation (the Sign of Peace), but more importantly, before Holy Communion, the sacramental sign of communion/intimacy within the People of God.

2) It is introduced on personal initiative. The Holy See has authority over the liturgy according to Vatican II's "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" #22 and canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law.

So there you have it. If you are a hand-holder or use the Orans posture during the Our Father and ever find yourself standing next to me during Mass do not be alarmed or offended that I do not participate. I am simply trying to follow the rubrics of the Mass as prescribed by the Holy See.

**rolling of the eyes**

Found this over at Boudreaux's Blurbs



Even if this "mass" wasn't being celebrated by priestesses there would be so many things wrong with it that I wouldn't even begin to know where to start. Pay close attention and see how many "whacko-ism" you can find. There is a BIG one very early in the video.

Traditional Latin Mass

Thanks to Kansas City Catholic I am now aware of the Traditional Latin Mass offered at Old St. Patrick Oratory in Kansas City, Missouri. Looks like I have an excuse to head over to Kansas City sometime soon.

Extraordinary ministers of Eucharist barred from purifying vessels

I saw this when it was originally posted over a week ago. I didn't get around to putting it up then.

From Catholic News Service:

At the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion will no longer be permitted to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels at Masses in the United States. Read Entire Article

Thumbs up to . . .

. . . Saint James Catholic Church for this image on their home page.

the WORST mass I have attended thus far

I just got back from mass at St. John the Evangelist in Lawrence, KS. This is my second weekend in Kansas so I decided to visit my second church in the city. Last weekend I was very happy with St. Lawrence campus center and parish.

Well not long after I enter the church the band/choir starts rehearsing. Piano (almost jazz piano) guitar and drum set.

DRUM SETS HAVE NO PLACE IN THE MASS!!! (in my opinion)

I can already tell from what they are rehearsing that I'm in for a bad ride. But at this point I'm afraid that I don't have enough time to make it to St. Lawrence for the same time mass and I've heard some pretty bad music as mass before. So, I decide to just deal with it.

"Then, the priest walks out to the front of the church and says to the band, "what do you have for us?" They then proceed to sing some song that no one appears to know and for which there are no copies. After this song, the priest again asks, "what else do you have for us?" And the band starts into another song; this one is in the "Proclaim" photocopied “songbook” full of lyrics. Something that I’m starting to recognize as a bad sign.

Finally, the priest makes the announcements, INVITES EVERYONE TO GREET ONE ANOTHER AT WHICH POINT EVERYONE GOES THROUGH A ROUND OF HAND SHAKING AND TWISTING IN THIER PEWS LIKE OWLS, and goes to the back of the church for the processional.

The Gloria is a very strange version with rock beats coming from the drums and from what I tell only about 1/3 of the people trying to sing along. When it comes time for the responsorial psalm, it's not the one in the missal and I can't understand a word that the girl singing is saying.

After the gifts are presented and the creed (side note: maybe 10 people NOT INCLUDING THE PRIEST make anything resembling a bow at the words, "by the power of the holy spirit . . .") a group of about 10 what appear to be high school students proceed to the alter and form an arc behind the alter on both sides of the tabernacle. NO ONE kneels and the priest launches into the consecration.

When it comes time for the Our Father the priest says, "AS WE JOIN HANDS. . .” and the whole congregation shifts so that people can join hands across the aisle. The priest also steps back from the altar to join hands with the kids behind him. I really think I offended some people by prayerfully clasping my hands in front of me. The Our Father is sung with the choir/band singing each line and then the congregation repeating it.

Then comes the sign of peace with people roaming across the aisle and all over the place to shake everyone's hand they can reach. The priest takes part in this roaming as well.

At this point the 5 EMHCs come up and form an arc behind the altar. The priest distributes each of them with a consecrated host BEFORE THE "Lamb of God".

4 EMHC's distribute the wine while the priest and another EMHC distribute the hosts. Then, the priest goes and sits down while the EMHC distributes communion the band/choir. The EMHC then places the left over hosts in the tabernacle.

Finally, the closing hymn is "Our love is loud": here are the lyrics

When we sing
Hear our songs, to You
When we dance
Feel us move, to You
When we laugh
Fill our smiles, with You

Pre-Chorus:
When we lift our voices
Louder still
Can You hear us?
Can You feel?

Chorus:
We love You, Lord
We love You
We love You
We love You, Lord
We love You
We love You

When we sing [LOUD!]
Hear our songs, to You
When we dance [ROUND!]
Feel us move, to You
When we laugh [ALOUD!]
Fill our smiles, with You

(Pre-Chorus)

(Chorus)

Bridge:
And our love is big
Our love is loud
Fill this place with this love now [4x]
And our love is big
Our love is loud
Fill our lungs
To sing it now...

(Chorus [4x])

Out:
We lift our voices louder still
Our God is near
Our God is here

I didn’t realize that the bible said, “And the world so loved God that they sang their own praises and demanded that He listen”.

When the choir/band finished the song, of which the loudest part is the rock beat coming from the drum set, EVERYONE CLAPS FOR THE CHOIR/BAND!

Let me tell you, I got out of that church as fast as I could praising and thanking God that it isn't the only parish in town. I came close to leaving many times during mass.

Traditional Latin Mass

View full screen at YouTube

Tip to Absolutely No Sping for the link.

From the poster on YouTube:

Traditional Latin Mass filmed on Easter Sunday in 1941 at Our Lady of Sorrows church in Chicago. The film presents the ceremonies of the Missa Solemnis or Solemn High Mass in full detail with narration by then-Mgr. Fulton J. Sheen. Celebrated by Rev. J. R. Keane of the Order of Servites (hence the white cassocks and cowls), the ceremonies are accompanied by a full polyphonic choir, orchestra, and fifty Gregorian Chanters.

The attention to detail in the ceremonies is impressive. Notice, for example, how the servers and ministers always take great care to move in order. Notice too that the servers are all almost identical in height. The Ordinary of the Mass, composed by Rev. Edwin V. Hoover, while pleasant in places, is very much a reflection of its time. The Proper on the other hand is timeless and sung to perfection by a healthy throng of Seminarians from Mundelein, Illinois.

Unfortunately due to size restrictions at Youtube around 20 mins have been cut from the original. However, I hope to upload a full version at Google soon or perhaps here when Youtube improves its director accounts. In addition to the cuts I have added new captions and edited the opening credits. The credits had deteriorated quite badly in the original. I retyped what I could see of them and faded them in at the beginning and at the end. Other than this the film remains largely unchanged.

communion patens making a comeback

At least in the local parish they are. I happened to attend the 5:00 pm Mass at the local parish tonight. I normally attend the university parish in town but decided to go to St. Joseph's tonight. Before Mass the priest highlighted an announcement in the bulletin concerning altar server training. He asked that anyone interested in being an altar server and all existing altar servers attend the training in order to learn to use the communion patens that will be returned to use in the parish!

I was very happy to hear that the local parish is taking this step in the right direction. My parish doesn't use patens for communion, actually I've only been to one Mass anywhere when they were. I currently receive in the hand even though I would prefer to receive on the tongue. However, I'm always nervous about the consecrated host falling without the safety net of a paten. I do try to be very careful to check my hands for any stray particles. Maybe the return of patens for communion will catch on, or already be standard wherever I move next, and I won't have this problem.

Pope on music at Mass

In relation to my earlier post about Liturgical Music:

VATICAN: POPE AGAINST POP MUSIC DURING MASS

VATICAN: POPE AGAINST POP MUSIC DURING MASS Vatican City, 26 June (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI has called for traditional sacred music to be played during mass, condemning the ongoing custom of contemporary music at religious celebrations. "Updating sacred music is possible, but this cannot happen unless it follows the tradition of Gregorian chants or sacred polyphony," the pontiff said on Sunday on the sidelines of a concert in the Sistine Chapel. A skilled pianist with a predilection for Bach and Mozart, Benedict XVI spoke against a custom reportedly appreciated by his more informal predecessor John Paul II, who worked very hard throughout his papacy to make the Church more appealing to the younger generations.

In an interview published in Turin-daily La Stampa on Monday, the former Archbishop of Ravenna, veteran Cardinal Ersilio Tonini also condemned the practice saying that "Benedict XVI is right, mass is a meeting with God and to meet God sacred music is better than the turmoil of electric guitars, hand clapping and the husstle and bustle of disorderly sounds."

Tonini said that 40 years ago after the Second Vatican Council "making mass more popular and inviting could be understood." However, the cardinal added, "we exaggerated and now I believe it is legitimate to consider as over this season of breaks with tradition."

Hat tip: Gerald at The Cafeteria is Closed

Liturgical Music or "Let's Pat Ourselves on the Back in Song"

I can't help but notice how much of the music is focused on, "I'm so good, look at what I've done" or "Look at what Jesus did for us because we are such wonderful people"

It's amazing how often the words I, my, me, we, us, our, and you pop up in the "hymns" we sing at Mass. What is more disturbing is the hymns that don't make any reference to God or Christ at all. We are there to worship Him, not to pat ourselves on the back. Don't get me wrong, I don't think we should be self-loathing or anything. But when we are at Mass, before the Alter of God, our focus should be on worshiping him not telling each other how wonderful we are.

US amendments to new Mass translation

Gerald has them over at The Cafeteria is Closed

New Mass translation approved

AP Wire | 06/15/2006 | U.S. bishops approve new Mass translation

LOS ANGELES - The
nation's Roman Catholic bishops signed off Thursday on a new English translation for the Mass that would change prayers ingrained in the memories of millions of American parishioners.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted at its biannual meeting for a new translation after a brief but vigorous debate overseveral small changes in wording. The 173-29 vote on the Order of theMass was aimed at satisfying Vatican calls for a translation that's closer to the Latin version.

Before Mass changes at the parish level, the Americans' version must go to offices in the Holy See for final approval. The bishops' leader on the issue said that process could take years.

"Without a doubt, this is the most significant liturgical action to come before this body for many years," said Bishop Donald Trautman, chairman of the conference's Committee on Liturgy.

"It will take some adapting, but it is not earth-shattering when you think of the changes we went through 40 years ago," he said, referring to the Second Vatican Council, where the Latin Mass was replaced by the vernacular languages in each country.

The new translation alters the wording of key texts spoken byCatholics during worship, including the Nicene Creed, the Gloria, thePenitential Rite, the Sanctus and Communion.