Incredibly, as the Church in various parts of the world founders - in truth, is in a crisis of faith - bishops, liturgical "experts" are debating the "issue" of whether or not to impose the edict of remaining standing at Holy Communion until the last person has communicated. I shall not bore the reader with details from the GIRM, nor Rome's position on this, as this is easily available on the web.
This post will consist of a few thoughts on how asinine this newfound liturgical edict is. Firstly, is it not the ideal of the liturgical liberal that each and every Mass should be personalized? The Public prayer of the Church has long been disregarded - at least since 1967 - when Pope Paul's instructions were ignored. Pope Benedict in "The Spirit of the Liturgy" outlines that there is a modern tendency to eliminate kneeling in liturgy; an expression of modern culture - if it can be called culture - that no longer has the Faith; that reduces liturgy to parody.
In the liturgy of the Mass the rite of Holy Communion is not a communal act. It is a personal act. This is first demonstrated by the priest's personal prayers and communication. Then, the laity, if in the state of Grace approach the Altar. Grace and sin are personal. Holy Communion is a moment, a chance to engage in personal, intimate communion with Our Lord. And only then is Holy Communion an extension into a spiritual union with other believers in the state of Grace. Holy Communion is not, and never has been a total communal action, like the Creed. Liturgists would do far, far better if they preached on the Real Presence, the reality of Sin, and the absolute necessity of receiving Holy Communion in the state of Grace. To do otherwise is to stab our Lord in the back, to deliver unto Him a Judas kiss.
How many Judas kisses are given our Blessed Saviour by women chomping on birth-control (in essence hormone-steroid cocktails) pills like candies? Do these women - and the men who are material accomplices - not realize that they cannot receive our Blessed Lord? And how many are receiving our Blessed Lord not knowing whom they are actually receiving? We know that belief in the Real Presence is down. What is being done about it?
Bishops and liturgical "experts" should attend to the crisis of Faith, morals and religious indifferentism that Pope Benedict has just warned about. Standing will not help (not even on one's head). Getting down on one's knees will. Taking up the catechism will.
2 comments:
Here's a news flash calculated to get any right thinking liturgical gourmet to the boiling point. Most of these candles aren't candles at all but oil burning lamps. As for the liturgy itself, it is possible to orchestrate the catharsis of your choice by managing sensory experience. If all you really want to do is generate a feeling then the Holy Spirit isn't strictly necessary. Changing hearts leading to repentance and new life... now that's another matter entirely.
If the candle measurers are not busy checking the level of orthodoxy - then they are busy checking the height of piety vis-a-vis the degree of an exposed feminine ankle...
The integrist seems to suffer from a gnostic catharsis, while the liberal from a immanentist one. In fact, both groups, reduce the liturgy to a parody, and generate the success of public prayer from a inner "does it feel good" to me? The standing fiasco seems to take this one step further, whereby somehow we all will have a communal experience (an enforced communal catharsis - now, I order you to feel good!).
All very odd ... why not get back to the catechism?
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