The U.S.--a "Foreign" Mission Country

Fr. Z has an important post that points out something many Catholics do not realize:  America is a missionary country again.  When Europeans first settled here, we were, of course, a missionary country.  We needed priests from overseas to come and serve the people of the newly-settled territory.  As the Catholic population grew, we no longer were considered a mission territory.

Now, Fr. Z says Catholicism in the United States is in trouble and I agree. We are following in the footsteps of Europe, which is largely secular and non-church-going.  We have not had a "Catholic identity" for a couple of generations now.  Our worship is often banal and yawn-inducing.  Our parishes have been hit hard with the abuse scandal and by a surrounding culture which is hostile to Christianity and Catholicism.  Parishes who are trying to revitalize are often too inward-focused to do much evangelizing-by-example.

We are no longer a country whose parishes can sustain themselves spiritually and we are now being served by hard-working priests from so-called third-world countries.

Fr. Z's prescription for Catholic health is one I heartily endorse:

We need to foster worship which stuns, which leaves the newcomer, long-time practicing Catholic, above all the fallen-away simply thunder stuck. Worship must at some point leave people speechless in awe. We need language and music and gesture which in its beauty floods the mind with light even while it swells the heart to bursting.

I hunger with all my heart and soul for this.  I don't know how to overcome decades of literally throwing away breathtaking marble sculpture and putting in their place, cheap buildings that look like little more than auditoriums, ski lodges, or Pizza Huts filled with people who would never consider coming 10 minutes early to Mass to pray or staying 5 minutes after Holy Communion.

When we cross the threshold of a Catholic Church, we should immediately feel awe and peace.  Sadly, this is not always the case.  The building should communicate the Presence of God and inspire all who enter, as should the people who worship there.

This is one of those times in life where the steps of AA is appropriately applied.  We must admit we are powerless and that our lives have become unmanageable. We must turn our lives over to God and beg the Holy Spirit to inspire the churches!!!!

A New Daily Prayer Resource

I wanted to let you all know about a wonderful new site I've come across:  DivineOffice.org. It has the entire Liturgy of the Hours; Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, Office of Readings, Night Prayer, including music! When I pray morning prayer, it is frustrating to me as a musician, when I see a hymn printed out that I don't know the music to. This site solves that problem.

Another great thing about this site is that it is on podcast and you listen to a group praying, rather than feel as if you are praying alone.  It really highlights the fact that we are indeed praying with the entire Church.

They pray slowly and with much feeling.  No rote type praying here!

I've linked this site on my sidebar under the picture of the praying knight.

Hat Tip to Stumbling Back Home.

And With Your Spirit!!!!!!!!

Catholic World News reports that Rome has approved a new translation for a portion of the Roman missal for prayers used at Mass. During the proposed "pastoral preparation" period for introducing these changes to parishioners, it is hoped that some new musical settings for these texts will be written.

A few of the most important changes will be:

* At the Consecration, the priest will refer to Christ's blood which is "poured out for you and for many"-- an accurate translation of pro multis * At the Consecration, the priest will refer to Christ's blood which is "poured out for you and for many"-- an accurate translation of pro multis-- rather than "for all" in the current translation.

* In the Nicene Creed the opening word, Credo, will be correctly translated as "I believe" rather than "we believe."

* When the priest says, "The Lord be with you," the faithful respond, "And with your spirit," rather than simply, "And also with you."

* In the Eucharistic prayer, references to the Church will use the pronouns "she" and "her" rather than "it."

* In the Agnus Dei, the text cites the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world," rather than using the singular word "sin."

* In the preferred form of the penitential rite, the faithful will acknowledge that they have sinned "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.".

Those of us who appreciate tradition, and literature will be dancing for joy over these new changes.

But not in the aisle.

At least not during Mass!

Byzantine Liturgy

I just got back from a Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. What an uplifting experience! It is obvious, in this liturgy, that we are in the Presence of God. Before recieving communion, the congregation sings,

O Lord, I believe and profess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the World to save sinners, of whom I am the first. Accept me as a partaker of your mystical supper, O Son of God, for I will not reveal Your mysteries to our enemies, nor will I give you a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will I confess to You.

Remember me, O Lord, when You shall come into Your kingdom.

Remember me, O Master, when You shall come into Your kingdom.

Remember me, O Holy One, when You shall come into Your kingdom.

May the partaking of your holy mysteries, O Lord, be not for my judgment, or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.

O Lord, I also believe and profess that this, which I am about to receive, is truly Your most precious Body and Your life-giving Blood, which, I pray, make me worthy to receive for the remission of all my sins and for life everlasting. Amen

O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.

O Lord forgive me for I have sinned without number.

It makes me sad for all parishes whose liturgy is about "us" instead of God. It makes me sad for the distance that so many of us in the Church have fallen.

May God have mercy on us.

The times, they are a 'changin'!

See how easy this is? A priest with some amount of guts might even be able to make a change like this without having to beg a liturgy committee or parish council first. The text says it took 15 minutes to do.

La métamorphose d'un autel
Uploaded by CHRIST-REDEMPTEUR

Easter Mass 1941

This is a film from 1941. It was filmed on Easter Sunday at Our Lady of Sorrow's Church in Chicago. The narrator is Fulton J. Sheen. The music alone makes it worth watching. Bishop Sheen's explanation of the Mass is invaluable.

Save the Liturgy, Save the World

Just wanted to point out something that has been going on for a bit over at The Cafeteria is Closed. Gerald has designed and is marketing "Save the Liturgy, Save the World" merchandise. Good stuff. Good cause. Check it out.

Oh Worship the King!

On the Feast of the Epiphany, our parish hosted our Bishop, Kevin Rhodes. As I remember, everything went surprisingly well. This week, a parishoner has displayed all the photos she took of the occasion and has offered people copies. As I looked over the pictures, I noticed how beautiful the sanctuary was, with all the Christmas decorations. I also noticed how exquisite the priests' vestments were and how handsomely the parishioners were dressed.

Then it occured to me--why do we not take this much care in the quality of our worship every week? Jesus is far more important and is present in the Blessed Sacrament every day.

The Medieval Mass

In perusing the net, I came across something very interesting today. Liturgical Fragments from Denmark has a recreation of a Mass from the late Middle Ages, using a 1450 missal from the diocese of Linköping, Sweden.

It is interesting to see this video. The Mass has changed very little until very recently. What is doubtless seen as a lack of "inclusion" of the average person attending such a Mass by many watching today, was a way of reinforcing the other-worldly nature of what was really occurring, so much so that, as the narrator says, sometimes, the only one to receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord was the celebrant. Today, the continuum of liturgical piety has swung very much the other way.

There is much to see here that is not seen in many parishes today. But if you look closely, you will see some things that still exist in parishes that have not completely thrown out Catholic tradition.

The Ladies in Blue

I went to a neighboring parish recently and discovered, to my horror, that the Extrodinary Ministers of the Holy Eucharist (I'm sure they are known as "Eucharistic Ministers" there) are in royal blue albs. They looked very much like female preistesses, which I'm sure is the point.

As much as I love the color blue in general, it is not a proper liturgical color. What is the liturgical point of having the altar dressed in green, or purple, or whatever, only to have the EM's in bright blue?!?! Are we trying to draw attention to ourselves, perhaps? Hmmmm... Interesting that the (male) priest just happens to be dressed in the same color as the altar, conveniently blending in...

I don't really think that EM's need to be in any pseudo- liturgical garb at all. Given the fact that they are laity, appropriate church clothes are sufficient. The same types of people who want to make lay people into clergy don't think twice about sisters who dress in street clothes. This clergicizing of the laity has got to stop.