Posted on 06/02/2005 11:17:53 AM PDT by Pyro7480
On 21 May 2005, I attended the bacculareate Mass at Villanova University in southeastern Pennsylvania. My sister was graduating from this school, which was founded by Augustinian priests in the mid-19th century.
The Mass took place in the early evening at the university's stadium, and other than a brief shower, the liturgy started well. A choir sang Palestrina's Tu es Petrus prior to the beginning of the Mass. I was delighted to hear that particular piece of music. However, I should have a heeded a warning of sorts that was right in front of my eyes. There was a table close to the stage were the Mass was going to be offered, and sitting on top of the table were glass chalices, which obviously were going to be used during the Mass.
The atmosphere of the Mass shifted quickly as the processional hymn began. The line-up of the ministers began in a normal fashion. At the very beginning of the procession was a graduate in academic garb carrying a censor. However, not far behind were other graduates carrying multi-colored banners. They were the oddest things I had ever seen processed in during a Mass. It wasn't clear at all what their point was. The colors used weren't Villanova's colors. In fact, they used bright pastel colors. But they didn't have much to do with the Mass itself, so it was a forgiveable error.
The banners, however, was just the beginning of events that could be described as the results of lapses in judgement. The music during the Mass itself belonged to typical post-1970's composing, so that wasn't exactly unexpected either. But when the time for the offertory came, my heart began to sink. The hosts that were to be consecrated were brought in to the stage where the altar was in large wicker baskets. It wasn't immediately clear at that point but inside the larger wicker baskets were smaller wicker baskets, lined with white cloths of some sort, which actually contained the hosts. The wine that was going to be consecrated were brought in large glass/crystal containers.
Both the hosts and the wine were left in their containers during the entire Eucharistic prayer. When time came for communion, baskets containing consecrated hosts were brought to each side of the field. The smaller wicker baskets containing the hosts were taken out of the larger baskets, and most of the distribution of the Blessed Sacrament was taken care of by lay people, most of whom were college students.
When one of them came with the basket, the rest of my family went for Communion, but I decided not to go. I prefer to receive Our Lord's Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, from the hands of a priest or deacon. Anyway, at that point, I was feeling rather offended by the manner Communion was being distributed. They were treating Our Lord as if He were an appetizer that was being served at a restaurant. When my dad sat back down next to me after receiving Communion, I told him what was wrong about what was taking place.
As the distribution was winding-down, I noticed that some of the students who were distributing Communion were committing more abuses. I saw one of them self-communicate. Some of them stacked the baskets on top of each other, and it was probably the case that on top of the clothes, there still rested small fragments of the consecrated hosts.
After the Mass concluded, my family went to a nice Italian restaurant nearby. I brought up the issue of the Mass. My mom seemed to understand why I was feeling offended. My sister on the other hand, said in response to my complaint (in a rather sarcastic manner), "I'm sorry my liturgy offended you." She couldn't understand why it was wrong to serve the Blessed Sacrament in that manner.
My final thought on this issue: If it is possible for papal Masses to accomodate hundreds of thousands of people during Communion, and do it properly, then an American institute of higher learning which has Catholic roots can afford to do take the proper steps to accomodate a few thousand during a bacculareate Mass.
Communion is no less valid from the hands of a layperson. Are you receiving grace from the priest/deacon or from the consecrated host?
We were talking on Catholic Answers about a BBB of parishes.
Are you in the mood to start an information website? We need it!
If we got enough FReepers together, we could have a guide for the whole country.
How about this as a list of guidelines?
23 Ways To Identify a Faithful Parish
1. There is at least one daily Mass. Obviously, if a parish shares a pastor with other parishes, this may not always be possible. But barring that, a parish needs to offer daily Mass.
2. Confession is offered for a set time... not just "by appointment only." The absolute importance of that sacrament must not be diminished.
3. The tabernacle is inside the main church in a prominent place. It's always frustrating to have to play "Where's Jesus?" when you walk into a parish for the first time. I recall once when visiting a church I'd never been in before, I confusedly genuflected to everything from the cantor to a statue of St. Therese before I figured out where the tabernacle was.
4. The church has kneelers. Period.
5. The church doesn't have a sign in the front that describes itself as a "Catholic Community." I know, this one seems petty at first, but it tends to be true. If a parish has an objection to the word "church," that's a good indication that a larger problem exists. And if that parish magnifies the nonsense with a sign that says something like, "An Open, Inclusive Community of Catholic Christians Who Care and Share," stop, turn around, run.
6. As you enter the church, you see people in the pews in prayer or, at least, reverent silence. If, on the other hand, it looks like social time down at the bingo parlor, that's a bad sign.
7. The Mass is not intentionally altered through the use of inclusive language.
8. The Mass is said according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the instructions of the local bishop. Improvisation is great in jazz. Mass isn't jazz.
9. The gospel is not being read, nor the homily given, by someone other than a priest or deacon.
10. Latin has pride of place in the Mass. It's right there in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. That should be reflected in the liturgy itself.
11. The bread for the Eucharist isn't made with added ingredients not allowed by the Church. Honey, for example.
12. The liturgical music focuses on God, not the community. We are there, after all, to worship Him, not ourselves. And there's never a good reason to sing songs about bridges over troubled waters. You can do that at home, Mr. Garfunkel.
13. Extraordinary ministers do not outnumber the parishioners. There's a reason, after all, that we refer to them as EXTRAORDINARY ministers. We only use them when there are too many people for the priest and deacon to handle.
14. If you're able to find the mission statement of the parish (it's often carried in the bulletin), make sure it says something about fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church.
15. And while you're thumbing through the bulletin, see if there are other good groups there, like the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, and Holy Name Society. A faithful Bible study group is also a great sign.
16. The parish offers some form of Eucharistic adoration.
17. The parish has an active Pro-Life ministry, as well as a ministry that cares for the poor.
18. The priest wears his collar. Now, obviously, if you see your local pastor jogging one morning, he's not going to be wearing his clericals. But a priest should generally look the part. It's an important witness to the secular world and a sign that he recognizes the great value of his own vocation.
19. The pastor isn't afraid to preach on the tough issues: abortion, divorce, contraception, cloning, etc. That's not to say that every homily should cover those topics. But a priest should truly believe the Church's teaching and defend them without pause.
20. The parish's marriage preparation program includes instruction in Natural Family Planning (NFP). And if someone involved in the program describes NFP as "the rhythm method," go immediately limp and drop to the ground. With luck, he'll think you passed out and will take you to the emergency room, far, far away from that parish.
21. The church has a vibrant religious education program for both children and adults based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You might also try to find out who's involved in the program and where they received their own formation.
22. The church's Website doesn't link to dissident groups like Call to Action, Voice of the Faithful, or Catholics for a Free Choice.
23. If there's a literature rack in the church, look at the publications the parish is carrying. Dissident magazines or newspapers tend to go hand in hand with a dissident parish.
If an ordained priest said the required words over the host/wine, then it's a valid Eucharist. Method of distribution does not reverse-transubstantiate the body and blood of Christ back to wheat. If it was not wheat, but rice (or some other concoction), then it would be invalid.
What does Thomas Aquinas have to do with the price of tea in China? So he said it "should" be distributed by consecrated hands. So what? The Lord presents Himself as the paschal sacrifice and you'd reject Him because you can't receive Him from someone wearing the collar?
That's tragic.
"to applaud a kid who had just received his First Communion"
We were asked to clap for our music director's birthday. There were balloons all over by the piano floating around durig Mass. We're about to get a new priest. I hope and pray that he is not as casual as the one we have now!
Sounds like a Protestant communion service.
Applause AFTER the mass?
It may be the wrong technique for administering the sacrament, but the next conclusion is that transubstantiation hasn't even taken place, based on that.
I don't know which is more profane: mishandling the Eucharist or refusing to receive it because the EEM's "do it wrong".
This is nothing new for Villanova. I'm currently sitting right down the road from "that place" and a decade ago, I was being subjected to the worst atrocities (liturgically speaking)at that truly God-forsaken place.
I'll never forget the "Easter Vigil" I attended. A nun with incense in leotards. The total nutcase of a priest who said while grabbing a newborn and running around the chapel with it and holding it aloft. "This is what it's all about!!!" This lunacy was of course rewarded with the thunderous applause of the dupes in attendance.
And another thing, when you taste salt and honey in your communion host, it's a tell-tale sign all you are getting is lousy bread. You don't even have to deal with the intent or lack thereof to deny the validity of the services.
That's your opinion. Remember, one must go to Mass on Sunday to fulfill the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. One doesn't have to receive Communion. One should be in a proper state of grace. A Roman Catholic is actually only required to receive Communion once a year between Palm Sunday and Trinity Sunday. I actually receive Communion most Sundays, and often during the work week. The only day of the week that I don't regularly go to Mass is Saturday. I think it's tragic that you don't respect his advice.
Applause is appropriate when it is done in the name of God. i.e., applauding a 1st Communion is laudable because the community rightly celebrates the importance of this magnificent moment in the life of that child.
Applauding the choir, however, is a travesty.
I assume you'll know what to say when Jesus asks you why He wasn't good enough for you that day.
It isn't profane at all to not go up to Communion. That is up to the individual.
It may not be profane, but it makes no sense, if one is in the state of grace.
I guess I'm just too "pre-Vatican II" for the two of y'all. You would be rebuking your Catholic ancestors too. They did the same thing. They only received once a year, even if they were in the state of grace. It was St. Philip Neri, St. Pius X, and St. Therese who made frequent Communion common.
We have the occassional applause after Mass or during the presentation of ... whatever. I find it irritating. It's Mass not a sporting event.
They were wrong. And, it was the fault of clerics that so few laymen received the Eucharist. They were too "unworthy", they were told, to approach the Communion rail.
The saints you mention deserved sainthood if for no other reason than encouraging Catholics to receive Christ frequently.
Yes, keep the Sabbath Holy, but, by God, don't receive the body and blood of Christ from a layperson.
Roman Catholic is actually only required to receive Communion once a year between Palm Sunday and Trinity Sunday.
We're also actually only required to make a good confession and be absolved the moment before death in order to avoid damnation, but it's not an advisable approach.
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