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.
My point is -- Catholics need to be educated properly! About a year ago when I was visiting my brother's parish in Michigan (the National Shrine of the Little Flower), I was delighted to hear the pastor explain that a new "ruling" had come down from Rome that holding hands during the Lord's Prayer should not be practiced. (He went on to say that this is what they were now going to be enforcing and that he understood that there would be somewhat of a learning curve as people broke themselves of the habit, etc.) I was stunned. I can't remember the last time I heard a priest in California even reference the fact that we are part of a larger Church and should be in obedience to the Magisterium.
I really like the idea of offering a guide for the country!!!V's wife
This is the best idea I have heard in I don't know how long. Count me in!!!!
LOL! I was actually surprised by her address, since all she basically talked about the Irish connections to Villanova. There was nothing political about it.
Thank you for sharing that encouraging example. It is a healing balm when usually we simply wind up dodging liturgical and heretical bombs.
Well, Saints be praised!
No, Dr. Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J., Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y. She was described in the following manner.
Johnson, who is a systematic theologian, is considered by many to be America’s pre-eminent feminist theologian. She is the former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the oldest and largest association of theologians in the world. She serves on the editorial boards of Theological Studies, Horizons, Journal of the College Theology Society and Theoforum. She also has been a theologian on the national Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue, a consultant to the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Women in Church and Society, a theologian on the Vatican-sponsored dialogue between science and religion and the study of Christ and the world religions, and a core committee member of the Common Ground Initiative founded by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernadin of Chicago.
A Brooklyn native, she joined the Congregation of St. Joseph, Brentwood, N.Y., after graduating from high school. She earned a master’s degree in theology from Manhattan College, New York City, and a doctorate in theology in 1981 from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
A prolific writer, Johnson is the author of a number of acclaimed books and papers. Her most recent publications include The Church Women Want: Catholic Women in Dialogue (NY: Crossroad, 2002); She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (NY: Crossroad, 1992), With a New Introduction to the 10th Anniversary Edition, 2002; Friends of God and Prophets: A Feminist Theological Reading of the Communion of Saints (New York: Continuum / London: SCM Press / Ottawa: Novalis Press. 1998); and "Losing and Finding Creation in Christian Tradition," in Christianity and Ecology, ed. D. Hessel and R. R. Ruether (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000).
When she was introduced during the award portion of the commencement, I coughed "Heretic!," and my uncle John, who was sitting next to me (and a lapsed Catholic himself), chuckled.
But I did know in my gut that something was wrong with these "lax" liturgies -- if only because of the lack of solemnity and awe which the Mass deserves.
That says it all. Put any mass you go to, to:
BTW, this is off-topic, but out of curiosity. Is Siobhan pronounced the same as Siovhan? Just wondering if these are two variations of the same name.
Thanks for linking to that thread, since interestingly enough, that is where I first mentioned the subject of this thread.
You might remind some people that it was St. Pius X--surely no modernist-- who forced the abandonment of the
practice of infrequent communion,
You did, didn't you, I had forgotten that.
The first part of me name is pronounced with an "Sh-" sound and then the Gaelic "bh" is pronounced something like a "v" in English. I suspect if you know someone who spells her name 'Siovhan' she pronounces it the same with the same Gaelic origin.
Oh dear. Something worse than a heretic...
You know what else, murph. My 20-year-old nephew, who is entering the seminary, was telling me the other day that he attended a Tridentine Mass for the first time and found himself quite literally in tears. He was so overwhelmed with the beauty and solemnity of it. I myself have never actually attended a traditional Latin Mass, but I want to. I was born well after Vatican II. All I have ever known (other than the Maronite Rite Masses that I have attended due to my Lebanese heritage) is the Novus Ordo mass. So the other day, I went in search of an old Latin missal to read the liturgy as it once was. I found myself first awed by the beauty of the Latin, then sadden because all I could think to say is, "why did they take this away from us?"
As an undergrad, one of my old Jesuit professors (God rest his soul) loved to share the story of what led him to the priesthood. He wasn't even raised Catholic. But as a boy (8 or 9) during the Great Depression, he would go to the local Catholic Church on Sunday just to listen to the beautiful Latin music being sung. He would literally attend all the Masses on Sunday -- just transfixed by the beauty of it. Finally one day the parish priest walked over to him and asked why he never came to church with his parents. He then explained that his family wasn't Catholic. Long story short, within a year his whole family became Catholic.
Again, the story illustrates the significance of the Mass.
Yes, that's exactly how she pronounces it. But yours is more authentic, correct? Can I tease her for "anglicizing" her name?
That was exactly my experience. I too am too young to remember the mass before VII, but now that I know it I would never go to a Novus Ordo by choice. Even the most reverent Novus Ordo pales in comparison, and besides there just aren't any reverent NO's in my diocese.
Is there are difference between the "Tridentine" Mass and the Latin Rite. I've heard so many various Masses mentioned in FR. I would like to understand better. (This is a plea for instruction!) :)
Music in church is for worship, not performance. Neither virtuosity nor indeed even the pleasure of the hearers is the point. the point is to conform itself to the words of the liturgy or hymn being sung, to support it while not overwhelming it. The piano is a profane instrument, in that its very sound evokes the concert hall and secular pursuits. Quite unlike the organ, it's a percussion instrument, demanding the intrusion of rhythm into the melodic line. Rhythm is a distraction for minds trying to stay focused on prayer.
All "noisy or frivolous" instruments are prohibited for use in the Mass. (Pope Pius X, Motu Proprio Tra le sollecitudini (1903), n. 19. Principle Upheld by the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Rites Musicam Sacram (1967), n. 4. The principles in Tra le sollecitudini were generally reaffirmed by Vatican II in Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963), n. 112.)
Specific instruments named by the Popes have included guitars, pianos, drums, cymbals, and tambourines. (Pope Benedict XIV, Encyclical Annus Qui, n. 90; Pope Pius X, Motu Proprio Tra le sollecitudini, n. 19. Principle upheld by Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963), nos. 112, 120, and by the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, Musicam Sacram (1967), nos. 4, 63.)
"Bands" also are prohibited, as are all automated forms of music (recordings, automatic instruments, etc). (Pope St. Pius X, Motu Proprio Tra le sollecitudini (1903), n. 20; The Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction De Musica Sacra (1958), n. 71.)
So, liturally, no guitars are ever allowed? Does that mean John Michael Talbot's beautiful music for the Mass is not allowed? But what about all the sacred music composed by Mozart? They include instruments other than the organ?
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