Posted on 01/07/2006 7:35:09 AM PST by Desdemona
I am the product of a “dumbed down" generation. During my “Catholic” instruction in the late 1960s, I can’t recall having ever seen a monstrance, prayed a novena, heard Gregorian chant, taken part in a May crowning or prayed a benediction prayer.
In This Article... The Affective Shift The Pertinent Questions Up, Up and Away
The Affective Shift
When Rome recently asked for churches to again start the “Forty Hours” devotion, I found myself asking people exactly what that entailed. So I struggle even in adulthood, reaching back like an orphaned child searching for her parental roots. At one time in history, the roots of traditional Catholic prayers and truths might have been easy to find. But that is no longer true. Sadly, one can no longer simply walk into any Catholic church and find all those universal things that are part of true Catholicism.
The loss of authentic truth is also reflected in some academic institutions. In the book Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves but Can’t Read, Write or Add, Charles J. Sykes discusses the shift in teaching over recent years to a focus on feelings and attitudes:
Even as evidence mounts that American students are lacking in basic academic skills such as writing, reading and mathematics, schools are increasingly emphasizing so-called "affective" learning that deals with the feelings, attitudes, and beliefs of the students, rather than addressing what they know or can do. (p. 10)
The Pertinent Questions
Similar to the “affective” shift in academia, one might note a parallel shift that occurred in Catholic religious education. Such a shift took children away from learning standard Catholic prayers and catechism questions, and moved them toward a “soft” mentality about God. Lacking balance, this shift included a heavy focus on heaven, and a suspicious omission of hell. It is a shift designed to have children feeling very good about themselves; a shift that leaves great uncertainty that these children who we want to feel so good about themselves understand even the basics of Catholic catechetical teaching. Try asking Catholic children to answer the question of why God made them. Ask them if they can name the four reasons we pray (to adore God, to thank God, to tell Him we are sorry and to ask for graces or blessings). See if they can define the three theological virtues, the four cardinal virtues, the seven deadly sins or the meaning of a sacrament. (Catholic homeschooling religious instruction typically includes this formation, so questioning a homeschooler does not count.)
As I continue the struggle to learn what our faith really teaches, and what Catholic prayer means, I try to keep the connection alive for our children. I don’t want them one day to be forced to struggle as I have to learn the truth of all that it means to be Catholic. But even that is hard. For example, many children are consistently taught post-1960 Acts of Contrition. The problem with these prayers is that all but the original Act of Contrition excludes "the pains of hell." If children do not learn the full Act of Contrition, including "the pains of hell," for their first penance, then when will they learn it? Is there any connection between the “pains of hell” being purged from the modern-day Act of Contrition prayers, from Sunday homilies, and from many catechism books, and the fact that so many children nonchalantly wander off into mortal sin, acting as though heaven was real place, but hell was not?
It is as if someone with too much time on his hands, and not sure which battle to fight, raised a booming voice, flicked a mighty switch and said “To hell with hell.” In so doing the lights were turned off and the rooms were left dark. Why would the words the “pains of hell” be removed from the Act of Contrition? Father Richard Rego, Pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Ajo, Arizona, offers his insights. “When the Act of Contrition was revised some years ago, it was part of an effort by many to see change as a separation from the past. The thinking was that anything that smacked of the past was not good. The exclusion of "the pains of hell" has been, in effect, very detrimental. It has fed the mentality that heaven is automatic. Therefore sin, which is now called ‘inappropriate behavior,’ is not so bad….”
Up, Up and Away
I visited a Catholic school kindergarten class a while ago, and the experience was so odd that it hasn’t left my mind. On this particular day they had scheduled a special part of the agenda for “children’s prayer.” Being somewhat of a sap for Catholic school kindergarteners who pray, I envisioned their sweetly bowed heads as they reverently recited the rosary, or perhaps a decade of it, before a crucifix and a statue of Our Lady. In my mind I could see the cute little boys with the fresh hair cuts and neat ties, and the sweet little girls with white polo shirts, and Catholic school jumpers. I thought perhaps the children might stand from their seats for the prayers, or perhaps even kneel for parts of it. I was in for a shock.
There were no instructions to stand, kneel or fold their hands. The prayer did not start, as traditional Catholic payers do: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy spirit.” Instead the children sat and were told to “close their eyes.” Things spiraled down from there. The teacher then read a reading that went something like this: “Now children, pretend that you are going up in a hot air balloon. There you go, higher and higher, you feel yourself floating higher. Now you are floating over your back yard. Now you are floating over your neighbor’s back yard, and there you see Jesus….” Don’t get me wrong. I am all for children being able to go directly to Jesus to talk to Him. But this is not what happened here. This was something of a meditation; perhaps it was a New Age meditation at that. How strange to see Catholic children pretending to be in hot air balloons, looking down, rather than looking up at Christ on the crucifix when they “prayed.” Rosaries have protected families and ended wars. When one day crosses come into the lives of these children, will they be saved by a ride in a hot air balloon?
“My people perish for want of knowledge,” says Hosea 4:6. Knowledge is necessary to keep us on the path to heaven and off the path to hell. Knowing that, one might think it of the utmost importance to arm our children from a young age with certain fundamental truths. For all the "progress" and novelty we have seen in recent years, has there ever been more of a need to return to the basics? While we have bent over backwards to assure children of God's love, isn’t it time to ensure that they understand what is authentically Catholic? The Church has provided so many means for us to receive graces. Is any one of us not in need of more grace? Isn’t there a need to bring back novenas, May crownings, benediction, statues of saints, Gregorian chant, Stations of the Cross, rosaries, scapulars, confession, first Friday and first Saturday devotions, catechism memorization and Eucharistic adoration? Can’t we take the interior steps toward prayer prescribed by the Catechism and teach them to our children? And finally, since "the pains of hell" are real, shouldn’t we face that truth and, with our children, return to the hell-inclusive act of contrition which reminds us of that?
ACT OF CONTRITION O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen. And while we are at it:
Why did God make us?
God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven.
What are the seven deadly sins?
The seven deadly sins are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth.
What are the three theological virtues?
The three theological virtues are faith, hope and charity.
What are the four cardinal virtues?
The four cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude
What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.
Though that would provoke lots of anger from self-righteous parents, treating the examination as something important(and not a cursory empty ritual) would certainly show some spine and strike fear into the hearts of lazy confirmation instructors. Perhaps some leeway could be made for the shy and the simple, but I kinda like the idea.
The Catechism covers "what the faith really teaches," as the author said. Traditional devotions can be beautiful and valuable, but they are not the Catholic Faith. And, as you point out, information on traditional devotions is also easily available, at a bookstore or library, if one is deprived of Internet access.
Should pastors quiz parishioners about their sins in public before they distribute Communion, too?
Thanks for the additional information. I agree that solid instruction is very important. I learned the Westminster Shorter Catechism as a Presbyterian :-).
(I had stubborn, Scotch Presby maternal grandparents who never really accepted my mom's lateral arabesque into the ECUSA. Of course, given her upbringing, SHE ain't exactly thrilled that we have Gone Over to Rome.)
My mom's from Northern Ireland! She said, "I always knew you'd do something weird ... at least your grandpop is in his grave!"
Sometimes she teases me about still being a Calvinist in my heart :-).
I'm a cradle Catholic raised post VII. It's only in the last 10 years that I began to realize what I had missed. The past year I searched my area and went to a different church almost every weekend until I found one that was trying to be more traditional. I can't stand being out of town on Sundays now.
I homeschool my kids with a very Catholic curriculum (Seton) and they are memorizing catechism questions/answers. I've found that I am learning right along with them on some things. They are only 5 and 7.
I took my son out of one parish Reconciliation program because it was so horrible. We're working with our parish priest and deacon individually to make sure he is ready for first confession and first communion. It's an exciting year!
Thanks for posting this article. So many of us feel the same way!
My folks are in a different ECUSA diocese - their bishop is a live and let live kinda guy who voted against the heretic bishop of N.H. Our former (thank God!) bishop on the other hand is a cheerleader for the homosexual lifestyle who was one of the delegates who showed up uninvited at Nottingham to tell the Anglican conference why they were right and everybody else was benighted and homophobic. It was just so in your face we couldn't tolerate it for another second; besides, why be Catholic Lite when you can be the real thing?
But mom and dad are old and set in their ways and haven't been forced by their bishop to make a decision. Besides, their church owns its own property and has a huge endowment, and they can call the most reactionary Forward In Faith priest in the U.S. if they feel like it.
It's a crazy world out there these days. My mother's Regional Presbytery (Central Florida) discusses ordaining homosexuals every few years, and she insists she'll quit if they do. I'm not sure what her other choices are in that area.
Isn't Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) a lot more orthodox than PCUSA?
It is ... but Mom likes a big church with lots of programs (helps her keep busy in retirement), and I don't know whether there's a large PCA congregation in her area. Around here, the PCA has really big churches, with schools and everything.
Looks like it links to websites, that would tell you pretty quick if there's a good sized PCA church near her.
Thanks, I'll have a look. She doesn't plan to jump ship, at least for the moment, unless the Regional Presbytery crosses her last line.
Hmm, wonder how he ended up in Ajo, AZ. Would be in the Diocese of Tucson. "Quiet little mining town" doesn't quite set the mental picture in describing it. VERY hot during the summers.
Boat? Did somebody say boat?
I think the article clarified this. Now please open your hymnal to number 47 for the entrance antiphon.
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
Would you like to glide in my beautiful balloon?
We could flat among the stars together, you and I.
For we can fly.
We can fly!
Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!
The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon.
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon.
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky,
For we can fly.
We can fly!
Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!
Suspended under a twilight canopy
We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us.
If by some chance you find yourself loving me,
We'll find a cloud to hide us, keep the moon beside us.
Love is waiting there in my beautiful ballon.
Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon.
If you'll hold my hand, we'll chase your dream across the sky,
For we can fly.
We can fly!
Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!
Ping and an echo:
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3b555c262d74.htm
Yesterday, I heard an NPR blurb about the new Bishop of Camden saying he wanted to make the laity, the religious and all the Priests on equal footing in his diocese and I thought "What about the Princes of the Church, the hierarchy that has been part of the Magisterium and the role of the Pope. How can their be equal footing when there is supposed to be Ordo".
"...the Christian truth is it is Christian parents who have the initial and primary duty to Catechize their children"
Exactly right but Catholic home education is usually thwarted on the parish and diocesan level reflecting teacher's union infiltration in the parochial system and parish life.
That is an excellent point. So many times discussions about the state of the Church these days turn into a bashing of baby boomers (who already get bashed enough in political discussions) and a bashing of Vatican II. But in my experience and from what I've read about the changes in the Church, it really was the WW2 generation and the folks in between them and the boomers that seemed to cause the most destruction in the American church. Baby boomers were just kids when Vatican II was going on. It was older folks who misinterpreted the council, and it was older folks who sat by silently and let so many of our traditions be tossed out in the trash (sometimes literally). Returning to the Tridentine Rite is not a panacea, because these people were born, catechized, and sometimes ordained well before the council. Heresy can hide quite easily under the surface of Tridentine piety.
I visited a Catholic school kindergarten class a while ago, and the experience was so odd that it hasn’t left my mind. I envisioned their sweetly bowed heads as they reverently recited the rosary, or perhaps a decade of it, before a crucifix and a statue of Our Lady. I was in for a shock.
Several years ago, the pastor at my former RC parish asked me to teach one of the Confirmation classes. I was truly humbled by this request and committed myself 100%, by showing up for each and every preparatory meeting. Finally, the Catechist's Guides were distributed and I anxiously sat down hungry to prepare for the first night's class. Turning to Chapter 1, I reviewed the list of items to bring the first night of class. Here it is and in the book's order:
* one or more dice
* newsprint and markers
* stones of similar size and texture, one for each student
* 3 narrow strips of dense fabric to serve as blindfolds
* candidates's handbooks
* pens, one for each candidate
* a large rock to serve as a symbol of Jesus
* two pillar candles and matches
* a Bible
* a tape player or CD player and songs on the themes of loneliness and friendship.
(NB - for those with children preparing for Confirmation, this is the Thomas Zansig, 'Confirmed In A Faithful Community' series from Saint Mary's Press, Christian Brothers Publications, Winona Minnesota).
Like the author of this article, I was shocked! On the first night of class, I brought along the Bible, a Rosary and the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. We progressed from there - without rocks, stones, pillar candles and mood music.
When it came time to selecting a Confirmation name, anticipating that these kids wanted to pick something different or unusual, I pointed them to a web site that lists ALL the catholic saints back to the 1st century. Not only did they appreciate the link, they enjoyed reading up on some of these forgotten saints, especially the martyrs. All of my students chose saint's names whereas many kids in the other classes chose unusual contemporary, even invented names. Ironically, the pastor's nephew was in one of the other classes. He chose some funky name to rile his priest uncle and to express his ability to be different. Even more ironical, the name he chose just happened to be that of some 2nd century saint which eased the qualms of the pastor who never let on to his nephew :-).
To all of you with small children enrolled in Catholic School or Religious Instruction, check and double check the teaching materials being used. If possible, work to have the unseemly materials replaced with more orthodox ones and always fill in the blanks with your children. Be the oasis in the desert!
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