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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.
Tis true. We went through RCIA last year, came into the CC at Easter Vigil. We were told, for our first confession -- 'Just think of one thing. It takes too long when people go on and on.' And we were not taught the Act of Contrition.
Later that spring, we visited a little church in NYC. I went to confession; the priest said, "Don't you know the prayer?" "No, they didn't teach us that." Duh.
Only later still, at a retreat, the priest said, "You are supposed to confess everything in your life to this point, when you come into the church. It is a new start." How much more meaningful that was.
"Would that this could be repaired." It is now up to those of us who know and care. Fr. Fessio, in his interview with Hugh Hewitt the other day, said that homeschool is like the monasteries were in the Middle Ages -- a place where the true faith and true history are taught and honored, where they are passed on to the next generation.
We need, as well, people who cherish the faith to teach the catechism classes. Does anyone know if you have to be trained/ certified to do that? (new Catholic here). Does orthodoxy have to be set by the priest in that parish?
Our priest brought in a few boys from Benedictine College today. We had the most beautiful Gregorian Chant Mass this morning. I had tears in my eyes a couple of times. Even the little ones loved it. *sigh* I'm so thankful for having found this parish in a tiny little town tucked away in the hills. It is a secret that I bet cannot be kept for much longer. I see massive growth in its future! :o)
That's true in general, but there is no guarantee that a fervent practice of Marian devotions, for example, reflects an accurate understanding of the Blessed Mother's position in the larger context of the Church. "Faith" can be "faith in something one understands wrongly."
The confirmation examination is about one's understanding of the faith, not one's sins.
Yes, I understand that, but if a pastor or Bishop is going to attach up-or-down, testing conditions to the Sacraments, it would make sense to me if it were in a Biblically relevant context.
Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation is not based on a certain level of information. The Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches administer Confirmation/Chrismation to infants, who obviously have no specific knowledge of the Faith. In the Bible, we see that the Holy Spirit came upon the household of Cornelius, who had been exposed only to the basics of the Gospel, as well as upon the Apostles, whose understanding was quite parlous up to that point.
In summary, knowledge and wisdom are gifts brought by the Holy Spirit, not prerequisites for His coming upon a believer.
On the other hand, we see in the Bible and throughout Catholic Tradition that serious sin is a major impediment to receiving the Eucharist. A deadly impediment, St. Paul says. So if pastors are going to withhold the Sacraments from those who are "unworthy" or "inadequately prepared," it seems to me the obvious point to do that would be where souls are imperilled.
That is how I learned the Act of Contrition as well and this was in the 70's.
I understand many of the authors points and agree with them but I slightly disagree regarding the Act of Contrition.
Aren't Catholics supposed to be striving to confess our sins out of a love for God as opposed to a fear of Hell (Perfect Act of Contrition vs. Imperfect Act of Contrition)? Fear of Hell is a good start but it should not end there.
Thanks for the ping, this is a good read.
That's a good point. I think the author is merely stating how there is a "watering down" of the faith over the last 30 years, and the altering of the Act of Contrition is merely one sign of such watering down. I found the title of this work to be particularly intriguing (although it didn't turn out to be what I thought it would be about) because I've met some people online that actually deny that Hell exists. Apparently this is a common belief in some "Christian" sects, but I never knew that before. I found it rather distressing that a (relatively minor but still present) sign of such theological rejection may be creeping into the Catholic faith. (by omitting that part from the Act of Contrition). Call me paranoid, but I believe Satan works in subtle ways sometimes.
As far as the "perfect" vs "imperfect" contrition, you're right there's a difference and it's as you said, the perfect being because we love God, and the imperfect because we fear Him (or more preciesly Hell). However, whatever contrition is engaged, absolution is obtained in confession whether it's perfect or imperfect. The distinction is made (I believe) merely to point us in the right direction (which is love for God over all else) not really to put a gradient scale on confession or the type of absolution obtained.
(just making the point for the record, not that you were saying that)
I think I want you to write all my comments from now on. Nice and succinct.
"because of your just punishments, but most of all because..."
There is much to be said about teaching Doctrine in church.
So many sermons are given like a day time talk show.
No substance...just good feelings.
Christians should mature beyond infants in their faith and grow to be teachers.
Thank you!
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bttt
And there is the quote attributed to several saints:
"The walls of hell are lined with the skulls of bishops."
Saint John of the Cross
Saint Catherine of Siena, when given a vision of hell, stated, "....the walls of hell are lined with the skulls of bishops."
"The floor of hell is lined with the skulls of bishops." - Saint John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church
"The ceiling of Hell is lined with the skulls of bishops." - Robert Drobot
A collage of quotations supporting the last them:
The penalty men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. - Plato
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. - Edmund Burke
The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who-in a period of moral crisis-maintain neutrality. - Dante
There is no truth in their mouth: their heart is vain....They dealt deceitfully with their tongues: Judge them, O Lord. PSALM 5:10-11
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This saying really is credited to a number of saints, isn't it?
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