Are young Catholics Cultural Orphans?

Catholic Exchange ^ | July 10, 2003 | Joanna Bogle

[k omalley]

You are indeed very fortunate that your parish has maintained some of the treasures of Catholic culture. My present parish has too for which I feel very fortunate. Other parishes I belonged too had almost no resemblance to anything Catholic.

Some other cultural and devotional practices which spring to mind:
Collecting Holy cards
Writing AMDG or JMJ on the top of the page of assignments in Catholic school.
Yearly missions
Almost all Catholics wore a crucifix or a Miraculous medal.

[VermiciousKnid]

The electric "candle" situation is one of the most awful things that has happened to our traditions.

The author is spot-on in this article, and though I try mightily to teach my children the richness of their Catholic heritage, it is very difficult to do when your church looks like the Brady's TV room, when the nuns not only don't wear habits, but openly chastise you for wearing a chapel veil (doilie-type) to church (one sister asked me if I was trying to be Jackie Kennedy -- not on your life, sister...), where we have one priest who flatly refuses to recite the Credo AS WRITTEN (he has made it "gender neutral" among other things), and where week after week, with rare but very much appreciated exception you are subjected to Elvis gyrating on the altar while singing the odious "Christ Be Our Light".

If we want our children to be inspired by their heritage, then by golly...we have to give them something worth the inspiration,

Even the most inpiring of all -- the Holy Eucharist -- is hidden away where no one can see Him.

It's all so very sad. I pray that we will be able to reverse this trend.

Regards,

[Desdemona]

http://www.cathedralstl.org/tourism/tour.html

This is where I have been going to Mass of late. Unfortunately, we can't have lots of real candles because the soot damages the mosaics. Believe me, the pictures do not do it justice.

[VermiciousKnid]

Wow, Des!

Now THAT'S inspiring!

I wish I could find a picture of our parish. If I ever find one, I'll post it so you can see the difference for yourself.

Regards,

[Desdemona]

Yep, it is inspiring. Believe it or not it was built and the mosaics finished all in the 20th century.

[Thorondir]

Yes. The churches are mostly closed. As I work (driving around) at night, my daily visits to the Blessed Sacrament are usually done kneeling at the locked door of the church in the darkness and praying. It used to bother me to be locked out, but now it seems sort of romantic--symbolizing our separation from Him in our pilgrim journey through this world of darkness.

To a starving man, even a crust of bread is a feast.

[VermiciousKnid]

It's a beautiful church, Des. You are lucky indeed to be a member of it -- though I'm sure the congregation is also well rewarded by your musical abilities.

Our parish is currently building a new church. It is supposed to be finished in October -- the outside structure is finished, but get this -- the inside is going to be "a surprise." Nobody except the building committee is allowed to see the plans.

I'll let you know how it turns out. Keep your fingers crossed.

Regards,

[Desdemona]

You are lucky indeed to be a member of it -- though I'm sure the congregation is also well rewarded by your musical abilities.

Oh, I don't sing there as a cantor, just in the congregation. The music director there doesn't like supported and well-trained women's voices. He prefers the choir-boy sound and that's just not me.

And that Cathedral belongs to the whole city, even if the Archdiocese owns it.

[TotusTuus]

Yes, but WHY? Why is this? And why can't we answer right off the tops of our heads like we should be able to.

Well, in the Latin Rite the dark purple is the color signifying penance and preparation. Advent and Lent do prepare for major events in the Church calender, namely Christmas and Easter where the lighter and bright colors of white and gold are used. I believe the rose color is allowed a couple of Sundays before each feast to signify a slight lightening of the "dark" mood of penatential (sp?) preparation as you look to the major feast to occur. Sort of like our Lord's transfiguration before His Passion and eventual Resurrection.

Since Liturgy and Faith reinforce the other, proper catechesis with decent material would help in the explanations. Of course, this has been a huge problem these last 40+ years. But with newer and more orthodox Catholic Bishops and Priests leading the way as the Teachers they are meant to be, better catechetical programs may be on the way for the newer generation. Won't happen overnight...

Sorta gets to the whole point of the article. Our Faith is more than an intellectual exercise of belief. It is a surrender to follow a Person Who is the Way, Truth, and Life. It involves our whole being, and since by nature we are social beings, the rise and development of customs and traditions surrounding our lives to deepen our life of Faith is natural and necessary. This process is called "culture". The weakening of traditions and customs goes hand in hand with a weakening of the Faith in our lives. We, first and foremost, have a crisis in the Church of a lack of, as you said, will-power. The will to be holy! Lack of holiness is the source of all the problems in the Church, and therefore secular society in general. I find the majority of Catholics and other Christians (myself included) to tend to indifference and mediocrity. Our society demands it of us. This opens the door for the small but effective leftist/liberal groups to have caused the damage that they have, often with good intentions, over the past generation. Because of the loss of identity, many future Catholics have been "aborted" from the Church, having no identity with Her and lacking the capability for zeal for holiness because the Gospel has not been effectively preached to them through all levels of our common social institutions meant to do just that (family, parish, etc.). However, since Truth always beckons us to wisdom, many will wake up and search, with little help, for her. And they eventually find her. And some of them will respond to the call to Religious Life - orthodox Religious Life. And they will be zealous for Truth and Holiness. And they will be the new Teachers of the Faith and draw more people to the Church. And this cycle, which has happened before in the history of the Church (and Israel), will climb back up to the top once more with the Holy Spirit leading us and calling us to holiness.

[TotusTuus]

Writing AMDG or JMJ on the top of the page of assignments in Catholic school.

JMJ - Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I'm pretty sure. Is AMDG the Latin for "For the Greater Glory of God"?

I've started reading Sister Faustina's Diary, and she seems to have JMJ starting out a lot of the entries.

[TexConfederate1861]

Yes.....

[TexConfederate1861]

I doubt seriously if any kind of reunion will ever take place between our two churches...there is too much of a difference theologically and too much hatred and water under the bridge.

However, it doesn't mean that we can't debate, or discuss our differences, or similarities, as long as the dialogue is in a friendly and respectful manner. (which so far I haven't seen much of)

[TexConfederate1861]

Sounds like this guy is doing the same thing that basically happened in the 800's all over again...Somebody thinks they can add to or change the Creed....but..once that door was opened, and the anethemas were ignored...........................!

[narses]

Almost every one of those traditions is alive and well in the Tridentine sub-culture.

[man of Yosemite]

What the world needs to see is a living relationship with a resurrected Lord. You can have all the other trappings that really don't amount to a hill of beans. I've had all the culture I can stomach, but I sure would like some more of Jesus.

[Desdemona]

A Resurrected Lord or THE Resurrected Lord? There is only one.

Frankly, the culture brings us closer and constantly reminds us of the sacrafice He made for us. All of it is a reminder of Him.

[Dajjal]

Bumpus ad summum

[maryz]

frequently do not have any formal training in Catholic sacred architecture in any sound sense.

They might be able to get by without formal training if they had the aesthetic sense God gave geese!

[maryz]

Oh, I know Mission -- I hear they still have the crutches hanging that belonged to people who were healed.

We used to go there sometimes when we lived in Roxbury when I was a kid -- lovely church. Not exactly handy to get to for me now, though.

[maryz]

Isn't this one of two days in the Latin Rite calender where Priests are allowed to wear rose colored vestments instead of purple? Just wondering. You know, to "lighten" things up.

Yes, but WHY? Why is this? And why can't we answer right off the tops of our heads like we should be able to.

Right -- rose used to be the liturgical color for Gaudete (rejoice) Sunday (third Sunday in Advent) and Laetare (rejoice) Sunday (fourth Sunday in Lent) when we were called to, well, rejoice even in the midst of sorrow. I haven't seen rose vestments in decades, though the advent candles still have the rose candle for the third week (though I wouldn't know why if I hadn't gone to decent Catholic schools in the late 50s and early 60s -- before the deluge, so to speak.