Posted on 05/08/2012 5:28:22 AM PDT by IbJensen
A Cancer at the Heart of the Church
How and why does this sort of thing happen? It causes me a piercing sorrow because it is emblematic of the widespread loss of faith in the adorable mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist that is a cancer at the heart of the Church.
The Erosion of Faith
Several years ago, in the context of a course I was teaching, I suggested that the erosion of faith in the Most Holy Eucharist was, in fact, fostered by a number of liturgical and disciplinary changes:
– Minimalistic approach to the fast before Holy Communion.
– The offering of the Holy Sacrifice by the priest facing the congregation.
– The removal of the communion rail and obfuscation of the sanctuary as “the holy place.”
– The relegation of the tabernacle to the side of the sanctuary.
– The reception of Holy Communion standing, and in the hand.
– The introduction of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
Taken together, these changes sent a chilling message to the Catholic faithful (and even to confused clergy): “Folks, the Blessed Sacrament just isn’t all that we thought it was.”
The Protestantization of Catholic Worship
Let it be noted, en passant, that while all of these changes are a cause of scandal to Eastern Orthodox Christians, not one of them would be considered offensive to mainstream Protestants. When one begins to worship like a Protestant, one begins to believe like a Protestant.
Ignorance
The cumulative effect of these changes, compounded by a woefully deficient sacramental catechesis and by certain lamentable theological, liturgical, and moral sensibilities in seminaries during the 60s, 70s, and 80s, is the current Eucharistic Crisis. Redemptionis Sacramentum (2004) remains, in most dioceses, a document that is virtually unknown. Pope John Paul II’s “Year of the Eucharist” seems to have faded into oblivion; his EncyclicalEcclesia de Eucharistia (2003), and his Apostolic Letter, Mane nobiscum, Domine (2004) seem not to have been assimilated at the parish level. Pope Benedict XVI’s Sacramentum Caritatis (2007) is, in many places, unknown.
Adoration and Reparation
Adoration in a spirit of reparation is more than ever necessary. Where are the adorers and reparators who will console the Heart of Jesus, wounded by the irreverence, coldness, indifference, and sacrilege that He receives “in the house of them that loved Him,” and in the Sacrament of His Love?
As for the much discussed “reform of the reform,” might it not be a case of too little too late? Can anything apart from a Divine Intervention, a new sacerdotal Pentecost, obtained through the intercession of the Maternal Heart of Mary, bring about the change of heart that is needed?
The widespread and rampant desecration of the Eucharist is the very eye of this Apocalyptic hurricane that is roaring against the Faith and tearing the Church asunder. When all is said and done, the profanation of the temple is what is inciting the coming wrath upon humanity, so the true apostles of these last times must repair to Christ at the tabernacles of the world and ease His injured Heart in imitation of St. John and the Blessed Virgin who remained anchored at the foot of the cross in spite of the sacrilege of the jeering crowd.
Only God can rescue the Church from the present flood of evil, but we have to help hold the ailing Bark of Peter afloat until help arrives from Heaven.
sheesh even at the Lutheran church they kneel for Communion.
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There are arguments to be made in favor of these.For example,I have two bad hips and find it *very* difficult to kneel or genuflect.I certainly can't be the only one.As for Communion in hand...public health.The possible (unintentional) transmission of various diseases,some minor,some not so minor.
Being in a condition that makes it ‘very difficult’ to knee can certainly be overlooked and not be excused as there isn’t anything you can do about the condition.
Why change any of the mass? Pope Pius X guaranteed it in it’s present form in perpetuity.
>>As for Communion in hand...public health.The possible (unintentional) transmission of various diseases,some minor,some not so minor. <<
So instead it’s a “Communal Cup?” Even Barney says not to drink out of anyone else’s cup.
As for transmission of diseases, my husband is an EMHC at our parish which kneels and receives on the tongue. He received training how to distribute communion without touching a person’s lips. It sticks. All you have to do is take the host by one side and touch the other side to the tongue. It sticks there and the person distributing never spreads a germ.
As for kneeling, the majority of the people can kneel. If you can’t, it’s not any big deal. Everyone knows you can’t if you don’t. My daughter has a teacher with horrible RA. she doesn’t and no one thinks anything of her.
What also gets me is that when it’s time to receive Communion, it seems like the entire church takes it. That’s very different from my kiddiehood - has everyone been to Confession the day before? I doubt it. But then, maybe the Church doesn’t demand that anymore either...
I would add another thing to Father’s list: children not being taught to genuflect toward the tabernacle when they enter or leave the church. Sometimes it’s difficult to find where the tabernacle is in some churches because it’s been “tucked away” in some corner. Also, the replacing of the crucifix with statues and images of the resurrected Christ remove the meaning of the sacrifice that is celebrated during mass.
>>Wow, tough congregation. <<
Ooooo, you caught me in a “Bad English” moment!
We all love her.
I am also saddened when I see, especially at Christmas and Easter, everyone receiving communion knowing that many are receiving unworthily. Unfortunately, too many in my generation were told by religious teachers and even some priests, that if we are truly sorry for our sins, we don’t need to go to confession.
Which he had no authority to do, the form of the Mass not being a matter of "faith and morals", but of discipline.
None of the listed "bad things" had anything to do with my decision to become RC four years ago.
The problem is due to abysmal catechesis, and nothing else. (and yes, the RCIA program I went through was (and is) abysmal). Fortunately, I read the "Catechism of the CC" from cover to cover before setting foot in RCIA, so most of the claptrap simply bounced off.
Having the priest face the congregation? There goes the whole ceremony! Introducing novel hand movements should be on the list too, shouldn’t it?
This what straining at gnats looks like.
This isn't straining at gnats. This is a big, big deal. Having the celebrant face the people is damaging to the Mass in multiple ways. The Sacrifice is turned into a show.
“This what straining at gnats looks like.”
Liberal Catholics sure do agree. That what this looks like.
Freegards
another problem is the invention of the car which makes it difficult for churches to enforce church discipline because people can just drive to the next church.
seriously.
even more serious however is the teaching of the Arian heresy in some seminaries. (according to this heresy Jesus is fully man but not fully God. Nicean creed was arranged to combat this heresy but its tough to combat when the clergy believes false doctrine.)
As for the concern about 'sanitation', actually communion in the hand is WORSE. Hands are germ magnets - and there's often contact hand-to-hand between the EEMs and people who come up after blowing their noses or worse. When the Host is properly administered by the priest, It is simply set on the tongue - no contact at all. Even EEMs can be taught to do this properly -- they administer communion on the tongue at our parish and there's no trouble at all.
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