And while you’re at it, say a few prayers for the poor schmucks like myself who don’t have any choice (save a 3 hour drive) and must put up with this all the time. At least you didn’t have to witness any liturgical dance!!
I’m with you on this. Somehow I doubt God is in his heaven fuming at all those Catholics who aren’t studying the particulars of what makes a valid Mass. At some point it becomes a question of form over function. The priests may be on God’s S-list, but for the rest of us, our intent is good, and I think that’s what matters to the Man Upstairs.
I shall now don my asbestos suit and await incoming.
When you think you have the seen the worst of liturgical dance, someone sends you this:
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/070619
I wanted to believe that but, had that been the case, they would have been taken from the Tabernacle. No ... these were brought out fresh from the Sacristy AFTER the Consecration.
And while you’re at it, say a few prayers for the poor schmucks like myself who don’t have any choice (save a 3 hour drive) and must put up with this all the time. At least you didn’t have to witness any liturgical dance!!
I'm guessing you have joined this forum after my experience with introducing liturgical dance at my former RC parish. That story is legend here in the Religion Forum ;-) I battled the parish Director for Religious Education, the pastor and when that did not stop it, I wrote to the diocesan Office for Liturgy and Worship. In their initial response to my letter, they wrote back defending the pastor who told me to think of it as "liturgical movement". They even cited an arcane VCII document on multiculturalism. Undaunted, I wrote them a 2nd time quoting from Canon law - "all Catholics are entitled to a valid liturgy". That ended the liturgical dance at the parish!
Since you are in a similar predicament to where I was 3+ years ago, I would strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with this excellent resource.
Is Your Mass Valid? - Liturgical Abuse. It was my resource in addressing liturgical dance at my former parish.
Blu, I don't know where you live but when the abuses reached the breaking point, and with the assistance of Catholic freepers in this forum, I went looking for a new parish. Someone suggested visiting an Eastern Catholic Church. There were 2 in my area and I included them on the list of 8 parishes to visit. I began the process with a prayer, asking our Lord to guide me to "a holy priest, a reverent liturgy and a community where my God given abilities could be of assistance. It was in the Maronite (Eastern) Catholic Church, that I found my new home. That was more than 3 years ago and it has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. Our pastor is bi-ritual (Maronite and Latin Rite), speaks 8 languages fluently including Latin, Koine Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. It is a joy to attend Mass there each Sunday.
There are 22 Churches that make up the One, Holy, Catholic Church. Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.
To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:
The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).
To locate an Eastern Catholic Church in your community, follow the following link:
Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.
A Roman rite Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic Liturgy and fulfill his of her obligations at any Eastern Catholic Parish. A Roman rite Catholic may join any Eastern Catholic Parish and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest, since all belong to the Catholic Church as a whole.
I did, at a Christmas mass of all services. I thought to myself- things are really getting strange.