IS YOUR MASS VALID? Liturgical Abuse

Our Lady's Warriors ^ | Bruce Sabalaskey

[NYer]

COMPLETE ARTICLE

[NYer]

This is an EXCELLENT resource on invalid and illicit abuses of the mass. It's a real eye opener and well worth the visit. It has helped me recognize small abuses that have been introduced into my parish.

God Bless!

[Desdemona]

Bookmarking for later.

[Gophack]

Two weeks ago, the Bishop had a special flyer distributed re-confirming the proper postures at different times during the Mass, among other things. Our parish had become quite lazy, I think, with minor abuses, particularly the Eucharistic Ministers. We have a large parish and I understand the need for EMs, but I noticed several problems and emailed EWTN for clarification. The Sunday after I got my response from EWTN, the Bishop had the flyers inserted! I had been right on almost every point. For example, kneeling after the Lamb of God. When I go to one church at lunch occassionally, and sometimes for a Sunday evening Mass, we always kneel. But at my parish, we didn't. EWTN said that you can stand or kneel, but it is supposed to be consistent throughout the diocese. Our Bishop has now said that kneeling is the norm.

Also, I knew that the EMs were not supposed to touch the host at the altar, that the priest is supposed to hand them their tray. Our EMs would crowd around the priest, pour the wine, split the hosts, and I was getting quite irritated. That was put to an end (Thanks be to God!).

Most everything else were minor, but they were all corrected, and I'm hoping that these small fixes will be going on throughout the country. They might seem like minor things, but they will build into big problems.

Now, if I can only get a prayer for the unborn included in every Mass ...

[Catholicguy]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that "the Mass" another name for the Eucharist (CCC, no. 1332) "is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the Sacrifice of the Cross is perpetuated, and the Sacred Banquet of communion with the Lord's body and blood" (no. 1382 )

<> It is both Sacrifice and Banquet<>

[Catholicguy]

http://www.adoremus.org/0501Sacrifice-banquet.html

[NYer]

I noticed several problems and emailed EWTN for clarification.

Good for you!! And it worked ... that's good news for me!

I have just written to the Albany Diocese for Divine Worship and Liturgy, the USCCB Office of Worship, EWTN, RCF, and copied the bishop regarding the introduction of Liturgical Dance into my parish. In fact, the diocesan newspaper ran a full length story, replete with color photographs, of another parish where this has become quite the norm. So much so, that they are planning to create videotapes and distribute them across the country, to motivate other parishes. Over my dead body!

According to everything I have read, Liturgical Dance was banned by a directive of the USCCB in 1982. It was included in Vatican II as a means of inculturating Polynesians, Africans and others who have traditionally danced as part of their liturgy. That is not the case in the US. It bothered me that the DRE was asking my Confirmation students to volunteer for the dance and she would teach them the movements ... using what guideline? Her own? The pastor's? The pastor had planned on incorporating it into the liturgy at the Christmas Eve mass ... it didn't happen. He is miffed ... since he felt it was a good idea.

You have made an excellent point ... WE are the church.

[livius]

Good article. Fr. Neuhaus had a very interesting set of comments in his section at the end of the current issue of First Things regarding Jacques Maritain and the failure of the documents of Vatican II to be correctly interpreted. Perhaps this is an example, for with an orthodox interpretation and emphasis, it is certainly beyond reproach.

[Gerish]

I hope you can get a prayer for the unborn, that would be wonderful!

Once in my parish I went to a Parish Council meeting regarding the litergy. I suggested that after the mass everyone in the congregation say the prayer to St. Michael. You should have seen the looks on everyones face - you would have thought I had green hair and purple eyes!

[NYer]

the failure of the documents of Vatican II to be correctly interpreted

Yes, I do believe that is a large part of the problem. At least, that is what I am discovering as I plow my way through the "small" abuses. These are like trial balloons intended to test the waters of the congregation. As you well know, many catholics rarely question change. Instead, if they are truly displeased or upset, they simply stop going to mass. They "assume" that the priest (and his bishop) are complying with doctrine. Not necessarily so!

The other part of this story is that a group of liberal thinkers have used VaticanII to promulgate their own wishes. Just wait til you see the story I post tomorrow. There is a new lawsuit against the Albany Diocese and this one extends to the Director of Counseling for the Laity. She is being used by the bishop to manipulate the "victims of sexual abuse" into accepting a one time settlement, instead of actually counseling them. She is rather well known across the US.

[SuziQ]

Now, if I can only get a prayer for the unborn included in every Mass ...

We always have a prayer for the "Respect for Life, born and unborn" in our Prayers of the Faithful.

[sinkspur]

I suggested that after the mass everyone in the congregation say the prayer to St. Michael.

You are free to say the prayer to St. Michael.

Why would you want to insist that everyone else in your parish take up your private devotion?

[victim soul]

We say that prayer at our church thanks to the pastor who initiated it.

[Salvation]

That is an outstanding document. Already bookmarked.

[Salvation]

**Also, I knew that the EMs were not supposed to touch the host at the altar, that the priest is supposed to hand them their tray. Our EMs would crowd around the priest, pour the wine, split the hosts, and I was getting quite irritated. That was put to an end (Thanks be to God!).**

The priest prepares all the wine and hosts for Eucharistic Ministers at our church, take that back, he does the hosts and the Minister of Ceremonies does the wine.

[SuziQ]

I thought it was interesting about the statement that inviting others on the altar with the intention of having them 'co-consecrate' the bread and wine made the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass invalid. I can understand how this would be so at a gathering of folks who are pushing for women priests, etc.

My brother in law, when celebrating Life Teen Masses in his Parish, will invite the teens to come up around the altar with the intention of being at the feet of Christ during His sacrifice, much like His mother Mary, and the Beloved Disciple. He is in no way giving them the impression that their presence is required for the Consecration; he is simply including them in a direct way so as to focus their attention on JESUS and the sacrifice He made for them. If I remember right, they kneel during the actual Consecration, only rising after the Memorial Acclamation. Not all the teens attending the Mass gather around the altar, but those who do are very reverent, and understand why they are there.

[Gerish]

I know I am free to say it and I do. However, I was not "insisting" that everyone else say it, I was just offering it as a suggestion. Gee, you seem to get so defensive about everything - relax!

[NYer]

I also found the following both interesting and pertinent. While this has not yet spread too far in my parish, I have attended masses where people hold hands during the Our Father.

Holding hands during the Our Father has become commonplace, but it is an illicit addition to the Liturgy. Clarifications and Interpretations of the GIRM ["Notitiae" Vol. XI (1975) p. 226] explains:

". . .holding hands is a sign of intimacy and not reconciliation, and as such disrupts the flow of the Sacramental signs in the Mass which leads to the Sacramental sign of intimacy with Christ and our neighbor, Holy Communion." 

[sitetest]

Dear NYer,

"I also found the following both interesting and pertinent. While this has not yet spread too far in my parish, I have attended masses where people hold hands during the Our Father.

"'Holding hands during the Our Father has become commonplace, but it is an illicit addition to the Liturgy. Clarifications and Interpretations of the GIRM ["Notitiae" Vol. XI (1975) p. 226] explains:

"'. . .holding hands is a sign of intimacy and not reconciliation, and as such disrupts the flow of the Sacramental signs in the Mass which leads to the Sacramental sign of intimacy with Christ and our neighbor, Holy Communion.'"

There seems to be some difference of opinion on this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/813707/posts

I'll quote a bit from the article posted on the thread I've cited. The article is by Archbishop Chaput:

"The celebrant invites us to pray the words of Jesus in the "Our Father." This is the prayer Jesus Himself taught us, and because of that, it's the model prayer for the Church. How should we pray it?

"A lot has been said in popular writing about our gestures at this point of the Mass. Do we fold our hands, or hold them outstretched, or hold hands with those around us? Some people have surprisingly strong feelings about this issue. Our answer to this question needs to come from the Church's understanding of this moment in the Mass.

"The priest stands with his arms outstretched as the prayer begins. The assembly should also stand. There are no options for gestures listed in the General Instruction for this part of the Mass. For many persons, folding their hands during the 'Our Father' is the best way to express their prayer. For others, they may hold their hands outstretched. Still others hold hands.

"None of these gestures is mandated or forbidden by the Church. So our guiding principles should be respect for the dignity of the Mass, and respect for the freedom of our fellow worshipers."


sitetest