However, here’s what was a distraction to active participation in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb in all of its eschatological dimensions, new texts or not:
1. Mass opening with the suggestion that we turn to our neighbor and introduce ourselves.
2. The show-tune style Kyrie accompanied by a piano and a cantor singing like a Broadway soloist with arms stretched wide and a big grin.
3. The mother in front of me giving animal crackers to her over-the-age-of-first-Communion daughter and assisting in her breaking the Communion fast.
4. The permanent deacon leaving the sanctuary and pacing back and forth in the front aisle, preaching for 13 minutes and never once mentioning the Gospel reading from the Mass.
5. More piano-accompanied Broadway-style singing during Communion complete with a wide wavy vibrato and vocal scooping.
6. The general roar of conversation in the church after Mass with no interest at all in reverent silence.
Praise God that we have elegant and elevated new texts. But they were almost forgotten among the mundane, the un-liturgical and the just plain tacky. Much work remains to be done in implementing the riches of the Council.
November 27, 2011 at 8:35 pm
"would not be technically incorrect"
Oops, I meant to say "would not be technically correct."
November 27, 2011 at 8:54 pm
What is all the hub bub about, anyway?
Most of the people did not use the provided missalettes. On a couple of occasions the priest stumbled through the "new" words. The priest, pointedly, directed the people to each page as Mass progressed, when a response of the congregation was expected. All in all things went as could be expected. Yawn!
I do not see how any of this is going to help the Church. Yes, all the reasons……da, da, da, why this or that is good or bad, are just…tiring.
Without pastors and bishops who actually address serious wrongs, generally and in specific cases(especially when their intercession is sought), with canonical sanctions and public defense of such actions, the decay will continue. These men do not care and this behavior IS the fruit of VATICAN II.
In the Church in America, this is just not happening and does not seem likely to happen.
It is terribly disheartening but it is difficult to expect much response from a body that is dying, albeit, in slow motion.
Karl
November 27, 2011 at 10:22 pm
In our parish it went wonderfully. For those wondering what the fruits will be…it depends on the parish priest.
Some will use this opportunity to overhaul the music (we have already started this process) and restore a sense of the sacred to the space (go talk in the narthex or the social hall).
Some will grudgingly use the new translation and "get around" it whenever possible.
In the long run however, the elevated language will help those who want to reform the reform.
For the person who asked about overhauling the music…There is a great group of musicians that are all over it. http://musicasacra.com/
For Steve who doesn't want to go back…if you have children you might want to consider braving the screaming of your in-laws. IMO it's a better option than having vulnerable children exposed to dissent and heresy. Easier said than done I know…from personal experience. But in the long run…oh so worth it. Which I also know from personal experience.
November 27, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Pretty much a mess here. In addition to the pure garbage of introducing ourselves to those around us and way too much time spent at the sign of peace, the profination of the Eucharist continues with both species of communion being distributed by a flock of EEMs almost larger than the amount of people in the pews – REMEMBER that both Species was suppoed to have ended with the indult that was pulled in 2005 – and also the typical Deacon homily of ten plus minutes talking about nothing as usual.
November 28, 2011 at 12:15 am
We had a guy who laughed multiple times during the Mass because some people forgot to look at their booklet when responding. My favorite part was the mother behind us looking at her son and in a very load voice say "roof? Why would we say the word roof during Mass?" I wanted to turn around and tell her where in scripture the response came from but decided to continue to prepare myself to receive our Lord.
November 28, 2011 at 12:34 am
I want to make a comment about the hand shaking. At our church we do it before the opening song begins. I am not sure when your greeting happens but that is when our is.
Let me premise my comments that I am very conserative in my views when it comes to the church and while I understand what people are saying about the handshaking, I want to post another view.
I had left the church for several years and when I finally came back, I went to a church that did not shake hands and did not do a lot to make people feel welcome. It was very strigent and it did not do much to make a person feel welcome. I attended that church several times and never was able to feel like i had a place in it. So I thought that I would try another church and that is when I found my current church. You know what drew me to it, it was the handshake. I felt welcome and that meant the world to me. I have since come back to the church and I am a very active member of it. It was through that church that I have met many wonderful people and I am currently discerning a vocation. To tell you the truth, I am not sure if it had not been for the handshake, if I would have come back to the church and started the process of learning more about my faith. I agree that people can take it too far but before we condemn it, take into consideration the people that it welcomes back to the church. I think that this idea that we cannot look at others, acknowledge others while at Mass because it would be wrong can be taken a little to far because sometimes people just need a little encouragement so that they can return to God and the Catholic Church. I know that I did and look at what it did for me; I am Catholic who loves God, loves my faith, and loves my church. God welcoms everyone and maybe we should try to do the same especially at church. We need to God's light for others.
CQ
November 28, 2011 at 1:50 am
Our bishop mandated that every parish use the chant tone for the Mass parts. No Broadway here:) I went over the 'and with your spirit', the confetior, the preface dialog, and the "lord I am not worthy' before Mass; the musicians did one more run through of the Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Memorial Acclamation. I also chanted the opening and closing collects and we chanted the Our Father. All in all, things went well.
November 28, 2011 at 11:11 am
"The achievements of Vatican II"… really?
November 28, 2011 at 2:46 pm
These ARE the riches of the Council. A good translation of a terrible liturgy is still a terrible liturgy.
November 28, 2011 at 4:03 pm
I was shocked by silence, a lovely new polyphony choir, Advent hymns and a solid homily. Thought briefly that I'd died and was the last to know.
November 28, 2011 at 4:55 pm
It went very smoothly at my parish thanks to the recent ramping up of catechesis and rehearsal.
Dave
November 30, 2011 at 6:14 am
Luther rejected Aristotelian categories along with the rest of reason; the thing he's describing is consubstantiation, whether he had the brains to admit it or not.
If some half-educated savage is telling you about the wind, his superstitious rejection of science doesn't change the fact that he's talking about a pressure differential caused by differential heating of air.