Did Joel Osteen and his Dallas, Mega Church inspire this? No, I think his "liturgies" are a bit more sober. But there must be some Mega Church, Protestant non-denominational influence or inculturation here, don't you think? I know today that people of Jesus' day who welcomed Him to Jerusalem, may have welcomed Him in this manner if it were today? But I don't know. I know the pope in his various travels, particularly Pope John Paul II got these kinds of welcome.
But I have to ask, did people act this way at the foot of the Sacrifice? Did people act this way at the taking down from the Cross? Did they act this way at the entombment? Did they act this way at the Resurrection? No, I think there was a sober response not a Hollywood moment! This Mass was at the conclusion of Hollywood's recent Religious Education Convention!
What in God's name are they and we thinking with these types of Masses? Couldn't this have been done in some other liturgical setting? A para-liturgy? A devotion? Making Mass into a Hollywood production and entertainment is a bit shocking to me especially during this holy season of Lent! Do you think they sang "Stabat Mater"("Sorrowful Mother") this way? Is this what Vatican II had in mind when the document on the Liturgy recommended "NOBLE SIMPLICITY?"
"FATHER FORGIVE THESE PEOPLE IN HOLLYWOOD AND ELSEWHERE, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY ARE DOING!"
After having watched the Hollywood production for a Mass above, this is the only "ANTIDOTE" that can cure you of your stomach upset!
13 comments:
I wonder how many of the people there are not Catholic, and I wonder how many who were not Catholic went down and received. I'll bet the answer to both questions id, "a bunch."
This is the closest I come to believing that Donatus was correct in at least some instances...(forgive me ahead of time, Fr.) I have trouble believing that there was any Presence in that spectacle at all...in the building, in the people, in the "Priests," or in the Elements. But, if God once spoke through an ass, I suppose he can do so again.
By the way, when is that huge earthquake supposed to happen and rid us of California once and for all? (Forgive me again.)
"Somehow it doesn't strike me as noble simplicity."
Somehow I wonder why. Not noble, or not simple?
I truly am paralyzed by liturgical abuse (I have walked out of such on occasion, despite knowing the sinfulness of abandoning the Eucharist), and I know the transforming and saving power of a serious, meticulous and reverent liturgy (Fr. Alan used to offer such in my parish). Yet I am led to reflect: If Christ died for me, horrendous sinner that I am (and I believe He surely did), if He died for abortionists, terrorists and sexual predators, then I guess He died for these misguided folks as well.
Lord, help me to put all of this in Your Hands and "...dispose of it according to Your Will...". Give me the courage to do/say what I can for Your Kingdom, and when I have done this, give me the wisdom to allow You to be in control.
The chasm being created between the NO Mass and the Tridentine Mass is as big as the San Andreas, which is apparently where reverance, noble simplicity, rubrics, Latin, Chant, and many Apostolic Constitutions, Dubias, and Instructions have fallen. Mahoney is a disgrace to allow this to happen in his Diocease. Even if nothing were wrong with this, and there is much wrong here, it is totally out of line with Rome and what the Holy Father teaches. I do not think they should even be allowed to refer to this as a Catholic Liturgy. It is truly scandalous. I would walk out too.
Sarcastically:
The Liturgy here could not be more _it’s all about us!_ the worthy righteous children of God_ who are awaiting the glory that we deserve!_ See US as WE proclaim the Word and render Eucharist!_
On Palm Sunday, PASSION SUNDAY, High Liturgy celebrated by the Archbishop, the procession is led by a relieved form of the cross _without a corpus_. Passion without a body. Disembodied passion. Discontinuous. WE are the NEW church..the church _of_ Los Angeles! Nonetheless, the relief of the processional cross is _mirrors_, so WE can see OURselves!
_Our greatness as the people of God is affirmed and celebrated in this Liturgy_. _Yes! We have chosen God to be OUR God_. How fortunate and full of comfort this all is_!
Seriously:
The concept of self idolatry has not reached this Archdiocese. They evidently have given a backseat to the Paraclete. God chooses us and we see and hear it or we don’t. There, in a diocesan culture that emphasizes Justice the celebration of Justice that the Passion recollects us to is vacant. The act of suffering that is the ring of espousalship to God has been lost. There is no representation and accounting of our debt that Christ vicariously relieves.
Very subtly, the presence of smoke and mirrors sends a message. The message may not be publically or consciously acknowledged but it is picked up by their media enchanted minds. They unconsciously await a Criss Angel who will magically change the bread and wine into???
Rather, Father this is clearly not noble or simple. Isn’t this blasphemic action?
My compliments to you Gene as you struggle with your sentiments.
I am ashamed. I will struggle with that. After all we are the Church militant.
As I end this comment I will pray the "Deer's Cry" for the good of everyone in that recorded image. With emphasis:
“I summon today all these [good and Divine] powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards...”
Jenny, You are, of course, correct. But, surely those to whom has been entrusted the mediating of the Presence of Christ to the masses should be held to a more serious accounting by us than the doctrinally unaware and theologically uneducated public for whom we are commanded to pray. I'm certain that such a mockery of Holy Communion will not go unnoticed by the Saints and Angels in Heaven...not to mention by Him through whose light they shine. I, too, would walk out of such a Mass and feel no guilt, only a sad emptiness. Can Christ be present through such shenanigans...of course, but why the H*** make Him work so hard?
Brian, Amen and Amen!
That many bishops in one room and they let that happen. Wow.
I like the Deacon dancing the Book of the Gospels down the aisle. We should get Deacon Mongan to do that at the Easter Vigil! (sarcasm, of course)
St. Joseph, pray for us!
Father, those of us commenting on this page recognize the problem and accept the anecdote. The problem is, too many Catholics don't think there's any problem at all.
I am saddened by the number of bishops at this new age protestant celebration.
"anecdote"? Yeesh! I meant "antidote".
Where's my Alzheimer's medication?
The symbols of The Church are not totems, that is superstition, and of course they are not aggrandisment, that is vanity. This 'performance' seems to not understand the differences. So, I wonder if this was blasphemous?
As far as Christ dying for their sins; well of course he did. I think we confuse forgiveness with tolerance and tolerance with acceptance if we let that stand in the way of correcting this sort of thing.
As an LA resident, I'm embarassed...I was not there, I was at the antedote Mass that Sundaye
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