Ever since about 1996 until this very Divine Mercy Sunday, my parishes have offered, following the last morning Mass, Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Adoration, Confession and concluding at 3:00 PM with the chanting of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament and veneration of the Divine Mercy Icon.
I always make clear what must be accomplished to merit the plenary indulgence associated with today's Solemnity.
What about you parish?????????????????????????????
9 comments:
Well, I have just sung at a Missa Cantata for Low Sunday, otherwise known as as Quasimodo Sunday (from the opening words of the Introit) or Dominica in Albis (depositis).
No mention of 'Divine Mercy Sunday'. However, it appears to be a Novus Ordo thing, and the kitsch pictures on sale in the narthex reinforce this. I asked of my fellow singers whether I was alone in not buying into this cultus, and it would appear that I am not.
Apart from the kitsch, I am seriously worried about this cult. Sister Faustina's 'revelations' are problematic to the extent that in 1958 Pope John XXIII placed her writings on the Index. JP II was quick to exonerate and even canonize his countrywoman, which is also problematic, in that it was rushed through.
One of Sr Faustina's so-called experiences is that Hosts flew from the tabernacle and she caught them - this would qualify her as a good slip fielder in cricket, but might also make her the patron saint of Communion in the hand.
I know that we are not obliged to accept private revelations, but JP II's hijacking of the Sunday in the Easter Octave to promote a dubious cult is not acceptable.
Also, today is not a Solemnity (which is itself a Novus Ordo term). Does it have its own Mass and Office? Yes, the one it has always had. These non-liturgical 'themed' Sundays are a feature of a recent culture which has more or less abandoned a proper liturgical awareness.
JP II was a great man, but like all great men had flaws which their very greatness throws into sharper relief.
John Nolan,
Very insightful. It is good that JP II was not a left-winger. Otherwise we would be barraged with scads of non sequiturs from MT
Saint Faustina helped me to accept my suffering and to offer it up for others. I prayed the novena and received the indulgence today. There are some who think that God is Mercy without justice, others think that God is Justice without mercy. God sent his Son into the world because we all sin (miss the mark). Without Christ's sacrifice, we all deserve hell. I cling to Jesus because I know He is my only hope. He is my salvation. Jesus, I trust in thee!
Well, on Divine Mercy Sunday, what if they had a Mass...and almost no one came? That was the situation yesterday, not at a parish, but at the Marist School in Atlanta, where the farewell Mass for Archbishop Gregory was held. One of the ushers said that some 2,000 hosts were prepared for Communion, and there were plans for overflow parking and an overflow room (closed circuit TV) if needed. How many showed up? At most 200 (175 probably more likely) showed up---and that is including clergy! Both sides of the gym converted to church were virtually empty and even the middle portion in front of the altar, with 2 sections, maybe 1 was two-thirds full. I was shocked...but I guess 2 in the afternoon is not the time usually associated with Mass. Maybe lack of a reception afterward kept people away,, or the lack of Latin? Well, at least incense was used during the Mass...
WOW! There's a powerful message being sent to this Archbishops, all bishops and the pope!
Was there any local news coverage and commentary?
Father M, your "unofficial" correspondent from 30327 who was at Marist about this time yesterday did not see any of the local TV stations present. There was a reporter from the diocesan paper, and may have been one from the AJC (Atlanta paper), but not sure on the latter---looked like somewhat at the back of the center with card around his neck. When his predecessor, John Donahgue, retired in January of 2005, farewell Mass was held at the cathedral on a weeknight and it was packed (though the cathedral up here is not that hard to fill---at best seats around 750). It looked like the clergy present were mostly Marists (non-diocesan). Perhaps there were some Divine Mercy liturgies going on at some parishes, and the Mass was on somewhat short notice since the transfer to DC was announced less than a month ago. Still, you would have expected a larger crowd than that! Marist is not that hard to find, only a mile inside our Beltway, I-285, and in the heart of the Catholic concentration in Atlanta (the northside of Atlanta, above I-20, has far more Catholics than the southern side of the Archdioese, below I-20 and down to edge of Columbua, Macon and Augusta).
Archbishop Gregory is a nonsequitor ....
God bless you for trying to honor him.
Post a Comment