These are all celebrations of the Modern Roman Missal. Which photo, more than likely, will not encourage a healthy sense of reverence and transcendence in the Real Presence of the Lord? Which photo will not encourage priestly vocations?
I read a story about the vocation crisis in Ireland. To remedy it, the bishops are coming up with a gimmick, I mean, a program to encourage vocations to the priesthood.
As with all gimmicks, I mean, programs to address the loss of Catholic Faith and thus, vocations to the priesthood, these will fail.
What our bishops together with the clergy and laity need to do is to study how the Catholic Faith is lived in local parishes and what is the state of the Liturgies in local parishes and how the priesthood is expressed in those very same parishes.
Then, there needs to be a study of parishes which actually have vocations coming from their parish. Why is that? What are the qualities of the parish, its liturgies and how the priesthood is lived in those parishes.
Of course, the point of contact with their institutional that about 99% of Catholic who still bother to attend Mass, have with their parish is at Sunday Mass.
So, let's ask some fundamental questions about what 99% of Catholics who bother attend Mass, whose only experience with their parish is Sunday Mass, experience at Mass.
1. Is there a sense of transcendence and the work of the Liturgy planned and executed with care, dignity, reverence and fear and wonder in the Real Presence of the Supreme Being, God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
2. Are the clergy and laity swept up into the timelessness and eternity, of the heavenly liturgy which the earthly liturgy is meant to symbolize and be a sign of, a Sacrament, although veiled of the beauty of heaven?
3. Are liturgical vestments and lay clothing the best possible, clean, beautiful and befitting the worship of the Supreme Being, Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Is there a proper understanding of the role of the laity and their lay clothing which they wear to Mass as being their "Sunday Best?"
4. Are all of the formal ministries of the Mass, from altar servers to lectors, to cantors, etc carried out in a dignified and rehearsed way with a beautiful choreography and sound?
5. Is the moment of the reception of Holy Communion a sign and symbol of reverence in receiving the Real Presence of the Crucified and Risen Lord under the palatable glory of the Sacramental sign of Bread and Wine, either/or or both/and?
Augusta in my Diocese of Savannah has produced more priests for our diocese and religious orders than any other city in our diocese, to include the see City, Savannah itself! This was true prior to Vatican II but more so after Vatican II.
In the post-Vatican II period, beginning toward the mid 1990's, one community in Augusta in particular has produced an abundance of vocations--the Alleluia Community, an intentional charismatic community.
What do they do in that community, which every parish should try to do?
1. There is community and strong faith-filled friendships created and sustained, but within the context of encouraging faith, hope and love.
2. The members pray together apart from Mass at a weekly prayer meeting, of a charismatic nature, pray in their homes and provide Bible studies and support systems to live out their Christian walk.
3. They have a strong, personal relationship with the Risen Lord whom they experience in community, in their personal prayer life, in their prayer meetings and in the parishes, especially at Mass and there is a deep and abiding belief in the real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament especially as it concerns adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
We don't need programs to encourage vocations to the priesthood or Eucharistic Coherence. We simply need to be what God calls us to be in our local parishes. We need to look at what worked in the past and will work today if properly recovered and lived!
2 comments:
Sophia Here: AMEN Father! Absolutely no need to “ re-invent the wheel” !! Don’t need a “new gospel”!!!! We have all the proof we need- outcome!!!
But you don't employ dozens of consultants and experts to come up with a "new way of being" by doing this. There is a lot of money to be collected and spent here. This could be drawn out for a year with enough meetings and listening sessions to make it look like the Bishop is ENGAGED, not to mention all his psychopathic underlings. We need a production not introspection and tradition! We need more COWBELL!
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