The Tenth Anniversary of “9-11” is a significant moment. Do you remember where you were when you heard the news about what was going on September 11, 2001? I recall vividly. The Secretary in the Parish Office at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Newark told me to turn on the television to see what had just happened: an airplane was going right into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. It became obvious very quickly that something of major import was in prospect. I realized that the only thing possible was to call the People to prayer.
I walked over to the Parish School to alert them as to the news, and an aide met me in the parking lot. I passed on to her that I wanted the School to assemble in the church, and we would have some time of Adoration and Prayer together. I sent out an invitation to the parishioners by e-mail and then went to get things arranged in the church. A parishioner who came in told me that the second tower had just collapsed.
The School Children came in and took their places. I exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the Monstrance and knelt down in front of our Eucharistic Lord. Then I started to lead the children in praying a Rosary. I realized that I was so full of emotion that I needed assistance in leading the prayer, and so I invited one grade at a time to join me in the first part of the Our Father’s, Hail Mary’s and Glory Be’s.
The voices of the children lifted me up and helped me to compose myself in that moment. I had the presence of mind just to say a few words of comfort to those in the church and I invited the children to remind their families that God is With Us. No matter what happens, God will be with us to help us to get through it.
As the day unfolded, I had to drive to visitations for two priests of the Diocese of Columbus who had died. At one point, I saw a lot of cars lined up by a gas station and I wondered what that was all about. It began to dawn on me just what kind of panic we could have. We all remember how some gas stations began to raise their prices right away. In the weeks following, the churches were full and we all talked about the fact that our world had changed forever.
Unfortunately, it seems, we have found our way back to a “normal” that did not hold onto some of the promise of those early days after “9-11.” God is being removed from public discourse, even at “Ground Zero.” We have a responsibility not to let this happen among us. Today of all days, pray for our Nation and for our World.
As we welcome Bishop Robert Muhiirwa of the Diocese of Fort Portal in Uganda, we acknowledge our solidarity with our fellow Christians in Africa and throughout the world. May our response be generous both materially and spiritually as we join in the effort to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation.
Countdown to our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.
Those who are under the yoke of slavery must regard their masters as worthy of full respect, so that the name of God and our teaching may not suffer abuse. Those whose masters are believers must not take advantage of them because they are brothers but must give better service because those who will profit from their work are believers and are beloved.
Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain. (I Timothy 6:1- 6)
Our world has always been rather dysfunctional. The society in which we live has major flaws that are beyond our capacity to fix. This was so in ages past and will ever be so. And yet, the Church has an instinct for taking the first steps toward a healing of the breach between who we are now and who we ought to be.
St. Paul writes in many of his letters in ways that are somewhat surprising to us. Here, it is clear that he is not calling into question the social construct of his day which included slavery as part of its approach to human relationships. He accepted the “institution” of slavery, but at the same time encouraged both slaves and masters to behave in accord with the Gospel. This points to a falsehood that seems to underlie many modern approaches to religion. There are some who say that they will not commit to a particular church or denomination because they find all are hypocritical and fail to live the principles they teach. The right response to this is an admission that we are imperfect and caught up in the effects of sin, along with an invitation to be part of the solution rather than opting out.
Some slaves were freed in ages past by masters who came to accept them as brothers and sister in Christ. Eventually, this led to a realization that slavery is incompatible with human dignity. It took centuries for this to take root in society. Religion bears fruit when it is lived sincerely in spite of circumstances.
Reflections on the Liturgy:
The document that guides the Church in the Latin Rite in the celebration of the Liturgy is called “Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani,” the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. This has been published in three editions. The new Roman Missal which will be promulgated in English this November finds its norms in this Instruction. It will be helpful to offer a few notes on the principles guiding the celebration of the Liturgy as they are given in the G.I.R.M.
The G.I.R.M. is available online on the US Bishops’ website.
http://old.usccb.org/liturgy/current/revmissalisromanien.shtml
Accommodation to New Conditions
10. The new Missal, therefore, while bearing witness to the Roman Church's rule of prayer (lex orandi), also safeguards the deposit of faith handed down by the more recent Councils, and marks in its own right a step of great importance in liturgical tradition.
Indeed, when the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council reaffirmed the dogmatic pronouncements of the Council of Trent, they spoke at a far different time in world history, so that they were able to bring forward proposals and measures of a pastoral nature that could not have even been foreseen four centuries earlier.
11. The Council of Trent already recognized the great catechetical value contained in the celebration of Mass but was unable to bring out all its consequences in regard to actual practice. In fact, many were pressing for permission to use the vernacular in celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice; but the Council, weighing the conditions of that age, considered it a duty to answer this request with a reaffirmation of the Church's traditional teaching, according to which the Eucharistic Sacrifice is, first and foremost, the action of Christ himself, and therefore that its proper efficacy is unaffected by the manner in which the faithful take part in it. The Council for this reason stated in firm but measured words:, "Although the Mass contains much instruction for people of faith, nevertheless it did not seem expedient to the Fathers that it be celebrated everywhere in the vernacular." [Ecumenical Council of Trent, Session 22, Doctrina de ss. Missae sacrificio, 17 September 1562, chapter 8]
The Council accordingly anathematized anyone maintaining that "the rite of the Roman Church, in which part of the Canon and the words of consecration are spoken in a low voice, is to be condemned, or that the Mass must be celebrated only in the vernacular." [Doctrina de ss. Missae sacrificio, chapter 9]
Although on the one hand it prohibited the use of the vernacular in the Mass, nevertheless, on the other hand, the Council did direct pastors of souls to put appropriate catechesis in its place: "Lest Christ's flock go hungry . . . the Holy Synod commands pastors and all others having the care of souls to give frequent instructions during the celebration of Mass, either personally or through others, concerning what is read at Mass; among other things, they should include some explanation of the mystery of this most holy Sacrifice, especially on Sundays and holy days." [Doctrina de ss. Missae sacrificio, chapter 8]
The celebration of the Mass in the common language of the people, that is, in the language that most understood, was the norm for the first several hundred years after Christ. First in Hebrew or Aramaic, then in Greek, the Mass was celebrated for many centuries in Latin in the West. Many branches of the Church in the East celebrated in the language of the people. Latin was for a time known by everyone, then only by the learned and by clerics. The challenge at the time of the Council of Trent was the notion that the Mass had no effect if it were not completely understood. In our time, the change to the vernacular, that is the common language, was permitted gradually at first and then with remarkable speed after the Second Vatican Council. It has become clear that participation in and understanding of the Mass in enhanced by this renewed custom.
However, it must be noted that something of the solemnity and awe that were part of the Mass in Latin have been lost. The Church in our day is seeking to regain this while not losing any of the advantage of the use of the common language. We all need to know some of the Latin prayers, just as we still use some of the Hebrew/Aramaic and the Greek. Amen, Alleluia, Marana tha, and Kyrie Eleison, ought to have Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Pater Noster and Agnus Dei right beside them in common grasp of our tradition of Liturgy. Our manner of prayer in English ought to have a solemnity that is different from the everyday usage, so that we may be caught up in prayer and raised to new heights in our relationship with God and His Church. It is to be hoped that our move to a new English version of the Mass will help us in this challenge.
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