Brick by Brick (or... God is pretty bright!)

Looking at the way The Church is changing, and reflecting on how it is all unfolding, gives me cause to see clearly the hand of God in all the various facets of the situation as it exists now.

Most every day Catholics have been isolated (intentionally or not) from their heritage for 40 years. For years, the frame of reference has stopped at about 1964 - as if to discount everything before then. This attitude has permeated everything and most everyone. Think of the way the term "the council" is used! It (Vatican 2) is referred to as "The Council" - implying that said council constitues some sort of Omniscient and Omnipotent Force which exists as a prima facie Magisterium in and of itself. The typical context brings to mind once popular bumper-sticker cliche - "Jesus Said it, I Believe it, That Settles it". Substitute "The Council" for Jesus, and you get the idea.

But now, The Church is in the process of a renaissance. An awakening to the idea that we, as 21st century Catholics, are just the latest generation. The latest of hundreds. That we are the heirs to a tradition spanning many centuries. The being Catholic means something. And that that heritage carries with it the responsibility of treasuring it and passing it on.

There are numerous aspects of this unfolding as we watch:

Summorum Pontificum has awakened - even in the non-traditional - a certain awareness of tradition. Even those uninterested see it in the news (both secualar and Catholic) and bit-by-bit become aware of it's significance. And they get to see what Mass should look (and sound) like.

The Holy Father, with his kind and pointed guidance and example, is constantly reminding us of who we are. And I believe that his example of leadership, and selection of Bishops has over the past few years allowed Priests to explore more confidently (and thus rediscover) a more Catholic way of celebrating the sacraments. Slowly, the cabinet doors are opening and vestments and prayers and thuribles nearly forgotten are seeing the light of day.

The new (corrected) translation is coming up in only a few months. And the dignified prayers therein will also, slowly, permeate the way people experience Catholicism. Lex Orandi Lex Credendi indeed!

NOW, back to my first point... Any of the changes mentioned above, happening at any other time, would have been a flop. Summorum Pontificum would have been in the dead-letter file (just like Ecclesia Dei Adflicta). The Papal trend toward tradition (if even allowed by the likes of Piero Marini) would have been ignored completely as the eccentricities of "some old man in Rome". The new translation would have been killed in the womb by the likes of those who tried so hard (and unsuccessfully) to kill it by infanticide.

BUT, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN! God Himself has seen that each step is happening at EXACTLY the right time and in EXACTLY the right order.

The Extraordinary form is attracting people who never even heard of it, and is being experienced (even unintentionally) by those who looked upon it as something akin to snake-handling. The slow trend to more traditional practices is becoming "normalized". And the new translation is not only being seen for what it is (the chance to hear and say the prayers of the mass as intended), but seen as an opportunity to connect up to our catholic foundations!!!

I Thank God it's all happening. And I Thank God I am here to see it.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

This article is, entitled Called to Serve featured in the latest issue of our dioscean paper, the Catholic News & Herald. It's hard, I believe to overstate the importance of the content - or the importance of it being published so prominently (teaser on the front page) in the paper!

Called to Serve

CHARLOTTE — Have you noticed more young people wearing

albs, cassocks and surplices serving at Mass? It’s not just a fluke – it’s a trend that priests around the Diocese of Charlotte are encouraging. More and more young people in the

diocese are expressing willingness to serve their parishes through

the privilege of altar serving.

St. Michael Church in Gastonia particularly has been graced with a growing number of altar servers over the past several years. It is not uncommon for the church to have more than 10

boys every Sunday at the 10 a.m. Mass. Father Roger K. Arnsparger, who is St. Michael’s pastor as well as vicar of education for the diocese, welcomes the growing popularity of altar servers and said he hopes to encourage vocations.

“We have had a great interest from young men wanting to serve at Holy Mass,” Father Arnsparger said. “The young men are filled with a humble appreciation of the opportunity and the privilege

of serving Holy Mass. The fraternal bond between them has been a great help to them in their spiritual lives and in their growing love of the Mass and the Church.

“They show great responsibility, leadership and loyalty. They encourage each other, teach each other, learn from each other and enjoy the process. They are a small faith group leading each other in excellence in Catholic worship and in their Catholic lives.”

Father Christopher Roux also has been stoking the fires of service among young men since his arrival as rector of St. Patrick Cathedral in 2008. “It is my firm hope that by keeping the boys closely associated to the altar throughout their early years, if they have a vocation to

the priesthood, the call will be awakened and encouraged,” Father Roux said.

At St. Ann Church in Charlotte, Father Timothy Reid has the same intention.

“The Church has looked upon altar serving as a means of generating vocations to the priesthood for many generations precisely because it introduces boys and young men to the most important aspect of priesthood: offering the holy sacrifice of the Mass. So the more often our altar servers

have a chance to serve, the more exposure they are given,” he said.

Canon law and Church teaching also allow girls to serve at the altar, because altar servers assist at Mass in much the same way that readers and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion do. Even if vocations are not the primary aim, for both boys and girls serving at Mass can be a way of

becoming involved as lay people, particularly in smaller churches or where there is a pastoral need.

Altar servers act as cross bearers, acolytes, incense bearers and torch or candle bearers. Some servers also assist the priest by holding the sacramentary at Mass as the various prayers are read. When serving Mass for a bishop, even more servers (called “vimps”) are assigned to hold his crozier and his miter.

In most parishes, altar server training is overseen by a deacon. If you know of a young person interested in becoming an altar server, contact your parish’s office for details.

Christ the King - Christ MY King

Today, being the feast of Christ the King, has gotten me thinking... thinking about the FACT of Christ the King, and thinking how that fact manifests itself in my life - or rather how I make that fact manifest in mine.

Because the FACT of that Kingship is out there. Whether we think about it or not, it's still there. And most importantly it is a FACT right NOW - in "real time" as we say. At times, we tend to think of Jesus returning as He promised, to reign as King of this world for all eternity. But in fact, he is King RIGHT NOW.

This morning, when I arrove in Church, I knelt in prayer, and began to contemplate that Kingship. And I began to relate it to the situation of a King or Lord in the medieval Europe - and now he would relate to his subjects, and they to him. And at that moment, it occurred to me that if I were to think of Jesus in that way - as not just A king, but MY king, how much better my life here and now would be.

Now all this may sound like a very "Baptist" thing to say. Baptists in particular make much of the idea of being saved and dedicating your life to Jesus. But I am not meaning it in that way - I didn't get "saved" before mass this morning. And the validity of that whole concept is not the issue here. I mean it solely in the sense of understanding the relationship....

Jesus is MY King!!!

And I am HIS subject.

And I am astonished at the strength and clarity that single, amazing FACT brings to my soul.

Liturgical Update - Perspective

Any reader of this blog will know my preferences for a traditional, reverent Catholic Mass. But any Catholic who doesn't live in a bubble of and FSSP parish, or SSPX Chapel (and a few others) knows that such a thing is as rare as hens' teeth. Most Catholic masses are a mish mash of prayers recited blandly and bland music played even more blandly. I LIVED through the '70's and I know form personal memory that the "pseudo folk-rock" music of that era - liturgical AND secular - was with few exceptions lame drivel even back then. Usually preformed by lame wannabe troubadours with soft beards and hair. People who really would like to be hippies, but weren't up to the commitment and earthiness that would require.

I have tried and tried to get one of my regular parishes to introduce the Extraordinary Form of the Mass - but to no avail.
And I will continue to do so - albeit quietly. I feel that the survival of Catholicism and Christianity is dependent WHOLLY on the development of a strong identity. One more strong than the "soft rock" mentality and attitude can EVER provide.

Well, sometimes life gives you surprises. ESPECIALLY life with three small children. Last Sunday, I was served up one such surprise. Due to "logistical issues" I wound up attending a Sunday evening Mass at the newest, allegedly most "liberal" church in town. It was Mass in the Round, with music provided by and electric bass, three or four guitars, a few other instruments and a group of young and old men and women. I was deeeeeply suspicious of the whole affair. But was I wrong!!! Because what I leraned was that 1) the group was HIGHLY talented. 2) they sang and prayed like they BELIEVED. 3) The congregation prayed and sang like they BELEIVED as well. Now the forms of the music were a bit wrong, they were at least performed like they were MEANT.

Of course, the priest "winged" the prayers for the most part - which disturbed me deeply. But it was SO refreshing to be in a church where people seemed to mean what they were praying - rather than "going through the motions". And the music was while definitely NOT from the Parish Book of Chant, it was not the usual Haugen-Haas-Schutte drivel either. And I'd rather have that than the same old junk that I have been forced to endure for the past 75% of my life.

One of my favorite bible verses is Ecclesiastes 9:10, which says (KJV): "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." And those folks at that mass last Sunday did just that. I may disagree with their choices or tastes, but at least they cared. And how many parishes can say that???

SLACKNESS INDICATOR

YEARS AGO I came up with one of my rules-of-thumb for life. It was based on many years of careful observation, and has served me well over the years. It stated, simply, "Never trust a man who wears flip-flops."

It is important to note the gender-related factor here - women go by a different set of rules when it comes to footwear (that's fodder for another post). And there is the factor of context - beach or poolside use.

But by and large, my rule has served me well over the years. Naturally, there are exceptions - a former client who was nicknamed "flip-flop". Flip Flop was in fact a great guy and fantastic client. In fact, he stands out as the one true exception that comes to mind.

Though times and styles may change, some basic principals are timeless. And one of these is that ones attire (footwear or otherwise) should render one ready to do at least some productive activity. Flip-flops, by their nature, scream BEACH PARTY, and are more appropriate for spring break and a keg than for any real productive work. Any footwear that does not attach securely to one's feet is wholly unsuited to productive activity. (Sandals, by comparison, are pretty handy and comfortable and offer all of the comfort of flip-flops without any of the slackiness. Or the annoying sound effects.)

I also know that for the gen X or Y er, that these ubiquitous but annoying contraptions are considered to render them ready for "work". The only problem being that work for them is seen as some activity for which they are paid large sums of money based entirely on the fact that they managed to land a job as a computer geek or something. Thus rendering themselves worthy of such rewards even though their chief accomplishment in life is the total lack of accomplishment - he looks like a slacker-geek, therefore he must be BRILLIANT!!! God forbid someone should hire a 30-year old! Everyone knows that "these kids are soooo smart nowadays"!!

And lest we forget (or you haven't noticed) most peoples feet are just ugly as hell. No two ways about it. I don't really want to see that. Nobody does. Add to that the aforemetioned annoying sound effect, and the only conclusion possible is that the flip-flopping of our nation must stop NOW!!!!

As Good as It Gets

Back when "Spa" was "Spa"...

there were giants on the earth. Men who put their lives on the line, using their incredible skill and discipline to prove that they were the best. And they were.
Back when "car control" was something that was driven by the heart, processed by the central nervous system, and executed by the bones, muscles and tendons of the body.

Now, 40 years on, car control means having the best software - software allowing the driver to just point and shoot. How inspiring is that?