The Unprofitable Servant: When Mass Becomes a Near Occasion of Sin

Saturday, September 10, 2011

When Mass Becomes a Near Occasion of Sin

I try to support the Mass in both forms in my parish because the same priest, our pastor, celebrates both and does so with the utmost reverence and care. Now, if he could only get the rest of the parish to follow suit.

Rebecca was scheduled to lector at the Vigil Mass this evening. She is very careful with her dress and her mannerisms and takes care to read in such as way as to make herself invisible. At the exchange of peace, she remains at her place and simply nods toward the priest. When we don't have a server, Father expects her to take a paten and assist him with distributing Holy Communion. She spent enough years as an altar server to know what to do. She gets to Mass about 30 minutes before it's scheduled to start, and then she goes over the readings and sets a paten at the place where she will be sitting. She takes nothing upon herself and everything she does is sanctioned by the pastor.

Tonight, I once again had to bury my head in my hands so as not to see the fiasco that a wanna-be EM caused. He took it upon himself to approach the altar at Holy Communion so that he could "assist" by holding a paten. He caused such a disruption that I no longer thought that I should approach the altar because of the anger I felt. Rebecca was trying to make her Communion when he asked her where the second paten was. She shrugged. He then kept asking the priest where the second paten was, and then he preceded the priest off the altar, the priest who was carrying the Ciborium. Then he put his hands on Father and directed him where to stand. And then he directed Rebecca to go assist the EM as he would be assisting Father.

You don't see this nonsense at the Extraordinary Form. But I would submit that if we no longer had EM's, we wouldn't see this at the Novus Ordo either. Then again, if the altar boys would show up once in awhile, it probably wouldn't happen either as there would be no void for anyone to think they have to fill.

The gentleman in question has been leaving hints for a few years that he'd like to be an EM. Thankfully, his request has fallen on deaf ears, because I can just imagine what we'd have to endure otherwise.

I said a Hail Mary for myself and another for my poor pastor. It's not the time to correct someone when he's holding the Sacred Body of Christ. But I bet I know what he was thinking.

How long, oh Lord, how long?

8 comments:

KellySeptember 10, 2011 at 7:50 PM
you have my sympathies. I see enough to make me want to run screaming--
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TLWSeptember 10, 2011 at 8:27 PM
I'm sure you do. The larger the parish, the more EM's, the more likely you are to see this kind of stuff. We don't even have that many EM's, only one per Mass, but some people still find a way to disrupt the solemnity.
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CarolineSeptember 10, 2011 at 8:58 PM
I counted 15 EM's at the 6:00 Mass tonight.
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TLWSeptember 10, 2011 at 9:18 PM
Caroline, that is unbelievable. Here is the thing: would there ever have been 15 priests at that same church administering Holy Communion?

About how many people attend the Mass?
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KellySeptember 11, 2011 at 9:02 AM
And how many minutes are we really saving? I mean--we are talking about 15 minutes TOPS, for a well attended mass. Are we all that important to the world that it can't spare us for a few extra minutes. Not even to mention that God has such a low priority, that we can't give Him some of our time, so that His priests can administer the Sacraments to all the parishioners.
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CarolineSeptember 11, 2011 at 9:48 AM
Could you even imagine 15 priests ? I'm not good at estimating numbers..It's a big parish, but believe me there are plenty of empty seats at the Masses. I'd say maybe 300 were there last night.
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PatriciaSeptember 11, 2011 at 10:22 AM
What drives me crazy is when a seminarian is assisting at Mass, but has apparently been instructed to take a seat during the distribution of Holy Communion, in favor of the EM's. Even worse, is when a visiting priest, often a missionary, remains seated (or kneeling) while the EM's take over.

While traveling, on at least two occasions, we have found ourselves at Masses in which the celebrant, astoundingly, took a seat for the entire time, and the EM's were the only ones giving out Holy Communion.

So sad...I have a secret loathing of the entire ministy of EM's, even though I know that it is sometimes necessary. But it has been exploited to the point of absurdity. Doesn't anyone know what "extraordinary" means anymore?
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TLWSeptember 11, 2011 at 1:31 PM
Patricia, that drives me to distraction as well, except our pastor has instructed the EM's who assist at Mass that when there is a visiting priest, they are not to come forward. He also has instructed them that if a visiting priest is celebrating Mass, and he is available, he will come out of the sacristy after the Our Father and that will be a signal that no EM should come forward. Now if he only get the wannabe gentleman in line (sigh).

Kelly, I would submit it would add a negligible amount of time, maybe 5 minutes? I agree with your sentiments about our self of self-importance. Sad.
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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

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The Unprofitable Servant

Saturday, September 10, 2011

When Mass Becomes a Near Occasion of Sin

8 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross