What will your Sunday Mass be like this weekend?
We have not done this for a while, but -- can you find time to report here about the Mass(es) that you attend this Sunday in your parish or elsewhere? Thank you in advance!
The beautiful image here, and the quotation below, are from the Website of The Latin Mass Magazine (click on this post's title).
"If there is anything divine among man's possessions which might excite the envy of the citizens of heaven (could they ever be swayed by such a passion), this is undoubtedly the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by means of which men, having before their eyes, and taking into their hands the very Creator of heaven and earth, experience, while still on earth, a certain anticipation of heaven."
-- Pope Urban VII, 1634
posted by Quintero at 10:58 AM
26 Comments:
thanks be to God, I attend a Tridentine Mass, need I say anymore?
The petition in support of Fr. Robert Altier is now rapidly approaching THREE THOUSAND SIGNATURES! Are you one of them? If not, got to: crcoa.com!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Well, where to begin?
Before I do begin, all of these impressions represent only a small fraction of what's happening at these parishes. My wife and I only visited some of them once or twice. Given the number of priests that cycle through some of these parishes, that could be significant, in that the abuses may have only have happened when we were there. End disclaimer.
St. Mel's in Woodland Hills: Haven't gone there in over a year but when I did they had VERY liturgically abusive Masses. Liturgical dancing, PARISHIONERS dancing and clapping to the beat (and applause after Mass), homilies equating abortion policy with economic policies (basically the old lie about politicians who don't support welfare state and other liberal policies being as bad as those who advocate wholesale slaughter of innocents. Omission of the word "men" in the Creed ("for us men and for our salvation"). I blocked most of it out now, honestly.
Our Lady of the Valley in Canoga Park: The Liturgy itself was mostly okay. My wife and I grew weary of the rock-and-roll Masses. And the priest's initial and repeated insistance that all stand after the Agnus Dei and remain standing until all had received Communion. However, this was eventually settled amicably when the priest was presented with documentation from the Magisterium stating that the faithful had a right to kneel at these times.
St. Bernardine of Siena in Woodland Hills: only attended once but that was enough. Numerous Liturgical abuses including "liturgical dance."
St. Bridget of Sweden in Van Nuys: Mostly okay liturgically. Homilies have occasionally included false teachings such as claiming that the feeding of the 5,000 was actually a "sharing" of pre-existing food and Christ's exorcisms was probably Him curing mental illness.
Of course ALL of these were committing the liturgical abuse concerning the use of breakable vessels to hold the Eucharistic Body and Blood, and this silly and distracting idea that we should begin the Communion line-up from back to front, AND the lack of silent reflection time after Communion, and many others.
My wife and I currently, when we can drive the 45 minutes (in a car with no AC), go to Holy Family in Glendale. Much more faithful to the GIRM, etc. The priests there are awesome. Now, if only the youth Mass music director would stop thinking he needs to "warm up the crowd" when you're trying to get some pre-Mass prayer in....
--Jehu
Quintero: To help increase faith, I'll tell you about a mass I attended almost a year ago: No Mask
Dear Consanescerion,
Thank you very much for sending the link to your account of your wonderful cure at and after a Mass and healing service by Father Pat Crowley SSCC on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows last year.
Telling everyone what God has done for you is a great way of thanking Him. I hope that everyone who ever visits "onelacatholic" will click on your link and read your account. They will be as happy for you as I am.
Praise and thanks to You, Lord Jesus Christ! O Mary, Mother of Christ, Our Lady of Sorrows and Health of the Sick, thank you!
Dear Kenneth,
Thanks for your report!
Dear Jehu (Anonymous 10:27 p.m.),
Thank you very much for your report about pluses and minuses at Mass at several parishes.
It is good of you to write, and also good of you to add your disclaimer that things might be better overall at the parishes you mention, given that the Masses you and your wife attended were not necessarily representative.
It is edifying to see how much you and your wife care about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
I will go to Mass, in English, at 11:00 am at St. Joseph's in Santa Ana, CA. Both of our priests are good homilists, adapting their sermons to the Scripture readings of the day. We do NOT have liturgical dance (I think my pastor is still having nightmares from that Stephen Colbert clip I sent him). We do have female lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and altar servers, although the men in the parish are also very active - in fact, thank Gos, volunteerism is alive and well in most areas of the parish. Our choir sticks to the hymnal, and the surroundings are lovely, the church having been built in the 1940's in the traditional style, with beautiful stained glass windows depicting the mysteries of the Rosary. More importantly, our liturgy and our petitions remain focused reverantly and respectfully on one person - Jesus Christ. Our parishioners, for the most part, are there because they want to be. Oh, and people can kneel, if they want, despite this church being in Orange County. Most stand after the Agnus Dei but remain kneeling until Communion is over. If someone were to kneel to receive (and I have seen this done), they are not instructed to stand to receive the Host, but are administered Communion. People are friendly here, and all are welcome. In fact, if you find yourself in our neighborhood, come on bye - corner of Civic Center Drive and Minter Street in downtown Santa Ana.
Now, if we could just get some air-conditioning, but until then, we offer it up to God.
A concelebrated Novus Ordo Mass in Latin and with Gregorian Chant by the monks of Saint Benedict Abbey in Still River (Harvard) Massachusetts, followed by Eucharistic adoration until sung Latin Vespers with Benediction.
Jehu -
Try the 9am Mass at Mission San Fernando. I think you will find it to your liking. My only complaint is that the cantor stands in the sanctuary, rather than up in the choir loft.
Mike
You're welcome Quintero. I do tell of others of the miracle whenever practicable. It has bolstered the faith of many, especially among those who saw knew how ill I was. I praise our Lord every day for this, and thank our Mother for her intercession. And of course, I keep in prayer all those who still suffer with this terrible disease.
Despite the prevalence of relativists in LA, many seek God and many find him in the one true church. Divine miracles still happen. Sometimes you seem to despair... but the relativists have already lost. More of them linger here than other parts of the nation, but their power is broken.
Please pardon the poor grammar int that comment, I should have reviewed it first.
Dear Digihairshirt,
Thanks for the great news about St. Joseph Parish in Santa Ana.
You are a thorough reporter, and so is Jehu.
Maybe St. Joseph's will have some extra attendees this Sunday from the readers of "onelacatholic," thanks to your report!
Dear Tom,
Thank you for the news about Mass, Adoration, Vespers and Benediction at St. Benedict Abbey!
Dear Mike,
Thanks for the tip to Jehu and all of us!
Dear Consanescerion 10:24 a.m.,
Thank you very much for writing again.
You are so right about people responding to God in the True Church despite problems such as relativism.
Guess I will have to watch myself to not give the wrong impression and sound despairing. There is always lots of cause for hope and joy, and we need to convey that.
Thank you again, and God bless!
Today my confessor, an 83 yr old retired priest had the Mass so we actually did hear about the Eucharist! Normally for those Gospels of St. John the priest talks about money matters or his vacation or something.
But music (I use the term loosely) is awful. "we come to tell our story, we come to break the bread, we come to know our risng from the dead"--you know that one? All our songs are about us. We are so wonderful that we can hardly stand it! I cannot sing any of these terrible self worship songs. Yeah, we are the bread and we are the light and so forth. Sickening.
I was wishing for a Crucifix in our round church this morning where I had a clear view of the cantor as eyes go past the altar to the people opposite. I sit in the place with the least opposite distraction but it is still there. Yes, we have a processional cross but I would like to gaze on the Crucified sometimes too.
I love a beautiful church and holy hymns and when I travel, that love is better met. We live in a diocese and parish that is liturgical desert--an LA wannabe but not quite in that league. But our bishop retires in 2008 so we may hopefully never get that low.
Our good Lord has blessed my area with a cloistered monastry of nuns and the Mass in their chapel is a Holy Sacrifice.
There is reverent silence before the Mass, women and girls wearing the veil and all people in proper attire for the great Wedding Feast of the Lamb. The music is simple, older hymns sung quietly and no music during Communion. After Mass there is the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. And those who cannot stay, leave quietly....there is never any unnecessary speech in this holy sanctuary of Our Lord.
The statues of Mary and St Joseph with the child Jesus are to either side directly behind the altar and Our Lord is center stage where he belongs in His Temple! The large and prominent crucifix is bloody with the wounds Our Lord suffered for our sins adding to a proper mediation of the Cross.
Praise be to God!
St. Gerard Majella in Mar Vista, 12pm. Good homily (on sin, salvation, holiness in ordinary things), ordinary of the Mass in Latin, talented contemporary choir (though I can't say I like the choice of songs), no nonsense.
Dear Quintero,
Thank you for your recognition of my post concerning Sunday Mass etc. at St. Benedict Abbey in Still River (Harvard) Massachusetts.
I forgot to mention two things especially for those who think that it is "all pray and no play" there.
After Mass there is an opportunity for "coffee and" as well as to meet with the guests (including many young and large families) and also with the monks.
Also there is an ongoing free class on studying Latin (using a textbook on Church Latin) conducted by one of the residents at the abbey.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Mass at my parish (in Long Beach) is basically the same. Baby grand 10 feet from the altar, glassware in abundance, an army of EMHC's descending upon the altar after the Agnus Dei, pop music replete with applause at the end of Mass.
One new thing, however. Ever since our auxiliary bishop (San Pedro region) came to install our new pastor, the priest is now sitting in a chair to the in front of, and to the left of the altar (about 2 paces from the ambo). A microphone on a stand is right there with him. All of the prayers that are typically said behind the altar are now said at this new station (except for the consecration). I find the practice odd and very troubling. I just hope it's a reversible trend.
There is a new pastor in my Long Beach parish and while it looks as if he's got a lot of work to do yet, he has obviously begun to make necessary changes. The music, for the most part is bad and there are almost exclusively altar girls, but the priest is very reverent and is working hard to abide by the liturgical norms. He is teaching us in his homilies and in special classes about the liturgy and I think most of the parishioners find this very helpful.
I attended the Indult Mass at the St. John Vianney (Daniel Murphy High School) chapel in L.A. It's the Tridentine Mass approved by the diocese, offered by Fr. Robert Bishop, CMF. More details about the locations of the Indult can be found at the Una Voce Los Angeles website.
For an excellent book on Catholicism, check out Bill Biersach's, "While the Eyes of the Great Are Elsewhere." The cover art is a deliberate slam against the L.A. cathedral. Ordering info can be found by clicking on my name.
Sursum corda!
Dear Tom,
You're welcome, and thank you for the extra news about Mass at St. Benedict Abbey. It sounds wonderful.
Dear Everyone,
Thank you for the fine reports! We have all learned a lot from them.
I attend St. Philip the Apostle in Pasadena. The 9:15 mass is not terrible, but it is not conducive to reflective prayer, either. There seems to be constant movement and noise, either from the children being dismissed for children's liturgy; the change of lectors for the 2 readings; the kids coming back into the church, (often as late as during the sanctus), etc. At least there is no liturgical dance.
The homilies by our associate are very good; the pastor not so much, but at least they are on point.
Unfortunately they just started the cardinal's "request" for communion from the back to the front and no communion distributed at the "break" halfway back in the church. There is a traffic jam at the front of the church every week.
The overriding effect is one of "sharing a meal." I rarely, if evern, hear any reference to the reason we are in church, to participate in the re-presentation of Our Lord's sacrifice on Calvary.
The music is terrible, especially the selections for the ordinary of the mass.
I attended my first TLM on father's day in San Bernardino diocese and it was wonderful. I will start attending the TLM at Santa Teresita chapel in Duarte on the 2nd Sunday of each month, starting this week.
Since our esteemed cardinal is now age 70, we have to wait 5 more years for a replacement, unless he has to resign bfore then from the sex scandals when the lawsuits reach trial. I pray for a traditionalist replacement bishop.
Post a Comment
<< Home