Why Is Jesus Not Enough?

As a convert to the Catholic Church from the Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) and Protestantism and someone who has moved to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and other places, it amazes me that many of my Catholic brothers and sisters here seem to be looking for more than just Jesus when they go to Mass.

As a JW, our “worship” consisted of classes on how to convert others (mainly Catholics) to the JW faith. We attended five meetings a week at the Kingdom Hall and the extent of our worship was the prayers and songs before and after each meeting. It really was rather empty from a worship standpoint.

My first experience with Liturgical worship came from my time in the Lutheran tradition. The music at the Lutheran Churches I attended was beautiful and the organ was used at these services. We even knelt when we received communion!!!!! And at one Lutheran Parish I attended the Pastor celebrated the communion service facing away from the congregation and no one made any complaints about it. By the way, the altar at that Lutheran parish was beautiful!!

Upon becoming Catholic, I realized that there was something missing in the Lutheran tradition and JW tradition and that is the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I realize now that when I go to a Catholic Mass that Jesus is there, not just in the words that are being preached, but He is there Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist which we, as Catholics, receive. What an amazing gift!!!!!!!

However, I have come to realize that for many Catholics this is not enough. For some Catholics, including many Bishops and Priests, the Mass is a “dinner party” that focuses on the community and not on our Lord who comes to us in the Eucharist. I think the recent article written by Bishop Sklba in the current issue of Herald of Hope demonstrates this. The entire focus of the article is on how Native American culture has been added to the Masses that are celebrated at the Congregation of the Great Spirit. Bishop Sklba gives examples of how Native American Culture has influenced the worship at this parish by giving us a sort of blow by blow description of what happened at a Mass in celebration of the Winter Solstice at this parish. The parts that were added to the Mass included the following:

“At the Advent Winter Solstice Eucharist last month, the community of the Great Spirit began with a “smudging” ritual. Smoke was gently sent by the waving of eagle feathers in the direction of the assembly and inhaled deeply by each participant as a symbol for the inner personal purification needed prior to celebrating the Eucharist. This same ritual was similarly used in some of the Native liturgies by the Holy Father.”

“Prior to the three Scripture readings of the Sunday, a special tale was read, describing the benefits and blessings of welcoming “Grandmother Winter.”"

“At the General Intercessions each individual came forward to place a bit of shredded tobacco, or perhaps sweet grass or cedar, on the charcoals as a silent personal prayer was offered. Watching the faces of youth and elders at prayer was very inspiring.”

“At the time of Communion the consecrated hosts were first brought to the elders scattered throughout the congregation before the general assembly was invited forward. That deep respect, so characteristic of their culture, was almost instinctive and automatic in its gesture.”

While many of these actions, particularly that of offering the Eucharist to the elders of the community first as a sign of respect, seem good and inspiring, it just seems to me that in all of these actions the focus is on the community and not on God. It just seems the focus is on how I can come together as a community and make Jesus relevant to me instead of the other way around which is that I encounter Jesus at the Mass and must make my life and my actions relevant to Jesus. It just seems backwards to me.

Furthermore, I just have to wonder why a Catholic parish feels the need to celebrate the winter solstice when we have Christmas, Easter, and all of the feasts of the Saints to celebrate? Why does this parish need to welcome “Grandmother Winter” during the time we are supposed to be getting ready to welcome our King Jesus Christ?

In short, I have to wonder, Why is Jesus, the Almighty Creator and Redeemer, not enough?

Interesting Article on Why the Pope Has Allowed Greater Access to Tridentine Mass

Archbishop Ranjith who is the Secretary for the Congregation For Divine Worship and the Sacraments was interviewed in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, as saying that one of the reasons that the Holy Father decided to give greater access to the Tridentine Mass was because of the lack of respect among Bishops and Priests in following the Liturgical Norms. It will be interesting over the next few years to see how this all plays out.

Pouring the Precious Blood

It pains me to say that some of our priests (and bishops) here seem to have forgotten what a great privilege and responsibility they have to protect the Eucharist. It seems to be a common practice in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to consecrate the Precious Blood in a glass cruet and pour the Precious Blood into chalices for distribution. This is in direct violation of the following:

[106.] However, the pouring of the Blood of Christ after the consecration from one vessel to another is completely to be avoided, lest anything should happen that would be to the detriment of so great a mystery. Never to be used for containing the Blood of the Lord are flagons, bowls, or other vessels that are not fully in accord with the established norms. (See Redemptions Sacramentum paragraph 106)

Complaints about this practice to the Archbishop has resulted in a promise that the Vicar of Clergy would speak to our new Pastor about doing this. The result is that now instead of pouring the Precious Blood into two chalices for distribution that he now pours the Precious Blood into four chalices for distribution. One wonders how large of a pat on the back he got from the Vicar for bringing this practice into our parish. Contact with the Office of Prayer and Worship at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee seems to indicate that the Archbishop has not made a public statement against this practice yet. One wonders what the Archbishop is waiting for…..

Of course by having so much of the Precious Blood available one wonders what happens to the Precious Blood that is left over in the cruet that never makes it into the chalices for distribution. It would be nice to know that people are not pouring the Precious Blood into the Sacrarium considering the penalties for such an act as outlined below:

[107.] In accordance with what is laid down by the canons, “one who throws away the consecrated species or takes them away or keeps them for a sacrilegious purpose, incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; a cleric, moreover, may be punished by another penalty, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state”. To be regarded as pertaining to this case is any action that is voluntarily and gravely disrespectful of the sacred species. Anyone, therefore, who acts contrary to these norms, for example casting the sacred species into the sacrarium or in an unworthy place or on the ground, incurs the penalties laid down. (See Redemptionis Sacramentum paragraph 107)

Even the Office of Prayer and Worship in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has told us that the Precious Blood is to be consumed at the place of distribution and is never to be poured into the sacrarium. But they never told us the severe penalties associated with pouring the Precious Blood into the sacrarium as outlined above. It makes one wonder just what is going on after the Masses in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee……….It might not be a bad idea to ask about this as I have discovered some who do not realize just how serious this is……

Looking for Liturgical “Fatherhood”

In our county here in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee it appears as though the last bastion of liturgy that is consistently celebrated in a way that is faithful to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) and Redemptionis Sacramentum is going the way of the dinosaur. With new “pastoral leadership” comes new liturgical practices that include:

a. Changing the Eucharistic Prayers so as not to call God “Father”.

b. Consecrating the Precious Blood in the glass cruet.

c. Pouring the Precious Blood into the Chalices for Distribution.

Discussions with our new “pastor” about the new liturgical practices that violate Redemptionis Sacramentum include such “pastoral” comments as:

“I will not celebrate the Liturgy in a way that makes ME uncomfortable.” (This is in reference to calling God “Father” and praying the Eucharistic Prayers as written.)

“Your previous Pastors (who celebrated the Mass according to the GIRM and Redemptionis Sacramentum) did the parish no favors and poorly formed the parish when it comes to Liturgical practice.”

“The Archbishop has not fully implemented the GIRM and Redemptionis Sacramentum in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.”

“I am not sticking my neck out here as there are parishes in other parts of the Archdiocese that celebrate the Mass in a more liberal way than I do and are not required to change.”

When telling “Father” that his actions are dividing the parish his comment is: “Maybe that needs to happen.” So much for being concerned about the church community.

And my person favorite: “If I have a choice between listening to you (Fatherless Catholic) and listening to Bishop Sklba, I will listen to Bishop Sklba.”

Hmmmmmm. I guess Archbishop Dolan does not matter in this.

Contact with the Archdiocese has not been very helpful. Our emails and letters to the Archbishop are forwarded to the Vicar of Clergy whom, we are assured, will speak with our new “pastor” about these matters. The result has been no change in “Father’s” liturgical practices.

Contact with the Archdiocesan Office of Prayer and Worship has indicated that the practice of changing the Eucharistic prayers is wrong and that even the Pope cannot change the words to those prayers. However our “pastor” continues to celebrate the Liturgy in HIS way.

Unfortunately, we were informed by the Archdiocesan Office of Prayer and Worship that the practice of consecrating the precious blood in the glass cruet and pouring the precious blood into the Chalices for distribution has not been specifically commented upon or forbidden by the Archbishop. The impression that I get is that since the Archbishop has not specifically said that these practices should cease so this allows the priest to do as he please in these areas. I guess the fact that the Holy See has said that these practices should stop is not enough for certain priests in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

While we are waiting for our “Spiritual Fathers” in the Milwaukee Episcopate to give us some Liturgical Clarity, it is being reported that people are leaving our parish. (Should we call this a Mass Exodus?) It should be noted that this parish had the highest reported Sunday Mass attendance as a percentage of registered members (61%) in 2005 and during this time we were celebrating the Mass according to the GIRM and Redemptionis Sacramentum.

However our new “pastor” keeps telling us that he was sent in to make our parish more like the neighboring parishes in the county. Ironically, the Archdiocese has asked all parishes to increase our Sunday Mass attendance by 20% and yet they have sent a new “pastor” to a parish with the highest Mass attendance in the county and have essentially told us we have been praying wrong for the past few decades and they want us to be more like our neighboring parishes who struggle to get 30-40% Mass attendance. One wonders just how serious the Archdiocese really is about increasing Sunday Mass attendance……

Will the Mass Exodus for parish continue?

Stay tuned.