JMJ
December 04,2011
When WWII was won by the Allies and lost by the Japanese in some places they bayoneted Canadian soldiers in hospital beds, raped and killed nurses and used Prisoners of War as all night knife practice. You might say that was their way of showing grief. While people are welcoming the changes back to a more traditional Mass others are using spiritual
bayonets to get at the Faithful. Their present stand is Standing.
When we became Catholic in 1997 it was and is not uncommon for lay women and men to be at the altar, opening the Tabernacle filling the chalices with Consecrated Hosts and passing them out by hand to people holding out their hand while standing. Later, John was asked to give a homily which he did. Once. He questioned if he should be doing this but was told it’s not a Homily but a Reflection. We heard of Masses in an Albertan parish where people have a choice between traditional bread and a yeast coffee cake replete with icing. People going up for Communion were asked which do you like and were given their choice.
Last week thanks to a Catholic library that was sent to us, I read a little book published in 1980 by the Daughters of St. Paul in obedience to Rome.
Here are some dictums by His Holiness John Paul II and of course still in effect today.
“ The bread for the celebration of the Eucharist, in accordance with the tradition of the whole Church, must be made solely of wheat, and , in accordance with the tradition proper to the Latin Church.”
“ It is not permitted that the faithful should themselves pick up the sacred chalice, still less that they should hand them from one to another.”
“ The faithful, whether religious or lay...can distribute Communion only when there is no priest, deacon or acolyte.”
“ With regard to the manner of going to Communion, the faithful can receive it either kneeling or standing... When the faithful communicate kneeling no other sign of reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament is required ..”
“ Women are not, however, permitted to act as altar servers.”
“Accordingly the homily is to be given by the priest or the deacon.”
“ The venerable practice of genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament, whether enclosed in the tabernacle or publicly exposed , as a sign of adoration, is to be maintained.”
“ If anything has been introduced that is at variance with these indications, it is to be corrected.”
All these rules in many places in Saskatchewan and Alberta were violated 17 years later and are still being violated.
So we have a new set of rules or a set of rules renewed and reinforced. How will they be treated? In Prince Albert in October we heard “ a person may kneel if there are altar rails.”
Now we have knelt usually without incident for 14 years. What does this mean? If there are no altar rails the person cannot kneel”? To my knowledge there are no altar rails anywhere in Saskatchewan. The only one I ever saw was at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Stanley Mission. And if a parish wishes to build or restore their altar rail? Watch the fir fly. Or cedar or oak.
We have not stayed away from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Southend by our choice. Father Blom made it very clear that we are not welcome. He never gave a reason that we could take to an authority and he and his confreres make sure we never have access to a hearing to a higher authority in the Church. Last Sunday John went to the Southend Parish and was told he is violating the union of worship by kneeling.
The reason why some clergy want you to stand is to signify, like them, you do not believe in the Actual Presence of Jesus Christ. They want you to take Communion by hand to feel and touch that this is only bread, not the accidentals that are actually the Body and Blood of Jesus. Some clergy and religious worked very hard to make sure the rules laid down in 1980 were ignored and violated. Some of the same ones and their spiritual off spring want to make sure compliance in detail means defiance in general. When My Saviour comes in the room I kneel. When My Saviour is given to me I kneel. Why should anyone advocate or do otherwise? Gay
