What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW!

At the parish of St. Mary in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, the pastor, Fr. Jay Scott Newman, is helping his people get re-oriented… liturgically.

He is shifting them to ad orientem worship.

He has been carrying on a good catechesis about this extremely important issue through his parish bulletins which are also posted on the parish website.

I am of the mind, along with great scholars like Klaus Gamber, that turning altars around after the Council devastated our Catholic identity and understanding of Catholic worship.  I have made several PODCAzTs about this.  Papa Ratzinger has written eloquently about this important topic.

Here are some excerpts from Fr. Newman’s pages.  My emphases and comments:

1st Sunday of Lent:
 

Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger was one of the most thoughtful and respected critics of the unintended consequences which flow from the priest and people facing each other across the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer. Ratzinger argued that this arrangement, in addition to being a radical novelty in Christian practice, has the effect of creating a circle of congregation and celebrant closed in upon itself rather than allowing the congregation and celebrant to be a pilgrim people together turned towards the LORD. And this closed circle, in turn, too easily renders the Eucharist more of a horizontal celebration of the congregation gathered than a vertical offering of the sacrifice of Christ to the Father. This flattening of divine worship into a self-referential celebration [Well put.] is, in part, what leads many Catholics to experience Mass as much less than the source and summit of the Church’s life, and the remedy for this malady is to open the closed circle and experience the power of turning together towards the LORD.

This can be done primarily in two ways: 1) return to the ancient and universal practice of the priest standing with the people on one side of the altar as they together face liturgical East, the place from which the glory of the LORD shines upon us, [Preferable, but perhaps too much of a first step.] or 2) even when the priest and people remain separated on opposite sides of the altar, place a cross at the center of the altar to allow both celebrant and congregation to face the LORD. [A first step.] Pope Benedict, through his writing and by his example, is encouraging priests everywhere to work towards these goals to enrich the experience of divine worship and free us from the danger of solipsism which is contained in self-referential ways of praying.

 

Fr. Newman made some good points here, based on Papa Ratzinger’s work and on his example as Roman Pontiff.  Pope Benedict has been celebrating in the Vatican Basilica with a Crucifix placed between himself and the congregation.  This is important even in a building which by its physical location on the Vatican Hill is liturgically oriented to the geographical East, but in such a way that the congregation and celebrant seem to be facing each other over the altar.  In fact, in ancient times, there was a moment at Mass when the people in the old Constantinian Basilica literally turned around to face the East along with the celebrant, thus putting the celebrant physically behind them.

That’s how important eastward celebration was.

The Second Sunday of Lent.

I want only to make this point: there is no essential connection between the liturgy of Vatican II, the freestanding altar, and the priest facing the people at the altar. In fact, even now the rubrics in the modern Roman Missal are written with the assumption that the priest and people are together facing liturgical East during the Mass, and as I explained last week, Pope Benedict XVI wants Catholics everywhere to understand that to be faithful to our own tradition, we must live in continuity with the Church’s worship in every age. 

Exactly.  Nowhere do the documents of Vatican II or the rubrics of the Mass, or the GIRM require that Mass be celebrated "facing the people".  The rubrics assume the opposite.  There are moments when the priests is (in Latin) instructed to say something in the direction of the congregation and then turn back to the altar.  No document requires that an existing altar be detached from the wall or that it cannot be used.   Yet, far and wide terrible vandalism was done to churches based on an ephemeral ideology and incomplete scholarship

The Third Sunday of Lent. 

Moreover, because the Eucharistic Prayer is addressed to God the Father and not to the congregation, the normal posture of the priest has always been to face the East with his congregation and offer the sacrifice of the Mass with and for them to the Father. Accordingly, it is a simple mistake to think of the priest as “having his back to the people” when they stand together on the same side of the altar; rather, the priest and people by their common “orientation” show that they are turning towards the LORD, a physical metaphor for the interior work of conversion which can be thought of as the “reorientation” of our lives. This is why in nearly every place and for almost all of Christian history, the priest has stood with his people on the same side of the altar so that, together facing the East of the sacred liturgy, they could offer their lives while pleading the sacrifice of Christ, and it is this deep dimension of our common prayer which Pope Benedict wants us to retrieve from our own tradition.

What Father points out here is also important for reorienting our Catholic identity, who we are as a pilgrim people on a journey to meet the Lord who is returning.  It also helps us understand who the priest is in the Church, who he is for the people, what their relationship is.

It sounds like Fr. Newman is on the right track, and his people are fortunate to have him at their helm.

Among the important things we must address in our liturgical lives, the position of the priest in relation to the congregation and the altar might be the most important.  This is an issue which transcends the edition of the Missale Romanum being used.  A return to ad orientem worship must be sought out again, patiently and with catechesis, for the Novus Ordo.  

A growth in celebrations of the older form of Mass will help this process, through the "gravitational pull" it will exert and the awareness it will bring to new generations.

UPDATE: 4 March 08: 15:10 GMT 

4th Sunday of Lent: 

Fr. Newman gets into "active participation".

... [I]n the years following the II Vatican Council, the Church’s desire that all the faithful participate fully in the sacred liturgy was too often rendered a caricature of the Council’s teaching, and misconceptions about the true nature of active participation multiplied. This led to the frenzied expansion of “ministries” among the people and turned worship into a team sport. But it is possible to participate in the liturgy fully, consciously, and actively without ever leaving one’s pew, and it is likewise possible to serve busily as a musician or lector at Mass without truly participating in the sacred liturgy. Both of these are true because the primary meaning of active participation in the liturgy is worshipping the living God in Spirit and truth, and that in turn is an interior disposition of faith, hope, and love which cannot be measured by the presence or absence of physical activity. [A true WDTPRS description!] But this confusion about the role of the laity in the Church’s worship was not the only misconception to follow the liturgical reforms; similar mistakes were made about the part of the priest.  [A very good way to track back to the position of the altar.]  ... [T]he priest was gradually changed in the popular imagination from the celebrant of the Sacred Mysteries of salvation into the coordinator of the liturgical ministries of others.  ... Once these falsehoods were accepted, then the service of the priest in the liturgy became grotesquely misshapen, and instead of a humble steward of the mysteries whose only task was to draw back the veil between God and man and then hide himself in the folds, the priest became a ring-master or entertainer whose task was thought of as making the congregation feel good about itself.   [In Sacramentum caritatis] the pope teaches that “the primary way to foster the participation of the People of God in the sacred rite is the proper celebration of the rite itself,” and an essential part of that work is removing the celebrant from the center of attention so that priest and people together can turn towards the LORD. Accomplishing this task of restoring God-centered liturgy is one of the main reasons for returning to the ancient and universal practice of priest and people standing together on the same side of the altar as they offer in Christ, each in their own way, the sacrifice of Calvary as true worship of the Father. In other words, the custom of ad orientem celebration enhances, rather than diminishes, the possibility of the people participating fully, consciously, and actively in the celebration of the sacred liturgy.

5th Sunday of Lent <—- UPDATE

Well… it seems he has gone and done it!

o{]:¬)

5th Sunday of Lent
8 March 2008

Dear Friends in Christ,

In the last four bulletin columns, we’ve seen that:

+ until the 1960’s the vast majority of Christians in every time and place offered the sacrifice of the Most Holy Eucharist with the priest and people standing together on the same side of the altar. [Yes.  Gamber is strong on this.  Support from a historian.]

+ this ancient and universal practice of offering the Eucharistic Prayer ad orientem, or facing East (whether geographical or liturgical East), is rooted in Judaism and the practice of the first Christians and emphasizes the vertical dimension of worship by opening the circle of priest and people to the presence of God among us in the sacred liturgy. For this reason, the custom of facing East is also described as praying ad Deum or towards God.  [This is the line of Ratzinger/Benedict XVI.  Support from a theologian.]

+ when properly understood and celebrated, this form of prayer not only does not constitute an impediment to the full, conscious, and active participation of the people in the sacred liturgy, it actually enhances that possibility by removing the priest from the center of the action and allows him to be once again merely a steward of the Sacred Mysteries rather than a host charged with entertaining his guests.  [Another point Benedict stressed in Sacramentum caritatis.  Support from the Magisterium.]

+ the II Vatican Council said not one word about the direction in which the priest should face at the altar, and even now the rubrics of the modern Roman Missal are written with the assumption that the priest is facing East at the altar. Moreover, the Congregation for Divine Worship has clarified that facing East and facing the congregation are both equally lawful and that no special permission is needed for the priest to face the East, a fact underscored recently by Pope Benedict’s public celebration ad orientem, something he does everyday in his chapel.  [Support from modern Church documents.]

For all of these reasons, we will begin to celebrate Mass ad Deum at St. Mary’s sometime between Easter and Pentecost, after all the clergy and servers have been prepared for the logistical changes which will attend this development. We will celebrate the Mass in this fashion for several months until both priests and people have had the opportunity to grow accustomed to a practice that is unfamiliar to us, despite being the norm of Christian worship for nearly all of our history. After a suitable period of acclimation, we will evaluate our progress and review the best practices for our parish, and during the months of testing, I ask only that everyone (no matter whether you support this decision, oppose it, or have no opinion) exercise patience, prudence, and charity. This return to our own tradition is not an exercise of change for the sake of change; it is, rather, an effort to respond to the leadership of our Holy Father, who reminds us that what has been held sacred by all generations of Christians is to be held sacred by us. Let’s work together in this retrieval of an ancient and noble part of Christian prayer to see how it might strengthen our union with the Lord Jesus and deepen our capacity to worship the Father in Spirit and truth.

Father Newman

WDTPRS applauds Fr. Newman.  I pray that he will be able to weather the storm that I fear will come from some quarters… probably from very few.

This will only benefit his parish.

WDTPRS will happily follow their progress and post reports as they come in over time.
 

Lately I have read some items about the blogosphere that the dopey practice of removing holy water from stoups during Lent, and even dopier practice of replacing holy water with sand or dirt, persists in some places.  I once had a question about this in the now dormant ASK FATHER Question Box.  Here was one of my answers:

Q:  Our Sunday bulletin states that Holy Water will be removed from Ash Wednesday on during Lent to remind us that we are in a desert. What is the latest rule for removing Holy Water? It used to be done on Good Friday.

A: Good question! Thanks for asking this. No doubt thousands.. maybe millions of people will be subjected to all kinds of rubbish during Lent. One day I should relate the stupid things we had to endure in seminary about this very thing of sand in the holy water stoup.

Any way… This is a response from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments about this question. Enjoy. The emphasis is mine:

 

    Prot. N. 569/00/L

    March 14, 2000

    Dear Father:

    This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.

    This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

    1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.

    2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).

    Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,

    Sincerely yours in Christ,
    [signed]
    Mons. Mario Marini [Now the Adjunct Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei]
    Undersecretary

One of these days I will tell you about the hijinx over holy water in Lent we had in seminary, the infamous Saint Paul Seminary, in Minnesota, where I did a couple years of hard time. But that’s another story.

About the holy water thing.  Holy water is a sacramental.  We get the powerful theology of its use in the older ritual in the prayers for exorcism of the water and salt used and then the blessing itself.  I wrote about this in an article for the WDTPRS series and it is on this blog.  The rite of blessing holy water, in the older ritual, is scary, powerful stuff.  It sounds odd, nearly foreign to our modern ears, especially after over 30 years of being force fed ICEL pabulum.

Holy Water is a power weapon of the spiritual life against the attacks of the devil. 

You do believe in the existence of the Enemy, right? 

 

You know you are a soldier and pilgrim in a dangerous world, right? 

So why… why… why would these dopey liturgists and priests REMOVE a tool of spiritual warfare precisely duing the season of LENT when we need it the most?? 

Holy water is a sacramental. 

It is for our benefit. 

It is not a toy, or something to be abtained from, like chocolate or television. 

First, the Ten Commandments of Driving.

Now, updated Seven Sins.

And as per the request of the American Papist, who wanted the original text….

A colloquio con il reggente della Penitenzieria a conclusione del Corso per confessori
Le nuove forme
del peccato sociale

        di Nicola Gori

        Manipolazioni genetiche; inquinamento ambientale; sperequazioni sociali; insostenibile ingiustizia sociale:  ecco le nuove forme di peccato affacciatesi all’orizzonte dell’umanità, quasi come corollario dell’inarrestabile processo di globalizzazione. Una sfida nuova anche per un dicastero, quello della Penitenzieria Apostolica, che fa fatica a riaffermare persino il proprio ruolo in un’epoca in cui viene meno la stessa percezione del peccato. Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, vescovo reggente della Penitenzieria, ne parla in questa intervista rilasciata a "L’Osservatore Romano", all’indomani della conclusione del corso per confessori.

        La Penitenzieria Apostolica sembra un oggetto misterioso per l’opinione pubblica, ma anche per buona parte dei fedeli.

        Quanto afferma, purtroppo, ha un riscontro nella realtà. Pur essendo attualmente il più antico organismo della Curia romana – dopo la soppressione della Dataria, avvenuta nel 1967 e della Cancelleria, avvenuta nel 1973 – è poco conosciuto persino da grande parte del clero. Il motivo forse va ricercato nel fatto che la sua attività rifugge da quella visibilità che è più legata ai compiti degli altri dicasteri. La Penitenzieria Apostolica, tra i dicasteri della Curia romana, infatti, è quella che svolge, in maniera sempre diretta, un’attività propriamente spirituale, la più consona con la missione fondamentale della Chiesa, che consiste nella salus animarum. È l’organo universale ed esclusivo del Pontefice in materia di foro interno. Si ricorre al foro interno non solo per i peccati, le censure e le irregolarità, ma in genere per situazioni occulte, come ad esempio dispense, sanazioni, convalide di atti nulli derivanti da circostanze occulte. Esamina, inoltre, e risolve i casi di coscienza che le vengono proposti. Risolve dubbi in materia morale o giuridica, quando si tratta di circostanze occulte o di fatti concreti individuali.

        Qual è il valore delle vostre risposte?

        Si tratta propriamente di un valore autoritativo – a seconda dei casi, precettivo o liberatorio – solo per le circostanze reali e singolari che vengono proposte e non invece per gli altri casi, ma che agli altri quelle risposte possono estendersi come criterio prudenziale. Cioè gli orientamenti dottrinali e disciplinari inclusi nelle soluzioni stesse possono essere con prudenza applicati dal sacerdote che si è prestato a fare il ricorso, per analogia, in un ambito più largo, in nessun caso però è permesso di divulgare quelle risposte.

        Ha ancora un senso un organismo come la Penitenzieria dal momento che sembra creare dei problemi a livello ecumenico?

        Trovo difficile cogliere le ragioni e i motivi obiettivi di questo presunto disagio che la Penitenzieria creerebbe sul piano ecumenico. Se si intende riferirsi all’errore storiografico circa il perdono, che fin dall’epoca rinascimentale non ha agevolato certo la corretta discussione ecumenica, basterebbe confrontarsi con la recente e ricca documentazione di insospettabili studiosi che fanno emergere assai onestamente la funzione di questo dicastero, ritenuto la vera "fonte di grazia", privo di qualsivoglia interesse.

        L’attenzione al peccato parte da una sensibilità alle esigenze della società moderna o si muove sulla base di riferimenti del tempo passato?

        Il riferimento è sempre la violazione dell’alleanza con Dio e con i fratelli e i riflessi sociali del peccato. Se ieri il peccato aveva una dimensione piuttosto individualistica, oggi esso ha una valenza, ha una risonanza, oltre che individuale, soprattutto sociale, a causa del grande fenomeno della globalizzazione. In effetti, l’attenzione al peccato si presenta più urgente oggi di ieri, proprio per i suoi riflessi che sono più ampi e più distruttivi.

        La Penitenzieria serve ancora?

        Senza dubbio. In un’epoca caratterizzata dall’immagine e dalla pubblicità, in cui tutto diventa pubblico, un dicastero, come la Penitenzieria Apostolica, attento al mondo interiore, nel suo versante più delicato e meno visibile, credo che, nel quadro articolato della vita della Chiesa, sia uno strumento molto prezioso.

        Quali questioni attirano maggiormente la vostra attenzione?

        Sono quei delitti di cui, per la loro gravità, la Santa Sede si è riservata l’assoluzione:  l’assoluzione del proprio complice in peccato contro il VI comandamento (canone 1378); la profanazione sacrilega del Santissimo Sacramento dell’Eucaristia (canone 1367); la violazione diretta del sigillo sacramentale (canone 1388, 1); la dispensa da irregolarità ad recipiendos Ordines contratta per procurato aborto (canone 1041, 4); la dispensa da irregolarità ad exercendos Ordines (canone 1044 1).

        Come interpreta la meraviglia che l’opinione pubblica prova di fronte a tante situazioni di scandalo e di peccato nella Chiesa?

        Non si può sottovalutare l’oggettiva gravità di una serie di fenomeni che sono stati di recente denunciati e che portano con sé i risvolti della fragilità umana e istituzionale della Chiesa; al riguardo, però, non si può non constatare come essa, preoccupata del grave danno infertole, ha reagito e continua a reagire con rigorosi interventi ed iniziative a tutela della immagine della Chiesa stessa e per il bene del popolo di Dio. Tuttavia, occorre però anche denunciare l’enfatizzazione loro data dai mezzi di comunicazione, che, nel quadro di una mondanizzazione, gettano discredito sulla Chiesa.

        A volte l’indulgenza della Chiesa e il perdono cristiano non vengono compresi dalla gente. Perché secondo lei?

        Oggi sembra che la penitenza venga colta come apertura di sé all’altro nella soluzione di problemi che si impongono all’attenzione entro quel raggio sociale, all’interno del quale si esprime la propria esistenza, offrendo il proprio contributo di chiarimento, di sostegno a chi è in difficoltà. La penitenza, dunque, oggi viene colta prevalentemente in dimensione sociale, dal momento che le relazioni sociali si sono indebolite e complicate al tempo stesso a causa della globalizzazione.

        Quali sono i nuovi peccati secondo lei?

        Vi sono varie aree all’interno delle quali oggi cogliamo atteggiamenti peccaminosi nei riguardi dei diritti individuali e sociali. Innanzitutto l’area della bioetica, all’interno della quale non possiamo non denunciare alcune violazioni dei fondamentali diritti della natura umana, attraverso esperimenti, manipolazioni genetiche, i cui esiti è difficile intravedere e tenere sotto controllo. Un’altra area, propriamente sociale, è l’area della droga, attraverso cui si indebolisce la psiche e si oscura l’intelligenza, lasciando molti giovani al di fuori del circuito ecclesiale. Ancora:  l’area delle sperequazioni sociali ed economiche:  nelle quali i più poveri diventano sempre più poveri e i ricchi sempre più ricchi, alimentando una insostenibile ingiustizia sociale, l’area dell’ecologia, che riveste oggi un rilevante interesse.

        Il frequente ricorso alle indulgenze non incentiva una mentalità magica nei confronti della colpa e della pena?

        Per non cadere in una tale pericolosa e falsata visione, ritengo anzitutto che sia assolutamente necessario conoscere e comprendere la retta dottrina della pratica delle indulgenze, intesa dalla Chiesa come espressione significativa della misericordia di Dio, che viene incontro ai suoi figli per aiutarli a soddisfare le pene dovute ai loro peccati "ma anche e soprattutto per spingerli ad un maggior fervore di carità". La Chiesa è mossa in primo luogo dal desiderio di educare, più che alla ripetizione di formule e di pratiche, allo spirito di preghiera e di penitenza e all’esercizio delle virtù teologali. La riforma del servo di Dio Paolo VI, attuata con la Costituzione apostolica Indulgentiarum doctrina del 1° gennaio 1967, elimina , in qualche misura, quanto poteva indurre il fedeli verso una mentalità magica. Tale dottrina espone chiaramente i presupposti teologici delle indulgenze, tratta della solidarietà che vige tra gli uomini in Adamo e in Cristo, della comunione dei santi, del tesoro della Chiesa, consistente nelle espiazioni e nei meriti di Cristo, della Beata Vergine Maria e dei santi, che sono messi a disposizione dei fedeli. Le indulgenze, infatti – viene sottolineato – non possono essere acquistate senza una sincera conversione e senza l’unione con Dio, a cui si aggiunge il compimento delle opere prescritte.

        Non le sembra che le condizioni per ottenere l’indulgenza siano lievi?

        Se, insieme alle condizioni solitamente imposte – confessione sacramentale non oltre 15 o 20 giorni prima o dopo, comunione eucaristica e preghiera secondo le intenzioni del Pontefice – si pensa che per acquisire l’indulgenza viene richiesto un grado di purezza eminente e segni di ardente carità, il cui successo rimane difficile alla nostra fragilità, allora riterrei che quanto stabilito non sia proprio da minimizzare.

        Ci sono dei peccati che voi non potete assolvere?

        La Penitenzieria è la longa manus del Papa nell’esercizio della potestas clavium. Pertanto, per realizzare le funzioni che tiene assegnate nel foro interno, possiede tutte le facoltà necessarie, con la sola eccezione di quelle che il Pontefice abbia dichiarato espressamente al cardinale penitenziere di voler riservare a sé. Può di conseguenza, compiere, nell’ambito del foro interno, tutti gli atti di competenza dei restanti dicasteri della Curia romana.

        Sull’aborto si ha la sensazione diffusa che la Chiesa non tenga in considerazione la difficile situazione delle donne.

        Mi pare che una siffatta preoccupazione non tenga in alcun conto l’atteggiamento che invece la Chiesa costantemente manifesta proprio nel salvaguardare e tutelare la dignità e i diritti della donna. Molteplici, infatti, sono le iniziative che organismi cattolici e movimenti ecclesiali, con impegno coraggioso ed intelligente, non cessano di promuovere, al fine di contrastare le odierne tendenze culturali e sociali contro la donna, aiutando, in maniera efficace le madri nubili, adoperandosi per l’educazione dei loro bambini messi al mondo per imprevidenza e facilitando perfino l’adozione.

There is some video available from the coronation of an image of Christ at the Institute of Christ the King’s church in Chicago.  His Eminence Francis Card. George, Archbishop of Chicago, did the honors.

Part I

Part II

 

I have begun making my way through the Patrick O’Brian series again.  Huzzah!

I can’t always be reading Ambrose, Augustine and Missalia Romana, after all.

We begin with Master and Commander.

It has been some years since I have read these.  If you haven’t read them, you’ll love them!

This time I got the audio recordings also, from the library, to help while I am puttering around with chores or in the car.  The reader is pretty good!

I was inspired by my latest visit to Portsmouth.  Greetings to Fr. Joe in Fareham!

 

"To Portsmouth! To Portsmouth! It is a gallant town…"

 

 

 

HMS VICTORY!

 

Fr. Z’s 20 Tips For Making A Good Confession   o{]:¬)

We should…

  1) ...examine our consciences regularly and thoroughly;
  2) ...wait our turn in line patiently;
  3) ...come at the time confessions are scheduled, not a few minutes before they are to end;
  4) ...speak distinctly but never so loudly that we might be overheard;
  5) ...state our sins clearly and briefly without rambling;
  6) ...confess all mortal sins in number and kind;
  7) ...listen carefully to the advice the priest gives;
  8) ...confess our own sins and not someone else’s;
  9) ...carefully listen to and remember the penance and be sure to understand it;
10) ...use a regular formula for confession so that it is familiar and comfortable;
11) ...never be afraid to say something "embarrassing"... just say it;
12) ...never worry that the priest thinks we are jerks…. he is usually impressed by our courage;
13) ...never fear that the priest will not keep our confession secret… he is bound by the Seal;
14) ...never confess "tendencies" or "struggles"... just sins;
15) ...never leave the confessional before the priest has finished giving absolution;
16) ...memorize an Act of Contrition;
17) ...answer the priest’s questions briefly if he asks for a clarification;
18) ...ask questions if we can’t understand what he means when he tells us something;
19) ...keep in mind that sometimes priests can have bad days just like we do;
20) ...remember that priests must go to confession too … they know what we are going through.

Here is one Act of Contrition I recommend:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee,
and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; [This is attrition, sufficient for absolution.]
but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. [This is contrition, more perfect.]
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

This is also good:

Latin

Deus meus, ex toto corde poenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum, eaque detestor,
quia peccando, non solum poenas a te iuste statutas promeritus sum,
sed praesertim quia offendi te, summum bonum, ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris.
Ideo firmiter propono, adiuvante gratia tua, de cetero me non peccaturum peccandique occasiones proximas fugiturum. Amen.

English

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins,
because of thy just punishment, [Again, this is attrition.]
but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all-good and deserving of all my love.  [Again, this is contrition.]
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen. 

I got this by e-mail:

Since February 25th my RSS feed reader has only been pulling down the first three lines of text from your blog posts.  Prior to 2/25 all of your posts would appear with the full text and any graphics and/or any audio/video.  Now I must go to your blog in order to read all of your sage commentary, thereby defeating the purpose of a feed reader.  Is there any way to go back to the Traditional RSS?  This modernist truncation of the RSS feed is harming my active participation in your blog. 

 

Folks.. I have posted again and again that I have had feed problems and I have asked your patience. 

A tip of the biretta  o{]:¬  to The Deacon’s Bench for the following from Clerical Whispers.

The emphases are mine.

Saturday, March 08, 2008 Sotto Voce…Ó Mo Chroí

My dear friends, it is not for me to write here in too much of a capacity if ever at all, but in recent times here, many comments have been sent whereby you have often wondered how I spend my time.

I am also aware that there is constant focus on the lack of clergy going through the seminary and being ordained.

In the last few days, I have done some deep thinking and reflecting on my life and my vocation which I always do when life is being somewhat more difficult than usual.

Since last weekend, I have had to officiate at the funerals of 2 family members and in between all of that, I have had to try and comfort their families which is in essence my own family but in their eyes, you are a priest…not a brother, son, nephew etc…

And this is why I sometimes find it so difficult because when one becomes ordained, a bond of family is lessened as the priest now stands to serve all and favour none. This can involve making sacrifices such as not being available at Christmas or Easter, missing on a birthday and other such family events.

Despite becoming the religious / spiritual father to so many, we are never meant to become paternal fathers which lessens our ability to engage with families in the community or to understand the intricate workings of family life.

I personally believe that over the last 9 years of my priesthood, I have never so strongly felt the sense of loneliness and aloneness of the last few days and yes I have indeed questioned my vocation…

It can be very challenging to be on one’s own and reflect on life and the role we are asked to consider playing in it with sometimes more serious issues being raised and needing to be addressed.

Sometimes, as a human being which is what I am first and foremost, I think of the bodies of those who I have anointed as they are taken from terrible tragic scenes – newlyborns, young people, midlife and the elderly – bringing to the fore my own sense of being a human being who will also need anointing by someone also wearing the collar.

Lest I forget, I am in a position / vocation which has that special dimension to it which calls me to be a Christian / Catholic in the service of God and the community at all times. This can be quite daunting and this week was no less but certainly moreso as I was conscious that I had to be stronger for everyone else this week but when I reached my own abode, I was weary from it all and needed to be consoled myself.

On a very personal level, when I go through the front door of the house, I sense the lack of another person in the house, in my life and in my arms. My vow of celibacy asks me to refrain from being emotionally involved (and indeed sexually involved) which is not easy by any means, and certainly I can understand why some of my colleagues would seek solace in the end of a bottle.

This week, I found myself in the arms of those friends who care a lot for me, and indeed I care as much in return. I would certainly wish that I could be with their company on a more constant basis, but distance prevents this from being a reality. We hugged as they came in my door, sat down for dinner and talked, then went to the local pub for a few drinks and walked home. When we got there, we sat down for a drink or two before another hug and adjourned to our separate beds.

As I got to bed, I went on my knees and offered up a prayer through my tears to God – a prayer of thanks – for bringing people such as these into my life and making me feel so human again. It was the first night in a long time that I can say I slept soundly.

I wish that I could have people like that in my life everyday and I know many would say well be it so but go and become a different religion or leave the priesthood, and I would have agreed perhaps before but I have no right to turn my back on God and leave after having received His call, and as for changing faith, it resolves nothing.

Many will no doubt say that when I was being ordained, I should have known what I was letting myself in for, and I cannot deny that, but it would be a reason why I would say to anyone out there who is considering becoming a priest, reflect carefully and honestly.

I know that I did, and I do not regret my life one bit, but I cannot forget that I am only human as well, and indeed I would ask you all to look at your local priest and remind yourself that he is human also - even with that special gift from God.

I ask you all to pray for me and indeed my colleagues as we endure such times in our lives, as we pray for you when you endure yours.

 

WDTPRSers… the voting is now open for the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards.

WDTPRS is in most of the categories, toward the bottom of the all the lists, with the title "What does the prayer really say".

Would you in your kindness give WDTPRS some consideration?

I got this via e-mail:

Father Zuhlsdorf,
 
You might be interested to know that the Transalpine Redemptorists, a group affiliated with the SSPX and refounded in the 1980s at the request of Msgr. Lefebvre, has issued a statement in support of the revised Good Friday Prayers.

Not only that, but the superior, Father Michael Mary, has responded to rumors that he is in negotiations with Rome.

His words show a very positive outlook on the future of both the Transalpine Redemptorists and the SSPX in regards to reunion with Rome.

Father Michael Mary makes some excellent points about the need for full communion with Rome and submission to the Holy Father.
 
The text of Father’s reponse can be found here:
 
And the statement in regards to the use of the revised Good Friday Prayer for the Conversion of the Jews can be found here:

I suspect this will arouse goofy reactions from a very few spittle flecked zealots out there, but I applaud any positive discussion of unity with Rome and the Roman Pontiff.

 

Reaction from Letter to Chinese Church being examined by papal commission

Vatican City, Mar 10, 2008 / 10:59 am (CNA).- A commission on the Church in China is meeting March 10-12 at the request of the Pope to examine the reaction from the Chinese Church to the recent letter he wrote to them and to analyze its implications in the daily life of their Church.  

The commission is made up of superiors from the different Vatican-based offices that help the Pope with issues related to the life of the Church in China and certain members of the Chinese episcopate and religious congregations.

According to a statement released by the Holy See’s Press office today, "This first meeting will examine the reactions to the Letter which the Holy Father sent to Chinese Catholics on 27 May 2007. The rich contents of the pontifical document will be analyzed in-depth and, in the light thereof, the principal aspects of the life of the Church in China will be considered".

U.S.Government to Release New Dollar Coins

‘IN GOD WE TRUST’  is gone!

I think I will not accept these coins as change.

 

UPDATE: 10 March – 16:22:

Apparently "IN GOD WE TRUST" is on the coin, on the edge…

 

 

I rather like this!  I take it back.

Apparently there were some mistakes made.  I will keep my eyes peeled for them.

 

Padded lampposts for distracted texters being tested in London

According to a recent report, human beings are becoming so incredibly stupid that they require cushioned lamppost bases so that when they run into them they don’t mess up their idiotic faces.

Apparently, a study in the UK found that one in ten people actually managed to hurt themselves by walking into a post while peering down at their mobile phone screen.

The mishaps—called "walking and texting" injuries—have spurred the charity Living Streets to launch the padded-post-pilot scheme in Brick Lane, London.

It seems that if all goes well, there are plans to roll out the idiot-proof system in Birmingham, Manchester, and Stupidton.

Classical Rite in Rome with Card. Castrillón Hoyos

The Morning Sun in Kansas has a good article on the introduction of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite according to Summorum Pontificum