The brilliant Fr. Hunwicke has a keen eye.
To wit:
Learning from Luther
Cardinal Marx believes in learning from Luther. Today, Rorate publishes a nice early engraving of Lutherans receiving Holy Communion into their mouths, and kneeling.
Nuff’ said.
Here is the image.
THE
KNEELERS
We are St. Joan,
Philomena, Campion
The Faith in its whole
Is what we do champion.
We are St. Margaret,
Pearl of York
Where the bowels of the Faith
They tried to torque.
We are St. Thomas,
Becket the Saint
Whose reputation
They could not taint.
We are vocations
Large families and kneeling
Adoring His presence
It’s not just a feeling.
We are descendents
Of Tradition and beggin’
To stop all the men
Who are turning us pagan!
We are the poor,
Uneducated ones
But in faith well-informed
The heretic shuns.
And when Synod says,
“God’s Word, just ignore.”
Since we are true Catholics
We kneel and ADORE!!
Marx might say: ‘that’s not what I meant.’ I’d say Marx means more along the lines of questioning Catholic dogma.
Grew up Lutheran (ELCA), remember kneeling around an octagonal rail with our own personal silver chalices every Sunday for communion.
The image also shows the Pope being devoured by demons…
I live in a part of the country where you can hardly throw a stone without hitting a church built by German immigrants. A Lutheran friend of mine would say that the only reason his church doesn’t have a Communion rail is because someone noticed that Catholics used one and, well, they wanted everyone to be darn sure they weren’t Catholic. More recently, at another local Lutheran church, the pastor campaigned and finally got rid of the Communion rail (I’m not sure why) and the congregation complained that they “Didn’t want to receive Communion like Catholics.” (This was also their complaint when the same pastor tried to have Communion more than one Sunday per month.) I often joke with my Lutheran friends that they should make a friendly suggestion to the USCCB that, in the interests of ecumenical cooperation, Roman Catholics should bring back memorizing the catechism, kneeling for Communion, having the priest face the altar for all prayers addressed to God, and Gregorian chant.
I can never kneel in Malta or Gozo as the churches I have attended have no rails or kneelers, and I cannot get back up without one.
It is awful how own cannot receive kneeling here at all, and on purpose, I am afraid.
Even in the churches where the altar rails are in place, the priests come down into the aisle and give Communion in front of the rails, so that one cannot kneel without creating a scene and being disrepectful to the priest
Sad, sad, sad…
I’ve always preferred kneeling and wearing veils, but usually have not done so out of human respect. However, the Holy Spirit has been persistently nudging me for the last six months, so I finally this week began the practice. I feel such a freedom in worshipping the way I feel called to and pray for the grace to continue. It’s interesting timing as I contracted a vector borne virus a few months ago which has made kneeling and standing difficult.
Regarding things we can relearn from Lutherans, how about the celebration of Epiphany on the proper day-twelve days after Christmas. We had our traditional family meal for the feast day and my father happened to be here who now worships at a Lutheran/Episcopal/Presbyterian church. He said they are having a service on Tuesday, Jan. 6. They have much better music as well and with an organ.