Remember! There’s only one expression of the Roman Rite.
Right?
We turn our adventurous eyes today to Zimmerman, Minnesota and Christ Our Light parish. Fr. Kevin Anderson, pastor, demonstrates how very badly things can go wrong when there is a false notion of ars celebrandi. Alas, the Novus Ordo tends in its structure and rubrics to give the impression that it pertains to the priest to drive the liturgical action forward. The texts and the “lowest denominator” way Mass is celebrated in many places infantalizes the congregation.
Couple that with years, decades, of Mass “facing the people” and we wind up with self-centered moments like this.
A look at the parish bulletin indicates that in October the Rosary is being recited. Also, there is occasional adoration, a good thing. Their times for confession are culpably pathetic. Only the tiniest of leeway because there is a Sunday chance. Still, this is stingy.
Adventures in worship now continues.
Father thought it would be a good idea to make everything about himself by singing a song about Winnie The Pooh. I know the type.
BTW… I understand that Father has been involved in ministry to the deaf, which is great. This year he celebrated his 40th anniversary of priesthood.
This starts during the homily, just before the crime.
“Playfulness”. That’s what we need. Forget the transcendent. More immanence!
It gets worse: “come dance in the forest, come play in the fieeeeeeeelds….” In Minnesota doing that in the forest or a field in the autumn will get you a really fast 30-06 offertory.
At about the offertory, he puts a brown stole over the baby-kak green thing. I guess the stole was optional before. He accessorized!
Like a good game show host, after the offertory prayer he interrupts the rite for another imposition of his helpful will and tells people to get out their boooooooks… go to this paaaaage… be sure to siiiiing…. (37:26). Not sure what Preface he used. Maybe you can say. Anyway, it was short so we could get back to hearing him sing with the hot mic.
Time for the Eucharistic Prayer! 38:20
God [our Father … he cut that], you are most holy and we want to show you that we are grateful.
Talk about infantalizing the congregation! This is the Eucharistic Prayer for Masses with Children I.
This is where I thought about watching more, but decided to clean my bathroom.
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The worst thing about all of this, is that Father probably wonders why he can’t fill the pews.
And that special prayer with the bells ??? How about a Chaplet of Divine Mercy instead.
We just came from the Three Hearts Pilgrimage in Oklahoma. There were over 2000 participants this year. I was in awe of how reverent people were at an our outdoor mass on the first day. It was so quiet (maybe a baby or two squawking but really it was amazing. And we love the babies!) People were going to confession on the sides of mass and Holy Communion was distributed to so many souls with such reverence. Then we finally made it to the Clear Creek Abbey where so many of the pilgrims fit into the church with some people out of doors. The mass was said by the wonderful Cardinal Burke. (Aw. I’ve always wanted to go to a mass said by him. What a huge blessing that was!) Again, I was amazed how 2000 people who were tired and blistered and hobbling could be so be so pious. I watched the deacons and priests bring Holy Communion to the faithful with such love, attention, and respect that it brings tears to my eyes to write about it now! I bring this up because when I watch those poor people in that video clip going to Holy Communion it is so sad to watch them receive our dear and precious Lord! I will pray today for people who don’t get sacred music–oh the music at Clear Creek was celestial with gorgeous music from Matt Williams and the St. Gregory’s Academy schola and seminarians from OLGS!–and I will pray for this priest today. This is so sad. They are all missing out on so much.
Don’t know if it’s the camera angle, but there seem to be a lot of empty seats.
And I too refuse to dance in the forest and play in the field. Not quite as bad as “Sons of God”, but close
At our Mass this weekend one of the (preachy) prayers of the faithful was that God would welcome all the departed into heaven, regardless of the wedding gown they’re wearing.
I think they missed the point of the Gospel that day.
The only upside to this is more people seem to be waking up to the TLM. I’ve noticed the pews getting fuller and fuller over the last few weeks at my parish.
Father actually has some talent with the guitar, and a pleasant voice.
He just needs to find an outlet for it outside of Mass. Maybe at a parish social event?
I didn’t know brown was a liturgical color…silly me! I too am off to clean my bathroom.
When I saw this on another website, I was truly hoping that it might not be a Catholic Church, as I didn’t read the full post.
The ugly church and the very few congregants made me think it could be Lutheran or Anglican.
Sadly Father you confirmed it’s a VII dying hippy church.
It truly is a separate set of beliefs, with each passing day I realize I am less and less in communion with this type of church.
God help me I am not in a good spot!
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band did it better. Anyway, it is about nostalgia and lost innocence, so why not yesterday’s offertory: super flumina Babylonia illic sedimus and flevimus: dum recordaremur tui, Sion. It is not a song about playfulness.
There could have been a good sermon on this—as Dom Benedict Baur wrote: The life of exile is hard and bitter. (See the daily meditation for October 15 in Benedictus.)
I’m reminded of my old NO parish using The Rainbow Connection as a Communion processional…
Yes, I complained.
They didn’t do it again while I was still going there.
It’s worse because I like the songs, they’re just wildly inappropriate for Mass.
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