Pastor’s Corner — July 24th, 2022
Inside Baseball: Gentle Mass Reminders
Since the preaching series in Advent we’ve seen a marked improvement in our reverence in Mass here at St. Pat’s. If you missed the preaching series, you can watch the homilies on our YouTube page. As we continue to press offering to God our deepest joys and sorrows while being attentive to and responding to his profound presence in Holy Mass, it might be helpful for a few reminders to be placed here. (These reminders only address things we need to be reminded of since the series):
1) Coming to Mass on time. Of course, circumstances outside of our control (kids, accidents, traffic, etc) can cause people to be late from Mass from time to time. That’s not what this reminder is about. Instead, I just want to gently remind parishioners who routinely miss the parts of the beginning of Mass (Penitential Rite, the Gloria, Collect and the Sacred Readings) to try coming to Mass a little earlier. These parts of the Mass are very important. As explained in the series the Liturgy of the Word is indispensably part of the Mass and it is ordered toward the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Moreover, if anyone misses the Penitential Rite for whatever reason, it’s important to make sure you make a good act of contrition immediately upon arriving in your pew. What happens at Mass is holy and we need to dispose ourselves to his grace. Also, if you’re late for Mass due to your own fault and you actually miss more than half of the readings (in daily Mass that mark is coming in after responsorial psalm and for Sunday Mass coming in after the second reading) I believe it’s appropriate to refrain from receiving Holy Communion, since you would have missed most of the Liturgy of the Word, which is ordered to and prepares you to receive Holy Communion.
2) Saying “Amen” before Receiving Holy Communion. Saying “Amen” is not optional when presented with the Body and Blood of Christ, but is called for in the Roman Missal. After being presented with the ‘The Body of Christ’ a communicant is to respond ‘Amen’ before receiving on the tongue and on the hand. As explained in the series, this Amen is both an assent of faith in the teachings of the Bride of Christ the Church and an act of faith that yes you truly believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ.
3) Receiving on the Tongue Kneeling: Because receiving on the tongue kneeling is the Church’s preferred way of receiving communion, we are asking that those who choose to receive on the tongue kneel to receive. Of course, if someone can’t kneel but wants to receive on the tongue, that’s not a problem.
4) Singing at Mass. While the Mass parts for the congregation in the Novus Ordo are to be sung/chanted by everyone (Kyrie, Gloria, Alleluia, Holy Holy, Great Amen, Memorial Acclamation, Lamb of God), singing congregational hymns is not strictly required. However, singing is considered a part of divine worship in Scriptures, we should do so unless we are sincerely praying quietly while hymns are being sung. In other words, it’s a very different thing not to sing congregational hymns because one is in contemplation or in prayer with the Lord. (This can be common) It’s quite another thing not to sing because one is “checked out” or because simply one doesn’t want to sing. If you struggle with one of these, my encouragement is to sing precisely when you don’t feel like it because singing to God in this circumstance can lead to a spiritual breakthrough that in fact connects one to the Lord, which will likely help you with whatever is going on in your life.
5) Leaving Mass Early. We have had significant improvement here, but I’m starting to see an increase of people leaving after Communion again. While we’d love everyone to stay for the St. Michael prayer and closing song, the Mass officially ends at the final dismissal from the Deacon/Priest. My encouragement for those who want to leave early, please don’t book your Sunday’s so tight that you can’t stay until the final blessing. Stay and commune with the Lord as we said in the series. Leaving after Communion could be quite disrespectful of our Eucharistic Lord who longs for your attentive love while he’s inside of you.
These reminders might seem small, but because the graces God holds out to us in Mass are so big, I want to help all of us to receive as much as we can from our merciful God.
Fulton Sheen and Sacred Architecture
Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen (d. 1979) is one of my intellectual and spiritual heroes. I think his writings, TV and radio shows, lectures and retreats had more impact on me before and during my early seminary years than any other author/speaker. Indeed, his intelligence, courage and spiritual maturity helped millions through very difficult times in the Church and in the 20th century. Word on Fire Ministries recently published an article about his thoughts on Sacred Architecture, which reinforces our decision to renovate our Church building.
Thinking with the tradition of the Church, Sheen suggests the Church building should be a microcosm of the new Jerusalem in heaven. He also explains why modern architecture is so different from a proper Catholic architecture. If our architecture reflects our philosophy of life, then it makes sense that even Catholic architecture suffered under the philosophy of modernism because modernism flatly rejects anything transcending this world, including God and the things of God. But as the Church experiences a spiritual renewal, it makes sense that architecture of church buildings be renewed according to a traditional Catholic style which more aptly points us to heaven, which in turn assists us in raising our hearts and minds to God. After all, what we do in Church at Mass is a foretaste of heaven and cannot ever be reduced to anything merely of earth.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Mathias