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What are the big differences, and how are you going to prepare your flock?
Padre, what all these seeming detractors are actually saying is "we miss you and we want you back!"
This may not be intended for this poster.
Quote: dmHow about cool it on the ridicule of Fr G. It's fine not to be religious but that doesn't mean you have to abandon all moral values.
I do not believe that it is fair to say Fr G is being ridiculed here. He has, of his own free will, posted many contrioversial and unproven assertations, and has thus been engaged in a dialogue to discuss them. Just as Mr. Singer was challenged on his 'special plays', with the forum requesting some scientific/math based explanation, so has Fr G. Fr G has made many logic based attempts to explain his beliefs, which has convinced those that need no convincing, and will not convince those that cannot be convinced. I do not think anyone has 'crossed the line' in these religion threads. Although I disagree with Fr G on most of his assertions, I do enjoy and respect his point of view. I hope he continues to post.
If he's decided to stop posting, I didn't see it. Once the religion stuff goes into auto-overdrive-repeat, I stop looking at it.
What is going to change?
the thing about mass, folks like the repetition: being able to go through a ritual, the steps comfort them. Even over the three year liturgical cycle, it's nice knowing what readings are coming up. I know the calendar didn't change, but I can't help thinking that the little changes are a step backward. "And with your spirit" seems to put some semantic distance between the words and their meaning.
DJ, the mass has been changed.
Some background: Last weekend, the first Sunday of Advent, the Catholic Church unveiled the biggest liturgical changes in the Mass since Vatican II in the 60's. The Mass is fundamentally the same but now has a new English translation of the third Roman Missal (where the prayers at Mass come from). This change was eight years in coming but of course everyone waits till the last moment. I started preparing the parish after the summer but it seemed like no one wanted to talk about it until a couple of weeks ago. I spent two weeks preaching about the changes and had some materials available for people to learn more about it. It was kind of a fun Mass this weekend, it felt like my first Mass all over again. I like the new translation, it is a little more formal and solemn sounding.
Here is funny incident from my parish that was somehow captured nationally on twitter: @CatholicReview: St. Paul Church: "And also w you." Priest: "One more time." Church: "And also w your spirit." Priest: "One more time..."
here is a great link if you want to know more Mass Changes Video
The first time I walked into an Episcopal church with my Episcopalian wife, I nearly went sprawling as she knelt to one knee without warning; I was right behind her. So you can imagine how far removed I am from being up to date on this Catholic news! [g]
Thanks for the info.
Glad to know I wasn't the only one in the dark.Quote: odiousgambitOK, now we find out what the heck this is about.
playing guitars and doing other strange things
in the Church. Some Catholics I knew were
really freaked out by it and left forever.
Gilligans Island playing in the confessionals in case the
priests got bored.
Quote: MoscaY'know, I'm so close to Catholicism I sometimes think everyone is as well. Catholics take comfort in the repetition. Those outside find it boring and nonsensical, but inside of it there is beauty and timelessness. It's comforting to be able to go to mass anywhere in the US and it's the same. Back when I went to church, we once went to mass in the basement of an apartment building, and sat on folding chairs. It was the same mass. I've been to mass in gymnasiums, and in St Peter's in NYC. It's as if it were this silent force, in the background of the world. It's very powerful. But change one or two words, and it's jarring; people freak. FrG, remember when you stopped ringing the bells? Everyone was whispering, "Where'd the bells go?" Heck, change the version of the Eucharistic Prayer and people notice: "Hey, that's the long one today!" People are going to have opinions about this, they can't help it. No one's going to leave because of it, but they'll care.
Great post Mosca. So far the response from people here has been cautious acceptance. It changes the tone of Mass a little bit towards the more formal side but it isn't too jarring for people. There has been in a movement lately to bring back much of the smells and bells of the old days. In fact last year we reintorduced the bells to the parish and they loved it.
Quote: FrGambleThere has been in a movement lately to bring back much of the smells and bells of the old days. In fact last year we reintorduced the bells to the parish and they loved it.
I laughed when I read this because it reminds me so
much of Voodoo ceremonies. The African slaves incorporated
a lot of Roman Catholic goodies into their practices, like
burning incense and bell ringing. Candles are a huge part
of the religion, just like it is with Catholics. They cross themselves
and use Hail Mary's. VooDoo is yet another entity the Church has
gone out of its way to try and destroy.
"First and foremost Voodoo is a religion. It is the dominant religion of Haiti.
In 1941-42 the Catholic Church waged an all out holy war against Voodoo. They burned peristyle, Voodoo shrines, beat (some say even killed) houngans and mambo, demanded their ostracism from society. But, they lost. Voodoo went under-ground to some extent, but it grew in popularity, in large measure because of the oppression."
Ah, the Church was still up to their old tricks
just 70 years ago. Old habits are hard to break..
I ain't been ridiculing nobody.
>It's fine not to be religious
I don't think anyone would describe me as religious, but I think many religious people do not want to tolerate those who are not religious. They particularly do not want to tolerate those who are not of their own religious beliefs. The real problem is in actions rather than beliefs: build a community hospital, but only practice Catholic medicine, be licensed under the law as a physician but refuse to obey DNR orders, be licensed as a pharmacist but allow abortion-related beliefs to affect stocking and dispensing medications.
>but that doesn't mean you have to abandon all moral values.
I don't know if I have any of those either. People are usually judged by their actions not their moral values and people often act impulsively and often beyond the scope of their value systems. Moral values are often as arbitrary, capricious and ill-defined as religious values and just as often applied in an inconsistent manner.
This is the problem with Catholics, their gut reaction
to things they don't like was to wipe it out, kill it. Not
tolerate it, not try and change it from within. Thats
only been their policy basically since Vatican II.
The interesting thing about VooDoo is it welcomes
homosexuals with open arms. They don't discriminate
against anybody for any reason. Christians don't like
them because they use both sides of the coin in
their religion, the god side and the Satan side, to
achieve a balance. They don't worship Satan, but
neither do they ignore what Satan stands for.
Quote: MoscaWell, I don't know. I see a good man who happens to be a Catholic priest. I think I should be able to deal with that without having to bring up the origin of reality.
So the past counts for nothing. I don't think so..
Quote: EvenBobSo the past counts for nothing. I don't think so..
We're different people, with different ways of seeing things.
no problem in seeing the Church and everything
its stood for in the past 1500 years. I can't ignore
the past for the convenience of the present. The
Catholics have always claimed god and Jesus runs
the Church, the Pope is god's right hand man on
earth. Now they want to ignore what god and Jesus
told them to do in the past? Things don't really
work that way. If they were such monumental
screwups for such a huge period of time, what
makes any sane person think its different now.
And by the way, I'm not Catholic.
Quote: MoscaDo you think you will be able to change me into you through the sheer force of your argument.
Why is god's name would you think I give a rats
behind about 'changing' anybody? I don't know
you, I know nothing about you, you're a name
on an internet forum. I post for my own edification
only, something I learned on the message boards
20 years ago. If you start writing to change people
or influence them, you have a serious problem. I
post to bolster my own position, or to entertain
myself. I post because I learn things when I investigate
a subject. You (or anybody else) never enter into it.
As we are going through the daily Masses I am becoming more conscious of how many more changes I have to worry about than the people. The private prayers of the priest are also very different, here is an example of the changes I say privately when purifying the vessels:
Old Translation:
Lord, may I receive these gifts in purity of heart. May they bring me healing and strength, now and for ever.
New Translation:
What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.
Long after the pew cards are no longer needed for the faithful I will still be reading these prayers from the missal. By the way the only complaint I've heard so far is from a parishioner who likes the new translation but doesn't like the fact that daily Mass is a few minutes longer now.
Quote: FleaStiffPeople are usually judged by their actions not their moral values.
That's because "Morals aren't what you would do if; they are what you will do when."
Quote: FrGambleThe private prayers of the priest are also very different, here is an example of the changes I say privately
What makes these prayers any more valid than prayers
used in any other religion. A prayer is a prayer, if there
was a god, he surely wouldn't ingore and discriminate.
Would he.
Quote: FrGambleBy the way the only complaint I've heard so far is from a parishioner who likes the new translation but doesn't like the fact that daily Mass is a few minutes longer now.
Haha, you do understand that as the minute hand nears the hour, all the parishioners are checking: Will he go over? Or, How far under? As it has always been!