Monday, June 11, 2007

Rough stuff

Yesterday my parents went to the anniversary of a dear, sweet sister who has been professed for 50 years. During the "Mass" there were nuns with ribbons on sticks, heretical music(example):
Bread of Life
By Rory Cooney
I myself am the bread of life
you and I are the bread of life
taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ
that the world may live.


and a homily from a priest that claims of the 65 men who entered the seminary with him, only 6 were "chosen". Um, wow. Humble, but wow. Who is to say they weren't forced out by liberalism or worse? The gospel was also ad-libbed and the responsorial psalm was not the one for yesterday but some hippy replacement. Now remember, the sister who they were there for was orthodox and so special but imagine what she has had to endure over the years. This took place at a well-known and prominent parish here in Northern Kentucky. We are still in limbo, nothing changed there. I wonder how many of us are hopping over the river to the Cincinnati diocese. At least there, EVERY parish isn't liberal and riddled with liturgical abuses and heretical music.

I have told my husband I would not be upset if his job or another job moved us away from here. Yeah, it's that bad. And as much as I would like to think our parish will be okay when the new assignments start next month, I just don't know. It's not that I don't trust the priest, I don't trust the people who are as mean and ornery about anything sacred or holy as it gets. I don't trust them and I don't like that they think things should be done in our liturgy by a show of hands. So, I suppose I will stay in limbo.

We went to Old St. Mary's in downtown Cincinnati yesterday and it is just so refreshing. To not have to worry that the next song or thing to happen will make me cringe and wince is both a blessing and a comfort. I have talked to others and it is the "not knowing" aspect of going to Mass and just waiting for a crazy song about worshipping our self or running through fields of daisies or a dance or bongo that I can't handle anymore. I wish there were ONE parish in this diocese that was NORMAL(or maybe it's NOT normal if you look at it back-ass wards).

There may be people who judge me and my feelings and think I am over-reacting or being too harsh but when there isn't ONE church in your diocese that is free from crap, it's a sad and sorry state. I never said there aren't good priests, quite the contrary. I understand people are imperfect and don't expect perfection. I just shouldn't be on the edge of my pew at every Mass worrying someone will make up a gospel(happens a lot here), sing a crazy song or profane the Body and Blood of Christ.

Yep, I went on a tirade. But I got it out of my system and feel about 10% better. For whatever that is worth. I'd be swimming with the kids right now if my orders weren't backed up.
By the way, Old St. Mary's had an all parish Mass and procession yesterday(we missed this as we went to the 12:30 English Mass). Here is the list of hymns from yesterday. No big crazy songs about we(the parish) being the Body of Christ or bread....you get my point. I wish I would be attending my parish and putting my tithe there. It pains me that it is not even a safe place to bring my family anymore. Lost souls...I can't afford anymore in my family.

(You may have to click on this to see the detail, it's tiny. Sorry about that)

UPDATE: I told my mother her experience turned into blog fodder and she wanted to correct me. The nuns were SASHAYING and the sticks with ribbons on them were about 20 ft. long. Also, she asked my dad if she could sit on the END of the pew. Whoa. Furthermore, the lady behind her, during the sign of peace said audibly "She's ignoring me". I told her she should have taken the heel of her hand, bonked her in the head and said "How's that work for ya?".

And you people thought I was kidding when I said our local Mass is an occasion of sin...

8 comments:

Simon-Peter Vickers-Buckley said...

There's nothing wrong with a tirade now and again.

Unless like me you really regret it.

Sorry about that other stuff. It wasn't actually directed at you at all.

Not at all.

If it was, I wouldn't keep secretly coming and reading your blog.

John T. Ridd said...

You need a spiritual director to help you with both natural (autism)and supernatural (liturgy) difficulties that face your life. I will pray for you.

Anita Moore said...

It's what Mother Angelica used to call "electric church": every time you go, you get a shock.

a thorn in the pew said...

I had a great spiritual director. Had. Without a parish life, I will wait until I find one. Thank you for your prayers.

Anita, yes, it is like that. Sashaying nuns with ribbon poles is something I would expect in a nightmare, not when going to Mass. And the priests act as if there is nothing wrong. A nun should NEVER sashay. I can tell you my autistic son would have been saying things aloud about the shenanigans if we had attended.

Anita Moore said...

Just one question: how could you tell these were NUNS (I mean, now that so many nuns are indistinguishable from the laity)?

a thorn in the pew said...

Here is their website:

http://www.sndky.org/

Point taken.

My dad said he was wondering if they were goin' fishin' with the poles. He had a point. Ribbon poles and Mass should not be used in the same sentence.

Fr. Jacob Straub said...

It is so hard to fight an element that is so entrenched as liberalism is in our dioceses. Keep praying for an increase in vocations, for only men who really love the Mass will join, not those who love themselves. It took a generation of saints like Francis de Sales, Charles Borromeo and Teresa of Avila to reform the Church after the abuses of the Middle Ages. It will take another generation of saints to reform the Church after the chaos of the post-Vatican II years.

a thorn in the pew said...

I agree Servus Dei. I hope that my children, at least, will see some relief from this boon on our diocese. I have such hope in the future of our Church. May we see a revival of all things Catholic. Out with the felt and guitars, in with the chant and incense. Is that too much to ask?