Diary of a Parish Priest

Music at the 5 PM Sunday Mass ?

With the selection process underway for a new music director, it may now be possible to have music at the Sunday 5 PM Mass. 

Please help us decide by taking a 30 second survey. Music or no Music ?

SUNDAY 5 PM MUSIC SURVEY

 

Results as of 8/19 N=69

 

All respondents

Rarely or never attend 5 PM

Always AND sometimes attend 5 PM

Interestingly, there were identical percentages for the Always attend 5PM mass considered alone or with sometime attenders of the 5 PM included.

The survey is still open.

Poll: St. Michael the Archangel Prayer

There is a new poll available on our webpage: 15 second yes/no answer to whether we should say the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after all the weekend masses at Holy Cross.

As you know, the prayer was composed and added to the "old Latin mass" by Pope St. Leo XIII after he had a personal revelation about the need for the church to be protected against the power of Satan. This so-called Leonine Exorcism prayer was added to the prayers at the end of the Latin mass along with three Hail Mary's, The Hail Holy Queen, a prayer to God for assistance for his church and three aspirations to the Sacred Heart. The mass after Vatican II did away with these prayers.

The pope has asked the laity to say the St. Michael prayer and pray the rosary more frequently and to ask God's protection against Satin, especially since the recent revelations of the ongoing abuse crisis. Bishop O'Connell has asked us to consider praying it after masses.

The advantages are obvious and the need is great. Critics have warned against the multiplication of prayers at mass (e.g. we remember the Renew Prayer and others added by the bishop after mass.) They cite past history as evidence that the number of such prayers will proliferate. Others have observed the lack of effective action by church leaders since the pope made the request and criticized the pope's request as hypocritical and a distraction.

What do you think we should do?

St. Michael Prayer Survey

Queenship of Mary

Today's feast day has been linked from Pre-Vatican II times with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a devotion which we saw was initially popularized by St. John Eudes and then by St. Margaret Mary.

As with all Marian feasts, it points to a truth about the relationship between Mary and Jesus and the nature of the Incarnation itself. Having settled the controversy in the early church about whether Mary could properly be called the "Mother of God" or only Mother of Christ human nature, it is a logical and prayerful consequence to attribute Queenship to her since she is truly the Mother of the King of the Universe. While we may no longer think in metaphors about royalty as did previous generations of Catholics, celebrating Mary's queenship conveys an important truth about the Incarnation and the dogma of the Assumption. 

I chose this image of Mary, since it explicitly includes her maternity of Christ as the source of her exaltation.

 

St. Pope Pius X

Pius X was one of the first popes to be canonized in the modern age, which is partly responsible for so many churches, schools and Catholic institutions being named in his honor. 

He is known as the Pope of Holy Communion not only because he advocated the frequent reception of the Eucharist, but also lowered the age of First Holy Communion from 12 - 14 years of age to 7 or 8 years of age. 

This has rearranged the traditional order of the Sacraments of Initiation from Baptism-Confirmation-Communion to Baptism-Communion-Confirmation. 

Whenever we receive Eucharist we do so with limited understanding of so great a gift and mystery, but should always do so with the utmost reverence and love.

 

St. John Eudes

St. John Eudes was a founder of the French School of Spirituality which advocated a strong, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, an important role for Mary as the mother who permitted his entry into the world and a deep, interior prayer life. He founded an association of diocesan priests who live as vowed religious and promote vocations to the priesthood and the formation of priestly candidates. They also preach missions and teach at the college level. 

St. John is perhaps best known for his promotion of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We do not think it is odd to see images of Jesus' and Mary's disembodied hearts, but these images presented no small obstacle to the spread of the devotion.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us!

 

Twentieth Sunday Ordinary Time

This Soup Is Tepid !

I once overhead a couple who were disgruntled over the temperature of their recently served soup call the waiter over in exasperation. "This soup is tepid," exclaimed one of the diners. "Why thank you," replied the waiter. This unleashed an angry vocabulary lesson on the hapless young waiter even worse than the cold soup.

Tepid, lukewarm disciples are the kind Jesus has said he will spit out. Many famous writers and philosophers have named the greatest sin of their age "indifference."  It discerns neither good nor evil. In fact, we have seen how often it either permits or even commits evil by simply encouraging people to go along.

Jesus isn't intent on fist fights breaking out at the dinner table or in the church parking lot, but he is intent on lighting the world with his truth and his love. The gospel should inflame us with passion. How would you like for someone to describe your faith like the complaining soup customers, as tepid? Wouldn't passionate, faithful, dedicated Catholic be better.

Passion motivates behavior. How many times at funerals do we learn that someone's passion was a hobby or a seashore location or their boat? Some of our most important passions should be fueled by a love of Christ. A mass I attend without fail, that I honor God in speech without fail, that I pray without fail, that I support charities in the name of Christ without fail. 

Let us heed the words of Christ and not be tepid, let's burn!