In his "Pastor's Descant" column this week, Fr. Perrone talks about Corpus Christi, reverence before the Holy Eucharist, and some upcoming events.
This Tuesday, Fr. Perrone will be having an informal, one-day seminar on the "Tridentine" Mass. It will be hosted by the St. Anne's Sodality. Next Sunday the parish will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Father's ordination with a hog roast on the parish grounds. More details on this at the bottom. Also noteworthy is Sacred Heart, which is this Friday. Come to Mass at 7:00pm for this special day.
Corpus Christi day is meant to bolster our faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. The word ‘real’ here is an important modifier, indicating that this is not a symbolic or spiritual presence but that of Jesus, God and man, in the totality of his divine and human natures.
Among the reasons I am so enthusiastic about the return of the Tridentine Mass is that it gives unequivocal recognition to the Real Presence, not only in the written and spoken texts, but by those safeguarding rubrical details which the priest must observe in the course of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The new rite of Mass certainly does not deny or overlook this dogma of the faith. Yet the freewheeling manner in which it can be (legitimately) celebrated can weaken faith. Thus we have been told that in recent years there has been a great falling off of faith in the Real Presence.
During the past week, the feast of Saint Bernadine of Sienna was had. He was a vigorous preacher and promoter of reverence to the divine name of Jesus. I made the remark in my brief weekday homily that while the devout handling of the Holy Eucharist is a far greater priority than reverence to the divine name, nevertheless there is a continuity in the practice of piety, that profound respect paid to God and the things of God. When that reverential manner suffers in one area so will it probably suffer in another part. An unfortunate consequence of the modern Church’s embrace of the world and the present time is a more casual, even secular treatment of holy things. This is evident in the way people conduct themselves in church, in the way they speak about the bible, and, needless to say, in their looser morals by which they are practically indistinguishable from anybody else. When we see this larger picture of religious impiety we can make sense of the loss of faith in the Blessed Sacrament and the irreligious manner, often scandalous, in which some people approach Holy Communion. No wonder some members of the hierarchy are dizzy wondering what to do about politicians who are abortion abetters and who nevertheless crassly present themselves for Holy Communion. The root of the problem may not be the acceptance of abortion but a wider insensitivity to things moral and religious. I’d like to think that the old Mass will help restore some sense of the sacred, both in things that are religious properly speaking, and also in human life. The two things, I believe, are related. If I’m right there, Catholics will never be able to halt the practice of abortion until they recover their religious sensibilities generally.
Mention of the Tridentine Mass reminds me that this Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. I will speak in the school on this in an informal way to help people participate better by a greater comprehension of the traditional rite. (Commercial: This event is being brought to you by the St. Anne’s Sodality.) This will be the right time to ask questions you may have about the Mass, the meaning of its ceremonies and parts, and about how to use the hand missals. I don’t claim to be an expert in any of these areas, but I will gladly share what I know with all those who attend. Bring your missals. Note all those things you have wanted to ask about the Tridentine Mass.Friday this week is the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It seems strange to celebrate that feast while still in the month of May since it is the month of June which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. This solemnity nearly always falls in June. Blame this oddity, along with the untimely of the other feasts of the paschal season, on the early date of Easter this year.
I hesitate to mention it, but you already have heard that next Sunday there’s a celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of my ordination. As I already said, never mind me. Just come and enjoy the day which, I’m told, will feature wonderful and surprising things of which I have not the least knowledge. It promises to be, as it should, a happy day for everyone.
Here is the detailed info from the May 25th parish bulletin - all are welcome:
Tickets for the Fr. Perrone’s 30th Anniversary Party on June 1st, are on sale at the Gift Shop. Adults $10.00, children under 12, $5.00. You may also call the Gift Shop for tickets to be sent out (313- 3332-4432).
Corpus Christi 2008: Photo Post 1
Fr. Z's Wanderer Column for Corpus Christi (a must read!).... WDTPRS: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi
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