Why I'm not blogging so much these days…

I haven't been posting as much for a couple of reasons.

First, it's because my Facebook and Twitter accounts make it so much easier to share thoughts and links. I'm not alone because I've seen other bloggers reducing their posts as they use social media more.   It takes less time than making a post to click a share or re-tweet button; or to type out a brief thought on Facebook (and most of it I make available publicly, so you can view it without having an account, by visiting those links).   I'm on Google+ and Pinterest, as well, but don't get to those as often as the first two.  With Google+ I just don't see the high level of activity, but maybe it's just me.   I have an Instagram account, but almost never use it.  Right now, I probably have the most activity in Facebook which allows me to express my thoughts about something while sharing it, and there is no limit on how long something can be.  Twitter is good for passing on quick links and it is my go-to place for news before it becomes news, but it has character limits.

Secondly, I continue to heal from a long standing intestinal issue. More recently, out of desperation, I tried, and found helpful, the diverticulitis diet out of Stanford (note the "itis" as opposed to "osis" on the end.)  I've been on so many diets and this one has done the most good in three years.

I've not been diagnosed with diverticulitis, but I have diverticulosis pockets and decided to give the low fiber/low residue diet out of Standford a shot, and it has helped.  When not in an inflammatory stage, those with diverticulosis need to eat more fiber and Stanford has a diet for that, as well.  But when symptoms appear, and won't go away, even if you don't have a fever, I recommend trying the Stanford Diverticulitis Diet.  You still need to get 10-15 grams of fiber, but it needs to be spread out and soluble.   Not all soluble sources are approved on the diverticulitis diet, since some will only aggravate a flare up, so follow the suggested foods in Stanford's list for diverticulitis.   Non-soluble fiber, which does not dissolve (like corn, beans, and whole wheat), traveling through an irritated digestive tract is like rubbing sand on a scraped knee. It just can't heal.   Even too much soluble fiber can be as bad as a little non-soluble during this period.

Now, I'm awaiting results of a  CT Scan that was aimed at seeing if diverticulitis will show up.  I avoided an ER room trip by getting into a local gastro doc I had seen two years ago when the diverticulosis pockets were found.  It's unusual to have diverticulitis without a fever, but not impossible.

I experienced a set back this past week because, doing better, I pushed the envelop way too soon.  I should have stayed the course for a full 6 weeks, had but I got bold after successfully graduating to bits of smoked beef brisket I made in my smoker and making this awesome smoked meatloaf a week later.  I was intending to nibble on it, but I went well beyond nibbling, and used a typical 80/20 beef, and pork, blend.  I committed a second cardinal sin by including some heat to it in the form of cayenne pepper and other sources of spice that could make a healthy gastrointestinal tract shed a tear or two.  I had gone forward about 10 steps on the Standford diverticulitis diet, then back 6 a few days after enjoying this meatloaf (google smoked meatloaf recipes and you'll find wide varieties - just use a meat thermometer). Since then, I've been laying low, staying around the house, and just trying to rest and recover.  I worked from home two days last week. Thanks be to God for modern technology as this was a win-win for me, my employer, and team, that I could keep my jobs moving and feel productive.  Gut problems have a tendency to make us want to stay in the relative "safety" of home, but not incapable of certain kinds of work.

If you have those pockets, and are having symptoms, try following that diet for diverticulitis for a  couple weeks and see if it helps.  If so, stay on it for a few more weeks to make sure healing has taken place, then gradually re-introduce more fiber, including non-soluble.  I can tell you that for me, it took a full week between each improvement I felt, so it is a very slow process.  It's one of those deals that you look back one week and ask if you feel better, rather than comparing to the day before.

For my fellow Grotto-goers, this might explain why you have not seen me in recent weeks as I strived to limit my activity to focus on healing. I have a backlog of pictures that need to be edited, but it's uncomfortable to sit at the desktop that has my Adobe Lightroom software. I need to get it on my laptop so I'm not tied to that desktop at times like this.  I've slipped in and out of the shorter 6:30 a.m. Mass for a couple of weeks, and went to my territorial parish, St. Faustina, other times.

I'll feel so much better when I can eat from my smoker, but at the rate I'm going, I may have to wait for Labor Day.

Smoking: Both an Art and a Science

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Assumption Grotto Mass Notes for Pentecost and Corpus Christi

Pentecost

For Pentecost this Sunday, 9:30 a.m. is going to in the Extraordinary Form (1962 Missal) as it is each Sunday, except it is anticipated to be a Solemn High Mass. It will also be an orchestral Mass with the Assumption Grotto Choir and Orchestra under the direction of Rev. Eduard Perrone.

Here is information about the music:

Prelude: Le Deluge Prelude by Camille Saint-Saens.

Mass: Messe Cum Jubilo by Maurice Duruflé.

Offertory: Cantique de Jean Racine by Gabriel Fauré

Communion: Ave Verum for voice, cello and strings by Théodore Dubois

also, O Salutaris Hostia for soprano, strings and organ by Carl Maria von Weber

The prelude music begins ten minutes before Mass time.

Corpus Christi

In the Noon calendar, Corpus Christi falls on Thursday, June 19, but is transferred to Sunday here.

On Sunday June 22, the 9:30 a.m. Mass will be a Latin Novus Ordo.

The Traditional Latin Mass will shift for this Sunday only, to the 12:00 Noon time slot, with a Corpus Christi Eucharistic procession on the grounds of the parish, weather permitting.  This is anticipated to be a Solemn High Mass.  It will also be an orchestral Mass with the Assumption Grotto Choir and Orchestra repeating the music from Pentecost Sunday.  The Mass celebrated will be an external celebration of Corpus Christi, in the Extraordinary Form.

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Lost Generation: Nearly 38% of Pregnancies End in Abortion in Detroit

Today there is a report out showing 38% of all pregnancies in Detroit ends at an abortion mill, while in the State of Michigan, that number is 11%.

A large percentage of a generation in Detroit has died by dismemberment or chemical burns and experts blame it on poverty. Poverty?  The same people would not think of summarily executing kids in Detroit  because they are living in poverty.  It surprises me that in the year 2014, with all the technology we have, so-called experts are ignoring the fact that we are talking about human beings, not a clump of tissue.  Nothing will change as long as the unborn are ignored as persons, with equal dignity, and a right to life.

My mother and father who were raised in Detroit during the 30's, like most who were raised in immigrant homes, came from impoverished families.  My father spoke of the lard sandwiches and lack of things like milk. He shared not just a bedroom, but a bed, with siblings. My mother would recount wearing all the hand-me-down underwear from older cousins.  Generations would live in one three story house and even my teenage mother, finding work, spoke with joy of giving her earnings to her grandmother who raised her.  When my mom and dad first married, all they had was an orange crate and a lamp in a tiny 600 square foot  house. My dad gave her money to go get some new underwear. When she came home from the store with basic necessities for her husband and baby, my dad made her go back and return the items to get what she needed.

If poverty is the cause of today's astronomical abortion rate in Detroit, then we have to ask how generations like that of my mother and father survived such poverty without the convenience of abortion on demand.   Back in the 30's there were back-alley abortions, but what percent was it? I doubt it was 38%, or even a full 1% of pregnancies.  Today, there are so many childless families waiting to adopt infants that they are going over seas to get them - all at the same time, babies are being torn limb-by-limb with a suction machine even at the age other babies are being heroically saved amidst challenging medical conditions.  There are growing numbers of crisis pregnancy centers filled with volunteers giving their time to help women to bring their babies to term. They help them with needs before and after birth, and assist them with putting the child up for adoption if they cannot keep them.

What you won't really find amidst all of the discussion about Detroit's abortion rate, is the breakdown of the family.  Our present culture rooted in the so-called sexual revolution has made it more acceptable to do what you want, when you want, with whomever or whatever you want while making it  unacceptable to talk about the fact that there is another person in the mix who usually gets the short end of the stick, or finds herself being chemically burned to death - a baby.  Well educated people and studies from prestigious universities don't dare go there because it is not politically correct.

Detroit has a predominantly African American demographic.  Rev. Clenard Childress runs BlackGenocide.com where he is trying to raise awareness of the leading cause of death among blacks. The most dangerous environment for an African American in Detroit is not among gangs, or in the neighborhood; it's in the womb.  Among those lost, of all races involved, are doctors, scientists, musicians, clergy, friends, neighbors, and many more ordinary people who might have influenced our lives for the better.

Detroit has lost 38% of a generation.   If we factor in abortifacient contraceptives that number is much higher.  That's an epidemic and should be treated like one, without fear of raising legitimate questions about the sexual revolution that has fueled it.

It hurts all the more for those who believe that babies are ensouled at conception.  Those who are aborted never get an opportunity to know God, love God, or serve God - the Author of Life.

Go read the Detroit News report, and weep.  Above all, pray because this is not a war against man, but one against powers and principalities (Ephesians 6:12).

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Black 'Mass' organizers forced to find off-campus venue, reportedly end up at Chinese restaurant

That was the scene last night at St. Paul's - the chapel used by Catholics at Harvard as a Satanic "Black Mass" was to take place, but organizers were left scrambling at the last minute for an off-campus location. More on that in a minute.  The Archdiocese of Boston arranged this Holy Hour with Adoration which was preceded by a Eucharistic procession.  Over 40 pictures have been uploaded to a post on the public archdiocesan Facebook page including the one above by George Martell/The Pilot Media Group.  As you can see, there was hardly any standing room.   Here are a few more images from the same photographer/group. 

View them all here. 

"Black Mass" canceled …. or not?

Just before midnight last night, the Boston Globe reported:

A reenactment of satanic rituals known as a “black mass” that had been scheduled for Monday evening on the Harvard campus was abruptly canceled amid a chorus of condemnation from Catholic groups and university officials and students. 

However, a scaled-down version of the event, without the original sponsorship of the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club, was apparently held late Monday by members of the New York-based Satanic Temple off campus, at the Hong Kong lounge in Harvard Square.

Lucien Greaves, a temple spokesman, said in an e-mail at 10:35 p.m. that the mass was “happening now” at the Hong Kong. He did not say how many people were participating or provide specifics on what was happening.

A lounge employee, who would only identify himself as Fred, said in a phone interview that temple members were drinking at the bar, but he did not believe they were performing any rituals.

You can read more about what transpired last night at their website.

Let's be clear about their new venue.

Right.

Well, make no mistake, if it did happen at this tiny restaurant, it was still a grave offense - one worthy of making reparation for.  But,

Moving right along.

Harvard president takes a 'personally opposed, but' position

Earlier in the day, Harvard president, Drew Faust said in a statement:

"...The 'black mass' had its historical origins as a means of denigrating the Catholic Church; it mocks a deeply sacred event in Catholicism, and is highly offensive to many in the Church and beyond. The decision by a student club to sponsor an enactment of this ritual is abhorrent; it represents a fundamental affront to the values of inclusion, belonging and mutual respect that must define our community. It is deeply regrettable that the organizers of this event, well aware of the offense they are causing so many others, have chosen to proceed with a form of expression that is so flagrantly disrespectful and inflammatory.

Nevertheless, consistent with the University’s commitment to free expression, including expression that may deeply offend us, the decision to proceed is and will remain theirs. At the same time, we will vigorously protect the right of others to respond—and to address offensive expression with expression of their own. 

I plan to attend a Eucharistic Holy Hour and Benediction at St. Paul's Church on our campus on Monday evening in order to join others in reaffirming our respect for the Catholic faith at Harvard and to demonstrate that the most powerful response to offensive speech is not censorship, but reasoned discourse and robust dissent…"

And, she did attend, as seen in the photo from the same collection.

Unfortunately, what she failed to grasp was that it wasn't just the sensitivities of Catholics that was in need of defending, but defending the Eucharist from a ritual that historically involves desecration. Catholics have died while protecting the Eucharist.  Recall the twelve year old St. Tarsius who died in this fashion.

Pontius Pilate and the 'personally opposed, but' position

Blogging canonist, Ed Peters, had something to say about President Faust's statement.  It should serve as an examination of conscience for all of us when faced with these kinds of challenges based on the modern 'virtue' of so-called tolerance.  We should consider the times when we may have taken the road traveled by Pontius Pilate:

Amid growing controversy over the planned crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, Roman procurator Pontius Pilate, who is on record as being personally opposed to the execution of the preacher Jesus, said in a statement released today that it is “deeply regrettable” that crucifixion agitators will proceed despite the fervent opposition by some local residents and students. But he continued, “Nevertheless, consistent with the commitment to free expression, including expression that may deeply offend us, the decision to proceed is and will remain theirs.” Pilate added, “I wash my hands of the whole affair.” 

Sound familiar? Compare it to this report on Harvard President Drew Faust’s statement about the Harvard Black Mass

You can read the rest of his post here.

More on the origins of the 'black mass' and what it involves

Just how did the 'black mass' originate, and when?  Michelle Bauman, writing for Catholic News Agency explains:

A black mass is a sacrilegious ceremony structured as a parody of the Catholic Mass. Connected to witchcraft and demonic worship, it invokes Satan and demons, often in Latin.

The ceremony is centered around the desecration of the Eucharist, which is generally done by stealing a consecrated host from a Catholic Church and using it in a profane sexual ritual, or defecating and urinating on it.

This is one reason why there is a growing number of Catholics wanting to see a return to distribution of Holy Communion, on the tongue.  Imagine how difficult it is to use a Consecrated Host after it has been in someone's mouth.  It is possible, but less likely than when one receives in the hand.   There is nothing good about a 'black mass,' but where there is sin, grace abounds (Rom 5:20).  One grace I see is that Catholics are seeing that there really are people out there who want to desecrate the Eucharist.  This isn't something from the dark ages - it's happening all the time, but usually in secrecy.  I think these folks would have preferred not to have this flood light shining on their dark gig, but it's a good thing it was all brought to light.

The CNA article continues:

A spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, which is staging the event, initially told media outlets that a consecrated host would be used, although the temple and the Cultural Studies Club both later denied this, insisting that only a plain piece of bread would be used.

It's a little hard to have a 'black mass' without a Consecrated Host since desecrating It is at the heart of the matter.  And, let's face it, why should we accept the word of anyone who worships the Father of Lies?

Responding to widespread criticism, the Cultural Studies Club told CNA that those offended by the event have closed-minded beliefs “based on intolerance and ignorance,” which are “arrogant and egocentric.”

The club claimed that the black mass “began as a propagandistic literary device to justify brutal purges against alleged witches,” saying that “(t)he idea originated with the Church itself.”

However, Pecknold responded that it “is patently false to claim that the idea of the Black mass originated with the Catholic Church itself.”

“The Black Mass is largely a modern invention of anti-Catholic propaganda. Anton LaVey (founder of the Church of Satan and author of The Satanic Bible) admitted that much.”

“What we really should be asking is what the sponsors of the Black Mass are aiming at. What is their goal?” Pecknold continued.

Exactly.  If a 'black mass' isn't aimed at promoting hatred, I don't know what is.  

“The sponsors claim not to be mocking the Catholic faith, but that is precisely what Black Masses are designed to do: ridicule, desecrate and mock that which is most sacred and holy to Catholic Christians. Can you imagine if the same group treated the Jewish or Muslim faith this way?”

“My guess is that the aim is not reasoned argument, but spectacle designed to test the limits of toleration,” he suggested.

Go to CNA to read the full article, which discussed other forms of intolerance.

The Cardinal's Response

Earlier in the day Cardinal O'Malley, asked about the 'black mass,' called it "repugnant," saying there is such a fascination with evil in the world.  He wondered aloud why the university would permit something which is offensive to so many people to take place on campus.   He acknowledged to the reporter that he had asked that it be canceled.

Pray for all involved.  There will be hell to pay.

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

For tonight's Satanic 'Black Mass' make an act of reparation

You've probably read by now that a club at Harvard University has brought in a Satanic group which will re-enact a "black mass."   If not, you can read about it here, here, and see the Archdiocese of Boston response here, with additional links. Dawn Eden looks in to the background of the man behind it.

It's all happening tonight.  The best thing we can all do is make an act of reparation.  Go to Mass, make a Holy Hour, pray a Rosary, or any other prayer you can offer, no matter how modest and do it for the reparation of this offense and for the conversion of sinners.  Assumption Grotto has Mass at 7:00 p.m. every weeknight evening.

I hope Harvard gets hit in the pocket book by alumni and other groups who donate money to the prestigious university.

Others have already made the point, but I doubt Harvard would permit a Quran burning, nor should they.  Aside from the fact that a 'black mass' mocks the Catholic Mass and is an act of worship of Satan - the Father of Lies and Evil of all evil, this whole thing is beneath the dignity of any university, let alone Harvard.

Update on Health Status:

I haven't been blogging much, not so much because I'm so sick that I cannot, but because I am doing somewhat better and now trying to catch up on so much work around my house.  I'm on a very strict diet - one used for diverticulitis (even though I've not been diagnosed with it), and is lactose free, wheat free, gluten free, and low-FODMaP.  I'm still not well enough to get into many activities and am reserving my strength for getting the house back in order after nearly 3 years of neglect.

I'm much more active on Facebook which allows me to post with the click of a button, so if you don't see me active for a while, check there.

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you, Mom, for the gift of life!

May God bless all of you mothers out there today and shower you with many graces.

For those deceased mothers, pray with me, the De Profundis.

De Profundis 

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.Let Your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?But with You is forgiveness, that You may be revered.I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in His word.My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn.More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord,For with the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption;And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.

Of this, Fr. John A. Hardon, in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, writes:

Psalm 129 [130], "Out of the depths," which is one of the fifteen Gradual Psalms and the one of the seven Penitential Psalms. It is part of the Divine Office, generally recited or sung at Vespers, and always in the Office of the Dead. In the revised Handbook of Indulgences there is a partial indulgence granted for every recitation of De Profundis. Its theme is a plea for divine mercy and the expression of confident trust in God. In some countries this Psalm is recited to the ringing of the bell about 9 P.M., and in Ireland it was regularly said at Mass after the Last Gospel for the victims of former religious persecutions. 

 Last, but not least, we honor Mary, the Mother of God.

O Queen of heaven rejoice! alleluia:
 For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia,
Hath arisen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.  

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.  

Let us pray O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; grant, we beseech Thee, that through His Mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Archbishop Chaput - Without Gloss: Francis of Assisi and Western Catholicism

I regret experiencing somewhat of a setback on the gut problems that halted my attempts to finish the Triduum and Easter Sunday posts.  I got a little too aggressive with trying to resume a normal diet and that was a mistake.  I will try to catch up on posting photos and homilies later tonight, so check back.

This morning I read an address recently given by Archbishop Chaput on Saint Francis of Assisi.  I don't know if there is any saint more broadly misunderstood and whose life is more perverted by people today.  Francis embraced the Eucharist and the Cross in ways many today do not understand.


Archbishop Chaput  begins his April 25th talk by discussing Pope Francis and ends with discussion of the beloved Saint Francis. Here is one snippet.

In his biography of Francis, Augustine Thompson — the Dominican author — notes that Francis had a passionate devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  It was the heart of his life.  The Mass was the grounding for all his work.  There’s no way of reinterpreting Francis in generically do-gooder or humanitarian terms.  He had hard words for those who oppressed the poor, but even harsher words for those who ignored the Eucharistic presence.

Francis had a special horror of “the cheap and tarnished chalices and filthy linens that [many priests of his time] considered good enough for use in worship.  Francis’ sense of beauty and decency, which he had mortified by choosing to live amid poverty and outcasts, had not been deadened.  Its object was no longer fine garments and meals for himself, but items dedicated to the Lord who died for him.”[iv]

Read the whole thing at Catholic Philly:

• Without Gloss: Francis of Assisi and Western Catholicism. 

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Today: 400th Anniversary of Beatification of St. Teresa of Avila

Thanks to a Facebook friend, Barbara, comes this beautiful statue of St. Teresa of Avila, on this, the 400th anniversary of her beatification.

See this Google translation of a page from Avila, Spain, discussing events taking place for this event.

Please pray for all Carmelites today.  

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

2014 Triduum and Easter Sunday - Photos and Sermons

I continue to work on photos taken during the Triduum and Easter.  I'm almost done, but would like to share what I have done, along with the homilies of Fr. Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O.  He has sent me text for all four days.  I have photos and sermons up for Holy Thursday and Good Friday.  I will update this post with links to Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday links for both photos and sermons, probably tomorrow.  So, check this post for an update.  I am post-dating all of these things to their original dates, so this post will stay on top.

Each of the photo posts will have a link to more photos at my Smugmug gallery.  I prefer that links be made to the respective blog post since it provides background, place, names, etc.  People will find the gallery through the blog post.

• Holy Thursday Photo Post
• Holy Thursday Sermon
• Good Friday Photo Post
• Good Friday Sermon
• Holy Saturday Photo Post (forthcoming)
• Holy Saturday Sermon (forthcoming)
• Easter Sunday Photo Post (forthcoming)
• Easter Sunday Sermon (forthcoming)

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Alleluia! He is Risen!

Happy Easter to all of my readers. 

I just returned from the Easter Vigil at Assumption Grotto and have many photos to post yet from Good Friday and from this evening.  I hope to have them up soon, so check back. 

See Holy Thursday photos here.

See the Easter Season schedule here.

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Detroit Free Press reporter drives wedge between area Catholics over foot-washing ceremony

This public debate over Holy Thursday foot-washing is getting old and tired.  The secular press, and even some in the Catholic sphere, discuss this to the point of detracting from the Mass of the Lord's Supper.  The ceremony involving foot-washing isn't even required and was absent for some period until it was brought back in 1955.  Since there is so much controversy surrounding it, I was not planning to discuss it and I don't care to comment on the prudential decisions of the Holy Father or my Archbishop.   It's not my place.

However, an article appearing in yesterday's Detroit Free Press by Patricia Montemurri was just brought to my attention and since it mentions Assumption Grotto there are things I would like to address.

The article is a perfect example of how foot washing has come to dominate Holy Thursday in the eyes of many inside and outside of the Church.  Perhaps some good would come from suspending the practice again for a time so we can all take stock of the fact that the Eucharist was instituted on Holy Thursday!  I doubt that will happen.

Let's look at that part of the article dealing with Detroit (my intra-text comments bracketed in red).  I'm snipping some text out to save space so read it all there.

At metro Detroit parishes, women have been included in the foot-washing ritual for decades. Detroit Catholic Archbishop Allen Vigneron poured water onto the feet of five women and seven men at the Holy Thursday mass at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. [This is a prudential decision, following a 1987 USCCB document which varies from what is in the Sacramentary, so no comment]

In 1987, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged [???] that women be included in the ritual, and it’s been standard practice in many parishes, although it’s left to the discretion of individual bishops and parish pastors, said Dan McAfee, the Detroit archdiocese’s Christian worship director. 

Since the text of the second paragraph above is not in quotes I do not know what is coming from the reporter and what is coming from Dan McAfee. It may be paraphrased and embellished.  The document does NOT "urge" anything; rather, it tells priests and bishops they MAY deviate from what is in the Sacramentary.  Let's look at the two relevant paragraphs from the 1987 USCCB letter and you will find nothing "urging" anything. Feel free to read the entire letter. Here are paragraphs 4 & 5.

4. Because the gospel of the mandatum read on Holy Thursday also depicts Jesus as the "Teacher and Lord" who humbly serves his disciples by performing this extraordinary gesture which goes beyond the laws of hospitality, the element of humble service has accentuated the celebration of the foot washing rite in the United States over the last decade or more. In this regard, it has become customary in many places to invite both men and women to be participants  in this rite in recognition of the service that should be given by all the faithful to the Church and to the world. Thus, in the United States, a variation in the rite developed in which not only charity is signified but also humble service. [An unfortunate method of getting Church laws changed is to first break a  law until a practice becomes popular, then make it the law.] 

5. While this variation may [?!?!?] differ from the rubric of the Sacramentary which mentions only men ("viri selecti"), it may nevertheless be said that the intention [this is "spirit of" language which was used to introduce many innovations] to emphasize service along with charity in the celebration of the rite is an understandable way of accentuating the evangelical command of the Lord, "who came to serve and not to be served," that all members of the Church must serve one another in love.

Continuing with the Detroit Free Press article, quoting Fr. Perrone:

Some Catholic pastors adhere to a traditional interpretation. [No. It is not "traditional interpretation" to follow Church law]. 

“We’ll have 12 men dressed as apostles and they have their feet washed in the ceremony,” said the Rev. Eduard Perrone, pastor of Assumption Grotto Catholic Church in northeast Detroit. “That’s the tradition in the church and we’ve not deviated from that.”

Looking at how Fr. Perrone was quoted, the first question that popped into my head when I read this was: Did Father get baited asked if he was washing the feet of women this year, without being told it was a story about the Archbishop of Detroit washing women's feet?  I have not talked with Fr. Perrone yet so I do not know, but a young adult altar server who told me of the article wondered likewise.

I find it interesting that Patricia Montemurri decided to zero in on Assumption Grotto, as if she didn't already know the answer to the question. This was just a way to take a jab at people minding their own business on a controversial issue, in one of very few parishes using the 1962 Missal, and attempting to apply public pressure to drive change.

Those who advocate for tolerance do so as long as you don't take notice of their intolerance of those who choose to do what is within their right.     It's unfortunate that other Catholics, especially in the comment box at the Free Press article, would choose to be critical of a practice at Assumption Grotto that is in harmony with Church law and is not criticized by the Archbishop of Detroit or his Christian worship director.  The Pope himself has not criticized those who do not wash the feet of women and in one year's time, he has not made it a point to change the law!  If he wanted to "urge" every priest to include the feet of women in the ceremony, he could have done it with the stroke of a pen!

I keep saying law because it is not a simple rubric; it involves canon law.  The Free Press author quoted blogging canonist Ed Peters (my emphasis in bold).

Edward Peters, a church canon law expert at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, wrote on his blog, canonlawblog.wordpress.com, in 2013 that Francis was setting a “questionable example” by washing women’s feet, because a 1988 letter from the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship states that only “chosen men” can be admitted to the ceremony. [I cannot find the specific blog post citing the 1988 letter, but Ed has written extensively on this controversy and you can sift through them all in this search of his blog]

Peters, in an email this week, said he doesn’t oppose women being in the ceremony, he feels that church law should make it clear that it’s acceptable. [Whether one agrees or not on women being in the ceremony, there is the whole problem with violating existing laws without changing them, which causes nothing but confusion, controversy, and quarrels]

“Outdated Church laws should be removed but the system for doing that is not being observed in this area. [Exactly, though I don't agree that this one is outdated].  The current situation, therefore — that of having a law on the books, but one not observed locally or in Rome — breeds confusion about what law is for in the Church,” Peters wrote. [Bingo. So there are at least two problems: One is the question of women in the ceremony, when Christ could have washed the feet of women that night; and secondly, the question of consequences to breaking Church law to observe a particular practice, rather than working to first change the law, if there are grounds for changing them (mindful that the Holy Father has power to bind and loose, and it causes fewer problems when done formally.)]

Odell Roberts, 69, of Allen Park participated in the past as one of the 12 parishioners in the ritual at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. Cardinal Adam Maida, the archdiocese’s leader from 1990 to 2009, washed her feet. 

“It was very special,” she said.

I'm a woman who pretty much grew up watching women's feet get washed at local parishes on Holy Thursday when I did go, along with many other liturgical innovations.  Truth be told, I don't recall seeing it any other way until I got to Assumption Grotto in 2005.  As a female, I can probe the depths of spiritual lessons during the foot-washing of all males because my active participation in the Mass and liturgical ceremonies is deeply interior and not dependent on "doing" something. In fact, the less I do the more I can participate (contrary to popular belief, I'd rather not be photographing, but do so because it is a service to others who do not have access to this beautiful form of the liturgy).  Inclusiveness doesn't come from being up in the sanctuary; it's a response to God's grace to give my entire being in worship and prayer while observing and reflecting right along with all the other men in the pews not having their feet washed.

Once again, it is so regrettable that we have seen few discussions about the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday.  What a lost opportunity to catechize the faithful on the Eucharist at a time in history when we know people lack a deep understanding.  I know so many Catholics who are just fine with their children and grand-children leaving the Church for other Christian churches and groups, as long as they go to some Church.  Yet, there's no concern for them not having access to the Eucharist and other Sacraments where they go.  People who haven't set foot in a confessional in years go up to Communion in droves. These things are telling our pastors something and we talk about foot-washing?

Something is messed up and it's fruit is confusion, conflict, and quarreling - all amidst an ongoing mass ignorance of the Eucharist.

Photo at top taken at Assumption Grotto on April 17, 2014 at the Mass of the Lord's Supper, during the foot washing ceremony.  Fr. Eduard Perrone, the pastor of Assumption Grotto, using the 1962 Missal, washes the foot of a man. He is joined by the deacon of this Solemn High Mass, Fr. Aidan Logan, o.c.s.o. (hooded); and the subdeacon, Fr. John Bustamante, who is the associate pastor of Assumption Grotto. 

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Photos from the Tre Ore Service at Assumption Grotto, Good Friday, 2014

Each year the Grotto altar boys have their annual retreat during Holy Week. This year there were 45 boys.  They work hard in preparing for the Triduum in the extraordinary form (1962 Missal).  They also spend time in prayer and have conferences given by the priests, as well as outings, like the one to the final resting place of Venerable Solanus Casey.

Below is a sampling of photos from the Tre Ore service.

Above we see the sacred ministers - Fr. Eduard Perrone (celebrant), Fr. Aidan Logan (deacon) and Fr. John Bustamante (subdeacon) - all wearing black stoles. They will change vestments several times during the Tre Ore service.  In the picture above, Fr. Perrone is praying, in Latin:

O God who, by the Passion of Thy Christ, our Lord, hast loosened the bonds of death, that heritage of the first sin to which all men of later times did succeed: make us so conformed to Him that, as we must needs have bourne the likeness of earthly nature, so we may by santification bear the likeness of heavenly grace. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

Next the Passion of Our Lord was chanted by the sacred ministers.

After the Gospel, Fr. Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O. delivered the sermon, found here.

The Great Intercessions followed, after the priests vested in black.

The Adoration of the Cross begins. We see it come out covered in purple and gradually uncovered as it is taken up the steps before the altar.  

Next, the sacred ministers remove their shoes and socks with the assistance of altar boys and process back to the altar where they venerate the Cross.

Other clerics in attendance follow, and after them, the altar boys.  The boys in the foreground do not have darker surplices; it is just a difference in lighting within parts of the sanctuary.  During this time, the Reproaches are sung, as well as the Crux Fidelis (The words can be found here, but the Great Intercessions have undergone changes and this online version is as it was in the post-1955 edition).  

The people were then led up to the center and in front of either side altar to venerate the Cross.

The Communion Rite then began. We See Fr. Logan here taking the Blessed Sacrament from the Altar of Repose to the main altar, as well as that which was stored in a room within the sacristy.

Since there is no Mass, this Holy Communion, which was reserved, will be distributed.  I did not photograph Communion.

Ecce Agnus Dei… 

See many more photos from Good Friday 2014 at my Smugmug Gallery.  Please link to this post rather than directly to the gallery, so people can get information not found there.  

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Good Friday Sermon of Fr. Aidan Logan, O.C.S.O.

Below is the text of Fr. Aidan Logan's sermon which was delivered during the Tre Ore service at Assumption Grotto.  He is seen above taking the Blessed Sacrament from the Altar of Repose to the main Altar just before Communion on Good Friday.

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Sermon

Good Friday, 2014

Assumption Grotto Church, Detroit

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,

they did not break his legs,

but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,

and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;

he knows that he is speaking the truth,

so that you also may come to believe.

For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:

“Not a bone of it will be broken.”

And again another passage says:

“They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”

We are so used to hearing the gospel accounts of our Lord’s passion and death that we can miss things that that for those who wrote them and who first heard them were of great importance. The piercing of our Lord’s side and the blood and water that poured out is a case in point. Jesus is dead. The perfect and eternal sacrifice is complete. What more can be said? A great deal!

In sacred scripture blood is much more than a biological phenomenon. Blood is the very stuff of life. We might even say that for Moses and the prophets blood was where the soul resided. And in a certain sense they were right. Remove the blood or stop the heart of any living thing and death is inevitable.

From the very beginning blood has almost a personality of it’s own. Behold, said God to Cane, your brother’s blood is crying out  from the ground. The blood of the Passover Lamb saved the firstborn of Israel. The covenant of Sinai was sealed with blood sprinkled upon the altar, the book of the law and the people. The Law of Moses forbade the consumption of blood and contact with blood rendered one ritually impure. Because the spilling of blood meant death, contact with blood incurred, if not absolute guilt, then at least involvement in death.

This explains why the crowd was so perplexed and even outraged  when, in response to their question “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”  Jesus said: Unless you eat he flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.

One of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance and immediately the flowed out blood and water. Not just a trickle but a flow and in reality an overwhelming torrent! For this is not any ordinary blood and water coming from a dead body hanging on a cross. This is the lifeblood of God-made-man.

In St. Matthew’s passion narrative we read:

When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,

but that a riot was breaking out instead,

he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,

saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.

Look to it yourselves.”

And the whole people said in reply,

“His blood be upon us and upon our children.”

 

“His blood be upon us and upon our children.”  These chilling words, like so much else in the passion of Christ, are words of unintended prophesy. Uttered in hatred they reveal to us the infinite love of God.

Is it not better that one man should die for the people? … All hail, king of the Jews! … I find no guilt in him. … Over his head they wrote the accusation: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.

His blood be upon us and upon our children. And it is. It is upon all of us. By our sins we are all implicated in his death. By his mercy we are washed clean of sin in his blood. His blood cries out from the ground more loudly and eloquently than that of Able. Not to accuse of sin but to call down upon us the mercy and love of God. His blood marks the doorposts of our souls warding off the angel of eternal death and beaconing that angel who will lead us to eternal life. His blood be upon us and upon our children.

This flow, this mighty torrent of blood and water is the sacramental life of the Church. It is inexhaustible. It springs up wherever the waters of Baptism flow, wherever the Chalice of Salvation is lifted up. Our Lord calls to each of us from the royal throne of his cross:

Washed and be made clean! Come, drink of the fountain of eternal life!

His blood be upon us and upon our children. What better prayer can we offer on this Good Friday? How else can we respond to the infinite love of God revealed to us on the cross? Is there any other way to accept with all our hearts the boundless mercy and compassion of God revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ than to say with all our hearts: His blood be upon us and upon our children?

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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.