The Mass Under Seige

The Mass is the most central mystery of Catholic Christians; nevertheless, many laity and clergy alike possess deficient or even erroneous views about the Eucharist. When dissent in this area comes from priests, it is particularly unfortunate, if not reprehensible. The problem is more severe than priests with healthy knees who refuse to genuflect at the altar. One priest actually argued with me once at the dinner table that there was no REAL difference between Catholic worship and that of Protestants. However, they themselves deny in many cases the eucharistic sacrifice and presence. Another priest makes up his own anaphora at the altar, believing further that the REAL PRESENCE is more in the people than in the sacrificial gifts. Indeed, he even told me, in total earnestness, that he believed that any presence of Christ in the consecrated species disappeared with the dismissal of the congregation. Such a mentality was no doubt behind the agenda in a neighboring diocese when some tabernacles were not simply moved to side altars, but discarded entirely. The story has been told from a college seminary in which the priest raised the offertory gifts and said: "This is my body," and then studying that which was still visibly bread, he added, "except for the raisins." In my days as a student of theology, I recall a Mass in which the priest was unable to break the consecrated bread at the fracturing. It was a large paddy, even if unleavened, and was still frozen from the freezer. An acolyte borrowed the eucharistic Lord and "nuked" him in the microwave so that we might be able to receive communion. I know of another priest, who in his first Mass had hundreds of helium-filled balloons released at the consecration. Another priest rode a volkswagon down the center aisle for the procession. Still another, at a children's liturgy, wore a stole outside his chasuble upon which had been stitched Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Several years later, a priest at the same parish wore orange vestments for Halloween. Children attended that Mass in their costumes. In olden days children would have paraded as great saints in the history of the Church; in this modern celebration, the children came dressed as demons with razorblade fingers and as harlots from hell. These stories would be funny if they did not regard the holy of holies. It is no wonder that in this climate no more than a fourth of all Catholics still participate at Sunday Mass. In France, the figure is as low as 17%. When asked about the Real Presence, the number of American laity who understood the teaching (transubstantiation) was only in the 20 to 25 percentile range. This is very serious. As if this were not enough, the last ICEL translation of the Latin Mass prayers not only paraphrased some important sections, but made devastating omissions. The International Commission for English in the Liturgy is an official vehicle of the bishops. In the footnotes, ICEL admits to a disagreement with the theology of the universal Church in some matters. An example of this would be in any distinction between the oblation of the priest and that rendered by the assembly. There is also some concern that inclusive language may be inadvertantly disavowing something important about God and the incarnation.

How well do we know the Mass? Can we discern the various phases in its rhythm? Are we fully appreciative of why we sit, stand, and kneel? Do we go out of habit, obedience, or love? Do we open our mouths to pray and sing, or is it merely a spectator event for us? Do we understand how the Mass is a sacrifice? Are we conscious of Christ's presence in us, the priest, the Scriptures, and the Eucharist? Are we joining ourselves in a genuine manner to Christ who as Priest and Victim offers himself back to the Father? What are the essential parts of the Mass? Where did the various rituals in the liturgy come from? What does the Bible say about the Eucharist? There are so many questions to which we should know the answers today. We live in a culture wherein active believers are the minority. We cannot defend or promote our faith if we do not know it. Ignorance of the Mass goes hand in hand with an ignorance of faith. Why do you think that those who oppose us often attack the Eucharist? It is because it is at the heart of our faith, a heart that has grown weak because of neglect.