Abbey-Roads2

Recognizing Jesus 

The feast of “the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity” of Our Lord (that is how my parish priest spoke about it this evening) is celebrated throughout the United States this Sunday after Trinity Sunday.  Some Churches and especially monasteries, keep the feast on its original designated day - the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.  This accords with tradition and reminds us of the fact the Eucharist was instituted on Holy Thursday.

Since the Council, some theologians, as well as many liturgists, held that Holy Thursday was the preeminent feast of the Eucharist; therefore promoting a ’trend’ which replaced the emphasis for the feast of Corpus Christi upon the People of God as the Body of Christ.  The notion works, but it was not the original intention for the feast.  Today that idea is becoming less and less popular, and focus upon the Eucharist itself is once again emphasized.

The devotion originated from private revelation.

In the Book of Revelations we are instructed to hear what the Spirit speaks to the Churches, which is never anything new or added onto the Gospel.  However, at various times, the Spirit enlivens the faith of the People of God with a renewed impetus of devotion towards a particular mystery or aspect of what has been already revealed in the deposit of faith.  In this, the Holy Spirit, works for the edification, sanctification and renewal of the faithful in a special manner.

Thus, in 1246, Bishop Robert de Thorete of Liège, after the revelations to St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon concerning Our Lord’s desire for a feast to be established, gathered a synod and instituted the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi. From Liège, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in this liturgical expression gained popularity and the feast spread.  In 1264, Pope Urban IV issued the papal bull “Transiturus,” which established the Feast of Corpus Christi as a universal feast of the Church, to be celebrated on the Thursday following the feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

So, like St. Maria Faustina, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who lived much later than St. Julianna, a feast honoring the person of Our Lord was established after Our Lord requested it - through a private revelation.  This feast of Corpus Christi is enjoying a wonderful renewal in our day, throughout the world - with much thanks to Holy Father John Paul II who helped “resuscitate” the devotional life of the Church in modern times - when the world is once again growing cold.

Stewardship 

Many parishes are now call Faith Communities, rather than parishes.  Sometimes the term is applied because, unlike in the old days, parish boundaries are not as distinct, nor are there the National Churches there used to be, such as a German or Polish parish.  Today, many people shop for a Church they like, and will often drive miles to attend Mass or devotions there.  Thus the once local parish Church, no longer just a neighborhood Church, becomes something of a separate community.  Whatever the reason, the emphasis is upon “community”. 

The term, “Faith Communities” sounds a bit protestant to me, as does the term, Stewardship programs.  Of course we are obliged by Church law to contribute to the support of the Church, although Catholics rarely referred to it as tithing, which is another protestant term - more or less.  Yet it is necessary to encourage this practice, and just because it sounds protestant, it isn’t a bad thing.  These days, Stewardship also comprises giving of one’s time and talents.

Homogenized Christianity 

Protestant and Catholic “Faith Communities” are sometimes difficult to distinguish today.  Many Catholic ”worship spaces” have been constructed in the theater-in-the-round format, with the altar on sort of a stage which often looks rather evangelical protestant - the trend also tends to negate the separateness of sanctuary.   This inovation, as well as the more or less iconoclast barreness of modern Churches, wherein Mass can be conducted more like a charismatic prayer meeting - the protestant homogenization seems to have taken hold in a few of these Faith Communities.

The other morning at Mass, I was thinking about how everyone in a parish seems to be expected to get involved nowadays - as if they hadn’t in the past.  I glanced across the pews and thought, “Who could be more involved than these daily Mass goers and rosary prayers.  Many of these people are the ones who financed and built this Church.”  (Many of them remain actively involved in other activities; a group of  the retired men do all the landscaping and grounds work, several women clean, etc.)

Didn’t people participate before Vatican II?

When I was younger, the Altar and Rosary Society ladies did the cleaning, and the Holy Name Society Men did other things.  There was a Third Order that also did a lot in the parish.  Altar boys did their thing, Maria Goretti Club girls did theirs.  The parish had lots of people - families, as well as singles -  involved in lots of activities. 

Maybe it’s because there aren’t as many families these days, or because all the moms are soccer moms and chauffeurs now, that Faith Communities need these sign up days to get people involved?  Or maybe it is a lack of pious fraternities as well as devotional groups within the modern Church?  Nevertheless, it seems to me the emphasis is misplaced today upon “active involvement” in activities, as opposed to participation flowing from devotion.  Or is that too altruistic?  

Prayer and Action

Many people coming back to the Church, or just coming into it, are hit with this “Get involved” mentality however.  It is that “active participation” thing.  Be a “greeter” or a “lector” or a hospitality minister” or a “Eucharistic minister”, etc.  They imagine they have to “be” something in order to be a good Catholic.  Sometimes I wonder if  the emphasis upon activity hasn’t replaced devotion as a means to sanctification? 

A woman who once worked for me was on several committees at a local parish, as well as being a ”minister of hospitality”, an usher, a lector, and committing to several hours a week at adoration.  After a while, she constantly complained about all she “had to do” at Church, though taking pride in being so valuable for it.  I called her “Church lady”.

“It takes a village”

Not a few are like her.  They measure their Catholicism by how much they do.  Often - in their minds and expectations - they are right up there in status with the priest.  Which suddenly makes sense to me as to why the altar of sacrifice is often down on the floor, right in the middle of things, in such a democratic atmosphere of worship.  Even in the Churches where the altar continues to remain in the sanctuary, at Communion the ”sacred space” is invaded by lay ministers functioning with little distinction from the priest.

With fewer priests, the average parish does need volunteers to help the pastor with the administration of a large parish - I just hope Roman Catholic identity is not lost in the process.

As for those people who humbly come to Church for Mass and the sacraments, or just to pray, I hope they get the message that what they are doing is “active participation” as well.