Abbey-Roads2

August 23 is her feast day.  I thought of her today, making my thanksgiving after Communion.  I thought of how the Blessed Virgin placed the Infant Jesus in her arms - just as she placed Our Lord in my soul; Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.   It was sweet.  Do you ever do that in your thanksgiving after Communion?  I mean, realize that you are not only in Jesus, and He in you, but you are also in the midst of the entire Heavenly Court when you receive Jesus into your soul?  The Blessed Trinity, the Mother of God, and all the angels and saints are in our immediate presence and experience, as are our fellow communicants - it’s an amazing thing… a place where there is no space or time.

August 22, Queenship of the Blessed Virgin.

Today’s feast is a memorial in the liturgical calendar, which suitably falls on the octave of the Assumption.  Before the reform of the liturgical calendar, this day was celebrated as the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which has now been transferred to the Saturday after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  In 1954, Pius XII instituted the feast of the Queenship of Mary to be observed on May 31 - which is now the feast of the Visitation in the revised calendar.  It all makes sense when you consider the “time-lines” - you know, March 25,  Annunciation, followed by May 31, the Visitation, and so on.  (Check out Vultus Christi  for a more detailed history.) 

My pagan friends enjoy pointing out to me how the Catholic Church incorporated all the Pagan myths into Christianity.  Along with Protestants, they go to great lengths to demonstrate that the title, Queen of Heaven is the title of the goddess Isis.  (Most Catholics have heard this before, just like the stories of how Christmas is the old pagan feast of Saturnalia, as well as a host of other pagan connections.  In their eyes, this somehow proves Catholics are mislead in their faith.)  The upshot is that many accuse Catholics of goddess worship.  Yeah, whatever!  G.K. Chesterton can respond to those aruments better than I can. 

Chesterton on Paganism.

“It is often said by critics of the Christian origins that certain ritual feasts, processions or dances are really of pagan origin.  They might as well say that our legs are of pagan origin.  Nobody ever disputed that humanity was human before it was Christian; and no Church manufactured the legs with which men walked or danced, either in pilgrimage or ballet.  What can be maintained is this, that where the church has existed it has preserved not only the processions but the dances; not only the cathedral but the carnival.  One of the chief claims of Christian civilization is to have preserved things of pagan origin…” - Superstition of Divorce

“What is to be done with the dingy and inky people who laboriously prove to us that Christianity (if they atheists) or Catholicism (if they are Protestants” is ‘only’ a rehash of Paganism or borrowed its ideas from the Pagans?  A man standing here in Rome is reduced to silence; he can only answer that such stupidity is stupefying.  It is as if someone said that Science may pretend to be independent of, but has really stolen all its facts from Nature; or that protestants professed to be Christians, and yet filched things from the sacred books of the Jews.  Science boasts of being based on Nature; and Protestants, when they were Protestants, boasted of being based on the Bible.  Christian Rome boasts of being built on Pagan Rome; of surmounting and transcending, but also of preserving it.” - The Resurrection of Rome.

[When Chesterton references science, he might as well have said, Neo-Pagans, since  their beliefs are based upon Nature as well.]

My ”pious” explanation.

For lack of a better term I have a ‘pious’ response to these arguments posed by Neo-Pagans.  It seems probable that the evil one - the devil - since his intelligence is higher than man’s, and having known or intuited the Incarnation and Redemption beforehand, deceived mankind with false notions of divinity - since as Scripture says, “the gods of the pagans are demons.”  Perhaps, anticipating the mystery of Christ through Pagan myths and religions, the devil instigated in man distortions and perversions of the Truth before the fullness of Revelation in Christ, only to revive these false teachings again and again throughout history.  Hence, the claim of Pagan myths predating Christianity somehow bolsters their ‘truth’ in the minds of those without faith. 

From age to age Paganism has emerged in various forms, with “cleverly concocted myths” seeking to discredit the true God, only to be destroyed by the power of the Cross, the triumph of the Resurrection of Christ, and the witness of the Church.  We see this happening again in our own day; unlike the old form of Paganism, the new form has no gods - except the gods of relativism, materialism, and self.

[Note: My source for the Chesterton quotes; "Common Sense 101" - Dale Ahlquist.]

Ken at Hallowed Ground has an exquisite post on the subject.

[Photo:  Princess Grace of Monaco on her wedding day.  BTW - Now that is a wedding dress - no stripper look - no theatrics - just class.]

Liturgy and music. 

Truth be told, I love sacred music - I once or twice (Or maybe several times more than that) commented on this blog that I really didn’t like  church  music - what I really meant was that sentimental stuff we are supposed to “actively” sing every Sunday at that tired old Novus Ordo liturgy, whose music is now so passe.  I gave people like Brian Michael Page  from Christus Vincit the idea that I didn’t like sacred music at all… and he has never commented again on my blog. 

My all time favorite music for liturgy is Gregorian chant and those  hymns from the monastic office.  I really don’t like orchestras and baroque music at Mass.  That is just me however - for instance, I never attend the 10AM High Mass at St. Agnes, only the 6:30AM in which there is no singing.  (There are critics who say some people in attendance at the St. Agnes High Masses are there more for the ‘entertainment’ than the worship experience - I don’t know, I don’t attend.)  I’ve never believed people when they tell me  ”singing is twice praying” - if that’s the case, I can claim part of their prayer - since they are praying twice.  (Also - Augustine probably didn’t coin that cliche either.)

Mavis Staples

On the other hand, I love Gospel Music, and the music influenced by it - R&B, Blues, even some hip-hop.  Mavis Staples recently released a great CD, “We’ll Never Turn Back”  which more or less chronicles the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s in both traditional and contemporary Gospel music.  I have to say, this is the music I most deeply love, The Staples Singers, Rev. Al Green, Marvin Gay, Mavis Staples, Aretha, Merry Clayton - she did the background vocals on “Gimme Shelter”,  and so many others… Otis Redding, and so on.

Respect yourself.

African American Gospel singers do indeed esteem their music as Sacred.  Mavis Staples’ dad always reminded her of this fact, that they were singing for the Lord and spreading his Gospel.  I’ve never attended a Gospel church but I’ve watched clips on TV and in the movies.  Catholics can’t criticize or condemn their exuberant worship-style as inappropriate or unsuitable for worship; for one, it is outside of our cultural experience and ecclesial jurisdiction;  and more importantly, because these congregations have no liturgy.  It ain’t liturgy - although it is authentic prayer, hearing the Word of God, praise and worship - it isn’t liturgy.  Nevertheless, these Protestant denominations certainly are offering high praise and worship - and I’m pretty sure people are not there just to be entertained - well, maybe some of the white folk.

I’m told some black Catholic congregations will employ similar music at their celebration of Mass.  I’m sure it is a lot more meaningful than some of the junk we have to sing Sunday after Sunday  at the average Novus Ordo most of us attend.  Having said that, I still prefer a silent Mass - maybe I’m Quaker at heart?

Gimme that ole time Motu Proprio.

Today is the feast of Pius X, the great Pope who was so concerned about modernism, warning of the heresies emerging in the late 19th and early 20th century - which have taken hold in a few sectors of today’s Catholic Church.  He wrote a Motu Proprio of his own on Sacred Music entitled, “Inter Sollicitudines” - he must be weeping in Heaven as he watches liturgical dancers and church-lady music directors in their tight little tops and shorts, conducting contemporary congregations in those schmaltzy sing-a-longs during Mass, accompanied by Joanne Castle on the piano.

At least black Gospel singers have passion and soul - not to mention reverence and devotion.  (Have you ever noticed how Black people dress up for church?  I should do a post on ‘Church Hats’ for black women.   But I digress.)

Anyway, here is something from the first paragraph of St. Pius X’s Motu Proprio - contemporary Catholic liturgists and music directors would do well to read it - unless they think it has been suppressed or something…

“Among the cares of the pastoral office, not only of this Supreme Chair, which We, though unworthy, occupy through the inscrutable dispositions of Providence, but of every local church, a leading one is without question that of maintaining and promoting the decorum of the House of God in which the august mysteries of religion are celebrated, and where the Christian people assemble to receive the grace of the Sacraments, to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar, to adore the most august Sacrament of the Lord’s Body and to unite in the common prayer of the Church in the public and solemn liturgical offices. Nothing should have place, therefore, in the temple calculated to disturb or even merely to diminish the piety and devotion of the faithful, nothing that may give reasonable cause for disgust or scandal, nothing, above all, which directly offends the decorum and sanctity of the sacred functions and is thus unworthy of the House of Prayer and of the Majesty of God.”- Pius X

   

“Pray, pray very much.” 

The flooding in southern Minnesota is much bigger than I first thought.  Last Saturday night flash floods washed away homes in waters that were like lava flows from a volcano.   Massive sections of earth and bridges have been swept away - in some cases it’s as if huge chasms had been created by an earthquake.  Cumulative damage puts this on the same scale as an earthquake, hurricane, or tornado.  The mud flows, though on a much smaller scale, kind of remind me of what happened when Mt. St. Helen’s erupted several years ago.  (I’m not trying to sensationalize this, but it helps to use these comparisons to understand the scope of the disaster.)

The I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, which was a localized, confined event, pales compared to this.  Pray for all the residents affected by this tragedy.  I think Sanctus Belle (who lives in the area) is still in Montreal - I hope her home is okay. 

Eric  is looking for honest, down to earth Catholic blogs where they don’t hide their faults and foibles like most of us do.  What a refreshing concept - huh?  I told him my blogs are like this, but it’s all in code - in other words, only the most astute and careful reader knows what an absolute jerk I really am… well, some people might disagree with that.

In Scheske’s  combox I found a fun blog, June Cleaver After A Six-Pack - I loved the title.  I first thought it referred to Mrs. Cleaver going out to get a six-pack, then I realized it more likely refers to what she has to say after she drank the six-pack.  At any rate - it’s a fun site.

Faith amidst disaster. 

The huge quake that hit Peru last week on the Feast of the Assumption, has received less news coverage than the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis a few weeks ago.  (Very few bloggers seemed to have taken note, although I’m certain everyone is aware of the events.  Rorate Caeli does have a good post on the disaster with an address on where to send aid.)  In contrast, yesterday there was morning long coverage, as well as late-night news-special-reports on all channels, concerning the weekend floods in southern Minnesota which killed between 6 and 12 people.  This is to be expected of course - especially considering the severity of the flooding.*   Nevertheless it is interesting how easy it is to gloss over major disasters in other parts of the world which do not have an immediate impact upon us.

The above photo shows the crucifix which survived the 8.0 quake which collapsed the roof into the Church of San Clemente, killing at least 150 worshippers.  Peruvians have since venerated the crucifix, now a sign of hope and survival for the devastated population.

“Desperate and ragged residents, most of them hungry people who haven’t slept under a roof since the quake, thronged around the Christ statue in amazement as it was carried in procession into the square by half a dozen men in hard hats and masks.

The survival of the religious figures gave people hope and something to celebrate in their desolation in this predominantly Catholic country.

“The Lord is present here with us, along with the saints, it’s a miracle they weren’t destroyed,” said Amelia Ugaz de Aria, 69, whose home was flattened by the earthquake.”- Stuff.co.nz 

*Note:  Local blogger Sanctus Belle of Our Lady’s Tears is from the area devastated by this weekend’s flash floods, so keep her - and all of the people there - in your prayers.

Family matters…

Last night a close-enough relative got married to someone she barely knows.. well, they’ve known one another for 3 months or so - he proposed after 12 days.  (My first mistake was asking if her mother did a background check on the guy.)  Needless to say, I did not attend.

The happy couple have been living together for a month or two - how does that work now days?  You get up in the morning, get ready for the wedding, go wherever it is the ceremony is to be held, and then you return home after the reception.  Where’s the mystery?  Or better, what’s the big deal?   

The wedding took place at a  hotel, and of course it wasn’t a Catholic ceremony.  Not that that is so unusual - it happens all the time in Catholic families - even the most uber-Catholic ones.  In this case it is a little unusual, especially since the young woman was raised in an Italian Catholic home, sent to Catholic schools - grade school through college, and her mother always insisted her daughter was a good Catholic girl - almost Maria Goretti-like,  when evidence suggested otherwise. 

“Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be apostate.”  That was a country western song wasn’t it? 

[This post probably should have been on my other blog, Abbey-Roads 1.] 

Fatima 

The three children, Bl. Jacinta, Bl. Francisco, and Lucia were released from jail on this date in 1917.  The apparition  on the 13th of August was missed by them, because they had been arrested by the authorities, although witnesses at the Cova claimed to have witnessed signs that Our Lady had indeed visited.

Unimpeded, the Blessed Virgin kept her appointment with the children on this date instead.  Her message for that day was:

Fourth Apparition - August 19, 1917

“Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them.”