Catholic Sensibility

Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish. (Psalm 146:3-4, NRSV)

My more careful readers know that I put little trust in princes, be they ecclesiastical or political. I know, I know: hand-wringing that I’ve lost the virtue of obedience. Forget about faith, hope, and love; I’m a heretic.

Oh well, I don’t worry about that. I have a wife, a daughter, a pastor, professional colleagues, and parishioners. I have plenty of people in my life to whom I willingly give my obedience. My commitment of responsibility (the larger sense of obedience), if you will. If the purpose of obedience is to allow the believer to experience sacrifice, a loss of will, a state of humility, a movement away from narcissism, then I’d say my life, and the lives of many lay people are quite satisfactorily covered, even before we get to the bishops and Rome. This is likely true in religious life. Obedience to a rule is not the extent of a religiously committed life. There is also the spirit of adhering to a community charism. There is also the freely offered love and devotion given to one’s brothers and/or sisters. Obeying commands: that’s easy, and easy to get around. Living day-to-day when people are bitter, sick, troubled, discouraged, mentally ill, or dying: that’s when it gets bed pan-tough, when you want to strangle the person. But you have to feed them dinner instead, then clean their dishes. Wash their feet, too.

I recognize that sentiment may well be self-serving, but that’s for me and my spiritual director, and my best spiritual friend (my wife) to determine. not another blogger. Not a bishop. It’s not that obedience ends with the people I directly know. It’s just that the bishops and the pope, in their ordinary pronouncements, have nothing to add to the spiritual value of obedience for the faithful. And in these days of scandal and pastoral apathy, many of them are chasing away many believers.

That exodus is what I’ve termed the antigospel. And I don’t think it’s an exaggeration that many otherwise fine churchmen have been leading proponents of the antigospel in the past decade or more. The recent bitterness toward liberal and progressive Catholics also has a self-serving element. It’s fine enough for others to suggest we should find other shores. But I don’t agree with that bit of antigospel either. The believer’s mission is evangelization, not usurping the Lord’s role in the Last Judgment.

Let me repeat that, a little louder:

A good Catholic has no business telling or hinting that it would be better for a person to be outside of the Church.

That brings me to the title topic of discouragement.

For myself, I’d probably would have left already for another church.

Deb’s comment stung, not because I felt personally indicted, but because I’m always sad when people I’ve grown accustomed to seeing every Sunday stop coming to Mass.

I think it’s very difficult to be a Catholic these days. But I’m also a proponent of the sardine theory of religion: safety in numbers. Or strength in numbers. A secular, materialist, rational person would say that a smaller, more uniform Church is stronger, better, and purer. But that’s not how God works. One only need reflect on the lives of the saints, especially the Scriptures, to note how God confounds expectations and turns everything on its ear. Death becomes life. Sacrifice becomes glory. Losing one’s life means saving it. Ninety-nine are left behind to save the one. The poor and the lowly outshine the princes on thrones. The woman doesn’t run from the snake; she crushes its head. God doesn’t remain in heaven; he comes to Earth in human form. And he doesn’t institute worldwide rule; instead he dies, rises, ascends into heaven, and leaves fishermen, tax collectors, and women to change the world.

I was raised in a post-conciliar Church where lay people were responsible for their own spiritual lives, and could exercise significant self-determination. We associate more with religious orders instead of joining them because we don’t need to live a religious commitment in the world in a traditional order. If an apostolic order is satisfied to fade because others have shouldered the apostolate, what is that to Rome? Or if another order is satisfied with a smaller number of vowed members and many more associates, why is that a concern to anyone else?

I’m shocked by the CDF crackdown on the LCWR, but I’m never surprised at adolescent behavior. Boys will be boys; shrug, and move on.

Rome labels leak journalism immoral, and does it darn quick. But they waver on cardinals covering up sex crimes. I’m shocked, but I’m not surprised.

It would be enough for me to state I’m a Catholic, and I’m not leaving, and nobody outside the Trinity can make me leave. But I’m also going to stay because other discouraged Catholics need to know that another lay person who is close and deep enough to see a lot of discouraging adolescent $%&# isn’t going to get bumped out. If anybody out there wants to stay Catholic, but the way seems too dark, I’m glad if you want to hang around with me. The ocean may be dark, and it’s hard to see, but there’s a lot of us swimming around out here.

I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time for me to offer a little more encouragement to the discouraged. It’s easy enough for me and others to pound away on the bad news. I’m not going to deny it’s out there. At the risk of being a spiritual pollyanna, I have to tell you there’s unbounded opportunity in the current situation. Even though it seems dark, cold, oceanic, and the sharks are lurking.

I think we can recall the witness of saints to show us the way–why I and others will focus on something other than politics during the so-called Fortnight of Freedom. I think we can band together and buck the current. And I don’t think we need virtuous bishops, or holy shepherds in the Vatican. Sure, they would help a lot. But there are plenty of witnesses, and much guidance to be found elsewhere. If prelates want to swim with the currents of narcissism and chum with the powers of the world, all I can say is that when they change their minds, the Church is waiting for them and their leadership.

And that’s all I’ve got for tonight. Light blogging the next few days, probably. No new initiatives. Otherwise, keep the faith, people. Keep in mind the conclusion of Psalm 146:

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Bishop Finn appoints away some episcopal authority. Or does he? In the old days (of JPII) it was Rome who appointed co-adjutors to ride to the rescue. In the 21st century, I guess this is left to western bishops to work out their own messes.

David Gibson has the piece up at both RNS and dotCommonweal.

Jack Smith, diocesan newspaper editor and once-active blogger, explains:

Fr. Rush’s sole responsibility is to make decisions with regard to resolving a misdemeanor charge against the diocese in Jackson County. In all but this matter, Bishop Finn continues in all of his duties.

There is a perceived conflict that this helps resolve. Bishop Finn and the diocese each have been charged with identical misdemeanors in Jackson County. It is possible that the defense or resolution of one charge could be in conflict with the defense or resolution of the other charge. For this reason a Vicar has been appointed with authority to independently represent diocesan interests with regard to the charge against the diocese.

So it seems less a matter of canon law and more one of secular legality.

I see my friend Msgr Murphy has returned to full-time parish ministry–no more VG work for him. That should be a relief to the man. I always had a sense he saw the role of the priest–his own best, gifted role–was as a parish pastor. While I have no particular inside knowledge on this situation, I do know that Bishop Finn kept his own counsel on priest appointments. If he had made up his mind that any offending priest could be rehabilitated, no number of committees or clergy could sway his judgment.

Indie rock musician finds himself in a church gig in Australia. I was thinking about that scene in The Commitments when a little Procol Harum breaks out at practice. The folks at St Kevin’s, Bangalow have that covered:

Shortly after taking up residence in the church refectory, a residential space for artists, parishioners asked if he would consider playing the organ as the church had been without an organist for some time.

After agreeing to the gig, he was told to always remember he was playing to a congregation and not an audience and with this in mind the experience has been both humbling and illuminating.

James Cruickshank:

The first time I was terrified.

I can relate

But when everyone is getting into it…I have had some beautiful musical moments.

I’ll take that assessment as a positive sign and expression. Church musicians, when they truly put themselves into a posture of service, can and do know moments of beauty and ”inexplicable lightness.”

In my first parish assignment, the pastor introduced me to the inactive Catholic husband of a catechumen. He had been a gigging rock guitarist for over a decade in the Chicago area. But he played the piano quite well and settled in quickly to his new role in a different kind of band. I respected my friend Manny as a musician, a family man, and as a seeker. Getting ready for his first Mass, it was eleven pieces of music to learn. Mass number two switched out six of those. He said his band might have thirty songs down pat. I told him our active repertoire was at least four times that: about a hundred songs, twenty psalms, and three or four Mass settings. But he was up for it every week for well over a year.

My respect for Manny increased when he announced he was taking a leave from the group for several weeks. A few things, as I remember. Sitting with his kids at Mass (his wife now sang in our group). But he found his perfectionism and desire for good performance was overshadowing the real reason he went to Mass. After a few months off, he came back refreshed musically and spiritually.

Parishes can do very well receiving gigging secular musicians into their music ministries. The best singers and musicians are eminently adaptable, and I’ve enjoyed so many good experiences over the years: getting to know some fine people, seeing them get drawn closer to Christ. And making fine music.

In describing options, the Roman Rite is careful to give the local Church needful choices. Liturgical options are not given for the convenience or personal taste of the ministers, but for the pastoral benefit of the people. The option that has the most pastoral benefit–usually the one mentioned first–is the optimal choice.

29. The door of the church to be dedicated should be closed. At a convenient hour the people are gathered in a neighboring church or other suitable place from which the procession may proceed to the church. The relics of the Martyrs or Saints, if they are to be placed beneath the altar, are prepared in the place where the people are gathered.

RDCA II, 30 gives the greeting:

30. The Bishop, the concelebrating priests, the deacons, and the ministers, each in his own vestments, proceed to the place where the people are gathered. With the pastoral staff and the miter put aside, the Bishop greets the people, saying:

The grace and peace of God be with you all in his holy Church

The 2003 ICEL draft is an improvement, avoiding that awkward moment of a cue the assembly hardly ever hears:

In the holy Church of God may grace and peace be with you all.

Or other suitable words, taken preferably from Sacred Scripture, may be used. The people respond:

And also with you.

Or other suitable words may be used.

In the 2003 draft, the given text is “And with your spirit,” but the “other suitable words” option is retained.

As part of the greeting, the bishop gives a brief address. A reader has provided me with the 2003 ICEL draft of the RDCA. I’ll make reference to it often in this series. Translating the same passage from the same 1977 Latin edition, it reads:

Beloved brothers and sisters,
we have gathered with joy
to dedicate a new church
by celebrating the sacrifice of the Lord.

Let us attend to these sacred rites with deep devotion
and listen to God’s word with faith,
that our community,
reborn from the one font of baptism
and nourished at the one table,
may grow into a spiritual temple
and when we have been brought together at one altar
may we be lifted up by a love from on high.

This is also an improvement over 1978, which ends “as we gather round(sic) his altar in love.”

This is an interesting pairing, matching up the #1 Easter and Christmas songs of some of the English-speaking world. I remember before I was baptized asking my mom which was a bigger holiday, Christmas or Easter. The latter, my Baptist parent said. Easter is much more important for what it signifies to the Christian.

But again, you are not voting on the relative theological merits of either feast, just on these particular pieces of music we sing to celebrate them.

Meanwhile, in the first day of polling the Veni’s, the contest was even through the first several hours. Now “O Come O Come Emmanuel” has pulled into a 13-7 lead. But its only late in the first half there. There’s still a tomorrow.