sábado, 23 de junho de 2012

Mass, priesthood and sacrifice must never be separated


We must never lose sight of Mass as propitiation, or of the priest as offering sacrifice to God. This deep current in Holy Mass must inform every word and gesture, ornament and sign.
For example, when the priest is standing at the altar in the place of Christ, Head of the Church (in persona Christi capitis), he isn’t always talking to you in the congregation– or at least he shouldn’t be. If Father’s style during Mass, his ars celebrandi as Benedict XVI calls it (cf. Sacramentum caritatis) reflects talk show host chumminess or open mic night at the Ha Ha Club rather than the priest renewing our deliverance from eternal damnation, perhaps it would be good gently and respectfully to help him get reoriented.
Tell him your aspirations for our sacred liturgical worship. Treat Father like a priest, not a pal. Support clerical dress, especially the use of the cassock – at least in church. Provide materially for liturgical decorum through the purchase of worthy vestments and vessels. Do not praise liturgical abuse. Pray, fast and give alms for the intentions of your priests. Pray for and encourage vocations to the priesthood.
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Propitiation

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