Of Utmost Importance
Number of rosaries said in reparation for the desecration of the Eucharist: 1
And having taken bread, he gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In like manner he took also the cup after the supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which shall be shed for you." (Luke 22:19-20)
A common topic that I have brought up since my return to this blog has been the desecration of the Eucharist by the laity and the clergy throughout the world. I believe, personally, this to be a topic of the highest importance for our individual souls, the future of the Church and for the future of our home. Only through the graces that come through the Real Presence in the Eucharist can we fight against the attacks of Satan that takes advantage of the weaknesses in our ability to practice our free will.
I did a bit of research on polling data of Catholics in the USA regarding the belief in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. The polling data usually consisted of everyone who called themselves Catholic and was further broken down by how often one went to Mass. But what I really found out is that nobody truly knows what lay Catholics believe (put aside clergy for the moment). So putting aside those polls (that I could easily put links to but won't because I don't know if they are reliable), my gut tells me that there is a true crisis of faith in the Church. And my main evidence? Behaviors at Mass.
IF I was an alien observing a typical Novus Ordo mass, judging by the behaviors of the clergy and laity, I won't believe that anything special was going on. I would see, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, banal music and singing observed. I would people with varying degrees of interest. I would see altar servers not knowing what to do and with little focus. I would see a chief priest walk up to a table and perform a call and response to the laity. I would see hand holding, and active handshaking. I would see some on their knees, but many others not. And then I would see scores of people from the laity walk up to the table in a rough semi-circle while the chief priest breaks up the "item" for distribution in little bowls. I would see the laity get up in order walk up to one of the previous people in a semi-circle, say something and eat the "item". They would return to their seat and some would get on their knees. Others won't. And all the while, some pondering song would be playing the whole time. And then I would see the bowls brought back to the table and the priest would clean the items and they would be put back.
Though I used bland language in the paragraph above, this is what is experience at most Novus Ordo masses, with some variation, throughout the world. And at NO point would I, as an alien, would believe that anything DIVINE occurred during this process. It would seem like a human get together, but nothing uniting man and God at all. The priest would not appear to be anyone special and seemed more like a master of ceremonies than someone who has special access to the DIVINE.
Given this experience, if there is a crisis of faith, it's not entirely unreasonable for a casual Catholic to at least question the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence. In fact, in that environment it would take serious effort TO believe in that doctrine. And that environment is exactly what we need to focus on.
Regardless of one's position on the Novus Ordo, that Novus Ordo mass is what the majority of Catholics experience every time they step into a church. That elements that comprise that experience are what we need to address for the Church to first question and then realize that the Real Presence is Truth. Too many clergy are able to get away with questionable liturgical practices because the faithful are not suitable aware of the Truth as well as indulging these very experiences that unconsciously lead us to question Truth. Ignorance is where evil dwells.
The theme of the Real Presence will be constant on this blog.
In fact, it is of utmost importance.
And having taken bread, he gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In like manner he took also the cup after the supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which shall be shed for you." (Luke 22:19-20)
A common topic that I have brought up since my return to this blog has been the desecration of the Eucharist by the laity and the clergy throughout the world. I believe, personally, this to be a topic of the highest importance for our individual souls, the future of the Church and for the future of our home. Only through the graces that come through the Real Presence in the Eucharist can we fight against the attacks of Satan that takes advantage of the weaknesses in our ability to practice our free will.
I did a bit of research on polling data of Catholics in the USA regarding the belief in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. The polling data usually consisted of everyone who called themselves Catholic and was further broken down by how often one went to Mass. But what I really found out is that nobody truly knows what lay Catholics believe (put aside clergy for the moment). So putting aside those polls (that I could easily put links to but won't because I don't know if they are reliable), my gut tells me that there is a true crisis of faith in the Church. And my main evidence? Behaviors at Mass.
IF I was an alien observing a typical Novus Ordo mass, judging by the behaviors of the clergy and laity, I won't believe that anything special was going on. I would see, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, banal music and singing observed. I would people with varying degrees of interest. I would see altar servers not knowing what to do and with little focus. I would see a chief priest walk up to a table and perform a call and response to the laity. I would see hand holding, and active handshaking. I would see some on their knees, but many others not. And then I would see scores of people from the laity walk up to the table in a rough semi-circle while the chief priest breaks up the "item" for distribution in little bowls. I would see the laity get up in order walk up to one of the previous people in a semi-circle, say something and eat the "item". They would return to their seat and some would get on their knees. Others won't. And all the while, some pondering song would be playing the whole time. And then I would see the bowls brought back to the table and the priest would clean the items and they would be put back.
Though I used bland language in the paragraph above, this is what is experience at most Novus Ordo masses, with some variation, throughout the world. And at NO point would I, as an alien, would believe that anything DIVINE occurred during this process. It would seem like a human get together, but nothing uniting man and God at all. The priest would not appear to be anyone special and seemed more like a master of ceremonies than someone who has special access to the DIVINE.
Given this experience, if there is a crisis of faith, it's not entirely unreasonable for a casual Catholic to at least question the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence. In fact, in that environment it would take serious effort TO believe in that doctrine. And that environment is exactly what we need to focus on.
Regardless of one's position on the Novus Ordo, that Novus Ordo mass is what the majority of Catholics experience every time they step into a church. That elements that comprise that experience are what we need to address for the Church to first question and then realize that the Real Presence is Truth. Too many clergy are able to get away with questionable liturgical practices because the faithful are not suitable aware of the Truth as well as indulging these very experiences that unconsciously lead us to question Truth. Ignorance is where evil dwells.
The theme of the Real Presence will be constant on this blog.
In fact, it is of utmost importance.
Comments
And you are absolutely right, IMO, that it all comes back to the Real Presence. If you start with that, many of the abuses, minor and major, that occur regularly in the N.O. Mass would disappear. People would not saunter up to the altar to receive Christ as if they were in line at Burger King if they really knew what (who!) they are receiving. Thus, the Real Presence is the one thing I stress above all else in the RCIA teaching that I am privileged to provide.