Problem: the number of people who actually make the effort to attend the holy Sacrifice of the Mass on a Holyday of Obligation is falling.
Solution: remove the sense of "obligation" by transferring the days to Sunday, when people are going to be attending Mass anyway.
Next Problem: the number of people who actually make the effort to attend the holy Sacrifice of the Mass to fulfil their Sunday obligation is falling.
Solution? remove the sense of "obligation" by making Sunday Mass optional?
Hey, brilliant idea! After all, there isn't such a big thing about attending Mass (sorry, Communion Service) in the Anglican Church, and they don't seem to have any problem with falling attendance...
...and heaven forbid that religion should be demanding... after all, Islam actually is unreasonable enough to demand that its adherents stop for prayers FIVE times, EVERY DAY... and the number of people who'll actually put up with that sort of unreasonable requirement has got to be falling, right?
In England particularly it should be remembered that the martyrs gave their lives for the Mass. We're too constrained by the demands of secular society to give 45 minutes. I do so long to be faithful to the Magisterium, but when the Bishops just roll over in the face of modern secularism instead of standing firm and preaching the truth, I get the feeling that Christ is being sold for thirty shekels all over again.
They've done the same thing to us here. The only "Holy Days of Obligation" in Canada (other than every single Sunday. . . although many people seem to forget this) are Christmas and January 1st (Solemnity of Mary). That's pretty sad.
ReplyDelete'Making Sunday Mass optional'????
ReplyDeleteMac, please, shhhhhhhh, quiet!!!!
You might give the Bishops some new ideas!