And then I saw THIS.
Now, I'm no Einstein (too blonde!) ... but the implication that I love to worship Our Lord at services of Adoration and Benediction purely because I am illiterate and poorly educated is one I find rather offensive.
I will freely admit that I do not fully understand the Mystery which is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but this is despite its availability in the vernacular. I do know that my Lord and my God condescends to become truly present at the Consecration at Mass... and therefore, the opportunity to adore Him for an hour or so is something of which I would wish to take advantage.
It seems blindingly obvious to me that if one truly believes in the Real Presence, one would be more eager to attend a personal audience with Jesus and receive His Blessing in Benediction, not less.
Perhaps Fr. O'Brien is misguidedly under the impression that anything pre-Vatican II is childish and immature, and that we don't need to do stuff like that any more, because we are more adult in our faith.
I would humbly suggest that he reads Matthew 18:3. For my part, I will echo Fr. Z's response (with one addition) -
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her spouse most chaste.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her spouse most chaste.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
And now, being in a perfectly foul mood, I may have to consume the remainder of that bottle of wine...
UPDATE: I've decided that the priest in question should be renamed Fr. McBraindead...
This sort of thing makes me wonder: which is more Catholic? This so-called priest of God, or, say, an Anglo-Catholic or an Orthodox? On the surface, they seem to have more in common with us than he does. I know many liberal priests, and often I have been tempted to put them on the spot with questions like: ''do you believe in the Real Presence?'' or ''do you believe in the Apostolic Succession? Come on, you can be honest.'' If only they would though. Then they'd leave the Church (they wouldn't be missed) and be eternally cut off from Almighty God - just as they deserve, making a mockery of Catholic doctrine.
ReplyDeleteBring back the Oath against Modernity. Bring back the Old Rite to every parish church. The Holy Father should excommunicate every prominent Modernist priest, and smoke out the rest. While we're at it, let's also bring back the Index of Forbidden Books and we'll organise mass book-burnings. Sorry if this all sounds a tad fanatical, but perverts like him bring it out in me.
You mean I'm wasting two hours a week doing this?
ReplyDelete[McB. can go **** up a rope as far as I am concerned.\
All together now.... SIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
ReplyDeleteI hope someone can correct me if I am wrong on this but I have known members (I say "members" carefully) of a certain new movement (well known for it's "unique" way to celebrating the mass) imply to me that adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as something that is primarily a medieval devotion and too much importance could be attached to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd this new movement had the backing and support of the late pontiff.
Father John Hardon SJ wrote a book/pamphlet called “The History of Eucharistic Adoration” (preview available on Google Books) which traces the practice to well before the 13th Century and before the practice instituted by apparently St Francis of Assisi
ReplyDeleteFr O'Brian is like the whiny child at the back of the class, at the beginning other pupils take notice, but very soon all grow tired of the whining, for which, upon even a cursory inspection, he has no grounds. Other children find him irritating for a while but then tune him out and pay no attention.
ReplyDeleteI'm at the pay no attention stage with Fr O'Brian
The Founder of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, states:
ReplyDeleteHow is it that Our Lord is so little loved in the Eucharist? One reason is that we do not speak enough of It and that we insist only on faith in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament, instead of speaking about His life and His love therein, instead of calling attention to the sacrifices which His love imposes upon Him—in a word, instead of showing Jesus Christ in the Eucharist with the personal and special love He has for each one of us. How many among the best Catholics never pay a visit of devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament to speak with Him from their heart, to tell Him of their love. They do not love Our Lord in the Eucharist, because they do not know Him well enough.
Yes, more Catholics, including priest and religious, are not more devoted to the Eucharist because they do not understand the life and love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. How important it is not only to believe in what the Church tells us God has revealed, but to understand what we believe. It is because of this lack of understanding of what the Eucharist is that people who are otherwise good Catholics are so pathetically wanting in devotion to the Eucharist.
It was during Eucharistic adoration that I decided I had to become a Catholic. The Real Presence was, well, so REAL I really had no choice! I converted, and I've never looked back!
ReplyDeleteThis man is talking nonsense, but then wrting for the NCR waht does one expect??
Mrs.P
Yeah, my doctorate's only in History. I suppose if I'd done a more intellectually challenging subject I wouldn't feel the need to actually worship Jesus when I find Him present.
ReplyDeleteIt is MR McBrian (surely this man cannot be a Catholic Priest?) that is 'backward' not the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
ReplyDeleteIn the fullness of time he will meet his Maker and have to give an account of himself. Boy! - I would love to be a 'celestial fly on the wall' to hear him try to squirm and mealy mouth himself out of that one! These people think they are oh-so-clever and then suddenly KA-POW!!!, times up!
Trust you downed the bottle of wine Mac without choking too much and followed quickly with a stiff G&T! :-)