Today I watched a little bit of the video of “REC2024” — the “Eucharistic liturgy” offered by Cardinal McElroy at the Religious Education Conference in LA in February. I’m late, but truly, even now, I don’t know if I’m up to the tungsten-carbide levels required properly to drill through this situation in its conception, execution, imagery, and aural effects.
Ew. I watched some of it and it is truly cringeworthy. I thought the ‘dancing down the aisle’ thing went out in the 90’s and yet here it is rearing its ugly head again. This is supposed to be relevant to young people?? Girl altar servers.. women with steaming bowls of what I assume is incense.. what a pagan look it presents. Just ugh. Make it stop. For the literal Love of God, make it stop!
Yea - this is another religion. 🤮 rainbow banners everywhere, terrible. The Lord of Spirts podcast has an interesting discussion on Orthodox vs Catholic beliefs about the Eucharist - along the lines of the Orthodox asking God to change the bread and wine into his Body and Blood (and Him possibly refusing to) vs Catholics having a more magic formula that automatically/always turns the elements into the Sacred Eucharist. In instance like the REC I kinda hope the Ortho understanding is correct….
I haven't (and won't) watch it. But eucharistic revival is happening anyway. When my kids were growing up, only one out of 4 local parishes had Exposition/Adoration. Now all four do. Many now receive on the tongue, kneeling, which wasn't even an option locally before. At least here, the grass roots are getting it.
I agree -- it certainly seems like a Eucharistic revival has been happening...but pre-dating the current program with the name (why is it always a program?). If that continues, I think it will be subsisting mainly via the pool of laypeople, not the bishops or priests. (How often do revivals authentically "revive," functioning as a mandate from authority anyway? Not sure how well that really works? 🤔 Maybe it would in places where those authorities are actually in touch with and sharing actual life with the normal people. But that's certainly not the typical individualist, isolationist first world experience.)
And once we have an actually "revived" (maybe not the best word, but to continue with the theme) pool of laypeople actually believing in Catholicism and actually practicing that belief authentically, we'll then be able to reap priests, bishops, and all vocations from a healthy pool...instead of a cesspool.
But that conversion toward "revived"/authentic Catholicism has always needed to be from the laypeople level, I think, not from mandate.
The RE Congress aside, our diocese (Orange, SoCal) has been vigorous in the effort for revival (but can you plan your way to a revival?). National leadership team is devout. And the materials they’ve created are excellent tools. Some of the bishops get it.
My thought is that if things like this Mass are still going on, from top prelates, people will sense the ambivalence. But hopefully they will prevail, regardless!
I tormented my sick children by watching some of this in their presence as they languish from the flu. Their conclusion: "This is terrible! Turn it off! They are not Christian!"
What you’re describing is awful. Your response - reasonable, Christian. Your inclination to pause before fully drawing conclusions is a most appropriate use of prudence.
But it needs to be said: whatever this is, it is not Catholic. It is revolting.
But here, I will imitate you, and stop talking. And I will definitely be following your Substack thoughts.
It seems to me the oft-professed "need for a eucharistic revival" is like "psychological difficulties with certain psalms and verses" was in the recent reforms: they say more about the bishops and churchmen that say and act on these things, than about either the eucharist or the psalms.
I think the same. And I would also take it a step further. I think even many (perhaps most) of the devoutly practicing Catholic laypeople don't believe in or authentically practice the actual Catholic faith. And our priests and bishops are being pulled from that mediocre pool, so it makes sense. "It trickles up," we might say (however anti-gravitarian that makes the idiom, I think it accurately applies here. 🤷 Though, not to say there isn't rot trickling downward as well. I just see the trickle up as being the more initial and fundamental problem, honestly.).
Ew. I watched some of it and it is truly cringeworthy. I thought the ‘dancing down the aisle’ thing went out in the 90’s and yet here it is rearing its ugly head again. This is supposed to be relevant to young people?? Girl altar servers.. women with steaming bowls of what I assume is incense.. what a pagan look it presents. Just ugh. Make it stop. For the literal Love of God, make it stop!
I am not going to watch. The image you’ve posted looks like it came from the original Star Trek series!
Yea - this is another religion. 🤮 rainbow banners everywhere, terrible. The Lord of Spirts podcast has an interesting discussion on Orthodox vs Catholic beliefs about the Eucharist - along the lines of the Orthodox asking God to change the bread and wine into his Body and Blood (and Him possibly refusing to) vs Catholics having a more magic formula that automatically/always turns the elements into the Sacred Eucharist. In instance like the REC I kinda hope the Ortho understanding is correct….
LOL
I won't even attempt to view this. Knowing it was at the "religious education conference" is enough of a deterrent.
Complete with liturgical dancers! What a poverty....when our Lord left us such riches!
I haven't (and won't) watch it. But eucharistic revival is happening anyway. When my kids were growing up, only one out of 4 local parishes had Exposition/Adoration. Now all four do. Many now receive on the tongue, kneeling, which wasn't even an option locally before. At least here, the grass roots are getting it.
Somehow, in spite of the bishops!
I agree -- it certainly seems like a Eucharistic revival has been happening...but pre-dating the current program with the name (why is it always a program?). If that continues, I think it will be subsisting mainly via the pool of laypeople, not the bishops or priests. (How often do revivals authentically "revive," functioning as a mandate from authority anyway? Not sure how well that really works? 🤔 Maybe it would in places where those authorities are actually in touch with and sharing actual life with the normal people. But that's certainly not the typical individualist, isolationist first world experience.)
And once we have an actually "revived" (maybe not the best word, but to continue with the theme) pool of laypeople actually believing in Catholicism and actually practicing that belief authentically, we'll then be able to reap priests, bishops, and all vocations from a healthy pool...instead of a cesspool.
But that conversion toward "revived"/authentic Catholicism has always needed to be from the laypeople level, I think, not from mandate.
Its all beaurocratic slogans at this point. I recently wrote about real liturgical renewal: https://sanctistulti.substack.com/p/book-recommendation-several-excellent
The RE Congress aside, our diocese (Orange, SoCal) has been vigorous in the effort for revival (but can you plan your way to a revival?). National leadership team is devout. And the materials they’ve created are excellent tools. Some of the bishops get it.
My thought is that if things like this Mass are still going on, from top prelates, people will sense the ambivalence. But hopefully they will prevail, regardless!
Horrendous, pagan, demonic ceremony. Lord help us!!!!!!!!
I tormented my sick children by watching some of this in their presence as they languish from the flu. Their conclusion: "This is terrible! Turn it off! They are not Christian!"
Out of the mouths of babes...
I like the cut of your spiritual jib.
What you’re describing is awful. Your response - reasonable, Christian. Your inclination to pause before fully drawing conclusions is a most appropriate use of prudence.
But it needs to be said: whatever this is, it is not Catholic. It is revolting.
But here, I will imitate you, and stop talking. And I will definitely be following your Substack thoughts.
It seems to me the oft-professed "need for a eucharistic revival" is like "psychological difficulties with certain psalms and verses" was in the recent reforms: they say more about the bishops and churchmen that say and act on these things, than about either the eucharist or the psalms.
I think many bishops don't believe in the Catholic Faith.
I think the same. And I would also take it a step further. I think even many (perhaps most) of the devoutly practicing Catholic laypeople don't believe in or authentically practice the actual Catholic faith. And our priests and bishops are being pulled from that mediocre pool, so it makes sense. "It trickles up," we might say (however anti-gravitarian that makes the idiom, I think it accurately applies here. 🤷 Though, not to say there isn't rot trickling downward as well. I just see the trickle up as being the more initial and fundamental problem, honestly.).
I agree with everything you said.