Where is the Vatican document Vocatio Vir Christi?
A priest once told a friend of mine that the crisis in the Church won't be solved until women come down off the cross and men climb up. What exactly did he mean? I think Leon Podles got it right when he wrote The Church Impotent: the Feminization of Christianity. He devotes his last chapter to "The Future of Men in the Church."
Christianity is a manly religion, one that requires struggle and discipline. St. Ignatius, in his spiritual exercises, envisions the battlefield where the army of Christ and the army of Satan gather. And think of all the martyrs who stood up boldly against incredible evil.
But often the manly aspects of the faith are almost invisible. In some churches the only man in the sanctuary during Sunday Mass is the priest. And what a ridiculous sight his parishioners suffer in a congregation where everyone holds hands at the Our Father. There, behind the altar, Father stands hand in hand with his harem of helpers.
I agree that there is a crisis of masculinity in the Church. When more of our clergy start acting like men, perhaps we will begin to see its resolution.
Wait. What's wrong with holding hands during the Lord's Prayer? To me it is a nice feeling of communal prayer and the one-ness we have in our faith. I haven't been to a parish that did NOT hold hands in... well, I can't remember one and we move every 2 - 3 years to a different city.
ReplyDeleteI love holding hands when I'm walking with my grandchildren or taking a stroll with my sweetheart of 42 years. Frankly at Mass I'm not interested in holding hands or shaking hands. Save it for the church hall. It is not in the rubrics of the Mass and is a liturgical violation. When everyone behind the altar is stretched out in a hand-holding line they remind me of a string of paper doll cutouts. If you like it...well there's no accounting for taste, but it is still a violation of the rubrics.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that! The feminizing of the priesthood is so sad. It seems to coincide with the average Novus Ordo Mass in my opinion. All very touchy feel-y, hand shaking, hand-holding. Good grief.
ReplyDeleteArise, men!
A violation of the rubics ...do people in the local parish knwo this ...and why would you want to violate what should be.
ReplyDeleteSince my "stumbling" upon the TLM at St.Franics de Sales Oratory I am ALIVE in the Holy Ghost and free from all that hand holding , social chattering that goes on .
God is to be worhsipped and adored , it is not about me , it is about HIM and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass...thanks be to God!
Like Elizabeth said : Arise Men and take your rightful place .
God Bless all !