The New Gasparian

The New Gasparian

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A journal dedicated to the life and mission of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, and to a life lived in response to the call and the cry of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our on-going mission is to share good news of hope and communion.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Rant Mode Back On...

I suppose before I begin I should confess to having entered the church building this morning with less than an open mind. Lack of hospitality to visitors is probably the biggest sin, and I was still a bit miffed at the fact that the music ministers had told me last Thursday the reason they could not provide worship aids for visitors was because it was “too expensive.”

My sister who was spending the weekend with me here in the Mountains said to me during Mass, “Now I know what you are talking about. How can they be so exclusive?”

So I decided to just grin and bear it. Besides, I was curious to see how this particular priest would handle this Sunday’s Gospel, probably one of the more difficult passages in the lectionary to preach on. Being grateful that I was on vacation this week and did not have to preach on this gospel was enabling me to be very generous and cut him a great deal of slack.

Church building: B
(Beautiful building, it is very nice for the mountain setting. Uh, Father, how come the holy oils are given the same prominence as the Sacred Eucharist? Yes, the oils are holy, but the Eucharist is the real presence, par excellence. We would have liked to give the setting an “A”)

Liturgy: D-
Lectors: A+
Choir: A+
Music Ministry: F
Preaching: F
Hospitality: F

The Mass opened with “Come, Worship the Lord” by John Michael Talbot. It is not necessarily good music, but the Choir and congregation did a good job. The presider said good morning before he made the sign of the cross (one of my pet peeves) and then welcomed the many visitors. The choir sang the Kyrie and the Gloria to very happy music that was unknown to me. Many in the choir and congregation sang this music by heart, but most of us were silent. The first reader did an excellent job and then the choir began the psalm immediately without a moment of silence. The psalm setting was an OCP original, again not the best musically, but prayed well by assembly and choir. An elder cantor did a very good job. The second reading was read exceptionally well. It is one of St. Paul’s famous run-on sentences and the reader communicated it well. The Alleluia was sung by congregation and assembly. I was mute because it was a melody I had never heard before, and it was a bit convoluted musically.

The priest read the gospel and then told the assembly that in order to keep the heat down in the church between masses they were going to omit the homily. He then spent the next ten minutes making several announcements, all having to do with money. I could feel any sense of good will draining from my body.

My sister tells me that she is not expert but she gets it and wonders how they can be so inhospitable. She says it would be uncharitable to describe the rest of the liturgy. She is probably right.

Ok, Rant mode off.

My sister and I are going para-sailing.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 3:50 PM link
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