Fr Rory Writes:
Screening the Masses: Thanks be to God
Fr Michael Jackson at the Sacred Heart Church in Hove has provided many moments of grace and strength, through this screening of the Mass.
From the early days in the life of the church, beginning with St Anthony in the desert. spirituality has provided inspiration, life and hope to encourage and inspire faith through the ages. After the eucharist; the divine office has a special importance, as it evolved through the early ages of the church. The vast majority of the people were illiterate, and the monasteries and religious houses, were the centres of learning. The hymns, psalm and prayers provided a distilled focus to express in a clear way, special moments of truth at the heart of faith. For me this Hymn from Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal is a good example:
Eternal Father, Loving God, Who made us from the dust of earth,Transform us by the Spirits Grace, Give value to our little worth
Prepare us for the day of days, When Christ from heaven will come with might, To call us out of dust again, Our bodies glorified in light.
O God head, here untouched, unseen, All things created bear your trace, The seed of glory sown in man, Will flower when we see your face.
The fact that there is no congregation at this time of screening, in a way is in keeping with the church, when for centuries the Mass was celebrated in Latin. There were moments of interjection with responses, but most were happy to participate in silence. When I was growing up and indeed before, the majority wanted to be at the back of the church. Indeed, some preferred to stay in the porch or just outside.
To help us in our thinking, there is always two sides to a coin. In life there is often a reflection to this, both in religion and politics. This may be termed, right wing or left wing. Pope Frances has been confronted by this, to an extreme degree, but tries to avoid responding, as he strives to progress the church through synods and dialogue.
When I entered the seminary at the end of the sixties, just after the end of the 2nd Vatican Council, this was in full swing. I would have been considered part of the left wing trendies and would live with the label. In my life time, I consider the two most outstanding popes to be, John 23rd and Pope Francis – in fact outstanding persons. After a very fruitful, inspired time in the seminary, much influenced by Fr Seamus Ryan, my ordination was a special moment of grace. For my first Mass, I was very privileged, as it also involved the celebration of the marriage of my brother John and his wife Helen. From the words of the priest over from England, it had a great sense of life and youth, and please God, after this time of testing – The Lord will renew our youth and strengthen our faith . To be continued……….