Thursday of the Thirty second Week in Ordinary Time &
Saint Margaret of Scotland, Matron
Biographical Information about St. Margaret
Readings for Thursday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Plmn 7-20
Responsorial Psalm Ps 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
Gospel Lk 17:20-25
Reflection:
I need to start today’s reflection with and apology. Yesterday, in my praise for the help given by Rita Thiron so freely, I spoiled the whole thing with an old joke at the expense of her profession. By doing so I inadvertently caused some discomfort for her.
While I try to keep these reflections grounded in Christ but somewhat “folksy” as they have been called, I must remember something Robert Heinlein, the great science fiction author, once wrote in his great work, Stranger in a Strange Land , “Almost all humor involves pain or embarrassment to someone.” That is not an indictment of humor, but it does mean that before we repeat a joke or something we suppose is funny, we, as children of God (using the Pauline address), need to carefully evaluate that statement. We need to ask; is it hurtful to one of our brothers or sisters? With all of that being said, to all my brothers and sisters who have dedicated their lives to improving our worship as Liturgists, my heartfelt apologies, I will not repeat that joke in the future.
While I know that today we have numerous opportunities to expound upon the virtues we are called to observe by both our Lord and is faithful disciple Paul, and are nobly exemplified by St. Margaret of Scotland, we have an opportunity to apply our thought for a moment on what was behind my insensitive remark. Orthodoxy in worship has, through the history of the Church, been a bone of serious contention among those who believe they have some gnosis, or special knowledge regarding the form authentic worship must take.
In previous posts the story was told about a group at my own parish attacking young ladies verbally and publicly because they accepted the invitation to participate in our liturgy as servers before that formal approval was given by our local Ordinary (the Bishop of Lansing). This period of tension paled when compared to the upheaval that occurred when the reforms of the Second Vatican Council were implemented back in middle and late 60’s. I do not have numbers, but I can remember people leaving the Catholic Church in droves when the Mass was offered in the vernacular (that is in the language spoken by the local population, in our case English).
Today we memorialize St. Margaret of Scotland. Try to find her relics. Apparently, most of St. Margaret’s remains were destroyed during the Protestant Revolution, just to take the point back a little further in history, probably by the Presbyterians who are a majority in Scotland today.
Because our act of worship is so visible publicly, any change in the way it is done will distract some part of our congregation from its purpose; to offer our praise and sacrifice to God the Father, through his only Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Try attending a Protestant service some time. You will find that it feels (to those of us who are addicted to the Mass and the Eucharistic Feast) somehow hollow by comparison.
Since I was brought up in the Presbyterian Church, I know I did not always fell that way. I can recall the first time I came to a Catholic Church for Mass, I was confused and did not feel filled when it was completed. We sometimes forget that other Christian communities do not understand our devotion to the Eucharist and its saving grace.
Underneath all of the ritual, music and preaching lies our soul and its attention to the higher ambitions of oneness with the Lord. While people like Rita work tirelessly to bring uniformity to our celebration, we must not loose sight of its purpose.
Pax
Saint Margaret of Scotland, Matron
Biographical Information about St. Margaret
Readings for Thursday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Plmn 7-20
Responsorial Psalm Ps 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
Gospel Lk 17:20-25
Reflection:
I need to start today’s reflection with and apology. Yesterday, in my praise for the help given by Rita Thiron so freely, I spoiled the whole thing with an old joke at the expense of her profession. By doing so I inadvertently caused some discomfort for her.
While I try to keep these reflections grounded in Christ but somewhat “folksy” as they have been called, I must remember something Robert Heinlein, the great science fiction author, once wrote in his great work, Stranger in a Strange Land , “Almost all humor involves pain or embarrassment to someone.” That is not an indictment of humor, but it does mean that before we repeat a joke or something we suppose is funny, we, as children of God (using the Pauline address), need to carefully evaluate that statement. We need to ask; is it hurtful to one of our brothers or sisters? With all of that being said, to all my brothers and sisters who have dedicated their lives to improving our worship as Liturgists, my heartfelt apologies, I will not repeat that joke in the future.
While I know that today we have numerous opportunities to expound upon the virtues we are called to observe by both our Lord and is faithful disciple Paul, and are nobly exemplified by St. Margaret of Scotland, we have an opportunity to apply our thought for a moment on what was behind my insensitive remark. Orthodoxy in worship has, through the history of the Church, been a bone of serious contention among those who believe they have some gnosis, or special knowledge regarding the form authentic worship must take.
In previous posts the story was told about a group at my own parish attacking young ladies verbally and publicly because they accepted the invitation to participate in our liturgy as servers before that formal approval was given by our local Ordinary (the Bishop of Lansing). This period of tension paled when compared to the upheaval that occurred when the reforms of the Second Vatican Council were implemented back in middle and late 60’s. I do not have numbers, but I can remember people leaving the Catholic Church in droves when the Mass was offered in the vernacular (that is in the language spoken by the local population, in our case English).
Today we memorialize St. Margaret of Scotland. Try to find her relics. Apparently, most of St. Margaret’s remains were destroyed during the Protestant Revolution, just to take the point back a little further in history, probably by the Presbyterians who are a majority in Scotland today.
Because our act of worship is so visible publicly, any change in the way it is done will distract some part of our congregation from its purpose; to offer our praise and sacrifice to God the Father, through his only Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Try attending a Protestant service some time. You will find that it feels (to those of us who are addicted to the Mass and the Eucharistic Feast) somehow hollow by comparison.
Since I was brought up in the Presbyterian Church, I know I did not always fell that way. I can recall the first time I came to a Catholic Church for Mass, I was confused and did not feel filled when it was completed. We sometimes forget that other Christian communities do not understand our devotion to the Eucharist and its saving grace.
Underneath all of the ritual, music and preaching lies our soul and its attention to the higher ambitions of oneness with the Lord. While people like Rita work tirelessly to bring uniformity to our celebration, we must not loose sight of its purpose.
Pax
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