“It will confuse the laity.”This sorry excuse for a reason is trotted out of its stall every now and then to justify doing something stupid in the Church. One reason I was taught that it is imperative that the tabernacle be moved away from the sanctuary was because, “It confuses the laity. After all,” it is reasoned, “Jesus is here and Jesus is there and that is very confusing.”
Yes, I remember being thoroughly confused growing up. Many a night I spent crying into my mother’s bosom, “But Mom, how could Jesus be in the tabernacle AND on the altar of sacrifice at the SAME TIME?!” It was almost as harrowing as seeing Santa at the mall asking me what I wanted for Christmas and then seeing another Santa immediately after asking for change for the poor on a street corner. The scars have still not healed.
Actually, do you want to know what confuses me? Going to another parish and the priest instructing me that we do not genuflect to the tabernacle here, we only bow to the altar. The altar is where the action is going to be, where Jesus is going to be present. It would “only be confusing” to genuflect toward the tabernacle.
Of course what is actually a cause for misunderstanding is bowing to a symbol of Jesus (a great one perhaps, but a symbol none-the-less) while completely ignoring is actual presence. It is like upholding abortion by stating that you are only upholding the basic human right to choose thereby preserving an aspect of being human instead of an actual human.
We were talking about some of the changes in the liturgy that may or may not be up and coming. “And also with you,” may be replaced with the more accurate translation, “And with your spirit.” “This is the Lamb of God,” may be replaced with the more accurate translation, “Behold the Lamb of God!” and so forth. The comment was made that this will “confuse the people!”
Confuse? Did they not hear of 1965? That was confusing.
What we are dealing with now are challenges, not confusion. And in cases of true confusion it is an opportunity for catechesis not an excuse for unwarranted creativity or pandering to an imagined collective low intellect.
(Was that harsh?)
16 comments:
What's confusing is that the tabernacle is NOT front and center, which would erase all the confusion!
Last spring I clarified with Father what was proper so we could explain it accurately to the RCIA candidates. At my parish, the tabernacle is off to the right, and so he explained that outside of Mass, we genuflect towards the tabernacle. DURING Mass we BOW towards the Altar.
Then I went to the parish where I work, and again, the tabernacle is off to the side. Outside of Mass, people are constantly genuflecting to the tabernacle, walking across in front of the altar, reverencing the altar...and back again the same way.
That confused me. I was glad that people were actually paying attention to Jesus, but it makes no sense to bow to the altar when Jesus isn't on it.
So, will you clarify from your perspective before I correct the people that really need to know what's proper?
I have noticed that at my own parish if the priest goes up on the altar before Mass to prepare something, he always bows to the altar before leaving, but then he will ALSO genuflect towards the tabernacle once he has stepped down off the altar.
But otherwise, if he does not approach the altar, he just walks by.
See what questions these changes have created? And I'm supposed to be someone who knows something about it and I'm still confused by the lack of sense of the tabernacle placement!
(Or maybe I'm not confused, just frustrated by the idiocy of those who think we are a bunch of dumb oxen. Let me tell you....the ox and the ass, we know our Master!)
Love the post, and no not harsh at all.
Well, you know how I feel about it --I made an appointment with our pastor to speak privately of how blocked off and utterly ignored was Jesus, there in the side chapel, now, where folks would often bring their kids to run Matchbox car races or do somersaults even on the step leading to the golder doors, even leaving behind stray Cheerios..
Jesus may not have minded all the little ones' playing and munching, IF the kids knew He was there. But there was also the matter of bowing before an empty altar, then manuevering past the piano at the chapel entrance -- which blocked us from His view -- as we ran to the bathrooms every two minutes within a total of 55...
Well, as I say, I didn't just want to carp, not even on Jesus' behalf, because I really wanted change on His behalf and ours -- I expressed my concerns and offered to lead a weekly Holy Hour (or Half Hour--with juice and doughnuts after, if need be!) for little children with their parents, so that even the parents might remember (or find out, too!) that the Tabernacle is not just pretty or a memory of olden times. Fr. said he'd speak to the matter from the podium, and then he hugged me. He's not a hugger, so by this I knew I was right to have approached him.
He did speak to it, and nothing much happened for the longest while, but now the choir is moved completely to the other side of the sanctuary, just outside of it; and although I don't know if Jesus is still unsensed in that Gymnasium, there's no piano blocking Him, and our pastor has said numerous times, now, that He is indeed there in the Blessed Sacrament and that we should bow to Him as we come and go past the Tabernacle.
Indeed, only a challenge, only another opportunity for catechesis.
Harsh? Could you be harsh?? Sincere caring, for the right reasons is never harsh.
(((((Hug))))),
Carol
I grew up with the old rite and I never was confused. Today, I am not only confused I am saddened by what has happened to our beautiful liturgy and sense of the sacred. Our tabernacle is off to the side and blocked by the ambo. Most of our parishioners, at least the older ones, do genuflect to the tabernacle, as does our pastor.
It is time some of these priests and bishops realize that the outward appearance of the Church has become a train wreck that in no way represents the inward reality.
We have been driven to one of the other churches in our tri-church parish just to escape the noise and happy-slappy “community building” in our church. And, our church is not at all bad compared to the rest of the churches’ around here. We are even considering the Byzantine rite church.
Our closest neighbor (next to our pastor) is an Antiochin Orthodox Church. They don’t seem to be one teeny, tiny bit confused.
Ditto what HP said.
Only, I am feeling so confused, Father V. After all, I am only a dumb layperson who cleans houses for a living. Wait, maybe you better explain it all again, before I spas out!
Please, please, PLEASE ignore anyone who tries to tell you to be "pastoral". You're not harsh, you're right! If you just read this blog entry as a homily, the congregation would applaud and cheer! (Even though that would be something of a liturgical abuse too). Please be "harsh"!
It is a distraction when reservation takes place in the worship area, however I agree that the reserveration chapel should not double as the weekend cry room. That is tacky.
The most beautiful place where I've seen it done right is the new chaple at JCU. Not only is the reservation area well placed, but it's obvious even on the outside of the structure that it's a set-aside place.
The national shrine is also pretty good, with the reservation chaple off to the left. It's an very beautiful chaple (the size of some churches), yet reservation does not cause a distraction to the act of worship.
How can reserving the Blessed Sacrament on the altar in the worship space be a distraction? HE'S who we're there to worship!
Am I misunderstanding you anon?
What I like about what Anon. said was that if you are going to reserve the Eucharist in this fashion - do it well. The building itself both inwardly and outwardly testifies to the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. Far better than some overlooked side spot.
Times like this I wonder what Sattvicwarrior would have to say.
I hope he's ok.
What ever happened to him? I keep waiting for him to pop up.
What has confused me is growing up in a Parish that had the Tabernacle to the side, the very side...away from the Altar & away from sight. Then going to college and seeing no Tablernacle at all (Newman Center).
Then, after many years of being taught, as you say, 'Jesus is here, Jesus is there,' joining to a Parish that shows a true adoration of Jesus in the Tabernacle. At first, I thought these Catholics were NUTS! After awhile, a long while, I decided to attend RCIA classes, although I was a cradle Catholic. What an eye-opener! I had been ignoring Jesus my entire life!
These Parishes that have the Tabernacle to the side & away from the Altar... my question to you is this... What are YOU teaching the youth? What are you teaching your parishioners about the true presence of Our Lord and Savior?
*sigh* sad, very sad!
anon ~ I'm in charge of the sacramental program at my parish, and all of us, including all of the catechists, regularly take the children into the church to visit Jesus, they also take them into the Adoration Chapel to pray, and we currently have an Exposition and Benedictin scheduled in February. It is also part of my job to speak to the parents of First Communicants...and they're going to be getting their catechesis on the True Presence based on scripture, Eucharistic miracles (several child Saints pertinent... Blessed Imelda, Blessed Nellie...). And I don't know what else yet...but I can tell you, if I have anything to do with it, those parents, right down to the most lukewarm, even cold, are going to at least have some understanding that this Sacrament isn't dinner at the diner and a hoop to jump through so their kids can get married in the Church in 20 years.
Of course, it's God's job to convict the hearts...those of us who teach and attend parishes you describe (both of my parishes have the tabernacle to the side), we lead by example and by how we speak of Christ and in what we emphasize.
I'm so sorry you had such awful catechesis...and even more sorry you're not the only one. :-(
My daughter and I attended a Mass for the Unborn at St. Raymond of Penafort in Springfield, Viginia. We went down from here (Cleveland) to join my cousin for the March for Life. Not only is the tabernacle front and center, it is absolutely breathtaking. Whoever designed it certainly "took" from tradition. Everything from the full stain glass windows to beautiful statues of saints inside and out. You would never call this church "contemporary" and it was recently built (2006). The Mass was said by Fr. Gould and he attended the March along with us. I know I was impressed with the people from this parish and their priest. I admit I was a bit envious.
the 'warrior' is alive and well - go check him out currently
http://sattvicwarrior.blogspot.com/
I grew up in a very traditional parish (St. Mary's - Akron) and I've never been confused about what to do when I'm there. I still live in Akron, but I attend St. Hilary's. I get so confused there. The tabernacle is in a room in the back of the church. You can't see into the room, but it feels wrong to just walk by without acknowledging the fact that you're crossing in front of the tabernacle. I'm not sure the protocol of bowing to the altar, so sometimes I do when I remember and sometimes I don't.
While I do hate the fact that I have no idea how to properly show respect for the altar and tabernacle in the church, I really love the small chapel area. It gives the congregation a small place to pray, so that they can pray even if the choir is practicing, or the janitors are cleaning.
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