Tag Archives: leader

The Prayer of The Faithful

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During Mass, and after the Readings and Homily of the day, we have the citing of all of the Nicene Creed.  Next comes what is called the Prayer of the Faithful.

This consist of a series of prayer, typically four to five such prayers with a closing of each by the Prayer Leader saying words to the effect of “We pray to the Lord”, and the congregation responds “Lord, hear our prayer.”

Notice no “s” in the congregation response there…  This is one prayer from all of us, at one time, even when we are asked to add our private intentions, again, it is a singular prayer not multiple prayers (see the s in that last one?) from multiple people.

In responds “Lord, hear our prayers” you are taking yourself out of the group prayer and sending up/or implying your own prayer(s).  While sending up your own prayers is good, at this point in Mass, it is ONE PRAYER from the whole Church.

I do think this post may lead to an in depth discussion of the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) in the very near future.

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The Bishop of Rome, Pope and Leader of the Catholic Church

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Over the past few years, I have heard a lot of bad mouthing the Pope of the Catholic Church, from outside the Church and unfortunately from the inside of the Church, even from Bishops and Cardinals of the Church.

While I don’t always agree with the Pope’s comments, I do FIRMLY believe that the Cardinals that sat in Conclave to vote in, at the Will of God, our new leader, go through a process that in the end, all of the Cardinals MUST accept as the Will of God, and must accept this new Pope as the Leader of the Church as we are supposed to.

This means that the Cardinals, Bishops, Priest, Deacons, Religious Brothers and Sisters, and Layette MUST accept him as our leader, and accept those things that he says when he speaks from the Seat.  Not ALL he says comes from “The Seat”.

Those within the Church should NOT be bad mouthing our Pope, should not be speaking out against what he says or does, unless it is COMPLETELY against God and TRULY not of God.

To date, I have not seen him do such a thing in his sayings and doings, and especially in anything he has done from the Seat of Christ as the Vicar of Christ.

While I agree with his thought that a one world, with one government would be great, I do not think that any of our current governments meet that need yet, and definitely do not think that the UN should be that leadership.  But that said, over all his comments here are solid in that it would be ideal.  And it is God centered which is good.  Those that are bashing him for this comment on the world needing one government are wrong in doing so.

Our Pope was duly voted in by his peers though a God centered process, which we must all accept.  Remember, and I say this from the “right” side of the pews not the “left” side, the Catholic Church, based on the Bible and the Words of Christ, is a “liberal” (or “left”) leaning religion.  We SHOULD expose the core beliefs of the “liberal left” of love, caring and sharing with our neighbors.  That IS the Church.

But at the same time, it is a love and sharing by ALL, not just the rich. and not just the ones that have what you want, and not by just the ones that believe different that you.  It MUST be bidirectional and enacted by all, going both ways.

The Bible allows for self defense, and in today’s society that includes the right to the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms, etc.  Theft and the taking of a life to gain what the other has is NOT supported in the Bible or the Church.

Come back to God folks, and if you are Catholic, come back to supporting OUR Pope and leader.  He was placed there by God.  You don’t have to agree with him, but you MUST support him and accept what he says from the Seat of Peter, and do as he says if you wish to remain fully Catholic.

 

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Orans Posture

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Since my entrance into the Catholic Church I have spent my days and evenings reading the Canon (laws of the Church), the Rubrics, and documents of the Church.  I have many more to read and understand, but one thing has been pretty clear, what should be done in Mass and what should not be done.

There is a posture taken by Priest called the Orans Posture in which they place their hands out and up when praying singularly for the Congregation.

Orans Posture

Orans Posture

In reading the rubrics prior to 1950, this was a position that only Priest were to take that were celebrating or con-celebrating when they were praying on behalf of the Congregation, and while the Congregation was silent.  The rubrics stated that the hands of a Priest, when praying WITH the Congregation were to be together “in a prayerful manner”.

If you read the rubrics now, it still has the Priest in this position when praying on behalf of the the congregation and people of the world, but continues to have the Priest take this posture when praying the “Our Father”, which now shows the Congregation praying, where before they did not pray with the Priest during Mass.  The Deacon, if present is still to be in the “prayerful manner”, which was described in the past as hands together, fingers extended and thumbs cross or fingers interlaced and crossed.  (The Deacon or non-concelibrating but present Priest were not to take the Orans Posture…)

In the late 60s to early 70s the Charismatic groups and Nuns in the United States started holding hands with the advent of the text from Vatican II.  There was never a proclamation to do so, and there was no rubrics changes published by the Church to do so, they just started to do it to show togetherness.

However if you go back in history, the only time we see this posture being taken was when a LEADER/ELDER/PRIEST was praying for the people, it was never a posture taken by the lay or religious people unless they were the ones leading the prayer and praying on behalf of the people present.

It was a practice to hold hands at the dinner table when praying, but never was it so while in Church or at a Religious service!

We need to go away from the attempt to become like the Ordained and return to our roots in this case.  Don’t get me wrong!

I am all for change when change needs to happen, but this is not a change that makes since or needs to happen.  It is taking our actions to us and away from God and our love and need to be with Him and returning our focus on ourselves and not Him!

In Christ

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