Just wondering…. Has anyone come across a Beautiful painting depicting the new Mass? You know something like what you see below. (Not the modernistic neo-pagan stick figures seen in post VatII disposable “missalettes”). Notice how Beauty garners attention, or at least curiosity. Would Oscar Wilde have converted to Catholicism on his Death-bed if the ceremonial of the Catholic Church was less enchanting? You need bait, sometimes it’s the Holy Spirit calling who He wills, or the life and conduct of Christians they come into contact with, and maybe sometimes it’s the Liturgy. The “Meat and Potatoes” catechism comes later. Kind of like when you met your Wife/Girlfriend, when you first saw her you knew nothing about her, but her beauty pulled you in, you find out the rest later, and it can turn into love. Ya need bait to catch fish.
Father Corapi often talks of the “attack on beauty” being alive and well in the Catholic Church. Most churches built post VII are not beautiful and do not look Catholic. Who is attracted to these gym looking churches? I have no idea…but its certain that if its beautiful and its Catholic its most certainly done preVII. I don’t dispute the validity of VII - but I strongly protest so much of the ugliness and filth that passes for Catholic these days and is shoved down our throats.
I’m out of town on business for a month and to (and ONLY to) meet my Sunday obligation I attend a local parish. They have the worst liturgy I’ve ever been to. I suffer from the moment I park my car until I’m back in it. I’ve come to fully understand why folks retreat to SSPX….
Every once in a while I go to the local parish at home (10 blocks away) instead of travelling hour and half each way to my TLM parish. I just close my eyes the whole time, and people might think I’m saintly or whatever, but honestly I just can’t stand looking at what’s going on. Only during the consecration do I open my eyes. If I go to the 7:00 AM Mass, (which I do) there is no music. Later masses have the “song leader-queen-minister-music-priestess-whatever” waving her arms in front of the altar. The short-wearing suburbanites mumble back to her. Some are there only to watch their daughter as a “female altar boy” (Yes I mention this issue alot, it’s a pet peeve of mine). It’s a really nice “old-fashioned” church, if only they did it right. The priests (who are all good orthodox well meaning men), have lately taken to walking around the crowd during the sermon with a Bobby Brown/R&B singer microphone stuck to their head.
I cannot see how anyone would want the ordinary mass instead of the TLM, it’s unphantomable to me. I guess because it’s easier, ya just sit there in whatever you woke up in for a half an hour, “take communion” (hate that term), and run out to the car STILL CHEWING! Sick! Sorry, I feel like ranting today SanctusBelle.
Unfortunately, any discussion on the topic of Beauty quickly devolves into opinions on aesthetics. That Beauty is objective and is intricately bound up with Truth and Goodness is not something that moderns can grasp. We live in this world where opinion and sincerity of belief substitute for Truth…and emotionalism which we mistake as evidence of Beauty.
Very wisely said Argent.
I echo your sentiments exactly Ken88. The next time I assist at this local parish I’ll remember the closing the eyes thing. What I’ve been doing is simply lowering my eyes, clasping my hands in front of me and silently offering my suffering to Jesus while trying not to cover my face with my hands. I can relate to the so famous “scream” image too - that’s me at St. Philips in Bemidji Minnesota folks! See the oversized blank eyes, the twisted mouth open in a silent scream!?
Lord have mercy…