OME WILL CLAIM I’ve posted the below video 1 so we can mock it—with a “holier than thou” attitude—and feel better about ourselves. Those who read my entire article will realize that’s not accurate.
Growing up in a wealthy (mainstream) 1990s Catholic parish, I’m afraid that kind of stuff happened frequently. I was there. I witnessed it.
Please understand: I’m not against people being happy. I think being happy is a blessing. I just feel that in God’s House—where our Lord is present—we ought to maintain a certain level of DIGNITY. The laughing, dancing, giggling, and so forth always struck me as inappropriate and made me uncomfortable. When you read the rest of my article, you’ll see why I bring this up.
SOME POSTCONCILIAR LITURGISTS claim Vatican II changed how we look at the Eucharistic Prayer. According to their theory, the entire Eucharistic Prayer is what causes Transubstantiation—a word they dislike & avoid, by the way. However, another school of thought says the formula printed in a special font (This is my Body, etc.) constitutes the moment when Transubstantiation happens.
Fr. Adrian Fortescue addressed some of these issues 100 years ago:
The practice of elevating the Blessed Sacrament immediately after the words “Hoc est enim corpus meum” had been spoken developed as a sign that the bread was consecrated then at once. For, in the XIIth century—and chiefly at the University of Paris—there was much dispute as to this point; several theologians maintained the view that the bread was not consecrated till after the consecration of the wine. I, myself, am not quite sure. One might perhaps take the elevation as one more dramatic misplacement, like the “immaculata hostia” at the offertory, the Byzantine Cherubikon, and so on. Is Consecration by the words of Institution de fide? It certainly seems to be sententia catholica. Pope Pius VII (May, 1822) forbade any other theory to be defended. (SOURCE)
Interestingly, the “dramatic misplacements” Fortescue mentions are rejected by progressive liturgists when it comes to the Offertory prayers, which were totally eliminated. Here’s more from Fortescue:
Our baptism service is the obvious parallel case. All through it we ask God to give the child the graces which, as a matter of fact, He gives at once—at the moment at which the essential matter and form are complete. So the Ordination rite dramatically separates the elements of the priesthood (power of sacrificing, of forgiving sins) which, presumably, are really conferred at one moment, when the man becomes a priest. In all such cases we say that at whatever moment of our time God gives the Sacramental grace, He gives it in answer to the whole prayer or group of prayers, which, of course, take time to say.
Why do I bring this up in the same article as that video above?
When St. John Vianney was in the presence of the Sanctissimum, he was so overwhelmed by God’s Presence he could scarcely breathe, move, or speak. 2 Regardless of the precise moment when Transubstantiation happens, the entire Holy Mass is connected to this great miracle. Let us redouble our efforts to maintain proper reverence throughout the entire Mass.
If we try our best to maintain reverence in Church, God will be pleased.
NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:
1 I came across this video on a blog called Offerimus Tibi Domine.
2 In former times, men used to smoke cigarettes outside of Church until they heard the “AMEN” of the Credo—which was repeated over and over—then rush into Mass so they could fulfill their obligation which (some said) required physical presence from Offertory till Communion. This is quite different from the example given to us by St. John Vianney.
