Saturday, August 21, 2010

WHITHER GOES OUR LITURGY?

Source: http://piuslad.blogspot.com/.

UPDATED CHURCH [From 1974]

Latin's gone,
Peace is too,
Singin' and shoutin'
From every pew.

Altar's turned round,
Priest is too,
Commentator's shoutin'
Page twenty-two.

Communion rail's gone,
Stand up straight,
Kneeling suddenly
Went out of date.

Processions are forming
In every aisle,
Salvation organized
Single file.

Rosary's out,
Psalms are in,
Hardly ever hear
A word against sin.

Listen to the Lector,
Hear how he reads.
Please stop rattlin'
Those Rosary beads!

Father's looking puzzled,
Doesn't know his part,
Used to know the whole Mass
In Latin by heart.

I hope all the changes
Are just about done,
And that they won't drop Bingo
Before I've won.

I found this poem printed in a book on the history of Sacred Heart Parish in Aberdeen, SD. The editor comments, "This ditty, composed by some anonymous bard, came to our attention recently. While we may not agree with its contents, we feel that it does have a message that is pertinent to our time."

3 comments:

  1. I fully agree! Ever since I went to my first Latin Mass I've never looked back, so to speak.

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  2. Attention to rubrics is
    Scarce as a paten,
    And almost as rare as
    the use of Church Latin.

    Where are those saints
    Whose statues stood tall?
    Replaced by felt banners
    that now cover the wall.

    Sister says liturgy
    is something we make.
    (I kinda suspect her
    credentials are fake.)

    We must be inclusive
    God is not a He,
    We won't tolerate those
    Who won't call Him a She.

    Where are the maniples,
    Copes and dalmatics?
    Taken to landfills
    by hippie fanatics.

    No propers, no introits
    No chanting I hear,
    'Cause the songleader now
    'Gathers Us In' for a cheer.

    He throws up his arm
    Our response to evoke,
    But I can't hit that note
    Since the year my voice broke.

    I offer it up--
    The noise, wreck and pain,
    For I know what was old
    Will soon be new again.

    ReplyDelete