Tonight at the "holy" hour we actually spent it doing a holy hour. We spent about fifteen minutes in silence and then Fr. Stan read out loud a reflection. After the reflection we had another ten minutes of silence and reflection, and then we prayed the rosary... after which we had benediction.
The reflection Fr. Stan read was all about how we seem to take the miracle of the Eucharist for granted. I am sure I have blogged on this subject before, but that won't stop me from doing it again...
I too wonder how many people who come to Mass really pay attention to what is going on up on the altar every single week. The coolest thing happens, and I feel like for a lot of people (especially cradle Catholics) we take it for granted. It is something so normal for us that we do not take a moment to enjoy and really thank God for the miracle of the Eucharist. I mean not every religion actually gets to watch a priest turn bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ... Not every religion actually gets to receive Jesus during their communion. That is really Him up there.... the priest is really up there doing that amazing act of transubstantiation... I say "we" because I am including myself in the whole taking it for granted thing... I get how busy everyone's lives can get. There have been times when my mind was somewhere else totally and when I brought my attention to the Mass again I sometimes miss the whole miracle.
We are very lucky to have the gift of the Eucharist...
Another thing I notice is how many people will casually go up to communion as though it were a single file line in a school... it sometimes seems so robotic to me, and that is a sad thing. I think that is part of the reason why I enjoy going to "The Mother of the Redeemer Farm" here in my home town. In this chapel they have just put in a communion rail. I think that is the coolest thing. Maybe it is because they are so foreign to my generation that I find them even more special. I feel there is a lot more reverence involved when people come up to a communion rail and kneel down and wait for the priest to come around with the Eucharist. If I had my way I would love to put in a communion rail for as many churches as possible...
3 comments:
Oh I so agree with you. I had both, but more of this filing in line stuff now. It changed in the 60's, so its been more than 40 something years this way and its made a mess of things. Let's pray about this..we may see more and more kneeling to received Jesus! God bless you for sharing this. I am so happy you had such a great REAL HOLY HOUR! :)
Teresa,
AMEN!!!! You know I agree with you on all of this. We should never have removed the communion rails from all the churches. What a sad thing. Now it's just expected that EVERYONE goes up to communion. Nearly no one in the pews knows that one presents him/herself for communion only if in a state of grace. What a sad reality.
And yes, there's so much wonder in it. Wonder leads to awe, and awe to newness and rejuvenation and wisdom.
So glad you had a REAL holy hour.
Yes, when you go up to the altar rail, you usually have even more time to think...think...I am going up to be with the King of Kings! Can I go? Should I go? Am I ready to go? I am presenting myself and if I am going to kneel and be reverent, I have to think about myself a bit more! It is a much more beautiful sight to look up and see too. It isn't that everyone was in the state of grace before they went up..but I do believe most were far moreso than today. Far moreso! Sometimes people would not go up. You didn't judge anyone per se..you knew they were being respectful of the Blessed Sacrament and much more "confession" time went on. It was never a perfect church, but I think they should have never let go of the altar rails for receiving the Holy Eucharist. If one refrains from receiving, it bothered you until you went to confession..you wanted to go back to the altar rail...that is how I remember it so much more..so much more better.
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