New Year's Resolutions All Catholics Should Fulfill

It's a few days into the new year, and we're still getting used to writing 2014 instead of 2013. But let me suggest some new year's resolution for us Catholics, that we may grow 'in wisdom and stature' just like the child Jesus. May we light this new year with the light of Christ, to illumine the path in these days of darkness.  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven." (Mt. 5:16)

1.  I will go to the Holy Mass and participate more devoutly. This means I will ask everyone in my family to wear their Sunday Best for Sunday Mass. This means I will pay more attention to the homily, and let the priest know if his homily was good. This means I will discipline my younger children bear the rigors of silence, listening, and prayer - and not give them my iPad to play whenever they get bored. This means I will be more conscious of the real presence of the Lord in Holy Communion, and lining up for it in a prayer-like attitude.

Someone did not get the memo on proper attire for Mass. 

2.  I will go to confession more often. This means I take time out to reflect on the wrong I have done and the good I have failed to do more often. 

3. I will take time to nourish my soul with spiritual reading, like the Bible for starters. The Lives of the Saints, too. The Imitation of Christ. There are lots of spiritual books written by brilliant Catholic writers out there, and I will prefer them over wishy-washy self-help books from protestants and new agers. 

Rome Sweet Home, written by former protestants Scott and Kimberly Hahn,  is a must read for all Catholics,

4. I will use my common sense and not believe everything I see or hear on the internet, like that time when the Pope supposedly called for a Third Vatican Council, or that time when he allegedly abolished sin. It's one thing to have stupid articles in the internet, it's another to get swayed by them and believe in them. 

Yeah, right. 

5. I will expand my knowledge about the Catholic faith by attending seminars, fora, formation talks, retreats, and recollections that are being offered to us.

A seminar on the mass media and sex education offered by Pro-Life Philippines

6. I will sanctify my Facebook by posting articles, comments, statuses, videos, and pictures that lead my fellow Catholics closer to God, and bring them to a deeper understanding of our faith. 

7. I will defend sanctity of life in all its stages, marriage between one man and one woman, and the family as the foundation of our society. I will educate myself about the latest trends on the culture of death that threatens to destroy these three things we value, and will actively participate in their defense, whether through prayer, online posts and tweets, taking to the streets, or some other acceptable form of protest. 

8. I will take time to study at least basic apologetics and on how to answer Catholic FAQs, like "do Catholics worship images?' or "Do Catholics worship Mary?" and the like. 

9. I will do a better job teaching the faith to my children. They will learn the love of God from my own personal relationship with Jesus, and the love of neighbor through the love I have for my spouse. 

Don Bosco teaching young boys catechism, as well as their craft for their work. 

10. I will go against the grain and run counter to the TV and selfie culture that we have as a society, and will teach my children to enjoy their childhood the old-fashioned way - through play, interaction, and fun learning experiences. 

Uh-oh. 

Happy New Year! God bless us this 2014! 

A Bad Example to the Young

Even as the Pope had seemingly united Catholics in spirit via the World Youth Day, I want to talk about a topic that is very divisive among us: liturgical dance. Pardon me as this is a long topic to cover.

A friend of mine told me that he has seen liturgical dancing during the mass in the local WYD celebration. Since I was not there, I cannot be sure it happened - but if it were true, and he says that the mass was celebrated by a bishop himself - a great disservice was done to the youth, in my opinion. 

Let us take a look at both sides of the liturgical dance issue. 

Those that favor it will say that there is nothing wrong with liturgical dancing. In fact, liturgical dancing, along with other innovations in the mass, help the youth appreciate the mass more. This is one of the most common arguments for liturgical dancing. The second most common argument for liturgical dancing is that they say the Church actually allows it, then buttress their argument with the case of Africa and the masses they say there. This is allowed by virtue of inculturation.

On the other hand, there's this letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments which says that "the liturgical laws of the Roman Rite does not foresee the need for the use of dance or drama within the sacred liturgy, unless particular legislation has been enacted upon by the Bishop's Conference and confirmed by the Holy See. ANY OTHER PRACTICE IS TO BE CONSIDERED AN ABUSE." (caps mine)

In plain language: the laws of the liturgy dictate that dancing is not needed in the mass. This is basic catechism that was taught to us a long time ago: that the mass, by itself, is already complete, and that no one may add or subtract anything from it. The bishops' conference may say, with the approval of the Holy See, that liturgical dancing is okay, but until then, liturgical dancing is nothing but liturgical abuse. 

Ergo, if it were true that there were several local WYD celebrations where they had liturgical dancing in the mass, in front of the bishops no less, then we had just shown a very bad example to the young. 

Do dances and other innovations in the mass help in making the young appreciate the mass? 

My opinion as a lay person is no. The mass itself is complete, and has already helped produce a lot of saints. The burden of proof is now on those who say that liturgical dances help draw the people closer to God. I have had experience with young people who say that the mass is boring without the dancing and the innovations. Is this really the mass and the liturgical tradition that we want to pass on to our youth? No wonder so many people turn to other churches where they have lively praise songs that make them clap and jump up and down. 

Some would argue that the Church allows these dances in the name of inculturation. Cardinal Arinze maintains that: "There has never been a document from our Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments saying that dance is approved in the Mass"; and he noted that "the tradition of the Latin Church has not known the dance. It is something that people are introducing in the last ten years -- or twenty years". (See Cardinal Responds to Questions on Liturgy AB October 2003) 

Inculturation should be thought of more as an exemption than the rule. The dancing in Africa is an essential part of their culture; removing it from the mass might be more counterproductive, therefore they allow it. Take note that this something they allow; this is not a precedent for liturgical innovations. We here in the Philippines are not like the Africans. In fact, our ancestors accepted Christianity with relative ease. What's there to inculturate in our country when we are filled with Spanish-era stone churches and cathedrals? 

I hold the belief that one small liturgical abuse begets a bigger one. If they allowed dancing during offertory, to the tune of a Marian Hymn, no less (true story!), then what is to stop them from allowing dancing during communion? What is to stop them from other innovations, no matter how bizarre, like clown masses where the priest dresses up like a clown and uses bubbles instead of incense. Or Halloween masses where the lectors are dressed in witches' clothing, and the extraordinary minister of the Eucharist is wearing a devil's horn? Or a Barney Mass where the priest wears a Barney costume and gives a "Barney Blessing". These things do happen. Watch here and cringe. 

Are these masses still the mass that the Church wanted the faithful to attend? 

A pagan liturgical dance by some nuns. Looks pagan enough.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? 

I would like you to focus on this picture on the left. This happened during the installation of the bishop of Imus, who danced the traditional Caracol during his installation. Even the altar servers got dancing, as shown here. If liturgical dancing really drives people closer to God and prayer, what are many of those in the pews on the left doing? They were taking a video of the whole thing with their cellphones. Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I see, the ones taking the pictures are nowhere near praying. 

If we really want to attract the young people to our mass, it should not be through liturgical innovations and dancing; it should be a concerted effort from our parents, teachers, catechists, parish priests, and all fellow Catholics to teach the beauty of the mass to the youth, the children and  the students. Often the mundane things expected of us in the mass are the things we take for granted. For example, why should we dress appropriately during the mass? Why should we observe silence inside the church? Why do we go to mass every Sunday? Why can't young children receive Holy Communion yet? Is Jesus really present in the bread and wine? These are simple questions kids ask, and many times we fail to answer. These are invaluable opportunities for catechizing our children; answer these questions correctly and succinctly and you have the youth hooked on the mass. 

If all priests would do that, instead of resorting to cheap dancing in the mass, and I will do a King David and dance on the streets like this.