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Hi Mary,
My colleague Bob Kirby is more familiar with Theology on Tap than I am, so I'll let him address your key question.
You said:
... he mentioned
that he liked the chaplain MIT had prior to the current one,
but the local parishes have priests that give insipid homilies
and say Mass in a way that makes one wonder, Why go to
Mass at all?
I think it important to remember what the purpose is in going to
Mass:
- To Keep the Lord's Day Holy. (the 3rd Commandment)
For Catholics,
this means making our Sunday obligation, not Sunday option.
- For daily Mass goers, ideally it means to be guided by helpful teachings
from the pulpit, and be morally guided in our lives by partaking
in the Body and Blood of Our Lord in the Eucharist, obviously only if
we are in a state of grace.
The Catechism says this:
1416 Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ increases the
communicant's union with the Lord, forgives his venial sins, and
preserves him from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament strengthens
the bonds of charity between the communicant and Christ, it also
reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.
1419 Having passed from this world to the Father, Christ gives
us in the Eucharist the pledge of glory with him. Participation
in the Holy Sacrifice identifies us with his Heart, sustains our
strength along the pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal
life, and unites us even now to the Church in heaven, the Blessed
Virgin Mary, and all the saints |
It is through the Eucharist that Our Lord meets us where we currently are in life, with our crosses, pains, and anxieties and morally
feeds us so we can make prudent decisions on how to best live the
Catholic Christian life that day.
Your son may have a point if there is an issue of heterodox teachings
[and/or] use of an invalid form and matter for the Eucharist.
Your son may have a point if:
- an invalid form and matter is being used for the Eucharist or
- if there is an issue of heterodox teachings.
A Mass can be illicit, or illegal, but is still valid in the eyes
of the Church.
What makes a Mass illicit or illegal is when the priest changes
words of the Mass. No priest is authorized do this. Cardinal and
bishops are not authorized to do this either. The words of the Liturgy
belong to the Church; these are words that the Holy Father has authorized.
A popular but sad example is the opening to the Eucharistic prayer.
The Church teaches that the priest has to say:
Pray brethren that our sacrifice may be acceptable to the
Lord Our God.
not
- Pray brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable
to the Lord Our God. or
- Pray sisters and brothers, that our sacrifice may be acceptable
to the Lord Our God. or
- Pray friends, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to the
Lord Our God.
If a priest says either of the above, the Mass is illegal,
but can he can still celebrate a valid Mass with
a valid Eucharist.
What makes a Mass valid is the proper form (the words used) and matter (food used)
The form (the words used) used are:
- This is my Body and This is the cup
of my Blood.
The matter (food used) are:
- Grape Wine and in the Roman Rite Unleavened Wheat
Bread.
On the issue of insipid homilies I would only advise him to pray for his [priests/pastors].
I've heard my fair share of insipid homilies as
well, but because the Eucharist is so important to my salvation and
the well being of the Church, as a whole, I get what I can from the
homilies while ensuring I partake in the Eucharist, only when I am
in a state of grace. If I'm not sure, I go to the sacrament of Confession first.
If there are heretical teachings from the pulpit, notifying the
local [bishop/cardinal] is appropriate.
You're more then welcome to share my e-mail address with him. You can find more information under the About
Us tab and the Who
answers your questions sub tab.
Finally, you can call me Mike.
Mr. Humphrey makes me sound too important and I'm really not; just
ask my brother, Mark. :)
Hope this helps,
Mike
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