| Viewing Single Post From: Lay led devotions | |
|---|---|
| Rose of York | Monday, 22. June 2009, 12:54 |
Administrator
|
Where I live, in a small rural outpost, it would be unreasonable to expect to have a resident priest. That leaves us with a problem. There is only one Mass per week, on Saturday evenings. There is no other Catholic church within ten miles. The situation could be viewed positively and used to reintroduce a variety of devotions. We could have Daily Office, morning, afternoon and/or evening, rosary, a charismatic prayer group, Stations of the Cross. Recently, at the request of two lay people, the chapel of ease had Exposition and Holy Hour. Those two people could not understand why hardly anybody turned up, if they had asked me, I could have told them. Few parishioners are happy to see a small number deciding between themselves what THEY will provide for US. I once attended Exposition, and was surprised to see a lay person take a consecrated host from the tabernacle, place it in a monstrance, then spend an hour playing CDs of music and reflections. I just felt uneasy about it. Others would be willing to lead Divine Office, rosary or stations, but not Exposition, we see that as usurping the role of the ordained priest, blurring the difference. The current unwritten rule is that it is for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to lead the people in prayer. A few miles down the road, whenever our priest is away for a few days, they have Services of the Word and Holy Communion, in contravention of the direct instructions of our bishop, that they must not take place in locations that have a Mass on Saturday evening or on Sunday. How far should this blurring of the roles of ordained clergy and the laity go? My choice for chapels of ease without a resident priest would be for any parishioner to be free to volunteer to have their names on a rota, comitting themselves to be present to lead prayers, the sort of prayers a mother or father might say with their children. Also I would like to see Bible studies, lay led if necessary, by a person who demonstrates competence, and the parish priest overseeing, calling in when he is able. |
  Catholic and proud of it! Talk to God before Mass. Talk to each other afterwards | |
 |
|
| Lay led devotions · General Catholic Discussion | |
8:15 AM Nov 25