22.
The celebration of the Eucharist in a particular Church is of the
utmost importance.
utmost importance.
That’s kind of a
no-brainer. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life, after
all! And it’s the bishop who has the
primary responsibility for the proper celebration of the Eucharist in his
diocese. The GIRM continues (my emphases
throughout):
The
Bishop should therefore be determined
that the Priests, the Deacons, and the lay Christian faithful grasp ever more deeply the genuine
significance of the rites and liturgical texts, and thereby be led to the
active and fruitful celebration of the Eucharist. To that end, he should also
be vigilant in ensuring that the dignity of these celebrations be enhanced…
So, given this exhortation
concerning the great dignity of the Mass, especially when celebrated by the
bishop of the diocese, it’s easy to understand why bishop of the Diocese of
Honolulu would go out of his way to celebrate Mass for the youth of the diocese
at…
….wait for it…
…a water park called Wet
‘n’ Wild Hawaii in Kapolei, Oahu.
No, I’m not kidding. A
reader alerted me to this fact, and provided a link to the announcement
which says in part:
Blessed Pope John Paul II
believed that young people were not just the Church of tomorrow, but the Church
of today. To better equip them for their witness to Jesus, all youth are
invited to celebrate the gift of their Catholic faith at Diocesan Youth Day on
Saturday, September 1, 2012 at Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii in Kapolei, Oahu beginning
at 9:00 a.m. This year’s theme is ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Phil 4:4). It
invites our young people to reflect on the presence of God in their daily lives
and renew their faith so that they can share it with others.
 |
| "C'mon, kids! Mass in 10 minutes!" |
All righty, then. This
quote from the Holy Father is also included in the announcement of the event:
“Joy is at the heart of the
Christian experience. At each World Youth Day we experience immense joy, the
joy of communion, the joy of being Christian, the joy of faith. This is one of
the marks of these gatherings. We can see the great attraction that joy
exercises. In a world of sorrow and anxiety, joy is an important witness to the
beauty and reliability of the Christian faith.” (Pope Benedict XVI on the 27th
World Youth Day, 2012)
A couple of things come to
mind: first, perhaps I’m misunderstanding and projecting…but does it strike
anyone else that “joy” is being confused with “frivolity” or “fun” in this case?
Second, how exactly does spending a fun day at the water park “better equip”
the youth for their “witness to Jesus”? And third, are the youth really going to be reflecting on the
presence of God in their daily lives at this event?
I have nothing against the
kids (or the adults, for that matter) enjoying a day of fun at a water park,
but let’s just call it what it is and not pretend it’s something else. And let’s
not mix the sacred with the profane.
At the Catholic high school
where I taught religion courses for one year, there was a monthly Mass, usually
held in the gym. (The school had a small chapel which could only hold about 40
people, so the gym was the only venue that provided enough room.) The students
were required to “dress up”. Occasionally, though, there was an outdoor Mass. In my not so humble
opinion – and the opinion of many of the other faculty members – that was
always a mistake. The kids sat on the grass in little groups. They chatted, as
long as they could get away with it. They chose spots far from the “altar”.
They were more interested in each other, the weather, and the end of the
minimum school day than they were in the Mass.
 |
| Bishop Silva celebrating Mass. I guess they do things a little differently in Hawaii. |
Yeah, right. Come on. Can you picture Mass with these kids all clad in their swimsuits? The bishop has also invited and encouraged priests of the diocese to join in and concelebrate. How awkward for any priest to be administering Holy Communion to a bikini-clad adolescent girl! Sunday Mass at a parish church in the summer months is bad enough; how much worse will it be at a water park?!?
Back to the GIRM:
288.
For the celebration of the Eucharist, the People of God are normally gathered together in a church
or, if there is no church or if it
is too small, then in another
respectable place that is nonetheless worthy of so great a mystery...
I think it would be next to
impossible to justify a water park as
a “respectable place” for celebrating the great mystery of the Eucharist. But…maybe
it’s just me?
The GIRM continues:
..Therefore,
churches or other places should be suitable for carrying out the sacred action
and for ensuring the active
participation of the faithful…
I cannot even imagine how a water park can be made into a
place suitable for “sacred action”; perhaps I’m lacking in imagination. But
even if this is possible, can we even
reasonably expect a large group of adolescents who are anticipating a day of
fun and frolic in the water to be “actively participating” at this Mass? (That’s
a rhetorical question.)
The announcement says:
If you have any questions, feel
free to contact the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at 808-203-6763 or
email: hawaiicathyyam@rcchawaii.org.
If you feel like sending a respectful message voicing your concern, have at it.
Be sure to visit Unam Sanctam Catholicam for another look at this issue.
Be sure to visit Unam Sanctam Catholicam for another look at this issue.
Oh…and here’s a promotional video…
See also More Liturgical Abuse
