Sorry for waiting for so long to respond, but I wanted to leave your letter at the top of my blog a little while longer and let it soak in on LifeTeen's detractors, (of whom I was one).
I admit, you have astounded me! I did not think you would answer my question...few would(clerics in particular). And of the few that would, even fewer answer correctly. ( the obvious escape is to say that liturgy's all a matter of personal preference.)
Instead of fluffy platitudes, your letter affirmed:1. The Pope, in having people kneel for Communion, is doing something meaningful!
2. That meaning is " further emphasizing the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist." !!!
Given what we agree upon, the next question falls inevitably:
When is a good time not to further emphasize the True Presence?
(logically that would be the only time we should receive standing, sitting or in whatever non-kneeling posture modern liturgists can conjure up) I have yet to comprehend God's wonderful Gift so I will take all the emphasizing I can get.
I plead with you simply to finish what you have begun! Why wish and wait for an edict to fall from above? Did we wait for the Pope's edict before we instituted hand holding? Tamborines? A whole bunch of devotional practices which have more in common with Woodstock than with the Church of our ancestors? (Edicts, commands, elicit only the enthusiasm of teenagers when they are told to turn off the TV!)
Now we have a clear invitation from His Holiness to deepen our devotion. An humble reminder he places before us and the world every day: we should not stand before Jesus like He's the clerk at Circle K who owes us spare change! 
but instead fall down before Him like....... He's Jesus! and we are the grateful leper who owes Him everything! We now have the opportunity to follow voluntarily, freely, out of sheer love for Our Lord. It costs us nothing.
but instead fall down before Him like....... He's Jesus! and we are the grateful leper who owes Him everything! We now have the opportunity to follow voluntarily, freely, out of sheer love for Our Lord. It costs us nothing.
If we cannot exercise our wills to do the right thing when it costs us nothing, then what will we do when it does cost us?
K. C.
>>>>later, from President Raus....K.C.
Thanks for your kind response.
Peace,
Randy
Randy RausPresident/CEO<<<<
Hi KC,
ReplyDeleteGlad you are softening to Life Teen. I was on core for our parish's Life Teen for 8 years. I remember attending a workshop led by Randy Raus. He is a good guy.
As for kneeling, as a convert I don't get why Catholic's stopped kneeling. I understnad wanting a mass in English. But kneeling is simply a matter of reverence. It is easy to explain. It re-inforces what we believe about the Eucharist. I don't get the liturgical reason why it was dropped.
Having said that I just trust the bishops. If they say kneel. I kneel. If they don't then I don't. I could be the only one who kneels but I find that creates sense of disunity in the celebration. Like I am holier than everyone else. So I kneel just before I receive. It shows reverence without drawing attention to myself.
Randy!
ReplyDeleteExactly! btw, I kind of survey my LifeTeen buddies....did you ever see any youths kneeling for Communion at a LifeTeen mass?
I have great hopes for Randy Raus. Like I have said. If banging on a tamborine can make people fall to their knees, then I'm going to buy me a couple!
K.C.