Mass was at a handsome church of Spanish-influenced architecture. Interior was odd; I didn’t realize there was another wing of church on the other side of the altar.
9:30 am guitar Mass and my evangelical wife knew all the songs. “You stole them from us,” she said later with a tinge of triumphalism. The pastor there is a re-located Irishman and gave most of us homily over to the Pope’s trip here, saying that he’s spent many hours watching the talks: “We were wondering: ‘Would this Pope be able to fill the huge shoes of our beloved John Paul II?’” There seemed a hermeneutic of suspicion regarding Benedict in the beginning by many. But the pastor said twice: “He’s done us well.” He also said that Benedict is seeking unity and that he’s come to America and welcomed us with open arms, all of us, not just Catholics. “Imitate Benedict and you’ll be imitating Christ.”
I think I felt, perhaps cynically, that the beginning of his pontificate was intended to re-assure the skeptics, to ease into a more, shall we say, disciplinary approach (i.e. ‘good cop’ before ‘bad cop’). But I think Benedict obviously sees his role as pope to encourage rather than discipline, much like John Paul II obviously did, and I think that speaks volumes as to how much the church must need encouragement and hope.
Of course Benedict was never really conservative and never really liberal, but always a fascinating mixture of the two which is why he appealed so strongly to me. The people of greatest interest are dynamic and surprise us. They inherently have credibility in their stances because they are not locked to one camp. So Benedict was a huge proponent of Vatican II and was/is friends with Hans Kung, while at the same time he loves the Latin Mass. In this it’s no surprise that his papacy is not “liberal” or “conservative” but…so Christian.
It was a reverent guitar mass (“Agnus Dei, you take away the sins of the world…” – first time I heard a mixture of Latin & English in that prayer) but still it’s a 9:30am guitar mass and a guitar Mass at a beach town can’t be too unexpected. Why? Is it because beach areas attract more rootless people who, consequently, aren’t particularly interested in the roots of Catholic musical tradition? Is it because there are more Hispanics here, “warmer people” expecting something less European?
I see a Franciscan 50-something server at Mass and surprise myself by wondering, as if it matters, whether he’s native here or moved here. For some reason it seemed “purer” if he were here indigeously, not seeking an Order that happened to have fine weather and a beach. Judgmentalism rears its ugly head when I “suspect” clergy here. I leap to conclusions like most of the church is made up of visitors, which may not be true. Then I leap to the conclusion that since visitors require less need for priestly services then this is a good gig for priests, an easy gig. But what of that? We are not born with equal capacity to serve. It’s true that God exalts the weak to shame the strong but I see that as an example to prove the point that God is in control, not man. The problem is we don’t know whether we are meant to be one of the weak to be made an example of, i.e. to be made strong, or whether we are one of the weak who are just…weak, so we have to stay alert and attentive. Envy is easily stiff-armed given the fate of those strengthened: we may not all experience the strength given St. Paul at Damascus, but neither will we likely see Paul’s suffering or matrydom. “To whom much is given…”.
The homilist mentioned about how parents can sometimes work up a sweat over explaining death to a child, perhaps betraying their own fear and maybe lack of faith, while the child ends up preaching to the parent: “don’t worry, they are in Heaven with God.” He went on to say that psychatrists say we should re-visit our childhood in order to experience a re-birth in love but they are only saying what Christ said; that you must become as little children and be born again.
Is the essence of a Pelegian attitude conveyed by this “prayer”: “I hope you appreciate this Lord!” where “this” is any good work. This seems heretical as it denies the truth of the combination of these two statements: 1) every time I sin it is because of me 2) Every time I do well it is due to God.
Thus “I hope you appreciate this Lord!” is like saying to a man who gives you money and you give part of it back and say, “I hope you appreciate this sir!”.
St. Clement said we should thank God for our chastity even, for it is He who controls our passions.
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