Letters

Community?

Peter Gilet

Contents - Dec 2006 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The first Christmas - Peter Westmore Benedict XVI challenges 'de-Christianisation' of society - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Sydney RCIA conference for 2007 on authentic formation of new Catholics - Paula Flynn 'Lost!' controversy: Archbishop Bathersby's reply - AD2000 Report Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: the Montessori method for RE - Anne Delsorte A 'best practice' guide to priestly vocations Modest dress: Suitable attire for Mass: the moral dimension - Bishop John W. Yanta Religious Life: Tyburn Sisters' communities spread around the world - Tess Livingstone 2006 National Church Life Survey: important questions overlooked - Michael Gilchrist Shrines: Marian Valley: Queensland's centre of pilgrimage - Peter Westmore Letters: Vatican guidelines on Holy Communion for politicians - Vincent Bemowski Letters: A must read for faithful Catholics - Frank Bellet Letters: Liberal Catholicism - Paula Gartland Letters: News from India - Fr Francis Pinto CSsR Letters: Church teaching - Mark Moriarty Letters: Infant Baptism Letters: Community? - Peter Gilet Letters: Christian differences - Alan Barron Letters: True Church - E. Makaus Letters: Linguistics - Matt Bruekers Letters: Liturgical language - Ted Hayhoe Letters: Why apologise? - Concerned Catholic Books: The Shroud Story, by Brendan Whiting - Peter Westmore (reviewer) Books: COME, LORD JESUS:Reflections on the Advent and Christmas Seasons, James Tolhurst - Michael Gilchrist Events: Advent and Christmas Ceremonies - Priestly Fraternity of St Peter Books: SACRED PLACES, PILGRIM WAYS: Catholic Pilgrimages in France and Belgium - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: Jesus' law of love and the Ten Commandments - Fr Dennis Byrnes

It seems to me that we have spent the last forty years reforming our liturgy with the assumption that we were rational beings merely doing the logical thing. In fact, in my view, as creatures of a cold and individualistic society, we have been driven by an unbalanced thirst for human community that has totally vitiated our efforts.

Instead of acknowledging that we needed psychiatric help, some sort of group therapy, parish programs like Grow to enable us to relate properly with each other, we have acted out our fantasies of a vibrant, warm faith community in a sort of cargo cult. If we go throught the motions and keep grinning and shaking hands, the Mass will provide us with what we want.

Naturally if anyone, particularly a hyper-conservative, questions this fantasy, he is hated with pathological intensity.

For that is what some of our current liturgy is. A pathology. Hopefully the new English translation will bring a generous amount of healing to our condition and we can get back to actually worshipping God in our Mass.

PETER GILET
Albany, WA

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 19 No 11 (December 2006 - January 2007), p. 15