Letters: Tabernacle

Sydney
19 January

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Letters: Tabernacle

In a recent Vatican document, Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, the teaching Church indicated the relationship of liturgy and popular piety which can help focus a discussion on the tabernacle: Liturgy is necessary and popular piety is optional (Tabernacle, Letters CW 15/12 & 29/12).

In its treatment of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the document reminds us that this devotion is meant to "enable the faithful to celebrate the memorial of the Lord".

So the focus must always be the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

To enable the faithful to fruitfully draw from this devotion, which is characterised by silent prayer, the teaching Church asks that the Most Blessed Sacrament be reserved in a place "suitable for prayer".

As the local parishes have responded to the invitation of the Vatican Council to restore the "full, conscious and active participation of all the faithful … (their right and duty)", to the celebration of the memorial of the Lord, the ability of the parish to provide an adequate opportunity for silent prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament has been varied. For some parishes such an opportunity has been created, and for others it has not. This search has not been without pain.

However, we need to continue to be guided by the wisdom of the teaching Church and strive to enable all devotions to serve the liturgy.

Our parishes need to be clearly focused that this has to be achieved.

Fr David Orr OSB
Arcadia, NSW

TORCH THE MANGER?

The call for Women In Solidarity Ecumenically to reflect upon an alternative to the Flight into Egypt (What if Egypt's border guards had turned the Holy Family back? CW 22/12) is an interesting one.

I cannot see any wisdom in 60 women, some Catholic, being encouraged to spend time imagining that the Angel of the Lord would tell Joseph to take the infant Saviour and his mother on a futile journey.

Readers would be better served if they reflected on the gospel of St Matthew. Chapter 2 covers the journey of the three wise men, who were warned not to return to Herod. St Matthew seemed to imply that God had given a little more thought to possible pitfalls in his plan than members of Women in Solidarity Ecumenically.

Why would anyone in their right mind think that God's plan for our redemption, and the future of the Catholic Church, would depend upon a recently contrived interpretation of Egyptian refugee policy?

I suggest that the women repeat their pilgrimage to the Villawood Detention Centre and reflect upon the equally ridiculous possibility that the Angel of the Lord told Joseph: "Rise, take the child and his mother, torch the manger and flee to Egypt."

Geoff Mongan
Campbell, ACT

BANK OF HEAVEN

Arthur Archer's letter about the persistence of calls on our purse by charities (Alms and the man, CW 29/12) struck a chord with me.

It is something many of us experience. Charities seem to write to us at least three times monthly and some do so even more often. It's very hard to refuse.

Trying to balance the needs that charities seek to meet and our own needs at Christmas may seem to be our problem. But I believe most of our 'needs' are really 'wants'. There is a big difference.

On Christmas Day with my extended family I was struck by the large sums spent on toys and Christmas fare.

Where is our real need? Is it really toys and holiday fare.

When we face Christ, will he say: "I was hungry and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink?"

The requests from charities worry me; but do we have a choice? I can't just shrug it off. To me giving is like putting money in the Bank of Heaven.

They tell me the return on the investment is 100 per cent.

Syd McCarthy
Auburn, NSW

HOLY UNION

As a psychiatrist I see many married couples for various reasons. Abuse of partners is very common. The solution is rarely separation (Relieving guilt, Letters CW 22/12).

The Catholic understanding of marriage as a holy union of two humans with God in a covenant of love, a sacramental state continually filled with grace, changes the "reality".

What we see and experience is not the true reality. I am not just what you perceive, but a creature of God, loved eternally by God, and redeemed by his death. I will live forever, and as I am loved, so God is loved and glorified, as God identifies with me.

What is true of me is true of you. As I love you, I love God himself, whoever and whatever you are, saint, alcoholic, bore or abuser.

To love only what is compatible and pleasing to the ego is not love as Jesus demands. "If you love those who love you what is so marvellous about this?

Do not the heathens do as much?"

Dr Alex Sharah,
Merrylands, NSW

LITERAL BELIEF

I believe that the Church needs to return to a literal belief in Genesis, and modify some of the wording in the Mass, such as in the Nicene Creed when we say "for us men" (surely it should be "for us").

More thought as to what we are saying would steer us away from becoming automatons in our worship at the Lord's Supper. May we be healed.

Neil Crossman
Bowral, NSW