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15th Sunday After Pentecost

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Blessed Saturday within the Octave of the Blessed Mother’s nativity and the feast of the Holy Name of Mary. Sunday September 13 is the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, and below is Dr. Mike Foley’s reflection on this Sunday’s Collect: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/09/the-sensational-postcommunion-prayer-of.html#.X11RudR7nwc

Feast of the Holy Cross: Just a reminder Monday September 14 is the Feast of the Holy Cross when St. Helena found the relics of the True Cross in Jerusalem. It is also the 13th anniversary of Summorum Pontificum’s enactment date. We are not aware of any Latin Masses occurring in Charlotte that day but perhaps we may consider offering prayers for Pope Em. Benedict XVI and thanksgiving for his Moto Proprio granting laity and priests greater access to this Mass of Ages.

Sunday Latin Masses in the City of  Charlotte

11:30am – St. Thomas Aquinas parish – The parish requires signups to attend Sunday Masses however they have just expanded their capacity from 50 families to 60 families – so there are many extra seats now available. There are slots outside. All attendees will have the opportunity to receive Holy Communion. Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0445a4af29a6f94-thefeast

12:30pm – St. Ann parish – usual constraints for Mass since May (per diocese – not governor). Seating outside in plaza.

Respect Life Latin Mass – Saturday September 26

St. Ann will offer its 4th Saturday Latin Mass at 8:00am Saturday September 26. Afterwards a group will go out with Father to Planned Parenthood to pray. Those who do not are welcome to stay for a Holy Hour of Reparation led by a deacon.

Traditional Understanding of Obedience vs. Modernist Obedience (hyper obedience)

While COVID dominates the headlines, there is another more deadly virus that has infected nearly everyone including in the Church and that is the virus of modernism and its misapplication or confusion over the virtue of obedience.  Often Catholics mistakenly think that if a priest, bishop, or Pope, says “do this” on any topic, that a person is obliged follow the order without question and to do otherwise would be a sin (or a merit if they comply). While on faith and morals, that may be true, this is not the proper understanding on other topics as the below articles will note.

This problem came to light decades ago with predator priests and bishops (like Theodore McCarrick) who used fear and the false use of “obedience” to silence subjects &  whistleblowers. It was also used by clerics against laity who questioned the “new normal” of Vatican II and fought for the restoration of the Latin Mass and traditional Catholicism – yet thanks to these heroic laity who obeyed God (and some courageous priests), we have Latin Masses throughout western North Carolina today.

We raise this topic because modern or “hyper-obedience” is rearing its ugly head again – this time during the COVID protocols. We often hear people say “I comply with X, because my priest, bishop, superior or elected official told me to do so and I want to be obedient”.  As followers of Christ however, we owe our obedience and allegiance first to God, not man. There is legitimate reasons for obeying superiors and the Church but it also has clear limits.

As Fr. Daniel Nolan, FSSP, a Latin Mass priest in the Archdiocese of Denver, noted a few weeks ago (as his personal opinion but still instructive), when someone in authority asks us to do something that could violate our health, right reason, or the common good, Catholic laity are actually obliged to follow God, and not the authority (Acts 5:29). Sadly, the “sanitary police” were called on Fr. Nolan, but nevertheless his helpful message was captured in the third article below.

In Eric Sammons’ article below he highlights that even the level of inconvenience does not exempt a Catholic from rejecting an unjust request (i.e. we are still obliged to reject even trivial unjust requests). Sammons also notes the Church is not a cult in which we just follow blind orders. As one priest preached recently, God gave us a brain, let us to use it. This understanding of obedience also applies to priests or religious, in regards to their bishop or superior.

We have barely scratched the surface, but these excellent articles can help better explain what St. Thomas Aquinas says about obedience (Fr. Nolan is the 3rd article).

Latin Mass & Traditional News