On Girls as Altar Servers
I am, as my readers know, very faithful to the traditions of the Catholic Church. I did not like the changes brought in by the Spirit of Vatican II, and since I was never allowed to discuss them in the parish I resorted to the pen which is mightier than the sword and upset many.
There is one thing that I did not openly criticise and that was the use of girls as altar servers. Listening to the objections of other traditionalists I was never quite convinced of their arguments. Yes parents were enthusiastic about their sons being on the altar for being an altar server was seen as the first step towards the priesthood. Yes, and in many cases it worked. It helped the boys discern their vocation and move on, but what about the possible religious vocation of the girls? Then there was the argument that the sanctuary was a male only place. Yes, I have some sympathy with this one since I am totally in agreement that priests and deacons are 'in persona Christi', and should represent Christ and the Fatherhood of God, but is there no place for a woman?
It must be about 15 years since I went back to Scotland after my sister died in order to arrange her funeral. I had word with the organist in the local parish about the hymns during the Mass. When I chose a hymn to Our Lady she replied that the Liturgy Committee in the parish would not allow it. I was shocked but as a guest in the parish I accepted her comment. Since then I have been thinking over the whole thing. Is there really no place for Mary in the Mass? I have been drawing closer to Mary recently and understanding more clearly her vital role in our Salvation. Of course the Son was the most perfect Sacrifice to the Father and no human could have won our salvation, but then Christ could not have been there to sacrifice Himself without Mary accepting her role as his mother. She was the bridge that made possible the reconciliation of the Son with the Father. She is therefore more than just a woman. All through His Ministry Mary was there in the background and someone would tell him during his preaching that his Mother and his brethren had arrived. She was responsible fort causing him to change the water into wine at the Marriage in Cana. Then at his Passion she walked with him to Calvary, knelt at the foot of his Cross, and she was the face that gave the human Jesus the strength to endure to the end. She too made an offering of her Son to the Father and joined her sufferings His. So if the Mass is Calvary made present in our day the offering of Mary will also be present Until someone comes back to me and shows this is heresy then I will stand by my conviction.
An altar server is someone who prepares the altar, who assists the priest in the Sacrifice, and in sound liturgies helps the priest give Christ to the people. He or she does all the background work but remains almost invisible like Mary. So why should an altar server not be a girl? And let me go further and ass why and Altar Server in a Parish cannot be a woman? Now I know there are many dangers in this. The last thing I would want is for someone to demand a right to be a woman altar server to further women power or so called equality. No, the altar server must be MARY on the altar who completely understands her role as Mary and is a member of some kind of Marian society or sodality.
So am I stupid, am I a heretic, am I a danger to the Church. What do you think?
There is one thing that I did not openly criticise and that was the use of girls as altar servers. Listening to the objections of other traditionalists I was never quite convinced of their arguments. Yes parents were enthusiastic about their sons being on the altar for being an altar server was seen as the first step towards the priesthood. Yes, and in many cases it worked. It helped the boys discern their vocation and move on, but what about the possible religious vocation of the girls? Then there was the argument that the sanctuary was a male only place. Yes, I have some sympathy with this one since I am totally in agreement that priests and deacons are 'in persona Christi', and should represent Christ and the Fatherhood of God, but is there no place for a woman?
It must be about 15 years since I went back to Scotland after my sister died in order to arrange her funeral. I had word with the organist in the local parish about the hymns during the Mass. When I chose a hymn to Our Lady she replied that the Liturgy Committee in the parish would not allow it. I was shocked but as a guest in the parish I accepted her comment. Since then I have been thinking over the whole thing. Is there really no place for Mary in the Mass? I have been drawing closer to Mary recently and understanding more clearly her vital role in our Salvation. Of course the Son was the most perfect Sacrifice to the Father and no human could have won our salvation, but then Christ could not have been there to sacrifice Himself without Mary accepting her role as his mother. She was the bridge that made possible the reconciliation of the Son with the Father. She is therefore more than just a woman. All through His Ministry Mary was there in the background and someone would tell him during his preaching that his Mother and his brethren had arrived. She was responsible fort causing him to change the water into wine at the Marriage in Cana. Then at his Passion she walked with him to Calvary, knelt at the foot of his Cross, and she was the face that gave the human Jesus the strength to endure to the end. She too made an offering of her Son to the Father and joined her sufferings His. So if the Mass is Calvary made present in our day the offering of Mary will also be present Until someone comes back to me and shows this is heresy then I will stand by my conviction.
An altar server is someone who prepares the altar, who assists the priest in the Sacrifice, and in sound liturgies helps the priest give Christ to the people. He or she does all the background work but remains almost invisible like Mary. So why should an altar server not be a girl? And let me go further and ass why and Altar Server in a Parish cannot be a woman? Now I know there are many dangers in this. The last thing I would want is for someone to demand a right to be a woman altar server to further women power or so called equality. No, the altar server must be MARY on the altar who completely understands her role as Mary and is a member of some kind of Marian society or sodality.
So am I stupid, am I a heretic, am I a danger to the Church. What do you think?
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