Thursday, January 15, 2009

What is wrong with this picture?


One word: clutter.

This is what they call "decorations for Advent."

Second word: stupid.

Where does one start? Ferns? Plastic candles? A crusty stump on the altar? Goofy violet trim, bowl of water on the floor, sloppy outdoor carpet runer on lumber, credence table mess atop altar of sacrifice, cord for sombody to trip over, rocks and branches/plants on the ground, etc.?

Rent a dumpster, strip this mess out and fire whoever is in charge. Then dress the altar in its starched linen and place the magnificent matching cross and candle sticks (that were commissioned for this altar by famed artists and paid for by the faithful) in the center.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey man... don't be so hard on the priest. The dog has to drink too! don Jeffry

Anonymous said...

This particular altar certainly has an odd shape - cruciform??? I don't know who exactly started it but in most Italian churches there is the practice of having two short candles at one end of the altar and a flower arrangement at the other. When did Zen Masters take over liturgical rubrics?

Anonymous said...

The Italians also love the goofy arrangement where two stumpy candles or oil lamps are on one side of the altar and a pot of flowers is in the other corner. Pope Benedict can use his arrangement wherever he offers Mass but most priests in charge of parish churches or even these Roman churches are lazy, disinterested, unaware of the Benedictine Reform of the Reform (because they seldom read anything), or they simply don't feel like rocking the boat.

Anonymous said...

Velletri = Arinze.