The first ever I Thirst Orange County, a day of prayer, music, teaching and celebration, takes place at Christ Cathedral on Saturday, Nov. 19, kicking off a three-year, 21-city Evangelical tour known as Jesus Thirsts for America.
Deacon Steve Greco, I Thirst organizer and director of evangelization and faith formation at the Diocese of Orange, describes Jesus Thirsts for America as a Eucharistic revival, giving many Catholics the opportunity to experience Jesus Christ in a unique way, while enhancing their prayer life and inspiring devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Deacon Greco said he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to be a messenger for the Lord through I Thirst Orange County. Jesus Thirsts for America, and other religious events that take place on a grand scale are needed now more than ever, said Deacon Greco, who is also president of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry, which engages in evangelization and support of the foreign missions.
“All you have to do is look at the society we are in right now, how many people are not going to church,” Deacon Greco said. “People who say they don’t believe in God is at an all-time high in our lifetimes. There needs to be almost a counter approach to what the world is offering, and this is, I believe, a great opportunity for that.”
I Thirst activities will take place in English, Vietnamese and Spanish.
The day will begin at the arboretum, starting with music ministry at 8 a.m. followed by Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin Vann and Bishop Timothy Freyer at 8:30 a.m.
Following Mass, Bishop Freyer will oversee Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Speakers for I Thirst include FatherRobert Spitzer, president of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith, and founder of the Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership, a nonprofit serving parishes, members of the clergy and educators.
The topic of Fr. Spitzer’s talk is, “The Holy Eucharist, Miracles and Devotion….”
The above comes from a Nov. 9 posting in OC Catholic.
This is good news. Although I’ve only met Deacon Steve via Zoom meetings, he is a good and gifted man. We need to return to the basics; our Lord Jesus Christ, His Real Presence in the Eucharist and His Mother, the Holy Theotokos, leading the way.
I encourage any of you in or near Orange County to attend. May God bless Deacon Steve and those working with him in this worthy endeavor.
Instead of focusing so much energy and money and time on these “event” and “traveling preachers”, why not get back to basics and improve the celebration of Masses at parishes? You want to know why lots of people leave Catholicism and don’t go to Mass? Because Mass is celebrated poorly. Walk into any typical parish in the country, and ask yourself if it seems to be “the source and summit” of the Christian life. You’ll answer “no.” You’ll hear terrible music, bad preaching, and you’ll see people who look bored out of their minds. Bishops: give your priests the tools to preach and preside better, and then expect them to improve. Pastors: hire competent and knowledgeable music directors and pay them a decent professional salary so that you don’t have to have week after week of OCP or P&W dreck screeched by post-menopausal has-beens, if they ever were. Improve the Mass; the Mass is the center. Stop focusing on ancillaries.
You make a good point. Yet, it’s not one or the other. It’s, as Catholic things often are, both/and. All these good things should be done. If lay faithful and clergy attend Mass, Adoration and Benediction with these bishops and hear Father Robert Spitzer, president of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith, talk on, “The Holy Eucharist, Miracles and Devotion,” I think they’ll return to their parishes more committed to improving the celebration of the Mass. Of course, Mass is the center, because Jesus is the center.
Mass is prayer, not performance.
Execution matters
I agree. Things added and things removed are a distraction from prayer. Say the black, do the red
The Mission of the Church is to evangelize.
The source and summit of the Catholic Faith is the Eucharist who is Jesus Christ.. The Eucharistic celebration (the Mass) no matter how “boring” you find it, is the way that we unite ourselves to Christ. At Mass we worship God, thank Him for his blessings, atone for our sins and ask for His help.
A poor understanding of the Mass is evident here.
No, the church has taught since Vatican II that the quality of a liturgy’s celebration matters greatly in the effectiveness of the Mass. It’s not mere ex opere operato efficacy. The priest’s ars celebrandi can be poor or it can be outstanding. In too many places it’s very, very poor. When the priest celebrates Mass perfunctorily, it impedes the effectiveness of the Mass.
The efficacy of the Mass does not depend on the priest.
The effects of the Mass are infinite no matter how poorly said.
This is where you are wrong and fail to account for human beings as bodily creatures. The Mass does not work automatically; if it did, there would be no more sin among Catholics who attend Mass and receive the Eucharist. But we realize the Mass doesn’t have that effect in people. The Eucharist is confected ex opere operato by the priest, but the fruits of the sacrament depend on the dispositions of the faithful, which are affected by the manner and ars celebrandi of the priest. A priest who celebrates Mass well can make people better disposed to receive the fruits of the Eucharist than a priest who celebrates Mass poorly. A Mass with better music is likewise better than a Mass with poor music. The ars celebrandi matters. It’s not unimportant.
You’re correct. Quality can speak for himself/herself, but may have been addressing the human effects on those attending. “Mere ex opere operato” may have had the emphasis on “mere.” We shouldn’t give God, who has given us His Only-Begotten Son, the bare minimum.
(A battlefield baptism in the mud with puddle water is valid. But, it shouldn’t be the norm.)
Should we celebrate Masses poorly and have poor music, etc. simply because such poor quality doesn’t invalidate the Mass? We should have quality worship, to the best of our human abilities, aided by planning, grace and more. Don’t we want to give God glory with beauty? Those attending, especially unbelievers or those weak in the Faith, are affected by poorly celebrated sacraments. We want to reach the unchurched and nominal Catholics (and give God glory from our best). I hope, and think, we agree on that.
I think you are probably using words differently than the Church uses them.
And anonymous clergyman does point out that those who are weak in faith are affected by poorly celebrated sacraments.
I think your grace and merit is increased by patience with a poorly said Mass. If you are sitting there getting upset and judging, you probably will receive the same grace but not accept it.
The proper disposition at Mass really is not effected by the Mass being poorly said. Proper disposition is to be unaware of grave sin to have fasted for one hour and to be ready to worship devoutly. There are distractions at poorly said Masses and even at well said Masses.
You are offered all the fruits of the Mass and its effects. There are prayers you can say prior to Mass and the Introductory Rite helps dispose you to hear the Word, the Creed, and all the Prayers help to dispose you to receive Communion.
As for music, sing along. The words are always good (with some exceptions-if it is one of those, skip those words.)
We had a very bad choir for a long time and then the people changed and things improved. Offer it up.
I am envious of my Baptist friend’s description of her church services. Her pastor’s preaching leaves her “fired up” for the Lord each Sunday. Meanwhile, our pastor at last Sunday’s Mass (and each Sunday before that) has grade C- homilies. He only leaves us fired up with anger when each week he us asks to clap our hands if we love our families, clap our hands if we love our souls in Heaven, clap our hands if we loved the music, and clap our hands if we love Jesus . “I didn’t hear you clap your hands. One more time!!!”. The utterly hopeless banality of it all.
You have a silly pastor but it can be really trying. But do not think a layman’s preaching is better than a Catholic Mass.
Are you clapping?
If you are, then you should stop.
Breathe. Turn toward the tabernacle.
Make an act of reparation and ask him to teach the priest to “say the black and do the red.”
Give him to Mary.
Hermione, yours is living, breathing example of why the Church is its death spasm…its pathetic I know a good priest who have been victimized by his corrupt Bishop. Mean while the Bishop has a live in boyfriend.. as for your pastor do not play nice. Confront him directly tell him of his banality and then find another parish.