The empty calorie church of Post Vatican II
Many years ago I had a bible thumping Baptist living next door. To make matters worse he was an x-Catholic with an apparent ax to grind with the church. During the summer one of my joys in life was to sit on my deck listening to the cubs on the radio, with a cold beer in hand, reading some periodical.
This became increasingly more impossible as I was constantly badgered by the holy roller to attend his church. Now despite the fact Francis would of said go fer it my response was to put up a privacy wall on the end of my deck facing his property. There is a history to this, he and his wife are a little younger than me and former cradle Catholics. Both went to Catholic grade school and high school in the archdiocese of Chicago then for some reason turned bible thumping Baptists. Well I know the reason. Its called Vatican II. They would badger all the neighbors to attend their church. I guess it was like a pbs pledge drive. We won’t go away and give you any peace until you anti up. My Methodist neighbor across the street commented to me once “does that guy ever shut up?”. The answer was no! I had a roof put on the house that year and the wife shimmied halfway up the ladder trying to convert my roofer.
I guess my privacy wall got the best of him as one evening as he comes to the front door (which I stupidly answered) and asked “after you die what do you think will happen to you”. I have this horrible problem with honesty, you can thank Sister Esther and her magic ruler for that! So I told him if I am lucky, Purgatory. That opened the flood gates.
AH HA! He said like a pantomime horse there is no purgatory! I ask what bible he used, it was the King James. Then I told him the King James was heavily edited by Martin Luther who simply left out stuff he did not believe in. Purgatory being one. I said if you had the book of Maccabees you would know after a battle they prayed for the dead. If purgatory did not exist then whats the point. I then casually mentioned thanks for your offer to attend your church. My Catholic church is like a 4 course steak and lobster dinner. Why would I want to give that up for the Dr. Pepper and snickers bar you offer me? He then went off into the night with his tail between his legs. You see they don’t like Catholics who actually know their faith.
Unfortunately after Vatican II just like a restaurateur trying to make ends meet by cheapening quality the meal has suffered. One example is church music. Our beautiful Latin chants have been replaced by cheap schmaltz thanks to the gather collection. The one that most aggravates me is the charming “Mary did you know?”. What an insult to our lady! Of course she knew you fatheads! She was born without sin and talked to the Archangel Gabriel to boot. It has all the reverence and beauty of that coke commercial years ago, “I’d like to teach the world to sing”.
Malnutrition courtesy of the Fruits of Vatican II