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2003 ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
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Contents © 2002
by Jim Holman.
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CHRIST THE KING, HANCOCK PARK

Gonna Trouble the Water

Christ the King parish in Hancock Park (624 N. Rossmore Avenue) was one of the three parishes that sponsored Boy Scout Troop 363, of which I was a member, back in the early 1970s (the others being Blessed Sacrament and St. Ambrose). In later years, the ornate sanctuary was stripped, an action partially redeemed in recent years with a restoration of the reredos under the direction of church decorator, Rhett Judice. On January 12, 2003, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, I revisited the place to attend the 10:30 a.m. Mass.

Judice's work has improved the sanctuary tremendously. Hancock Park was, and to some degree still is, a wealthy area (Mae West lived close to the church until her death), and this is reflected in the architecture of both Christ the King and its neighbor, St. Brendan's. Christ the King is in an Italian-Byzantine style, with certain Gothic and even Art Deco features. Its statues are lovely, as is the crowned Christ on the crucifix over what remains of the high altar. The table, although boxy, has a beautiful representation of the Blessed Sacrament on its front. The tabernacle is on the left side of the altar, against the wall, and adjoining the lectern. The communion rail is long since gone.

When I arrived, the six-woman, two-man choir was practicing by the piano on the right side of the sanctuary with the goateed and casually dressed cantor. One of the chorines was an IHM nun I had known and liked as a boy. They were attempting to rehearse a rather difficult African spiritual, "Wade in the Water." Having achieved the effect they desired, the cantor turned his attention to the congregation. The church was packed with mostly Filipinos and some Latinos, with a sprinkling of elderly Anglos. These were instructed to sing the chorus and to continue singing it while the cantor sang the verses. Although the lyrics are simple -- "Wade in the water Wade in the water Children now, wade in the water Don't you know that God's gonna trouble the water?" -- We were told that spirituals had to be sung from the soul. This was perhaps a bit difficult for us to achieve; nevertheless, the piece was belted out as the "gathering song," while a young crucifer in red cassock and surplice, followed by a lectoress in a chic black-and-white checked blouse and matching skirt, clutching the lectionary, preceded the celebrant, Father Charles Chaffman, up the aisle. (Father Chaffman is priest-in-residence at Christ the King as well as adjutant judicial vicar for the marriage tribunal office.

Two young cassocked-and-surpliced altar girls met the processional party in the sanctuary. Father turned to face us, while one of the altar girls held a pitcher of water, which held an aspergillum. Father Chaffman informed us that, "while we have all been baptized, and have all encountered Christ many times, we are all tempted. We share that as part of humanity -- it is what we all share." He then blessed the water and performed a sort of asperges as he walked down the aisle.

The choir sang a Gloria set to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard on High." It featured the standard refrain of Gloria in Excelsis Deo, lustily sung by the congregation, perhaps in reparation for our failure with "Wade in the Water." The two readings, interspersed with psalms sung by the cantor, were delivered by the lectoress. Both bowed when facing the tabernacle. Father Chaffman then read the Gospel, Mark 1: 7-11, which tells the story of Christ's baptism in the Jordan.

Leaving the lectern, Father then began his sermon (walking to and fro before the sanctuary) by asking, "what kind of parents would take their son through, say, Larchmont Village, past an ice cream shop, and then tell him that good Catholic boys don't like ice cream? Or would tell their daughter that everyone can fly like Peter Pan. And say she got up one morning, tried it, and fell on her face. Noticing that she had never seen them fly either, she might ask why they didn't. What if they replied that they only flew in front of other people who can fly?"

What Father Chaffman was "trying to say," he said, "is that we often give young people the wrong idea about what it is to be human. We all face temptation, but we make a mistake when we say there is something shameful about it. In my work on the tribunal, I decided to have cloistered Carmelite nuns act as transcribers, typing up testimonies in the marital cases. Since these often involve infidelities and things like that, a friend asked me, 'how can you have them do that? They're cloistered nuns.' I repeated his concerns to the Mother Superior, who said, 'Father, we weren't born in the convent.'"

Father then explained that, "in former times, the Church had books of penances -- if a person did this and such, then this and such was the prescribed penance. A lot of people think that means the Church was uptight, but I think it was just being realistic. People are tempted in one direction or another; some fall; this is the proper penance, after which follows God's forgiveness. It was a recognition that people back then sinned, of how they sinned, and how it was to be fixed.

"Now I am by no stretch of the imagination saying that sin is okay -- it is not," continued Chaffman. "But temptation by itself is nothing to be ashamed of. In my early priesthood, a gentleman confessed to me that he was often tempted to do a particular act. I asked him if he had ever done it, and he replied 'no.' Here, he deserved a medal, not to be ashamed! He had never given in to it! There was no reason for him to feel shame.

"They say that generally, although there are exceptions, we sin less when we are happy and more when we are stressed or anxious. Certainly, shame over temptation is one of Satan's tools. Sin comes to us from three directions -- the world, the flesh, and the devil (so it is not all Satan's doing). We need to recognize that temptation is part of our common human condition, which affects everyone. In the Gospel today, the Church leaves out the next two sentences, which speak of Christ going into the desert for 40 days and being tempted. If the second person of the Holy Trinity could be tempted, how could the rest of us not be? So let's recognize this and do our best to resist temptation, without shame."

The Creed was a fairly novel presentation; after each article was sung, the congregation sang back, "we believe, we believe, we believe." During the offertory, "Come to the Water," by Father Foley, S.J., was sung. Father Chaf fman recited Eucharistic Prayer II, while the congregation knelt. We sang the traditional "Our Father." The handshake of peace was long and drawn out, and Father came down to participate in it. Five eucharistic ministers appeared -- four to dispense the Precious Blood, and one who, along with Father Chaffman, distributed the Hosts. We processed up to communion, back to front. A sizeable minority (including both altar girls) received on the tongue.

After the communion, an old man in plastic jacket hobbled up to the sanctuary and sang, in a rich baritone, "On Jordan's Bank." Father Chaffman then read announcements, and concluded by advising us of the presence of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and coffee, as well as bagels and cream cheese, in the auditorium. In a salute to the end of the Christmas season, the recession hymn was "Joy to the World." The sanctuary party departed, the traditional applause was administered, and we trooped of to the auditorium to sample the awaiting bounty.

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