Lessons from Mass at St. Typical’s

I found this piece by Fr. Robert McTeigue over at Canon 212. Frank Walker’s aggregation of world and Church news demands daily reading, and this piece is one reason why. Your typical Catholic, blogger or not, would simply not come across this type of post. But I digress.

It has not been so many years ago that this novus ordo refugee escaped that wretched experiment that I do not recognize this priest’s lament of a typical parish n.o. ‘celebration’. It is a long piece but well worth reading in full. A taste:

Now let’s turn to the element of Mass that causes the greatest heartache for so many priests each weekend, namely, the way that people receive Holy Communion. Again, the literature on this topic is quite extensive. Even a cursory survey would be impossible. Instead, I will ask you to put yourself in Father’s place. Imagine that it’s Friday. The weekend is finally here! Time to celebrate! But not so for Father. Friday means that he must ready himself for another round of weekend Masses at Saint Typical’s. As he steels himself for the weekend, he recalls what he saw last week:

1. The young man who put out just one hand to receive Holy Communion — because he held a 7-11 Big Gulp in the other.
2. The gentleman who dropped a Host on the floor and, without missing a beat, said, “Oops! Can I get another one?”
3. The smiling woman Father had never met before, who sticks out one hand to receive Holy Communion, while with the other hand she thrusts a pyx under his nose, saying, “I’ll take four please — it’s for my ministry!”
4. And Father knows that after every Mass, he will have to get down on his hands and knees to look for consecrated Hosts under the pews and stuck between the pages of hymnals.

Despite every effort he has made, congregants give Father no reason to believe that this week will be better than last week.

Father concludes, at the end of a very true and fairly exhaustive litany of liturgical crimes at the typical novus ordo, by writing: “At the outset, I spoke of lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi. The only way forward that I can see is to restore the lex to the orandi.

Of course, the LEX to the ORANDI was distilled in more-or-less perfect form in 1570– lex-ing what was oran-ding for more than a millennium before. The only way out of this is for what remains of the Latin Church to jettison once and for all the fabricated liturgy of the modernists. Of course. OF COURSE.

But that is a post for Captain Obvious. I would like to make a couple of further observations, because that is the Grade-A superblog material you pay for here:

First, I really feel for the priests of St. Typical parishes everywhere. Yes, some may have bought into this foolishness. Yes, some may not really care and–as my brother sometimes Bobsphemes of the great Catholic poet Bob Dylan in the mid-80s (jokingly, I hope)– are just cashin’ them checks. But there are so many priests, and we all know some, who are in love with Christ and are trying to live their vocation and save souls. They get discouraged. They have been deprived of the formation and food of the faith they deserve. They are there, with their flock, doing the best they can. And they have the novus ordo to work with, and so many souls to try to save. No reform, real or pretend, of the novus ordo is going to fix the problem. They deserve the real Mass, of course. But they deserve our prayers as well. Let us not forget them in prayer.

Second, lest we think that the homily cited above only applies to St. Typical parishioners, we should all take heed of the message that the miracle of Holy Mass demands we examine our consciences on our preparation for it and participation in it. Just in the last month or two, in our church– which may be the largest TLM community in the country– the priests have felt the need to deliver two sermons on proper decorum in Church during Mass. Ask: Are we late? Do we prepare well to assist at Mass, and more importantly to receive Our Lord? Do we pray? Are we willingly distracted? Are we grateful?

In the ancient Mass, we do not lack for silence, reverence, and beauty. The Mass is as perfectly oriented to the worship God deserves as that of which human beings are capable. Are we consciously sensible of this great gift of God? Even if we are trying to be properly disposed, we can always strive to do better.

And we should.

I sincerely wish you and yours a blessed and fruitful Holy Week followed by a most joyful Eastertide!

Prayer Request

By whatever name he is properly called, this man needs our prayers for repentance and forgiveness of his sins, just as any of us does. The fact that praying for him may not come easily might be the best reason to do so.

We all need mercy. So, let us not fail in charity.

Speculum Justitiae, ora pro nobis!

From Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich’s Vision of the Harrowing of Hell— an Insight Proven True

In the centre of Hell I saw a dark and horrible-looking abyss, and into this Lucifer was cast, after being first strongly secured with chains; thick clouds of sulphureous black smoke arose from its fearful depths, and enveloped his frightful form in the dismal folds, thus effectually concealing him from every beholder. God himself had decreed this; and I was likewise told, if I remember right, that he will be unchained for a time fifty or sixty years before the year of Christ 2000. The dates of many other events were pointed out to me which I do not now remember; but a certain number of demons are to be let loose much earlier than Lucifer, in order to tempt men, and to serve as instruments of the divine vengeance. I should think that some must be loosened even in the present day, and others will be set free in a short time.

The Dolorous Passion of Jesus Christ, chapter 59

England is Gone

You know that already, of course. It’s been gone since 1558.

What is Later than Better Late than Never?

Maybe this (from Kansas Catholic on twitter) but Cdl. Müller calling for a trial of the heretical German bishops is welcome, all the same.

Maybe the good Cardinal will call for a trial of heretical Argentinian bishop(s) next? And not just call for one, but hold one and act on one.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

And This is Why I Read Ann Barnhardt

This, here. The critique of Gordon’s actual words. Well done.

Not Me

Well, anyway, not after Lent:

Most Americans fear expressing political, religious views at work: Poll

I posted this because the headline made me laugh— my spiritual director suggested that for Lent I should refrain from giving my opinion unless it was asked for. See, he gets me. After I ended one laughing jag he “explained” how it’s really a penance for everyone else who are otherwise “deprived of my wisdom!” That’s when I lost it and laughed my fool head off.

____________

Since you asked, I highly recommended a good spiritual director who can call you out when required.

Feria

This week is one of the deep fasts of Lent for me. Last week we had the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas to celebrate, and next week the calendar is replete with feasts– St. Joseph, St. Benedict, and the great Feast of the Annunciation. Following that week is Passiontide, and the fast intensifies. This third week of Lent is therefore a particularly difficult one for me. Going from non-penitential to penitential and back again strikes right at my lack of self-discipline. Going totally without some thing or other I can do. Overindulging is easy. Moderation is a constant struggle.

In this light I see the unfortunate reality of my pride. It does have an enduring vitality, and even in fasting and abstinence pride can intrude. It does intrude. I can go all Lent only drinking water, as I did sometimes in the past? Big woo. After Lent it is so easy to give over to all the indulgences I so proudly give up in Lent. It is so easy to see that improvement of soul is either illusory or temporary and weak. Early in my “tradversion”, I recall one Lent–ONE– where I could sense consolation, offer up suffering, and see improvement in the spiritual life. I perceived I was being given spiritual insights and I was aware that God was giving them. That of course was a great gift of God, but I understand that even Lents where I sense no such things are also great gifts of God. The point of my example is that even that year, when it seemed like I turned a corner, it was squandered over the last several years of disappointment. Not enough disappointment to change anything, mind you. The slide of mediocrity continues.

In Septuagesimatide and on into Lent, so many of the scripture readings warn against worldly attachments. With the world plunging down a hole, no Catholic can fail to understand that the attachment to worldly things is a disappointment now and death in the world to come. So in the midst of this struggle of Lent I was struck by the pairing of psalms in Lauds today. I usually don’t pray Lauds but rather some other hour of the breviary. Today I simply wanted to forget about my various concerns and just give Him praise and thanks. As usual, Christ operates in the Liturgy and I got a lesson in praise through His Mercy and the cost of it.

The first psalm is perhaps the greatest of the penitential psalms, Psalm 50. This is the psalm of David after his mortal sins with Bethsabee. Every sinner can relate to the depths of his misery and his sincere pleading for forgiveness:

6 To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged. 7 For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me. 8 For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me. 9 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. 10 To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.

I was surprised to see this psalm chosen for Lauds, even in Lent. Lauds is the hour of praise, right? It isn’t even a Friday. Well, the lament and pleading continue in this psalm, a fairly long one at that. But in praying it I was struck by the confidence of David as he begs mercy; that confidence is not in himself, but in Him Whom he has offended. That confidence was and is rewarded, and at last he gives praise in that confidence:

17 O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise. 18 For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted. 19 A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Right after Psalm 50, the Church gives Psalm 42, so familiar to those who assist at the ancient Mass. Its words comprise the prayers at the foot of the altar recited by the priest as he prepares to climb the the hill of Calvary to offer the Sacrifice. The words, if applied to us, sound like hubris. Applied to Christ, the High Priest and Victim, they call God to witness the justice of His cause and His Innocence:

Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. 2 For thou art God my strength: why hast thou cast me off? and why do I go sorrowful whilst the enemy afflicteth me? 3 Send forth thy light and thy truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto thy holy hill, and into thy tabernacles. 4 And I will go in to the altar of God: to God who giveth joy to my youth. 5 To thee, O God my God, I will give praise upon the harp: why art thou sad, O my soul? and why dost thou disquiet me?

6 Hope in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

This psalm is also a psalm of David. This is the same David who, when in the depths of regret and misery, begged the Lord for forgiveness. Now he calls on God to judge him and to distinguish his cause from those who do evil. It would be easy to think he’s got a lot of nerve, right? Of course, the Messias is David’s Son, and this psalm most appropriately refers to Our Lord. He has every right to claim the just cause.

But back to David. Reading this psalm in light of Psalm 50, David describes, wittingly or unwittingly, the cost of the forgiveness he sought there. He describes what it cost Christ, and what it will cost him, not to mention us. He is sorrowful and the enemy afflicteth him. But when God sends forth His light and His truth, he will be conducted unto God’s holy hill– he will go in to the altar of God. To God Who giveth joy to his youth.

And so again, he gives praise. This praise of Lauds–unexpected– struck me this Lenten Feria. He is sorry. He needs forgiveness. He asks sincerely and confidently. He receives it, and climbs the holy hill to Calvary, wherein lies his salvation, and the perfect imitation of Christ’s love for us. Remember, David said in Psalm 50, that if God wanted sacrifice he would indeed give it! And this gives him joy, joy to his youth— vitality, strength, life eternal. A very good lesson for today, I think.

And so, hope in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

Today is the Tenth Anniversary

…of nothing, legally speaking.

Prosecuted for Telling the Truth: the Future is Now

This is not unique, but as a marker on the world’s ski jump into hell I point you to this story about a UK protestant minister’s arrest for correctly referring to a tranny as a man. It would be easy enough to point out that this is England, the country that so loves to persecute Catholics and others who adhere to any part of the truth. But we all know that every Western country is on the same team when it comes to sexual perversion and the silencing of truth. Ask (though of course you can’t) someone detained without process for attending a political rally in 2021.

It won’t be long, should heaven not intervene, that you and I will face death for telling the truth. Our Lord warned us, and here it comes.

Offer up your Lenten penances that Our Lord and His mother will succor us and convert hearts.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!