Pi Lambda Upsilon

Ut unum sint

2011-01-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

These words, taken from the Holy Gospel according to St John, Chapter XVII, are also the basis of John Paul II's Encyclical Letter on Christian Unity. Christ desires, as this Gospel passage explicitly states, that His followers be ONE.

As we begin the week of prayer for Christian Unity, it is of note that three newly ordained Priests celebrated their First Masses today, having been ordained yesterday. There were, perhaps other men ordained to the Priesthood yesterday, but these three are of note to the Universal Church because they heard the call of Christ ut unum sint. These men followed the call of Christ, wherever it led them, counting not the cost. Until recent months, these three had been Bishops of the Anglican Communion. It could not have been easy for these men to have accepted the teaching of Leo XIII in Apostolicae Curae that Anglican Orders are null and void. Hearing the call of Christ to come to His Church is not without cost. For these men, this must have been a cross, which they nobly took up and carried.

The Holy Father, in his letter Anglicanorum Coetibus, has followed the imitation of St John the Baptist in today's Gospel, pointing the way to Christ. His Holiness has opened the way for those who have realized that Christ has called them into Communion with Him and His Church. His Apostolic Letter was a response to the request of many in the various Anglican Ecclesial Communion, who desired full, corporate communion with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Those Anglicans have realized that the ecclesial community that they love has gone off course from the Christian tradition in its many controversial ordinations over the last 30 years. Each has reached his own point of no return. For some it was the "ordination" of women to the "priesthood" -- the Anglican official position is that the priesthood is a ministry of word and sacrament -- not a sacrificing priesthood. I.e., they don't intend to ordain Priests in the way the Catholic Church does. That aside, many who identified themselves as Anglo-Catholics believe as Catholics. They accepted the Catholic teaching, and then were confronted with the "ordination" of women in the 1970s in Philadelphia, PA. For those who accepted that, like some from my own family who were Anglican, the ordination of the "Philadelphia Eleven" -- Eleven women who were "irregularly ordained" in the Episcopal Church USA [ECUSA] in 1974, was considered a fringe (originally invalid according to the ECUSA) movement. In 1976 (see same citation timeline) the ECUSA decided that no one was to be refused admission to orders on the basis of sex. In 1989, the first female Episcopal bishop was ordained. At that point others found that the line had been crossed, and "Swam the Tiber", i.e., converted to Catholicism. Then came Vicki Jean Robinson, an openly practicing homosexual bishop., then came the election of Schori as first female Presiding Bishop of the ECUSA. Interesting enough, in the UK, there are no female bishops, so when Schori "celebrated the Eucharist" over there, she was conceded that she could carry her mitre in procession, but could not wear it! Now, in the UK they are talking about female bishops, and this has been the breaking point for still more.

This does produce a bit of a snowball effect as the more traditionally minded are leaving the Church of England, thus abandoning her to the less traditionally minded. The Oxford Movement had strong influence on the so-called Anglo-Catholics. These are they who wish to adhere to the liturgical patrimony of England, and who tend to think more as Catholics than Protestants. My maternal grandparents were in such a group. They would never have identified themselves as Protestant (even though the official name of their church at the time was The Protestant Episcopal Church of America). This same movement was a great influence in the life of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, who also eventually converted.

At any rate, it is with great joy that Holy Mother Church welcomes these new sons (and their families) to her bosom. With equal joy, we, the faithful welcome these new Fathers in Christ and pray that God will bless their ministry in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham with much fruit.

A Year of Lasts

2010-11-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

We have entered into a year of lasts. Every Sunday, every Feast, we celebrate the Holy Mass in the English of the Ordinary Form, we use the lame-duck ICEL translation for those Proper Texts for the last time. Never again will we have to hear the prayer, for instance, of the First Sunday of Advent in the dumbed-down translation.
There are stories out that the CDW - Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments - has "tweaked" the translation from the gray-book that was produced. Some say their changes are not improvements. Well, we have no where to go but up from the current translation. Fr Z has commentary and translations that are good -- see his blog for more.
Today is the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle. Traditionally the prayer in honor of the birth of Christ begins today (perhaps last night to make a total of 27 days, a triple-novena). The text of the prayer is:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, (here mention specific intention of Novena) through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
The St Andrew Novena is said fifteen times each night beginning on the Feast of St Andew (again, it probably began after First Vespers of the Feast, which was celebrated until the simplification of the Liturgy in 1960-61 by John XXIII). If one begins on the eve of St Andrew's Feast, through Christmas Night, it comprises 27 days of a triple-Novena.
Happy Advent!

Wow! Has it been that long?

2010-11-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

I guess I've been busy or uninspired or something. I haven't posted in over a year! Where do I start?

Things are moving along here. Nice to have one's own place! That said, I have discovered lately that it is of little consolation to us who are living in the other 5% of the country that AT&T Mobility covers 95% of the country. I'm asking myself why I need to buy a $150 microcell in order to use the phone!

It's been a long year in some ways. The struggle of getting a building project off the ground when some are interested in functionalism... They wonder why it is that we can't just build a church that is an aluminum structure. They wonder why it should be shaped like a cross (i.e., cruciform); it costs too much money to have all of those angles, they say. Are they serious? Do they really think the House of God and Gate of Heaven should be modeled after a barn????

Then, there's the whole issue of wondering why we can't build the church on the outskirts of town, where there's more land. Yeah there's more land because it's not populated! The idea is that people can easily get to the church, so it should be in (or as close a possible to) the center of town. By the way, the ones who want it on the outskirts are not the ones who come outside of Sunday! There is daily Mass folks, as well as the possibility of adoring our Lord and King present in the Tabernacle!

Cooperation with Evil

2009-07-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

In the last entry reference was made to cooperation with evil. What is that? How much is OK? Is it a sin for me to support a business that supports evil? All of these are questions that arise in the discussion.
To understand the morality of this issue, one must first look at the basis of morality. Too often morality has been seen in terms of can I do this and get away with it, i.e., Is this a sin. The true question one should ask oneself (and Christ) is, What more must I do to become holy? In other words, simply avoiding mortal sin is not good enough. It does not truly give God the glory He deserves. It is true, that if one manages to remain in a state of grace at the time of death, one is saved. I, for one, do not want to hear a list of things that I did to cooperate with evil and have only the defense, but that didn't constitute a mortal sin, did it?
Now, Satan has seen to it that we can scarcely avoid cooperating with evil in one way or the other. Often times we are left with choices between two or more goods, all of which cooperate with evil to one degree or another. That is the time where one has to choose the path of least cooperation with evil (we don't ever choose "the lesser of two evils" but rather the greater good or that which limits evil the most).
When one has the opportunity not to cooperate with evil at all, one should choose not to cooperate with evil at all. Even if the degree of cooperation is not such as to constitute the grave matter of a mortal sin, still, one should not electively cooperate with evil. Having just received my copy of the Boycott List from Life Decisions International, it is my intention to avoid cooperating with evil by avoiding patronizing corporations that give money to Planned Parenthood. When I have to lodge somewhere for the night, I will not stay at a hotel owned by a corporation that has given its sponsorship to Planned Parenthood. There are hotel from which to choose that do not, at least according to LDI's research, fund abortion. Sadly, Marriott, for whom I worked for over five years, has chosen to give to PP. Goodbye old friend. I have always preferred your lodging because I know it will be up to standards. Alas, I have found other places that have standards in their rooms and in the company they keep.
While Nike may mean victory in Greek, they have lost my business. There are other shoe companies that do not support the wanton slaughter of innocents with their money. Bank of America already earned my distrust when they posted a payment two days after they cashed the check from my account, conveniently late enough to charge me $35 for late payment. Their support of Planned Parenthood is over the top. Sadly other large banks have joined in as well. I'll be paying off the Chase card and shredding it. Wachovia and Wells-Fargo won't be getting my business either.
Now, there comes the sticky issue -- those companies or non-profit organizations (non-prophet?) that support Planned Parenthood and Embryonic stem cell research (in spite of the mounting evidence that it is a dead-end road). Some, in part may be because they do not themselves understand what it means to cooperate with evil. The Susan G Komen foundation (Race for the Cure), for instance, claims that it only paid for mamography services. It is sad that she would have anything to do with Planned Parenthood on the basis of their abortion record alone. What makes it ludicrous is that they are also one of the largest purveyors of artificial contraception in the county. HELLO! Have they not seen the research linking artificial contraception to breast, cervical, uterin, and ovarian cancer????? Why not just pay the fox to make sure the henhouse has not security problems! I am guessing that the American Cancer Society will have the same explanation [apologia] for their fund-giving. Did I tell you the devil was involved?? We are given the choice between helping these organizations raise money for cancer research, knowing that some percentage of it will go to Planned Parenthood? Fortunately, there are cancer centers that one can support without getting one's hand's stained with fetal blood.
There are a host of not-for-profit organizations that support embryonic stem cell research. In fact, if you name the disease, there probably is an organization on the list that thinks it would be OK to kill a few babies if it brings about a cure to their particular ailment. Is this not unbelievable? Michael J Fox, whom I used to respect, has a foundation in his name that thinks killing babies to cure Parkinson's is acceptable. There are organizations that want to kill babies for a cure for diabetes, cancers (many organizations, as there are many cancers), etc.
On the What-the-frak front, Save the Children, and the Council of Churches have both given money to PP. Then there's UNICEF -- Yes, I remember going around door-to-door asking people for money for UNICEF (thank you, Sister). Yep, they support (advocate) abortion and birth control.
The list is huge, and I recommend everyone go to the web site of Life Decisions International. Become a partner with them by donating. You'll receive a list, which will also help you to partner with them by letter writing and boycotting. For my part, I intend to the best of my ability, not to support any corporation or non-profit organization that has supported Planned Parenthood or embryonic stem cell research in any way. It will only be when people get the message out there that any contact with evil such as that taints an organization so badly as to make it unapproachable, that these organizations will back away from Planned Parenthood and embryonic stem cell research. When they back away, we will see improvements, because PP will run out of funds.

Distortions of Christianity

2009-07-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the newest in the series of films about the witch-boy Harry has come out. Once again our young people who have been poorly catechized will be misled. Then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, in 2003, wrote to a German scholar who had written a book about the problems and dangers of the Harry Potter series. He told her, "It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly."
It seems pretty clear to most clear-thinking individuals where the current Roman Pontiff, now gloriously reigning, stands on the series. It is obvious that the series is dangerous to the formation of souls, especially of the young, but also of others who have not been thoroughly catechized (read here: those raised since 1965). It is clear that things such as the witches seen celebrating Christian holidays sends the message that Christianity and the black arts are not opposed.
It is also clear that the woman who wrote these stories is herself completely comprimised as far as Christian Moral teaching is concerned. Otherwise, she would not have made the big announcement last year that one of the big protagonists in the story suffers from same-sex attractions (SSA). Of course, having been compromised by modernism, she doesn't see his SSA as a problem, but just a different expression (much as witchcraft is just a different expression of Christianity in her world-view). Some have it, others don't ("muggles" or some such name is attatched to those who don't or can't practice the arts of Satan). Sounds like the "mundanes" of the world of Babylon-5 (which was infinitely more entertaining).
Now, having belonged to a gym that played movies in the cardio room, I have actually witnessed some of the movies (or parts thereof) from the series. Good cinematography and all that, but distorted. The lesson the children in these films show, much like the rest of the tripe Hollywood produces, is that you can do whatever you wish. They get away with doing things that are forbidden (even by the standards of their SSA-afflicted Headmaster), and get away with it. Typical Hollywood, the children disobey, and it turns out they were right after-all. How ingenious of them to come up with that. Hollywood has only run the disobedience saves the day subplot for 30-40 years! Oh, wait, isn't disobedience of the Devil? Subtle seductions as the Pope said.
Now, we have the unfortunate issue to deal with those who are in positions of influence over youth in our parishes, who take their children to see this stuff. This is scandalous! Of course, it's bad enough that any parents take their kids to see this. If there had not been an utter failure in catechesis over the last 30-40 years, we wouldn't have to worry about Catholic parents doing that. Unfortunately, most of us were just taught Jesus loves you, let's go make a banner! and nothing further. Hence, they see no problem with taking their children to see these movies.
Oh, did I mention that AOL-Time-Warner, who produces this tripe, also supports Planned Parenthood? Yes, that's right, your ticket to see the latest installment in the witch-boy series is remote material cooperation with evil! Still need a reason to stay home???

Vos fugam capietis et ego vadam immolari pro vobis.

2009-04-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

In the second responsory for the Office of Tenebrae, the words of Christ are, in the literal sense of the word, con-fused. They are fused together. Please do not mistake this for the usual meaning of confused, as in mixed-up. This is a masterful fusing together, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Sad is my soul unto death: stay ye here and watch with me; now ye shall see the mob that shall surround me: Ye all shall flee and leave me and I will go to be immolated for you. Behold, the hour is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the hands of sinners. Ye all shall flee and leave me and I will go to be immolated for you.
The Office of Tenebrae, as pointed out on the New Liturgical Movement, is one of the most ancient of all liturgical celebrations in the Church. The Divine Office in the Roman Breviary is stunningly beautiful and expressive of the very mysteries that are being celebrated. If, as NLM recounts, St Benedict thought the Office of Tenebrae to be too ancient to change, why did Msgr Bugnini and his collaborators have no such scruples? If the Liturgies go back to the time before Benedict of Nursia, and are so expressive of the mysteries, why were they completely done away with?
If the Office of Tenebrae is one of the liturgical celebrations that the faithful attended other than Mass, why mess with it? This is one of those questions that will continue to be unanswered until the Last Day.
Last night, before mine eyes, I saw the this antiphon lived out. By the time I got devested, all the "faithful" had fled and left Him. It is truly heart-rending. I have never in my life been in a parish where this happened. I didn't expect there to be a huge crowd, but at least a few? Perhaps I should have learnt my lesson from 40 Hours, when none of the English-speakers came.
Again today, after the Solemn Afternoon Liturgy, having received the monition from me that the Church asks us to genuflect to the Cross, and leave in silence, I would have expected people at least to wait until they left the church building before beginning their inane conversations. You would think that the Lord's Passion and Death had not just been recounted and liturgically celebrated. Please, people, try to keep you conversations like those of the disciples of the Lord on the way home from burying Him.

Consummatum Est

2009-04-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

As we begin Holy week, we see in the Liturgy a prime example of how fickle man can be. At the beginning of the week, the crowds are cheering as Our Lord enters the Holy City for the last time. They strew their cloaks on the ground before Him, and wave palm branches, shouting Hosanna Filio David, Rex Israel! Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, Hosanna in excelsis! At the end of the week they are shouting Crucifige eum!
On Palm Sunday, we receive palm branches, which are blessed. They are a sacramental, that is to remind us that we wish to be in the former crowd, not the latter. By our works, we shout either Hosanna to the Son of David or Crucify Him. Sacramentals help us to be more open to the grace of God. The Church, in her wisdom, has established many sacramentals to aid the Christian Faithful in their journey to eternal life. One would be foolish to leave these tools of our salvation unused.
As Our Lord neared death, according to St John, he said consummatum est, as the Latin reads. The English translation does not do justice to this. There is nuptual imagery used here, consumation, by which the couple seals their marriage. The death on the Cross is the act by which our Divine Bridegroom sealed His marriage covenant with His Bride, the Church. There is also the connection to consume -- Christ, according to St Paul, takes up all history in Himself. He sanctifies all creation.
Many non-Catholics will use this passage to condemn the Sacrifice of the Mass. Of course, this is wrong, because they don't understand what they are condemning in the first place (they don't really know the Catholic teaching), and in the second place, they don't understand memorial.
In the Jewish understanding of memorial, it means more than just to commemorate or call to mind something or someone. When pious Jews celebrate the Passover, they understand that through that liturgical meal, God is making present the very events of their salvation from slavery in Egypt. They aren't just reminding one another about it! In the context of that celebration (probably anticipated), Christ establishes the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, commanding His Apostles Do this in memory of me.
The gift Christ gave to us in the Eucharist, through the gift of the Priesthood, is the ability to make present the events of our salvation. While celebrating the Passover for the last time, He transforms it and shows it to be a prefiguring of what He was to do. He then gives the power to His Apostles, who have handed it down through the generations, until He comes, to make the events of our salvation present in every time and place. The Jews knew that God transcends time and space, and is able to make events that are far distant present to us today.
When we celebrate the Mass, we are truly standing on the hill of Golgatha; we are peering with Sts Peter and John into the empty tomb; we are standing with the others on the Mount of Olives as He ascends! Imagine! Some think Mass is boring!
It is finished! At the same time, by the gift of the Eucharist, it continues through time and space to our present day, in our own town.

Sitio

2009-03-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

As Our Lord hung on the Cross, he made the simple statement "I thirst." Like so much else in Sacred Scripture, this is meant to be polyvalent, that is to have many meanings. On the surface level, it means just what it says. After probably sixteen or more hours, since He left the Last Supper, Christ was thirsty. It is very doubtful that in the process of interrogating and beating Him, the Jews or the Romans offered a glass of water [although, the Romans could have done so just in order to prolong the torture of the Cross; they liked for the crucified to be around for a while]. Our Lord thirsted. His lips were dry, as was His throat. He had lost much fluid by the shedding of His Precious Blood, as sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane; during the "interrogation" by the Sanhedrin; during the scourging, the via Crucis and at last the crucifixion itself. In spite of this, He was no doubt perspiring quite a bit as well, since it was in the heat of the day that He was crucified.
As we look through this level of the meaning, it is important to know that it shows the humanity of Christ. His Sacred Humanity was not a veil or a ruse. Like the statement by Saint Matthew, He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, and He was hungry, this shows the reality of the Sacred Humanity that Our Lord assumed for our sake. He was not able magically to avoid hunger and thirst because of His Divinity.
On the deeper layer, peeling away at the onion, as it were, Jesus was athirst for souls. Mother Teresa of Calcutta saw it as her mission in life to quench the thirst of her Spouse for souls. In every convent of the Missionaries of Charity there is a Crucifix in the chapel with the words I thirst or Sitio near it, because Blessed Teresa saw this a crucial passage of Scripture for her spirituality.
The service she gave to so many in the slums of Calcutta was because she viewed them as being another Christ. She saw them as "Jesus, in one of His many distressing disguises." Taking seriously the scene of the Judgement in St Matthew's Gospel, she sought to give Christ food when He was hungry; give Him drink when thirsty, etc. She cared for Christ in the least of His brethren. All of this, of course is the quench His thirst for souls.
Christ thirsts for souls, not just for numbers, but on an individual level. Each and every person. He thirsts for your soul, and for mine. He thirsts for the soul of the person down the street; for the soul of the sinner who needs to repent. He thirsts for the soul of the person who has wandered far away from his Father's house that is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. He thirsts for the soul of those who have always remained faithful, that they may be further perfected in Him.
It is in coming to Him to be purified that we can then become icons of Our Lord. If we have responded to His grace, others should be able to see Him in us! Then, as we go about ministering to Him in others, they will be brought to Him. We will quench His thirst.

La Virgen esta llorando

2009-03-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

There is an expression I heard in Mexico, La Virgen esta llorando -- The Virgin is crying. I can only imagine the tears of the Virgin as she beholds the university that bears her name in South Bend Indiana.
So many have weighed in on the controversy of Notre Dame (Our Lady) University inviting THE MOST pro-abortion President to speak at their annual commencement this May. Even for the Casa blaca vacantist this is stunning, since, eligible or not, the man resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He has exercised the great power given him for evil time and again. To think he was compared by one Orthodox prelate to Alexander the Great. It seems he is more like Julian the Apostate when it gets right down to it.
The scandal comes from ND inviting him to speak at commencement, and worse yet, they're giving him an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree! How can a supposedly Catholic institution give a degree honoring the juris prudence of a man who has virtually signed the death warrents of thousands of children? How can you honor the juris prudence of a man who wishes to relieve physicians, nurses and hospitals of their right to choose (not to murder) while defending a woman's supposed right to choose (to murder)? This is unbelievable and tragic. My heart goes out to the thousands who are alumni of what was once a fine institution.
Archbishop Fulton J Sheen was correct when he pointed out that it would be less dangerous for the faith of our young people to send them to a secular college than to a place like Notre Dame, where they may be duped into thinking they are learning Catholic values and teachings [this was after the Land-O-Lakes accord, when ND and others declared their "academic freedom" from the Magisterium].
I urge alumni and other donors to make their dissapointment known the next time they receive a letter from ND asking for support. I urge parents and young men and women to seek a truly Catholic college to attend.

Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani?

2009-03-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Our Lord, from the Cross, quotes Psalm 21's opening verse, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" Right off, the Scripture scholars tell us, this means that He intends to place the whole of the Psalm in their minds. This Psalm is one that describes the Passion of Christ rather accurately: the dividing of the clothing, the piercing of the hands and feet, and so on.
This means, however, that Our Lord also intends the end of the Psalm which speaks of praise for the faithfulness of God. The Psalmist generally ends Psalms of Lament with such praise.
Christ bore for us the weight of our sins. This was the weight of the sins of the world -- all of them. If one mortal sin separates us from God, imagine the weight of them all. Many of course, will rush in to remind me that Christ always had the beatific vision. It is true that many theologians have held that through the centuries. However, it is not something de fide tenenda. Personally, I cannot tell you if He did or did not behold His Father's face at all times. I do think there is merit to the other theologians, who remind us that He emptied Himself, as St Paul teaches us, taking on the form of a slave. In other words, He became man, and man does not share the beatific vision in this life. Another point in favor, as we recall, is the teaching of the Angelic Doctor that it is not possible to sin or experience temptation in Heaven, because once we behold God, we could never choose an false good. If Christ beheld God the Father at all times, how was He tempted?
For our sake, Christ may have felt complete abandonment from His Father. Rather than deny His divinity, this strengthens it! What other so-called god of the ancient world would empty himself that completely? This is a ridiculous thought to non-Christians. God becomes man!
In his kenotic state (the state of emptiness), Our Lord was able to sense separation from the Father. This is how He loves us, that He emptied Himself that much!
Another side to the story is that the sensation of abandonment by God, is not reality. We know that the Father did not abandon the Son (or us for that matter). In the spiritual life, as we feel the most distance from God, we are, ironically, the closest to Him. So many spiritual writers remind us that it is when we feel the wood of the Cross in our own lives, that we are closest to Christ. It is as though, because the embrace is so close, we can't see Him.
When we feel abandoned by God. we remember that He is probably closer than we imagine. The cry of Christ from the Cross also teaches that it is OK to express ourselves honestly to God. So many think it would be irreverent to speak to God in any way other than grovelling. God wishes us to be friends and more sons in the Son. A son can tell his father how he is feeling. It is when we are most honest with God that our prayer is most pure.

Ecce Mater Tua

2009-03-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of the most tender moments of Our Lord on the Cross is when He looks at His Sorrowful Mother and says, Mulier, ecce filius tuus, Woman, behold your son. Then to the Beloved Disciple, Ecce Mater tua.
The Beloved Disciple, who stands for all of us, took him into his home, or as another translation could say, into his own. John, the Beloved, took Our Lady as his own mother. We also are called by Christ to take her as our Mother. She is Mother of the Church Mater Ecclesiae, the Mother of Christ -- the whole Christ, head and members. If we are to be members, truly united to Our Lord and Head, we must accept and take Our Lady into our own.
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is not an option. We are commanded Honor Thy Father and the Mother. Mary is truly our Mother. The Blessed Mother cares for us with a maternal effection like no other. She is one of Our Lord's greatest gifts to us. Having given us Himself in the Eucharist, he also gives us His Mother for our own. This is integral to what it means to be members of the Mystical Body of Christ. We are given, as members of His Body, His Father and His Mother! O Bonum Commercium!
St Louis Marie de Montfort tells us that devotion to Mary will draw us closer to her son. As he and so many have pointed out, her words in Scripture tell us much about her: Do whatever He tells you. Let it be done unto me according to thy word. These are words of one who can do no other than bring her servants to Christ. The Saint tells us that when we, as loyal servants of Our Lady, when we present our humble gifts to Her Son, She, as it were, polishes them for us and perfects them. So great is her love for us, that she adds her grace and merit to whatever passes through her hands.
As so many fathers of the Church tell us, God willed to come to man through the Virgin Mary; He also wills that man come to Him through the Virgin Mary. It is not that Christ is inaccessible. It's that He desires that we approach through His most Blessed Mother.
Totus Tuus sum ego, Maria! Trahe me post te ad Filium Tuum.

Neminem Nisi Jesum

2009-03-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

Today we hear of the Transfiguration of Christ, and of the Sacrifice of Isaac. Once again, the translators of the New American Bible have missed the boat. In the Sacrifice of Isaac, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. In the Transfiguration God tells Peter James and John, that Jesus is His Beloved Son. But, we don't hear that connection in English, because in one place it is translated as your son, whom you love, in another, it is rendered Beloved Son. The Church, of course, wants that connection to be made in our minds. Since, however we are stuck with the NAB (for which the American Bishops have copyright), that connection has to be made by the homilist.
There is a connection between the Transfiguration of Christ and the second of the Seven Last Words of Christ. The Transfiguration allowed Peter, James and John to see a glimpse of the glory of Christ. This glory, not fully seen even after the Resurrection, was also seen by the good thief (St Dismas), but after his death. I know, this is a tangent, right. Well that's how this works. The glory of Christ, revealed to Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor was just an installment of the glory to be seen by all in Paradise.
St Dismas is promised to be taken to Paradise that day, not because of his good works. He was not known for any of those! He was a thief. He led a sinful life. What makes him a saint is that he knew who and what he was. He knew he was a thief. He knew that he had transgressed not only the Law of God, but also the civil law, and that his punishment was well deserved.
When the bad thief, who seems to have gone down in history with just that monicker, spoke, it was completely unrepentant. He was the thief who, in the words of Rhett Butler, was not sorry he had stolen, but was very sorry he had been caught. He asked Christ to prove that He was the Christ by saving Himself -- and while He was at it -- to save the two thieves as well.
It is Saint Dismas who says, Have you no fear of God? We deserve this sentence; this Man, has done nothing wrong. Then he adds something very significant, perhaps the most sincere act of contrition ever spoken, Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom. He, aware of his standing before God, does not even dare to ask forgiveness. He merely asked to be remembered. Christ, who is faithful beyond our wildest imaginings, not only remembers him, but promises him Paradise.
It is for us, during this season of Lent, to consider our place before God, and humbly to ask Him for pardon and peace. Christ has left us the Sacrament of His Mercy. Will we be like the good thief?
Memento mei quando veneris in regnum tuum!

The Seven Last Words

2009-02-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

As we enter into the Sundays of Lent, I have decided to focus in my preaching on the Seven Last Words of Christ. These sayings, taken from the Gospel accounts of the Passion, give insight and authentic teachings of Christ. Here on the Cross, He mounted the greatest pulpit and delivered the best sermon in history.
The Seven Last Words are:

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34
Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? -- My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matt 27:46)
Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit. (Luke 23:46)
Woman, behold your son; behold your Mother! (John 19:26-27)
I thirst. (John 19:28)
It is finished (John 19:30)

In each of the Sundays of Lent, and on Good Friday, one of these Last Words will be examined for our reflection.
The first saying of Christ, as he is being crucified and mocked, having already withstood the mock trial that the High Priests and Sanhedrin held and the terrible scourging at the pillar, is "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." In these words we can begin to plumb the depth of the Mercy of Christ. After a night without sleep; having been abandoned by all but a very few of His closest friends, and having suffered terrible indignities, Christ prays for those who persecute Him -- as He has commanded us to do. In His complete surrender, he shows His greatest strength.
It is this strength that he gave to his disciples, as we see in the case of Saint Stephen, who not too long after will pray to Christ for mercy for those who are stoning him. The mercy of Christ -- the Divine Mercy, extend to all who avail themselves of it. The mercy of Christ is not limited to those things we do without knowing, but also to those things we do with full knowledge. Saint Faustina was shown a vision of an ocean, which represented the Divine Mercy; she was made to understand that her sins were but a drop in a bucket in comparison. It would be utter foolishness to think anything is beyond the mercy of Christ.
As long as the perons repents of sin and takes advantage of the Mercy of God, especially as found in the Sacrament of His Mercy, God is always faithful to forgive sinners.
This does have a moral dimension for us. As I mentioned, Saint Stephen prayed for those who were persecuting him. We are commanded by Christ to do the same. As we pray the Lord's Prayer, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, we remember the words of Christ, "The same measure that you use will be used for you." As we pray for those who have harmed us, it becomes easier to forgive them. As we show mercy to those around us, we are assured that the same will be shown to us.

And so it begins......

2009-02-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

Just over twenty-four hours into Lent, I am beginning to feel the burn, as they say. That one little thing (that comes in twelve-ounce packages) that would have made a great meal oh so much better. Boy was I tempted......
So now we enter into our Lenten fast. Along with many other reasons, we are also encouraged to fast by my friend Shawn Carney and his 40 Days for Life campaign. There is so much that could be said about acts of self denial in this world, and how they just aren't popular anymore. Suffice it to say, if it was good enough for Our Lord, it's good enough for me. That, and He commanded it!
I wish everybody a blessed Lent so that you can have a truly holy Pasch!

Holy Smoke

2009-02-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

As has been discussed before on this blog, incense, among its many qualities, is known to be repulsive to demons. It is also a part of the ceremonies of the Mass in every rite I have ever experienced. Why then, is there so much opposition among the faithful to its use?
When we get to the offertory of the Mass, why would anyone not want to see incense rising from around the altar? Americans have a tendency to claim allergies to incense. Often the same people have allergies to the confessional, but that is another story. However, one has to wonder, when the coughing starts before the incense is even imposed, just how much is related to allergies, and how much is their imagination.
As the incense is imposed, it is blessed by the Priest. Traditionally, the prayer Ab illo benedicaris, in cuius honore cremaberis. is said as the incense is being imposed. It is blessed silently. Then the thurible is handed by the deacon to the Priest. First the Oblation itself is incensed. As a rupture from the past, the rubrics of the Ordinary Form call for there to be three swings (double) or a cross. This sad clarification in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal's most recent edition means that the Priest is no longer free to incense the Oblation with three crosses and three circles. After the Oblation is incensed, the Altar Cross and Altar are incensed as well. This is done with single swings of the thurible over or toward the altar.
A hermeneutic of continuity would lead one to incense the mensa (top) of the altar, then the sides, then continue around the back side (or as is the case in disoriented worship, around the front side) of the mensa, stopping, if necessary in the middle to incense the Cross. The other side of the Altar, and the Gospel Side of the mensa are incensed, followed by the front of the Altar. After this, the Priest hands the thurible to the Deacon, who incenses him and then the congregation. In the midst of this can be added any concelebrants, Deacons, Acolytes, or clerics in choir. The Priest and people are incensed as a sign of their being offered as part of the oblation to God the Father.

Chants

2009-02-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

The New Liturgical Movement blog has a post about new chant settings of the Mass Ordinary in English (new translation). They are truly awesome work. If we can get these into our parishes it will bring about a renewal of the Liturgy. This fits in with the hermeneutic of continuity perfectly. It follows the call of the Church to give Gregorian Chant pride of place in Catholic worship of the Roman Rite, while still allowing for English translation of the texts. In a word, Brilliant!

The Deafening Silence

2009-02-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

One of the things that has been lost since the implementation of the New Order of the Mass by Paul VI in 1970 is silence. This, of course, is not something that was supposed to happen. In fact many documents speak of the need to have silence in the Liturgy.
What has opposed this silence is a false notion of what is meant by full, active and conscious participation. For starters, active is a lousy translation of actuosa, which we can see from cognates is more in line with English words actual or actualized than active, which comes from the Latin word activus, not actuosus.
This bad translation leads to the misunderstanding that participation on the part of the Faithful is to be full of activity. What happens, then, is that there is constant motion -- especially singing (more on that...). The lectors tend to go through the readings non-stop -- beginning the Psalm as soon as the Deo gratias is said, etc. There is no time of reflection given. The return of silence is awkward to people at first, but becomes a great part of the hermeneutic of continuity. Ironically, this is one of the reforms desired by the Council. Many of us have experienced Low Mass at which the readings are proclaimed in such a way as to indicate they are something to get through rather than a substantial part of the Mass. True, the Gradual (and its counterpart, the responsorial Psalm) and Alleleluia are supposed to be resonses to the Word of God proclaimed, and as such, by their nature, follow upon the Epistle in a more immediate manner. However, some slight pause for reflection is also good. The irony is, that many of these kind of reforms never made their way into practice in the Church!
The Offertory (or as they call it now, prepartion of the Oblation is generally silent as well. But, because of the mistaken notion of participation, one frequently hears, "Father, I want to say Blessed be God forever." They can't stand silence. It's deafening to them! Some how they feel as though they are participating in the Sacrifice better if they speak those words. The truth is, the best way for them to participate in the Sacrifice is to be silently offering themselves along with the Host.
This, of course, relates to the disorientation of the liturgy. You see, if the people can see all that is happening on the Altar, they will feel drawn to watch and to listen to the words and make responses, all of which distracts them from full, active (actual) and conscious participation because they are not entering into prayer as deeply, but rather stay at the superficial level of making responses. Because of the nearly universal taking of the option to say the prayers aloud (even when there has been a song at the offertory, which means the option doesn't exist), Priests who desire to say the prayers in silence are looked upon as somehow cutting the people off.
While we're at it, the horrible translation of the offertory prayers into English adds another reason to say them silenly -- the ability then to pray them in Latin.
About the music - As is quoted in a document on liturgy that a friend of mine is perfecting, St Pius X reminds us that in the Catholic liturgical tradition, we don't see at Mass, we sing the Mass. To often people want to use music as a way to be active in their worship. Frankly, they often just want to be like their Baptist neighbors by singing lots of hymns at church. In the case of the Offertory of the Ordinary Form, there is no assigned antiphon, but an appropriate hymn that is theologically rich could assist in participation in a proper way. A good choir that is able to sing motets, or a good organist who can play solo pieces, can add much to the ability of the Faithful to enter more deeply into the mysteries they are celebrating. This, while not being silence per se, is a way that allows the people to reflect.

A Continuation of Continuity

2009-02-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

As we reach the altar, the altar is greeted by a kiss. In an ideal situation (which I have not) this can be done from the front side of the altar, so as to begin planting seeds for ad orientem worship. As Mass begins, there is an incensation of the altar. Incense serves many purposes: it smells nice, and it looks good. Beyond those two superficial reasons, there is the respect that is shown for the altar by incensing it.
Incense is also an apatropaic substance. meaning it repels demons! Demons are allergic to incense! So many people claim allergies to incense, and one has to wonder how much is in their heads. This is especially true when they start hacking up a lung before the thurible has even begun to smoke! Seriously though, it seems good to use something in divine worship that drives away evil spirits, because it is they who are the cause of many (not all) of our distractions in prayer.
Again, incense is a source of continuity of worship with the Jews. The same people who are gritting their teeth because they aren't allowed to say the ineffible Name anymore (because they think saying it relates them to the Jews, whom they are actually gravely offending), are the ones who don't like incense.
Once the Priest has incensed the altar (if he's allowed to do so), he retires to the presider's chair. This is a break with previous practice for presbyters -- only Bishops read the Introit and beginning of Mass at the Throne. It is good, however, to have the chair facing North (liturgical), toward the Ambo. The celebrant should turn to greet the people, then turn back. Again, this stresses continuity in some ways. It also underscores that the celebrant is not just presiding over a community, as though it were a board meeeting. He is leading them in prayer. At this point in the Mass, it makes sense that he should at least have the Tabernacle in sight. It certainly does not make sense to be looking at the congregation when not addressing them.
Now, the Priest is bound to hear some complaints about this. "You should look at us more!" These complaints stem from an insecurity that requires their egos to be stroaked by the Priest constantly gazing at them, even when addressing the Father!
This, of course, is one of the biggest problems with proper orientation of the altar to begin with. That horrible polemical term with his back to the people has been used to poison the minds of the People of God for half a century or more. As one Priest friend pointed out, no one complains that the bus driver sits with his back to the people. No one complains that a military leader has his back to the people as he leads a charge. Yet, when the Priest who is leading us on our pilgrimage to Heaven stands at the fore of the Body of Christ, they decide he has turned his back on them. Ridiculous!
To me, it is the height of arrogance for people to want the Priest to go into God's house and stand with his back to God, who, while omnipresent, is most substantially present in the Eucharist. Where the Son is, there are also the Father and the Holy Spirit. It never occurs to people that it's rude to walk into someone's house and stand with your back to Him! A restoration if orientation in the Liturgy will go a long way toward applying a hermeneutic of continuity.
With my current situation, I am in a parish with the presider's chair on the south side, but placed diagonally (which is it's own problem -- more on that later), so that the Pastor can sit facing the congregation, at least partially. I am forced, then, to turn in the chair if I wish to face the Ambo from which the Word of God is being proclaimed. There just seems to be a problematic understanding of where one's attention should be. Oh, and the eyes cast downward custom applies here as well. Certainly there is no reason to watch the congregation (which always mutiplies during the readings). The Priest, like everyone else, is supposed to be listening actively to the Word of God being proclaimed -- not paying attention to everything else that's going on in the church.

More on continuity

2009-01-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

So many parishioners comment to me that I celebrate Mass like the Priests did when they were young (50s and 60s). The question is, why is this noticeable? I don't do anything extraordinary (forgive the pun). I just follow the General Instructions of the Roman Missal.
What is (sadly) unusual is that I interpret the GIRM with a hermaneutic of continuity. When I look at an instruction in the Roman Missal (Ordinary Form) I interpret it in light of tradition. It is interpreted in light of how things were done in the previous editions of the Missal (Extraordinary Form). Oh, and I alway follow the Latin instructions, never relying on someone else's translation.
From the very beginning the proximate preparation for Mass, in the sacristy, I try to interpret things as they have been done for time immemorial. I ask for quiet in the sacristy, as it is to be a place of prayer. I actually do pray the vesting prayers, beginning with the hand-washing, and finishing with the Forma Intentionis -- the statement of intention to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Rite of the Holy Roman Church.
The procession toward the altar and back to the sacristy are done, in the words of the Extraordinary Form's rubrics, oculis dimissis --with the eyes looking downward as a sign of one's own unworthyness. The procession is not a time to greet the people or smile and wave. It is a time of final preparation for Mass. It is a liturgical movement that requires a certain gravitas or solemnity. Sadly, many Priests use this as a time to be "friendly" by smiling and possibly even shaking hands with people on the way up the aisle. We should never confuse joy with silliness. This is what Cardinal Arinze, in the name of the Holy Father, really, called the Ars Celebrandi the are of the celebrant. We shall continue with a series of post on this over the next several weeks.

The empty seat in the Choir Stall

2009-01-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

It is with inexpressible sadness that I write about the death of a dear friend from the seminary. The Reverend Mr. Adam Crowe, a transitional deacon from the Diocese of Ogdensburg, NY slipped from this world today. I can imagine the emptiness that will be felt by all as they look at his empty seat in the choir stalls of the chapel at Saint Charles Seminary. Every day, at least twice a day, they'll all be reminded of his absence.
We truly do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man will come for us. No one could have ever expected that he would never see Adam alive again. If we did, we would have gone to see him one last time -- or called at least. It would have put a whole new priority on attending his ordination to the Diaconate last June. I would have flown to Washington to attend the March for Life with him last week. But, we didn't know.
No one can know the anguish that must be felt at Saint Charles tonight. How could we? Please keep the men at Saint Charles Seminary in your prayers, for the next several weeks will be bleak for them all. With God's grace, they will survive, forever changed by this day.
All of us who knew Adam are also forever changed by our brief time together. He was always one to brighten our day with his radiant joy.
Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.

On the Hermaneutic of Rupture

2009-01-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

There are some Priests who just don't get it. They love to tell you (me) things like, "that's how we used to do it before Vatican II. We don't do that anymore." Now, this was in the context of a discussion about couples cohabitating prior to marriage. I say they should be asked to separate until they are married -- he says that's how we used to do it. It seems, in his mind, that once they decide to get married, it's OK if they want to live together. They should confess a few days before the wedding and then abstain for a whole 72 Hours. We should counsel them to "try to abstain" until they are married, "if you can."
TRY TO ABSTAIN? IF YOU CAN?
Would he counsel Ted Bundy to try to abstain from serial murders if he can? Would he suggest to pregnant women that they should try to abstain from abortion if they can? I just don't get it. There used to be a day in which Priests could talk to other Priests about things like this and get the same answer from anyone. Now, it's all up for grabs. Life is interesting!

If they're mad it must be good!

2009-01-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

There is an article today on Rorate Caeli about certain persons who are a tad upset about the lifting of the Excommunications by His Holiness. In case you missed it -- His Holiness has remitted the penalty of Excommunication imposed upon the Four Bishops of the SSXP ipso facto when they were consecrated by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
What can I say? When some people get upset, you know something good is going on. These are the people who are so invested in the hermaneutic of rupture/discontinuity that they can't stand the fact that continuity with the past is being stressed. To them, it is a condemnation of their life's work (which was largely about destroying all that had been before in order to make way for the new).
Can you believe the fella who deems himself confident to declare "for them there is no place for the mercy of Christ?" Those kind of words tend to come back to haunt us. The sad thing is, he probably doesn't have any problem with being easy on pro-abort politicians.
Bishop Fellay of the SSPX has requested our prayers on two occasions in the past -- and they have been answered. He has asked through the BVM that the Mass be liberated, and this happened on 07.07.07; he asked that the excommunications be lifted (again through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary (of Lourdes). Now he asked for clarifications to be made of certain theological concerns they have with Vatican II. Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, let us all ask Our Lord to direct these theological discussions to be fruitful and bring about unity. Our Lady brought about two seeming insurmountable goals toward reunification of the SSPX with Rome. She can and will bring about this third goal -- so let us begin our Rosary Crusade.
While we're at it -- let's ask her to do the same thing with the Orthodox. I truly believe that it is unity with those who have the Sacraments that is crucial.
Mary, Mother of the Church, bring about through your powerful intercession the end to divisions that separate Catholics from one another and from the Orthodox. Pray for us, most holy Mother of God, ut unum simus!

The Changing Face of the Episcopacy

2009-01-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

With only a tongue-in-cheek nod to a book by a similar title, and with my usual taste for irony, I look at the changes that are coming for the Church in America. While I certainly don't agree with Fr Cozzens on many things, I can see a major change in the way things are going to be in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Holy Father will have the opportunity to appoint several new Bishops over the course of the next year or two.

Currently Vacant are the sees of:

Charleston, SC (since August 2007, when the Bishop was appointed to Birmingham, AL)
Biloxi, MS (since April 2008, when the Bishop was appointed to Mobile, AL)
Gallup, NM (since April 30, 2008, when the Bishop retired)
St Louis, MO (since June 27, 2008, when the Archbishop was appointed to the Signatura)
Cheyenne, WY (since July 9, 2008, when the Bishop was appointed to Green Bay, WI)
Duluth, MN (Since October 17, 2008, when the Bishop was named Coadiutor of Cincinnati, OH)
Owensboro, KY (since January 5, 2009, when the Bishop retired)
Oakland, CA (since January 5, 2009, when the Bishop was appointed to Detroit)

There are also several Bishops who have already submitted their letter of resignation, upon reaching 75 years of age:

Edward Cardinal Egan (New York, NY -- April 2, 2007)
Abp Eldin Curtiss (Omaha, NE -- June 16, 2007)
Bp James Murray (Kalamazoo, MI -- July 5, 2007)
Bp James Moynihan (Syracuse, NY -- July 16, 2007)
Bp John D'Arcy (Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN -- Aug 18, 2007)
Abp Alfred Hughes (New Orleans, LA -- December 2, 2007)
Bp Arthur Tafoya (Pueblo, CO -- March 2, 2008)
Bp Edward Cullen (Allentown, PA -- March 15, 2008)
Bp William Higi (Lafeyette in Indiana, IN -- August 29, 2008)
Bp Bernard Harrington (Winona, MN -- September 6, 2008)
Bp Edmond Carmody (Corpus Christi, TX -- January 12, 2009)
Abp Alexander Brunett (Seattle, WA -- January 17, 2009)

Additionally, there are those who will turn 75 in the near future:

Bp Raymundo Pe~na (Brownsville, TX -- February 19, 2009)
Bp William Skylstad (Spokane, WA -- March 2, 2009)
Bp Patrick Cooney (Gaylord, MI -- March 10, 2009)
Abp Daniel Pilarczyk (Cincinnati, OH -- August 12, 2009)*Coadiutor appointed
Abp Eusebius Beltran (Oklahoma City, OK -- August 31, 2009)

This is not to mention the number of Auxilliary Bishops who are also past or near retirement age. We must pray and fast, because the potential appointment of these Bishops in 24 sees during 2009 could have a major change on the American Bishop's conference.

Rest in Peace Father Neuhaus

2009-01-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a giant in the public face of the Church passed to eternal life. Father Richard John Neuhaus was a Lutheran who converted to the True Church, and became a Priest of the Archdiocese of New York. He was an editor of First Things Magazine, where he wrote informative columns with intelligent commentary about the world in which we live. His voice will be missed in the Public Square.

Movable Feasts

2009-01-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

On the Feast of the Epiphany it is traditional to proclaim the dates of the movable feasts for the new year. This is generally done after the Gospel.
So, what do you do when Epiphany becomes a movable feast? Really, what's up with that? In order to make the third most important feast in the liturgical year (behind Easter and Pentecost -- yes -- ahead of Christmas! -- see Dom Prosper Guaranger's Liturgical Year) more important, they have moved it onto the nearest Sunday. This, along with Corpus Christi, and now Ascension Thursday, er Sunday, has been moved by the United States Conference of Bishops. Fortunately, this movement is not binding for the Extraordinary Form, which will celebrate Epiphany on Tuesday, January 6 (as will the Pope!).
The Epiphany (or Theophany, as it is called in the East) of the Lord is important for many reasons. In this Feast, we celebrate the coming of the Magi (or in Philly, the three wise guys) to adore the Christ Child (who was not an infant -- apologies to the Franciscan Order). Also wrapped up in this celebration is the Baptism of the Lord (which was the Octave of Epiphany until 1970), and the Wedding at Cana (2nd Sunday After Epiphany in the EF) as well as the Finding in the Temple (1st Sunday after Epiphany EF). These are Epiphaniae -- manifestations of Christ's Divine Nature. In each case, something is shown to be "different" about Him.
With the visit of the Magi, the Child Jesus is presented with gifts that bespeak His nature. To quote a poem:
Sovereign Gold, but His brow was torn
When they hailed Him King with a crown of thorn
Frankincense that they might provide
Perpetual praise to a God who died.
But none so strange as the gift they gave
Of Myrrh to the clothes of a three-day grave.
It is no wonder Our Lady pondered these things and held them in Her Heart.
Next in the order of celebration is the finding in the Temple. Again, we can imagine the awe with which Our Lady beheld Her Son, standing in the midst of the elders and doctors of the Law, explaining things to them. This was a great manifestation of the wisdom that He had, even at that age, as well as the contact he had with His Father.
At the Baptism of the Lord, His Father manifests His destiny -- the Holy Spirit descends upon Him like a dove. Hearing the voice from the Heavens, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased" must have been a frightening experience for all around. We know that John the Baptist protested that Christ should be baptizing him, not the other way around.
Finally, at Cana in Galillee, we have the Wedding Feast. This is the first miracle of Christ, and marks the beginning of His Public ministry. This crucial even occurs at the request of His Blessed Mother. It is here that He is said to have raised matrimony to the Dignity of a Sacrament by His very presence.
All of these things are occurring in the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, as the Christmas Season unfolds. To my mind, it seems a shame to have moved this to a Sunday, because it takes something special away from the Feast. I don't recall thinking anything special about any of these great feasts that have been moved to Sunday when I was a child. I did know that Ascension Thursday was special, because so many of us attended Mass on that day, which is not a Sunday. Corpus Christi? That was just another Sunday to me when I was growing up.

Christ the King

2008-11-22T13:11:00.001-08:00

This final Sunday of the Liturgical Year we celebrate the Kingship of Christ. The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI during the Jubilee Year 1925. I decided to study his Encyclical Letter that established the Feast.
As Pope Pius points out in his Encyclical, whenever the Church establishes a new Feast, it is in order to kindle the fire of devotion of the Faithful. In the case of this Feast, the Pope looked around the world of his day, 1925, and saw a problem. In his words,
The majority of men [have] thrust Jesus Christ and His holy law out of their lives; that these have no place in either private affairs or in politics….as long as individuals and state refuse to submit to the rule of Our Savior, there will be no really hopeful prospect of lasting peace among nations.
The world of his day had just been through the First World War, which had a carnage which has perhaps not yet been surpassed. In Russia, the Bolsheviks – the Communists – had executed the Czar and his family and declared an atheistic state. Imagine – a country that was pretty much totally Orthodox Christian officially cast believe in God out of her borders nearly overnight.
The treaty of Versailles for the end of the war had crippled Germany and crushed the last Catholic Monarchy in the world. In bitterness, the rise of National Socialism – the Nazi Party came about in Germany. As early of 1920, Hitler was calling for the rejection of the peace treaty and the seizing of more lands for the German People. It was becoming clear that the peace of Versailles was not going to last.
Why did the peace of Versailles fail? Why did the peace after the Second World War not last? Because Christ and His Law have been thrust out! Pope Pius XI hopes that the establishment of this Feast will rekindle the love of Christ in the Christian People.
The earliest Crucifixes showed Christ in Priestly Vestments, wearing a crown. As Priest he offered his life on the altar of the Cross – our Preface will say in a few moments – and he redeemed the whole human race by this one perfect Sacrifice of Praise. Christ has purchased us by His Blood, enabling us to be part of His Kingdom which has no end.
We enter Christ’s Kingdom through Baptism. By our Penance, united with the Christ Crucified, we act as subjects of our King. Pope Pius reminds us that the Kingdom of Christ is opposed to none other than that of Satan. In other words, our loyalty to Christ does not interfere with out citizenship – on the contrary, it enhances it. This is because The Kingdom of Christ demands of its subjects a spirit of detachment from riches and earthly things and a spirit of gentleness. Citizens of Christ’s Kingdom must hunger and thirst after justice, and more than this, we must deny ourselves and carry the Cross.
If we are truly detached from riches and earthly things, we will support of brothers and sisters in need. We will hunger and thirst for justice. In denying ourselves and taking up the Cross, we become model citizens.
It is undue attachment to material and earthly things that leads to many wars. War can only be prevented when we work for justice. As individuals and nations come to embrace Christ as their king, they will desire true peace and justice. It is when Christ is King of all that true lasting peace can come about. Then can we enter that kingdom of justice love and peace.
It struck me as a read this Encyclical,that much of the things that Pope Pius describes in 1925 could just as well have been written this morning. He speaks of
The seeds of discord sown far and wide; those bitter enmities and rivalries between nations, which still hinder so much the cause of peace; that insatiable greed which is so often hidden under the pretense of public spirit and patriotism, and gives rise to so many private quarrels; a blind and immoderate selfishness, making people seek nothing but their own comfort and advantage, and measure everything by these; no peace at home because people neglect their duty; the unity and stability of the family undermined.
The Holy Father, Pope Pius XI sees in the Feast of Christ the King a remedy for all of this. He links the celebration of this Feast to Eucharistic Adoration and to consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As individuals and families begin to consecrate themselves to Jesus Christ there will be a revival of the Faith. When people spend more time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, adoring Our Lord and King, healing of society will begin.
Pope Pius hopes that members of the Church will consecrate themselves and their families to the Sacred Heart. He hopes that they will allow Jesus Christ to reign as their King, in all areas of their lives. It is then that the Faithful can become a leaven to society. It is then that we, as the Body of Christ can truly begin to transform the world.
We cannot transform the world if Christ is our Lord and King only on Sunday. The reign of Christ is not something that we can place in one compartment of our lives. We have been purchased by His Blood, so he has dominion over us by right. He must reign in every part of us.
In our minds, Christ reigns when we believe all that He teaches through His Church. This is not always easy. The wisdom of God, St Paul says, is foolishness to men. The world thinks that the Church’s teaching is out-dated. The world has never liked Christ’s teaching because it counters the insatiable greed of the world.
Christ reigns in our wills when we give assent and obedience to the laws of God. This happens when we follow Christ’s moral teachings, as revealed by the Church. How sad it is that many ignore the Church’s teaching on contraception and abortion. They have, by their actions, said that a child – created in the Image and Likeness of God – is something to be avoided. Mother Teresa once said, “How can you say there are too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.” Society disagrees, and we are reaping the consequences all over the world.
Christ reigns in our hearts when we follow the two Great Commandments – You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole mind and with your whole soul; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Christ tells us that the whole of the Law and the Prophets are summed up in these two. If each and every one of us can learn – and it takes much practice – to love God above all else, and to love others out of love for God, the world will be a better place. Others will see that we have peace in our lives, and they will come to desire it.
Christ reigns in our bodies when we use them to help sanctify ourselves and the world around us. By doing acts of self-denial or penance, we begin to help our souls to become detached from worldly goods. The world, along with many other Christians, denies the essential connection of our bodies and our souls. As Catholics, we understand that we are composed of body and soul. When we discipline our bodies, we also strengthen our souls.
Christ desires to reign in every sphere of our lives. Not just in our relations among ourselves, but in how we go about our day at home and at work. He desires that we bring Him into the political sphere – in a democratic system like our own, we have the power to shape the country. This means that voting is not just a right of citizenship, but a sacred duty. How sad that a nation that enjoys a vast majority that call themselves Christians – that is followers of Christ – still has laws that do not defend the right to life from conception to natural death! Can you image what this nation would be like if all the Christian voters allowed Christ to be their King when it came time to vote? What if all the politicians who profess to be Christians allowed Him to be their King? If all Christians brought Christ into their every-day life, we would not have abortion, euthanasia, poverty or hunger. Instead, we would be caring for one-another.
If we all rededicate ourselves to Christ the King, allowing Him to reign in our minds, in our wills, in our hearts and in our bodies, we will improve the world around us. If we allow Christ to rule in our lives – in every part – we will fulfill our vocation of building up the Kingdom of Christ. Then we can have hope for a genuine and lasting peace.

My Coat of Arms

2008-11-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

My coat of arms has been created! Thanks to Guy Selvester for his fine work.

The coat of arms signifies devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The crescent specifically signifies the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. That Feast is the anniversary of my Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary (years later than I should have, mind you!). Our Lady is also the Patroness of the United States under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Finally, the crescent also appears in the coats of arms of both my family (in Ireland) and of my Alma Mater, the Catholic University of America.
The arms do resemble the familial arms. The bottom half is based upon them, with modifications (crescents were replaced with Shamrocks, recalling my heavenly Patron and the land whence my family came).
The stars are both Marian, as well as a reminder of the Diocese [and State!] of which I am a part.
The motto comes from the Book of Daniel, by way of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The longer prayer in the Mass is: In spiritu humilitatis et in animo contrito suscipiamur a te, Domine, et sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie, ut placeat tibi, Domine Deus. -- May we be recieved by Thee, O Lord, in a spirit of humility and with contrite hearts: and may our sacrifice be such in Thy sight, that it may please Thee, Lord God.
It is incumbant upon all Christians, by virtue of their Baptism, but especially upon the ministerial Priests, to offer their entire selves to God as a living sacrifice. This is not flowery language. This is how we are to live, as giving the total gift of self, as John Paul II said.

What's in a word?

2008-11-15T10:44:00.001-08:00

Today's collect for St Albert the Great suffered a slight mutation in the revisions of the Missal by Paul VI (i.e., Annibale Bugnini). I realized this as I prayed the collect at Mass in the E.F. this morning.

The current collect reads:
Deus, qui beatum Albertum episcopum in humana sapientia cum divina fide componenda magnum efficisti, da nobis, quaesumus, ita eius magisterii inhaerere doctrinis, ut per scientiarum progressus ad profundiorem tui cognitionem et amorem pervenimus. Per Dom...

God, who hast made blessed Albert great in the combining of human wisdom with divine faith, grant to us, we beseech thee, so to adhere to his magisterial teachings that through the progress of of knowledge we may come to a more deep knowledge of and love of thee.

The Collect of the Extraordinary Form reads:
Deus, qui beatum Albertum , pontificem tuum et doctorem, in humana sapientia divinae fidei subicienda magnum efficisti: da nobis, quaesumus; ita eius magisterii inhaerere vestigiis, ut luce perfecta fruamur in caelis. Per Dominum...

God who has made blessed Albert, thy Bishop and Doctor, great in the casting of human wisdom under divine faith: grant we beseech thee, so to adhere to his magisterial footsteps, that we may shine for the perfect light in the heavens.

What a difference there is in connotation! Did Saint Albert the Great merely combine human wisdom with divine revelation? He would surely say that human wisdom had to be subject to (cast under) divine revelation. Then, he wasn't a child of the enlightenment, was he.

St Albert the Great was a great Doctor, who taught St Thomas Aquinas. Both were of the Order of Preachers. May Saint Albert help us to cast our on wisdom under that which is revealed by God. May we once again become aware of the limits of man's knowledge and the infinity of God's knowledge and the depth of His self-revelation.

So tell me....

2008-11-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

I just don't get it. People complain to the pastor about the Prie Dieu for Communion. Why? How is it hurting them if people want to receive their Creator while kneeling instead of standing? Has anyone forced them to kneel? No! Yet they complain about the kneeler. If you don't want to use the kneeler, the answer is simple -- DON'T USE IT! There really is no charitable explanation for someone being bothered by the presence of a kneeler. It doesn't prevent anyone from coming to receive Communion while standing. It doesn't keep them from sticking their hand out as though asking for change -- while looking in a different direction for their point of egress.
What it comes down to is that only demons are offended by people receiving Communion while kneeling. I'm not saying that the persons who complain are demonic..just that they fall to temptation as we all do. Some rediculous reason is presented to them as to why they should be offended by the presence of the Prie Dieu.
So the demons win the battle. People are not able to receive Communion while kneeling (because they can't get back up if they do!). Their rights are being infringed by others who probably "just don't like it." They probably will argue that the Prie Dieu forms a barrior between them and the Priest. They don't mind the much wider altar between them and the Priest, mind you. These are the people that complain that candles on the altar block their view. They don't want an Altar Cross for the same reason. They are allergic to incense.
By the way, on that front, incense and Holy Water are known as apotropaic substances. This means that they drive evil spirits away. The same spirits that don't like incense are the ones that are offended if people receive Communion while kneeling, and gasp!, on the tongue.
The struggle now, for all of us who were hurt by this move, is not to let this ruin our celebration of the Feast of All Saints. All God's Holy Ones are rejoicing in Heaven with Him. They understand our travail and will support us.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints!

Our hearty congratulations!

2008-10-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

There is an old joke that goes,
You know how at an Episcopal Ordination, the three participating Bishops stand behind the ordinand? Do you know what they're doing? They're removing his spine.
Congratulations are in order for several Bishops who have managed, by the grace of God, either to avoid that part of the rite, or have managed to grow their spines back. One by one, or as is the case in Dallas/Fort Worth two, they have come out with statements about the need to vote like Catholics.

Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City/St Joseph MO
Bishops Kevin Farrell (Dallas) and Kevin Vann (Fort Worth), TX
Bishop Joseph Martino, of Scranton, PA
Justin Cardinal Rigali and Bishop William Murphy, speaking as chairmen of the committees (USCCB) of pro-life activities, and Domestic Justice and Human Development, respectively, released this today.
Bishop Robert Hermann, the Archdiocesan Administrator or St Louis
Archbishop Charles Chaput, Denver, CO -- in a statement in which he speaks as a private citizen -- was able to remove the gloves.

These Bishops are teaching clearly about how to form our consciences. At last they are responding to the argument that there are other issues, so we can't be single-issue voters. All of this is true, but some issues do take precedence over others. The Son of Man, when he comes, will not ask us how our vote helped the economy.

Why???

2008-10-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just don't get it. How can a man spend years in the seminary and then within months of leaving be involved in a relationship? Not just involved, but intimate. I truly see the diabolical here. When a man is preparing himself for the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, he becomes the target of Satan's wrath.
I have seen it time and again. Someone leaves the seminary and the next thing you know, he's taking trips with his girlfriend, and acting like a wild dog. One would think that the normal course of action is that you leave the seminary and spend the rest of your days as a much better Catholic than when you entered. Instead, it seems the powers of Hell are unleashed upon the man.
We can only pray for grace for the men in the seminary. We can only pray that they will not fall to the prowling lion, as St Peter describes him.
On the other hand, perhaps some just need to experience the Snipping Rite created by Fr P.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine!

2008-10-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of the great Pope Pius XII. Truly he was a holy man, who continues to inspire many by the life he lived, and the lives he saved.
He became an example of Christian virtue in so many ways. Let us not forget that he saved an estimated 860,000 Jews from extinction by the Nazis. He refused to have the papal apartments heated while the rest of the people in his diocese did without. He stood against the excesses of the liturgical movement, many of which later became par for the course. At the same time he laid down rules for modern scholarship of Sacred Scripture.
May God raise him to the Altars soon!

40 Days for Life

2008-09-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today is day three. It is also the Feast of Ss Cosmas and Damian. I remembered this morning that in the EF, they are also commemorated on Thursday of the third week of Lent (just passed the halfway point). In fact, the collect used today in the OF is from Lent, not from Sept 27 (their Feast in the EF). Their heavenly intercession (as physicians) is requested to help us persevere in the fast. Remember, this election is crucial for the pro-life movement. It also occurs, as was read in the Gospel as we began this campaign (Ember Wednesday) -- this kind may only be cast out by prayer and fasting. Pray, pray, pray.
I truly don't think we have ever had a more important electoral cycle. We have a man running for president who thinks that botched abortions should be given a second chance -- at death. Didn't they used to let convicts go if, in the process of hanging them, the rope broke? Even convicted murders were let free, or at least not re-hanged, if their death sentence was unsuccessfully carried out. This man, however, thinks that innocent children, whose death sentence is unsuccessfully prosecuted should be left to die. In the words of the Church Lady "Could it be......Satan?" Abortion is truly diabolical. It must stop. This kind of evil can only be cast out by prayer and fasting. You know what you have to do.

Fiat Lux?

2008-09-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I just watched the introductory video to Oakland's new Cathedral of Christ the Light, which is posted on Rocco's page. I don't know if I could actually stand it in person. Let the be light (Fiat lux)? Perhaps Fiant tenebrae would be better. I think I'd want to gouge my eyes out if I lived in Oakland! Where to start?

They point out that the cross was used as a form form many Cathedrals in the past. They then go on to say they are using an even more ancient symbol -- the fish (ichthys). True, this is more ancient, but to my knowledge, it has never been used as the shape of a building before.
People can come by and visit during the day -- even dine in the Cathedral Cafe. Are you kidding? Isn't bad enough that the Rogmahall has a Starbucks? It's supposed to be a cathedral for heaven's sake!
They tell you want the wood panels symbolize. Frankly, I don't see the symbolism even after being told. Art is supposed to communicate without words. If you have to tell me what it means, it ain't art!
In fairness, I must say the architecture would be quite nice for a modern art museum, airport or bus station. It shows that this is the architect's first church. I wish I could say that he still hadn't designed a church, but now it has been consecrated and Mass has been celebrated their. That sound you heard was the Baby Jesus sobbing. I wonder if they used EP II, just to make Him cry more.
I feel truly sorry for the next Bishop of Oakland, who will have to call this monstrosity his Cathedral. If you think Bishop Bruskewitz and his predecessor (who was forced to dedicate it) have had to suffer, take a look at Oakland. On the bright side, your Excellency, there are now two Cathedrals in the US that are FAR uglier than the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln. No offense, your Excellency, but I hope you don't move any further up the scale!

There you have it. Oh, the thing is supposed to be earthquake proof. Perhaps we could get the someone to say "God Himself couldn't sink her."

He came not to call the just, but sinners

2008-09-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

For the Feast of St Matthew, which is celebrated today in the EF in the Canonical Circumscription in which I find myself, we see the Call of St Matthew. Our Lord tells the pharisees that he came not to call the just, but sinners.
It occurs to me that this is not something that was written to point out how snotty the pharisees were, but rather to warn Christians that they should not get their own noses in the air. There are horror stories from the Protestant world of people gasping as a man answers the altar call while toting cigarettes in his pocket (a sure sign that he couldn't be saved). Then we experience the charming love of many of our own as they begin to judge others in the Church. Some who are the most liturgically pious can be the most pharisaical when it comes to others. Hmmm. Weren't the pharisees the traddies of their day? Anyway, I digress.
It is a warning again and again to us not to be like those pharisees. Our liturgical piety should be forming us to make Christ present in the world. If it does not, than, I'd dare say, it is empty piety. Remember "Misericordiam volo et non sacrificium."

I bet he prefers the Extraordinary Form

2008-09-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

As I had the great pleasure of celebrating Mass according to the Extraordinary Form yesterday, it occurred to me that St Joseph of Cupertino was probably smiling. Here is a great and powerful saint, who worked many miracles this side of the veil. He was known for his ecstatic visions and for levitating. While he was not known for being the most brilliant of men in his life time, does this really matter? He knew the One who is most important to know!
I pray that his feast will one day be recognized in the universal Church, in the Ordinary Form. Then again, perhaps he will simply intercede for the growth of the Extraordinary Form instead! May he, and St Philomena, St Christopher, and all the Saints pray for the expansion of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass of the Roman Rite. As the EF grows, the OF will become better and better.
There is cross pollination occurring already. As Priests celebrate according to venerable custom, they begin to apply the hermeneutic of continuity to their celebration of the Ordinary Form. Can't celebrate the Mass oriented? Why not venerate the Altar on the Occidental side? Why not start the incensation there? Arrange the presider's chair to be where the sedillio always was. Then turn toward the people for the Dominus Vobiscum, and Oremus -- then face the altar, and bow toward the Cross at the per Dominum. Exercise your option to pray the post-communion prayer at the altar. Slowly the pendulum is swinging back -- but there is nothing saying we can't get behind it a bit!

Dare we hope for the PLU-ness of all?

2008-09-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

An interesting question has come up of recent date. Can someone who attends an undesirable seminary be PLU? How much does thorough indoctrination poison the man?
A resounding "yes" comes for the first question. There have been many men who have survived under dire situations, who have survived with their PLU-ness intact. They have had to do things that are downright humorous from the post-ordination perspective. We always joked that the men at one seminary in DC during my college days would be better off returning from an evening out smelling of Channel no. 5 than of incense. One can almost imagine the bottle of perfume in the glove box used to cover over the scent of Gloria PR#3!
Then there is my friend who attended Sacred Heart School of Technology (yes -- a confirmandus addressed it that way -- how apropos!). He survived with his faith intact, if not somewhat solidified as a defensive mechanism.
But what of those, who knowing that their seminary had a liberal reputation chose it anyway? It would seem that those men would be likened to those who know that Jesus Christ intended to found a Church, and that the Catholic Church is that Church, and still remain outside her. I mean, really, can one ever be PLU when one leaves the bosom of Holy Mother Overbrook to go to a place where flip-flops suffice for Mass? Can one who chooses a place dubbed the Pink Palace over the Pontifical Josephinum (which has suceeded, it seems, in removing itself from the bad list) ever really be one with us?
We are talking about degrees of communion with brother Priests. It becomes truly difficult to have a meaningful relationship with a brother Priest with whom you share nothing in common theologically. How can we spend our day off with a man who doesn't want to exercise his Priesthood on that day? How can we have meaningful conversations with a man who doesn't see any problem with Charles Curran?
It is one thing when a man is sent by his Bishop to an undesirable place, it is another thing all together when he chooses it. Those who choose the easy place where they never have to answer for missing Morning Prayer because they stayed up late the night before "studying"; who get to wear jeans and a golf shirt to class and never, ever wear a cassock. In essence, they have chosen to live like regular college students during their years of "formation." There could be hope for those who simply don't know any better. In fact we know that all things are possible for Christ. Yet, we won't be holding our breath for new members of the diocesan schola.

Take up your cross and follow me!

2008-08-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Christ tells us in this coming Sunday's Gospel (OF) that we must take up our Cross and follow after Him, if we wish to be His disciples. Saint Paul beseeches us to offer our bodies as an acceptable sacrifice to God.
On September 24, at 12:01 a.m., the 40 Days for Life fall campaign will kick off. For forty days, men and women from across the country and then some will be taking up their cross to follow Christ. They will be offering their bodies as an acceptable sacrifice. We know, of course, that this is done in union with the Sacrifice of the Mass, offered daily throughout the world.
The purpose of the campaign is to pray and fast for life -- for an end to abortion without exception. To close down clinics in our cities. They have had success with that already. The campaign also involves non-violent protests at abortion facilities. Primarily the protest is in the form of being present and praying -- many Rosaries.
Please, if you are reading this, consider fasting and praying (step it up a notch, since you already pray!) for our country. Pray for the elections this year. You all know it is crucial that pro-life candidates are elected.

New blog

2008-08-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

A truly PLU has come up with a new blog Seek His Face which is very promising. Young Father Check, whom some of you may or may not have seen when he may or may not have been at a recent ordination in East Texas, has been a good friend for many years.

Sacerdos in Aeternum

2008-08-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

Having recently been ordained (less than a week), I must say it is awesome. The experience is surreal. Being surrounded by so many brother Priests and being able to call them brother Priests is also unbelievable. The New Liturgical Movement is thoroughly under way in East Texas. I did promise that more would be revealed soon, didn't I?
So here it is. Darth Celebrandi pulls back the veil just a bit -- but I still have to leave something for you to figure out, if you don't know me personally. If you do, you know there was only one man ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ in East Texas in the last week.
A brief synopsis:

Saturday morning, the ordination at long last occured. Many have tried to put a stop to it...many have succeeded in delaying it for a long time. They perhaps didn't know how pastoral I would be, but, in the words of one brother Priest, they still had to kiss my hands!
Saturday afternoon, the first confession (and a few more). It is an indescribable, or should I say ineffable, feeling to hear oneself say those words "I absolve you from your sins..."
Saturday night, there was the banquet.
Sunday morning, thing got extraordinary. My first Solemn Mass according to the Extraordinary Form went very well. It was a morning of Firsts. Fr Check's first time as a Deacon in the EF; Fr Wickersham's first time as Subdeacon; Fr Allen's first time as Assisting Priest. Last but not least, the first Solemn Mass at that Church.
Sunday afternoon the people of East Texas saw the Ordinary Form in a way that was quite extraordinary (no pun intended, just the best suited word). The Choir of SFA sang the Missa Festiva of Grechaninov; the Canon was chanted (whole Liturgy of the Eucharist was in Latin); the Altar was oriented; six candlesticks; incense; 7 concelebrants. None of these things is per se extraordinary, yet they are never seen in these parts. People cried when Mom and Dad were given their manutergium and stole, respectively.
The Feast after the Mass was remarkable. Credit is due to Chad LeMaire of LeMaire's Catering by Design. I have never had cajun food like that! Did I mention the Shiner Bock?
Then came the week to decompress in New Orleans, which has drawn to a close as I head to Washington for another Solemn Mass according to the Extraordinary Form.

All in all, I would have to declare this was a PLU-fest. I think the PUUs were not too pleased when the Bishop once again stated that he hopes all of his Priests will celebrate according to the Extraordinary Form frequently. He also lists that specifically in the Faculties I received. God is good.

Fish or foul?

2008-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

The parable of the fish in today's Gospel passage is one that is often overlooked or avoided. The fact is, Jesus is telling us that there will be a separation in the end times. There is parable after parable about this in the Holy Gospel: The fish, the wise and foolish virgins, the sheep and the goats and so on. Christ warns us that we will give an account to Him in the end of how we have responded to His grace.
St Thomas Aquinas reminds us that each person is given sufficient grace in order to save his soul. In the end, though, it is up to us to repond to God's grace in order to save our souls. We also have to remember that Christ said, “To those to whom more is given, more will be demanded.”
This past Friday marked the 40th anniversary of the promulgation of the prophetic Encyclical Humanae Vitae – The Transmission of Human Life, by Paul VI. This Encyclical was not ground breaking, in that it did not teach anything new. What made it shocking to many was that it refused to teach something new, or rather contrary to what had always been taught.
To understand why this Encyclical became so important in our times, we have to turn back to 1930. As is happening this month, the Bishops of the Anglican Communion met for their decennial Lambeth conference in that year. This conference was groundbreaking because the Anglican Communion decided to turn it's back on nearly two thousand years of Christian Teaching by allowing contraception in some instances. Until then, no Christian Community or Church allowed contraception ever.
In 1931, His Holiness, Pius XI issued an Encyclical on Chaste Wedlock, called Casti Conubii. He reiterated the contant teaching of the Church that it was not morally licit to contracept. Natural Family Planning, whereby couples make use of knowledge of natural biological cycles to abstain from conjugal relations during the woman's fertile periods is permissible. Pius XII recalled what the Anglicans did not: the teaching of St Vincent of Lerens that we must believe what has been believed by Christians always, everywhere and by all.
During the Second Vatican Council, the topic of Contaception was brought up again. A committee of theologians was established to look into the Church's teaching in order to counsel the Pope. This is a very important distinction: in order to counsel the Pope. The body of theologians that was formed did not have magisterial authority. They were strictly a consultative body. Once their research was completed, Paul VI used them as intended, as a consultative body.
Because many theologians were caught up with the spirit of the times, the thought was that the Church was going to change her teaching after 19 ½ centuries. It became a terrible fiasco because Priests were overstepping their bounds by telling people that they could contracept because the Church was going to change the teaching soon.
They misunderstood what the sensus fidelium is. The senus fidelium is the sense of the faithful. It is a collective view of what the Christian Faithful believe. Remember the Canon of St Vincent: always, everywhere, by everyone. It is not a snapshot-poll of what 97% of American Catholics believe on July 20th, 2008. It includes all Christians from the beginning. What has always been morally illicit is never going to become morally licit.
So, when Paul VI issued the Encyclical Humanae Vitae, these theologians ended up, so to speak, with egg on their faces. Here they had been telling people to go ahead and contracept because the teaching was going to change soon – and the Pope goes and releases an Encyclical saying that the teaching is unchangeable. Why? Because the Holy Spirit guarantees that the Pope will never teach error – Lambeth does not have that guarantee.
Humanae Vitae became earth-shattering because, for the first time in recent Church memory, there was open defiance. Some theologians, like one famous one from my alma mater – The Catholic University of America, stood up and proclaimed themselves to be a magisterium equal in weight to the Pope. They actually stood there in Catholic Universities throughout the western world and taught contrary to the Church's teaching. Because of tenure and legal battles, it took years, nearly two decades to remove these professors from teachings positions. It took the courage of men like Cardinal O'Boyle and Cardinal Hickey in Washington, Cardinal Ratzinger in Rome, Pope John Paul II and others to insist that those who teach in the name of the Church actually teach what the Church teaches. Imagine – standing in a classroom in a Pontifical university teaching that the Pope is wrong.
Sadly, over the last thirty years, many have been led astray be so-called theologians who proclaim themselves to be equal in infallibility to the Church. These theologians don't understand what it is to be a loyal son of the Church. They don't understand what Christ promised to Peter and his successors. Sadly, they also don't understand the Church's beautiful teaching about married love.
The Church's teaching is, was, and ever shall be that it is a mortal sin to place any barrier, physical or chemical in the way of conception. This is not an attempt to cause rapid reproduction on the part of Catholics as some say. Conjugal union has both a unitive and procreative dimension. The couple does not have to seek both, but can never separate or place a barrier between them. Every act of marital love must be open to the creation of new human life.
As Pius XII teaches, though, this does not mean that the couple cannot make use of biological information. God created the woman's reproductive cycle, and also gave us the ability to understand it. It is perfectly moral for a married couple to abstain from conjugal acts when it is like that conception would occur. In fact, couples that have used this method of spacing births have found that it enhances their marriages because they have to express their love for each other in new and different ways.
I said earlier that the Encyclical was prophetic. Paul VI says that there will be consequences if contaception becomes widespread.
It would open wide the path to marital infidelity
It would reduce respect for women: men who become used to these methods will begin to see women as objects for their own pleasure.
Governments, who care little about the moral law, may take it upon themselves to impose this upon people.
Has this not happened? We all know marital infidelity is higher now than ever before. At the very least fear of getting caught nine months later helped some stay faithful! We also know that since 1968 there has been a revolution. Once the connection between the unitive and procreative dimensions is severed in people's minds, there is no reason we can't redefine marriage as we please. After all, if the procreative dimension is optional, why can't two consenting persons marry. Who's to say it has to be limited to two? Why just persons? If you had told people in 1968 that we would have to have constitutional amendments in our states that define marriage as being between one man and one woman, they would have laughed at you! The problem is that once you allow the unitive dimension to take precidence over the procreative, there is no reason to define marriage as being between one man and one woman. It is all about two persons using – and I mean using – each other as objects of pleasure.
As for the third consequence, look at China. Look at the United Nations. China forces women who are pregnant with their second child to abort. Paul VI said that governments would soon take the power to decide from couples. The UN tells countries they must permit “reproductive rights” which is a code-term for contraception and in-utero homicide. These so-called rights are the string that is attached to much aid that comes from the United Nations.
Abortion is another consequence of the contaceptive mentality. Once a couple sees a baby as an unwanted consequence of their pleasure, they often have no qualms about any steps taken to prevent that consequence. This is not to mention the fact that many, if not most contraceptive methods are abortifacient – they cause abortions. They often work by preventing the implantation of the new human being, at least as a secondary method. This means that the new human being withers and dies. Then there is what pharmaceutical companies now call “emergency contraceptives” which definitively work by preventing implantation. 48, 589,993 persons have been put to death since 1973 by induced abortions. Countless others have died as a result of contraceptive methods that also cause abortion. This is all a consquence of the mentality that sees a child as an impediment to living the life one desires.
Too many couples have decided that it was more important to have nice cars and dream vacations than to have children. They have seen their progeny not as past generations did – a means of imortality, but as a roadblock to that big home with two cars, an SUV and a boat. There is actually negative population growth in some parts of the world, meaning couples are averaging less than two children each.
How does all of this relate to the parable of the fish? In the Gospel, fish represent two things most often. Fish are either a sign of the Eucharist or a sign of Christians. If you remember, the Greek word for fish also became an acronym for Jesus Christ, God's Son, the Savior. What are the angels sorting? Perhaps they are sorting the Christians from those who appear to be Christians. Many will say, “Lord, Lord” and I will turn to them and say, “Get away, for I do not know you.” More importantly in the case of Humanae Vitae they are sorting Catholic Theologians from those who claimed to be Catholic Theologians. These have come like wolves in sheep's clothing to ravage the flock. They would rather tell you that the Pope is wrong than admit they made a mistake.
But we have assurance. If we follow the teaching of the Catholic Church, which is found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we know that we are following the truth, and not just some spirit of the times. For, the spirit of the times is rarely one and the same as the Eternal Spirit. We can know that if we follow the teachings of the Church, and put them into practice in our lives, we are responding to God's grace. We also know that if we have been led astray by one of these so-called theologians, we can be restored to grace again by the Sacrament of Penance, knowing that the arms of Christ's mercy are always open to us.
God bless you.

Roma Locuta, Episcopi Flevierunt

2008-07-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Rome has approved the translation of the Ordinary of the Mass. According to Fr Z the CNS, the news arm of the Bishop's conference couldn't bring itself to report that pro multis will be translated accurately. Apparently John and Mary Catholic are going to have to break down and buy a freakin dictionary, because Rome thinks they are able to use polysyllabic words like -- gasp -- consubstantial !
Soon and very soon we won't have to hear those awful renderings any more. By the way, I have it on good authority that more accurate translations of the Latin have been seen in these parts too. There may even be the occasional Latin High Mass in the Ordinary Form around here. The most amazing thing is -- John and Mary Catholic, together with Juan y Maria Catolicos are able to worship as one community. Who'd-a thunk it? You mean we don't have to let language prevent us from worshipping together as one Church. Wow.
And yet, there are still those who ask the question "what relevance does that have to the Mass?" God help us. And stay tuned.

Are the People of God dumb? Pars Secunda

2008-07-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Bishops have actually done it. They have actually failed in their duty to pass the translation of the Propers of the Seasons. Yep. There really are at least one third of our mitered ones who think you and I are to stupid to understand anything higher than fourth-grade English.
I will add my voice to the many others who would love to see the USCC/NCCB receive a telegram from the Holy Father stating that since they cannot seem to agree on a translation of the current Roman Missal, in the Ordinary Form, they must simply use what they have as a current Roman Missal until they pull their miters out of their rumps and provide us with a decent translation.
"Dear Brother Bishops, Since you have not found it within your abilities to agree on a sound translation of the Roman Missal published by our predecessor of blessed memory, the Servant of God, John Paul II, we have ordered that the recognitio be withdrawn for the use of tranlations of former editions of the Roman Missal in the Ordinary Form. We encourage you, brothers, to translate the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal (Ordinary Form) quas primas in order that the faithful again be able to hear Mass in their own language, should they desire. We impart to you our Apostolic Blessing. Given at Castel Gondolfo 8 July, 2008, the third year of Our Pontificate"
Somehow I think THAT would put fire under their feet. Until that happens, they know they can drag this out as long as they please.

Are the People of God dumb?

2008-06-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

According to Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie Pennsylvania, the average Catholic is unable to comprehend such words as ineffable. Rocco reports on the story in Whispers in the Loggia. This is just a continuation of the usual liberal line. For the last forty years they have told us that we have to dumb down the liturgy in order to make it understandable to Joe Sixpack. The question of the hour is, are the People of God as dumb as Bishop Trautman would have us believe?
Why can't we use terms like ancient bondage? Why do we have to spell everything out in Romper Room speak? Is it not the height of hubris to claim that most people are not as capable as we are of learning new words? Is it not the height of clericalism? We clergy know what ineffable means, but the laity can't understand it.
And they call me clerical because I wear a biretta! We can only hope that they will retire soon. On the one hand we have religion books for seventh graders that make them learn words like epiclesis and anamnesis, and on the other we have Bishops who think people are too stupid to look up words like ineffable.
We have a long way to go, folks, but it is getting better. Yes, the people are capable of learning new words. We don't want to have to pray things like Oh God, who is so great that we cannot speak of it or put it into words....nor do we want to continue with the ICEL version: Oh God, your nice....
May God help us all, and may the Holy Spirit be with our Bishops this week.

The end of the Season?

2008-06-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a PLU-Fest for the last month! Many PLUs have joined the ranks of Presbyters in the Long Black Line. There are new PLUs joining the Long Black Line. I can still remember years ago when a saintly Priest told us in the seminary, Gentlemen, you now stand at the end of a long black line that stretches all the way through the Apostles to Our Lord Jesus Christ." Welcome to the new men!
About the PLU-Fest... This year has seen many an ordination and First Mass. Of course, we can all count on the PUUs (People UNLIKE us) to get catty about our First Masses. But...He used too much incense! He had six candlesticks and faced the Crucifix! And why was he wearing those hats?
Then we have the comments from the ever-shorter gray line -- those who cherish their gray tabbies and love to tell us, "You younger clergy just don't get it. You can't go back." Yeah, Father, the Nashville Dominicans are just a fluke -- a passing fad. Who knew the centuries-old Dominican habit was soooooo trendy! By-the-way, Father, aren't you retiring in a few weeks? Sure will miss your sage advice!
One PLU put it well when, describing the reasoning behind the New Liturgical Movement, said that the people of God, for the last forty years, had experienced on Sunday morning -- not the foretaste of Heaven, but a preview of Purgatory. It is so good to see PLUs taking the places of those who are now retiring. Change is in the air, and as this year's ordination season draws to a close, the change is definitely for the better.

Adversarius Vester

2008-04-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

St Peter tells us, "Brethren, be sober an alert, for your adversary, the Devil, is prowling about like I lion, seeking whom he may devour." This is proclaimed as part of the First Reading on the Feast of St Mark (Ordinary Form).
Now, some of our separated brethren (or those who should admit they are separated) have taken to preaching that there is no Devil. They say that the Devil and Hell are all part of some out-dated theology. Essentially, they have bought into the modernist argument that proposes that, as Marx put it, "religion is the opiate of the masses." They don't go so far (usually) as to say that there is no God, but they do propose half of the argument, that Hell and the Devil were teachings used to manipulate the masses. Now, they say, we are more sophisticated. What they don't realize is that they are, in fact, sophomoric, literally, smart idiots. They are imbued with more knowledge from technology and other things, but they are too arrogant to realize how much they still don't know.
As for those who should admit that they are separated, there is no worse arrogance than to remain in the Church, with a collar or habit on (or lapel pin, as is usually the case) and teach contrary to the constant teaching of the Church. Instead of admitting that they are not in line with the Church and going to another ecclesial community, they stay within the fold as wolves dressed in shepherd's clothing. They love to tell people that the Holy Spirit is powerful in their lives, especially rich widows. They love to tell people that those teachings which might make them uncomfortable are optional or passe, and the people of God love them because, as the Apostle tells us, their ears are itching to hear false doctrines.
You'll hear it said, "Father Russ is a really great confessor," meaning, "Father Russ tells me that I'm great; I don't have sins, only human imperfections." They don't like going to People Like Us because we tell them that to embrace the Divine Mercy means a change of their lives.
No one, however, has ever truly encountered Christ and been left the same. To encounter Him is to be transformed by Him. Then, and only then, can we fulfill what he promised in the Gospel of Mark -- "power of demons." Yes, Christ said "demons!"

When is your High Mass

2008-04-10T06:10:00.001-07:00

I spoke to a good friend from college last night. She lives in Hawaii, but has traveled the world. She was telling about the adventures of finding a Mass she can stand to attend. She went to her local parish, only to find that the Mass was in either Filipino or Samoan, which she doesn't speak. No problem, she's used to Mass in foreign tongues from her travels. [It would seem good, don't you think, if the Church could come up with some language to use internationally so as to avoid this problem -- but that's another post.]
So she went to another parish only to find the liturgy there objectionably hip. She tried several parishes. Finally, she asked the usher at her home parish, "When is your High Mass?" He told her, "We don't have a High Mass." My friend, of course, is dumbstruck. It has been years since she has lived in Hawaii, and in her travels throughout the world she has never seen a parish that had no High Mass.
Ah, but she just doesn't know... you see the liturgists tell us that there is no such thing anymore. We just have Mass (or Liturgy or Eucharist as they prefer to call it). Those distinctions went out with Vatican II. Would that someone would tell that to Rome. Anyway, these liturgists, who, by the way, are the same ones that brought us punch-bowl patens and flagons, have all kinds of Gnosis that would be good for us to get ahold of, or so they think. Such things as the Southwest Liturgical Conference, which has great sway here in the Lone Star State, become meetings of minds of those who are still living in the felt-bannered 70s.
Just because the Missal (yes, the word Sacramentary was and is incorrect) does not speak of Solemn Mass, Sung Mass and Spoken Mass, doesn't mean that these realities don't exist or that these terms are meaningless.
The other issue here is that these people who come up with these horrible liturgies have no idea how they contribute to the emptying of our churches. My friend has to drive up a windy mountain pass to go to a church where she finds the Mass to be decently celebrated. True enough, our obligation doesn't get dispensed just because the hippie couple are singing Kumbaya. However, there is a certain point where the liturgy itself is so badly celebrated that it obscures the presence of Christ in the Sacred Action. The celebration of the Mass becomes so disturbing to the person that she leaves the church in a worse emotional state than she came.
I applaud her for making the sacrifice to drive to the parish with the well-celebrated Mass. I lament the days when she isn't able to make the drive. As the Church has said so many times, we, the faithful, have the right to a well-celebrated Liturgy. We, the clergy, have the obligation to celebrate the Mass according to the norms of the Church. It is amazing how in clergy circles, one would be labeled "closed-minded" if one did not allow Life-Teen into the parish, but one is not "closed-minded" if one schedules no High Mass. Wake up and smell the incense, Fathers! The people want more. When they are educated in what the symbolism of the Liturgy is, they love all the smells-and-bells. These aren't mere trappings. They are means to involve our every sense.

Recognizing Him in the Breaking of the Bread

2008-04-06T09:13:00.001-07:00

Today's Gospel, in the Ordinary Form, is the account of Emmaus. We ask ourselves, do we recognize Him in the Breaking of the Bread (the Mass)? It is for us to appreciate the great gift Christ has left us in the Eucharist. Obviously, our "separated brethren" have completely deprived themselves of this gift. In fact, without the Eucharist, there is no Church.
Those who are apart from the Church languish in some middle ground. They are, according to the Church, only partially initiated. They have received valid baptism (assuming valid words were actually used). They are like parts of the body of Christ that have been severed from the whole, yet hang on by a thread. I pray for them, because I cannot imagine life without the Eucharist.
It is the Eucharist that builds the Body of Christ. It is Holy Communion that causes our communion with Christ and with His Body, the Church. We need to recognize this gift for what it is. Worship of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the greatest gifts we have. Yes, I say gift -- God gave us the gift of being able to worship Him in and by means of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Jews worshiped God in the Temple, but the presence of the Shekinah was a shadow or rather foreshadowing of the Real Presence. St Thomas tells us that the Eucharist acts like a window that opens to us (makes us present to) Heaven. Not only is Christ truly present in the Eucharist, but His whole Mystical Body, especially the Church Triumphant, is present as well. When we are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, we are made present to all of God's angels and saints, because they are with Christ, who is at the right hand of the Father.
Never forget the great gift you have received. Share this gift with others...tell them that you have seen Christ in the Breaking of the Bread.

Victimae Paschale Laudes

2008-03-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today we still sing the praises of the Easter Sequence. Those who have separated themselves from the Church have lost the understanding of celebrating Easter for a solid week. Our Lord has told St Faustina to pray for those who are heretics and schismatics. Let us pray today for those who lack full union with Christ and His Church. It is amazing, as the text says, that the Lamb should be immolated for the sheep. Meditate today on the sequence. Also look at the text of the Exultet. Sorry to be so short. but time presses on!

The Order of Sith

2008-03-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

Lone Star PLU has now been inducted into the Order of Sith (OSith) and has taken the name Darth Celebrandi, inspired by Ars Celebrandi which is something all PLUs strive to have. While Darth will not yet reveal his Christian name for fear that to his enemies might over-take him before his transformation is complete, be assured there is more to come. May the Force be with you all.

I give to you a new commandment....

2008-03-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy and blessed Maundy Thursday to all. Today we celebrate so much. With the morning Chrism Mass (some of us already celebrated earlier in the week) and the Mass of the Lord's Supper in the Evening, today is a celebration of the Ministerial Priesthood of Jesus Christ. \
The Chrism Mass is not just for blessing of the Holy Oils for the year. It is a Mass about the Priesthood. All of the readings selected by the Church bespeak the anointing of the Priest to bring glad tidings to the poor. The Bishop is directed to speak to his brother Priests in the homily, exhorting them to model their lives after Christ, as he had done at their ordination.
The Mass of the Lord's Supper recalls that night when Our Lord instituted the Priesthood. It was the intention of Christ, when he offered that bread and wine as His Body and Blood, not only to offer the Sacrifice of Calvary the next day, but also to offer every sacrifice that would be offered by the members of His Mystical Body. In order to facilitate the Priestly offering of the members of His Mystical Body, Christ established the Ministerial Priesthood. With the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, the Ministerial Priests provide, as it were, a vehicle for the offering of our daily sacrifices (i.e., the morning offering).
The Priest is a living Sacrament of the presence of Christ in the world. Whereever he goes, he brings with him the Divine Mercy. The Priest always can provide the healing touch of the hand of God.
The Servent of God, John Paul II, reminded his brother Priests that Christ called them two thousand years ago. From the Upper Room, these men were called, before they were ever conceived, with the words of Christ, "Do this in memory of me." For two thousand years that call has been headed. Many of us have heard the call and await the day when we can obey it fully. Please pray for your Bishop, Priests, Deacons and Seminarians. Pray for more vocations to the Ministerial Priesthood. As Archbishop Sheen once said, the world could live longer without the sun than without the Mass.

The Call

2008-03-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

This is that great time of year when many are anticipating the call to Holy Orders. This is also the time of year that the Devil is in a last-ditch effort to prevent, or at least delay the ordination of as many Priests as possible. A quick Google search finds the long form of the St Michael Prayer by Leo XIII. St Michael is most powerful -- so pray to him for the men whom God has called to Holy Orders. Pray that he will overcome the Devil, who is bent on destroying vocations by any means possible
The Devil will use rumor and innuendo. "Concerns" will be brought forward at the last minute. Those who should be the biggest supporters of candidates for the Priesthood -- their Vocations' Directors -- will often become vehicles of destruction. You will probably notice that these rumors and innuendos rarely strike non-PLUs. It will be the ones who want to teach with the authority of Christ those things that Christ teaches who will be victims of these rumors. The seminary faculty will often stand slack-jawed as Vocations' Directors come forward with these "concerns." They are powerless to help the man whom they know, and with whom they live day and night. The man who lives hundreds of miles away and sees him five times a year (I'm being generous) is convinces he knows him better! It's amazing!
St Michael is our only defense against such nonsense. Sancte Michael, Archangele, ora pro nobis!

Consecrated?

2008-02-20T15:14:00.000-08:00

There is a post on Fr Z's blog about the consecration of the chalice and paten. Ah -- so they are consecrated. Does that mean that Sister shouldn't refer to "doing the dishes?" Could this have something to do with the restriction of the purification of vessels to Acolytes? I guess we're all dumbstruck!

This brings up the topic of the general desacralization of the sacred. People quite often walk through the Sanctuary to get into the Church. Those with perfectly good knees bow when passing Our Lord -- exposed in a monstrance no less! In general there is an attitude that nothing is special any more.

Do we need to reexamine certain practices? Archbishop Ranjith seems to think Communion in the hand needs to go. Is the use of an excess number of Extraordinary Ministers of Communion -- who, by the way, still insist on calling themselves "Eucharistic Ministers" -- contributing to the overall loss of sacrality?

There seems to be an overall inability to understand that the Church changed certain things through the years for a reason. She stopped giving people Communion in the hand because of abuses. She stopped giving Communion under both Species because of abuses, and because of the bad theology that tends to develop. Just try to stop the practice in your Church, and you'll see how many think they were deprived of something more than sign value.

Where there is an overall inability to understand, there is an overall need to catechize. We have to teach our people what the Church teaches. We have to pass on what was handed to us, whether it is convenient or not.

If we allow conservatives...

2008-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Once again, Fr Z has a post that plants a seed of thought. His discussion about changing Mass texts is leads to other thoughts. If we allow for conservatives to change texts in the Mass, why not allow for liberals to do so? We all know how insipid the "translation" (really a paraphrase) of the Mass into English is. Any first year Latin student could probably make hundreds of corrections in an hour's time. That said, if we allow for us to correct the translation of the Latin, why can't we allow for the liberals to come up with their own translation that is devoid of any masculine reference to God?

An interesting phenomenon I have found is among those devoted to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, who feel free to depart from the Missal of Blessed John XXIII to pick up abrogated customs from prior editions of the Missal. The rational usually goes like this: well you see, Rubricarum Instructum never fully got implemented in this country before the Council and the series of new Missals that came in the 60s.....

So, they decide on a liturgical era that they consider to be the apex of liturgy -- sort of like the reformers did. The only difference is which year they consider to be the best. Is it the 47 Missal, the 58? They think it's nifty to say Benedicamus Domino in Lent and Advent, so they stick that in. They like the second Confiteor before Communion, so they stick that in. Are we going to start bringing back the Broadstoles?

As Fr Z always says, Say the black, do the red. I can't see how it's any different for one Priest to "retain" the Benedicamus Domino in penitential seasons than it is for another to omit the hand-washing because he sees it as a meaningless gesture. Both have decided they know better than the Church how her liturgy should be celebrated. It's hard to argue immemorial custom in a place that started celebrating the Extraordinary Form any time after the promulgation of Rubricarum Instructum.

Let's end this now!

2008-01-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

It has been 35 years now, and we are still meeting in Washington for the March for life, either physically or in spirit. Every year we pray that this will be the last time there is a March for Life, but deep down we are preparing ourselves to be there again next year.

The March for Life gives us a chance to gather together with like minded people -- at least when it comes to the understanding of a fundamental right to life. This is an issue that is at the same time highly motivated by religious sentiment and really not a religious issue. What I mean is, this is not a Catholic issue. This is a human rights issue. This is the whole problem with the organizations that support abortion. They almost universally do so in the name of "reproductive rights" or "women's rights."

Women's rights?! Is this some kind of joke? Women are by far the most harmed by abortion. First of all, statistically, more women are killed in the womb than men. Secondly, what abortion does to the psyche of a woman is unspeakable. Women have the right to be preserved from this. Organizations like Planned Parenthood International should not be permitted to make money hand over fist off the suffering of women.

Those of us who are ordained will have to deal with women who have had abortions. We have to bear in mind always that she probably felt backed into a corner. Our job is to be a personification of the Divine Mercy to these women. Embrace them, lead them gently to the Sacrament of Penance. They are most likely like the woman with the hemorrhage -- they need to hear, "rise up, daughter, your faith has saved you."

The world knows that the Church hates abortion. The old adage of hate the sin, love the sinner applies. Those who have had abortions must know that they are not outside of the mercy of God. We call upon them to be sacramentally healed by the power of Christ.

Let us pray now that we will not need to make our way to Washington again next year. Let us pray that no more children will die from abortion and that no more women will be scarred for life by it. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

Dominica in Septuagesima

2008-01-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

Today (or rather last night with Vespers) we begin the preparatory cycle for Easter. The period of Septuagesima is a time of extended preparation before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. According to some scholars, the number 70 (Septuagesima) represents the 70 years of Babylonian Exile. It is also noteworthy that Quinquegesima Sunday is exactly 50 Days before Easter, which is how I always figured it was named.
This period is a time for us to begin planning our lenten observance. How are we going to enter into the holy season of Lent? As Catholics we do believe that penance purges us from our sins. By making such an offering to God, we exercise our baptismal Priesthood. By offering sacrifice, we draw nearer to Christ who gave all to the Father on our account.
Anyone who has ever experienced profound suffering has come closer to Christ crucified. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta says that suffering is when the Crucified Christ bends down from the cross to kiss us. One lady told her that she wished He wouldn't kiss her so much! That reaction is usually ours.
Nobody wants to suffer. There is a difference between wanting to suffer and willing it. Christ willed to suffer for all mankind. At the same time, He didn't necessarily want to do it -- "If this cup can pass from me..." It does not make us bad that we don't want to suffer. It is meritorious to choose suffering, which is not, by definition, desired.

Common Direction of Prayer

2008-01-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

Much ado is being made of the Pope's Mass this morning in the Sistine Chapel. Fr Z. has posted an article that actually calls this "a break from tradition!" The ignorance of some in the press! Perhaps this could be called a break from recent (very) custom, but not from tradition.

By the grace of God we will all be able to reintroduce the common direction of prayer. There are so many theological reasons for common orientation and really non against. The idea of celebrating Mass versus populum is really based upon a misinterpretation of active participation of the faithful. So, by "gaining" being able to see what the Priest is doing, the faithful lose the image of being led by their shepherd into the Kingdom of Heaven. Ironically, they also lose the image of the Priest as one taken from among men -- one of their community who has been called forward and consecrated for this purpose. Instead, he stands on the other side of the altar and talks at them (when speaking to God!). It becomes hightened clericalism, because it exaggerates the image of the Priest as standing in persona Christi Capitis (again, ironically). All this while attempting to downplay the sacrificial character of the Mass.

What a difference an elective makes

2008-01-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

Recent posts on other blogs, e.g. WDTPRS, have discussed the formation of seminarians in the Extraordinary Form. Some have chosen not to do anything until sending Bishops request it. Some have chosen to have elective courses.

Notably, however, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St Louis is going to train the seminarians, universally it seems, to celebrate in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms. This, I propose, is the most favorable way to go about training the men. Those seminaries that offer an elective course are, no doubt, to be applauded. However, the fact that it is an elective does leave concern for the PLUs as to weather it will be just more evidence to pigeon-hole them. We never want to fuel the fire, yet we want to learn how to celebrate Mass in the immemorial way.

It's amazing. Goodbye, Good Men is still happening. They have learned new buzz words, like "He isn't with the people in a meaningful way." This, of course, is usually meant to describe someone who is "too focused on the rubrics" or something like that. This is, of course, as though the Liturgy were not a meaningful contact with the People of God! Michael Rose could write a new edition or sequel to his book. God knows, many of us have been through the wringer at the hands of those who are supposed to be promoting vocations. It's enough to make me compose a Gregorian version of We shall overcome... It's OK, though. We shall overcome, because they are getting closer and closer to retirement. People Like Us need to hang in for the long hall.

Return to the grind

2008-01-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

We wish our brother PLUs well as they head back to their respective seminaries. It is only 4 months and you will be back in the Diocese (some of you for good!). The rest of us will keep up the fort in your absence. Don't worry, we won't let the fine dining establishments go under while you're gone!

I hope the Rector's address isn't too painful. We know how those men can drone on, as though you really want to hear it after driving or flying all day. Perhaps the mic won't work? There's nothing quite like an hour of Evening Prayer. . . talk about the Liturgy of the Hours, and hours and hours. Let me guess:

Be more charitable to one another. After all, we never demonstrate passive-aggressive behavior in the formation committee!
Study harder. It's not like you will have a new event to attend every other week for a Diocese that isn't your own, but doesn't want to admit they have so few seminarians.
Engage the spiritual life. Just because no faculty members are ever seen in the chapel outside of community (or even at half of those) doesn't mean you shouldn't pray more.

Yep, they could save you the spiel if they would just lead by example. Is that too much to ask? I guess so. There's always the via negativa!

Safe travels. Don't let them get to you. Oremus pro invicem!

The Octave of Christmas

2008-01-01T07:09:00.001-08:00

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Octave Day of Christmas, ordinarily known as the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. The Theotokos, the God-bearing one, is celebrated since the Council of Ephesus. She is the Mother not only of the human nature of Christ, but of the whole Christ -- God made man. To deny that Mary is the mother of God is to deny that Christ is God, also known as the Nestorian Heresy.
Our Lady delivered Our Lord without suffering any loss to her perpetual virginity. She bore into the world its savior. And now we view the mystery of the Incarnation from the standpoint of the Great Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, as she is lauded in the Byzantine Liturgy. It is the will of God that His Son should come to us through the Virgin. He chose her from before time began to be His Mother. The mystery is sung in today's Office:
Sancta et immaculata virginitas, quibus te laudibus efferam, nescio: Quia quem caeli capere non poterant, tuo gremio contulisti.
Holy and Immaculate Virginity, I know how to carry out your praises: For Him whom the Heavens cannot hold you brought to your lap.

It is a great opportunity for us to meditate upon the great privilege that was afforded to Our Lady and to St Joseph to hold Our Lord in their arms. It is also truly amazing that so many separated brethren hold Our Lady in such disregard. No tongue can praise you worthily, O Mother of God.

Nos cum prole pia, benedicat Virgo Maria.

The Holy Family

2007-12-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today, in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Today we celebrate the most perfect family ever to exist. The Lord willed to become man and live in a family as the rest of us do. He also willed that the family, the Domestic Church, be the basic unit of society.
It is, therefore, no accident that the family is under grave attack throughout the word in these days. The devil is seeking to destroy the very fabric of our lives. He wishes to attack the family, because it is the first place that the Gospel is lived out in most people's lives.
He attacks the goods of marriage (children, exclusivity and permanence). The contraceptive mentality has become rampant, even among those who identify themselves as Catholic. Extramarital and premarital relations are seemingly on the rise. Divorce is common, nay, expected as an outcome to more than half of marriages.
There are too many who pronounce vows before the Priest with mental reservations, which later become the grounds for a decree of nullity. Who'd have thought at the time of Humanae Vitae that the Catholic divorce (and decree of nullity) rate would nearly equal that of the rest of the world?!
It is no accident or simple seeking of rights that leads the homosexual community to seek to re-define marriage as being between a man or woman and whatever turns him or her on. If the family is redefined, the whole of society is redefined. As goes the family, so goes society.
We must pray for the intercession of the Holy Family. Their help is needed to reconstruct our society as a Christian society.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, save us, save our Priests, save our families. Amen.

St Thomas a Becket

2007-12-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

The great Archbishop of Canterbury who was slain by King Henry's men is celebrated today. No, Henry VIII was not the first English King to oppose the Church. Fortunately, in the days of Henry II, there was such popular piety that it was impossible for him to get away with what he did.
In order, however, to avenge the monarchy, King Henry VIII's men tried Thomas posthumously for treason. His relics were burnt and otherwise desecrated.
Both Henry's wrongfully wished to gain supremacy in England, even over the Church. Both will go down in History as men whose lust for power separated them from the Church of God. We can only pray that they were reconciled before they died.
Sadly, Thomas Becket's successor, Thomas Cranmer was nearly his opposite. Rather than protect the rights of the Church against the King, this penultimate Archbishop of Canterbury abandoned his post and led his flock into the jaws of the wolf. His reign as Archbishop would bring about changes in the Church in England that would lead to the end of Apostolic Succession and Holy Orders in that Ecclesial Communion.
Under His reign, from 1547 - 1553, the ordination rites were not performed correctly. This was repeated from 1558, the death of the last Archbishop of Canterbury (Reginald Cardinal Pole) until 1633. By the time the error was corrected by the Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, it was too late... There was no one left with Holy Orders to pass them on. Nemo dat quod non habet.

The Holy Innocents

2007-12-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

or as one parish bulletin had it "the Holy Innocence"

Today we celebrate those who, in the words of the Collect for the day, confessed Christ not by speaking, but by dying. In a great rage, Herod ordered that all male children under the age of two be slain. He feared a rival to his throne.
Again and again society finds ways to repeat its history. From the earliest of times, recorded in the Bible, we find human sacrifice. Our Lady of Guadalupe has been named the patroness of the unborn by such ecclesial giants as Fulton Sheen. She once put a stop to child sacrifice in Mexico, and we pray she will do the same for us here. Meanwhile, our politicians, following the example of Herod, are putting to death far more children than he did. There reason? It is the same as his -- the fear of losing power. They would rather condemn unborn children to to death than lose an election.

Let us pray today for an end to abortion without exception.

St John the Divine

2007-12-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate the Feast of St John the Evangelist. In spite of modernist theories, the Church still celebrates the Evangelist and Apostle as one and the same. There are many things to do on this day.

We are still celebrating the Octave of Christmas, while our separated brethren, who don't really believe in the Incarnation, have already begun to pack away things. It's bad luck to have your tree up after New Year's Day, ya know!
Let's not forget the blessing of wine. St John is the one who tells us that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the best vintner ever, so let's get out our Rituale Romanum and a case of wine to bless this day!

Have a blessed Feast of St John, and enjoy the rest of the celebration of Christmas. By the way, if you follow the Extraordinary Form, you can celebrate Christmas until Feb 2, the 40th day.

Razor

2007-12-09T20:44:00.000-08:00

From Kobol to Earth!

Having just watched Battlestar Galactica Razor again -- that is a great show. I cannot wait until season 4. Is Cara (Starbuck) Thrace going to lead them all to doom? This could prove interesting. At any rate, it is a good diversion for this cleric in the Lone Star state.

There is only one Cylon left for us to see. Will it be Cara? Adama. Lee?

Stay tuned.

Vestments

2007-12-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

There have been several posts comparing the vestments of the Holy Father for 1st Vespers of the 1st Sunday of Advent in 2006 vs 2007. Fr Z and Gerald Augustinus are examples. It's amazing some of the comments that appear. That said, there are some things to note:

The patience of His Holiness in allowing the former MC to dress him in Tie-dye vestments and Joseph and his Technicolor dream-copes.
Complaints that his new vestments are "foppish" -- is there no understanding that the vestments worn actually demonstrate the dignity of the Sacred Liturgy? He is not foppish, he's Catholic.
There is, among those who prefer Marini I's vestment choices, a lack of understanding of how the human mind naturally perceives beauty. Such things as balance and symmetry are important. Hence the balanced six candles and Crucifix on the altar!

The classical vestments take these things into account. Modern ones do not. I despise having to wear cheap polyester vestments into the Holy of Holies. Sadly, we have to purchase our own vestments these days because many of our predecessors threw away the cloth of gold vestments and replaced them with burlap. There are fewer things more embarrassing than having the Episcopalian priestess down the street wearing nicer looking vestments than the Catholic Priest.

We've Survived Worse

2007-12-01T18:54:00.001-08:00

From the files of stranger than fiction:

Last Sunday, on the Feast of Christ the King (according to the Calendar for the "Ordinary Form"), a Priest went into the Sacristy to find the two men, who will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate from his parish, attempting to light the incense. Mind you, they were trying to light the incense, not a charcoal. Yep. They'll be clerics soon.

As one PLU said, "The Church survived the persecutions, she can survive the Permanent Diaconate."

Happy New Year

2007-12-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

We have embarked now upon a new liturgical year. It's hard to believe that Advent is already upon us. How can we make this year better than last year? A list (not comprehensive) could include such things as:

Regular confession -- Unless your memory is better than an elephant's, you probably don't remember much that you did three months ago. If you want to make a really good confession, monthly is a good practice. Every two weeks is even better. Many, including myself, have found that spiritual growth goes faster if confessing regularly.
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus -- Devotion to Our Lord's Sacred Heart is irreplaceable. Our Lord promises to protect all who fly to the protection of His Sacred Heart.
Consecration to Jesus through Mary -- The practice of Total Consecration according to St Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort cannot be beat. Anyone who has done it can tell you of times that the protection of Our Lady was there because of it. I personally could not have made it through seminary without it! This, of course, includes the Rosary daily.
Daily Holy Hour -- If you want to get close to Christ, in a way it is just like any other friend. How many relationships do you know of that don't grow cold from lack of contact? Spend time with Christ as you would with a spouse -- He wants your soul for His spouse.
Devotion to Saints -- When you find a Saint with whom you relate, you find a friend who can help you grow closer to Christ. That person may be someone who has been through the things you have, or has a similar temperament.

I pray that this year will be grace-filled for us all. For those who are struggling with seminary staff or vocations' directors (wreckers?) who seem intent on giving you a chance to be the next chapter of Goodbye, Good Men, hang in there. If you do the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, you will be amazed at the difference it makes. Persevere! As the Italians say (in America) Deo vede e Deo provede!

Hermeneutic of Continuity

2007-10-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

Aside from being a great blog http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/, the Hermeneutic of continuity is a general line of though of Benedict XVI, now gloriously reigning. There is a nasty tendency of some to interpret the Missal of Paul VI, most recently published in the third typical edition by John Paul II in 2000, as a complete rupture with what preceded it. If one were to apply the idea of a hermeneutic of continuity to the celebration of Mass, than it stands to reason that the celebration of the Novus Ordo Missae of Paul VI should resemble the Ordo Missae as reformed by John XXIII in 1962.
This said, why then is there such a strong reaction to the idea of doing anything that, to some, smacks of "the old way of doing things"? It seems that those who have wrought such destruction over the last 30 years are trying to salt the field in the style of Napoleon on the way out of Russia.
They are sure, for instance, to bury the footings of the altar that they moved half-way into the nave in so much cement as to make it impossible for the next pastor to move it back, at least to within the original sanctuary. It truly will take decades to rebuilt what has been lost.
Let us all pray for long life for the Pope so that he can continue to appoint new Bishops who think as he does.

Pi Lambda Upsilon -- An Introduction

2007-09-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is a new blog for the PLUs throughout the world. PLUs form a fraternity of men and women who are dedicated to the correct implementation of the Liturgy of the Latin Rite -- the People Like Us.

Most recently there has been a conference of the Society for Catholic Liturgy at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus OH. Let me assure you -- there are PLUs all over the country, and in fact the world.

Domine, salvum fac Patrem nostrum Benedictum, et exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te!

Vivat Papam!