Posted on 06/19/2016 1:22:54 PM PDT by ebb tide
Foreword by Michael J. Matt
It is becoming apparent to this writer that many people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, are waking to the harsh reality of what Pope Francis is all about. The next step is to help these same good people understand the harsh reality of what the entire Modernist revolution has been about ever since the days of St. Pius X, when popes were still vigorously battling this great ‘synthesis of all heresies’.
The Modernist revolution ‘came out of the closet’, if you will, at the time of the Second Vatican Council, but nowhere was its agenda made more abundantly apparent than in the systematic destruction of the Roman Rite, which took place in the aftermath of Vatican II and with the full blessing of the Spirit of Vatican II.
Once it is understood why Modernists at the ‘heart and bosom’ of the Church attacked the Mass first—because it was the liturgical stronghold, if you will, in which Catholic doctrine had been protected for centuries, and in which even the Latin itself made experimentation and novelty nearly impossible, and which day after day reinforced Catholic ideas so repugnant to Modernist notions of ecumenism, dialogue, universal salvationism, and ultimately the false moral liberty (a mere extension of the Modernists’ crowning achievement of a false religious liberty) on which the rise of abortion, contraception and the destruction of Christian marriage were wholly dependent—then it is easy to understand what’s been going on in the Church for a long time. Quite simply, we are all the victims of a massive Modernist coup d’état, for which our poor, beleaguered pontiff is nothing more than the ultimate poster boy.
The ascendency of Pope Francis to the Chair of St. Peter has always been the endgame of the Modernists—to get one of their own at the very top. Francis did not emerge from a vacuum, and it is unfair to him to suggest otherwise. This has been a long time coming, but, in so many ways, the success of the entire Modernist revolution that he now represents was wholly dependent on the destruction of the Roman Rite, the so-called Tridentine Mass—both from the spiritual as well as the practical perspective.
You don’t like Latin? You prefer vernacular? You enjoy the priest facing the people so you can see his face? Of course, and this is because through no fault of your own, you have been brainwashed by Modernists, causing your understanding of what liturgy is supposed to be to become fatally flawed. You think that liturgy should be all about you, and how it makes you feel, and how you respond to it, rather than about God and the proper worship owed to the Creator. And when it fails to entertain or to make us "feel" something, it becomes irrelevant to us, just as it became irrelevant to millions of fallen-away Catholics since the introduction of the Novus Ordo.
How you and I “feel” about the Mass is really quite irrelevant. In true Luciferian fashion, the point and purpose of the Mass have been inverted. The Modernists knew what they were doing, and superficial abuses such as altar girls and use of the vernacular pale in severity when compared to what they were really all about—the end of the worthy sacrifice that since the beginning of history man knew he owed to God. Thus tables replaced altars, women and guitar strummers diverted attention away from priests, communion rails were razed to make room for ‘gathering spaces’, tabernacles--the holy of holies--were shoved off to the side if not removed from the church altogether, and celebrating the communal meal suplanted God offering God to God on the altar of sacrifice.
The following article penned by an adult convert to Catholicism, goes over some familiar ground where the liturgy is concerned, but if it is read prayerfully and humbly, I’m convinced it will help many formerly brainwashed Catholics to stir themselves to the reality of what’s really happened over the past fifty years and to, Deo Volente, resolve to take measures to reclaim what was viciously stolen from them a long time ago—their birthright, their identity, their liturgical patrimony, their religion, their future, the souls of their own children.
Please God, help us all to see and understand what we have lost, what they have done to your bride and how they have uncrowned You. MJM
In his homily message on January 18, 2016, Pope Francis sharply criticized traditional Catholics, calling them, among other things, Christians who have hearts closed to the surprises of the Holy Spirit and rebels who practice the sin of divination; insults which have already been widely discussed on the internet.
Wishing to lend credence to these accusations, the Pope used the day's scripture readings to illustrate his point, including a particular story about King Saul, which can be found in the book of 1 Kings chapter 15 (Douay Rheims version).
While Francis obviously misinterpreted the passage, the true interpretation, as explained very clearly within the scripture, contains an important message for all Catholics who wish to seek God's truth and God's will during a particularly confusing time in Church history. In my mind, the correct interpretation of the passage helps illustrate why the Traditional Latin Mass (according to the 1962 missal), relegated to the "extraordinary form" so many years ago by the Church hierarchy, is so important, and why it is necessary now perhaps more than ever that it be celebrated and made available on a regular basis to all Catholics.
King Saul, forerunner to Annibale Bugnini--Father of the New Mass? king saul 1In Chapter 15 of 1Kings, God commanded Saul through the prophet Samuel to rise up against the tribe Amalec and destroy both the people and all that belonged to them. He was clearly instructed to neither spare nor covet anything, but rather, to slay "both man and woman, child and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." Saul obeyed the Lord by attacking and overcoming Amalec, but he did not destroy everything as commanded. Rather, he kept the king alive, and gathered up the best of the flocks and herds, garments, and "all that was beautiful." Everything that was "vile and good for nothing", he destroyed.
To add to this rebellion, Saul then further insulted God by sacrificing some of these forbidden treasures to the Lord. When confronted by Samuel, Saul blamed the people, stating they wanted to "spare the best of the sheep and the herds" in order to sacrifice them to the Lord.
Note first of all, that as the scripture specifies that "some" of the spoils were sacrificed, the rest were obviously kept for the enjoyment and further enrichment of Saul. Secondly, the passage does not specify whether or not the people had knowledge regarding God's instructions to Saul, and yet Saul, proving himself to be a hireling rather than a shepherd, attempted to blame them for the incident. Last and most importantly, one must note that Saul offered an inferior religious act, clearly unacceptable to God in an attempt to excuse his disobedience to God's command. Thus the people participated in an act that was abominable to the Lord, quite probably in ignorance, out of faithful obedience to a leader who chose to ignore the sin for the purpose of his own worldly gain. Like the false shepherds who feed themselves instead of the flock (Eze 34:2), like the false shepherds who say "Blessed be the Lord, we are become rich," and spare not the flock (Zec 11:5).
As an adult convert to Catholicism, I was not familiar with the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), and knew nothing about the change imposed upon the faithful with the advent of the Novus Ordo Mass (NOM). The first time my family and I attended the monthly TLM at our (fairly conservative) Novus Ordo parish, I didn't understand a word of Latin (although I very much enjoyed the Gregorian chant, as did my family).
Nonetheless, I was astounded upon reading the English translation of the liturgy. What a difference! How beautiful! This Mass was clearly about a humble, contrite people, all sinners, giving thanks to the God who created them and who loves them so much.
Having read the liturgy, it now seems most plausible that the NOM, so different in tone, has been instrumental in weakening the bond between God and the faithful. This seems logical, as the emphasis placed on the meaning of the Mass has shifted from the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God to a memorial of (the last supper) meal. I believe that this change in emphasis and tone has actually encouraged the faithful to become more dependent on the world, in direct contradiction to Christ's own will which He expressed so eloquently in the gospels, especially in the gospel of St. John, Chapter 17.
How could one even begin to praise the glories of the "Mass of all time?" It begins with Psalm 42, which reminds us of our need for God, and tells of His devotion and intimate care for His people: Although enemies surround us, even though we may face grave peril and persecution in this world, we need not be disturbed; the "light of truth" has brought us here, to the altar of God. And then from Psalm 120: "Our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth."
Throughout the Mass it is made abundantly clear that the sacrifice is Jesus Christ Himself, the "spotless host", the "holy sacrifice", the "Victim without blemish." How can we be but humbled by this reminder. We must recall we are unworthy sinners. When the priest asks God to cleanse his heart and lips, to purify him that he may be made worthy to announce the holy gospel, we are again in awe, being reminded of our distinct and undeserved privilege. For many ears have not been opened to receive the message of Christ's peace into their lives.
In addition, within the liturgy of the Mass, we are reminded of the communion of saints whose prayers and intercession help us stand strong in faith during this difficult life, as they once did as well, resisting sin and the desire for worldly pleasures which strengthened them to persevere in times of trial. Even trial that led to martyrdom. And after the sacrifice of the Mass, we are treated to the last gospel reading—the same each Sunday—the glorious treatise by St. John regarding the greatness of God and the wonders of His gift to mankind (Jn 1:1-14):"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...by Him all things were made...In Him was life and the life was the light of men...those who receive Him were given great power to become sons of God, those who believe in His name...And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (as we all genuflect) and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
In light of this beautiful, reverent liturgy, the question is simple: How will the faithful, who, by the words of Jesus all sleep while waiting for the return of the bridegroom, come to understand the great glory of God and His promise of eternal life which (at best) we comprehend only dimly, given that our day to day lives occur in this sinful world? We cannot comprehend the promise and stand firm in the faith unless, when we come before the altar of God for the holy sacrifice of the Mass, we are reminded of God's glory, God's sacrifice, our unworthiness, and God's love. This is our greatest strength, our greatest prayer, our greatest grace.
The change of tone in the NOM is indeed substantial. Consider the great miracle of transubstantiation as it occurs in the cannon of the TLM: The priest "humbly prays to the Father through Jesus", asking that He receive and bless these "holy, unspotted sacrifices" which he offers up to God first for the Catholic Church, requesting that He grant her peace (Christ's peace, not as the world gives) to guard, unite, and guide her throughout the world, and then also for the Pope, bishop, and "for all who are orthodox in belief and who profess the Catholic and apostolic faith". In the prayers regarding the sacrifice woven throughout the TLM it is made clear that the sacrifice is offered to atone for the countless sins of the entire body, both living and dead, and it is requested that the sacrifice (described as offered to God out of the gifts He has bestowed upon us) bring honor to the saints and salvation to the Church on earth.
In the NOM, no mention is made regarding the reason for the offering, as if it is unnecessary to beseech God to help and guide His people. The sins of the faithful are mentioned only once, near the beginning with the "I confess", if it is used. The gifts are our offering to God; no humble acknowledgement that everything we have comes from Him. The need to have Jesus, the Victim and Priest atone for our sins is also not mentioned. It is called, in one common version, simply, the "sacrifice of our reconciliation." In the other common version, it is not mentioned at all.
Another very serious problem with the NOM is that it contains erroneous statements; concepts that directly contradict scriptural concepts. Here is an example of four such statements, followed by the scriptural definitions of the concepts:
1. "It is our salvation to give thanks to the Father". St. Paul teaches us that "Our salvation is in Christ Jesus" (2Ti 2:10). It must be worked out with fear and trembling, for God works in us to accomplish it according to His good will (Php 2:12-13).
2. God makes all things holy. Scripture is clear that only some people are (or will become) holy. Of the four examples of the sowing of seed that Jesus teaches in the parable of the sower, only one part brings forth fruit (Mt 13:3-23). The prophet Isaiah speaks of the "sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer" calling them further, "wicked children" and "a false seed" (Is 57:3-5), and Jesus tells the Jews who do not hear or believe in His words that they are not of the seed of Abraham, rather, they are of their father the devil, who is a liar and the father thereof (Jn 8:43-44).
3. God is asked to advance the peace and salvation of all the world. Yet regarding those who would deny Him, Christ warned that He came not to bring peace, but a sword (Mt 10:32). When the heavenly army appeared before the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ, they proclaimed "peace to men of good will" (Lu 2:13-14). Finally, Jesus tells His disciples that the peace He leaves with them is not the peace of the world (Jn 14:27).
4. God gathers a people so that a pure sacrifice may be offered in His name. What does this sentence mean? According to St. Paul, the sacrifice is Jesus Christ. "Holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and made higher than the heavens (Heb 7:26-27). And again, St. Paul proclaims, Jesus Christ appeared for the destruction of sin, by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb 9:26).
This last example shows my first reaction to the statement. However, as the actual text of the Eucharistic Prayer uses the phrase "from the rising of the sun unto its setting", my parish priest pointed out that the mentioned "sacrifice" is actually taken from a prophecy by Malachias:
From the rising of the sun even to the going down, My name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to My name a clean oblation: for My name is great among the Gentiles. (Mal 1:11)
As this passage therefore does prefigure the sacrifice of the Mass with Christ as the Victim, it is unclear how this promise of favor means we are automatically God's chosen people simply by virtue of showing up for Mass, as the phrase in the Eucharistic Prayer would seem to suggest. While this is obviously an important omission, it is especially so in light of the context of Malachias' prophecy. God is angry with the Israelites because they have brought Him an inferior sacrifice; the "rapine, the lame and the sick". They have not brought Him His portion from the best of their flocks, in humble and thankful acknowledgement of His love and great blessing. By the words of the phrase, the congregation may not understand that the mentioned "sacrifice" refers to Christ Jesus. But even if they do, they are not told that they must show their love for God by turning from sin and following His commandments in order to make an acceptable offering.
Finally, there is the change in the wording of the consecration itself, which was originally eat (and drink) all of this. The statement is changed in the NOM to eat (and drink) all of you. Jesus never specified the words "all of you", even though only He and His faithful apostles were celebrating the feast. The effect this new wording could have on the congregation is seriously problematic, as the spirit of humility brought forth in the TLM is replaced by a spirit of entitlement: All should (or may) eat and drink. This is a dangerous concept, for as St. Paul warned, "he who eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation unto himself". This issue of entitlement replacing humility also occurs in the NOM when the priest prays "May we merit to be co-heirs of eternal life." Consider the difference in tone, and the outcome of the TLM version. The priest prays that God might grant the faithful "some share" in the fellowship of the saints--weighing not our merits but granting us pardon. This is scriptural. We are saved by God's grace when we sincerely attempt to live by his commandments. We do not merit our salvation. Overall, the NOM focuses much more attention on communion with the congregation instead of the humble and reverent worship of God. In the NOM, we are the "body of Christ", stated as fact like the Protestants who believe in salvation by a simple statement of belief with no distinction regarding one's current state of grace (and very rarely are the faithful reminded from the pulpit that they must turn from sin).
By now, the NOM has been celebrated in most Catholic Churches for more than 40 years. The faithful still come to worship God. The more devout still believe in the Real Presence. But the meaning of our relationship with God has been obscured by this liturgy. How could this Mass be as pleasing to God as the TLM, and isn't pleasing God the point of our worship? In some of the more "modern" or "liberal" parishes, believers are actually taught to focus on communion with each other instead of the worship of God. When priests (and seemingly, much of the current Church hierarchy) teach the "we are the church" liberation theology, or any form of relativism as pertains to the holy scriptures, they behave in a manner reminiscent of St. Peter's description of the false prophets who would arise within the Church, (2Pet 2:14) "Having eyes full of adultery and sin that ceases not", "alluring unstable souls". All this to promote their own interest in worldly gain. And when this the solemn, holy Mass is turned into a mere meeting of friends, the people are led away from the truth, and the Lord becomes a stumbling block and a rock of offense. They are taught to participate in an inferior sacrifice, perhaps without their knowledge, just like the Israelites participated in the sacrifice instigated by King Saul.
In Salem, Oregon, capitol of one of the most liberal and thus morally destructive states in the union, the TLM is currently available only once per month at 6:45 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Despite the early hour, many people attend, even coming from out of town to celebrate this most beautiful and reverent liturgy.
As the Church, under the direction of Pope Paul VI, made the decision to change with the times by imposing the NOM, the resulting man-centered world view adopted by many Catholics has damaged their understanding of how to effect positive change in the secular environment. For many good and sincere Catholics work diligently and tirelessly to fight the evils of the culture of death, the re-definition of marriage and other pertinent issues. Yet without the understanding of relationship with God that comes through the TLM, they are left without proper armor and weapons for fighting the battle.
Many have forgotten that change for good in society can occur only by the power of God when a humble and contrite people--a people willing to reject sin for the love of the commandments of God--offer up prayers and penance. We must remember and believe as absolute truth, that it was God Almighty who parted the Red Sea, who made the walls of Jericho fall down, who gave victory in battle to the lowly many times against tremendous odds, who felled the giant Goliath, and who offers salvation through the precious body and blood of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. "Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth".
"Convert us Lord, let us see your face and we shall be saved."This is a fact forgotten by the world in a day when God seems far away. But Catholics above all others need to know and believe and understand. We cannot be like the world because we are to be the light of the world which the darkness cannot comprehend. In order to become what God wants us to be, we need at least the option of attending the Traditional Latin Mass regularly. We need to be reminded of what it really means to be good Christians.
When I read about the Catholic rites of Richard the Third’s time (he was a very Orthodox Catholic) I could weep with what we have lost. I sigh with disgust with what we lost circa 1967.
Because really good Christians speak Latin just like Jesus did? The only acceptable sacrifice is a contrite heart and a soul redeemed by the Blood of Jesus. All else is window dressing
I actually read Vatican II many years ago. Since I am not a Roman Catholic it was sort of an exercise in concentration and mental discipline for me though I also wanted to see what the Roman Catholic Church ACTUALLY claimed as truth not what nominal Catholics thought it believed.
It impossible to have a contrite heart, if one doesn’t go to Confession.
“For in the night in which he
was betrayed, he took Bread; and when
he had given thanks, he brake it, and
gave it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat,
this is my Body, which is given for you; Do
this in remembrance of me. Likewise, after
supper, he took the Cup; and when he
had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of this; for this is my Blood
of the New Testament, which is shed for
you, and for many, for the remission of sins;
Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance
of me.”
This is what I was taught as a child. Is there something wrong with it?
I watched the documentary on Richard the Third. I have become very interested in the subject.
And I agree that we have lost something very profound and beautiful.
Good! A fine king, an even better Lord of the North, and a much maligned individual. His Masses were utterly gorgeous (we have his notes on it).
And yes, we’ve lost a lot since Vatican 2. But only a few thousand of us care. And the newer generations don’t miss what they haven’t experienced.
Better, confess your sins to our Advocate......Jesus. He will forgive.
It's amusing how prots ignore the bible when it doesn't agree with them. Your confessions are useless.
Thank you for the very essay from a great journal. The author gives many reasons why the Roman rite is mysterious and how it is sad that many cities have few opportunities to attend the Roman rite.
‘The ascendency of Pope Francis to the Chair of St. Peter has always been the endgame of the Modernists.’ False. The Modernists are simply Masons and they got their man in the Chair with Giovanni Montini. Thankfully, the Lord prevented Paul VI from doing more damage. Sadly, the Modernists aka the Masons are having another shot with Francis. Thankfully, the Lord has Francis and the Masons on a short leash. Trust me: they feel the pinch of the Lord’s leash daily and curse him, just as a young beagle puppy strains against his leash and growls at his owner.
If possible, attend a Roman rite in your town and support the FSSP in Nebraska.
Still waiting to see if you believe His promises in John 5:24. Should be a simple yes or no answer.
I believe in all of Christ's promises, not just some of them as the prots do, e.g. the sacrament of Confession. And I don't believe prots honour the Son by rejecting the Church he founded and just going "cowboy" on their own.
You finally answered a question. Glad you affirm John 5:24. Now, show us where Christ said one has to be a member of the roman catholic church.
You’re jumping threads again. And I will not participate in your attempt to derail this one.
I will address your question in the original thread.
Break down the verbs...in the Greek.
I will await your answer.
Done.
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