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What else should you do, besides having a lot of faith, if you want to attend Holy Mass well? You should identify yourself with Christ. You should remember the Scriptures and have "the same mind" "that he had on the cross (cf. Phil 2:5). The same mind which means the same purposes. What purposes did Jesus have on the cross? What was he concerned about? We can sum up his ends or purposes as four: to give glory to God the Father; to thank him; to make up for the sins of men; and to ask him for graces for...

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead Proving once again that Donald Trump is a friend to America’s religious communities, the president reversed a Navy cost-cutting decision that would result in not renewing the contracts of priests serving Catholic naval personnel. Trump tweeted, “The United States Navy, or the Department of Defense, will NOT be canceling its contract with Catholic Priests who serve our men and women in the Armed Forces so well, and with such great compassion & skill. This will no longer be even a point of conversation @CardinalDolan.” The United States Navy, or the Department of Defense,...

Compare and Contrast: The Super Bowl and the Mass, Football and Faith By: Msgr. Charles Pope I write to you in the midst of a semi-“religious” event: the Super Bowl. People have donned their sacred attire and are shouting praises. I enjoy football, but see it a lot less than most since I’m a priest and tend to be busy on Sundays! Yet I remain quite fascinated at how passionate and dedicated many Americans are to their team and to the game.Would that more Catholics had the same dedication to the Mass and the Church that true football fans have...

A Look at the “Actual Mass” of Vatican II: the 1965 Missal By: Msgr. Charles PopeA couple of weeks ago I wrote a cautionary article aimed at my traditionally-minded brethren saying, among other things, that we ought to be careful in identifying the Ordinary Form of the Mass (1970 Missal and beyond) as the “Mass of Vatican II.”  I will not reproduce that whole article here. I will only recall three points:1. The Mass was already undergoing significant changes, beginning in the 1940s and picking up speed through the 1950s. More changes were planned by the Vatican before the Second Vatican...

Hearts Aloft! A Reflection on our Mystical Transport to Heaven in Every Mass By: Msgr. Charles PopeBefore November ends and our consideration of the four last things (death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell) gives way to Advent preparations for the great Second Coming that ushers in those things definitively,  let us turn our attention to a short, often-overlooked summons to Heaven that takes place in every Mass. It takes place in a short dialogue just after the prayer over the gifts and before the singing of the Sanctus. It is called the “preface dialogue” and it is really quite remarkable...

The Heavenly Elements of the LiturgyBy: Msgr. Charles PopeIn November, Catholics are encouraged to meditate on the “Last Things.” As you know, I write quite often on Hell. But I have written on Heaven, too. In this post I propose simply to set forth how much of our liturgy is a kind of dress rehearsal for Heaven.Indeed, Catholics are often unaware just how biblical the Sacred Liturgy is. The design of our traditional churches; the use of candles, incense, and golden vessels; the postures of standing and kneeling; the altar; the singing of hymns; priests wearing albs and so forth are...

Our altar boys practically fight for the honor of being the thurifer. That's the name for the server who carries the thurible — the censer — in the procession at Mass.  They like being thurifer because they get to wear the more ornate lace surplice, and they know thurifer is the most complicated job and is reserved for the older, more experienced boys. The use of incense is optional for most Masses.  It's used to purify the coffin at funerals and to bless statues and images.  However, many Catholic priests choose not to use incense at Mass, and the...

Contrary to Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich’s promises to Internal Affairs and Environment Committee chair MK Miri Regev (Likud-Beytenu) in mid-May not to change the status quo at King David’s Tomb, that status has been breached in a move endangering Jewish prayer at the holy site. […] Video footage, courtesy of Rabbi Tal, exposes the Mass prayers held on the second floor of the David’s Tomb Compound, which Christians term the “Room of the Last Supper.” The rabbi reports hundreds of Christian visitors, priests, Catholic monks and nuns praying at the site, as evidenced by the film. In another video...

Via social media, I heard there is a student club at Harvard planning a “Black Mass” for today. When I first heard of it, I didn’t think much about it except to pray for all involved, on both sides of the issue. Then, as today approached, I started to see more in my feed about this “Black Mass,” and I wondered if someone had penned a response, official or otherwise. You see, I’m not looking for official guidance on how to respond to a group of students exercising their first amendment right to free speech, especially if they change venues...

Now if I were to ask you if the Kyrie Eleison (Translated “Lord Have Mercy”) were part of the Penitential Rite most likely you’d say “Of course it is.” After all we are asking God’s mercy. But interestingly enough it serves more as an acclamation of praise both historically and liturgically as we shall see.The History of the Kyrie - the Kyrie is often thought of as a part of the penitential rite but this is not necessarily the case. The General instruction describes it this way: “After the penitential act the Kyrie Eleison is begun unless it has...

The mother of a 13-year-old autistic boy who was banned by a court order from attending services at a Roman Catholic church in Bertha, Minn., woke up Sunday determined to take her son to mass. But Carol Race changed her mind when Todd County Sheriff Pete Mikkelson met her at the end of her driveway Sunday and told her she would be arrested if she brought her son, Adam, into the Church of St. Joseph. Instead, Race took Adam and her four other children to mass at Christ the King Church in nearby Browerville, Minn. "It occurred to me that...

Pope set to return to traditional liturgy:- VATICAN CITY | June 19, 2005 5:11:27 AM IST Pope Benedict XVI wants to restore the traditional ceremonial Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, with Latin instead of the vernacular and Gregorian chants. Vatican expert Sandro Magister reported in his weekly newsletter Saturday that the pope is expected to replace Archbishop Pietro Marini, his predecessor Pope John Paul II's master of liturgical ceremonies. Whoever follows Marini will have orders to restore the traditional style and choreography of papal ceremonies in St. Peter's. Out will go the international Masses so dear to Pope John Paul...

March 24, 2005Chrism Mass Psalm: Thursday 15 Reading IIs 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,because the LORD has anointed me;He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captivesand release to the prisoners,To announce a year of favor from the LORDand a day of vindication by our God,to comfort all who mourn;To place on those who mourn in Ziona diadem instead of ashes,To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit. You yourselves shall be named priests...

The search to prove that one can be a democrat and a Catholic has once again failed. With John F. Kerry attempting to be John F. Kennedy's protégé as the second Catholic president, the juxtaposition of Catholicism and the Democratic Party has been called to attention again with renewed vigor.Kerry's ambitions to be the next Catholic president sound as reasonable as his designs to be the next black president, for Kerry is as much a devout Catholic as he is a Southern black. Kerry's claims to be a Catholic in good standing have disturbed both the Vatican and the various...

When Priests Don't Run the ParishIn this diocese, lay people, deacons and nuns have new roles. By Larry B. Stammer Times Staff Writer May 18, 2003 Faced with a shortage of priests in one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation, the Roman Catholic diocese of San Bernardino is becoming a national leader in using lay Catholics, nuns and permanent deacons to run parishes and meet the spiritual needs of its flock. Though virtually every diocese in the country faces a serious shortage of priests that threatens to leave parishes without full-time clergy, the San Bernardino diocese, which covers San...

For worshipers, St. Peter's recalls the past Troy -- Church is the only one in Albany diocese authorized to celebrate Latin Mass By JACQUELYN SWEARINGEN, Staff writer First published: Sunday, May 5, 2002 At the St. Peter's Church noon Mass each Sunday, the priest still chants Latin prayers and the women still cover their heads. To sit among the faithful is to step back to a time when few Catholics questioned the authority of their church. As the scandal of sex crimes involving priests engulfs the Roman Catholic Church, posing one of the greatest challenges to church authority in...