In a recent post I examined a much-praised article written by Cardinal Robert Sarah wherein he spoke of the Second Vatican Council’s treatment of the liturgy as a text largely ignored saying, “the time has come to listen to the Council,” as if listening to the Council is the solution to the present day liturgical crisis as opposed to a major part of the problem.
Along the way, I pointed, among other things, to the deficiency of the following conciliar statement; the same that Cardinal Sarah held up as one of the conciliar teachings that has allegedly been overlooked:
Although the sacred liturgy is above all things the worship of the divine Majesty, it likewise contains much instruction for the faithful. (SC 33)
The problem here is subtle, and yet profound.
Ask pretty much any Protestant to describe their Sunday services, and they’ll tell you in so many words, “We gather to worship the divine Majesty, but we also receive instruction as the minister expounds upon the Word!”
This description, however, inadequately illustrates the reality of the Mass which is first and foremost the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ – the most perfect act of worship of the divine Majesty into which humankind can possibly enter.
It occurs to me now based upon some of the feedback I’ve received that this topic deserves closer scrutiny than I was able to give it in the previous post.
In Mediator Dei, Pope Pius XII described Holy Mass (of which SC 33 is speaking more specifically) as follows:
Thus the commemorative representation of His death, which actually took place on Calvary, is repeated in every Sacrifice of the altar, seeing that Jesus Christ is symbolically shown by separate symbols to be in a state of victimhood.
Moreover, the appointed ends are the same. The first of these is to give glory to the Heavenly Father. From His birth to His death Jesus Christ burned with zeal for the divine glory; and the offering of His blood upon the cross rose to heaven in an odor of sweetness. To perpetuate this praise, the members of the Mystical Body are united with their divine Head in the Eucharistic sacrifice, and with Him, together with the Angels and Archangels, they sing immortal praise to God and give all honor and glory to the Father Almighty. (cf Mediator Dei 70, 71)
In other words, Holy Mass is the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered to the Heavenly Father, and the praise of the divine Majesty is best understood as one of the appointed ends of said Sacrifice.
The Council’s treatment of the Mass as “above all things” worship (that also contains instruction) suggests that it stands on its own as such apart from the true Sacrifice of the altar. This treatment invites (or perpetuates, as the case may be) the common misconception that the Mass is essentially the Catholic version of what the Protestants do.
In the brief excerpt from Mediator Dei quoted above wherein Pope Pius XII emphasizes the Mass as Sacrifice with worship being among its ends (the others being, “thanksgiving, expiation, propitiation, reconciliation and impetration”) the Holy Father referenced the Roman Missal no less than twice; specifically, the Offertory and the Roman Canon.
Let’s do likewise by highlighting those instances in the Roman Missal (for the Mass of Ages) that illustrate the degree to which the worship offered to the divine Majesty at Holy Mass is understood as inseparable from the true Sacrifice of Christ offered by the priest acting in persona Christi therein.
Offertory
We offer Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation, pleading Thy clemency, that it may ascend in the sight of Thy divine majesty, with a sweet fragrance, for our salvation and for that of the whole world. Amen.
Clearly, that which is prayerfully offered in the “sight of Thy divine majesty” at Mass is not simply worship standing on its own; rather, it is described here as a pleading (or impetration) that is intimately connected with the Sacrifice – specifically, petition for the gift of “salvation” derived therefrom.
Suscipiat Dominus (Response to the invitation Orate fratres prayed by the server)
May the Lord receive the sacrifice from your hands, to the praise and glory of His name, to our benefit, and that of all His Holy Church.
The praise offered is understood as one of the “appointed ends” of the Sacrifice received from the hands of the priest.
Roman Canon
Wherefore, Lord, we, Thy servants, but also Thy holy people, mindful of the same Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, of His blessed Passion, and of His Resurrection from the grave, and of His glorious Ascension into heaven, offer unto Thy most excellent majesty of Thine own gifts, bestowed upon us, a pure Victim, a holy Victim, an unspotted Victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation …
Here we find it explicitly stated that what is offered at Holy Mass unto the Lord’s most excellent majesty is the selfsame Victim who was immolated for our salvation on the Cross.
Roman Canon, cont.
Humbly we pray Thee, almighty God, command these offerings to be borne by the hands of Thy holy Angel to Thine altar on high, in the sight of Thy divine majesty, so that as many of us as shall, by partaking from this altar, consume the most holy Body and Blood of Thy Son, may be filled with every grace and blessing Through the same Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Once more it is made clear that it is not mere worship that is offered at the Mass, but the worship that is nothing less than the Body and Blood of Christ.
Placeat Tibi (at the end of Mass)
May the performance of my homage be pleasing to Thee, O holy Trinity: and grant that the Sacrifice which I, though unworthy, have offered up in the sight of Thy majesty, may be acceptable unto Thee, and may, through Thy mercy, be a propitiation for myself and all those for whom I have offered it. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here one finds two very important truths (both of which cause the Protestants discomfort) concerning what the Mass is above all else; it is true Sacrifice, as has already been stated, but just as importantly, it is the “homage” (or worship) offered by the priest in a singular way, in persona Christi.
I trust the point is made.
Is it mere oversight that the text of Vatican II presents the Mass as “above all things the worship of the divine Majesty” apart from any mention of that which makes the heretics shudder; namely the true Sacrifice that is offered therein?
Of course not; after all, the ecumenical purpose of the sacred liturgy’s reform was made plain as day in the opening paragraph of Sacrosanctum Concilium:
…to foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ.
It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the new Mass that was crafted by the body of “experts” charged with implementing the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (the Consilium) is not only stripped of the Placeat Tibi, but also provides new narrative-style prayers as options in place of the Roman Canon, including the most-often used “Eucharistic Prayer II” that does not mention “sacrifice” even once, thus being entirely palatable to heretics.
All of this thanks to the fact that we have indeed listened to the Council; accepting the dubious claim that Holy Mass is “above all things the worship of the divine Majesty.”
At this I would like to invite you to read a magnificent treatment of the sacred liturgy, originally published in serial form at Rorate Caeli about four years ago, now available in full as a PDF:
The Roman Rite: Old and New – by Dom Pietro Leone
“In other words, Holy Mass is the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ …”
Shouldn’t it be “In other words, Holy Mass subsists in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ…” and can thus be found apart, to some degree, from the Sacrifice itself, making all forms of worship partially united to the Sacrifice?
I think it would be right to say, along with Vatican II, that the Mass is chiefly worship, but that worship itself is first and foremost achieved precisely by sacrifice. Even the propitiatory nature of sacrifice is somehow subordinated and ordered to the end of worship. The Mass is the perfect form of worship BECAUSE it is a sacrifice, of praise, thanksgiving, and propitiation – all of these contribute to its character as worship. Worship is essentially an act of adoration, in which one adheres to God with one’s will. One can only do so best if one is free from sin. Reparation for sin therefore contributes to worship.
” At this I would like to invite you to read a magnificent treatment of the sacred liturgy, originally published in serial form at Rorate Caeli about four years ago, now available in full as a PDF:
The Roman Rite: Old and New – by Dom Pietro Leone”
Thank you for that most informative link…55 pages(last 5 footnotes)…well worth reading and reflecting upon
Amen, brother Louie.
To which we must add, repeatedly, over and over, and to paraphrase Cato the Elder:
“NOVUS ORDO DELENDO EST!”
There cannot be “union among all those who believe in Christ” without those outside of the Faith converting to the One True Faith, and that could not be better “promote[d]” than by the Mass of All Ages. The implicit premise in this stated [CS] aim of creating the radical new rite, is false and in opposition to the Deposit of Faith. It is an unholy purpose to subject the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to – thereby necessarily subverting or suppressing the doctrinal truths of the Holy Mass (which those outside of the Church do not assent to).
Depends on what you mean by “is.” Shades of Bill Clinton!!
Does the Novus Ordo “church” still use the word “Mass”? I notice in their bulletins and signs in front of these “catholic communities” the words Liturgy of the Eucharist and other descriptions, but very rarely the word “Mass”. Is this just another tactic to break with the past? Is the destruction not yet complete?
Yes, Lynda, and we must never forget: Outside the Church there is no salvation. It is imperative that we invite others into the Church, into the Church as she really is.
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Louie, I particularly like your reference to The Mystical Body of Christ. This is all important when we discuss the Holy Mass. Christ is our Head, but we make up His Body…truly, so what He does we do…as He sacrifices Himself to the Father, we join with our Head to do so.
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As well, can we forget that true sacrifice was taught to the Jews by God Himself? Laid down in the Old Testament are precise instructions for what the sacrifice was to consist of, and how it was to be done. We believe this has culminated in The Mass of the Ages. The N.O. Mass is a disobedience to God’s orders!
Yes, My Two Cents – One can have a “liturgy of the Eucharist” without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Do we not have such on Good Friday??
For the mission of the Church is gain souls for God.
“The current Pope and bishops no longer hand down Our Lord Jesus Christ, but rather a sentimental, superficial, charismatic religiosity, through which, as a general rule, the true grace of the Holy Ghost no longer passes. This new religion is not the Catholic religion; it is sterile, incapable of sanctifying society and the family.” (Archbishop Lefebvre, Spiritual Journey, p.9)
Is this common and proper as a rule for every Sunday?
Helpful article:
http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2015/01/29/priests-view-latin-mass-vs-new-mass/
Dear My2cents,
Indeed we still use the term Mass in Novus Nottingham…and our Holy Priest makes constant reference to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass…
From our Good Shepherd bulletin…
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Weekend Masses
Saturday 6.30 p.m.
Sunday 10.00 a.m.
11.30 a.m.
5.30 p.m
Weekday Masses
OUR DAILY ROSARY: This daily Spiritual Bouquet with Our Blessed Lady continues in the Lady Chapel, half an hour before daily Mass. We welcome all to participate.
Monday 10.00 a.m.
Tuesday 9.15 a.m.
Wednesday 9.15 a.m.
7.30 p.m.
Thursday 9.15 a.m.
Friday 12 noon
7.30 p.m.
PEEVISH WORDS
The Vain Judgments of Men
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, trust firmly in the Lord, and do not fear the judgment of men when conscience tells you that you are upright and innocent. For it is good and blessed to suffer such things, and they will not weigh heavily on the humble heart that trusts in God rather than in itself.
Many men say many things, and therefore little faith is to be put in them.
Likewise, it is impossible to satisfy all men. Although Paul tried to please all in the Lord, and became all things to all men, yet he made little of their opinions.
He labored abundantly for the edification and salvation of others, as much as lay in him and as much as he could, but he could not escape being sometimes judged and despised by others. Therefore, he committed all to God Who knows all things,and defended himself by his patience and humility against the tongues of those who spoke unjustly or thought foolish things and lies, or made accusations against him.
Sometimes, indeed, he did answer them, but only lest his silence scandalise the weak.
Who are you, then, that you should be afraid of mortal man? Today he is here, tomorrow he is not seen. Fear God and you will not be afraid of the terrors of men. What can anyone do to you by word or injury? He hurts himself rather than you, and no matter who he may be he cannot escape the judgment of God. Keep God before your eyes, therefore, and do not quarrel with peevish words.
If it seems, then, that you are worsted and that you suffer undeserved shame, do not repine over it and do not lessen your crown by impatience. Look instead to heaven, to Me, Who have power to deliver you from all disgrace and injury, and to render to everyone according to his works.
Imitation of Christ
Book 3
Chapter 36
Thomas a Kempis
Dear My Two Cents, I do not think it proper to describe the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as just “Liturgy of the Eucharist”, which is only a part of the Mass – consumption of the Blessed Sacrament after the consecration. Don’t High Anglicans use such language for their Masses? In Ireland, the term “Mass” is more common, except when “liberals” are having their conferences on changing the doctrine of the Faith.
Archbishop Lefebvre speaks:
Our Declaration of Faith
This Reform (Vatican II), since it has issued from Liberalism and from Modernism, is entirely corrupt; it comes from heresy and results in heresy, even if all its acts are not formally heretical. It is thus impossible for any faithful Catholic who is aware of these things to adopt this Reform, or to submit to it in any way at all. To ensure our salvation, the only attitude of fidelity to the Church and to Catholic doctrine, is a categorical refusal to accept the Reform.
Archbishop Lefebvre on Vatican II and its reforms
Blind obedience is an oxymoron, and no one is exempt from responsibility for having obeyed men rather than God. It is too easy to say, “As for me, I’m obeying. If he’s mistaken, then I’ll be mistaken with him. I prefer to be wrong with the pope than to be right against the pope!” This should be construed as “I prefer to be against our Lord Jesus Christ with the pope than to be with our Lord Jesus Christ against the pope!” Incredible! We are for our Lord Jesus Christ and, consequently, insofar as the pope is truly the Vicar of Christ and acts as the Vicar of Christ and gives us the light of Christ, we are, of course, ready to close our eyes and follow him everywhere. But since this light is no longer that of our Lord Jesus Christ and they are leading us towards new horizons explicitly called new–they do not make a secret of it; everything is new: new code of canon law, new missal…new ecclesiology–that’s no longer any good at all….The resistance must be public if the evil is public and an object of scandal, according to St. Thomas.
What is the purpose of the mass?
A sample of a typical novus ordo conception of the “purposes” of the mass shows, as expected, a total absence of the word “sacrifice”. Instead, the gist is more like, the mass is “a memorial”, “a time when Jesus is present with us” etc…:
http://www.togetheratonealtar.catholic.edu.au/explore/dsp-content.cfm?loadref=22
Strong words, but I’m afraid very much true.
Ever mindful Is this the same priest thats offers the traditional latin mass (roman rite)
The Good Shepherd, 3 Thackeray’s Lane, Woodthorpe, Nottingham,
NG5 4HT
Saturday before 2nd Sundays,
4.45pm, Low Mass
(anticipated Mass of the Sunday)
Ever mindful, you may be confusing fear of what men can do, with pointing out error when it is important to do so.
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Of course you are right, we must always trust in Our Lord. He will help us through any, and all, trouble if we only trust in Him. But Bishop Lefebvre was in a position of authority, and duty – to warn, to point out error, and to offer remedy.
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And we must fear ignorance, and the faithful falling into mortal sin because there is nobody to cry out when they are heading over the cliff.
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This is where complete trust in Him comes in – crying out, warning, pointing to error, no matter what men say.
I appreciate the scholarship of Louie, and many others, on topics like Holy Mass. I’m learning a lot. But the expression “by their fruits you shall know them” still holds good.
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There were forces stalking the earth besides the changes to the Mass of the Ages, but I maintain Holy Mother Church would have withstood them if her beautiful Mass had been allowed to spread its saving Grace upon those who knelt at the altar rails.
But it all sounds so good eh? The celebration of the ‘Mass of Man.’ Makes me want to reach out my hand to my neighbour and give him a big, big smile.
The highest form of worship is sacrifice thats why God created the way in which he wanted to be worshiped through the holy sacrifice of himself on calvery. the holy mass is a reenactment of calvary on the altar in an unbloody manner of which only an ordained priest can offer not us lay people. 2 masses worth looking at below one is a obvious sacrifice to GOD the other well il leave it up to everyone who views it to decide what it looks like.
1. http://youtu.be/R6AOvStZS64
and the 2nd http://youtu.be/8peEx0eGswE
Another vid here to help see the sacrificial nature of the TLM ( roman rite ) in relation to our lords crucifixion http://youtu.be/9ZurFnbV_2U
“This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.
And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.”
Matthew 15 : 8 – 9
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The measure of whether we worship the Almighty in the NO is contained in this quote. If the NO teaches the “doctrines and commandments of men” and not of the Almighty regarding the nature of the Mass, it cannot be a proper vehicle for the worship of the Almighty.
Yes, indeed
Both….and
Dear Barbara,
I am sure a smile from you would be a blessing indeed
God never hid His light under a bushel. Likewise He has not hid the Mass under the Protestant N.O. assembly. But people want to see a the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass where there isn’t one; just like folks want to see a Catholic priest in an N.O. presider.
And ?? just thought strange you listed 11 mass times at your parish but left out the 1 traditional latin mass ( roman rite). Do you or have you attended this mass ?
I attempted to include that when I copied and pasted, but without success
And yes, on the few occasions when logistics allowed , in addition to the Wednesday and Friday Masses, and Sunday at St Barnabas Cathedral
Exactly. Which is precisely the reason why the mass of the ages had to be, for all effects and purposes, suppressed from the altars of the world.
I watched the 2nd video literally within hours of Francis’ election (speedily posted on J Vennari’s election blog) and I almost wept knowing we were going in for a pretty rough ride ahead.
Salvemur,
I couldn’t agree more, and not only in the woefully insipid protestant gatherings, but in the bloody temples of ancient Carthage and the Yukatan, to where all the offenses to God is ultimately heading, unless checked vigilantly by true Holy Sacrifice of the Mass of the True Church.
The simple yearnings of the hearts of fallen mankind will always be deficient unless checked by God’s Grace and His Church. Already how much offence have we given God by experiencing the profane pleasures of Hollywood movies and wayward pop culture.
Lex orandi, Lex credendi, lex vivendi.
Seen that as well posted liturgy only nothing else added.
Dear Louie,
Your statement that Cardinal Sarah’s quote from the council, “suggests” that the Mass stands on it’s own apart from sacrifice, is puzzling, especially after re-reading
the document from which the quote was taken, and seeing how much it emphasized the importance of the Holy Sacrifice to that worship, just as the Tradition always has.
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Also, doesn’t your citation from Pius XII, really say the same thing as the Cardinal’s quote?:
Pius XII: “…the appointed ends are the same. THE FIRST OF THESE is to give glory to the Heavenly Father.”
C. Sarah: “the sacred liturgy is ABOVE ALL THINGS the worship of the divine Majesty..”
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One reason all faithful Catholics (regular Mass attenders) should have a better sense of the importance of the sacrificial aspect of the Mass in our worship, is that our readings (especially in the 3-year cycle of the N.O. Mass), impress us year after year with so many pre-figurations of our worship, — from Genesis to the remembrance of the blood of the Paschal Lamb in the Passover celebration Our Lord celebrated at the Last Supper, and including the sacrifices of Abel,
Abraham, and Melchizedec. In all of these we see how intimately “worship” was associated with the sacrificing of unblemished victims on an altar, which the law of Moses also emphasized as necessary for life. (Lev. 17:11): “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” The psalm responses and hymns based on Scripture, also teach these ideas.
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Everyone knows that protestants don’t believe what Catholics do about many important things, so it’s really hard to see how any would be put at risk of thinking the Mass has been suddenly stripped of what has always set us apart from most of them –the Real Presence– just because some heretical sects also choose to refer to their services as “worship”; or that a Catholic would be drawn to them because of similarity, rather than the more common reasons we’ve heard over the last 50 years — aversion to ritual; distrust of priests and bishops because of sex scandals/transfers; unpleasant experiences with individuals; and the appeal of protestant laxity and approval of things they knew Catholics call sinful–contraception, divorce and remarriage, and abortion. Most we’ve known who leave had either become bitter about something or thought protestants would make them feel accepted and more a part of a community than Catholics had. Others drifted away and later got “recruited” because many protestants still practice good old fashioned “proselytization”.
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Bottom line, the rest of the document cited by the Cardinal, made it very clear that the most essential part of our worship is the Holy Sacrifice.
Indignus –
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SC 33 describes the sacred liturgy (more specifically Mass) as “praecipue” – above all, especially, chiefly, – worship. The rest of that sentence introduces the idea of instruction for the faithful. Surely you won’t deny that this is a perfect description of the Protestant service.
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I’m not going rewrite the post here, but I think I explained rather clearly the deficiency in SC 33. Relying on “the rest of the document” to buttress a Catholic reading is a dead end, and one of the reasons why the compromise positions in the text have caused such havoc. It’s the “little leaven” warning in plain sight..
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Pius XII did not say the same thing as SC 33. His words communicate the uniqueness of the Mass Sacrifice first and foremost, with worship as one of its ends. Quite different.
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The real bottom line here is the fruits. I would dare say that the majority of Catholics (daily Communicants included) have no idea what makes Mass different from the Protestant service other than the presence of the Eucharist – as if this is a blessed cherry on top of our sundae (pun intended) that the heretics don’t have. As for the rite itself, most are clueless; i.e., their deficient understanding is in perfect harmony with SC 33.
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As always, I do appreciate your comments. 🙂
Dear Indignus famulus,
Your comments are always greatly appreciated, providing the necessary counterbalance of perspective, and for preserving the baby whilst the bath water is vigorously disposed of
Dear Louie,
Yes, that’s exactly what we’re denying– that it’s “a perfect description of the Protestant service”. The obvious meaning is all in the adjectives. “Protestant” worship is simply not “Catholic” worship.
Who doesn’t get that?
This discussion reminded us of a time before we had computers, when we had a multiple letter- exchange about the meaning of words -with Father Robert Fox- (R.I.P) back when the Fatima shrine had allowed Hindus to worship there, and Fr. Gruner had denounced it with photos in his magazine, which Father Fox then verbally attacked him for publishing, claiming he was spreading false impressions. We wrote to him asking why he would defend such idol worship, and he responded that they were only honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, in her role as “Mother”. Our local libray luckily held books that described the Hindus “worshipping” an all-powerful goddess of fertility and the universe, they called the “Mother- goddess”- which they said was believed to be able to be physically present in any statue of a woman, anywhere. It turned out Father had apparently not done his homework, and was shocked to learn that. From that point on, we saw him publicly reverse his stance on that type of ecumenical action at the shrine, -mentioned in an interview–and we heard a while later that the rector of the shrine had also been replaced. We saved his letters as future motivation to continue doing careful research, and a reminder to never get sucked in to the false meanings people give words that seem similar to those with which they are very familiar– especially when souls are at stake. Sorry to digress, but that may help you understand why we object so strongly to what you’re saying and assuming here.
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The best proof that your contention is a false one, is provided in the document you dismiss, writing “relying on the rest of the document to buttress a Catholic reading is a dead end”. That makes no sense to us, as the document clearly demonstrates the Church’s full and unwavering emphasis on the Sacrifice that is offered to God in every Mass, as central to our Worship. Anyone reading it would then not be given the misconception you are concerned about here.
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In case you’re saying that none of that is relevant because people will get the “impression” just from hearing about that priority, all we can say is, the best way to correct misconceptions is to point people to the sources of truth about them–such as that document provides about this. Why would you dismiss that as a dead end?
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You then claim the “real” bottom line here is the fruits. But how can you even begin to claim you or anyone else can determine “fruits” of a connection you claim exists between a word emphasis you picked out of paragraph 33, of SC– and people losing the Faith, leaving the Church, or becoming more susceptible to Protestantism? It’s way too ambiguous a concept on which to poll with any meaningful results.
And how many Catholics are there who never heard about that, or read the docs of VII, for that matter?
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If you want a verifiable direct cause and effect connection, that explains indifferentism today, just ask people what makes them “sure” the Church has changed its teachings since VII– on issues of sin, tolerance, and other faiths. Most common answers we’ve gotten: 1. Priests talk only about Our Lord preaching love of God and neighbor (never His hatred for sin); 2. Continual promotion of “tolerance” (including evil-doers once called bad companions- who reject the Commandments and promote others doing so) -rather than the traditional refusal to associate with evil and those who spread it; 3. Photographic images that stick in everyone’s minds (like the ones Fr. Gruner published -mentioned above, and — Pope John Paul II kissing the Koran and being signed with a false god- Shiva on his forehead; The statue of Buddah placed on an emptied tabernacle in the ecumenical services in a Catholic Church in Assisi. And 4. Hierarchy, including Popes instructing people not to proselytize and that the Jews still have an unbroken coventant with God, so they don’t need to be warned about being “lost” without Jesus.
We’d better stop before we write a book here. Hope you get the picture, there are tons of provable connections between the misconceptions people now carry with “certainty” about the Church and Faith today, and all are from deliberate modernist abuses of preaching and teaching authority, and bad example- rather than impressions from the Liturgy. Honestly, have you ever known a Catholic who talked about going to “worship” on Sunday before OR after VII? It’s just doesn’t seem to be a real issue.
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Finally, a few quotes from SC’s 130 paragraphs, which (thanks to you) we just re-read in full — about the Mass AS worship, -emphasizing belief in the Holy sacrifice as central to it.:
..every liturgical celebration.. is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree.
9.–Before men can come to the liturgy they must be called to faith and to conversion”
12. ..We must always bear about in our body the dying of Jesus, so that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodily frame . This is why we ask the Lord in the sacrifice of the Mass that, “receiving the offering of the spiritual victim,” he may fashion us for himself “as an eternal gift” [32].
47. At the Last Supper, on the night when He was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity , a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us .
48. The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God’s word and be nourished at the table of the Lord’s body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator [38], they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.
61. – for well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event in their lives; they are given access to the stream of divine grace which flows from the paschal mystery of the passion, death, the resurrection of Christ, the font from which all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is hardly any proper use of material things which cannot thus be directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.
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This just is not “protestant” sounding stuff.
God bless.