Latest / The Uncensored Catholic / Show 211: Devotion at Holy Mass

Transcript

Show 211: Devotion at Holy Mass · The Uncensored Catholic

1:00
Speaker 1: We all welcome this week's show. We're going to continue
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our series, of course, on Father Sparago's exhaustive explanation of
1:07
the Catechism of the Catholic Church, written in the eighteen nineties.
1:11
It is a fantastic book, far better than most books
1:14
written today. One thing that does strike me today is
1:19
Father Sparaga. We'll talk about devotion at Holy Mass, how
1:23
we ought to be devout, and how we ought to
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act while we're at Mass. Probably a good thing. Father
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Sparago was not around in the era of the smartphunt.
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I can only imagine. I mean, it's not just kids
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and teenagers. I have seen adults who should know better
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checking their text, you know, not paying attention to Mass.
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And that's really not a good thing. It's really an
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insult to our Lord. Actually, So we're going to get
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into that now. Of course, there are exceptions if there's
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an emergency, Okay, everybody knows that, but really, if at
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all possible, your phone should be turned off at Mass,
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absolutely off at Mass. So anyway, before we get in there,
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we'll go back to radio replies and the priests. We're
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talking with someone about the nature of the devil last
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week and He continues his conversation with him after he's
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they've basically confounded him. He's a Protestant that thinks that
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the devil isn't real, that it's just a manifestation of
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man's unpersonal evil. That's what his denomination thinks. And they
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go through and say, well, this is what the Bible says,
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this is what Jesus says, this is the nature of
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you know, actually evil. And you really ought to believe
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in the devil because he'd be real glad if you didn't,
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you know. So they go through all that, and he continues,
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of more interest to me are the dogmas concerning the
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formation of man? Why not admit that man has al
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out of the past? And they answer, out of what past?
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Are out of the past? What man has evolved in
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many things God meant him to do so, But he
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did not evolve out of nothing. Evolution supposes something evolving.
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We are forced to admit a creator. If you would
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not admit that, you will have nothing turning its non
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existent self into something. A person says, may not. Catholics
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believe in creative evolution or emergent evolution, and they answer
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creative evolution is a contradiction in terms, evolution supposes an
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existent something progressively improving itself. Creation supposes the production of
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being where there previously was no being. No Catholic, therefore,
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can believe in creative evolution, as if there were no
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need for a creator. Many Catholics believe in a created
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evolution as a possible hypothesis and a limited degree. And
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the person says, too many have accepted the evolutionary theory
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in part or entirely for the Church to condemn it.
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And they answer that so many have accepted the evolutionary
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theory does not make it true. If it were against
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God's revelation, the Catholic Church would condemn it no matter
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how many held it. The number who hold an error
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should never influence the Catholic Church, nor does she mind
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whether her decision be popular or not. She is concerned
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with what God teaches, not with what men think. However,
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one can hold the evolutionary theory to a certain extent,
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nobody holds it in full. For all, evolutionists are very
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hazy about origins, And remember this book written in the
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nineteen twenties, it is still true that they have not
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found the so called missing link. All the desperate archaeologists
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in Darwinists and scientists throughout the world. I've been searching
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for the so called missing link since Darwin put forth
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his theory somewhat now one hundred and twenty hundred and
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thirty years ago. They have dug up every ancient burial ground,
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They have looked in every ancient site, They have explored
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just about everywhere on Earth and a lot under the sea, okay,
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looking for this missing link, and they have yet to
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find one skeleton, much less a race of people that
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evolve from ape in demand. It just doesn't exist. The
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theory of evolution as the origin of mankind is still
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a theory because it has not been proved or proven,
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however you want to say it. I always say proven.
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People say it should be proved. I don't care. Bottom
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line is, when someone says you know evolution is true,
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they have no basis as the origin of the species. Now,
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animals adapt over time, Humans adapt over time. I have
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very white skin because a lot of my ancestry comes
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from Ireland, where they don't get a whole less sunlight.
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Somebody else's very dark skin because they come from Africa,
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where they get intense sunlight. Ditto Australia. I mean that
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is a form of evolution that anyone can look at
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and agree punt. But as far as the origins of
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the species, they still have not been able to prove it,
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and they never will. The person says, restricting the question
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of man, what does Catholic dogma say concerning his evolution?
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And they answer It says that his soul is certainly
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not a result of evolution, but that it is immediately
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created by God. There is no dogma concerning the precise
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precise mode of formation in regard to his body. But
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the Church stands to the ordinary teaching that his body
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has not evolved from lower beings, but that it also
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was produced from this by the special intervention of God.
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The idea that the body of man has evolved from
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lower animals is scientifically and philosophically highly improbable, and it
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cannot be held with either safety or prudence. Science has
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proved nothing concerning the origin of man's body, and is
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merely in a conjectural stage and in view of the
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mind the Church, no Catholic would be justified in denying
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the literal biblical account. If he may not deny it,
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must he therefore believe it, he must accept it as
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more probable than the evolutionary hypothesis. Presumption stands for the
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literal sense until contrary has been demonstrated. The guy goes
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on Aquinas compares Adam's wisdom with that of Solomon, whilst
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anthropology shows that the first type of man was dim
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witted and of a small brain development and the answer
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anthropology does not show that that is part of the
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evolutionary guess. There is no scientific evidence whatsoever as to
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what degree of culture the first man possessed. Meantime, it
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is certain that Adam had all the knowledge necessary in
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fitting for his circumstances. Genesis shows us that he knew
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nature and diversity of animals, while Ecclesiasticus tells us that
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God filled him with knowledge and understanding and created in
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our first parents science and wisdom. Fact their knowledge must
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be admitted. Its degree is open to speculation, But in
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no way can we admit that our first parents were
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dim witted, nor can science possibly demonstrate such a deficiency.
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All right, we'll leave it there. We're actually going to
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continue with a lot about Adam and Eve in the
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next podcast, but let's get on to Father Spirago and
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as I said, this is about devotion at holy Mass.
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When we are conversing with anyone, we give him our
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whole attention and not think of other people. So when
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we hear Mass, when we are the presence of God,
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we should fix our thoughts on him and for the
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time forget everything else. This we should do all the
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more because to hear Mass is the highest and holiest
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act of worship we can perform, and if we do
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this carelessly, it will be without benefit to ourselves. We
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ought to be very devoted mass devout, say, of course,
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we ought to be very devout at Mass. That is,
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we ought to banish from our minds all that may
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cause distraction and endeavor to unite our supplications to those
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of the priests, especially in the three principal parts of
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the Mass. So we discussed the three principal parts of
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the Mass about three or four episodes ago. So if
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you're just hearing this for the first time, just back
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up and check that out. As it is only at
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the cost of great toil that miners extract precious stones
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from the bowels of the earth. So we cannot make
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the hidden treasures of grace contained in the Mass our
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own unless we take pains to assist it with the
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utmost attention and devotion. Whispering, laughing, looking about at the
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time of mass must be carefully avoided. Moreover, it is
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unseemly to come to mass over dressed. Now that's something
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a lot of people don't think about these days. You know,
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eighteen nineties follow Spiago's time, the Industrial Revolution was in
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full swing and there was a great divide between rich
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and poor. There's still a great divide between rich and
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poor today. But we do have I mean, the poorest
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American has accessed to more luxury goods what were called
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luxury goods in other countries, than the richest American did
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one hundred years ago. I mean, we have refrigerators, air conditions, computers, televisions,
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you know, things, cars, things our ancestors can never dream of.
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But it is still the case that one should dress
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modestly at mass, not only in terms of, you know,
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not being overtly sexual or whatever. Modesty at mass also
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means dressing in a way that you don't look super
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rich and make somebody else feel uncomfortable who can't afford
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the same clothes. I don't think we really think about
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that a lot. You know, I live in a very
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rural community in the Appalachian Mountains, and anyone local is
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going to be of a much lower economic status than
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the summer people that come in from Florida and New York.
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I mean, I mean they drive rolls, Royces and Ferraris,
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and I mean it's crazy to see. I mean they'll
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have these car delivery services bringing up their Porsches and
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Ferraris and everything. The whole development, actually, the development that
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sponsored the Catholic Church was one of the Bernie Madeoff
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investment scandals, you know, and made Off went to prison.
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The place almost went bankrupt because everybody lost so much money.
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Well they've made it back a lot now. So probably
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eighty percent of the people that attend my parish in
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the summertime are really some of the most wealthy people
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in the entire world. And I mean not kidding. I
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mean we have multimillionaires in there. We have billionaires that
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come in. And Bill Gates has got a place up there.
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He's not Catholic. But I'm just giving you an example, right,
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And it can be a little uncomfortable sometimes for a
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local family. A lot of them are not Southern, a
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lot of them are northern transplants. But they're still working
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a job in North Carolina, which has you know, fairly
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low cost of living but also a fairly low wage
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comparatively with other states. And they may have three or
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four kids, and you know, they did well just to
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get the kids in T shirt and jeans, and they
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barely did any better, right, And you know, I'm self employed,
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and I mean, and I hate wearing a suit. So
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that's that's another thing for me. I mean, I just
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despise suits. When I used to work in politics and journalism,
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I had to wear a suit all the time. I
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dress casually but nice, you know. But yeah, when someone's
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just like dripping with diamonds and pearls and someone else
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is wearing you know, designer everything in the car, the
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parking lot is full of the most expensive vehicles on
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the face of the earth. Many I'm beautiful classics. I mean,
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I do enjoy that aspect of it. It can be
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a little uncomfortable to pull my old beat up pickup
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truck up there, you know, get out and go sit
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in there where I know I'm going to be like
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the only person with a Southern accent probably in the
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entire church. Yeah, and I've seen other people with that
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discomfort too, and that's certainly true, like in Pinehurst, where
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I've spent a lot of time. Well, you know, I've
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got some family up in the DC area, and you
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see that a lot up there. And because I mean
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the salaries, Washington, d C. Is the wealthiest place in
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the entire country. Our so called public servants and all
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the attorneys that run the lobbying firms and such make
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more in a year than most people make in their
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entire lifetimes. And so yeah, it can be an incredibly
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different environment. And a lot of times you get put
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on the spot where you know they're doing like a
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fundraiser or something, a building fund drive or something, and
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they expect everybody to donate a great deal of money,
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and everybody that church doesn't have a great deal of money.
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But you know they don't always think about that. I mean,
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you got to remember, I love priests. They take a
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vow of poverty and everything, but many of them have
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gone from their homes where their parents are paying for
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everything through college and seminary and into the priesthood where
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everybody's paying for everything. And you know, they've never signed
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the front of a paycheck, they never employed another person.
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Some you know, it depends, you know, not all them
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take a vow poverty. Some of them may have to
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pay out of pocket for certain things, and especially in
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poor in poor parishes, some of them do have to
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pay out of pocket for certain things. But a lot
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of priests do not understand the struggles of a working
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person struggling to pay their bills or feed their family.
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And you know, giving the example before when just after eight,
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you know, when I felt lost to everything and I
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went to Mass and they said there was going to
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be this you know, Friday night fish fry. The Nights
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of Columbus were putting it on and come on down.
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You know, this is going to be a chance you
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can meet everybody and fellowship. Hey, that never happens at
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a Catholic church. Sorry, you walk in, you walk out,
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nobody speaks to you. That's the norm, right, So this
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was actually going to be a chance to get involved
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in the new community I was living. This is not
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in the mountains where I live. And I went down
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there and I got like two greasy pieces of frozen
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fish and a little pile of frozen fries, and they
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wanted like twenty seven or thirty dollars. I was like, wow, okay,
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thank goodness I had the money on me because that
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was actually my grocery budget for an entire week. And
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I sat there by myself and nobody spoke to me,
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and when I tried to speak to people, they turned away. Yeah,
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so you know, you really should kind of keep that
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in mind, even in a very wealthy parish. Don't just
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assume that everyone there has a lot of money. You got,
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you know, people who are working as you know, maybe
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their teachers in the Catholic school, they certainly don't have
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a lot of money. Maybe they're the janitor at the church,
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you know. But you also got people in the community
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that are struggling to make ends meet. And I really
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believe that when you do have a fundraiser or something
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like that, especially considering large families with a lot of kids,
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those children's plates were like ten dollars apiece, so I
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mean they were Nobody was leaving there without spending a
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good chunk of money on the worst meal I think
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I've ever had. Anyway, there should be suggested donation of,
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not this is what it costs, but suggested donation of
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and make it low like five dollars a plate, okay,
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and let kids eat free. I mean, come on, let
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the kids eat free. I mean, at least up to teenage,
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they should be od free. Elderly people should get a discount,
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I mean really, but maybe suggested donation in that way.
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If someone has more money to spend, they'll right should
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check for five hundred dollars. But meanwhile, you haven't alienated
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or made people feel lesser that couldn't afford to get
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in there, you know. I mean. I barely survived the
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O eight recession. I almost lost my house. I did
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have to sell my vehicle and get an old, beat
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up truck so I could do actual manual labor. I
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went from working in politics and journalism to literally almost
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being on the street. A lot of people did, but
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trust me, the priest didn't seem to see it at all.
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And there wasn't any well, it wasn't any consideration. I
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just went to the priest one day and said, you know, father,
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I can't afford to put money in the plate this week.
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And he's like really, And I said, look, I owe
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this much on this, so this much on this, so
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this much on this. I said, by the end of
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the day, I barely by the end of the week, essentially,
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I barely got enough money to put gas on the
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tank of food on the table. And he said, you know,
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you actually don't have to tithe every Sunday if you
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can't afford it, because you owe that money to other people,
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and you also have to provide for your own needs.
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It would be stealing from them or stealing from yourself,
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from your well being, your body to put money in
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the plate. There are many other people who give plenty.
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Don't worry about it. Not a lesson I was ever
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taught in the Protestant Church. I can tell you that
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much well cut many sermons and letters in the mail
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telling us that we had to tie at least ten
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percent of our income every single week, but we were
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supposed to give more out of our need, and the
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more we gave, the more God would bless us. I've
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seen many elderly people that were really taking advantage of
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lost everything due to unscrupulous ministers, Protestant ministers. I've never
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known that to happen to Catholic Church. I've known it
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to happen a lot in Protestant churches, especially those on TV.
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It was televangelists. You got someone elderly, they're lonely, they
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become that person on television, becomes like a family member
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to them, and they just they keep sitting in the money,
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they keep saying. And you know what, this actually happened
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to Great Ana Mine. She ran out of money and
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they called her on the phone and basically told her
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she was going to hell because she wouldn't support their ministry.
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And I mean she about had a heart attack. She
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called her son crying. I mean, it was horrible. He
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I think actually had to press some charges against that
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church to make them leave her alone. So anyway, as
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we said, yes, avoid whispering, laughter, looking about, and don't
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be overdressed. He says, it may be said of our churches,
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where God is present upon the altars, what God said
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to Moses out of the burning bush. The place whereon
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thou standest is holy ground Exodus three five. We gather
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from the indignation our Lord manifested in regard to those
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who bought and sold to the temple Matthew twenty one thirteen,
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How aborre it it was, how abor it was? This
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decorous behavior in the house of God to him, the
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house of God is a house of prayer. You would
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not allow yourself to chatter and laugh, nor even sit
20:08
down in the presence of an earthly monarch. With how
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much greater awe and reverence ought you to behave in
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the presence of Him who was above all, who was
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above all kings and emperors, the son of the most
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High God. Seven hundred princes and levites ministered in the
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Jewish Temple of Old. They slaughtered victims daily for burnt offerings,
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and all went on in silence so profound that it
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might have been imagined that one priest only was in
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the temple. Alexander the Great once was offering sacrifice to
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one of the heathen gods. A young nobleman stood by
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holding a lighted torch. Before the function ended, the torch
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burned down at scorch's hand, but such was his reverence
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for the act of sacrifice that he would not allow
20:52
himself to fling it away. How much more ought Christians
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to avoid everything that would disturb the solemnity of the
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sublime sacrifice. The early Christians remained motionless at Mass, so
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that it was as still as if no one were
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in the church. It has always been customary to kneel
21:08
during Mass at any rate for the consecration until after
21:11
the communion. A pious empress, who was in the habit
21:15
of kneeling throughout the Mass, was once begged not to
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fatigue herself in this matter. What she replied, would you
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have me sit in the presence of my Lord and
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God when my servants do not venture to sit in
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my presence? Saint Elizabeth Hungary used always to remove her
21:30
crown when she heard mass. Those who behave irreverently the
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holy sacrifice deserve condigned punishment. They certainly derive no profit
21:38
from it. It is also most unseemly to come to
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Mass dressed to excess in the height of the fashion.
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Saint John christosum anim averts, and boy, there's a word
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we don't use anymore. We're going to It's like admonished. Basically,
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I'm going to go with it. Monishes severely. Women who
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apparently go to Mass to attract attention and to show
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off their fine clothes. Now, Popinjay, is this finery, he says,
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befitting a contrite sinner who comes in to entreat pardon.
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Such garments are more suitable for the ballroom than the church.
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Saint Ambrose says, the more admiration such persons gain from men,
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the more they are despised by God. Some popes and
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holy bishops have ordained that women should come veil to church.
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Saint Paul seems to have made the same rule for
22:27
his converts, remarking that nature provided them with a veil
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by giving them long hair. First Corinthians eleven five through fourteen.
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When assisting at the holy sacrifice, we ought to unite
22:39
our sublications to those of the priests, But it is
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not necessary to use the same prayer as he does. Yes,
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always remember that, like the Oramis posture, that's for the
22:48
priest to do. Okay. But one time, I don't know
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what this dude's deal was. I went to a mass
22:54
at a church somewhere else traveling, and he literally repeated
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word for word everything the priest said, or actually he
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said it in unison. I don't know if he had
23:05
been a priest or a deacon or what. He knew
23:08
every word, but it was distracting to everyone else around him.
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He could have done it silently in his head, but
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it was like an echo, you know, right besides you.
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It was really weird. Anyway, meditating upon Our Lord's passion
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is the best method of hearing Mass, because in Holy Mass,
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the sacrifice of the Cross is re enacted, and it
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was instituted as a commemoration of the death of the Redeemer.
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Those do wrong who repeat the prayers of the Mass
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out of a prayer book in a formal manner, with
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their lips, not with their heart, there is nothing reprehensible,
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and refraining altogether from vocal prayer during the Mass, if
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we substitute it from mental prayer. Those who repeat vocal
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prayers must be careful not to disturb others by whispering.
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I wish he was whispering. I'm telling you. It was
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like an echo. It was really odd. And of course
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he on the front pew as well. And the way
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the church was it was one of those like postmodern
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type churches, and his voice was echoing off the altar
24:10
and coming back, and it was actually being picked up
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by the preest microphone too. It was really odd. Anyway.
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The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are a very
24:21
suitable devotion for Mass, because Our Lord's passions thus set
24:25
before us. Uh, you know, in Father Sparrago's time, there
24:28
was no other Mass than the Latin Mass, and it
24:32
was very customary to pray the Rosary during Mass. Uh
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you'd listen to the homily. The rest of the time
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you might be praying the Rosary. A lot of people
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don't speak Latin. You know, that was a good way
24:42
to use your time. Since Vatikan two, that's really discouraged.
24:47
You could say the Rosary before during They want us
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to do more participation, more mindfulness, you know, more Catholic helistenics,
24:57
as they call it. Yeah, I have mixed feelings about that.
25:03
You know, if you can understand the language in which
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the Mass is being said, then I think you really
25:08
should pay attention and participate. But like when I go
25:11
to a Hispanic Mass and they're all speaking in Spanish
25:14
and I can only pick up one word every now
25:17
and then, Yeah, I'll pray the Rosary without a doubt,
25:21
and I think that is a good thing to do
25:23
in that case. I don't understand what they're saying, you know,
25:26
but when they get to the Our Father, they get
25:28
to the consecration, I know exactly what's being said, and
25:31
then you know, I'm tuned in and I'm paying attention
25:34
and participating, but during the homily, I mean, I have
25:38
no idea what they're talking about. But anyway, He says
25:42
it as well to have a little singing during Mass,
25:44
as is it is conducive to devotion, and is itself
25:48
a prayer and promotes the glory of God. Sacred music
25:51
is most useful and exciting devotion. Saint Augustine said, how
25:55
many tears I have shed when hymns and canicals were
25:58
sung to the Oh, My God, What emotions were aroused
26:01
within me when the church re echoed with sweet melodies.
26:04
Each note fell upon my ear like a soothing balm,
26:07
carrying conviction of Thy truth to my heart and kindling
26:10
within me. The ardor of devotion. Music is moreover an
26:14
efficacious prayer. It is a heartfelt in fervent prayer, for
26:18
the feelings of the heart gained force when the voice
26:21
expresses them in song. The followers of the church cannot
26:25
say enough in commendation of the use of vocal music
26:28
in church. They say that it appeases the wrath of God,
26:31
drives away the spirits of evil, and attracts the angels,
26:34
and leads the Holy Spirit to visit the hearts of
26:36
the singers, that on the wings of song, the soul
26:39
is aided to soar on high, that the voice of
26:42
the song awakens in the mind a longing for heavenly things,
26:45
and it melts the heart and causes the sinner to
26:47
shed tears of contrition and compunction. Vocal music is also
26:52
appropriate accompanied to the sacrifice of the Mass, where it
26:55
affords a means of expressing them manifesting of the intense feeling,
27:01
the deep emotions evoked by an attemptive by an attentive
27:06
consideration of what is being enacted upon the altar. And
27:10
since it is in song that the heart gives a
27:13
vent to her inmost feelings, most freely and touchingly, it
27:17
is most perfect and fitting. It is a most perfect
27:20
and fitting means of honoring the divine majesty. As often
27:24
as holy scripture speaks of giving glory to God by
27:27
the lips of angels or saints, it is described as
27:30
a sublime and exalted song of praise. Therefore, vocal music
27:35
may almost be said to be an integral part of
27:38
the solemn celebration of the Holy sacrifice. The church could
27:41
more readily dispense with the magnificent structures, rich coloring, costly vessels, vestiments,
27:47
precious vessels, than with her singing, for it is the language,
27:50
and such utterance is given to her prayers. We read
27:54
that at the Last Supper our Lord and his apostles
27:56
sang a hymn, after which they went out to Mount
27:59
Olivett Matthew, twenty six point thirty. And we know from
28:03
the testimony of the earliest writers that the Christians of
28:05
primitive times were wont to sing during celebration of Holy Mass.
28:09
For the first Christian analysts employ the expression singing to
28:13
Christ a canticle praise as synonymous with altering the Holy
28:17
offering the Holy sacrifice. In the present day, some parts
28:20
of the Mass are a point to be sung by
28:22
the priests. It is, however, important that the scen mass
28:25
should be as far as possible in harmony with the
28:28
prayers recited by the priest and with the festival of
28:31
the day. For congregational singing is not a mere competent
28:35
companiment to an accessory of the mass, but a means
28:38
whereby the people take part in the service and join
28:41
with the priest who officiates of the altar. But the
28:44
scene should not be continuous, for this is disturbing to devotion.
28:48
The Holy See has expressly forbidden the scene to go
28:51
on during some parts of the liturgy, as at the
28:53
consecration and when the Benedictine has an addiction is given
28:56
with the blessed sacrament. My word, I'm glad Spiago cannot
29:01
hear our modern church music. He would be appalled, he
29:06
would be appalled. Let's just say the mindless droning that
29:13
we do in most of our churches, repeating the same
29:17
verses over and over of really uninspired and unpretty songs
29:22
that are part of the modern hymnal, even far worse
29:26
praise and worship music and Protestant churches. But I'm talking
29:28
about music for the Mass. It's not good music. I mean,
29:33
I'm sorry if that offends you, but it's really not
29:35
good music. As a musician, I look at it and
29:38
say it's not pretty. It has no complex harmony it
29:43
has I mean, there's nothing very musical about it at all.
29:48
It's like just this droning. I really hate modern church music.
29:53
Sorry if that offends you, I know it does some people,
29:57
But I'd rather sing old hymns out of a Protestant
30:00
hymnal rather than this new stuff. And I'd much rather
30:03
go back to the classical composers and the Gregorian chants
30:07
before that music of beauty, absolutely holy spirit inspired music
30:12
of beauty. This modern stuff is horrible. It's horrid, it's beanll,
30:18
it's insipid. I guess I've said enough on that, right.
30:22
So the three principal parts of the Mass, we should,
30:25
to a certain extent suspend our private devotion and fix
30:28
our attention on what is done upon the altar. It
30:31
is evidently the intention of the Church that we should
30:34
discontinue our private prayers for singing during the canon of
30:37
the Mass and at the communion as the bell is
30:39
run a car attention to it. At the author tory,
30:42
the priest says, we offer unto the Oh Lord the
30:44
chalice of Salvation, and the faithful ought on their part
30:48
to make an active offering to verify his words. In
30:52
the course of the Mass, we are required to do
30:53
as follows. When the priest commences the Mass, we should
30:57
make the sign of the Cross and direct our intention.
31:00
The priest also offers the mass for a definite intention.
31:04
Ask yourself for what intention you should offer the Holy sacrifice.
31:08
In some places it is customary for the people to
31:10
stand when the priest goes up to the altar as
31:12
a mark of reverence to him. It's as Christ representative.
31:16
At the Gospel, all stand up out of respect for
31:19
the word of God. We should at the same time
31:21
cross ourselves on the forehead, the lips in the breast,
31:24
to testify our belief in and our readiness to confess
31:28
and follow the teachings of the crucified Redeemer. At the offeratory,
31:32
we ought to offer God the oblation upon the altar,
31:34
ourselves and all that we possess. At the sanctus, we
31:39
ought to give praise to God and Hell the coming
31:41
of the Son of God, who is about to descend
31:44
upon the altar. The words of the sanctusts are like
31:46
the thrice holy of the Angels Isaiah six to three,
31:50
and the cries of the people at our Lord's entry
31:51
into Jerusalem Matthew twenty one to nine. At the consecration,
31:56
we ought to kneel and adore the Redeemer who comes
31:58
down from Heaven upon the altar. Imitate at the consecration
32:02
which you see the priest do. He falls upon his
32:04
knees and reverently adores the Lord and God, whom he
32:07
holds in his hands. Do as the three Kings did
32:09
and present of the infant Christ, or is the apostles
32:12
on Mount Tabor. When the priest elevates the host, looks
32:16
upon it with veneration. Our Lord once revealed to Saint
32:19
Gertrude that those who did so would have greater joy
32:22
hereafter in contemplation of God. So look upon it with veneration.
32:27
If looking upon a brazen serpent in the wilderness brought
32:30
healing a numbers twenty one to nine, what must it
32:34
not do for us to gaze in faith upon the
32:36
sacred host. It is not well to drop one's head immediately,
32:40
as if a one would hide one's self. For what
32:42
purpose does the priest elevate the sacred host and hold
32:45
it up high? But that we may hold it. Everyone
32:49
should remain perfectly silent and trembling all when the King
32:52
of Kings comes in to be emoliated for the faithful
32:55
and given to them as their spiritual sustenance. Beforehand, the
32:59
choirs of angels move, covering their faces, singing songs of
33:02
praise with great jubilation. The Lord and his holy temple,
33:05
let all the earth keep silence before him. I think
33:09
it's Habakuk two twenty. Some people keep cold and unmoved
33:13
at the consecration, just as if our Lord were not present.
33:16
They are like a man who, and a friend comes
33:18
from a distance to visit him, does not so much
33:20
as bid him welcome upon his arrival, but leaves him
33:23
standing as if he were a stranger. The whole court
33:25
of heaven makes preparation for the consecration, and we miserable mortals,
33:29
look on with indifference, scarcely seeming to heed what is
33:32
enacted upon the altar. Oh, did God but open the
33:35
eyes of our soul, and what marvels would be disclosed
33:39
to our spiritual sight. But because we do not perceive
33:41
it by our senses, the abasement of the Son of God,
33:44
we think little of it, whereas the angels gaze upon
33:47
it with trembling. It is an excellent practice, immediately after
33:50
the consecration to make to our heavenly Father a definite
33:53
act of offering his divine son sacrificed upon the offer
33:57
and his passion and death, He sufficiating the altar recites
34:01
the prayer of offering. We may use some such words
34:04
as these, I offer the old heavenly Father, thy well
34:06
beloved son. Here upon the altar. I offer THEE his
34:09
sufferings and cruel death, beseeching THEE to have compassion on
34:12
the souls of purgatory, or any other intention, such as
34:15
the recovery of a sick person, or in thanksgiving for
34:19
the favors received. And there's a very standard prayer. It's
34:24
Eternal Father, offer you the precious blood off your divine
34:27
Son Jesus in union with all the masses, said throughout
34:30
the world this day, for all the holy souls in purgatory,
34:32
for sinners everywhere, for sinners within the Universal Church, those
34:35
within my own home and within my family. And it's
34:40
said that the Church says it. It's an indulgence prayer.
34:44
And I believe a thousand souls or released from purgatory.
34:47
Every time you say that, I double check that it
34:50
may be one hundred. I think it's a thousand. So
34:51
I try to say it a few times a day
34:53
if I can. But it's going to be most effective,
34:55
of course, at Mass. How pleasing it is to the
34:58
Eternal Father when you honor him in this manner, How
35:01
rich a return will he make for the gift you
35:03
present to him. If any man possessed the whole world
35:06
and offered it to Almighty God, he would not give
35:09
him so great a gift as when he humbly offers
35:11
him his beloved son. At the mess the power of
35:14
Christ's precious blood is all prevailing to appease the wrath
35:17
of God. By it we can obtain the conversion of
35:20
sinners and the deliverance of souls in purgatory. Even the
35:23
most grievous sinner may hope to obtain pardon if he
35:26
offers up the passion and death of Christ to his
35:28
divine Father. This may be done at other times in mass,
35:30
but with less efficacy at the communion if we do
35:34
not communicate, actually we ought to do so spiritually. The
35:37
early Christians communicate daily, but now few Christians lead so
35:40
perfect life as to be able to communicate daily. When
35:43
the priest gives the blessing, we should cross ourselves at
35:45
the same time, imploring the blessing of God and giving
35:48
thanks for the graces we have received. At the last Gospel,
35:51
we should do the same as at the first. If
35:54
it is not possible to hear two or more masses
35:57
at the same time. Therefore, when in a church, we
35:59
ought to follow one mass attentively, not more than one. Okay,
36:03
europe big churches sometimes they have more masses than what's
36:06
going on at one time. So he's saying, listen to one. Okay,
36:10
he said, we should never, if we are present when
36:12
several masses are being said, to hear the one which
36:15
is said where we can see it best, and follow
36:17
that alone. In some dioceses is a rule that if
36:20
several masses are celebrated simultaneously, the bell should be wrong
36:23
at one altar only, and that the principle, and that
36:27
the principle, or at any rate, the most conspicuous one. Yet,
36:31
though we cannot hear more than one mass at the
36:33
same time, if we are where several being said, we
36:37
profit in certain measure by all, since every priest praise
36:40
for all who are present. All right, y'all, we will
36:43
will wrap it up there today. Next week we'll get
36:47
into the obligation of hearing or going to mass. When
36:51
he says hearing mass, he means going to mass. Okay.
36:54
In the eighteen nineties, you couldn't turn on the television
36:57
watch GWTN. He actually means the obligation of going to
37:02
mass So anyway, y'all have a good one and I
37:05
will talk to you next time. M hm.